Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ The Man who Loves Kamiya Kaoru ❯ Kaoru Fights! ( Chapter 5 )

“I accept,” Kaoru said, firmly. She held her sword at the ready. Ryunosuke shook his head unbelievably. He snapped his fingers and 16 of the 18 men remaining spread out around the room. The other two held onto Misao tighter so she could not escape to help Kaoru. Ryunosuke looked at his men.

 

“I prefer her alive,” he said evenly. His men nodded, and Ryunosuke backed up to the wall with his assistant.

“Tokome, clean it up and have it ready-just in case,” Ryunosuke murmured. Tokome looked at his boss.

“You don't really think she'll defeat them, do you?” he asked, but Ryunosuke merely shrugged in return and looked over at Kaoru, waiting for her to make the first move.

 

Ok, she thought, I have to be careful here. They probably don't think I can fight well so I make sure they keep thinking that way and I'll save my major moves for the finish. But for now I can start by using simple Kamiya-Kasshin Ryu moves and use their own weight against them.

 

She struck forward suddenly. Kenshin groaned.

“Faster Kaoru!” Yahiko yelled from the corner. Kaoru paid no attention to him and struck the first man along his sword arm, paralyzing it for a moment while she struck him in the face. He crumpled to the floor.

 

The men around her looked astonished that she had even accomplished that feat and quickly looked to their boss for guidance.

That was all Kaoru needed. She quickly attacked five more men the same way. The first floor fell but the last was ready and slashed his sword out at her leaving a thin cut on her arm.

 

“Kaoru!” Misao screamed. Kenshin groaned again and tried to bring himself to his feet but to no prevail.

 

Kaoru winced in pain as a few drops of blood spilled but didn't let it stop her. She jump backwards and aimed her shinai at dumbfounded henchman's gut. He hunched over in pain and Kaoru butted the hilt of the shinai off the top of his head, knocking him out effectively. Sano whistled his approval, and Misao cheered. Kenshin just stared at her, astonished. She had taken more men out in the first few minutes, when it had taken Sano much longer. It's because she's a woman, he realized. Their under orders not to kill her so their not putting up much of a fight; that's a relief, maybe Kaoru-dono can win.

 

Just then Ryunosuke, realizing just what Kenshin had, shouted:

“Forget what I said men, fight your hardest, just don't stab her through!”

 

“Kaoru-dono!” Kenshin shouted, wincing with pain. “Be careful!”

 

Kaoru gulped. The men had finally stopped feeling apprehensive about fighting a woman. Now it was here turn to go all out. Two men came running at her from opposite directions.

 

“Kaoru! Watch out!” Yahiko shouted, when he saw Kaoru wasn't moving out of the way. Kaoru ignored him and stayed where she was. Her friends continued screaming as the men reached out with their swords, still running towards her.

She slumped down and flipped the first man into the one behind her and sent both careening into the wall. They didn't get up.

 

“Kenshin! She's taken out half of them! She's gonna win!” Yahiko cried. Sano lifted a weak arm and slapped Yahiko upside his head.

“Don't get ahead of yourself, the young miss needs to keep her head and not get too cocky,” Sano muttered. Kenshin nodded his agreement. Please, Kaoru-dono, be careful, he thought.

 

Kaoru, proving to be growing cocky just as Sano had said, paused to admire her handiwork of men on the floor so when a fist swung out from behind her, she wasn't prepared.

The attacker's fist hit her side and sent her flying out and finally landing on the ground, but luckily with her sword still in her hand.

 

“Kaoru-dono!” Kenshin roared, afraid that she wasn't going to get up. Yahiko, Sano, and Misao's eyes were wide with fear.

 

Slowly, with a groan, Kaoru pushed herself to her feet, to cheers from Misao and Yahiko, and sighs of relief from Kenshin and Sanosuke. Right, she thought, I can't get cocky until I finish them all.

She glanced around. 8 men left, plus Ryunosuke. She didn't count Misao's captors; she didn't think they'd leave the other girl unguarded. She looked at the man next to Ryunosuke and decided she wouldn't have to worry about him either; he wasn't a fighter- that much she could tell.

She looked down at her hands and her sword and remembered a move she'd used back in Kyoto to disarm her opponent. Smiling slightly, hoping it would work she chose a man and lunged. He was ready and stepped out of her way just as she planned. She jumped up and brought her sword down on the wrist unprepared man behind the first. The impact was so great that the bones in the man's wrist were shattered and he dropped his sword. Kaoru kicked the blade into a corner, away from him as he slumped over holding his throbbing arm.

Her friends cheered her move, and Ryunosuke's face was mix between shock and delight. Kaoru stepped back from the man and lifted the remains of her shinai in front of her. The impact with the man's wrist had caused the wooden shaft to snap, leaving her with only the hilt.

However, instead of looking upset, Kaoru's face was calmly composed. Misao, recognizing the move Kaoru was going to use next grinned.

 

“You can do it Kaoru!” she cheered. Kenshin, Sanosuke and Yahiko looked at Misao like she was crazy. They hadn't been there, or conscious, when Kaoru used the move in Kyoto, they just saw Kaoru there with only the wooden hilt of her sword.

 

Kaoru turned the hilt horizontally in her hands. The 7 remaining henchmen laughed and formed a circle around her. Kenshin, thinking this was the end for her, tried again to get up. I have to save her, he thought desperately.

 

Kaoru didn't call for help; she stood there calmly and beckoned the men to her. They all laughed and rushed her all at once. Kenshin yelled her name as their sword's shredded her sleeves and left cuts in her arms but she paid no attention and went for who she thought to be the strongest man.

She brought her remaining piece of sword down on the man's knee and snapped the sword in two, crushing the man's knee as effectively as she had the other man's wrist.

 

“Kaoru-dono…” Kenshin said, astonished.

“You go Kaoru!” Misao cheered.

“Alright, Kaoru!” Yahiko yelled.

“Keep it up little miss,” Sano said.

 

Kaoru glanced around at them and smiled. That second of distraction cost her. One of the men remaining thrust his sword into her stomach.

 

“KAORU-DONO!” Kenshin roared so loudly he coughed up some blood. Sanosuke growled. “Cheap trick,” he said. Yahiko agreed.

 

Kaoru, weaponless, slumped to the ground with pain. The man looked pleased with himself and turned his back on her to roll his eyes at his comrades. From her position on the floor Kaoru quickly glance around the room for something to help her. Nothing…nothing…ah! She spotted Yahiko's discarded shinai and quickly thought of her quickly she could retrieve it. Wincing from the painful blow, she crouched on her calves.

 

“Hey, I'm not done yet,” she said, drawing the self-satisfied man's attention. Yahiko and Sanosuke groaned at Kaoru's attempt at macho-man talk. Kenshin could believe Kaoru still wanted to fight.

 

The man and his comrades turned and looked down at her. They laughed.

 

“You have no sword, what can you possibly do?” they snorted. Kaoru grinned.

 

“This,” she punched the man in front right in his face. The man, angry, lashed out at her. Instead of landing the punch, however, Kaoru caught it and used the force to flip herself into the air backwards. She landed gracefully a foot away from Yahiko's shinai and quickly picked it up. “Who's go no sword?” she grinned.

 

Yahiko, making a mental note to get Kaoru to teach him those moves cheered along with Misao. Kenshin managed a small grinned, but still worried. There was 6 men left, plus Ryunosuke. And if he couldn't defeat Ryunosuke, he seriously doubted that she could.

 

Kaoru seemed to know this and made a note to reserve as much energy as possible for the remaining men. She shook out her shredded sleeves and held Yahiko's shinai at the ready. She didn't long to wait. The man she's punched ran at her and struck down with his blade.

Yahiko and Misao closed their eyes tight, afraid of what was going to happen next. Sanosuke looked at Kenshin's face and saw his fear. He was afraid Kaoru was done for and he still could move because of that gaping wound in his back.

 

Kaoru, though, wasn't afraid at all. She holding onto Yahiko's shinai with one hand she crossed her wrists and caught the attacking man's blade with the backs of her hands. Everyone in the room gasped in surprise.

 

“Kamiya-Kasshin Ryu's Secret Hawatari!” She shouted, and amplified his own strength against him, sending him flying into the opposite wall. He was down for the count.

 

Kenshin, Sanosuke, Yahiko, and Misao mouths dropped open in surprise.

“Hawatari?” Sano asked Kenshin. Kenshin nodded.

“Blade crossing,” he said, slowly. “It's a great move, but if Kaoru-dono had made one little mistake it would've meant her death.”

“Kamiya-Kasshin Ryu's secret?! I have to learn that,” Yahiko murmured from his place on the floor. Kenshin and Sano smiled.

 

Meanwhile Kaoru had faced her five remaining opponents who were looking a little shell-shocked by this time. They hadn't expected a woman to defeat 11 men, even if they weren't going as hard on her as they had Sanosuke and Yahiko.

Ryunosuke seemed surprised, but also pleased. A beautiful woman who could fight this well was irresistible to him. He decided he had had enough of watching. He stepped forward, motioning for Tokome to hand him his sword.

Seeing his movements, Kenshin's eyes widened.

“Shichiro…no…you can't be serious,” he said.

“Don't worry Battosai; I don't intend to kill her. Why waste a beautiful thing like her. No, I just want to play a little,” Ryunosuke laughed. “Men, you can rest, leave it to me.”

They nodded, relieved, and moved out of the way. Kaoru, breathing heavily, turned to her final opponent. Seeing the look on her face, Ryunosuke grinned.

“Come, now, Kaoru-sama, this'll be over soon and we can retire to my mansion for the night.”

“Never,” she yelled and jumped towards him.

 

“No, Kaoru-dono!” Kenshin bellowed.

Ryunosuke looked up at Kaoru coming down on him and made a quick little slash with his sword. Kaoru went flying back and landed back, her friends all screaming for her hoping she wasn't bleeding too bad. She wasn't, it was only as small nick on her left shoulder, but her entire sleeve had been severed by the sword, revealing half of her wrapped chest.

Ryunosuke smiled down on her and made a motion for her to come at him again. Foolishly, she did. This time, she managed a blow by his ear before he jabbed out at her right leg. Her pant leg, severed at mid thigh, fell away as she limped away holding her hand over the slightly deeper cut there.

 

He's just toying with her, Kenshin thought, as he stared out at Kaoru.

 

“Y-You're just toying with me,” Kaoru cried, echoing Kenshin's thoughts.

 

Ryunosuke laughed. “Of course I am, do you expect me to do to you want I did to your Battosai over there?” Kaoru looked at Kenshin. His eyes surprised her. He was worried Ryunosuke would win and take her away from him. Kaoru turned back to Ryunosuke, determined not to let that happen.

 

“Ready for another shot already, Kaoru-sama? What piece of cloth should I do away with next your right arm or your other leg? Hmm…” he smirked. Kaoru leapt into the air again and Ryunosuke got his answer. He aimed for the other leg. Kaoru ignored the pain now shooting through both legs and smashed Yahiko's shinai into his shoulder.

That actually hurt him. A little angry, Ryunosuke picked up Kaoru and threw her across the room. With a grunt, she landed on her stomach, legs bent out behind her, arms crossed in front of her head.

 

“Kaoru-dono! Kaoru-dono!” Kenshin roared from the opposite side of the room. Kaoru gave him no response. Silence filled the room for a few seconds. Ryunosuke was afraid he had thrown her too hard and had killed her, just as Kaoru pushed herself up a little with her elbows.

Kenshin let out a grateful sigh as Misao and Yahiko cheered. Ryunosuke smiled.

“You're the most interesting woman I've ever had the pleasure of meeting,” he said, as Kaoru carefully stood up. The last attack had taken her other pant leg too. She stood there revealing two very nice legs, which had, of course, been Ryunosuke's purpose.

“Very nice, very nice,” he said. Kenshin, who had seen women bare their legs before, like Misao, nonetheless blushed at Kaoru's.

“I take it you're going for this next?” Kaoru asked, holding up her remaining sleeve. “That makes it easier for me to see you're movements.”

“I'd like to see you try,” Ryunosuke laughed, and lunged so fast, Kaoru was barely ready. She struck out, but missed, as he dove around her and sliced off the sleeve from behind. Grinning to himself, he leaned in and lightly kissed her shoulder. Kenshin glared, but Kaoru took the opportunity to slam her shinai into Ryunosuke's gut. He groaned painfully and slumped to his knees. Kaoru turned to face him in her shortened pants and wrapped torso and grinned at him.

“Wait there, you little witch,” Ryunosuke grunted, holding his lower body. “I'll be slicing through that wrap next.”

Kaoru looked down at herself and knew he meant to bare her naked. She shook her head and punched him twice in the stomach. Ryunosuke groaned again and looked at something over Kaoru's shoulder. Kaoru turned to look as Kenshin yelled “NO!”

Tokome grabbed Kaoru and pressed a cloth to her mouth. Something on it sent a smell through Kaoru's nose and caused her to feel dizzy. She tried to fight it but to no prevail. She slumped to the ground as Tokome stepped away.

 

“That's cheating you slime!” Misao shouted. Ryunosuke recovered from Kaoru's blows and looked up at Misao.

“I never said I would play fair. I will do anything to have this extraordinary woman,” Ryunosuke replied, smirking. He bent to pick Kaoru up.

 

“Don't you touch her,” Kenshin bellowed. He sat up. “This one will not let you take her.”

Ryunosuke stopped, and walked over to Kenshin. Glaring down at the red-haired man's face he lashed out with his fist, striking Kenshin across the face. Blood flew from Kenshin's mouth as Ryunosuke turned back to Kaoru.

He picked her up in his arms and turned back to Kenshin.

“I'll admit, I didn't fulfill my promise to my future wife, but I make it up to her. I won't kill you, Battosai. You or the two runts behind you,” he said, and turned to start walking. He stopped after a few steps and looked back at Kenshin. “But I'm taking the other girl. She'll be a companion for Kaoru-sama and a prize for my men.”

 

“Like hell I will,” Misao screamed, trying to fight futilely as her captors took her out of the room.

 

“Misao!” Yahiko yelled. Sanosuke looked at Kenshin's once again slumped form. Kenshin didn't even seem to hear Ryunosuke's last words; he was staring at Kaoru, her body hanging limply in Ryunosuke's arms. Sanosuke thought Kenshin was too shocked to move. He decided he'd have to do the saving here but he found he still couldn't move.

He had no choice but to let Ryunosuke and his awake men leave with Kaoru and Misao in their midst. Kenshin, Sanosuke and Yahiko were left with forty-some knocked-out men and a destroyed room. Sanosuke knew the best thing they could do to help Kaoru and Misao right know was to rest and regain strength.

He called for help and soon the three of them were resting in their room after Ryunosuke's men had been shoved into a holding cell at the police station down the street.

Sanosuke was trying to fall asleep but he couldn't. Kenshin kept muttering in a voice that disturbed Sanosuke more than anything else.

 

“Kaoru-dono.”