It was a calm and peaceful afternoon, a perfect time to be out getting groceries. If there was anything the Revolution taught me though, it was to always be alert. I constantly scanned our surroundings as Karou and I walked along the street. “Yahiko added his favorite treat to the list again,” Kaoru commented.
“We can just tell him we didn’t see it, like last time,” I said.
“That won’t work. He made sure we’d see it,” she replied, handing me the paper. Sure enough, she was right. I chuckled a little.
“I guess we’ve got no way out of it this time, then,” I smiled. She smiled back and shrugged. Suddenly we heard a scream. Kaoru and I looked at each other momentarily before running towards it. We saw three thugs who corner a lady, and one of them had a real sword which was against the law. Then again, I carry a real sword too, except it’s a reverse blade. “Hey tough guy! Pick on someone your own size!” I said to get their attention. They turned to us as I got in my batou-jutsu stance.
“See? The boss said Battosai's little sister would come if we caused a ruckus,” the one holding the sword smirked as he approached me. So they’re working for the Juppongatana. The Juppongatana were a group that had been after me since before I met Kaoru, which was a few months ago. I didn’t know who their boss was. Yet.
“Kaoru, stay back. These guys were hired by the leader of the group that’s been after me,” I whispered to my friend.
“No way! I can help,” she protested. I sighed in defeat. I focused and right when he attacked, I took out my sword just in time to block him and redirect his sword away from me.
“Your boss must be getting desperate if he’s recruiting thugs like you. During the Revolution, I remember hearing stories of the Juppongatana being only for elite warriors. But I guess that was back when its leader was smart,” I taunted them.
“You’re just a bunch of jerks!” Karou exclaimed as she attacked them, only to get a cut on her arm.
“Kaoru! I told you to stay back. Are you okay?” I asked.
She nodded. "I'm alright," she replied.
"Good. Now stay put," I said as I faced them again. I attacked and we were locked in combat for a couple short minutes before he hit the top of my right shoulder hard. I winced and stumbled back.
"Aka!" Kaoru exclaimed as she ran to my side.
"I'm fine," I answered, though it hurt a lot and I knew it was a pretty deep gash. I covered the wound with my left hand. Because I was right handed, I couldn't really use my sakaba now.
"This is your end. Today, the boss will reward us greatly," the one with the sword said with a smirk as he lifted his sword, ready to kill us.
"Not this time," I heard a voice that I hadn't heard in many years say.
They turned and I saw a red haired swordsman. That voice and that hair...
"You! You're the Battosai!" they said as they attacked him. The way he's fighting...that's the Hiten Mitsurugi style! No doubt, he's definitely my brother! There had been others before on occasion, claiming to be Battosai the Manslayer, but I knew the real one of the legends because he was my twin brother, Kenshin Himura. The battle only lasted a few minutes before the cowards staggered off in retreat with a few small injuries.
"Kenshin!" I exclaimed happily as I went up to him and hugged him as tight as I could with my shoulder.
"Akasuki?" he asked, a bit surprised.
"You bet," I smiled. He then hugged me back. After a few moments, I let go and punched him in the shoulder with my good arm.
"Ow! Hey, what was that for?" he asked.
"That’s for leaving training early to fight in the Revolution, knucklehead," I replied. When he didn't reply, I smiled a little to myself.
---
Back at the Kamiya dojo, Kaoru and Yahiko were chasing each other again.
"Ugly. ugly!"
"Yahiko!"
"Are they always like this?" Kenshin asked with a sigh.
"Yup, you get used to it though. It's actually kinda entertaining," I chuckled. My brother smiled.
“How’s your shoulder?” he then asked.
“Fine. I’ll live, it’s just a scratch,” I replied.
“That looked deeper and more painful than simply a scratch, that it did,” Kenshin said.
I smiled a little and shrugged, which hurt slightly. "Aka, could you please run out to the store? We never finished our shopping," Kaoru said, coming up to me and handing me the list.
"Sure thing," I smiled and stood. My brother did too.
"I'll come with you," he said.
"No thanks, I won't be very long," I replied.
"I wasn't asking," he told me.
"Kenshin, I don't need any help. I'm fine," I said, a little irritated.
"You never know what could happen. You could get attacked again," he argued.
I groaned a little. "Fine," I gave in, not wanting to argue anymore.
-time skip brought to you by the Shinsengumi-
It has been about a month since I found my brother. However, there were only certain circumstances when we got along. The worst was when we were about to fight. He would always try to tell me to stay back but I would never listen and go with him. To be honest, I didn't want to lose him again and I was afraid that if I didn't watch him, I would.
We were currently talking with the police chief about recent government officials being assassinated. I was leaning against the wall with my eyes closed, but listening. "He's known as Korugasa. He somehow paralyzes his victims. He always warns them and gives a time, usually at midnight, when he will attack," the police chief said.
"Do we know his next target?" I asked, opening one eye.
"Yes," he said with a nod, "and we would like you Himura Twins to be there."
"I'll go alone," Kenshin said.
I opened my other eye and looked at my brother. "No way. He said both of us," I told him.
"Aka, this man is dangerous, that he is and if he's who I think he is-"
"You think I don't know that, Kenshin? I'm positive it's him. I was in the Revolution too, ya know!" I said angrily as I stood. I got the location from the police chief and went out.
~~~
Later that night, Kenshin and I were at the mansion. I already didn’t like this political man, and in all honesty I wouldn’t mind if he died, but I knew it’d be wrong and it’d come back to bite me if I just let him die.
I was still kinda annoyed with my brother so I didn’t really talk to him much. I sighed and looked at the time. 11:57pm. The warning letter said midnight. Three more minutes. I had only seen this man, Kurogasa, a couple times during the Revolution. Luckily, I never crossed blades with him but I saw what he was capable of. His real name was Jin’eh, and he was a Hitokiri, just like my brother.
“Whoever manages to kill him will get as much money as he wants,” Mr. Tani, the man we were protecting said.
I rolled my eyes and shook my head. Yup, he’s a typical government official. The clock struck midnight and the air seemed to get denser. No one spoke for a few moments. “Maybe he’s not coming,” one of the hired bodyguards said.
Suddenly, there were screams from outside. Kenshin and I ran to the window and opened it. All the police guards who were assigned on the outside were now lying on the ground, most likely dead. “He’s coming. Akasuki and I will take the front when he gets in here. Everyone else, follow our lead from there,” my brother instructed.
I followed him to the front and I put my hand on my sakabato, ready for a battle. There was a gunshot but no one came through the door. Then suddenly one of the other guards cried out. I spun around and saw him fall to the ground. Jin’eh was standing in the window. “Here they are, worthless little bugs with no lives. One, two, three...just 15 of you? There are less than I thought there’d be,” he said.
“I’ll deal with this gentleman over here. Please keep an eye on Mr. Tani, would you?” Kenshin asked me and I nodded.
“Go get him! I’ll pay you five times what I promised and I’ll make you an officer in the army!” Mr. Tani encouraged, which worked. Some of the hired guards rushed at him eagerly.
“You idiots! Are you gonna waste your life for a little money?” I yelled. Unfortunately none of them listened. Jin’eh made quick work of them.
“What a wonderful feeling. I won’t let you run. You’re not allowed to run away. Once you draw your sword you must fight to the death. It isn’t any fun if you don’t play like that,” he smirked as his eyes flashed.
“Wait what did he do to us? I can’t move!” one of the guards started to panic.
“Nikaido method: shino ipo. Another name for the spell of frozen terror,” Kenshin said as he jumped out from behind the guards. He attacked but Jin’eh blocked it. “As I suspected, it was you after all. I heard rumors in Kyoto during the Revolution of one who could use shino ipo and paralyze victims with a pounding energy emanating from his eyes. A stray man slayer, Jin’eh Udo,” he then said.
“I’ve also heard rumors. An Imperialist who uses Hiten Mitsurugi, a man slayer with a cross shaped scar on his left cheek - Himura the Battosai,” Jin’eh replied with a chuckle. “This is so much fun. I never thought I’d meet the Battosai. Now I can relive those days of the Revolution. I don’t care about those pigs in the government rotting in money and power. I have decided that you will be my next target, the strongest of the Imperialists,” he added before trying the shino ipo on Kenshin. Yeah, like that’ll work. Like I thought, my brother broke free.
“Shino ipo is a competition between our spirits. If the victim is at your level, then he will not fall prey to it. I know that you have killed many men during the Revolution. Foe or ally you slew them just so you could see their blood. However, now is a time of peace. The era of the Revolution where murder was commonplace is finally over. Open your eyes, for your sake as well,” Kenshin tried to talk him out of it.
“Do my ears deceive me? I can’t believe the Battosai, the legendary manslayer is saying this,” Jin’eh replied.
“Enough! My brother isn’t a Hitokiri like you anymore. He’s decided since the Revolution that he’ll never kill anyone ever again. He’s not like you!” I said as I attacked him. He dodged and was able to cut my wrists.
“Aka!” Kenshin exclaimed as I winced. He then attacked Jin’eh. They fought and even though my wrists stung, I was ready to jump in if he needed me. I wasn’t about to lose him again for good this time. They seemed evenly skilled but Jin’eh landed a cut in Kenshin’s upper left arm and they stopped.
“That wasn’t any fun. You are nothing compared to the Battosai of the Revolution whose name froze the blood of men. A manslayer who stopped slaying for ten years. You should realize how obtuse your swordsman spirit has become,” Jin’eh explained.
“I can move again,” Mr. Tani said with relief.
“I’ll give you one day to prepare yourself. Go ahead and search your soul. I know you’ll find him. Revive the manslayer within you. I want to kill the legendary Battosai from the Revolution,” he laughed evilly then disappeared.
“Jin’eh!” my brother tried calling out but in vain. I ran to the window but he was gone. We went back to check on everyone. I bandaged my brother’s cut, then he helped me wrap my wrists. Kenshin then sat on the floor, leaning against the wall. I sat in front of him.
“Damn it. That guy’s totally off his rocker. Now he’s decided that he wants you to be his target? What’s he thinking?” I wondered out loud.
“It’s alright. In fact, I believe this may work out better,” he replied, not bothering to open his eyes.
“Kenshin, don’t tell me you decided to help the police chief knowing from the beginning that this would happen,” I said.
“I have to admit though, Jin’eh does have a good point. It’s not possible for me to fight and win against him as I am now. However, I will find a way to defeat him. As someone who lived as a Hitokiri during the Revolution, this is not a battle I can continue to avoid in my lifetime, that it is not,” he said as he stood.
“I’m coming too. You’re gonna need all the help you can get,” I replied as I stood too.
“Actually, I have a favor to ask. Please give a message to Miss Kaoru,” my brother replied.
*time skip to morning brought to you by the Amakakeru Ryū no hirameki*
I walked out of the dojo to see Kaoru sleeping sitting up against a beam. “Oh man, this isn’t a side of her that she should show to other people,” I commented.
“She was worried about Kenshin all night long and she told me she couldn’t get any sleep at all,” Yahiko told me.
“Ah, I see,” I chuckled. Truth be told, I was worried about my brother too. I had a hard time sleeping as well but I stayed in my room. I think it was around four this morning that I finally fell asleep for a couple hours. I’m so gonna regret this. I smirked and made her face funny, making her mouth smile then frown.
“What a funny face!” Yahiko laughed. Suddenly, she woke up and before we could react, she hit both of us on the head with a shinai.
“Welcome back home,” she glared at me.
“Happy to be back,” I chuckled.
“Hey wait, where’s Kenshin?” she asked.
“My brother said to tell you he won’t be coming back,” I told her.
“He’s not coming back at all?” Yahiko asked.
“Well, not if I can help it. But right now he’s throwing everything away so he can fight Korugasa,” I replied.
“Why?” Kaoru asked with worry.
“If he came back and saw your faces, his heart would get soft and he wouldn’t want to do this. He wanted to stay away for a while and focus on himself. Otherwise he can’t defeat that monster. That’s what he said. I think he’s trying to get as close as he can to the Hitokiri inside himself that he was during the Revolution,” I explained.
“What?” Kaoru said in surprise as she started to run off.
“Hey! Where are you going?” I called after her.
“Where else? I’m going to look for Kenshin,” she replied, stopping momentarily.
“What are you talking about? You wanna get in his way? Korugasa’s a lot stronger than the other guys Kenshin and I have fought before,” I told her.
“But if Kenshin’s gonna stay away even for a little while, what do you think is going to happen? He’ll never come back again. If he defeats that guy, he’ll go back to his old self and then he’ll go wandering off again. Father and mother died, and if Kenshin leaves now too then I...I’ll be alone again, and I don’t want to be alone,” she replied on the brink of tears as she ran off again.
“Wait Kaoru!” I called. I won’t let him wander off again. But regardless you still have Yahiko and me. We ran after her but we lost her.
“Where the heck did she go?” Yahiko asked.
“She can’t control herself because she’s afraid of being separated from my brother. What a selfish girl. But then again, love and selfishness kinda go hand in hand, don’t they?” I thought out loud.
“Anyway, we gotta find her,” Yahiko said.
“Yeah, you never know what she’ll do. You go back to the dojo. I think I know where Kenshin went and I bet Kaoru will find him too,” I told him before taking off running towards the river. I caught up to Kaoru in a few minutes.
“Hey, hold on. I’m coming too,” I smiled a little as I walked alongside her. She gave me a small smile back.
“In fact, I think I know where he is. Come on,” I said as I took her hand and ran to the river. Sure enough, Kenshin was there, sitting on a log. Kaoru and I gave each other a look that said we both had the same idea. We smirked and approached him from behind. I knew he heard us because I saw him get ready to take out his reverse blade.
“Oh Kenshin,” Kaoru started. He dropped the sakabato on his thumb and I heard him mumble “ow.”
“We found you,” Kaoru said as she sat on his right while I sat on his left.
“You both are scarier than Jin’eh, you are,” he commented with a tiny hint of fear, making me laugh.
“I heard the story. Aka and I aren’t going back to the dojo either. We’re staying right here with you,” Kaoru told him and I nodded in agreement. My brother sighed.
“If I have to protect someone during the battle with Jin’eh, then I can’t possibly beat him,” he said.
“Who said anything about protecting?” I asked. Kaoru stood and faced him.
“Miss Kaoru?” Kenshin asked, confused as she took out the ribbon in her hair.
“This is my favorite indigo ribbon. I’ll lend it to you, Kenshin,” she said as she handed it to him.
“Thanks a lot but I don’t see how…”
“Just take it!” Kaoru interrupted him.
“Yes ma’am,” he replied meekly. I laughed.
“Listen, I’m only lending it to you, Kenshin. You have to return it. I’ll never forgive you if you don’t, so don’t go off on a journey afterwards and forget to give it back, ok?” Kaoru explained. After a few moments, he understood and smiled.
“Alright. I promise to return it at the dojo. You can rest assured so please go back there and wait for me,” he said.
She nodded once. “Ok. Well then, that’s a promise…” Kaoru was cut off by Jin’eh, who snatched her up. He had come out of nowhere, surfing down the river. Kenshin and I jumped up.
“Miss Kaoru!” my brother called worriedly.
“I assume this girl is your woman, Battosai. Show me your anger. That will bring back the manslayer that you once were. Hate me as you have never hated before! Bring back Battosai the manslayer!” he laughed evilly. Kaoru got her mouth free from his hand.
“Kenshin!” she called.
“Jin’eh!” he called after them with anger in his voice. This isn’t good. I should’ve been more alert and saw this coming.
ns 18.68.41.137da2
