Yukishiro Enishi was a bit disgruntled seeing the two that close during Yastume's fight. What right did that murderer have to forget his sister so quickly? What kind of a woman was she to not only throw a grenade at him, but let Battosai touch her and even hold his hand as well? He began a slow descent satisfied that Tomoe was finally going to be avenged.
Kenshin still wasn't sure if he would be able to reach Enishi, but with everyone's support his heart was strong enough to face his brother-in-law. He felt Kaoru's fingers grasping his sleeve and turned to see her looking down.
"Please protect yourself above all else, Kenshin. I wish everyone finds some happiness." Kaoru looked up at him through her fringe.
"Like us." His smile grew broader when she grinned.
Enishi landed in the street and Kenshin walked through the remains of the gate to meet him. "Do you have doubts about fighting?"
Guilt and remorse drenched his memories of Tomoe. Although revenge for Kiyosato Akira brought them together in a twisted way with her dying breath she wanted him to live. Tomoe didn't write lies about her feelings in her diary so he will continue to live protecting those within sight. "No, there are no doubts."
Enishi removed his cloak "I prepared a cruel penance for you, but before that I will have you experience the pain you made my sister suffer." He unwrapped an ancient Japanese Tachi blade with a Chinese hilt.
Kenshin was able to either dodge or flip over Enishi's initial moves because they were to gauge his skill; however his brother-in-law soon tired of a half-hearted battle and used a martial art jutsu combined with an upward slash forcing Kenshin into the neighbor's courtyard wall. Kenjutsu combined with a longer blade left Kenshin's earlier injury throbbing.
"Are you underestimating me or overestimating yourself?" Enishi was frustrated that Kenshin was unwilling to attack.
"This one is fighting to stop you, not harm you." Except he still didn't know how to stop his brother-in-law who had convinced himself Kenshin was unaware of the pain he caused Tomoe by slicing her back open. As if someone else held her as she bled out.
"Until you get serious I will entertain them with a story." Enishi gestured to the four standing at the edge of the street. "Once upon a time there was a boy whose older sister was murdered by you." His downward slash was blocked "All alone in the world he crossed the sea to Shanghai." His thrust was deflected "He learned to drink from mud puddles and eat carcasses in the street to avoid starvation. I was taken in by a family, yet the sight of them living peacefully was unbearable. They were foolish prey and easy enough to slaughter." This time his thrust hit Kenshin's left arm.
"Why didn't you choose to grow up in your father's house and find your own happiness?"
"Japan without my sister is intolerable. I will not allow you any happiness after taking mine." Enishi spotted her between the woman doctor and the idiot, standing in front of the ex-Shinsengumi.
"You will be stopped here." Kenshin held his sakabato in his left hand aware that Enishi was focused on the sidelines instead of him. Was he looking at Kaoru?
"Get away while you can." Saito flicked ash from the tip. "He will target you." He took a long drag while she answered him.
"I thought you were half an enemy," Kaoru met Saito's narrowed eyes "But in their current position Yukishiro Enishi will notice me leave before Kenshin does so I can't move now."
"You can give him a cheer." Sano looked over his shoulder at her "Yell something to get him started."
Megumi frowned "He's doing this for you after all."
Kaoru realized Kenshin wasn't going to move any time soon and was a little embarrassed that she was the one expected to make him fight. "Do it!"
Kenshin blocked another hit then struck Enishi with Dragon Hammer. Enishi's blade missed as Kenshin leapt into the air attacking the psychopath with Nine Headed Dragon.
It took a minute, but Enishi got to his feet; although he still wobbled a bit as he held his sword with the hilt pointed at the ground. "Withstanding that attack proves I'm not a less-than-nothing weakling who couldn't protect my sister from you."
Kenshin slowly sheathed his blade. "You only had to stop her from running into the middle of a swordfight. That takes a different type of strength."
"Attack me already. I have to complete the Jinchu." Enishi pressed the steel blade against the back of his arm "As long as my sister smiles at me I will be stronger than anyone. In your mind is my sister smiling on you?"
"It isn't a matter of smiling or not smiling. Tomoe is not seen, not even her shadow."
"I warned you not to say her name." Enishi was enraged at Battosai's disrespect.
"This one's wife is not seen." Kenshin refused to believe Tomoe would have been happy with the man her younger brother became.
Referring to Tomoe as his wife was even worse causing Enishi to move a second before Kenshin unleashed Dragon Flight of Heaven. The vacuum created by Kenshin's first strike rolled over his brother-in-law crouched like a tiger waiting to spring. Kenshin's second strike landed a second too late allowing Enishi's longer blade to cut from his lower right rib to his left shoulder. It was too shallow to bleed out, yet serious enough to bring Kenshin to his knees.
"Does the gash you gave my sister hurt, Battosai?" Enishi let his blade rest against his right shoulder satisfied that the man was now aware that he caused Tomoe pain. "I am beginning the true Jinchu. You took my sister's fiancé then you took my sister so I will take someone from you."
Cho leaned against a courtyard wall with his eyes closed taking slow deep breaths. The cannon was disabled again and if Saito didn't like the method used then he should have been given a proper sword. Cho absentmindedly turned the broken blade in his hand as he watched Gein pull an odd device from his broken puppet suit and fill the street with smoke, functional beauty indeed. After Battosai stumbled into the smoke chasing Enishi, Gein pulled a large bundle from the hot air balloon that the arms dealer used. Cho saw a black tail dangle from the end when the thick roll was thrown over a shoulder so he decided to follow the puppet master into the smoke concealing Kamiya Dojo.
Kaoru was torn between running to Kenshin and running from Enishi. The smoke hid her somewhat, yet Megumi's loud repetitive demands that she go made her location obvious. After escaping from the well intentioned doctor Kaoru wasn't sure where Enishi or Kenshin were and drew her bokken when a tall silhouette approached through the haze.
"I have nothing against you personally, even though you threw a grenade at me." Enishi leaned his sword against his shoulder "I defeated him despite your little trick because Tomoe smiled at me."
"Kenshin's heart is too strong to be defeated by you." Kaoru dropped into her favorite defensive stance waiting for him to attack. Why was Enishi delaying?
"You don't stand a chance and he isn't coming to save you." He moved his sword to mid-level "You're only a replacement for sister anyway."
"I doubt that." Kaoru was well aware she was no substitute for a traditional beauty who was raised to be the perfect wife for a samurai. He kept looking behind her and she didn't dare turn to see if anyone was on the dojo porch.
Enishi smiled "Give up."
She raised her bokken "Never" and mimicked Kenshin's front flip when he disappeared. Kaoru wasn't sure if he intended to take her back or attack from above so she did a tuck and roll trying to stay out of his range. The effort turned out to be a waste of time when he reappeared in front of her and aimed at her face. Kaoru deflected his blade which resulted in a much shorter bokken.
Kenshin caught up with Enishi in time to hear him say Kaoru-dono was going to be sacrificed; he struck from behind and without warning. Dragon Hammer hit the back of Enishi's head planting his face in the trench Yatsume made. "You will not be allowed to harm Kaoru-dono."
After waiting for his brother-in-law to regain his footing and retrieve his glasses Kenshin repeated "Whether or not you think Tomoe wanted vengeance, Kaoru-dono will not be touched."
"You will suffer as I had to suffer all these years. Tomoe isn't able to carry out her murder's death sentence so it is left to her loved one. Suffer and die!"
Kenshin sidestepped the wild swing "Tomoe's last words bore no malice."
Enishi sneered in derision "You say that because she won't smile for you." He closed his eyes to concentrate on his sister's beautiful face and discovered her gentle smile was missing. She smiled before, why not now? Was he taking too long? He raised his blade with both hands on the hilt to cut Battosai down. Another Dragon Flight of Heaven was unleashed to counter the attack. Because he wasn't crouching this time Enishi was drawn into the vacuum created by the first swing and the second sliced from right shoulder to left side.
Saito took a long drag on his cigarette as he watched Enishi's prone figure for a sign of life. He'd love to find out if the wind of the dragon's wings can withstand zeroshiki or if dragon claws would prevail. "Looks like he'll live."
Cho came out of the dojo "I don't know if you want to see this-"
"Time's wasting." Saito interrupted "We still need to know who he's supplying so take him to the jail."
Glaring with a frown because scathing retorts were useless, Cho picked up Enishi's sword and tucked it into his belt to start his new collection. Saito raised an eyebrow but made no comment as his minion, assistant, threw the disoriented arm's dealer over a shoulder and stalked toward the police station.
"What did that idiot broom-head find?" Sano took the steps two at a time then stopped short in the doorway. "You're not going to want to see this."
Megumi followed him "What could possibly be worse than…oh, my."
Kaoru was stunned to see an exact replica of herself slumped against the wall. Blood seeped from the sword imbedded in the right shoulder and dripped from the 'X' carved into the left cheek; Yukishiro Enishi was a vile man.
"That is a bit too much to bear." Kenshin gripped Kaoru's shoulder tightly with a pale face as he turned toward the ruined yard. "You shouldn't look, that you should not." His right hand pressed against her cheek to make her face him instead and rested his forehead against hers waiting for the queasiness to pass.
Kaoru grew concerned at his reaction and assumed blood loss made him feel dizzy. "Megumi-san, please treat Kenshin quickly."
The doctor ushered him to the steps where it was easier for her to cover the long gash in ointment and wrap his torso. "Sano, stop gawking at that thing and go get Dr. Gensai. Yahiko ought to stay at the clinic until he fully recovers. Ken-san, you would mend better there as well."
"This scratch is no reason to leave home; however Yahiko will rest better at the clinic for a day or two."
With nothing left to do at the moment Kaoru sat next to Kenshin. What was Enishi going to do with that-? No, don't think about it. She mentally calculated the cost of rebuilding the gate and porch roof. How long was Gein studying her in order to make-? No, don't think about it. They were all safe. Nothing else mattered.
"Your sword style takes an incredible toll on the body. You won't be able to fight like this forever." Megumi scolded as she put her supplies into the proper drawers of her medicine box.
"Thank you for your concern, Megumi-san. There is no intention of continuing to fight forever."
Shinomori Aoshi entered the large gap in the fence with Misao at his side. There was no bell to ring. It was attached to a piece of wood lying at the base of a mound of dirt that followed a trench curving around the front of the dojo. "It seems we're too late." The remains of the porch roof were scattered behind the trench and there was blood in the dirt on one side of the steps.
"Aoshi-sama, look at Iwanbo!" Misao was disgusted at the bubbly skin. The stench of so much rotting meat in the corner of the yard was unbearable even with a hand over her nose.
The door to the training hall was left partially open and Aoshi headed for the steps.
"Good morning Aoshi-san, please don't enter the dojo; something worse than Iwanbo may still be inside." Kenshin wasn't able to bow deeply due to his injuries "It was obviously too much to hope the police would have taken Gein's puppets also."
"Who is it, Kenshin?" Kaoru came around the side "Misao! I'm so glad you made it."
"It looks like we missed all the fun."
"Please come into the kitchen for some tea. The journey is a bit tiring despite the train making it a week shorter."
They sat around the low table the discussing the previous evening over tea and Megumi's left over rice balls until the noon bang made Kenshin flinch. Kaoru and Aoshi noticed, but politely ignored it although his reaction reminded them of what was waiting in the yard and dojo.
"Kenshin, is it alright if her diary is given to him? Should we go this afternoon since Yahiko will be back tomorrow?"
"Yes, his sister will be able to reach his heart long before this one. Perhaps you may want to visit Tae and the clinic as well while you are out."
"Then we will be back before sunset."
Kenshin turned to Aoshi after they left "This one appreciates your visit and hopes that tomorrow will be much more restful for you and Misao-dono."
Aoshi expected another fight to the death and considered disposing of two fake bodies a better task than taking another life, at least until he saw Kamiya-san pinned to the wall in a pool of congealed blood. In his opinion Kenshin was entirely too compassionate letting Gein live and Kaoru was extremely generous in her concern for Enishi.
Kenshin closed the gate behind Kaoru when they went for a walk the next evening leaving Megumi, Misao and Sano relaxing on the porch while Aoshi meditated inside. They walked in silence toward the river until they reached the old log at the bottom of the bank. "Sincerest apologies Kaoru-dono, there is no desire to go any farther."
"You shouldn't overexert yourself anyway, Kenshin." Kaoru sat on his left watching the water flow by.
A couple of stars became visible in the fading light before Kenshin spoke again "While you were out with Aoshi-san and Misao-dono today this one emptied his travel pack and realized that Tomoe's comb ought to have been left in Kyoto. If we take the ferry tomorrow we may be back by the time repairs are finished."
"Are you sure you want me along on a visit with your wife?"
Kenshin turned to meet her eyes "The most important person will be kept close, Kaoru-dono. Enishi's puppet was disturbing and your smile cannot be protected if we are far apart."
She grinned at him and nodded. It wasn't like him to be so open and direct.
"There is also much to discuss before being registered." Perhaps on the way home he'd tell her about Shinta.
"Then you don't want to have a ceremony at the shrine?" Kaoru wasn't sure they had enough money left for a wedding kimono.
"The end result is still the same so it will be left for you to decide when we return."