Hello! How's everyone been? I'm sorry I took so long to update, but I haven't had a single minute to myself until now since school's started… I also can't seem to leave my part-time job (which fills up all my free time) because apparently, no one can pack Chinese take-out correctly. I could go on a whole rant about this, but I'd rather move on and not bore you guys to tears.

Recap: Kenshin and Yahiko wake up in a room. They free themselves and search for Kaoru and finds a secret staircase. Kaoru wakes up in a dungeon and talks with an emotionally unstable Nobuo. Everyone comes together and voilá, drama!

Disclaimer: Nope, RuroKen definitely does not belong to me. Now on with the story~!

Nobuo looked at the two young men that stood before him and grinned crazily. The show was finally about to begin and the vengeance that has engulfed his life will be fulfilled and he will no longer feel the need to linger in Edo. "Welcome to my home," he said insanely, mocking them for being so easily taken. They both tensed after hearing his words and the red-head placed his hand on the hilt of his sword. "Now, let's not be impatient," he said as he tightened the grip he had on the girl's shoulder, "The time for our swords has yet to ripen. Why don't you tell me how you liked my mansion? I'm sure you've looked through all the rooms already."

"Oh gee it was terrific," replied Yahiko sarcastically as he leaned both his shinai and Kaoru's bokken on his shoulders. "There was just so much of the same thing to look at that I thought I was trapped in a dream or something."

"I wasn't talking to you, you little twerp. You wouldn't know anything about class."

"Well you asked and I answered. Besides, I don't need to know anything about 'class' to know that you have none."

"Why you little…" Nobuo's neck and ears were turning crimson, "Don't be so arrogant when you can't even escape without someone coming to your rescue! Learn some manners, kid!"

"Alright then we should learn together."

"I'm a grown man. I don't need to learn manners from anyone."

"You're a man? Are you sure? 'Cause you sound a whole lot more like a brat to me." The two continued to bicker until Nobuo looked like an overripe cherry. He knew he should've killed the kid when he had the chance; but no, he had thought it would a better idea after he gets Kamiya out of the picture in front of them. Man did he regret that foolish decision!

Kaoru was having a rather difficult time between trying to suppress her laughter at Yahiko's comments to swallowing the cries of pain that followed through. Every time the young boy responded, Nobuo would tighten his grip on her already bruised shoulder. It felt as though he was trying to rip her arm out of its socket. When she stopped paying attention to the quarrel that was happening, Kaoru realized that Kenshin had been unusually quiet. She bit her lip, opened her eyes and looked at Kenshin before the pain would force them shut again. Kenshin she thought looked… distant. His amethyst eyes were glazed over and his body stayed in its rigid position, with the exception of his rattling sword. Kaoru felt the tip of the dagger dig into her neck as Yahiko added more fuel to Nobuo's rage and she had to close her eyes to handle the agonizing sensations that followed. When she looked back at Kenshin again, amber tainted the violet lividly.

xXxXxXx

The moment Kenshin saw Nobuo with Kaoru, his mind disconnected with his body. He couldn't comprehend the situation, or more like, he didn't want to. He didn't want to see Kaoru tied up and helpless; he didn't want her in the hands of danger. Yet he couldn't do a blasted thing to get Nobuo and his dagger away from Kaoru. Kenshin felt the guilt wash over him and it was suffocating. He was choking with every breath he took as he remembered how he had failed to stop Kaoru and himself from failing into that trap. A fog formed in his mind and the heated quarrel between Yahiko and Nobuo was nothing but remote, muffled voices that lagged with each passing second. His whole body felt numb and the images he saw swirled into a sea of murky scarlet around one single person. Kaoru-dono… Kaoru-dono…Kaoru. He felt himself sway and it became more violent when he saw Kaoru wince in pain and blood began to make its way down her neck. His heart seemed to shudder and disintegrate. Kaoru…!

xXxXxXx

Kaoru was stunned. She could sense Kenshin's urge to kill slowly rise to the surface and she feared he would do something he'll regret and once again become a wandering soul. Her sore heart tugged at her body to move, to do something besides sitting down and waiting for someone to come to her rescue like a useless damsel in distress. And then, the perfect opportunity came; Yahiko had exasperated Nobuo to the extent that he took the blade away from Kaoru and walked towards Yahiko, swearing he'll slit his throat if he didn't shut up and beg for mercy. Once he stood in front of her, Kaoru kicked free of the ropes she had loosened earlier and thrust them at the back of Nobuo's knees. As he buckled, she lifted the chair and spun 360°; the legs of the seat collided with Nobuo's side, thus sending him sprawling on the floor and flinging the dagger to the opposite wall.

"Kaoru, you have to teach me that move at our next lesson!" the young boy exclaimed as he undid the knots on Kaoru's wrists. She replied with a smile and once the chair was no longer bound to her, Kaoru hurried over to Kenshin's side and called out to him. He turned his head to meet her eyes, and she shuddered when she saw deep amber stare back at her.

"Kenshin? Kenshin, are you alright? Come on, let's get out of here. Kenshin!" He didn't respond; he only stared at her with those cold, cold eyes…

xXxXxXx

Kenshin couldn't pull himself out of the crimson fog. He knew Kaoru was safe and standing right next to him; he had seen her brilliant attack just now. But something in the back of his mind urged him to unsheathe his sword. I* must protect Kaoru, his brain reiterated. I* must. But shield her from what? Didn't the danger pass already? I* must protect her from that man… he is still a threat... A threat... A threat to the peaceful Meiji! He felt his feet move. No… it couldn't possibly be! Would he kill again? A tremor passed down his spine and the weight of his sakabatou was more pronounced than ever. His clouded vision blurred and he forced himself to stop moving. If he didn't move, he wouldn't be able to hurt anyone. "Kenshin." A voice traveled through his clogged ears. "Kenshin, what's wrong?" He willed the fog to clear so he could find his voice and respond to her question; to tell her there was nothing wrong and he was glad she was safe.

"I* can't let that man live. He'll tarnish the peace of the Meiji… he'll hurt the ones I* love. I have to eliminate him." Wait, that's not what he wanted to say! Although he agreed that Nobuo would most likely cause grief and chaos to the people around him, Kenshin wouldn't want him dead. What on earth was he saying?!

"Kenshin, it's alright. You don't have to kill," he felt a hand cover his left cheek; "You don't need to kill anyone for peace. Please, come back Kenshin."

A small amount of the fog that floated in front of his eyes cleared and he saw her. Kaoru's eyes were watery and were filled with concern and empathy, no doubt for him. Kenshin could feel one of his arms shift and his hand covered hers. He stared into her blue eyes until the haze dissipated and violet returned to his irises.

"Kaoru-dono…" he croaked. His throat felt raw and dry.

"Oh thank goodness!" Kaoru cried out in joy, "Kenshin, are you alright now?"

"Yes… I am. I'm sorry Kaoru-dono. I'm so sorry."

"Kenshin there's no need to apologize. Come on, let's get out of here. We have to catch up with Yahiko; he went to look for a way out." Kenshin let Kaoru drag him through the long corridors of the house. He had only realized then that they were no longer inside that dank dungeon and that when he felt his body move before, it was Kaoru pulling him along.

The couple bumped into Yahiko as they turned the corner. He excitedly told them that the exit from the mansion was on the second level. The building had been designed so that there were five levels; a dungeon, a ground floor, a second level, and so forth. The main entrance (which was a pair of grand stairs that led to a decorative front door) was placed on the second level because that was where the party rooms were built. The young boy explained to them that they had to take the main stairs and then go through two different rooms before they would finally reach the front door and then follow the dirt path home. Although the directions were simple, the winding corridors made the way to the stairs confusing and tiring. Thankfully, years of kenjutsu training built up their stamina and they were able to make it to the second level without being exhausted.

They quickly found their way to the first room, which was easily the size of Kaoru's home, and crossed it to the second one effortlessly. It was then that the question buried in the back of Kenshin's mind decided it was time it found its answer.

"Kaoru-dono what about Nobuo-san then?" he asked as they scurried through what seemed like a ball room. There were high pillars that were lined against the white walls and windows that reached from the floor to the ceiling. There were brilliant crystal chandeliers that hung majestically over the marble floors and the sunlight that entered the room glittered off of them.

"Nobuo is…"

"Right here," finished a male voice. Nobuo stepped out from the shadows created by the massive pillars and turned to face the trio with his unsheathed sword; they stopped in their tracks. "Why are you leaving so suddenly? I haven't even given you the proper welcome."

"Nobuo, what do you want with us?" asked Kaoru as she glared at the madman. "Revenge won't do anything to change the past. It will only destroy the present and the future."

"Oh don't be so sure about that, Kaoru. Revenge can do plenty to satisfy this burning in my heart." He walked closer and raised his sword to point at Kaoru, "Why don't we have a duel."

"You're not giving me a choice, are you…"

"No, I am. It's just that there's only one. Now come out and fight me!"

"And it's not much of a choice," muttered Yahiko under his breath as he handed Kaoru her bokken.

"Wait, Kaoru-dono. Why don't you let me fight him. I do not believe you're in the condition to wield a sword."

"Thank-you Kenshin for your offer, but I should be the one saying that. Your ankle is already swollen and I fear that if you put anymore pressure on it, it would not heal." Kenshin looked down on his ankle and began to feel the horrible throbbing. She was right; his foot would not be able to take much from the Hiten Mitsurugi-Ryuu before it would break. "Don't worry, I'll be fine. And besides, this is my fight and only I can properly end it." With that, she marched on forward to face Nobuo.

"Glad you didn't run away."

"If I do, then this could happen all over again. I cannot let Yahiko and Kenshin be in any kind of danger."

"How noble… then let's end this, Kamiya."

Wood met metal as the weapons clashed together. Nobuo thought it was odd that her bokken wasn't sliced in half and after careful observation of the next few minutes, he realized she was cutting his sword on a slant so that her bokken wouldn't be affected by the blade. Gritting his teeth, he needed to think of another way he could cut away her weapon and realized that if he swiped his sword vertically down, there was no way the bokken could possibly deflect that. He gave it a try after pushing Kaoru back and plunged the sword downwards. Unfortunately, he failed to remember that one of the basic techniques in the Kamiya Kasshin-Ryuu was the hadome. Kaoru crossed her arms, caught the blade with the back of her hands, pushed it aside to knock Nobuo off balance and stuck him under the arm. Her shoulder throbbed terribly as a result, but at least she got a good hit.

Nobuo desperately tried to regain his balance and ignored the pain of the impact. He glared viciously at Kaoru and saw that her injuries had taken a toll on her stamina. She was beginning to pant and her body swayed subtly every now and then. He looked for an opening and lunged the moment he saw it when Kaoru swayed a little to the right. "I've got you now, Kamiya!" he shouted as his sword came crashing down. Kaoru brought the bokken up to meet the attack and as a result it was sliced on contact. If she hadn't done that, Kaoru would have gotten much more than a scratch on the top of her left shoulder.

Changing into a defensive stance, Kaoru observed Nobuo and calculated her next step. With half a bokken, it would be hard to land a strike while staying out of his range. Finally she decided to go around the back and look for an opening. First circling Nobuo, she then rapidly ran towards him with her sword posed on her side; she dodged his large swing with ease and then sliced him across the back. Nobuo toppled to the ground.

Kaoru stood over him and pointed her wooden sword over his back. "It's over, Nobuo."

The man gave a quiet laugh and turned to look at the girl. "You think you've won? Think again!" He threw his sword up and Kaoru had to block the sudden attack with her arm. Nobuo lifted his lower body and kicked Kaoru's torso. Luckily, the girl was able to block his feet with most of her forearms, but the impact still sent her staggering backwards. Nobuo grabbed his sword and proceeded to land continuous attacks on Kaoru. Bit by bit, her bokken was reduced to shavings and what was left was only the hilt of the wood.

Now, Kaoru was backed up against a pillar and the odds were against her. In the background, Kenshin and Yahiko were rather preoccupied and looked as if they would jump into the fight at any moment. However, Kaoru's glare kept them there and they understood that if they were to help her, it would not only hurt her pride, but it would tell her that they didn't trust her to defend herself when the situation was dire. Thus, the duo was only able to watch from the sidelines.

Bringing her focus back on the man in front of her, Kaoru prepared for another strike. Nobuo struck on a slant and it made it difficult for Kaoru to evade the blade. It took a few more dodges and a few more cuts before the girl could see an opening. As the man swung down, she darted downwards to the side and with the hilt of her bokken, rammed it into the back of his right knee. The bones and muscle creaked and snapped under the sudden pressure. Nobuo fell to the ground whilst groaning in pain; the fight was finally over.

Kaoru leaned against an untainted pillar to catch her breath and Kenshin and Yahiko rushed over to question her condition. "I'm alright, nothing too serious," she said with a weak smile.

"But you're all bloody and tattered Kaoru!"

"I think it'd be best if we went to see Megumi-san as quickly as possible." Seeing Kaoru's condition, Kenshin's heart wept and he went over to support her as Kaoru began to stagger towards Nobuo.

"I will after this," she replied quietly; her voice was barely above a whisper. Stepping in front of the fallen man, Kaoru simply stated, "Nobuo, can you promise me to never involve my friends in your schemes against me ever again? If you still seek revenge, then come look for me. I…" She was cut off by his unexpectedly shrill laughter.

"No, Kaoru. I wouldn't do that. I've already lost the battle I dedicated my life to. It is over." With that, Nobuo took his own sword and plunged it into his torso. Kaoru took a step forward with the word "No" on the tip of her tongue, but it never came out. Her vision had blurred and then it was reduced to darkness.

When the young girl came to, she was resting on her futon. Megumi was directly above her, changing the wrap around her upper torso.

"Oh you're awake! Wait, don't move!" exclaimed the young doctor as Kaoru tried to sit up. "I'm changing your bandages and you've lost a lot of blood. If you sit up too quickly you'll become nauseous." The girl gave a slight nod and laid still. After Megumi finished and the others joined them, Kaoru asked what had happened when she fainted.

Yahiko volunteered to explain it. "Well, after you fainted, Kenshin carried you all the way to Dr. Gensai's clinic. He and Megumi dressed your wounds before we carried you back here so that you can heal."

"How long have I been out?"

"Almost a week…"

"What about… what about Nobuo?" her eyes seemed to glaze over as if to deny the truth she already knew.

"Kaoru-dono," Kenshin answered instead because he was afraid Yahiko might say something insensitive about the situation. After all, the young boy never liked the man. "I'm afraid we couldn't save him."

"I see…" A few tears fell from the corner of her eyes, but she quickly wiped them away. "If only I were able to stop him."

"It's not your fault, Kaoru. He made that decision himself," replied Megumi. The statement didn't give much comfort to her, but by the end of the day, she had to accept it as fate. The only thing she could possibly do was grieve for his death. After all, he was a dear friend from her childhood.

This chapter… I have mixed feelings about it. One half says to rewrite the whole damn thing and the other flings my laptop into the air saying "This is fine~." Hm… please tell me what you think! I've never written fight scenes before and I would love some criticism on it (and on the plot as well). And the whole thing with Kenshin… I guess Nobuo was bad enough to make him think he was a threat to peace and definitely to Kaoru. But that whole scene just took a weird turn.

And the ending of this chapter was definitely rushed, but I honestly was not sure how to end it. I thought about turning him over to the police, but then I read about how samurais would commit suicide if captured by an enemy or as a capital punishment (you know… the seppuku). So I thought that Nobuo would at least want to die "honorably" after he lost to Kaoru. Well anyways comments/criticisms are always welcome and the last chapter will be the Afterword.