Author's note: One more chapter to go! Please read and review. Reviews are good. Reviews are author heroin.
Kaoru's knees hit the bricks as she sprawled in an ungainly heap on the ground. Her stomach clenched with nausea and her vision dimmed, blurring before her eyes. Besides her, Aoshi was on his hands and knees, sides heaving as if he had just swam a mile underwater. Shaking her head firmly, Kaoru tried to regain control of her protesting stomach and rise to her feet. Whatever Aoshi had done seemed to have relocated them for they were no longer in the hallway but under the open sky and in the middle of a large brick walkway that lead to a factory-like structure. As Kaoru's eyes gradually refocused, she saw a shock of red hair lying like a pool of blood on the ground, wide-open eyes staring blankly upwards.
Kenshin. Panic gave her wings and she pulled herself upright, staggering forward. A hand seized her.
"No Kaoru," Aoshi was on his feet, holding her back.
Angrily Kaoru fought him, striking heedlessly at the man that had saved her life. "Let me go!" she screamed.
"No, Shishio is there and he will harm you if you draw close to him," Aoshi's fingers were clamped around Kaoru's arm in an unbreakable grip.
"I don't care!" Kaoru bellowed, yanking as hard as she could, tears welling up in the corner of her eyes.
"Listen to me," Aoshi insisted. "The Battou...Kenshin is not yet defeated. He needs more time. Time I can give him." Kaoru stopped fighting and watched as Aoshi stepped forward, drawing his kodachi. "Stay here but call your elements to your husband," he ordered and with a flash was streaking across the ground to intercept Shishio.
It took all of Kaoru's strength to stay where she was, looking in helpless frustration at the unmoving body of her husband. With a sickening lurch, she saw that Saito and Sano were also motionless on the ground, bloodstains patterning the bricks around their bodies. Dead? she thought frantically, then Aoshi and Shishio charged into her line of vision, drawing her attention. As powerful and skillful as the Oniwaba was, it was clear that Shishio had the upper-hand. Aoshi wasn't even trying to attack – he was merely defending himself from Shishio's onslaught. Flames sizzled off the enemy, and Aoshi's undines tried to make an appearance, but the Water Elements evaporated almost as soon as they materialized, the heat from Shishio burning them away nearly instantly. Bereft of his elements, it was only Aoshi's sword skills that were keeping him alive.
Elements! Kaoru shook her head, remembering Aoshi's last words to her. Reaching inside for her power, she did not command but pleaded with every fiber of her being for her elements to appear. Deafening energies poured into her head as a flock of zephyrs, eyes keen for battle, swirled around Kaoru. There were too many for her to count properly and they flew too quickly to track, but she was very much aware that inside the swarm of zephyrs was a tiny flame. The zephyrs enveloped this flame and it burst into brightness and heat, a ball of fire surrounded by racing zephyrs that lifted into the air and soared towards Kenshin.
Aoshi hit the ground with a heart-stopping thump, his kodachi clattering along the bricks and his blood falling like a spring rain. Shishio roared, "Weak! Weak! YOU ARE ALL SO WEAK!" as his opponent collapsed at his feet. So triumphant was Shishio over his victory that he did not see the zephyrs and ball of flame reach Kenshin and hover over him until the woman's cry of warning alerted him.
Energy crackled and the towers suddenly erupted, flames bursting out of their tops as Kenshin bolted upright, bellowing like a battle god. His eyes were opaque gold, not a hint of iris or pupil showed and his hair streaming around him was a victory banner snapping in the wind. Shishio turned to face Kenshin, a smile of evil delight crossing his face. Salamanders materialized in battalions; flying to Kaoru's zephyrs, they flowed together, encircling Kenshin with brilliant streaks of living flames that hid him from view. The air blew hot and fierce; scorching gusts swirled through the battleground but as they reached Kaoru, she felt strength and pounding energy flowing on the wind. It scoured her, wiping away the exhaustion of battle and filling her with fresh courage.
As the wind intensified, the swarm of elements lifted up from Kenshin and began swirling together with a sense of purpose about their movements. Within moments, an enormous human shape appeared, a creature of wind and flame with gigantic unfurled wings and eyes like comets, flashing and brilliant. It half flew, half ran towards Shishio in a swift, deadly onslaught. Shishio stood his ground, poised for attack but Kaoru clearly saw uncertainty written in his eyes before his entire body erupted into a massive ball of flames that charged forward to meet the strange creature advancing towards him.
Flame met flame, and the world exploded in searing heat as if the earth had fallen into the heart of the sun. Kaoru fell to her knees, tucking her arms around her head and gasping for air. So...hot...I...I can't...bear it...she thought slowly, her entire body screaming for relief, panicking in alarm. But as swiftly as it came, it was over: the excruciating heat suddenly disappeared and Kaoru could lift her head again. To her complete relief, she saw that Shishio was down, his body in flames. Barely had Kaoru's brain had time to register this than her feet were winging her swiftly to Kenshin's side. He was down on both knees, upper body leaning heavily on his sword and sides heaving with effort but he was alive. Seeing her, he managed to pull himself to his feet, only to collapse in her arms when their bodies crashed into each other. Kaoru's legs gave way and they both fell to the ground, embracing each other so strongly that no one could have separated them.
When they reluctantly pulled apart, Kaoru looked up to see that Saito, Sano, and Aoshi were slowly pulling themselves to their feet. All four men were clearly the worse for the wear but alive and determined to stay that way. Sano was the first to reach them. "Alright Kenshin and Kaoru!" he bellowed, gathering them both up in a hug. "Way to go!"
Kenshin spasmed and coughed; blood splattered against Sano's once-white jacket as the redhead's face twisted and his head slumped forward to rest against Kaoru's shoulder. "Kenshin!" Kaoru screamed. "He's hurt bad! We got to get out of here!" As the four honed in on the badly-injured Fire Master, another voice sounded.
"Wait...wait, it's...it's not over yet." To the horror of the five fighters, Shishio was staggering slowly to his feet. He leaned heavily on his katana but he managed to pull himself upright and his voice, while weakened, still had strength left in it. "Despite...the aerial you...created...you...you haven't won yet...Battousai."
Kenshin's head lifted up slowly from Kaoru's shoulder and he faced his resolute opponent. His voice too was weakened but still firm and controlled. "You've lost Shishio Makoto. I took your elemental powers from you. You are simply a Sword Master now. You will never be a Fire Master again. Admit defeat."
"You...you...NO!" With a cry of surprising volume, Shishio raised his sword with one hand and clenched the fist of his other hand. After a moment or two, defiance changed to shock, then fear, then anger. "NO! NO!" He threw his head back in a long, heart-rendering howl of rage and loss.
"Give it a break, Shishio, you're done. You lost," Sano snarled. "Kenshin beat you. That makes you the weak one. How's it feel to be weak?"
"YOU! HOW DARE YOU! I..." Shishio's strength suddenly abandoned him for he dropped back to the floor, head down, sword clattering to the ground.
"Lord Shishio!" the woman cried out and rushed to his side. Reaching him, she fell to the ground besides him, clinging to him with love and grief swirling anxiously in her eyes. He enveloped her in his arms, pulling her close to him.
"Yumi, my love," Shishio crooned to her in ragged tones. "You always wanted to be useful to me, darling. Here's your chance." A sword suddenly jutted out from between her breasts, spilling dark blood in a river down the front of her elegant kimono, staining her white skin crimson.
The five fighters took a collective gasp as Shishio glared at them triumphantly. "Battousai, you may have learned to destroy an Elemental Master's power but that's nothing compared to the ability to take his power for yourself!" He looked down at the dying woman in his arms. Even in the throes of death, she still clutched him to herself and her eyes were fixed in a strangely happy daze. "My Yumi is a strong Water Master. She has been very helpful to me, no more so than right now. Isn't that right, my love?"
"Yes...yes...so...happy...to...help," Yumi gasped out as blood dripped from her full lips.
Kissing her on the forehead, Shishio said, "Wait for me, my love. We will be together soon." Yumi's lips quavered in one last smile as her eyes closed and her head sagged. Shishio placed her tenderly on the ground and stood to his feet as an army of undines materialized. However, these were not the graceful, elegant creatures that Kaoru had seen floating around Aoshi and Megumi. These elements were twisted, distorted, with nothing beautiful about them. Like a swarm of locusts, buzzing and hungry, the elements encircled Shishio, lank hair snapping in the wind and pointed fingers tearing at the air.
Kaoru felt Kenshin's energy shift and through the Soul Bond, she was acutely aware at how drained and injured he was. She knew unquestioning that he did not have any strength left to fight but was just as certain that nevertheless he would still rise to meet Shishio again. But as Kaoru clutched Kenshin's exhausted body to herself, Shishio gave a great lurch and worry crossed his face. The undines hissed and began milling around in confused circles while Shishio frantically spread his arms out as if trying to fend off an invisible attacker. As the five watched, Shishio fell to the ground and began vanishing as if he was melting, leaving nothing behind but a charred piece of cloth.
A great scream filled the air: the man Hoji had seemingly gone mad. He raced off into a nearby building and began opening vents and breaking pipes, cackling something about Shishio winning the battle. Flames belched out from the pipes as the first of the explosions made themselves known with unmistakable vigor.
"We must apparate!" Aoshi yelled across the noise of the explosions.
"Sano..." Kenshin coughed, his eyes flashing in alarm. "Sano's a Ward...can't...apparate!"
"Oh for heaven's sake," Saito scoffed, looking much too at ease for a man standing on rumbling pavement that threatened to disintegrate at any minute. "I'll make certain the dumb rooster-head gets out of here alive. Aoshi, apparate out of here with these two. The idiot and I will be along shortly."
Aoshi nodded and seized Kaoru and Kenshin in his arms, locking them in with a firm grip and as the three disappeared, a massive eruption rocked the foundations under their feet.