Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ Battousai Unleashed ❯ Realizations ( Chapter 8 )

Realizations

"Kryptonite" - 3 doors down

I took a walk around the world to
ease my troubled mind
I left my body laying somewhere
in the sands of time
I watched the world float to the dark
side of the moon
I feel there's nothing I can do, yeah

I watched the world float to the
dark side of the moon
After all I knew it had to be something
to do with you
I really don't mind what happens now and then
As long as you'll be my friend at the end

If I go crazy then will you still
call me Superman
If I'm alive and well, will you be
there holdin' my hand
I'll keep you by my side with
my superhuman might
Kryptonite

You called me strong, you called me weak
but still your secrets I will keep
You took for granted all the times I
never let you down
You stumbled in and bumped your head, if
not for me then you'd be dead
I picked you up and put you back
on solid ground

If I go crazy then will you still
call me Superman
If I'm alive and well, will you be
there holdin' my hand
I'll keep you by my side with
my superhuman might
Kryptonite

If I go crazy then will you still
call me Superman
If I'm alive and well, will you be
there holdin' my hand
I'll keep you by my side with
my superhuman might
Kryptonite

Yeah!

If I go crazy then will you still
call me Superman
If I'm alive and well, will you be
there holdin' my hand
I'll keep you by my side with
my superhuman might
Kryptonite

(Ooohhh oohhh oohhh x3)

Battousai arched his blade precisely to formally introduce it to Tenryu's side. Blood splashed over the blade and Tenryu took a step back. He narrowed his eyes. He would not lose to this puny man before him. He would claim victory and then his prize. Bringing the Hi Mei sword up, he blocked the Battousai's latest attack. Their swords clashed loudly and caused vibrations of energy to ripple around them.
Kaoru watched as Kenshin, no, Battousai battled with Tenryu. Even at this stage of battle, it seemed Battousai was just equal in power to Tenryu. All she could do was watch as the battle raged on. Her own inner demon was crying out to be set free and help kill the man who dared to say such things against her honor. She took an unconscious step toward the battle, only to be stopped by Sanosuke's hand on her shoulder. She looked up at him then, concern and blue fire both in her eyes.
"This is Kenshin's battle, missy. Take it easy," he said.
"I can't take it easy, Sanosuke! Kenshin...he's going to break his vow! I have to stop him somehow!"
"And what are you going to do, anyway, Kaoru?" Yahiko asked, "You don't even have a sword!"
Kenshin blocked an incoming thrust but was not quick enough to stop Tenryu from slipping beneath his defenses. He grunted as he felt the cold grip of steel sliding through his flesh and then the hot rush of his blood. He grasped his bleeding hip out of reflex and that was all the time Tenryu needed. Tenryu narrowed his eyes and his lips curled into a sinister smile. He lunged forward and barreled the Hi Mei sword into the reverse blade. The impact of the collision was hindered only by Kenshin's good arm and thus the reverse blade took flight out of Kenshin's grasp, clattering to a stop several yards away.
Tenryu's laugh cackled and he continued to swipe his blade at Kenshin. Kenshin was forced to dodge the blows as quickly as possible. This could not be good for his chances. Yet Tenryu was reveling in early victory. He was certain that one well placed blow would end it all. But for now, he would have his fun with his prey. The Hitokiri Battousai would learn to fear him; learn the consequences of keeping him from his desires.
"How does it feel, Battousai, to know your end is near?" he asked, wickedly.
"Stop this!" Kaoru yelled, in tears, "Please, stop!"
"Nothing to say, Battousai? You should take this chance to say good bye to Kaoru. The stupid girl is so loyal to you, she is of no lasting use to me. Once I finish with you, I will make Kaoru my woman and then, I will kill her. Her death will be like the sweetest of wines, because you won't be able to stop me."
Kenshin growled in outrage and slipped under Tenryu's advances. He grabbed hold of the wrist holding the Hi Mei sword and his golden gaze burned deep into Tenryu's now blacked orbs. Tenryu merely smiled as if he had Kenshin right where he wanted him. And indeed, that was precisely the case. Tenryu quickly freed his wrist and sent a well placed kick into Kenshin's injury. Kenshin cried out in pain and fell to the ground a few feet away, his blood coating the earth beneath him. Tenryu licked his lips and began to advance on Kenshin, slowly.
Something snapped in Kaoru at last, she would not allow Kenshin to die. She would not be some helpless victim like all times before. She had tasted blood before, she would taste blood again. And the blood she craved was that of Tenryu Mitsurugi. She calmly picked up the discarded reverse blade sword and used her practiced speed and barreled into Tenryu, knocking him away from the injured Kenshin. Her eyes blazed red fury, like the blood she so craved to spill.
Hitokiri Battousai could only watch as his counterpart, the Kirei Battousai, fought for him. In all his years, he had never been protected by another in this fashion. Kaoru had always been his to protect and here she was returning the favor, it seemed. His golden gaze swirled with the violet cloud that was his other self, the rurouni. The rage of the man slayer seemed to calm and disappear as he watched his beloved Kaoru battle on his behalf.
Kirei continued to battle Tenryu with rage and anger within her very being. Tenryu laughed and teased her to no end.
"Come now, Kaoru. Do you really think you could defeat your master? I taught you everything you know! I OWN YOU, YOU FOOLISH WENCH!" he thundered as he sliced down at her with a practiced arc.
Kirei blocked the advance and slipped into his defenses to spill a portion of the blood she craved. Tenryu staggered back a bit, trying not to cradle the wound on his shoulder. He immediately charged at Kirei. The two swords let off sparks with every clash. It seemed their spars together were working both for and against them during this battle. They each knew how the other thought in battle. They could predict each other's moves and read each other's strategies. Neither was getting close to their goals.
Tenryu managed to leave a gash on Kirei's shoulder as well. They were even, hit for hit, slash for slash. Kirei sucked in the oxygen she needed and regarded Tenryu during a rare moment of inaction. Both were circling the other and sizing them up. In all the time that Kaoru had trained under Tenryu to become the Kirei Battousai, there was one move that she had never mastered. She had never even dared to try to use it. It was nearly impossible to block and deadly. Kirei's mind came across this technique and locked upon it. Would she be able to execute the attack? Would she have the chance?
Yahiko and Sanosuke had made it to Kenshin's side in record time after Kaoru took his place. They were shocked at the skill and grace she seemed to now have with the sword. However, they quickly snapped out of it and were temporarily bandaging Kenshin's wounds with strips of cloth from their own clothing. They soon had him bandaged, which helped to stop his wound from bleeding anymore.
Yahiko gripped his bokken tightly as he watched the Kirei Battousai battle with the one that was called Tenryu Mitsurugi. He had to admit that Kaoru was impressive as the Kirei Battousai. And he had to further admit that he saw her as a big sister. He knew he didn't stand a chance of really helping, but if Kaoru would need a distraction, he would provide it.
Sanosuke also found his eyes drawn to Kirei Battousai. While she was fierce and definitely a worthy opponent in battle, he could easily see where the name Kirei would fit her. With her deep ebony locks caressing her ivory skin like fine silk, her blazing ruby eyes, and the sheer gracefulness of her technique, how could he help but not call her beautiful. Breathtaking was more the word for her at this moment. She was like an angel of retribution, deadly, beautiful, and ethereal. He shook himself out of his poetic thoughts as he realized this was "missy" he was thinking about.
Beside him, Kenshin was mirroring the same sentiments and adding pride to the top of the stack. He was proud of Miss Kaoru, that he was. She had become an excellent swords woman. But he was concerned for her as well. He discerned that it was really Kirei Battousai fighting out there, not his Miss Kaoru. And yet, finally understood that they both were one of a kind. His eyes were opened to her. No other woman would throw herself into the hells of battle to save one such as him. No other woman would have kept him from breaking his oath countless times at her own sake. No other woman made his heart swell indescribably and his loins respond in the way they did.
"Sano," he whispered.
"Hai, Kenshin?"
"I think, I'm in love with Miss Kaoru," he replied shocked.
Sano smirked and shook his head. So it took missy a bloody battle to get Kenshin to finally realize that? What a character! Sano laid a hand on Kenshin's shoulder and looked at the smaller man.
"About time you admitted it, Kenshin."
Kenshin looked up at Sano in surprise. Had he been the only one not to realize his own feelings for Miss Kaoru?!
Tenryu staggered back as Kirei managed to once again strike his shoulder and worsen the wound she had previously inflicted.
"I won't lose to you!!!" he screamed in outrage.
"You will lose, Mitsurugi. This is the end," Kirei responded.
She leapt up into the air, her right arm tucked over her left that was outstretched before her. Her eyes narrowed as gravity brought her downward. It was time, in this moment what she had failed to master in two years came forth as perfectly as if it was naturally ingrained in her being.
"Hiten Mitsurugi style, dragon drop!" she roared as she thrust her blade down in a perfect arc.
Tenryu looked up in shock and fear. He faced his end, closing his eyes in acceptance and dropping his sword. Pupil had surpassed master as it was fated to happen. He smiled a small smile as he felt the blade make contact and slice through him, from his forehead to his navel. He fell to his knees as the the pain gripped his very being. And yet, there was no blood. At the last second, Kirei had flipped the reverse blade to its dull side. He looked up at her then, eyes full of fear and gratitude.
"Why?" he asked.
"You may have trained me to kill. And I may have killed by your side. But I am not a true man slayer as you would have hoped. My father taught me that a sword should be used to protect and not kill. That is what I will do. That is who I am," she replied, her eyes a brilliant blue.
He smiled and closed his eyes, falling to the ground, unconscious. Kaoru bent over and picked up the Hi Mei sword. She broke the crystal and Tenryu's blood dripped out of it. She tossed the Hi Mei sword in the air and flipped the reverse blade, slicing through the air several times. When the Hi Mei sword landed on the ground, it was shattered in many pieces.
"No man will ever lay hold of the Hi Mei sword again," she whispered.
She turned to face Kenshin, Sano, and Yahiko and smiled brilliantly. The breeze rippled through her now loose hair. The moonlight made her seem even more like a beautiful spirit.
"Wow, Kaoru! That was awesome! You kicked his butt!" Yahiko cheered.
Kenshin stood and stared at her, Kaoru took a step forward. Sano cleared his throat and dragged a protesting Yahiko inside.
"Miss Kaoru," Kenshin whispered.
"Kenshin," she replied, "Are you all right?"
"Hai, Miss Kaoru. I am just fine thanks to you, that I am."
"Good," she smiled, "I...I was scared. When I thought I might lose you, Kenshin. I couldn't let that happen. All those times you protected me, saved me, I couldn't let you die for me."
"Miss Kaoru, I would gladly die for you if it meant to keep you safe."
"Kenshin..."
Kenshin smiled and strode toward her, swiftly closing the distance between them.
"Can you ever love an unworthy man such as myself?"
"Can you ever love an unworthy woman such as myself?" she asked in return.
"I can," he said.
"And I do," she replied.
Kaoru leaned in and kissed him softly. Kenshin wound his arms around her, pulling her close. Again his heart felt full in the knowledge of his love for her and her return of that love. In his arms, he held a small slip of a girl, and in that same package, a fierce warrior. It was an enigma to him, but it seemed not to matter at the moment. All that mattered to them both was the warmth of the other's arms and the sweetness of their kiss.