Chapter One Hundred Ten

Sirens, car alarms, and the loud booming clash of various demon powers rose-up like a cacophony of anger and fear between the widespread buildings of Neo-Tokyo. The resultant atmosphere was charged and heavy, tickling anxiety into the hearts and minds of those witness to it. No longer was the city safe. No longer was the city welcoming and abuzz with life. The taint had set into the city streets, had seeped into the very air, and those not overwhelmed by terror were corrupted by rage. Truly, the power of a shadow demon was nothing like Tomoe had ever imagined.

Trembling fingers rested upon the rooftop ledge of the skyscraper as she peered out into the chaos Sojiro had wrought, and her heart shriveled. Fear and sorrow soured her stomach. This was not the way the world was meant to be. It was not natural. Or perhaps it was, and she had merely forgotten the cruelness that laid dormant beneath the thinly veiled façade of civility. Closing her eyes, she found the action to be futile. Projected onto the back of her eyelids, she could still see the fighting. Lodged into her nostrils, she could still smell how the combination of diverse power turned putrid like rotten earth. Echoing in her ears, she could still hear screams: cries for destruction as well as calls for mercy.

Stepping away from the ledge, Tomoe folded her shaky hands at her waist purely out of habit. Without looking, she could feel Himura Takibi standing close behind her. Ever at attention, and ever unmoving. Sojiro had left her there so that she could witness the beginning stages of his plans as they finally reached fruition. An angry part of her clenched at her jaw guilty, and she thought rashly about how she should have tried to kill him. The thankfully dominant and rational part of her knew she would have failed any attempt she would have made. She could not be careless. She had to be patient and wait for the right time to act.

The soft vibration of her phone pulled her from her darkening thoughts, and she smoothly withdrew the device from her pocket to see who was trying to contact her. Up unto that point, she had taken very few phone calls from her friends, and had limited her communication to brief messages so as not to cause any suspicion about her whereabouts or situation. Seeing that she had received a message from Kenshin, her anxiety was briefly replaced by surprise. Kenshin hardly ever contacted her first, and if it had been an emergency he would have called. Opening the message quickly, as she was still worried about his wellbeing after witnessing what had happened in Neo-Kyoto, she found that it was a picture without any comment or caption. The subject of the picture needed no explanation, however, and Tomoe was briefly relieved of all her worries long enough to feel joy.

Angling the phone so that the screen could be seen over her shoulder, Tomoe cast her voice softly at the dragon doll guarding her.

"Look at your son, Himura-sama." Without turning, she could feel the weight of his attention as it lowered onto her. "Look at how happy he is."

I will protect them. I will protect Enishi and Akira. I won't let this madness win.

Putting the phone away not a moment too soon, Tomoe leveled her chin as Sojiro appeared next to her like a looming shadow.

"It's so wonderful, isn't it? How easily civilization falls apart." Preoccupied as he was with the anarchy ravaging the city, he did not see or care about the message she had received. "Already there are so many new souls to claim from Death."

"Is… is that what you want? To revive more souls so that they are under your control?"

The fake smile on Sojiro's features twitched, and for a moment it disappeared. "Don't be boring, Tomoe-san. I don't want just a few more souls to play with. I can do that any time I please."

Frightened disgust rolled her stomach. "Do you want everyone's soul? Do you mean to kill everyone and make them your puppets?!"

Twisted by his lack of empathy, Sojiro turned his sham of a smile towards her, and his eyes opened wide for her to see the calm and steady resolve of his mania. "Still so small minded. Can't you see? I only want what will bring me the most joy."

Uncomfortable with his regard, Tomoe glanced away under the pretense of collecting her thoughts. This man next to her knew no true emotion, and was bored by the mundane. What others found joy and peace in doing, he thought nothing of. What, truly, could he want? Was it merely chaos? Was it only destruction? Did he want anything at all? What could be bigger than the death of everyone? The ruin of the entire world?

An image of his excited features flashed across her memory, and she saw him standing in that alleyway he had taken her to. The same alley he had claimed Kaoru had died in three hundred years prior. "Wonderful, isn't it?" Something about the atmosphere of that alleyway had urged her to flee, and not long afterwards, she had learned why. "It cut its way through her soul and exited into Death's Veil. It tore a hole in reality, right here. Right in this very spot. I knew then that I had to revive her. I had to have the soul of the human that had acted as a doorway to Death's domain."

"Well?"

Blinking, she realized he was waiting for an answer. Licking her lips, she swallowed hard and responded to him in the same polite voice her mother had schooled her in.

"You want into Death's Veil."

Growing bored, Sojiro's eyes closed and he sighed dramatically. "As I thought. You're just as dull as everyone else in this world. I told you that was my part of my plan. Do you really have no imagination to grasp what accessing the Veil could mean? Even my ignorant family was more interesting than you, if only after I killed them."

Rushed, Tomoe continued. "You want something from the Veil. Something you can't get using only necromancy." In her mind, other pieces began falling into place.

He wants into Death's Veil, but he needs the Kagu-tsuchi to do it. No… perhaps he needs both Kaoru and the sword. A soft gasp parted her lips. He's going to kill Kaoru with the sword again to see if he can recreate what happened. He never had any intention of trying to save her. His only goal was to kill her, using Kenshin… Except Kenshin would never harm Kaoru, and Sojiro had no control over him, either. Tomoe's chin came up, and she glanced over her shoulder at the stoic figure of Kenshin's father. Not using Kenshin… using Himura Takibi.

"Why?!" The startled exclamation tore from her throat involuntarily, but despite knowing his personality, she still could not fathom the depths of such cruelty. The overcast sky solidified the outer profile of the shadow demon's normally hazy outline, but the lack of light also made his coloring appear muted. As if answering her unspoken realization, Sojiro shrugged, and he appeared quite sinister and downright evil.

"Why not? My master killed a dragon just for fun. A student should always strive to be better than their teacher." Like a sickening swamp, the darkness at his feet spread outward, and from the depths of his shadow appeared the two dolls identical to Kaoru. "I think it's about time for the Emperor to make an appearance. Go now and have fun, you two." Dual grins spread wide across the faces of the twin Kaoru dolls, and they disappeared over the ledge of the skyscraper. An arm lifted to rest around Tomoe's shoulder, and it took everything she had not to pull away. "Of course, they won't fool him for very long. I'll have to call back my perfect little human doll before that happens."

X

Tired violet eyes closed only briefly as they traveled once more in the back of Yutaro's car, this time away from the small oasis that had been their safe house. As soon as his red lashes meshed together to block out the vision of the driver seat in front of him, they pulled apart to reveal the roaring fire of his core. It was easier than ever for him to access his core, but his ease of egress had no bearing on its solidity. Though he had stabilized it enough to remove him from the imminent threat of death, Kenshin was well aware of how little stood between him and an early end. It was still hard to believe he had survived at all.

Seated at the center of his core, with back straight and eyes closed, was the Kagu-tsuchi. Ever since his extended conversation with the higher being the day prior, he had remained in the same form. The form that mirrored what his son would most likely look like once grown. Momentarily, the Kagu-tsuchi's blue eyes opened, then lifted to acknowledge his presence, but he did not stand. Though he looked like his son, Kenshin still bowed his head in respect to the ancient being.

"THERE IS LITTLE TIME LEFT TO PREPARE."

The warning caught Kenshin in the gut, but he nodded his head calmly to accept.

"HOW STRONG HAVE YOU MADE YOUR BOND? CAN YOU SENSE HER, DOWN TO HER MOLECULES?"

Lifting his right arm, Kenshin pointed confidently without looking.

"She's there." Kaoru was seated next to him in the car, but it was not just her body that he could sense. A hazy blue light glowed somewhere outside the boundary of his core, casting gentle, cool reflections upon the swirling chaos and heat of his center. "It's not clear yet, but I'm learning the feel of her soul. Kenji's nearly overwhelms hers. It… has made it difficult."

"MY MOTHER HAS A GENTLE SOUL. LIKE THE ONIBI, SHE APPEARS TO BE DELICATE AND UNASSUMING. LIKE THE ONIBI, HER STRENGTH IS GREATLY UNDERESTIMATED."

The words crinkled Kenshin's brow as he thought on the comparison instead of the obvious reference to Kaoru's well-known strength.

"ONE TOUCH OF THE ONIBI IS DEADLY, BUT ONE TOUCH OF MY BLADE WILL BE DEADLY TO HER. YOU MUST NOT LET MY BLADE TOUCH EVEN A SLIVER OF HER SOUL. THAT IS THE IMPOSSIBLE TASK YOU MUST ACCOMPLISH."

Another nod of his head accepted in the silence the burden he had taken on. Instead, violet irises glanced up where there was no longer a large, sleeping bird to annoy him with brain-rattling snores. In its place, shimmering lights reflecting off ash swirled through the churning flames that now marked the boundary of his unstable core. Almost as if those ashes were keeping those flames contained.

"YOU ARE CORRECT."

Jerking his chin back down, Kenshin frowned.

"HE IS THE ONLY REASON YOU ARE STILL ALIVE. WITHOUT HIS UNIQUE POWER, YOU WOULD HAVE DIED THAT NIGHT… AS WOULD HAVE THE WORLD. EVEN NOW, HE IS HOLDING YOUR CORE TOGETHER. I AM GRATEFUL TO HIM. I HAVE NEVER LIKED… BEING ALONE."

Clenching his jaw, Kenshin swallowed.

"Have I trapped him here?"

The Kagu-tsuchi smiled, and the expression was strange yet amused.

"… FOR NOW. DO NOT WORRY. NOT EVEN DEATH CAN TRAP THE PHOENIX."

Kenshin's lashes fluttered back open to the smooth ride of the car, and he turned towards Kaoru as she lightly touched his shoulder.

"Are you alright? Are you in pain?"

The miniscule tilt of his mouth reassured her that he was fine. Pain was a new constant, but it was fatigue wearing him down at that moment. Though part of his exhaustion had to do with their nocturnal marital activities, he had slept very little for other reasons. With her lying peacefully and still in his arms the night before, he had forgone the sweet siren call of sleep to instead study every angle, curve, and jagged edge of her precious soul. The better acquainted he was with every ounce of her being, the better prepared he would be when the time came to extract their son.

She appeared to accept his deflection as she relaxed back into her seat. After a moment, though, he frowned.

"Are you alright, koishii?" His voice was gentle as he reached over to take her hand. "You're trembling."

"Oh. Yeah?" She tried to laugh, but it was soft and strained. After a moment, her beautiful blue eyes of perfect combustion ducked to avoid his, and his frown deepened.

"I thought I felt it earlier. Are you using the onibi flame inside your body?"

Dark eyebrows lifted and disappeared behind her bangs, and she blinked at him incredulously; her avoidance momentarily forgotten. "You can tell?" Then she sighed. "Of course, you can."

"Why?"

Kaoru shrugged minimally, glanced towards the front of the car, then leaned in to whisper. "Kenji told me to. He said the flames would not only provide a cooling effect to counter the episodes I've been having, but would also act as a barrier, which is why my ice flames alone wouldn't work. It calmed the pain in my chest immediately."

"Kenji?" Kenshin's impression of their infant son had not hinted at his ability to control his power, or teach another how to use theirs. "Do you mean... the Kagu-tsuchi told you?"

"That's right. He asked me to call him Kenji, too. It was really cute." She wrinkled her nose in playful amusement, and her free hand covered her chest unconsciously. Kenshin decided to put that piece of information away for later. "Anyway, now that I'm using the onibi flame to protect myself, Kenji, the one in here, can stop restraining himself and focus on growing. And since he said that by using the flame inside my body, my skin will act as a buffer, and I don't have to worry about accidentally hurting anyone else."

"But isn't it too cold? It's making you shiver."

"I'm not cold. I feel fine."

Glancing down at the fingers wrapped in his own, Kenshin's brow flexed inward. She did, indeed, feel fine. Still, there was the lightest tremor jerking at her entire body, almost uncontrollably. The truth was slow to dawn on him, and his shoulders relaxed slowly.

"Kaoru… are you scared?" Briefly, he thought that perhaps the fear of what she would have to go through to birth Kenji had finally caught up with her. It was only logical to be scared of such an impending moment. Kaoru's fear, however, proved to be something else entirely. Soundlessly, her jaw worked, and a gasp of air pulled into her lungs.

"I-I'm fine." His eyes narrowed in disbelief as she tried to smile. Slowly, that smile died when it became obvious that he would not be fooled. Façade successfully banished, he watched with a feeling of strange trepidation as the usually comforting blue of her eyes undulated and glowed with eerie and unnatural power. Something about the contrast of her irises made her skin appear pallid, and her bearing tingled warning signals along his scalp… as if she were a threat. "I'm trying, Kenshin… but… I-I think your power might hav…"

Something slammed into the side window next to Kenshin, and he jerked his head away from his still trembling wife. While stopped at a traffic light, an angry clay golem had approached their vehicle and now stood beside Kenshin's door. His features were haggard and cracked, his eyes sunken in from grief, and his voice conveyed broken rage.

"It's you, isn't it?! You're the fire demon!" One fist rested heavily against the glass in an openly threatening manner, and his other worked fruitlessly on the locked door handle. "You did this! You destroyed my home! You killed my family! You monster! You should pay for what you've done!"

The light changed and Yutaro pulled quickly away, causing the handle to yank out of the clay golem's grasp. The man stumbled and fell, but his curses followed them clearly across the intersection.

"Sorry, Himura-san. I didn't see him." Yutaro's voice was grim from the front seat, but Kenshin remained quiet for a long time, his conversation with Kaoru forgotten as his eyes stared frozen out the window. With the accusations still hanging in the air, Kaoru had no desire to add any further to his guilt, and said nothing to remind him. It was not until they came to a slow stop next to a small storehouse that he spoke again.

"How many casualties were there, Yutaro-kun?"

The young man glanced in the rearview mirror, startled and reluctant.

"…Last count was forty-seven. They're… still clearing the rubble."

"Kenshin, the city was already on fire before you…" Kaoru trailed off when Kenshin's frown darkened to deny her desire to shed him of responsibility.

"It doesn't matter. The only reason the Emperor attacked Neo-Kyoto was to get to me… and I did plenty of damage on my own afterwards." Though his words were short, the hand still grasping hers was tight, as if clinging to her for strength. "It was never my intention to be caught up once again in some political war." A pause was filled with the sound of his deep inhale. "I thought living quietly and staying out of the conflicts around me was the best choice I could make after the damage me and my kind have done to this world, but by doing so I've atoned for nothing." Intense violet irises of dense, compacted flame stared across the seat at Kaoru. "I have killed more than just forty-seven others." Dark eyebrows contracted over pained sapphire eyes. "I have taken more lives, caused more damage, and raged against this world in ways that I am ashamed to speak aloud. Not even my death can pay for what I have done in my lifetime, and I have struggled with that knowledge for a long time. What can I do to atone? What am I capable of doing that might chip away even an ounce of my debt? I have been buried in my indecision, worried that nothing I could ever do would be enough. But now that I have a family… something that I want to protect from the dangers of this world, but more importantly, from my sins… I have made my decision. If it is right, or if it is wrong, I have made the decision to do what I can with my power, for those that I can. It may never be enough, but I cannot remain in my indecision while ignoring what my presence and actions have caused in this world."

"Are you planning to join the princess in her fight?" Surprised, Yutaro spoke up from where he had turned around in his seat.

Keeping his eyes trained on Kaoru, Kenshin watched as her form drooped with the understanding. "Temporarily. There is something important I must handle first before I involve myself in a drawn-out war, but it is clear that I cannot just ignore what the Emperor has been doing to others because of me."

A half-resigned, half-amused huff pushed from Yutaro's nose. "You know, you did this exact same thing when we first met. You didn't owe me a thing, but you took the time to sort me out anyway. You're too nice, Himura-san."

"He just doesn't know how to ignore someone in need." Smiling, soft but proud, Kaoru squeezed his hand back.

"You both give me too much credit." Still looking stern, Kenshin bowed his head. "Helping others is the least I can do."

Inside the small storehouse, Misao and her bodyguard were already waiting. Misao was tapping a wooden sword against her shoulder impatiently, but tilted her chin up in natural authority when they entered.

"'Bout time! It's getting late and we've got a lot to go over."

"We got here a little early, though." Miffed, Yutaro defended his driving.

Taking over to explain for his ex-ward, Aoshi looked past Yutaro to Kenshin and bowed. "We are honored you came, Himura-san. I am Shinomori Aoshi, appointed clan leader of the kijin and ogres." With the abbreviated introduction out of the way, Aoshi stood and promptly continued. "The protests in Neo-Tokyo have turned violent. We're leaving earlier than planned before they shut down the trains."

"Which means you're getting the abbreviated version." Waving them into a side room, Misao stood next to the door and watched as they passed by. Tea was being served by an elderly-looking man who smiled at them kindly as they settled down. "That's my grandfather, from my mother's side."

"An honor, Himura-san." Unlike the kijin, the elderly wind demon made a point to bow to both Kenshin and Kaoru. "You may call me Okina. Congratulations on your marriage."

A swish of the wooden sword cut Yutaro off before he could enter as well, and he pouted when the princess informed him that he would be excluded.

"This information is for the fire demon's ears only." Sliding the door shut with a smack, Misao turned and then tilted her head. "It is still 'fire demon,' right? You're not technically a dragon."

Violet eyes lifted from helping Kaoru take a seat. "Flame celestial is my official race, but call me whatever you want. It matters little to me."

Skipping over to kneel on her cushion, Misao leaned both forearms onto the table excitedly. "Flame celestial. Is that because you're vessel to a god?" The sharp way his violet eyes returned to her was both telling and unnerving.

"Where did you hear such a thing?"

"My father, of course. Why else do you think he's so interested in you? Apparently, it's also why he wants her dead." Pointing the wooden sword at Kaoru, sapphire eyes blinked at aquamarine, and then Misao grinned. "Oh, this is yours, by the way." Flipping the sword around, she offered the hilt side for Kaoru to take. "I found it in the street after that water dragon took you away. It's lighter than it looks."

"Thanks. I was worried I'd lost it."

Scowling, Kenshin interrupted the way Misao had quickly side-tracked the gravity of her declaration.

"Why would that mean he wants Kaoru dead?"

In the interest of saving time, Aoshi took over.

"The Emperor has studied many histories, including myths and legends. One in particular mentions a god born during the creation of our sun, and that god's descent to our planet. It also mentioned how that god created a vessel to seal away its power, and how it would require a perfect vessel in order to use its power in this world without destroying it. The texts are ancient, but the Emperor believes this perfect vessel was meant to be a human. Thus…"

"He had them all killed." Deadpan and forceful, Misao finished the sentence.

What felt like a punch in gut briefly paralyzed Kenshin's diaphragm, and he released his held breath after a few seconds. "The Sky Emperor was behind the war with the humans?"

"That's right."

"Was he also behind the murder of my father?" Something in his voice rumbled, and the room felt oppressive. Misao crossed her arms defensively.

"I don't know."

The fact that the princess did not know mattered little. It was clear the Emperor had been responsible. Especially if he had known about the Kagu-tsuchi. Having a young, inexperienced fire demon child bearing the Kagu-tsuchi would be much easier to deal with than an experienced and dangerous fire dragon. Misao continued after a moment.

"But he clearly wants to murder your wife. Everyone thinks it's honorable for the Emperor to want to kill a revived soul. Necromancy is forbidden, after all. But that old man doesn't give a shit about what's forbidden. He only cares about what's detrimental to him. Your wife being a human is why he wants her dead. More specifically, having some human be vessel to a god and have more power than he does means he wants her dead."

Bypassing the misunderstanding the Emperor had made about the Kagu-tsuchi's perfect vessel, Kenshin scoffed.

"And the better option is to allow the entire world to be consumed in flame when there is no perfect vessel available? He didn't think that might be detrimental to him?"

"Wait a minute, you mean all that bullshit's true?!" Misao shot up to her knees. "Why the hell did you fight in the war against the humans knowing that?!" Kenshin's chin ducked in shame and frustration at the reminder. It mattered little that he had not known at the time how important humans were to his kind. Before the situation escalated, Okina placed a hand on Misao's shoulder to calm her down.

"Let's not get caught up in details that do not concern us." Okina's wizened voice held a reprimand for his granddaughter, but his eyes stayed fixed on Kenshin across the table. "I'm sure there are many secrets your bloodline has kept, and it is not our intention to pry into them. The most concerning information you have confirmed, however, is that your flame god requires a vessel for this world to remain unaffected by his presence." A slight nod of Kenshin's head acknowledged Okina's statement. "I assume that vessel cannot be just anyone. Is that correct?"

"No. He chooses his vessel, and that vessel must share his blood." Glancing at Kaoru, he decided it fine to provide one small correction to the Emperor's assumptions. "No human could ever be his perfect vessel. They would be consumed by his power."

The old wind elemental sighed. "Then that makes our last piece of information even more pressing to convey. The Emperor believes he has found a way to remove the Kagu-tsuchi from your core. Even knowing the Kagu-tsuchi could destroy this world, he believes he can take it from you. Whether it will work or not, it seems we cannot let him try if we wish to survive."

Finally, everything made sense to Kenshin, and his features darkened enough to make the temperature in the room sizzle. "He wants to take the Kagu-tsuchi for himself. He thinks he can bend a god to his will?!"

"That's exactly what my stupid father thinks he's going to do. I may now know who was behind your father's murder, but I wouldn't put it past the Emperor. Because I know for a fact that the he's the one who handed you over to the humans for testing at the Arctic Lab." Kenshin's eyes widened. "He's greedy, manipulative, and will do whatever he has to to gain more power. Even temporarily work with the humans he hated and feared so much."

"The Sky Emperor has done nothing during his reign but take out those he considers a threat to his power and authority." The kijin's voice was austere, and Kenshin's attention swung to him. "The war with the humans not only resulted in their elimination, but the near extinction of the fire elementals, as was his plan. The wind, water, and earth elementals have all either fled this country or were captured and murdered, per his order. It won't be long before he turns his attention to the other clans, or other lands. Which is why we plan to remove him from power."

"I see… and who do you plan to replace him with?" This was the part that Kenshin did not want to associate with.

"Why, you interested?" Misao grinned, and Kenshin scowled.

"No."

"We recognize that the Emperor serves a purpose as the seat of power in our country." Ignoring Misao's attempt to antagonize the failed fire dragon, Aoshi explained their position. "He is separate from the government, and acts as a warning and deterrent towards anyone who might want to invade or overthrow our land. We mean to give that position back to the clans after he is… removed. The government itself will remain unaffected."

"That water dragon would be an option, too, but I heard he's not really interested in anything outside his mountain." Misao continued her musings between Aoshi's pauses.

"Of course, we would not say no to your assistance with maintaining a power balance, if you are willing."

"I have no intention of being in any position of power. Now or in the future. I'm not truly interested in being involved in some revolution, either."

"You're going to keep running?!" The disgust in Misao's question was blatant and loud.

"I am making my position clear to you, Princess. I will not formally side with your coup. Honestly, it may be better for you if I don't." Thinking of the visceral reaction shown to him by one resident on the street, Kenshin briefly looked down. "I do recognize I bear responsibility for what the Emperor has done just to get to me and my wife. I have decided that I will fight, but only to protect everyone from the Emperor's high-handed actions. Before all else, I will protect my wife, from anyone who threatens her." This was spoken directly at the princess, and Misao pouted.

"I wasn't going to hurt her or anything."

"Then you do mean to fight the Emperor?" Aoshi was more business than personal.

"If you think to use me to kill him, I will not. I mean only to confront him head on."

"Oh, don't worry about that, flame celestial. No one else gets to kill him but me." The fact that the princess was serious furrowed Kenshin brows. When he glanced at Kaoru to see how she might take Misao's declaration, his frown deepened in concern to find her slightly dazed. She had been suspiciously docile and quiet throughout the conversation. When he squeezed her hand and she turned to him with a reassuring smile, his concern thickened.

"We will admit to hoping you weaken him, Himura-san, but knowing the consequences of killing a dragon, we would never ask you to take on that burden."

Turning away from Kaoru, now distracted, Kenshin shook his head slightly and tried to hurry the conversation towards its end. "Very well. Then if we all survive this, and the Emperor is overthrown, I will promise only to be impartial. As my master is impartial. However, unlike him, I will not allow a ruler like this to take power again."

The warning was understood, and all three bowed their heads to him: Misao a little slower as Aoshi had to force her head down. In lieu of a commitment to help them maintain power, Kenshin had instead vowed to never allow for any misdeeds they might commit in the future to go unpunished. Thereby effectively promising to watch out for the best interest of the people and not the government.

"Is there anything else I should know before we leave for Neo-Tokyo?" Shifting his hands under the table so that they were closer to Kaoru, and directly in her lowered line of sight, Kenshin formed a quick hand sign asking if she was alright. She blinked, looked up at him, and nodded quickly. The fuzziness clouding her irises had lifted enough to recognize him and his concern, but he relaxed only minimally.

"That's all I had to say." Misao shrugged dismissively.

"I believe that was all, Himura-san. We can iron out any tactical details on the way." Aoshi stood and the princess followed, but before Kenshin could stand with Kaoru, the elder wind elemental cleared his throat.

"Before we leave, I wish to ask permission to speak with Himura-san on a private matter."

Kenshin's tensed muscles settled him back onto his cushion.

"What private matter could you have with me?"

Okina smiled, and his eyes swung to Kaoru.

"Forgive the confusion, Himura-san. It is with your wife, Himura Kaoru, that I wish to speak."