 |
I am Akigawa Masami. I am the daughter of a famous samurai that fought against the dirty Imperialist government in the Revolution. He was known as Shiro Akuma or the White Demon. As he was feared in the Revolution, so I am feared in this peaceful era of the Meji. I have become known for my vicious search for my family's murderers- espeically that of my brother and father's. I have become the Shiro Akuma of the Meji and I will have my revenge. Battousai the Manslayer, you will regret the day you murdered my father.
I walked through the streets of a bustling Tokyo. Many people ran about, trying to catch up with people or buy that perfect present. My tachi was leaning on my shoulder. Although swords were banned to be worn in public, I couldn't bring myself to hide it. Besides, I wasn't exactly wearing it- I was carrying it. The only thing I was wearing was a cape and hood to conceal my face and features. I knew I was a walking suspect, but hey, that's never stopped me before. And woe to the policeman that would challenge me. He would never see his family again.
I watched a nearby group of men stare at me from across the street. I couldn't help but feel empowered by their sense of insecurity.
"A swordsman..."
"He is carrying a tachi- that's a very dangerous weapon."
"But look at his eyes- those are the eyes of someone that has fought and killed."
People are so stupid. They have no observation skills whatsoever. Sure, I'll give 'em credit for figuring out that I am a swordsman, because frankly, how many swordswomen do you see? So, they automatically assume that I am a male. They can't help it. Reality sucks for all swordswomen. Apparently swordplay is a guy thing. Oh well, I guess.
I shifted my tachi to the other shoulder. The people nearest to me jumped. I could really care less what the people think of me. As long as they didn't get in my way, they would be safe. I spied a resturaunt nearby.
"The Akobeko," I read aloud. "I hope they have Oyako Domturi."
I stepped inside and placed my tachi by my side. I didn't want to alert the waitresses. I gathered up my Swordsman Spirit and placed an illusion around it. It was a Shiro Ken technique. It was called the Ken Shinkirou. It was wear one could manipulate their Swordsman Spirit to place an illusion around the sword- usually to show an opponent that your blade is moving elsewhere- but in my case, to conceal it.
A young woman of about twenty five walked up to me. She smiled brightly. "Hello," she said with a heavy accent. "Welcome to the Akobeko. Would you follow me please?"
She led me to a table that was somewhat out of the way. I was grateful for the waitress's choice of seating. She motioned for me to sit and left to take another order. I looked about. Many people sat quietly around the tables eating the classic Japanese foods. A few minutes later, my waitress came back to me.
"Can I get you anything?"
"Yes. Do you have any Oyako Domburi?"
"Why yes we do, miss. I shall go get you some."
"Thankyou," I said with an inclination of my head. I may be a killer, but at least I'm a polite one. Sort of.
The waitress quickly returned with a steaming bowl of noodle soup. I thanked her once again and began eating quietly. It wasn't too long after that a group of three or four guys walked into the restaraunt and sat down across the way. I studied them. Two of them- the two on the left- were simpletons. But the one on the right- the one with the rooster hair-do- that one was something different. My best guess was that he was some kind of thug or fighter. He seemed to be about my own age, but something about him smelled of trouble.
After reassuring myself that they wouldn't cause me any trouble, I continued eating. My waitress returned several times to check on me. Once while we were in the midst of a conversation about the kinds of noodle soups, another group of guys began to act up. By the sounds of their guffawing, I guessed that they were drunk. The waitress put a concerned hand to her mouth.
"Oh dear. I hope that they don't cause to much trouble." She spied a customer needing a refill. "Please excuse me."
"Of course," I answered destractedly.
I watched the rooster haired man study the drunk men intently. I listened carefully to the conversation they were having. I nearly spat into my soup. They were talking about the government- one of my least favorite topics. There seemed to be some talk about democracy and the strength of the Meji government. I glowered in reflections. But a sudden crash disturbed any further memories. There were shouts. The sound of punches being thrown, then-
CRASH!
Right onto my table. My Domburi splattered all over the table. Chips and chunks of china flew in all directions. Instictively, I caught a shard before it hit me in the face. The man on my table groaned in pain. He was dazed at the moment. I fixed a death glare on him. He opened his eyes and flew off the table, flailing at one of his drinking buddies.
I stood up. I'm usually a pretty easy-going person when someone gets in a fight and knocks me over. I usually just beat the tar out of them. But when someone is jacking around and my bowl of Oyako Domburi is compromised, that someone may just as soon have signed his own death sentence.
I grabbed the man who fell on my table by the collar of his shirt. "Hey!" I yelled in his face. "Take it outside or go to hell!"
By this time, I got his drinking buddies all fired up. The other two put up their fists in an invitation for me to end their lives. "Are you challenging us, mister mysterious?"
"Yeah? Just who do you think you are?"
I just about said it. I just about gave my name, rank, and entire criminal record away right then and there. But I'm intelligent and kept my mouth shut. After all, there was no hope in reasoning with these drunks. Looks like I just had to beat them senseless. I would kill them, but I don't want the police on my back right away.
"I'm the someone that's going to escort you morons out of here."
"Let's take this outside."
I shrugged. Sure. If they wanted to play- I'd humor them. After all, it had been awhile since I actually just beat someone up just because I could. And beating up them up because they were drunk, loud, and obnoxious was just an excuse. What really made me want to kill them was the fact that they talked about the government. But lucky for them, they had not said anything to send me over the edge. Before I walked outside, I grabbed my tachi and followed the drunks into the street. They stood in a semi-circle, weapons drawn. One had a sword, one had a dagger, and one was going to take me on with his fists. I shrugged.
"So how do you want to do this?" I asked.
"Last one standing wins," the one with the sword said.
"Sounds fair enough."
The unarmed one jumped at me first. It would have been surprising if it wasn't for the fact that he was incredibly slow. I seized the sword (still in its sheath) and shoved the butt of the hilt directly between the brawlers eyes. He dropped to the ground two feet short of me. The one with the supposedly hidden dagger charged. He raised his fist as if to strike me from above, but I saw him rise his other fist up to me, with the dagger in hand. I dodged the dagger and caught the man's fist with the flat of my sheathed sword. The man stared at me in amazement. I simply smiled at him and rose the tip of my sheath and decked him across the face. He fell in a heap on his fallen comrad's body. The swordsman came next. He charged with amazing speed for a drunk, but his aim was less than notable. I moved to blocked his thrust from becoming a possible side swing and ran my sheath up his blade. I put the tip of my sheath in the man's throat. The force of his charge crushed his throat and knocked him unconscious. I returned my tachi to my shoulder. I looked down at the pile of drunks. I shook my head.
"I didn't even have to unsheath my sword. Pity."
I stepped back to see just how big the crowd around me was. It seemed that most of the customers and workers from the Akobeko was standing in front of the cafe. I raised an eye brow. Even people on the street had stopped to watch the almost mercifuless beating. Once most of the people seen that I was finished, they went back to their business. I frowned. People were always so nosy. And that's usually what gets people killed.
"Hey, that was pretty amazing for a masked man."
I looked up at the tall brute. It was that rooster haired man from the restaraunt. He was smiling at me through a crooked and cocky smile.
"Well, not all masked men are fools," I stated.
He gave a start. "But- you're a-" He couldn't seem to bring himself to say it.
"A lady?" He nodded. I shook my head. "Only fools assume things."
"What did you say?" he returned sharply. But once he seen that I was unmoved by his threat, he backed down. "You're pretty good. How would you like to have a fair fight- a fight worth your time?"
"A fight worth my time?" That was something I hadn't heard or had in a long time. The man nodded. I could sense that this man was no pushover, but I didn't get a sense of impending danger either. I smiled. "I suppose I could make time for that. I haven't had one in a very long time."
He grinned and put up a confident fist. "Great! How about tonight at the edge of the river, just south of here?"
"Why not?"
The man moved to walk away, but then he stopped on his heel. He whipped around. "Oh yeah. The name's Sanosuke Sagara."
"Sanosuke Sagara. Well Sanosuke, I, Akagawa Masimi, will be your opponent tonight."
I know that's not my real name, but one has to be careful with a name like mine. Even if I'm more famously known by Shiro Akuma, my name is known as Akigawa Masami. Not that this idiot knows who I am, but I'm used to covering up things that I don't want other people to know. After all, I was going to have a fun fight tonight- I don't want to ruin it with intimidations and all that fun stuff. I watched the man walk away. I studied the "Bad" symbol on his back. I cocked an eye brow. Someone that walks around with the word "bad" on their back can't be too insignificant. I had a feeling that I was really going to enjoy this one.
As the sun set below the horizon, I picked up my sword and began walking through town. I had spent most of the day relaxing. If I was going to have fun, I had let myself unwind a little. Sometimes I spent a little too much time being too serious. And frankly, life is too serious to be taken seriously. And so I made my way through town, walking south. I wondered what typed of fighter this Sanosuke Sagara was. Earlier, he had carried no weapon. If that fact remained true tonight, there would be no way that he could possibly win against me. Unless the guy was a lot stronger than what he was letting me on to.
The moon appeared second after the sun was gone. It was a bright moon. It would be plenty light out to make this a fair fight. I had had my share of fights in the dark and had grown quite used to doing so. I didn't want to give myself an unnecessary advantage against the guy. For once, that didn't sound appealing to me. I stopped on the edge of a hill and the south side of town. I looked down. There was the river winding through the land. Upon a wide portion of the bank stood a figure silouette by the moon and twilight. I smiled.
"Sanosuke Sagara."
I began making my way down to the bank. As I got closer I could see that he carried no weapon yet again. I frowned slightly. This man knew I had my tachi, so why did he insist on fighting me with his bare hands? He must be very good then. I stopped. I removed the tachi from my shoulder and placed the tip on the ground. It wasn't a fighting stance, but it allowed my to react quickly just in case the man was dumb enough to attack me.
"So you didn't chicken out- but I didn't expect you to either."
"And because of that, you probably will keep your ribs intact," I returned coolly.
"So Akagawa Masimi, shall we see what you got?"
"Almost. Wait a moment," I said. I didn't want to risk anything tonight. I took of my cape and tossed it aside. I picked up my tachi. "I would like to keep my sword sheathed, if it's not too much of an insult to you."
"Keep your sword sheathed? I'll kill you!"
"No, I believe that if I were to unsheath my sword I would be the one to kill you. Besides, this is a fun fight- not a death match."
Woah. Not a death match. Why am I suddenly saying such strange things? Everything had always been a death match to me. Suddenly, it seemed that I didn't want to kill anyone. And that thought kind of disturbed me.
Sanosuke shrugged. "I guess you're right. I'll let you fight with that sheated toothpick of yours and I'll fight with my fists. Don't be afraid to not hold back. And the last one standing- or conscious- wins. Sound fair?"
I nodded. "Come. Let's see what you've got."
He grinned in the twilight. "I was about to say the same thing."
"You wish me to get this started?"
"Ladies first."
Well, I guess. I felt bad for the guy. He was clearly underestimating me. He was going to be in for a big surprise. But I guess it'll encourage him to not hold back because I'm a girl. Quick as lightning I stuck my sword into the soft sand and darted toward him. He was surprised with my speed. He tried to step back, but he was stricken immobile. I came up on him and laid a punch squarely across his jaw. He staggered backwards. I jumped away and waited for him to recover.
Holding his jaw he stared at me through wide eyes. His expression revealed his bewilderment. I smiled.
"Ok. The fight has officially begun."
He spit and wiped his mouth. "I reckon this is going to be fun."
He charged at me. I put up my fists, ready to counter any move he could make. His punches came like a sudden storm. They rained down at me. His speed was very surprising. I realized this guy was no pushover. I studied his quick hits. His left fist came down. I deflected it and caught his right. Within a split second I sent my own punch at his face. He backed off, rubbing between his eyes. We stood for a moment. He seemed to be confused on why he couldn't hit me. I flexed my arms gently, trying to return feeling to them. I smiled. This definitely was fun.
"You've got some pretty hard rights, don't you?" He glared at me. "All right! No more holding back because you're a girl!"
I was stunned momentarily. He was holding back? My smile widened. Good. Then maybe I shouldn't hold back either. He charged. So did I. My move surprised him, but he recovered quickly. We traded a few hits. His caught me in the gut, mine caught him in the face. We traded a few more blows. Soon we had to stop. We were both panting. He stared at me through a swelling eye.
"Who are you?" he asked.
"I've already told you my name."
He shook his head. "No, I mean how did you learn to fight like that?"
"Several years of studying swordsmanship and several years of killing people."
"Killing people? What are you, an assassin?"
"Something like that. And what about yourself? You're no street thug."
"I used to be Zanza the Fighter-for-Hire."
"A fighter-for-hire, huh? Not bad. Well Zanza, you were honest with me, maybe I should be honest with you." He stared at me. His guard dropped a little. "My name is not Akagawa Masimi- it's Akigawa Masami."
"Akigawa? You mean Shiro Akuma?"
I nodded. "The same."
"Well, if I would have known that I was fighting someone as tough as you, I wouldn't have underestimated you in the first place." He switched stances. "Shall we continue, Shiro Akuma?"
I also took an offensive stance. "I trust that things will become more serious now?"
He smiled and charged. I switched to the defensive. He came at me, this time harder now. I dodged around his punches, ducked, and kicked his feet out from under him. He fell back hard. I leaped back to where my sword stood. I plucked it out of the sand. He was on his feet again, charging at me. His fist rose high as he came closer to me. I rose my sheathed sword to meet it. After blocking his punch, I whipped him across the face with my sheath. Again he recovered and attacked. Each time I flicked my sword about to block him. Sanosuke was strong, there was no doubt there. But he was also stupid. He fought without thinking- something I would never do. So I allowed him to wear himself down.
As soon as his punches began to slow, I switched from my defense and with one long sweeping motion, knocked him backwards onto his back. I set my sword down. I figured Sanosuke was too tired to stand up and continue the fight. I was preparing to walk away when he sat up. I stared at him. After all of that and he could still fight?
"I'm impressed Sanosuke Sagara. You have a lot of spirit."
He stood up. "Shut up. I'm just getting started."
I let him come at me again and again. He had lost a fraction of his speed, but his power was still there. We carried on like that for a long time. Finally, I grew weary of blocking and returning his attacks. I pushed him away and we stood for a moment, regaining our composure and breath.
"How's that, Shiro Akuma?"
"Very amusing, Zanza. But I'm afraid this duel is over now."
"Quit bluffing. If you could have beaten me, you would have done so a long time ago."
"Oh don't flatter yourself. Since your very first attack I knew exactly what I needed to do to defeat you."
It was as if I had unsheathed my sword and run him through. He stared at me, horrofied. By the looks of it, he couldn't believe that I had humored him all this time.
"But I will give you one thing- I've lost feeling in my arms from all your punches. Not many people can accomplish that. But I'm afraid this duel is over."
I charged at him. Sanosuke's attacks and strategies focused on attacking first. The young man did not know the first thing about self defense. He put up his hands to block, but I swept them away with my sword and struck out with my foot. I regained my balance and thrusted my sword at him several times. He managed to dodge a few, but most struck him in the stomach. He began to fall backwards. I finished my round of thrusts, spun around, and slashed at him.
"Shiro Aisu!"
My sheath whisked through the air. It cracked against Sanosuke's shoulder and sent him flying to my right. He came to a stop several feet later. I placed my sword on the ground again. The Shiro Aisu was the Shiro Ken's main attack that was used for crushing or overpowering your opponent. Although it left me open for attack, it was a move that was supposed to finish your enemy in one blow. I turned to see Sanosuke struggling to sit up. Once he finally did, he glared at me. I put my sword on my shoulder and looked down at him.
"I'd stay down if I were you. The fight is over, Sanosuke Sagara-"
"No! I'm not finished yet." He pushed himself to his feet.
I sighed. Of course, he had to be stubborn. I had been generous to aim for his shoulder rather than his head with my Shiro Aisu.
"Let's go."
This time. I would't be generous. I would use my Shiro Ookami. It was a lightning quick move that charged at your opponent elbow first. It also had the illusion that I would slash with my sword rather than strike with my elbow. You stunned the enemy first with your elbow then finished him off with a slash. Usually, I had the sheath in my other hand to defend myself as I charged. But Sanosuke was tired and would not be able to stop it.
I flew at him, elbow first. His eyes widened. I'm sure all he could see was a blur of motion. My elbow crashed into his face. He stumbled backwards. I swept my sword at him. It crashed into his neck and shoulder. He cried out. I slid to a stop behind him. He fell to the ground. I slung my sword to my shoulder. I lowered my eyes. Sanosuke was defeated. I had been victorious. And I had also not killed Sanosuke. Truthfully, I should have killed him right then and there, but he had put up and amazing fight. After he had gotten up after my Shiro Aisu, I couldn't bring myself to kill him. Besides, it had been a fun fight. It would be a waste to kill him.
"Sanosuke Sagara, I am impressed with your skill. Although you never stood a chance against me, I admire your spirit. I hope that one day, we can have another fun fight."
I spent the next day gambling. Although I did not gamble, I listened to the talk of many low-lifes of Tokyo. They were talking about who they robbed and how they did it, who they fought and how tough they were, and how some wandering samurai had defeated Kurogasa. I listened intently. Kurogasa was a codename for Jin-ei, a manslayer of the Revolution. I recognized his name because he fought in the Shisengumi and killed anyone- friend or foe. How could someone- a madman like Jin-ei- be defeated by some wandering samurai?
I spoke up.
"What is the name of this wandering samurai?"
A few heads turned in my direction.
"Why do you wish to know?"
"I wish to know."
"Kenshin. Kenshin Himura."
"Who is he?" I asked.
"A wanderer that carries a reverse blade sword. Apparently, he has made a vow never to kill again."
"What would possess a man to make him do that?"
A few men exchanged glances. "Don't you know? Kenshin Himura is Battousai the Manslayer- the strongest of the Imperialists."
My heart seemed to stop. Battousai the Manslayer, strongest of the Imperialists, and murderer of my father. He was here in Tokyo! Finally, I caught up with him. My revenge was within my grasp.
"Where can the Battousai be found?" I asked.
"You don't want to mess with him, man-" one began to say.
I glared at the man, fixing him with a cold stare. To show these men that I was serious, I used my Sokkenai Shinkirou (which is a technique that can use the warriror's Swordsman Spirit to intimidate their opponent). I could feel all eyes turn to me and their blood run cold with fear.
"Where is the Battousai?" I asked again. I could hear the Sokkenai Shinkirou make my voice more authoritive and menacing.
"He's living in a dojo just outside of town. The Kamiya dojo," a nearby man stammered.
I stood up. I stalked out of the building. I started towards the dojo. I had never been this close to finding the Battousai. I didn't want to make any mistakes. It seemed that my father would be avenged tonight. I smiled at the thought. To think that the Battousai would be slain by the Shiro Akuma... The Imperialist government would tremble in fear to know that Shiro Akuma destroyed their strongest member.
"First the Battousai, then the government."
Several blocks later, I spied a dojo not too far away. I picked up my pace. As soon as I reached the door, I pulled back my hood and hid my sword using the Ken Shinkirou. I had to be careful. I had to appear as harmless as ever. I knocked.
A few minutes later the door opened. A young girl a few years older than I stood in a pink kimono, staring at me.
"Hello," she said brightly, but uncertainly. "Can I help you?"
I could see a young boy swinging a sword over his head within the dojo. He must be an apprentice. She continued to stare at me. I forced a sweet smile.
"Um, yes. Is this the Kamiya dojo?" I asked quietly.
She smiled. "Yes. I am Kamiya Kaoru, assisstant master of this school. What can I do for you?"
"Um... I was told I could find Kenshin Himura here."
"Yes. But what do you want with Kenshin?"
Hm. This was the tricky part. If I said the wrong thing, she would suspect something and alert the Battousai to my prescence.
"I need to speak with him. I need his help."
"His help?" I nodded. It was lame, but she bought it. She stepped back. "Here. Come in. I'll go and get him."
I shut the dojo door behind me. I couldn't help but put on a sinister smile as I watched her pass by her apprentice and into the dojo. I trailed after her, pretending not to watch her. She slid open the door. I glanced inside. A young woman with silky black hair and a man with red hair sat around another man that was unconscious on the floor. As she closed the door, I caught a glimpse of brown hair sticking up at all angles. It was Sanosuke Sagara! I stopped. Did he regain consciousness and tell Kenshin of me? I shook my head to reassure myself. Sanosuke may have withstood my Shiro Aisu, but there was no way he could have regained consciousness yet after the Shiro Ookami.
"Who are you?"
I turned to look at the young apprentice. Crap. Who was I? This kid had caught me off guard. I sure as hell didn't want to give my real name in the Battousai's household. But it was too late to stall now. Besides, he was only an ignorant apprentice. He was too young to know Shiro Akuma.
"Akigawa Masami."
He grinned. "Well, don't you worry one bit, miss. Kenshin will do anything he can to help out. And of course, Kaoru and I will help too."
"Thank you-?"
"I'm Yahiko Miogi- descended from a long line of proud samurai."
I smiled. Yep. This kid was definitely from samurai ancestors. There was no mistaking that pride. I looked curiously at the door. It sure was taking a long time for her to find the Battousai. Hopefully, I hadn't said anything to tip her off.
"What's happening in there?"
"Oh, our friend Sanosuke was found this morning by the river. He was unconscious and beaten pretty badly. We had our friend, Megumi, who's a doctor come over and treat him. I think he's going to be okay now, but..." The boy trailed off. I felt bad for him because I knew exactly how he felt. I had felt the same way about my brother when I found him. But my story didn't have a happy ending.
I looked up to see the red haired man open the door and step out. He was at least a head and a half shorter than me. He had a cross like scar on his cheek and startling blue eyes.
"You said you needed help, miss?" he said as he walked towards me.
"Yes. I would like to speak with you, alone."
The Battousai nodded towards Yahiko, who went into the dojo. The Battousai glared at me as soon as the door shut completely.
"Why don't you tell me the real reason you're here. Although you appear unarm, I sense a desire to kill from you."
I let out a little laugh. "You are the Battousai indeed. You are right about the desire to kill, but wrong about my appearance." I took the tachi from my side, breaking the Ken Shinkirou. The Battousai's eyes widened in surprise.
"A tachi. Then you are the one that did this to Sanosuke?"
"I am."
"Why?"
"He challenged me to a fight. I couldn't resist."
"What do you want?" he demanded. I could feel him try to intimidate me with his Swordsman Spirit.
I smiled. "Nice try, Battousai. But I'm also skilled in that art." I said, dishing out my best death glare and Akuma Metsuki. (Akuma Metsuki uses the Swordsman Spirit to intimidate the opponent by an infamous death glare. It is the move that named us Shiro Akuma.) The Battousai's eyes widened again. "The Akuma Metsuki," he stated. I nodded. "Which is apart of the Shiro Ken style. And the only samurai ever to use the Shiro Ken and master the Akuma Metsuki would be Shiro Akuma- the Akigawa family."
"You are very knowledgable. I'm impressed."
"And again, I ask you, what do you want?"
I drew my sword quicker than sight. The sheath fell to the ground. My blade gleamed in the sunlight. I could see his eyes narrow.
"Himura the Battousai! I challenge you to a duel! In honor of my father, I shall end your life!"
"I have no desire to fight you."
I nearly dropped my sword. What? The Battousai wasn't supposed to refuse my offer. That just wasn't suppose to happen. Not to me! No! I had come too far for this happen!
"What? Why?"
"I do not wish to fight you. This is a peaceful era-"
"What?" I stopped. I shouldn't let the Battousai's pathetic words get to me. I lowered my sword and put the tip in the sheath. Then, with a quick flick of my wrist, I flipped the sheath into the air. The sheath soared into the air and slid back onto my sword. I placed the tachi on my shoulder and half turned away. "Whatever, Battousai. Believe what you like. I care not. Perhaps I shall return again sometime to see if I can find you in a more agreeable mind set."
I turned on my heel just as the dojo door slid open. The rest of the gang- save for Sanosuke- poured out of the dojo. I was too embarassed to really care. How dare the Battousai refuse me? My anger flared. If the Battousai would not fight me today, he'd be sorry. Tonight I would kindle my hatred for him. That way, when we actually met in combat, there would be no way I could lose. No possible way in hell I could lose.
I sat in the darkness of my room in the inn. A small candle flickered nearby. I glared out the window at the stars. I could not fathom why on Earth the Battousai would not fight. It made me angrier every time I asked the question to myself. I had sat here for the remainder of the day, doing absolutely nothing but trying to figure out the Battousai and find a way to make him fight me.
Suddenly it dawned on me. He had told Yahiko to go inside even before I really said anything. He wasn't sure what I was going to do. He wasn't sure if I was going to attack the apprentice or not. And he must have told everyone to stay inside the dojo no matter what happened outside. He didn't want me to get ahold of one of his friends. I smirked dangerously. If he didn't want me to, then that's exactly what I was going to do. If I pissed him off enough, he would come fight me. Perhaps I should drop by for a visit to Miss Kamiya Kaoru and young Yahiko Miogi sometime.
I crouched low in the tree above the Kamiya dojo. I had placed a Sokkenai Shinkirou and hid my prescence for about half the afternoon now. I watched the Battousai and his friends go about their work. All the while, I studied the layout of the dojo. I had already discovered where Miss Kamiya and young Yahiko were staying inside the dojo. It was very close to the back of the dojo. I smiled. Breaking in would be easy. All I had to do now was wait for a time when the Battousai left.
Luck was on my side today. A few minutes after going through the layouts for a thirtieth time, Kaoru came out of the dojo and walked towards the Battousai who was doing the laundry. (I had already recovered from the shock of the notion earlier.) I strained my ears. "Kenshin, I need you to run to town to get some more tofu."
"But, Miss Kaoru-"
"NOW KENSHIN!"
"Yes ma'am."
Woah. That girl had a temper. But it was no matter. I've dealt with other people who had worse tempers before. I watched the Battousai take the bucket and walk down the street. I smiled. He hadn't sensed anything or even suspected anything. I returned my attention back to the dojo. Kaoru had gone back inside. I leaped from the tree and landed somewhat gracefully. I walked up to the dojo, sword leaning on my shoulder. The first room I entered was the actual dojo where I saw Yahiko and Kaoru were practicing swordsmanship. I watched closely, concealing my prescence.
They traded blows. Each of Kaoru's blows with the wooden sword found Yahiko's vital spots, while Yahiko's blows were parried with ease. After a few minutes, Kaoru dropped her sword. Yahiko did the same.
"You're getting better, there's no doubt about it. But you still have a lot to learn."
"What style of swordsmanship is that?" I asked, finally revealing my prescence.
The two jumped. Kaoru whirled around. Her eyes widened. Yahiko jumped forward, sword raised.
"Careful, Kaoru, that's the Shiro Akuma Kenshin was talking about. She's the one that beat up Sanosuke!"
I smiled. "Looks like introductions are not necessary."
"What do you want?" Kaoru demanded firmly.
My smile widened. "I'm here to get the Battousai to fight me."
"Kenshin isn't here now."
"Precisely. I'm going to provoke him. So if you don't mind, I think I'll be staying here a while. Or at least until he returns."
"Get out! Right now!" Yahiko shouted, stepping forward.
I looked down at the apprentice. "You really should keep that mouth of yours in check, Yahiko Miogi. It will get you into trouble."
"I'm not afraid of you!"
"Oh really?" I said, putting on my Akuma Metsuki. The boy seemed to shrink away. "Well then, perhaps you want to demonstrate this Kamiya Kashin style to me?" He looked at me through wide eyes. "If you can beat me, then I will leave without another word. But if you can't, then you have to do what I say."
"Yahiko, no!" Kaoru burst.
"Be quiet. I challenged Yahiko and Yahiko alone. If he doesn't want to accept the challenge, all he has to do is say no."
"Why don't you fight me?!" she burst.
"Do you want me to? I'd be happy to challenge you as well."
"No, Kaoru. I'm fighting her."
"Yahiko-"
"I'm asking for a demonstration, and a demonstration only, Miss Kaoru. In that demonstration, the challenge shall be decided." I drew my sword. Kaoru and Yahiko gasped. I set it against the wall and held onto my sheath. I turned to the boy. "Now come."
The boy charged at me fearlessly. It wasn't the smartest move, but it had guts. He swung at me. I shifted my sheath to block it. I put my foot out to trip up the boy. He stumbled. Once he regained his footing, he whirled around to face me again.
"That was dirty!"
"And you're point is?"
"Argh! It's something you wouldn't understand!"
He swung at me again. This time I deflected his blow and rapped my sheath on his head. He stumbled and fell.
"I presume that was clean by your standards?" He didn't say anything, but got back up. I smiled. He came at me again. He swung high. I reached up and caught his sword.
"Hey!" he shouted, struggling against me. "That's cheating!"
"Let me tell you something, Yahiko Miogi. When it comes to fighting for your life, it's not about playing by the rules."
I let his sword go. He swung at me. I put up my sheath and hit him on the hand. He cried out. His sword flew through the air. I reached up and caught it. He fell down. He knew the fight was over and he had lost. Kaoru rushed up to him and knelt beside him. Yahiko clutched his hand and glared up at me.
"Looks like the demonstration is over. The Kamiya Kashin style has some very powerful attacks. If you keep studying and working hard I'm sure you can challenge me to a real duel in the future." I returned the sword to its owner and walked over to my sword. I sheathed the tachi. I looked over my shoulder at Kaoru. "Feel free to still go about your work while I'm here."
Without another word, I slipped to the front porch. I sat down and placed my back to the dojo. If I watched the entrance I could be sure no one would attempt to sneak out and warn the Battousai. A few minutes later Kaoru walked up to me.
"Thank you for not harming Yahiko. It means a lot to me as assistant manager of the Kamiya dojo."
I shrugged. "You may not want to thank me just yet. I still have yet to kill the Battousai."
Kaoru was silent for a moment. "What did Kenshin do to you to make you hate him this much?"
I glanced sideways at her. She seemed to really want to know. I returned my gaze to the dojo door. "He killed my father."
She silently gasped. "Akigawa Akira?"
"Yes. That was my father."
"How do you know it was Kenshin?"
"He and the Battousai were considered arch-rivals since the Battousai was the strongest of the Imperialists and my father was the strongest of the Shogunate."
Out of the corner of my eye I seen Yahiko dart towards the door. He was using Kaoru as a destraction to escape. I pushed Kaoru aside, stood up, and unsheathed my tachi. In a blinding movement, I hurled the sword at the escaping boy. Kaoru cried out. My sword sunk deep into the door, pinning the boy with it. It walked menacingly over to the struggling Yahiko.
"Go ahead and try to pull it out, Young Miogi. There have been many warriors who weren't able to pull it out." Yahiko stopped struggling as I came upon him. I grabbed him by the collar. I pulled him closer and put on my Akuma Metsuki. At this distance, the technique was terrifying. "I have spared your life twice now. Three strikes and your out." I whipped the sword out of the door with ease and drug Yahiko back to the dojo. I handed him to Kaoru. "Don't mistake me. You are my prisoners as of right now. But you are still free to go about your business in the dojo. Your behavior will dictate in what shape I will leave you and your dojo in."
This time, I wasn't going to screw around. I used the Sokkenai Shinkirou to intimidate them this time. I watched as their faces paled. They knew I was serious this time. They each went their seperate ways to continue their work in the dojo. I sat down. God. Taking these two as hostages was like babysitting a couple of brats. And nosy ones at that as well.
"You again?"
I looked up. Sanosuke was limping towards me. My eyebrows rose in surprise.
"You're awake already? Wow. I'm surprised."
"Yeah. It was nothing, although I am a bit sore still."
"I would be impressed if you weren't."
"What are you doing here?" he heaved as he stopped in front of me.
I smiled. Boy. This was going to be awkward. What was I supposed to say? Hi Sanosuke, I'm here holding your dojo and your friends hostage while I wait for the Battousai to return so I can kill him? I shrugged that sounded all right.
"I'm provoking the Battousai into fighting me."
"What? Kenshin?"
"Yep. So I'm in charge of the dojo until the Battousai gets back."
"Why?"
"Because I want to show him that if he doesn't fight me, I'll kill everyone who he calls his friends! God! Must I explain everything to everyone?"
He took a step back. "What?"
I stood up. "Yes. But you have nothing to worry about. I'm sure that just my prescence amongst you will terrify the Battousai. So he should agree, no sweat."
"I can't let you do that. I can't let you threaten the Missy and Yahiko just so you can have a duel against Kenshin!"
"Sanosuke Sagara, don't you tell me what I can and cannot do! I will have my revenge on the Battousai and you will not stop me!" "Oh yeah?" he said fiercely, swinging his fist. I ducked under it.
"Sanosuke, I respect your loyalty and spirit, but I have come too far to be stopped by you." I stood up and pushed my sword (sheath and all) horizontally into his throat. Sanosuke choked and dropped to the floor, out cold again. I sighed. "Forgive me, Sanosuke Sagara. But I am too close."
The afternoon began to grow dim. I sat at the front of the dojo, waiting for the Battousai to return. He had not returned for two hours now. How long did it take one man to go and buy tofu? Honestly... there should be no way in hell that this red headed bum is the legendary Battousai. No way. I had drug Sanosuke back to his room at Kaoru's request earlier. She was shocked that I actually did something to him in his condition, but I assured her that Sanosuke would be all right. After all, I didn't want to kill him. After that fun fight of ours, we seemed to have some kind of special respectful relationship going on. Besides, that kid has one hell of a hard head.
Yahiko and Kaoru had behaved themselves for the last hour and a half. I was grateful because I really didn't want to have to mess with them and risk the Battousai returning home without me knowing. Now the young apprentice was standing in the yard practicing his sword techniques, glaring at me every so often. Kaoru watched him nearby. I hung my head. All these years of waiting and now my patience was beginning to fray. The world was so cruel to me.
I reached for my sword. I could sense him. His prescence: the Battousai. I didn't want to appear on edge. I had to make sure that I was battle ready, but completely at ease. But no matter what I did, my mind began to race. Should I use my Akuma Metsuki? No. In order to unnerve the Battousai, I had to appear completely at ease. I took a deep breath and rested further against the wall. The door opened. The red headed samurai stood in the doorway holding a tub of tofu. I caught a glimpse of a smile, but it disappeared as he spotted me. His eyes changed. They became more focused and sharp. The eyes of a killer.
"What are you doing here?"
I stood up. I set the tip of my tachi by my foot.
"I trust you're in a better mind set today, Battousai?"
"Why are you here?"
"I figured that since you will not fight me, I'll make you."
"And you involved Miss Kaoru and Yahiko?"
"It was an unfortunate but necessary tactic. Normally, I'm not too big on involving anyone else in my fights. But, as they say, desperate times call for desperate measures."
"What kind of warrior would involve innocent people?" Kenshin snapped.
"Do not criticize me, you hippocrite! Don't you dare forget about the innocent blood you have shed!"
The Battousai's eyes widened. I had hit a very touchy nerve. And with any more luck, he'd attack me. He recovered quickly and his eyes narrowed again.
"I cannot allow you to endanger innocent people so you can fill your lust for my blood!"
"Then perhaps you should stop avoiding me and make this YOUR fight!"
The Battousai's gaze pierced me. "Shiro Akuma... although I had hoped our blades would never cross, I am forced to fight you."
My heart almost leaped out of my chest. Hell yes! I had pissed off the Battousai and he was thinking that I was going to pay for it. But oh no! You can't defeat the Shiro Akuma that easily!
I kept my face unreadable.
"Battousai, meet me down by the riverside tonight. No one else. If you do not come, I will kill all your friends - make no mistake about that."
"You're threats are pointless. This is between you and I, and we'll keep it that way. Otherwise, it will be you that shall die."
Woah. I tensed. Where had that come from? After all, earlier he had been a red headed bum that would rather clean clothes than kill someone. And now, he was threatening me? I smiled. This was Battoussai the Manslayer. And he was pissed.
"Kenshin!" Kaoru burst, after Akigawa had left. She had watched the two stare each other down as the girl was leaving. She didn't know what was happening. She didn't even know if they would fight, and kill each other, right then and there.
Kenshin turned. "Miss Kaoru, are you and Yahiko all right?"
"Yes. She did not harm us. Yahiko and her fought a little, but she did not harm either of us."
"What about what she did to Sanosuke?" Yahiko snapped. "She knocked him out cold!"
Kenshin looked to Yahiko. Kaoru put a hand to her face.
"That's right! But I had checked on Sano after she took him back into his room. He seemed to be fine."
"She knocked Sano out, but didn't hurt him?" Kenshin mused to himself. Why? She had every inclination to. But yet, she hadn't. "What's wrong, Kenshin?" Kaoru asked timidly.
"Shiro Akuma is a very strong samurai, that she is. She rivals my skill, that much is true. But she is also a psychological fighter as well. With only a few words, she was able to stir up the manslayer in me. She is a very dangerous opponent. That she is."
"You can beat her, Kenshin!" Yahiko burst assuringly.
Kenshin smiled. "I'm glad for your confidence, Yahiko. But Shiro Akuma is much more complicated than the others I have faced before."
"Even worse than Jin-ei?" Kaoru whispered.
"In some aspects no... but in many others, yes."
"What are you going to do?"
"I am going to reason with her."
"Reason with her!" Kaoru burst.
"Kenshin! She is trying to kill you! You can't reason with her!" Yahiko shouted.
"Actually, Yahiko, since she did not harm you, Miss Kaoru, or Sano, she has shown me that somewhere deep inside she is not a mindless killer. Somewhere there is a shred of humanity. If I can find it... I think I can beat her."
The Battoussai was walking toward me in the moonlight. I had arrived here several minutes earlier. My father had always said that if you said you were going to be somewhere, you had better be there early. And so here I was, almost trembling from excitement. Tonight was the night I would finally avenge my father. I would be one step closer to avenging my family.
"Battoussai," I acknowledged as he came to a halt. "Have you said your good byes?"
"No. I will see them in the morning."
"Bold words. I hope your sword hasn't become rusty, because you'll need all the skill you can muster to defeat me!"
"Let your sword do the threatening."
We drew our swords. It was a tense moment. I could feel our swordsmen spirits soar through the air and collide. They stalled between us. There would be no intimidation tonight. It was up to our skill to decide this. The Battoussai disappeared. I was momentarily caught off guard. People had always talked about his god-like speed, but actually witnessing it was too much. He appeared several yards above me. I switched into an anti arial stance. I would use the length of my sword to my advantage. As the Battoussai came down, he placed his sword in front of him. If I did not block it, he would crush my shoulder. I thrust my sword at him.
"Aisu Aoi!"
The Battoussai caught the tip of my blade with his sword flat. In that moment of impact, I swung my sword down, trying to knock the Battoussai out of the sky. He twisted himself in the air and landed next to me. He spun and swung at me. As I was carried by the momentum of my swing, I was able to duck under it. I recoiled, pushed by the spring in my legs, and aimed the hilt of my sword at his jaw. I had found an opening. The Battoussai was forming a new attack. He had seen where his enemy was going and tried to head me off. He slashed down. I caught his blade on mine. We stood for a hair's breath. I threw him off and charged. The Battoussai retaliated. We clashed swords. We took turns initiating attacks. He would thrust, I would block, then I would attack, and he would block. On a block, I caught his sword with the tip of mine. I swung the hilt up and caught him under the jaw. At the same moment of impact, his sword crashed against my shoulder. He was thrown backwards and I was thrown sideways. We both hit the dirt.
I lay still for a moment, thinking "Damn. He hits like a hammer." I couldn't feel my entire left arm. I began to notice that my muscles were burning and my breath was coming in short gasps. I pushed myself to my knees, causing my arms to lock up. I heaved myself to my feet. The Battoussai was doing the same. He looked to be hurting as bad as I was. But it didn't matter. We each would continue fighting long after our bodies had the ability to.
"Before we continue, I must ask: Why do you wish to fight?" he heaved.
"To kill you!" I returned heatedly.
"Yes. But why have you appeared now?"
"I was perfecting my skill. You killed my father, and so I figured you must be extremely strong. I did not want to take any chances, and so I trained."
"But you also killed many people who did not have anything to do with the killer."
"You wouldn't understand, Battoussai. As a member of a Shogunate family, my family and I have been mocked ever since the Revolution ended. Those that I killed were not innocent bystanders - they were slanderers! And so, after I kill you, I will show the government just how strong the Akigawa family is!"
"Don't you see, Miss Akigawa? There is a new era coming about. Killing people and rebelling against the government will not give you the answer you seek."
"But there is no other way. The government won't hear me unless I get their attention this way. I can't let them forget about the people they killed- about the people you killed!"
I watched the Battousai's eyes widened in realization of his own fault. He lowered his head to cover his eyes in shadow so I could not read him. But I knew he regretted what he had done. Anyone could tell from his face.
"What about the people you killed, Akigawa Masami?"
I glowered. "What do you care, Battousai? If you're that famous manslayer, then you should know that whenever someone gets in your way, it is necesary to remove them."
"Why did you kill really them?"
"I killed them because I wanted to be strong like my father told me to! That's something you wouldn't understand, Battousai!" I spat darkly.
"Your father would be ashamed of you. You would kill people in his name?"
I froze. It was a simple statement, and the Battousai had barely said it above a whisper. But those words seemed to paralyze me. My father? Ashamed of me? All I wanted was to be like him.
I snapped.
"Don't get all rightous on me, Battousai! Don't you say anything about my fathter! He was not at all like you- you killed in the name of those dirty Imperialist leaders!"
"But that is different. I am sure your father would not want you to soak your hands in blood for his sake- or for your brother's- or for anyone like him. He fought in the war and killed many people in the hopes that he could keep you from this horrible hell of taking another's life! He tasted the blood so that you, your family, and your generation wouldn't have to! I know because I fought in the Revolution."
"Father, why must you go to fight?"
"Because the Imperialists have come to destroy what I love." I watched him point to the Shiro Ken manuscript. "You and your brother have the Shiro Ken manuscript. I need you to learn the Shiro Ken so you can follow in my stead- so you can protect what you love. Just like I am."
"Protect what I love?" I whispered aloud in an echo to my reflection. I sank to my knees and let the tachi fall from my grasp. I set my face in my hands. I hadn't thought about that in a long time. I usually tried to block out memories of my family because they were too painful. And I always thought that Father had meant to be like him- to fight like him- to kill like him. But it wasn't about him at all. And the Shiro Ken. It was supposed to help me protect the ones I loved. It was not supposed to take lives meaninglessly like I had thought. Father had killed in the notion that he was protecting his family and fighting for a better life for them. I killed because I was angry. I killed because people got in my way.
I began to cry- something I had not done in a long time. I cried because the Battousai was right. Father would be ashamed of me. My entire family would be ashamed of me. Father had fought and sacrificed himself so that I could live a better life than he did. I fought so that I could kill. And I had killed so many people... How could the spirits of my family ever rest when their one and only survivor was murdering everyone that crossed my path? The thought was almost too much to bear.
I was aware of the Battousai watching me through soft, knowing eyes. "You have had a hard life, Akigawa Masami. Your father's sins must have been costly to you- and adding your sins to his must have cost you even more. That it has."
I wiped a hand across my face. How could I let the Battousai see me cry? I looked at him. Those eyes didn't belong to a killer. They were the eyes of someone who understood all I have endured. I mustered up my voice.
"But... my father's death-"
"Was not by the hand of Battousai the Manslayer. Although we were considered the strongest on our respective sides and arch-rivals, we never really crossed blades. Someone else- some other Imperialist manslayer killed Akigawa Akira."
It was as if the Battousai hit me across the head. I gaped at him. The Battousai didn't kill Father? But how was that possible? I looked the Battousai directly in his eyes. But there was no lie there. There was nothing but honesty and kind understanding there. I looked away. So I had been wrong about Father's murderer. I had been wrong about Father yet again. I had been wrong all this time. And I had killed in this false acusation.
"What was it all for?" I found myself asking aloud.
The Battousai smiled. Something I had never known him to ever do. I returned my gaze to him. "I often asked myself that when I was known as Battousai the Manslayer. So I became a wanderer and have wandered for the last ten years. I have thrown down my sword and picked up a reverse blade sword, as you have seen. I have also made a vow never to kill again. Kenshin Himura helps anyone he can, whenever he can- this is how Battousai the Manslayer repents for his sins of taking so many lives."
"Repent for your sins?" The idea sounded absurd. How could I ever erase what I had done? "But I have many sins, Battousai."
"It is never to late to turn back. It is never too late to change your ways. Continue your father's dream of fighting for what you love. Become greater than your father."
I brushed a stray tear from my eye. I stared at the tachi. Greater than... my father? It was such a strange thought to me. All these years I never wanted to be anything but him. But now I seen that if I were to become my father, the Revolution- and all he fought for- would be for nothing. If I would become greater than my father, I could do many things. I could even make the government respect the Akigawa family again.
I picked up the tachi and the sheath. I stood up. I kept eye contact with the Battousai. I could easily see why everyone held the Battousai in such high esteem. The man was incredibly wise. The Battousai stared back at me, his hand close to his sword. I smiled inwardly. The Battousai wasn't for certain what I was about to do. Was I headed for another attack, or was I not?
I silently slid my sword back into its sheath. The Battousai's eyes widened in surprise of my move. I couldn't help but give him a reassuring smile.
"Live on, huh?" I placed the tachi on my shoulder. "I guess I could do that."
I turned and began walking away. I knew I should thank the Battousai for what he did- for what he made me realize, but I couldn't bring myself to say anything. But now, only one question remained: How would I repent?
"AH! What are you doing here?!" Kaoru burst as soon as she walked through the dojo door. It was a little surprising to hear her voice again. But I couldn't blame her for yelling at me. After all, I had intruded into her dojo. But she couldn't complain either. I hadn't done anything except sit with my back to this wall and wait. I watched the rest of Kenshin's little gang walk into the dojo after Kaoru to see what she was freaking out about. I spied instantly the little apprentice swordsman, Yahiko; the new lady doctor, Megumi; and that idiot thug with rooster hair, Sanosuke. There were three other people- an old man and two little girls I didn't recognize. I spied Kenshin pushing his way through the group. I stood up to meet him.
"Miss Akigawa, what are you doing here? I hope you're not here to fight me again?" he said innocently.
I shrugged. Then I locked gazes with him. But I didn't use the Sokkenai Shinkirou. Nope. I wanted this to be fair and square.
"Battousai- or I guess I should say, Kenshin Himura. I am repenting for what I've done." Kenshin fixed me with kind, but serious blue eyes. I took a step off the dojo. "And I plan to do so by saving your life in return for saving mine."
It wasn't much, but it was all that I could offer.
Kenshin smiled. "I'd be happy to have you stay with us. That's if Miss Kaoru doesn't mind?" He turned to the girl in question.
Kaoru stared at me; looking me over carefully. I smiled reassuringly.
"I'm a hard worker. And I can make some mean Oyako Domburi (Noodle Soup) too."
At the mention of Oyako Domburi, Yahiko and Sanosuke's eyes lit up.
"You can cook Oyako Domburi?" Yahiko burst. I nodded.
Sanosuke turned to Kaoru. "Missy, I don't what you say- if you're not going to let her stay with you- she is DEFINITELY staying with me!"
"What? Why would Miss Masami want to stay with a cheap-scape like you?!" Kaoru returned.
"Maybe because he's got better place than you, UGLY!" Yahiko interjected.
"WHAT DID YOU SAY, YOU LITTLE BRAT?!"
"I guess that means you can stay," the Battousai said.
I blinked back a few tears. I'm not sure if the Battousai- I mean, Kenshin, saw them, but I couldn't help it. It was almost like my family. My brother and I always fought. So did my brother and grandpa. I smiled. I had been alone a long time. I had almost forgotten what it was like to live with someone else. I found Kenshin studying me. I pushed a wide smile on my face. It was almost like coming home after a long journey. But then again, it was like finding a long lost relative- complete with the excitement of future adventures to come.
KAORU NARRATIVE: "And that's how Miss Akigawa Misami, formerly known as Shiro Akuma, became our friend as the next addition to the Kenshin group."