Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ Battousai Unleashed ❯ Hitokiri vs. Kirei: Duel of the Battousais ( Chapter 5 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Hitokiri vs. Kirei: Duel of the Battousais

The Hi Mei sword clashed heavily against the reverse blade sword. It gracefully slid back and sliced through the air, glimmering in the moonlight. The reverse blade blocked it's advance, skillfully. The masters of the swords continued their battle, each trying to gauge the other's possible weaknesses. The fire in the Kirei Battousai's eyes flared crimson as she lunged forward, attempting to sweep her blade beneath the Hitokiri's defenses. Hitokiri blocked it with a downward thrust of his blade and quickly used the hilt to hit her chest. Kirei used the momentum to spin a full 360º and slash at him. Her blade nicked his right bicep, thinly.
Hitokiri knew at this point that Kirei was serious. She had been the first to draw blood, despite the fact it was no more than a shallow scratch. He narrowed his golden orbs at her and used his speed to come up behind her. He thrust his blade forward to catch her left shoulder. However, he merely grazed it thanks to her reflexes. Kirei panted heavily from the exertion. It was difficult to keep up with his speed, she realized.
The Hi Mei sword pulsed and renewed her strength and her resolve. Inside, Kaoru was fighting a battle with herself. She was being overwhelmed by the dark desires to kill Kenshin. But she could never do that! Yet part of her was trying to do just that. Kenshin was fighting much the same battle, he had to refrain himself from flipping his sword. The Kirei Battousai was stirring up a long buried urge to kill in the Hitokiri.
Both masters of the batto jutsu dueled using all of their knowledge of the Hiten Mitsurugi style. Kirei was finding herself outclassed, however. She knew that if he managed to knock her sword away, she would lose the power necessary to continue fighting him. Consequently, her guard was up completely. She continued to block and advance, desperation now driving her forward.
"I won't let you win, Hitokiri...," she breathed.
"And I won't lose, Kirei," he replied.
Hitokiri lunged forward in the instant that Kirei blocked his prior slash and felt the cold steel of his blade meet her soft flesh. Kirei had seen the attack almost too late and had turned to the side to receive a graze on her right side. She reciprocated by allowing her own blade to taste the flesh of his forearm. Both broke away and stared the other down. It seemed to be a stalemate. Neither one moved and merely watched the other.
A lone tear escaped Kirei's eye and splashed down to the tiles. Hitokiri watched the tear's path and in his moment of distraction, she struck. His eyes widened and he brought his hands up to clasp the blade between his palms. The tip of the Hi Mei sword had just pierced the flesh of his shoulder. He winced at the pain, but held onto the Hi Mei's blade, his hands bleeding from the effort and also making it more difficult to hold on to.
"Give up, Hitokiri," she hissed, "I've got you right where I want you!"
"I won't give up, Kirei! I will not stop until you have freed Kaoru. I don't know what sort of spirit you are, but you will leave her be!"
"I am Kaoru! Just as you are Kenshin..."
Kirei growled, her side in pain as she struggled to push the sword further into his shoulder. If only she was faster he would not have had the time to stop her attack. It was now a battle of sheer power. She made the mistake of leaning into the sword to try to drive it through. Hitokiri saw this and stepped to the side, allowing her momentum to carry her. She cried out as she fell forward, her sword clattering a few feet away.
She moved to reach for it, but she was swiftly flipped onto her back and pinned. Hitokiri held the reverse blade, once again. He pressed the dull side to her neck as he straddled her waist.
"Do you yield?" he asked.
Kirei smiled and closed her eyes.
"Hai, I yield...," she replied.
She was no fool. The Hitokiri Battousai was definitely more skilled and powerful than she was. Continuing that duel would be a folly on her part. She relaxed and lost consciousness.
Kenshin regarded the unconscious Kaoru beneath him. Despite the bruises she would be sporting soon, she looked absolutely radiant in the moonlight. Never had he encountered a woman that could challenge him so. He gently got off of her and moved to take her in his arms when he heard footsteps. He turned toward the source and narrowed his violet eyes at the man who stood ready to battle.
"I won't let you take her from me. She and I belong together, Battousai. I made her who she is, I love her like no other," Tenryu voiced, shakily.
"Mitsurugi, it would be best if you stood down, that it would," Kenshin replied.
"No. Kaoru is mine! She is my woman and she always will be! Die, Himura!!!"
Tenryu lunged forward with the previously discarded Hi Mei sword. His eyes were a dangerous, glowing red. He looked utterly possessed as his ki flared around him like a flame. The sword also flared with his ki. Kenshin jumped away from Kaoru and withdrew his sword once again. He was already worn from his battle with Kaoru, but he could not allow this insane man to have her.

---

Kaoru moaned and opened her blue eyes to see the moon and stars above her. Slowly, her other senses awakened to tell her a sword battle was raging very close by. She sat up and her eyes widened. Tenryu was fighting Kenshin with the Hi Mei sword! The red glow of Tenryu's eyes frightened her. She had never seen him this way! Her eyes rested upon the blood crystal of the sword, it was glowing the same red as his eyes.
"The legend...," she whispered.
Tenryu laughed coldly as he bathed the Hi Mei sword in the Hitokiri's blood. The sheer power the sword could afford him was exhilarating! He gave into its pull and desires. He lost himself in the power. And he could see only blood, blood that needed to be spilled. He continued his assault on the already injured Hitokiri Battousai and found his opportunity to strike. He plunged his sword through soft flesh and delighted in the sound of surprised pain and the feel of the warm blood spraying over his hands.
Kenshin's eyes widened and he allowed himself a small tear. How could this have happened?! He was the Hitokiri Battousai, no the rurouni. He was supposed to protect, and yet he had not succeeded. He watched as Tenryu finally came to his senses and pulled the blade out.
"Kaoru-dono...," Kenshin whispered, "Why?"
"I...couldn't let him...kill you," she responded, brokenly.
It was the most pain she had ever felt. In a single moment of selfless thought, she had thrown herself against Kenshin, pushing him out of the way and taking the damage. It was almost like slow motion for her as she saw the surprised look on Kenshin's face as she pushed him, and the simultaneous feel of the cold steel entering her body, piercing her. Her tears flowed in accordance with her blood. The Hi Mei sword pulsed on the ground and the blood crystal shattered and the blade cracked after having sent the final blow to the last of the Kamiya line.
"K-Kaoru...," Tenryu whispered, "W-What have I done?!"
"Onegai, Tenryu-kun, Kenshin-kun, don't cry for me."
"Kaoru!" Kenshin, rushed to her side and held her in his arms, "Yamete, do not speak that way!"
Kaoru smiled and closed her eyes. Kenshin gently picked her up and narrowed his eyes at Tenryu.
"It would do you well not to come after us, that it would," he said before he ran off with his speed.
"Gomen nasai, Kaoru...," Tenryu whispered, sinking to his knees as he watched the Battousai sweep her out of his life forever.

---

Kenshin ran as quickly as he could to the nearest clinic. He barged into it and yelled at the top of his lungs.
"I need a doctor! Quickly! She's dying!!"
A scuffle was heard and an older man came into the main room in his sleeping robes. He took one look at Kaoru and nodded his head.
"Set her down on this futon! Get me some water and heat it! Keiko! Bring me the twine and needle!" he called.
A young woman soon rushed in with the needed items. She helped the doctor to undress Kaoru and treat her wound. The man quickly assessed the situation with a grave face.
"She has been wounded deeply. However, it seems to have missed seriously harming any internal organs. We'll stop the bleeding first and then treat her wound. The rest will be up to her, whether she lives or dies. I'm afraid that's all we can do," he told Kenshin.
Kenshin closed his eyes to hold in his pain. It felt like his heart was being torn from him, what he had failed to notice before was only too plainly visible to him now. He had not a clue when this had come to be, but he had fallen for her, Kaoru. His Kaoru. And he would never forgive himself if she didn't make it through this.