Light of the Snow Red Village:
Part VI - Flickering Shadows: Pine of Winter - Chapter 5
by Akai Kitsune ::: 25.Dec.2003
~*~
Where is my head
I can still hear you telling me what a big mistake I've made
Funny that's what I've been telling you
You can lead a horse to water
You can even make him drink
But you can't change his point of view
Your way is not my way...
~*~
You always had to be prepared for a challenge, Sano knew,
even when you were used to winning, even when challenges were few and far
between. Kenshin had reminded him of this lesson, in their battle by the
riverside, and it was one Sano felt inclined to remember. His defeat had been
less than thrilling or pleasant, but it was - unfortunately - something he
needed.
As Shikijou charged towards him, the iron ball raised to be
thrown, Sano was grateful. He gauged his opponent carefully, watching each
movement, and heaved the zanbatou above his head just as Shikijou let the ball
fly. The two collided with a resounding knell, but the massive sword held
steady, swinging back around as Sano prepared himself for the next attack.
Shikijou pulled the chain, and the street fighter barely spun away to avoid
the ball as it flew back towards it's wielder.
The Oniwabanshuu paused for a moment, watching Sanosuke
with a broad smile on his face. "You're fairly skilled," he observed, "It's a
pity you're not one of us."
Sanosuke shared the grin. "It's a pity I wouldn't join you
even if you asked me."
Shikijou's lip twitched at the answer. "Then I won't bother
to ask."
This time Sanosuke moved first, bringing the zanbatou
forward towards Shikijou's left flank. The ninja jumped above, swinging the
iron ball down with amazing strength that somehow deflected the sword away.
Sano flinched, stumbling forward, and fought to regain balance as Shikijou
once again caught his weapon. There was a smirk on the Oniwabanshuu's face as
they both straightened.
Glancing at his weapon, Sano cursed. The zanbatou was
trapped, the chain wrapped tightly around it. Shikijou raised his arm,
prepared to throw the ball once more and win the battle.
'Not this time, pal,' Sano growled to
himself, fists tightening on the hilt. 'Don't fail me now...'
Shikijou released his weapon in a mighty throw, pulling the
other end of the chain at the same time to prevent Sano's defense. The street
fighter strained against his opponent's strength, shouting out a challenge as
he hauled it forward with all his might.
Shikijou's grip faltered. It was all Sano needed.
The sound of the zanbatou smashing at the center echoed
throughout the banquet hall, scattering loose pieces everywhere as the iron
ball tore through it. Sano pulled away, bringing the remainder of the sword
and the chain with him. He twisted the sword in his grasp, bringing it down
towards the ground where Shikijou stood. The Oniwabanshuu escaped, but as Sano
raised raised the broken zanbatou, both fighters saw that the chain had
shattered under the giant sword's weight.
Sano gazed at the zanbatou for a long moment, then rested
the hilt on the ground, turning to Shikijou. "Looks like we have a bit of a
problem."
Shikijou chuckled slightly, abandoning the ball to the
floor. "You might. My strength is not simply in weapons."
Sano merely smiled. The zanbatou fell to the floor, and he
raised his fists.
~*~
Kenshin vaguely registered the sound of the zanbatou
breaking, then the swift following of grunts and roaring challenges from Sano
and his enemy, but he was too preoccupied by his own battle to worry too much.
He trusted Sano to take care of himself; not to mention the street fighter
would probably sooner kill himself than ask for help.
Not to say that Kenshin had much help to give him. Hanya
was an exceptional kenpoist, trained in the art so well he seemed to have been
born into it. Which might have been the case, Kenshin supposed, knowing how
closely-knit a family the Oniwabanshuu was. The mask Hanya wore was
disconcerting, but not overly so, and it was the costume the spy wore
which made the battle so much more difficult.
He had fought men in hand-to-sword combat before, never
really deeming it as unfair. Often he was outnumbered, and handicapped with
the responsibility of protecting others - the rebels who had hired him, or
Hikari - and so he paid no attention to who he faced, but simply dealt with
them as they came. This was no different; Megumi was waiting for him,
desperate for freedom, and Hikari, Kaoru, and Yahiko were back at the dojo,
probably wondering when they would return. He could not fall when so many were
looking to him for support.
'Then why,' he asked himself over and over,
'Do I let this man keep hitting me?'
Hanya's moves weren't terribly complex, nor was he too fast
to avoid. He could easily read each movement of the masked man, without even
thinking about it.
But something kept changing.
He couldn't quite get a hold of it, but each and every
strike was connecting when it should not be.
"What's wrong, Battousai?" Hanya asked calmly as he lashed out once more. "You're not as skilled as we hoped you to be."
'It's his arms,' Kenshin frowned tightly,
wincing as the masked man's fist grazed his cheek. 'They're... getting
longer.'
'... how?'
He suddenly wished the other man's outfit wasn't so
distracting, otherwise he might be able to concentrate furth-
'The costume. Of course. You really are a
baka deshi, aren't you...'
He watched as Hanya struck out once more, aiming at his
unprotected shoulder. At the last moment, he flipped his sword and lashed
forward, his eyes meeting the strange gaze beyond the mask. Hanya pushed away
as he attacked again, surprised by the sudden offensive move, and raised his
fists a few feet away.
"A good attempt, Battousai," the ninja
chuckled, "But until you discover the secrets behind my technique, you won't
be able to touch me." He paused for a moment. "But I see you're using the
sharp edge of your blade. Finally taking us seriously?"
"I've already broken your technique,"
Kenshin replied in a cool voice, twisting the hilt in his grasp again. "Now
step aside and let me deal with your boss."
"Broken it?" Hanya mocked, stepped
forward. "What makes you-"
As his foot touched the floor, the sleeves on his uniform
snapped, the confusing circular pattern broken by several long cuts. He gazed
at his arms for a long moment, then began to laugh very softly.
"Well done, Battousai!" he relaxed his
position, arms flat at his sides. "That was beyond my expectations."
"It seems you don't have many
expectations of your opponent," Kenshin countered, eyebrows furrowed in
dissension.
Hanya smiled beneath his mask. "Folly, I know. But to think
that an opponent has only one weapon is also a mistake."
He clashed his fists together, and three long, needle-sharp
claws sprung from within his gloves. He took an offensive stance again, and
Kenshin readied himself for the ninja's charge.
~*~
It was hard to smile when you felt like screaming.
Sano didn't want to let go of the zanbatou. He was used to
it always being there, like a friend, a partner he could count on, even when
all others fell away and left him. It was his strength, like the fists that
held it, and a source of his confidence.
It was also lying in pieces on the floor. He wasn't very
happy at all.
Of course, the fact that he was very much in pain didn't
help.
Shikijou was stronger. And faster. And a little more
ferocious, if it came to that. Sano had to admit that in a fist fight, the man
was downright homicidal. But his captain had given him an order, so he was
going to see it done.
'I can relate to that,' Sano thought to
himself, stumbling as the scarred fighter punched him once again. 'If
Sagara-taichou was here, I'd do anything he asked...'
'Damn, but he's strong...'
He thought back to Shikijou's offer to join the ranks of
the Oniwabanshuu. Not too long ago he might have genuinely considered
accepting, the chance of growing stronger and being acknowledged a tempting
bait for the underworld street fighter, Zanza.
Sagara Sanosuke had other things to think about, though,
and strength wasn't always one of them.
He dodged as Shikijou charged towards him, switching to
offensive and swinging his fist at his opponent's head. He was startled when
it connected, but his pride didn't last long.
"A worthy attempt," Shikijou said
casually, slamming both fists downward on Sanosuke's exposed back, "But not
enough strength. You've got a lot of muscle to be able to swing that sword of
yours, but unless you give it your all, you can't match me!" His fists fell
forward, moving swiftly towards the downed street fighter.
'Give it my all, eh...'
'... that sword of mine won't have died for nothing. I can at least do
this.'
"You," Sano rose suddenly, eyes narrowed
darkly in determination, and caught the Oniwabanshuu's fists, "Are not
taking me down!"
Shikijou blinked once. It was all he had time to do before
Sanosuke's head crashed into his, and the big man stumbled away, eyes rolling
back as he fled from the conscious world.
Sanosuke shook his head, rubbing his forehead gingerly.
"Owww..."
'... told you I'd win, didn't I...'
He glanced behind him, where the zanbatou lay abandoned and
broken. He let himself fall, sitting beside it and touching the handle with a
brief smile.
"Sorry, friend," he whispered.
'Not for nothing.'
Suddenly remembering, Sanosuke looked up again to watch
another friend in a battle of his own.
His eyes widened.
'What?!'
~*~
'Catch one, dodge the other... spin, now watch the return...'
Hanya was skilled with the blades he wore, but with the
trick of his arms broken, he was far easier to read. It was simply a matter of
dodging attacks and searching for a weakness - something Kenshin could deal
with.
"This battle is over," Kenshin said
quietly between blows, "Can't you move aside?"
"Doing so would make me useless to my
okashira," Hanya growled. "We Oniwabanshuu always follow through on our orders
- until victory or death!"
Kenshin blocked another attack, twisting the sakabatou to
immobilize Hanya's kagitsume. "I'll grant you neither today."
"Then die!"
The other arm flew towards Kenshin's head, but he released
one hand from his sword's hilt and defended with his sheath. Metal shrieked
against metal as the two connected, and Kenshin twisted away, knocking the end
of the saya against Hanya's stomach as he passed. He spun the sakabatou around
once more, and the claws of one hand fell to pieces around them.
The tall ninja stumbled back, holding his wrist, and
Kenshin prepared to defend in case the man moved against him. After a moment,
Hanya crouched, one hand outstretched as if reaching for a target, the other -
still armed with the remaining knives - pulled back, ready to strike.
He vanished.
Kenshin whirled around, blocking the claws with the saya
and taking Hanya's return punch on the right cheek. Hanya had only a moment to
blink, realizing his mistake, before the sakabatou slammed into his flank,
just under the arm. The ninja choked, falling to the ground among the
scattered pieces of his weapons, and did not rise again.
The rurouni sighed quietly, relieved by the end of the
battle. The building was silent; not a single voice interrupted the unusual
serenity of the mansion.
'Good,' he thought with a tight-lipped smile,
'So Sano's battle is over too. And since I wasn't attacked by two-'
"Oi, Kenshin!" Sanosuke called suddenly,
pointing. "Where's the kitsune?!"
Kenshin's eyes widened, and he whirled around. Megumi was
nowhere in sight - and neither was Kanryuu. Only Aoshi remained by the
stairwell, arms crossed, his expression impassive.
"Where is she?" he demanded, moving
towards the okashira. "Where is Megumi-dono?"
Aoshi closed his eyes briefly. "She is with my employer.
What is done with her is not my business. I'm here to take care of you."
Sano cursed, brushing a hand through his hair. "Che.
Kenshin, the short guy you beat earlier... he's gone too."
'So that's it...' Kenshin grit his teeth,
gazing defiantly at the Oniwabanshuu leader. 'Beshimi must have taken
Megumi-dono to Kanryuu... how could I have let that happen?'
"Move," he said curtly, leveling his
sword at Aoshi. "We're going to meet Kanryuu."
"I can't allow that," was Aoshi's
response. Brushing his coat aside, he revealed a short sword at his belt.
'A kodachi?'
"As leader of the Oniwabanshuu," Aoshi
stated, drawing the sword, "I shall reclaim victory for my comrades by
defeating you."
"There should be no victory at the cost
of an innocent woman's freedom," Kenshin growled, sliding his sheath through
the ties of his hakama. "I won't allow this to continue."
"You can try."
Aoshi's sword flashed towards him before Kenshin could even
blink, and he barely brought the sakabatou up to block the attack. The other
man's strength was incredible, his sheer determination causing Kenshin to back
away a few steps to gain more leverage. There were no openings in the
okashira's stance, so he could not afford to give the other man an advantage
either.
"Why are you working for him?" he asked
between blows, teeth clenched in determination. "I always thought that the
Oniwabanshuu were honourable in their trade."
"We accept any kind of job which gives
us a chance to reveal our true strength of the Oniwabanshuu to the world,"
Aoshi replied, striking out to the side with his fist and catching Kenshin off
guard. "That is all."
Kenshin dodged his attack, rolling across the carpeted
floor behind his opponent. "And your true strength is the ability to threaten
and imprison those who can't fight back?"
Aoshi turned, balancing the kodachi in front of him.
"Working for him has allowed me to fight you. This is the greatest test for
the strongest."
Kenshin grit his teeth, growing angry at the commander's
callous remarks. "Is strength all that matters to you?!"
Aoshi's chilling eyes darkened. "It is all we have left."
A silence echoed through the room, as Kenshin could give no
response.
"The title of the strongest is
everything to the Oniwabanshuu," Aoshi continued. "You, the strongest, are the
greatest opponent for us."
Kenshin narrowed his eyes. "Believe me, if being the
strongest would make you happy I would give you the title. But until
Megumi-dono is safe I will not surrender anything to you. Isn't honour a
strength as well?"
The okashira pursed his lips, stepping forward. "You sound
weak when you say that, Battousai. My word is my sword. Prove it wrong with
yours."
And after that, there was no chance for Kenshin to say
anything.
Aoshi's form wavered, startling the rurouni into silence,
as the Oniwabanshuu leader stepped into an elaborate sword dance that
surrounded him.
'A foolish move,' Kenshin thought, his brows
knotting in confusion. 'Unless the trick works on your enemy, it's easy to
read-'
He was almost startled as that particular thought train was
derailed by his opponent's movements. Accustomed to speed, Kenshin's eyes
faltered as Aoshi's movement slowed, his form blurring into several shadows of
himself. The apparitions surrounded him, fading in and out of the background,
each wearing the same cold, emotionless mask that made them unreadable. His
heart began to pound loudly in his ears, an echo of sound that made his eyes
waver, dizzy and worrisome.
'... I can't...'
He turned, catching sight of a sudden flash at his back.
The pattern broke, even for the most brief of instances -
Aoshi was there -
- right there -
- just -
- there, and -
- nothing...
~*~
More than anything - almost anything - Sanosuke hated
being helpless. He hated watching other people fight dangerous battles,
watching other people die, while his conscience screamed that he could do
something about it yet did not. It didn't matter that it was beyond his skills
or strength; it didn't matter that the people in danger could probably handle
it - and if they couldn't, then there was a good chance he couldn't either.
But he still hated watching.
He had stood back and watched while the Sekihoutai was
murdered before his eyes, his precious taichou captured and decapitated before
he could even think to try and save him. There had to be something,
anything, that even a child could have done to save such a great man from
unjust death.
Being older, Sano decided long ago, definitely had its
advantages. If someone was doing something he didn't approve of - like trying
to kill a close friend, for example - a quick punch usually convinced them to
rethink that particular notion. It was a crude, yet effective method to
pass through life.
But, he grudgingly admitted, it only worked when your
punches could connect, and when the friend who was in the process of being
killed hadn't mopped the floor with you in the past.
So Sanosuke couldn't do much more than watch Kenshin's
battle, until Aoshi disappeared for an instant and Kenshin went down, blood
spurting from three clean, horizontal gashes on his chest.
"Kenshin!" Sano called, taking a step
forward in alarm. His friend lay still, unresponsive to his words.
Aoshi stood nearby, holding his kodachi loosely at his
side. "It's over," he said quietly. "Himura Battousai is dead."
There was no confidence in his voice, or even pride. Not
even his expression changed; it was as if defeating the strongest man was
nothing to him, after all.
And that, in the end, was what angered Sano the most.
"Konoyarou-!" he snarled,
charging towards the ninja with a raised fist. Aoshi's gaze flickered towards
him, distant and uncaring, which only added fuel to Sano's anger.
He wasn't exactly sure how - or even when, if he was
completely honest with himself - but somehow Aoshi's fist was suddenly lodged
in his stomach. The roundhouse that quickly followed was enough to send
Sanosuke flying towards the stairway, crashing through the banister with
enough force that something ought to have broken.
'... Oops. It did break.'
'Mr. Kanryuu can add that one to my tab.'
"Dammit," he muttered, slowly extracting
himself from the shattered pieces of wood, "That hurt!"
Aoshi raised an eyebrow, saying nothing. He strode forward,
weapon in hand.
Sano looked at Aoshi. Aoshi looked at Sano. His fists
tightened on the hilt of the sword as Sano raised his hand, ready for any
offensive movement.
Instead, the street fighter rubbed his head sorely and
growled, "What took you so long?"
A twitch. That was the only reaction Aoshi gave before he
turned around, following Sanosuke's gaze.
Kenshin was crouching in the spot where he had fallen, leaning slightly on the
sakabatou. Blood still trickled from his wounds, but they appeared to be minor
from the distance. His sheath lay in several pieces on the ground.
"I was deciding if I was dead or not," Kenshin smiled gently in
response, giving Sano a mild look.
Sanosuke scowled. "You really oughta work on that."
"Sorry," the rurouni dug his sword
further into the carpeted floor, pulling himself to his feet. "But since
you've cleverly gotten yourself past Aoshi, shouldn't you go find
Megumi-dono?"
His friend brushed his hands together, shaking the dust
from his hair. "Working on it," he mumbled, then before either swordsman could
move, he leapt past the broken railing and climbed the stairs, disappearing
into the hallways of the building.
Aoshi's eyes narrowed, turning his attention back to his
opponent. "A trick?"
Kenshin shook his head. "I wish I could say it was. Your
attack was very close; to be honest I'm surprised I escaped with such small
injuries."
The leader of the Oniwabanshuu raised his sword once again.
"Then I will have to kill you a second time." He took a step forward, his form
already fading into the technique.
And Kenshin just kept smiling.
~*~
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