A/n- A new series! This one comes about because I saw many parallels between Kenshin's character arc and the one I've come up with/want for Rutger. And it would be a cool fight to see as well, though I think Kenshin would win in the end.
The Commission Files- File #541 Samurai R Episode 1
Characters: Rutger, Lilina, Kenshin (Rurouni Kenshin), Kaoru (Rurouni Kenshin)
Based on: a commission by VidalRalph on Twitter
Rutger and Lilina were happily eating lunch together in the dining hall of Ostia castle when suddenly one of their squires burst in with pressing news.
"Lady Lilina, Sir Rutger, urgent news!" He told them. "There is a dangerous enemy heading towards the castle as we speak!"
"How many people are in the group?" Lilina asked, wanting to know how many soldiers she would need to take care of the threat.
"That's the thing, it's just a solitary swordsman!" The squire replied. "He's mowing through our forces like it's nothing!"
"How many of our men has he killed so far?" Rutger wondered.
"That's the other thing, he's not killing them!" The squire continued. "All of our soldiers report that he's using a reverse bladed sword and just knocking everyone down and out without finishing them off."
"Hm, this situation just gets more and more interesting by the moment." Lilina commented, wondering just who this wandering swordsman could be. "Anything else you can tell us about this person?"
"Yes. It's been noted by our men that he has long orange-ish brown hair and a cross shaped scar on the left side of his face. Some of the men even though it might have been Sir Rutger testing them." The squire answered. "Also, it seems he's looking for someone. A woman with dark blue hair. I have the suspicion that someone mentioned that Lady Lilina has blue hair and that's why he's heading this way."
"That would make the most sense." Rutger mused. "Alright, thank you for the information, we will start coming up with a plan of action." The squire bowed and then ran off to prepare himself for what may come.
"A swordsman who's not killing people and looking for someone?" Lilina wondered. "Something is not quite right, I have the feeling that this guy isn't as dangerous as he's being hyped up to be."
"I agree, but we need to do something about him, if he defeats our entire guard we'll be defenseless if anyone else decides to attack us for real. And it might kind of look bad in the eyes of the League as well." Rutger added. "What do you want to do?"
"I think you should go and do what you do best and try and stop him, or at least slow him down while I make preparations here." Lilina answered. "Not that I don't think you can't stop him, but if he does beat you he probably won't kill you given what we know."
"My thoughts exactly. Call the squire back and tell him to guide this swordsman into the woods near the castle, I think I can handle him there." Rutger stated.
"Let's hope so."
Kenshin still had no idea where he was as he continued walking towards the castle town where the villagers told him they saw a blue haired woman. He did know one thing though, this place was not Japan. The culture and atmosphere was different, though it wasn't too far off from his own. He did wish he had some warmer clothes on, it was summer in Japan but it was the beginning of fall wherever this was, the leaves on the trees starting to turn brown. He wasn't even sure how he got here in the first place. One moment him and Kaoru were having a nice time on the bridge overlooking the river and the next he was in this place and she was gone. He didn't know how he knew, but he just had a feeling that Kaoru had been taken to this place as well, just a different part of it. She was important to him in many different ways and he wasn't going to let her down just like he hadn't all the other times they had been in difficult situations.
"A forest." He commented as he saw the sun setting through the trees. "A fine place to rest for the night if I must, I could even find some food for myself here. The people here sure are on a hair trigger, that they are. All I have to say is that I'm looking for a blue haired woman and they are instantly wary of me. I do wonder what that's all about. Is it possible that Miss Kaoru has been here longer than me and made a name for herself? That is quite possible, she is a very studious and likeable woman." Kenshin kept walking down a trodden path in the forest he was in until he saw a very intimidating man in long red robes stopped in the middle of it, as if he was waiting for something.
"Excuse me good sir, may I inquire something of you?" Kenshin asked politely as he usually did.
"It depends, are you the swordsman whose been going around defeating all my soldiers today?" The man asked back coldly.
"I only did so in self defense, and as you probably know by now I didn't kill any of them either." Kenshin replied. "Why are your men so worried about me finding this blue haired woman I keep asking about?"
"Because, the only blue haired woman around these parts is our leader, and if someone as dangerous as you is looking for her, well you can guess why they were a bit eager to defend her." The man replied.
"The woman who I'm looking for is named Kaoru Kamiya, is she your leader?" Kenshin asked and when he did he saw the sternness in the other man's face falter just a tad. Getting a better look at him Kenshin could sense a conflict within his spirit. Perhaps he wasn't as gruff and intimidating as he was portraying himself? Kind of like how he did with his own personality?
"She is not, nor do I know of any woman with that name here in Ostia or in the entirety of Elibe." The swordsman in red answered.
"Then we have no need to fight and we can go our separate ways, yes?" Kenshin replied, not wanting to get into yet another fight this day.
"Unfortunately no, I've been sent here to subdue you no matter what." The swordsman answered. "You can come quietly to the castle without incident or we can do this the hard way."
"I'm sorry, but Miss Kaoru is too important to me to waste time having to be detained. If she's in any similar situation to the one I found myself in then she needs my support and I'm not going to let anyone stop me from finding her." Kenshin answered, his face turning more serious the longer his statement went on.
"Very well then, draw your blade wandering swordsman and see if it can compare to mine." The swordsman in red said before taking out his sword. It was both silver and gold with a red hilt that looked like a pair of bat wings.
"Not many people can stand up to my Hiten Mitsurugi sword style, let's see if you're better than your men."
As Lilina was preparing the castle for an assault another squire ran up and had more news to share with her.
"Lady Lilina! There is a woman at the castle gate, she states that she doesn't know how she got here and she has dark blue hair. What should we do?" Lilina's eyes opened wide when she heard this. This woman could be the one the wandering swordsman was looking for and it could solve the whole issue right here and now.
"I'm going to greet her." Lilina stated. "Have archers at the ready in case anything happens." The squire nodded and Lilina headed for the castle gate. It was opened and when she stepped out she saw the woman. She did indeed have dark blue hair, along with a very interesting outfit with a white top and blue pants that bellowed out towards the bottom. It honestly looked like she had been exercising or training before she got here. And she was quite pretty as well, maybe not as much as some other women, but she had her charms.
"Welcome!" Lilina welcomed the woman as she would any other unexpected guest. "You've found yourself at Ostia castle and I'm Lady Lilina, the Marquess of the land. Is there something I can help you with?"
"Yes, there very much is Lady Lilina." The woman said with a polite bow. "But it's a lot to explain, may I come in and sit down?"
"Of course, I'll have a table in the dining room set up for us." So it was done and the two got to talking. Lilina quickly found out that the woman's name was Kaoru Kamiya and that she came from a land called Japan. Kaoru was a bit shocked that Lilina wasn't shocked so Lilina told her about how other worlds could be accesed through Outrealm Gates and how she had some knowledge on how to work them.
"So Kenshin and I probably fell into one of these Gates and then ended up here in your land?" Kaoru asked.
"Most likely." Lilina confirmed. "But I'm curious, you've mentioned this Kenshin person a few times now, why aren't they with you?"
"I have no idea, we were together before we got here but when I landed I was all by myself." Kaoru answered. "I hope he's not getting into trouble, he tends to be a magnet for it."
"Why don't you describe how he looks and maybe I can tell you if any of my men have seen him?" Lilina suggested.
"That's a great idea." Kaoru noted. "Okay, he's pretty tall, has long orange-brown hair that's tied up in a ponytail, he has a cross shaped scar on the left side of his face-"
"And he carries a reverse bladed sword?" Lilina finished Kaoru's sentence for her.
"Yes, exactly!" Kaoru replied, her face lightening up a bit. "Wait? How did you know that?"
"Because he's been knocking out guards and such heading to the castle here looking for you and I just sent my husband to go deal with him." Lilina explained as she quickly got up from the table and started heading to her room. "Come on, we have to stop them before one of them gets hurt."
"I have to say, I haven't had a fight drawn out this long in quite a while." Rutger stated to the wandering swordsman as he hid behind one of the many trees of the forest to catch his breath. This swordsman was no joke and his Hiten Mitsurugi style was strong as well. It almost felt like the stories people would state about his mother Lyn when she was at her peak. He could strike from anywhere with his immense speed and it was almost as if he could predict where Rutger was going to strike next with his sword. It seemed the only advantage Rutger had was the terrain and what seemed like a large strength gap between the two of them.
"I must agree, you are quite the formidable foe." The swordsman replied from behind another tree. "But you must realize that one of these times I will hit you and finish this fight, why not give up and let me go? I promise I won't cause you any more trouble."
"I don't know, I guess it's just a pride thing at the moment." Rutger admitted. "I know you're not a bad guy, but I need to do what I can for the people I care about."
"You are a man with a code of honor, I can respect that." The swordsman noted, his voice coming from another place entirely this time.
"And you are a man dedicated to his friends, I can respect that." Rutger countered, sensing a strike was about to come. He was right and the swordsman leaped from above him and tried to slash at his chest but Rutger rolled out of the way just in time before getting back up to his feet and staring down the wandering swordmaster once again, their blades drawn at each other.
"I can keep going all night." The swordsman commented, readying his next attack. "But I need to finish this fight quickly." At that he jumped up high into the air declaring his next attack. "Hiten Mitsurugi Style! Ryūtsuisen!" At the speed he was coming down all Rutger could do is put the Sol Katti up above his head to block the incoming attack, but even that wasn't enough because the strength of the blow brought him to his knees. But he was slowly but surely able to stand again, pushing the swordsman off his blade with a might shove. "I can keep doing that over and over, can you?" The swordsman asked. Rutger was about to just charge at him full blast in a bit of anger before two more voices joined them in the forest.
"Rutger! Stop, we found who he's looking for!"
"Kenshin, can't I leave you alone for five minutes without you getting into a fight?" The two swordsmen looked to their side to see the two woman they cared for the most, safe and sound, if not a bit annoyed.
"Miss Kaoru!" Kenshin replied happily, his whole appearance changing in an instant. "I'm so glad that you're okay, that I am!"
"Does he usually do that?" Lilina asked.
"Yeah, you get used to it." Kaoru replied. So the two women caught the men up on what was going on and Rutger and Kenshin finally learned each other's names.
"Sorry I went so rough on you Kenshin, but I kind of had to." Rutger apologized.
"No need to worry." Kenshin assured him. "I probably should have gone about looking for Miss Kaoru in a better manner, but like I said, she's important to me." He couldn't see it, but that statement got Kaoru to blush a little bit from how sweet it was.
"I totally understand. If Lilina and I got separated like you two did, I'd probably do the same thing." Rutger admitted.
"Well, now that everything is settled, how are we getting back to Japan?" Kaoru wondered, and Kenshin was curious as well.
"I'll have to do a bit more research, but I should be able to open up an Outrealm Gate back to Japan by tomorrow evening." Lilina noted. "You two are welcome to stay at the castle for the time being if you're willing." Kenshin and Kaoru looked at each other wordlessly and nodded before making their decision.
"Sure, we'd love to be your guests." Kenshin replied. "It's okay if we have separate rooms though right?"
"Separate rooms?" Rutger wondered aloud. "I thought you two were, you know?"
"We were what?" Kenshin asked back a bit densely, not quite getting Rutger's point. It was clear Rutger and Lilina that Kenshin and Kaoru really cared about each other, but perhaps they hadn't confessed their feelings yet.
"Come on Kenshin, we don't want to keep them waiting!" Kaoru cut in, sounding a bit exasperated, pulling Kenshin along by his ear as she usually did in situations like this.
"Oro!" Kenshin yelped as he was dragged away.
"Or maybe it's only not obvious to Kenshin." Lilina noted with a chuckle as if she and Rutger had been having the same thought.
"Yeah, looks like it."
The next day came and while Lilina was doing research to find an Outrealm Gate back to Japan Kenshin took the opportunity to speak with Rutger privately about something he had been wondering about. Kaoru stayed back with Lilina, wanting to learn more about the culture and goings about of Ostia and Elibe while helping out with her research for getting home. Rutger took Kenshin out to a quite spot by a lake so they could be alone.
"Hmm, this place is quite peaceful, reminds me of the riverbank Miss Kaoru and and visit together." Kenshin commented taking in the view.
"Yeah, I like to come here to think from time to time." Rutger noted. "So what was it that you wanted to talk about?"
"Just something I sensed while we were fighting." Kenshin explained. "When I fight with someone I tend to get a sense of who they are, that's why I could tell you were a good man at heart."
"My mother used to have something like that." Rutger commented. "I guess I got some of it, but it takes more than one fight for me to do it."
"Hmm, then you sensed I was a good person on your own then, interesting." Kenshin pondered. "Anyways, what I sensed in you was something that I sensed in myself a long time ago and still do to an extent. A conflict between two versions of yourself, between being in control and losing it. Am I correct?"
"Very." Rutger replied, taking a deep breath because this wasn't the conversation he was expecting to have.
"Would you care to share your story, I'd be more than willing to share my own in return." Kenshin offered.
"I don't usually tell this to people I just met, but I think talking to you about this might actually help, so why not?" Rutger mused. So the two men talked about their pasts, Rutger losing his parents and spiraling into a pit of sadness and anger, and Kenshin about his days as the Manslayer. Their stories were different but very similar nonetheless. Rutger was surprised to learn that Kenshin was actually older than him since he looked like he was the same age, and Kenshin was surprised about Rutger talking about fighting dragons, but realized that's probably where his immense strength came from.
"I think I got to know much more about you from this than I did from fighting you, thank you for telling me your story Rutger." Kenshin noted when they were done.
"Honestly, now that I know more about you Kenshin, I kind of look up to you a bit. I wish I could turn on that goofy personality like you do, because that's how I used to be when I was younger." Rutger admitted.
"Well, we each have our strengths." Kenshin noted. "You've been able to tell the woman you care about the feelings you have for her while I haven't."
"Oh, so you were just playing dumb earlier then?" Rutger asked.
"I was." Kenshin confirmed. "And I know Miss Kaoru has feelings for me as well, I'm not dumb, but I don't know if I'll ever feel safe enough to let her know how I feel about her. Or if I'll ever feel like I deserve the love of a woman such as herself either."
"Trust me on this one, it just takes time." Rutger assured him. "Little by little the things you do together will break down your walls and eventually you'll get the strength to tell her. That's what happened with me and Lilina and I'm sure the same can happen to you if you let it. But for now just focus on being happy with her and everything else will come in time."
"Even my doubts of unworthiness?" Kenshin wondered.
"I believe so." Rutger noted. "I never thought a woman like Lilina would want to be with me, but it happened. At least you don't have anyone else vying for her affections."
"That's very true." Kenshin replied before the two of them became quite and just enjoyed the view of the lake. That is until Kaoru came into view.
"Alright you two, Lady Lilina has the gate ready, we can head back to Japan now." She stated. Rutger and Kenshin nodded in understanding to each other before the three of them headed back to the castle.
"That's mighty impressive Lady Lilina." Kenshin said looking at the Outrealm Gate showing them the dojo where he and Kaoru lived. "How did you learn to do such a thing like this?"
"Just an extension of my magical training." Lilina replied. "I can't hold it open for forever though, so you two should get going."
"Magic?" Kaoru wondered. "I thought all that stuff was fake."
"Not here it isn't." Lilina noted. "If you really want to learn more we can come and visit you two in Japan, if that's alright."
"That would be really nice." Kenshin replied. "We could make you lunch and show you around town and introduce you to our friends!"
"Sounds like a plan." Rutger noted. "We're kind of busy being the leaders of Ostia, but we'll stop by when we can."
"I look forward to it, having another amazing swordsman such as yourself would really drum up business for the dojo." Kaoru joked. "Well, see you later!" And with that her and Kenshin walked into the portal and Lilina closed it behind them.
"They were pretty cool once we knew more about them." Rutger noted with a smile. "I'm looking forward to seeing them again. How was your time with Kaoru?
"She's really nice and smart. Funny too. I think we'll be great friends! Did you know she's a sword instructor as well?" Lilina asked.
"I think Kenshin told me that while we were talking, maybe she could teach you." Rutger joked.
"Ha, that would be the day, me with a sword. Come on, we have dinner to get to."