_________________________________________________


	
Rurouni Yahiko
A Rurouni Kenshin continuation fic
By Chester Casta�eda
gab_ab@edsamail.com.ph 
http://www.geocities.com/gabriel_abdiel/fanfiction.htm
http://www.fanfiction.net/read.php?storyid=1280855
http://rakhal.com/florestica/abdiel
http://www26.brinkster.com/callie/

The continuation of the fight between two 
counterparts... and the revelation of the truth
behind the fake Battousai.

Oh, and a note of public apology to one of my
prereaders in my footnotes. Gomen!

A few more notes before proceeding:

< > indicates character thoughts
" " indicates character speech


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Chapter 5: Refrain
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     "Psycho-kid!" Yahiko yelled. "That last attack was pathetic! I
was cut deeper by an old, decrepit ninja!" 

     <This is beginning to become... a fight to enjoy,> Soujiro Seta
thought as he prepared his attacking stance once more. "Really? That's 
nice. I'd like to comment on your performance as well, but unfortunately
your sword has yet to touch me." 

     Yahiko nearly growled at his adversary's... mostly correct remark.
<It's one thing for him to insult my sword skills since he's a better
swordsman and all... but to do it with that smiley face of his!? If he 
thinks he's so hot, then he should challenge me to a fist fight to see 
who's the better man!> 

     <Yahiko-san... Seta-kun... they're both really good fighters. I
sort of envy them, knowing my vast inexperience in swordsmanship,> Kyoko
thought in awe as she openly gawked at the two prodigies. 

     <Psyche me out, will you? Well, two can play this game!> the spiky-
haired young lad thought as he visibly tried to calm himself down. 
"Hmph... I don't know about that. I _was_ able to anticipate your last 
attack." 

     "Yes, I must confess that it was an incredible, one-time fluke. I 
applaud your efforts," Soujiro cheerfully admitted. 

     Yahiko tried his best not to fall face-first on the ground in utter
mortification. That done, he angrily rejoined, "Oh yeah? Well, your last 
attack sucked!" <Why did it suck? It nearly gutted me like a fish.> 
"Because... it was... far slower than your second attack and... and...
just a little faster than your first attack!" <I think...> 

     The spiky-haired boy then blinked as he finally noticed something
amiss. <Hey, what happened to psycho-kid's hand guard?> His eyes widened 
in disbelief. <Did I... break it? Could I... have actually come close to 
hitting him?!> 

     Soujiro narrowed his eyes at the Tokyo Samurai ominously, though it 
came out looking more like a blissful closed-eye expression because of 
his gleeful smile. <He is correct. I used two steps before the Shukuchi 
in my last attack. Can Yahiko-san actually tell how fast my Shukuchi 
is?> 

     The former Ten Ken took an unhesitating step forward, waking up 
from his own meanderings. <Hm... I'll believe it once I see it,> he
thought. To Yahiko, he said, "If so, then prepare yourself. Here I go."

     Soujiro's visage completely disappeared within the span of a 
fraction of a second.

     Yahiko's heart palpitated faster. He closed his eyes as the furious
yet subtle beats of Soujiro's footsteps came nearer and nearer. <Looks 
like he called my bluff! He's charging again like nothing happened! 
Okay, Yahiko... _pray_ that it wasn't a fluke.>




***




     A visage of Kaoru suddenly entered Yahiko's mind's eye. Or was it
Chizuru? The Descendant of Tokyo Samurai wasn't completely sure. 

     He was then whacked on the head with a shinai.

     "You got it all wrong again! Pay attention to what you're doing!"

     Yup, it was definitely a visage of Kaoru, all right. 

     "What now, old hag?" the ten-year-old version of Yahiko's self 
growled irritably. "I got the whole exercise right, didn't I? I did the 
dumb move perfectly!" 

     "Technically... yes, you did do the 'dumb' move correctly," Kaoru 
acquiesced in a tone that wasn't very acquiescent at all. "But I wasn't 
talking about the move... you got the execution all wrong! A true 
Kamiya Kasshin Ryu practitioner should have...."

     Yahiko yawned as he blocked the rest of Kaoru's rant from his
mind. <Blah, blah, blah... why the hell is she so fussy? What got her 
ponytail in a knot? Like she said, I practically mastered the Hiza-
something-or-whatever already! Does she really need to harp on me all 
the time?> he wondered to himself irritably as he idly cleaned his ear 
with his pinky.

     Yahiko suddenly felt a sharp pain on that very same ear as Kaoru
callously pinched and twisted it. "And listen when somebody is talking 
to you!" 

     The errant young lad rolled his eyes as he slapped Kaoru's hand 
away. "Oh, forgive me... I must have missed something really important 
from that worn-out rant of yours! Something that hasn't been said to me 
a _thousand_ times, I bet! Oh, woe is me...." 

     Yahiko then started to mockingly mimic Kaoru's gestures as he 
reiterated his teacher's rant. "'Yahiko, you're practicing Kamiya 
Kasshin Ryu, not Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu! Kamiya Kasshin Ryu is a defensive 
technique, dammit! Stop charging like a bull and _anticipate_ your 
opponent for once!' Yeah right, like that would do me any good... 
'confronting' my enemy by just _standing_ there, eh? What's so manly 
about that? I ain't gonna do no cowardly move like that!" 
     
     Kaoru looked at Yahiko with half-lidded eyes as she smacked him on 
the head with a slipper. "Are you done talking? Yes? Good." She breathed 
in deeply to regain her composure. Accomplishing this, she then let all
hell break loose. 

     "You are a such a butt-head! Grow up first before you even try 
mastering that move! Stop being so full of yourself!"  

     Yahiko shrugged as he made his way out of the dojo. "Fine... I'll
be in the longhouse if you need me." 

     Kaoru seethed as she shouted out to Yahiko, "If you don't know how
to _really_ execute a Kamiya Kasshin Ryu technique, then you'll never 
master the school, you moron!" 

     As the imaginary Yahiko closed his eyes, the real Yahiko then 
opened his, finally awakening from his reverie. He breathed in deeply as
he began preparing the first few steps prior to the execution of the 
Tsuka no Gedan--Hiza Hijiki. <I knew I could always count on you when 
the chips are down, old hag.> 




***




     Chizuru had been worriedly pacing back and forth inside the 
Sakaguchi soba shop for hours on end ever since that fateful afternoon. 
Little wonder... she did have a lot to think about. <What the hell's 
taking that brat so long?> 

     She remembered Yahiko's earlier statement... it resounded in her 
consciousness as clearly as an echo would in a deep valley.

     "The vagabond's true name... it's not Himura Battousai. It's 
Himura Kenshin," she repeated to herself. "Kenshin... what a weird 
name." It wasn't that the name was strange... it was just that, for 
Chizuru, it seemed strange for the anonymous vagabond to actually have a
name. 
          
     Chizuru shook her head vehemently. "Unbelievable... who would have
thought that _that_ rude young boy could actually know, much less be in 
league with the Battousai himself? Absolutely unbelievable...." 

     Actually, it was feasible in a sense... after all, the Battousai 
she knew... the rurouni... was a complete and total wimp. For the 
vagabond to associate with a foul-mouthed brat like Yahiko... and, say, 
a look-alike of herself and a strong, gangster-type of fellow... wasn't 
really that much of a stretch to the imagination. In fact, it seemed 
rather... apt. 

     Chizuru blinked. "Where the hell did that come from?" She was
having weird thoughts again. This wasn't the time for such silliness. 

     The young lady then looked at the small clock atop a nearby table
worriedly, and even more so at Nonoko's sleeping form on the table 
across her. "Poor Sakaguchi-san... to have her husband transferred to 
another district was tough enough... but to also have her daughter run 
away like that during a sensitive time like this is another matter 
altogether." 

     The Kaoru-look-alike then recalled the last thing Yahiko said to 
her before he left. 

     "Later... I won't be long," the spiky-haired boy had called out 
that momentous afternoon. 

     <Full of himself, as usual,> Chizuru thought derisively. "I do 
hope that braggart, samurai-wannabe can put his money where his mouth 
is," she quietly whispered to herself, imagining several gory scenarios 
in her head as she expected the worst. 

     Yahiko had gotten there too late as he saw Kyoko... dishonored.

     Yahiko, though he fought valiantly, was overwhelmed by the group of
thugs.

     Yahiko, his eyes wild, could barely react in time as a sword flew 
towards his neck....
 
     <That's enough,> Chizuru mentally berated herself.

     "Dammit, kid... I hope you know what you're doing."
   



***
     



     "I hope I know what I'm doing," Yahiko whispered to himself as he 
eyed a nearby bamboo grove behind him. He then quickly backed up towards 
the said grove, keeping his wary eyes on the quickly approaching gushes 
on the ground care of Soujiro's rapid footwork. 

     "Always remember that the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu is a defensive martial 
arts school... it isn't designed to overwhelm an opponent with pure 
offense... it's no Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu!" Yahiko could almost hear Kaoru 
lecture in his head. "The best way to execute a Kamiya Kasshin Ryu 
maneuver is to fight defensively... at least _Yuta-Kun_ understands 
this...." 

     <Shut up, you old hag,>  Yahiko mentally scolded, berating the 
voice in his head. <Okay... let's remember the _important_ things 
raccoon-girl said....> 

     "First rule... set up the distance properly... a mere inch may mean
the difference between life and death," Yahiko began reciting to himself
mockingly, mimicking Kaoru's high-pitched whine, enumerating everything
in his head as if he had it all memorized by heart. 

     The beatings on the ground began to get louder as it came nearer to
the boy.

     "Second rule...  position yourself carefully so that you could limit 
your opponent's movements. Use your environment and surroundings to your 
advantage."

     He took a deep breath as he placed himself in front of the cluster 
of bamboo in such a way that it looked like he was cornered at a dead 
end. In actuality, it helped Yahiko limit Soujiro's choices of attack... 
a side attack would be too awkward and a rear attack was out of the 
question with such a position. There was only one option of assault: a 
frontal one. 

     <Third rule... anticipate. As an inch may mean the difference 
between life and death, so does a mere fraction of a second. It's all 
about timing. You may be able to execute a move perfectly, but if the 
timing is off, then it'll all be over for you.>

     Yahiko then fell into his usual ready stance, his eyes fixed on the 
zigzagging patterns of Soujiro's mostly undetectable assault. 

     He then heaved a frustrated sigh.

     He looked at the charging Soujiro in chagrin... he was looking
in chagrin because he could not see a charging Soujiro at all. 

     <Hm... I may have a little problem with that third rule Kaoru 
gave.> The Tokyo Samurai's son gritted his teeth in frustration. If he 
attacked with the Hiza Hijiki too early, he'd be wide open... if he 
attacked too late, well, he'd be too dead to regret it. <Dammit... of 
all the people I get to fight, why did it have to be Kenshin junior?>     

     Yahiko flinched as a gust of wind brushed up against his face. 
Thinking that it was Soujiro finally ready to attack, he reflexively 
backed up a few paces in surprise. 

     He winced as he retreated too far into the bamboo grove, his 
injured shoulder accidentally bumping into one of the stalks. He felt 
pain anew. His eyes blurred a bit as he fought through the pain. He 
concentrated hard to regain focus.

     <Dammit... I'm all beaten up.> 

     A thought then occurred through his haze of anguish. <Kaoru once
said that a swordsman can only open the eyes of the heart once he closes 
the eyes of man... I'm not completely sure what that means, but I guess 
it's worth a shot. It's not as if I can see psycho-kid regardless.>

     Yahiko then closed his eyes.

     <I only got one chance. No matter how fast he is, his quickness 
technique is still basically a charging move... just like the 
Gatotsu. Meaning, once he charges for the kill, there's no turning 
back... the momentum of his attack won't be easily broken.> 

     He could practically hear his heart beating faster, harder... as 
if it was ready to jump out of his chest.

     <It's only a question of when psycho-kid will attack....>

     "Fourth Kamiya Kasshin Ryu rule..." Yahiko whispered to himself as 
each passing second seemed like an eternity to him. "Know your enemy as 
you know yourself." <What are you thinking, Seta Soujiro?>

     His heart then skipped a beat.

     It was now or never. 

     "Tsuka no Gedan--!"




***




     Segments of bamboo stalks flew from where Yahiko's neck was just a 
moment ago.

     Yahiko, ducking just in time, was already on the ground, ready to 
execute the second part of his move. <I knew it... he held back on his 
speed again.> 

     He grinned as he opened his eyes, his vision focusing on the 
now-visible Soujiro. <He may be all smiley-smiley on the outside, but 
on the inside he definitely still has his fighter's pride. If there's 
one thing I learned as a petty thief under the Yakuza, it's that 
stronger enemies tend to underestimate their weaker opponents too 
much.>

     <A ducking technique...?> Soujiro noted to himself in mild 
surprise. <I see... it's a technique used to disable a charging 
opponent. Well, the Shukuchi is no ordinary charging technique.> 
 
     "Hiza Hijiki!" Yahiko shouted as he finally charged with the 
sakabatou aimed directly at one of Soujiro's knees. <There's no way he 
can stop his momentum now!>

      Soujiro suddenly let out several furious beatings from his 
powerful legs to halt his momentum. The ex-Heaven Sword then quickly 
retreated a good distance away from Yahiko as the younger boy 
overextended himself. 

      <Impossible! How could he...?!>

      Yahiko was now wide open.

      With no further disputation nor contention, the former Ten Ken 
shattered the distance between him and Yahiko as he charged again with 
his Shukuchi. 




***




     Kyoko almost let out a scream as Yahiko left himself vulnerable to
Soujiro's counterattack. <No... Seta-kun... don't!>

     <What now?> Yahiko heard himself think as he just crouched there,
stupefied. Another voice... a familiar one... provided him with the 
answer. The voice was his own.

     "The marriage of two techniques... one of perfect defense and the 
other of unstoppable offense..." Yahiko whispered to himself as he saw 
Soujiro vanish in the blink of an eye. He then immediately readjusted 
his overextension as he took on a different pose.
     
     The exhilaration from Yahiko's own adrenaline rush overwhelmed him 
so much that his overexcited breathing began to suffocate him.

     He then followed through the Hiza Hijiki... the perfect defensive 
move... with that of an unstoppable offensive one.

     "Imitation Technique... Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu, Ryu Sho Sen!"

     


***




     For the third time in a row... Yahiko was able to detect the 
undetectable Shukuchi.

     The sakabatou clanged hard on Soujiro's own sword... for the first 
time since the fight began, Yahiko was able to cross swords with his 
opponent.

     The furious impact of the two swordsmen's respective attacks flung
them in opposite directions. Yahiko winced hard as his shoulder once 
again bumped against the bamboo grove, yet laughed heartily at his 
achievement. He did not mind the pain at all. 

     Kyoko almost cheered with Yahiko, but stopped herself. <I'm not
siding with this... person, am I?> she thought to herself in puzzlement.
<But Seta-kun... you're enjoying yourself in this fight as well, aren't 
you?> 

     Soujiro easily recovered from his unceremonious flight by means of
his effective use of the Shukuchi. After which, he then stared at the 
maniacally laughing Yahiko curiously. "You seem so overly-delighted 
over such a small accomplishment, Yahiko-san."

     Yahiko suddenly stopped laughing altogether. He then addressed 
Soujiro derisively, though his smirk was still there. "I guess I just
can't help myself. You're a really funny guy, psycho-kid."

     "Hm? What exactly do you mean?" Soujiro inquired. 

     Yahiko cackled with gusto, though it sounded a bit strained this 
time. "You've been using the same speed three times in a row... as if 
you haven't listened to a word I've said. Holding back won't work on
me anymore," he said through gritted teeth, half-mockingly and 
half-scornfully.

     Soujiro made an apologetic, chopping motion with his hand. "My 
apologies, Yahiko-san. I'll take you more seriously from now on, I 
promise."

     <Calm down... deep breath... composure...> Yahiko cooed to himself 
as he fought against the growing annoyance inside of him. Soujiro really 
was one of the few people that could really get under his skin.

     The sixteen-year-old was about to rejoin with something nasty about 
Soujiro's ancestry but stopped himself cold as he saw the look in the 
older boy's eyes.

     Those eyes... it chilled Yahiko to the bone. It was as if he was
staring Death in the eye. 

     "You seem very fond of Himura-san's Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu... but you
do not have a monopoly on his techniques."

     "What the hell is that supposed to mean?!"

     Soujiro chuckled. "You'll see, Yahiko-san." 

     <Is that... a smirk on psycho-kid's face?> Yahiko thought as he 
stared at Soujiro in disbelief. He then backed away ever so slightly
as the elder boy advanced by one step... and then disappeared. 

     Yahiko could hear his heartbeat throb in his ears as goose bumps 
filled his skin. <This is it... this time, it's the real deal.>




***




     Yahiko's eyes widened in shock and panic as the zigzagging gushes 
from before surrounded him in a multidirectional attack. <Oh my God, is
this psycho-kid's true speed? He's so fast that he can come at you from
all directions at once?!>

     The Tokyo Samurai descendant was now in a fix. His former 
advantage... being positioned at a dead end as a way to limit Soujiro's 
mobility... was now his disadvantage as he just stood there, trapped 
and cornered, unable to defend against the older boy's furious advance.
Even the cover of darkness was not enough to protect Yahiko now. 

     <Dammit... three times in a row, I was able to get him... but I'm
still not sure how I did it. It was as if I only relied on instinct... 
was it the 'eyes of the heart' that helped me do it?>

     The Acting Master of the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu struggled hard to catch 
his breath as panic and alarm besieged him. <Dammit... my heart is 
pounding so hard that I can hear it in my ears.>

     That was a familiar state to Yahiko whenever he faced Soujiro's 
frightening Shukuchi. A pulsating heart and a shortness of breath... it 
was as if he needed the jolt of adrenaline every time he confronted the
former Ten Ken's pure speed.

     Was he really that scared of it? Perhaps he wasn't truly over the
phobia he experienced just a while ago.

     Would the fear consume him? It was overpowering... it was 
suffocating... it was breaking him down slowly. It was a coldness that
threatened to paralyze him altogether.

     He then remembered Kyoko... her voice trembling and her stance 
wavering as she struggled to face Soujiro when he could not.

     Yahiko narrowed his eyes. <If Kyoko can face her fear, so can I.>  

     "Use your own weakness to your advantage... make it your strength. 
That's one of the tenets of Kamiya Kasshin Ryu," Kaoru had said to him. 
It was a generic saying he heard from her thousands of times before. 

     <Easy for her to say,> Yahiko thought.

     The fear inside of him... it was a cold fire that threatened to 
burn and consume him, yet at the same time it was his greatest source 
of strength that helped him survive the duel so far. It was the dual 
extreme he needed in a contest where he could not win through his 
skill alone.

     He was so terrified in battle that the pace of his breath and the 
beat of his heart seemed to move in cadence with Soujiro's own quick 
and fleeting footwork. 
   
     <No way... could it be...?> Yahiko thought. <No, it's too silly...
but is it possible to...? Not that I have any other options. Besides, I 
can't set up any sort of elaborate technique in this awkward position. 
I'll just have to rely on that experimental strike I'm working on and 
this supposed 'instinct' of mine.>

     "What the hell, here I go...."

     Yahiko slowly drew his sakabatou back until it nearly touched his
spine. He then closed his eyes once again as he walked towards Soujiro's 
charge, his only certainty was doubt. 

     He then struck as hard as he could with the sakabatou, putting his 
trust on an ambiguous gamble.  

     <Oh no... this is...?> His eyes then widened. <Is this what he 
meant by...?!>

     "You seem very fond of Himura-san's Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu... but you
do not have a monopoly on his techniques," Yahiko remembered Soujiro 
say, finally understanding the true meaning behind the unsaid threat.




***




     Soujiro was enjoying himself immensely. True, though Yahiko was 
giving the fight everything he got, it was just a matter of time before 
he ran out of tricks. The former Ten Ken had seen it all before... it 
was tragic, really. 

     But still, it didn't hurt for him to enjoy the fight in the 
meantime, did it? Though if they ever did come to the point where Yahiko
would not be unable to fight at all... oh well.     

     There was a time when Soujiro would have been... slightly upset at 
the younger man. There would have been a time where he would have not 
held back at all. He would have killed the boy then and there. It was 
painfully obvious that Yahiko was outmatched... and the weak deserved to
die. That was his philosophy.

     Then again, that _was_ his... no... Shishio's philosophy. As it 
was now, he wasn't very keen on any sort of idealistic view. But it did 
endlessly fascinate him how Yahiko could still keep on fighting even 
when faced with impossible odds.

     Was it courage or stupidity? Soujiro was not sure. Nonetheless, he
was undoubtedly intrigued. 

     <Let's up the ante a bit, Yahiko-san,> Soujiro thought to himself
amusedly as he finally prepared to strike. <Perhaps not even the one 
step before the Shukuchi is enough for you. How about this?>

     Soujiro's thought back to a move that Kenshin Himura had used on 
him when they had battled. He had dodged it, but he seriously doubted 
Yahiko could... especially with the help of his Shukuchi.

     He had not practiced it much, though he had tried it on a few 
defenseless saplings, a couple of trees and the occasional thug or two. 
Besides, he wanted to see its effectiveness in actual combat. <You're 
not the only one who could learn a technique by merely watching, 
Yahiko-san....>

     "Kuzu Ryu Sen."

     Soujiro's eyes then widened in surprise and astonishment.




***




     <Dammit... Soujiro's going to execute a multi-hit attack?! No 
good... I'm wide open, I won't be able to defend!> Yahiko thought in 
panic. His eyes then widened. <Oh no! This is...! Is this what he meant 
by...?!>

     "Kuzu Ryu Sen," Soujiro said as he became visible for a split-
second before he vanished once again as he began the Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu
technique.

     Yahiko couldn't believe his ears. <He can... he can use _that_
move? What kind of guy is he?!> 

     Blurring into motion, Soujiro flew forward into the darkness, and 
was rewarded an instant later with the soft feeling of unyielding flesh 
on the edge of his sword. 

     It didn't hurt that older boy had misjudged the distance slightly,
either. What he lacked in Himura's precision, however, he made up for in 
speed. 

     Needless to say, though not all of the nine strikes of Soujiro's 
Kuzu Ryu Sen struck home, it was still undoubtedly a very painful blow. 

     Yahiko's samurai blood was then sprayed all over the landscape a
moment later.

     Agony. The Tokyo Samurai couldn't think... because of it.... 
<Somebody... anybody... stop the pain.... please...> he beseeched to no 
one in particular... the mere fact that he was in such a pathetic 
condition not angering him in the least simply because it was hard as 
hell to think of anything else except the unworldly pain that was now 
coursing through his entire body. 

     <It's over,> thought Soujiro as he quickly rolled to the side. His 
own eyes then widened in mild surprise, almost completely mimicking 
Yahiko's own shocked face just a while ago excepting the older boy's 
ever-present grin. <What is this?>

     <Dammit... dammit!> Yahiko cursed desperately as he nearly 
succumbed to the peaceful darkness. <Even after all that had happened... 
it... still... came... to this?>
     
     A silken bleakness then began to drape itself over Yahiko's 
consciousness.
     



***




     <Oh no... it looks bad for Yahiko-san!> Kyoko deliberated grimly 
after she witnessed the power of Soujiro's Kuzu Ryu Sen first-hand. 
<Seta-kun is just too fast and too powerful for him... did he even have 
a chance from the start?>

     Soujiro easily rolled away from Yahiko's position as a crimson 
spray erupted from the various lacerations on the younger man's body.

     Kyoko reflexively winced as she heard Yahiko's maniacal scream of 
frustration and pain. She could almost feel the young boy's 
helplessness from the piteousness of his shriek. She then looked at her
ever-smiling friend in utter puzzlement. <Why? Why must you do this, 
Seta-kun? Why are you enjoying this? Why must you bully Yahiko-san?> 

     Kyoko then got a good look at Soujiro's sword. The blade was 
mostly clean, ever after its sordid task... it just went to show how 
much of a skilled swordsman Soujiro was, being able to swing his sword 
so fast that not even the blood of his slaughtered enemies could stain 
it.

     <Seta-kun's attack was so ferocious that his sword is actually 
vibrating!>

     Kyoko then noticed something amiss. <Wait a second... why is 
it...?>

     Soujiro's crouching apparition disappeared a moment later.




***
     



     Yahiko's limbs felt like lead.... it was as if every inch of his
body was aflame. He screamed hysterically as thoughts began to emerge 
from the haze of his mind. <The Kuzu Ryu Sen is painful enough when 
executed with the sakabatou... but when used with a real sword, it 
becomes downright lethal. Psycho-kid... Soujiro... is too powerful for 
me. I should have run away when I had the chance....> 

     The soothing darkness began to overwhelm the exhausted boy. <I...
I just want to sleep now... too tired... need rest... so that... pain 
will go away....>

     As Yahiko bent down, he saw for an instant a dirty, old red string 
tied to his sandals. <Eh? Why would I tie a red string to a good pair
of sandals? Weird....>

     Sleep again teased him as his exhaustion pushed him further into
unconsciousness... but something stopped him short of regressing into
oblivion altogether.

     <Remember....> 

     "Do your best... ganbare, Yahiko-kun!" a feminine voice in his 
mind earnestly said.

     <Tsubame...?> 

     The last vestiges of slumber and exhaustion disappeared from his
person then and there. <No... I still have to fight. Not yet... it's not
yet over!>

     He then felt as swift presence, like a breeze of some sort, brush
up against him... a fraction of a second later, he then felt the cold
bite of steel on the surface of his neck. 

     Perhaps he had his realization... a bit too late?




***




     <Split second speed... the multidirectional attack wasn't his true 
speed, this is! He came before the droplets of my blood had fallen on 
the ground... before I could open my eyelids after closing them in a 
reflexive blink... before my life could pass before my eyes... before 
this thought even started.... AM I DEAD?>

     <No... it couldn't be. These thoughts came after the spray of blood 
had fallen and the blinking eyelids had opened. My life didn't pass 
before my eyes, though... in fact, other than these thoughts, my mind 
is a total blank.>

     <God, I can't breathe.>

     Yahiko's vision, as well as the haze in his mind, finally cleared
a moment later. He noticed that he had already swung his sakabatou 
a split-second earlier... he could still feel tiny vibrations emanating
from the reverse-edged blade.

     Right in front of the Tokyo Samurai was Soujiro... still smiling 
his angelic smile. From the position he was in, it would seem that he 
too had just executed his attack... but whether or not he was actually
successful with his assault, Yahiko could not tell.

     The sixteen-year-old felt his neck... it was warm with his own 
blood. Was the cut fatal? Was he to die moments later?

     He then got a good look at Soujiro's sword... Soujiro's broken 
sword. <Oh my God... the top half of the sword...! It's... missing. 
Did I...?> 

     The heavily wounded young man flung his head wildly over Kyoko's 
direction... he then spotted the other half of the broken katana... 
embedded deep into one of the bamboo stalks. 

     Yahiko's mind raced as several questions began to form in his
head.

     <What happened?>

     <Did I do this?> 

     <Did I... win?> 

     With the various wounds covering his whole body, Yahiko certainly
didn't feel like he won. <Feh... I haven't even laid a single sword 
strike on psycho-kid himself.>

     His eyes alighted on Soujiro's weapon again. <But what can he do
with a broken sword? Hopefully, not much.>

     The teenaged samurai struggled hard with his breath, warily looking
at the perfectly motionless Soujiro as one more thought entered his 
mind. <Was it... over? Was it really over?>




***




     Soujiro blinked in wonder. <I didn't expect that,> he admitted to
himself. <Oh well... guess I'll just have to do this....> He then 
started to calmly sheathe his sword.

     An overwhelming sense of relief began to flood Yahiko, but he still
kept his guard up just in case. <He's sheathing his sword! Is he finally
giving up?>

     Soujiro then coolly shifted into battou-jutsu stance.

     <Dammit, he knows battou-jutsu too?! He's not human!> Yahiko 
thought in aggravation. <Even though his sword is broken, most of it is 
still intact. If he gets close enough, he can still execute a 
battou-jutsu strike with little trouble!>

     "I must admit, I'm impressed. You have forced me to use the one 
technique which I could call my own... the only technique that I named. 
This is the Shun Ten Satsu. Prepare yourself."

     <Giving up? The hell he is!> Yahiko thought as he shifted into his
own ready stance. <Can I take him on in _this_ condition? With his 
natural speed multiplied tenfold with the speed of his battou-jutsu?!>

     To Soujiro, he retorted, "'Instant Heaven Kill?' What a puffed-up
name for a technique. Let's see if it's really all that."    

     <This is it... the final exchange!> Kyoko assessed as she looked at
the two combatants in worry. <Did it really have to end like this?>

     Soujiro suddenly relaxed his guard a bit. 

     Yahiko blinked in confusion. Was it some sort of ruse? <Are you 
going to get all sneaky-like on me again, psycho-kid?!>

     Soujiro then excused himself, saying, "Hm... for a while... excuse 
me...." as he checked the open flap of his kimono. 

     Yahiko almost facefaulted then and there. "What the hell...? Could 
you get on with that Shun Ten Satsu crap already?!"

     Soujiro merely ignored Yahiko as he fiddled with the inside of his 
clothing some more. 

     "...." Yahiko rejoined as Kyoko blinked.

     <What's going on, Seta-kun?> the seventeen-year-old girl thought,
perplexed.

     "Ah, here it is," Soujiro cheered as he finally found what he was
looking for... a pocket watch of western design. Checking the time, he
sighed in disappointment. "Just as I've thought. I'm late. My, how time
flies when you're enjoying yourself."

     He then turned to Yahiko and politely bowed. "I'm really, really 
sorry... but it looks like the fight is over, Yahiko-san. I would really
love to continue, but I do have another appointment to keep. I hope you
understand...."

     Yahiko let out a bunch of heavy expletives upon hearing Soujiro's
statement. That done, he then remarked, "If you think for a second
that I'll let you get away with murder...."

     "I wasn't the one who killed those men," Soujiro simply said.

     "Don't play your mind games on me again, psycho-kid! We saw you
cleaning your blade... and... and..." Yahiko said, trailing-off a bit
as he realized some important inconsistencies in his reasoning. <Okay, 
so a swordsman cleaning his blade isn't exactly enough to label him
a murderer... but if it wasn't him, then I don't know whether I should 
be ashamed or angry!>

     "Hm... it does kind of make sense, what Seta-kun is saying," 
Kyoko agreed embarrassedly, blushing a bit in mortification. "We may
have been a bit... presumptuous... ne, Yahiko-san?"

     "HA! Yeah, right! If it wasn't him, then why did he attack us in 
the first place, huh?!" Yahiko rejoined smugly. 

     Soujiro shrugged. "You... amused me, Yahiko-san. And I _was_ a bit 
slacking in my kenjutsu practice."

     Yahiko facefaulted then and there. <I was used for _practice_?! Let 
me at that psycho-kid!>

     "Again, I must say it was a superb fight... but I'm afraid that 
you were both mistaken with your presumptions," Soujiro continued. 
"When I got here, all those men were already killed. I'm afraid you
attacked the wrong person."

     "Well, if it wasn't you, then who...?" Yahiko then felt a cold
shiver up his spine as he remembered what Keisuke, the leader of the
now-defunct 'Battousai group,' said.

     "Red-hair... cross-shaped scar... please, get him away from...
m-me... h-help me..." the near-dead Keisuke had said, visibly shaking in 
mortal fright.     

     "But that's impossible... it couldn't be Kenshin! It couldn't be
Battousai!" Yahiko exclaimed in disbelief.

     "Of course it wasn't Himura-san," Soujiro agreed. He considered 
leaving it at that... he didn't want Yahiko or Kyoko to be involved in 
any of this 'Battousai' business... but he felt obliged to explain 
everything to them, after having such a splendid duel and all. 

     "I was assigned by my employer to monitor the activities of a 
person claiming to be the Hitokiri Battousai. Apparently, Battousai-san 
didn't appreciate having common hoodlums as his supposed namesakes, so 
he eliminated them all. Pity I didn't make it in time. Well, I guess 
that's that. Good-bye." 

     "OI! That's it?! You can't just...!"

     "Wait a minute."

     Soujiro stopped mid-way from executing his 'sprint beyond all 
sprints.' The last statement... it was said by Kyoko. He turned his head
towards his dearest friend in askance.

     "Keisuke-san... was the only one who survived the Battousai's 
attack," she stated, not able to look Soujiro in the eye. "Were you
the one who... finished him off?" It was more of a statement than
a question.

     <Keisuke... he's the guy who attempted to rape Kyoko. Did...
psycho-kid know about this?> Yahiko pondered. 

     Soujiro's expression, albeit the smile, was completely unreadable. 
"Like I said before... I'm not clean enough for redemption. Contrary to 
what your mother believes, I am no angel."  

     "Seta-kun... I...."

     "Till we meet again." 

     The former Ten Ken then waved farewell as he disappeared into the 
night.

     Yahiko growled. "COME BACK HERE AND FIGHT, PSYCHO-KID! We ain't
through yet!" he howled, shaking his fist in anger.

     "Mou... Yahiko-san! Stop calling Seta-kun that. It's not very..."
Kyoko started, but then stopped herself as she realized that Yahiko
had already collapsed on the ground.

     "Yahiko-san? YAHIKO-SAN!"




***




     One thought seemed to recur in Soujiro's mind as he traveled
through his otherworldly Shukuchi. <Yahiko-san... Himura-san's prodigy.
Hm... very interesting indeed.>

     He chuckled. <I found his last two techniques very intriguing.> 

     His mind journeyed back to the climax of his fight with the Tokyo
Samurai descendant. <The technique that broke my sword was interesting 
enough... even though it seemed that he did it more out of desperation
than anything else. From what I have seen, it was more of an 
experimental strike rather than a polished technique passed down from 
generation to generation.>

     Step by step, he reviewed the execution of Yahiko's last, desperate
move. <At first glance, it seems like it was one powerful strike, but in
actuality....>
 
     Soujiro stopped at mid-thought as he put his concentration back 
into his furious sprint, hopping and weaving through the many bamboo 
stalks... soon, he would be going through an open plain... he could 
easily relax and think there.

     Once in the open plain, the twenty-something young man resumed his
ponderings. <That technique was simply three consecutive strikes on 
the same spot of my sword... it relied mostly on the recoil of the first 
strike and unerring pinpoint accuracy. Yahiko-san must really have been 
desperate, knowing that after the first strike, he won't have another 
chance to strike again.>

     He easily passed the plains in six seconds flat... the main road
was already nearby. He was making good time with his current speed. <But 
what really caught my eye was the strike that he used during my Kuzu 
Ryu Sen....>

     Soujiro's ubiquitous smile grew wider in reminiscence. <The strike
that was able to make my sword vibrate furiously... it was the same 
strike that broke my hand guard a while back.>

     He chuckled. <It was even able to chip a large portion out of my
sword's blade... the very same chip where Yahiko-san used his three-hit
technique.>

     The young man had finally reached the main road by this time...
his employer's mansion already in sight. <Myoujin Yahiko... what an 
interesting character indeed. I wonder if he even realizes the power of 
that sword strike of his? Oh well... one thing is for sure, Yahiko-san 
is almost as interesting a character as the one claiming Himura-san's 
infamous name....>

     "The Hitokiri Battousai," Soujiro whispered to himself as he 
finally arrived at his destination.




***




     "Yo," a silhouette of a man casually greeted to his quickly
approaching cohort. The man stayed still in the shadows of a crude,
rundown shack... he was most comfortable there, after all.  "How was 
last night's little hunt?"

     "Don't go there," the younger companion said in monotone as he
approached the older man's makeshift hut. "Besides, I'm messy. I'm going
to take a bath. Don't disturb me."

     "Very well, very well... but really, you should have let those 
thugs be. What if Akahori's men found out about you? That would
seriously ruin our time table, y'know."

     "I could have killed them all."

     "And what of the prodigy?"

     "That fight I might actually enjoy. No more of this nonsense. Let 
me be."

     Even through the darkness, one could almost 'hear' the smirk in the 
older man's tone. "But killing all those worthless scum for the sake of
a name? How very petty, Battousai-dono."

     The younger companion at last revealed himself as the sun finally 
rose... he was what appeared to be a young man of fifteen years of age,
sporting the most basic apparel for a Hitokiri of the bygone era... 
fingerless gloves and the daisho, the usual katana-wakizashi 
combination. His red hair flowed gently in the morning breeze as he 
lightly fingered his blood-encrusted gi. The cross-shaped scar on his 
left cheek was very apparent in the light of morn.

     "It makes me sick how they use the name 'Battousai' so proudly,"
the person identified as 'Battousai' stated, a sleepy-eyed expression 
on his face. 

     "How hypocritical, since you make use the very same name," the 
older man teased.

     "Not proudly," the younger man retorted as he made his way past his
elder companion in a huff. "Never proudly."




***




     Yahiko opened his eyes as he winced at the approach of sunlight.
"It's morning already? What happened?"

     "It's good that you're awake," Kyoko quietly said as she lugged
Yahiko on her back. "You're starting to get heavy."

     Yahiko stood up quickly as soon as he realized the precarious 
position he and the older girl was in... he then winced in agony as he
felt the pain return. He plopped down the ground in anguish. <Dammit...
this time I really _am_ beaten up.> 

     "You shouldn't be moving so much... you're badly hurt. Come on, 
I'll help you up," Kyoko primly said as she took Yahiko's arm over 
herself.

     "Thanks," Yahiko said, a faint blush on his cheeks. He could only
guess what Tsubame would have thought if she saw him now. He did notice 
that all of his wounds were already dressed... Kyoko probably found some
bandages in the Battousai group's camp. That was already more than 
enough help for him.

     "Look... you really don't have to do this. Give me a minute and I 
can get back to the village on my own."

     Kyoko shook her head as she began to make her way out of the 
plains. "I insist."

     "But...."

     "It's the least I could do."

     Yahiko blinked at the last statement. 

     It was Kyoko's turn to blush. "Thank you for... fighting Seta-kun
for me. Even though it was, in retrospect, largely unwarranted. He just 
didn't want us to get involved... which was probably why he didn't say 
anything before."

     Yahiko bit his lip in remembrance. "Yeah... stupid psycho-kid...
using me like that for sword practice." 

     Kyoko smiled a bit upon hearing Yahiko's remark. She then began to 
giggle daintily.

     Yahiko blushed deeply, this time for a different reason altogether. 
"Hey!"

     "Sumimasen," Kyoko apologized in a decisively unapologetic manner
as she giggled some more. 

     "Feh," Yahiko retorted, looking away.

     "But I do appreciate it... what you and Seta-kun both did. I'm glad
that I didn't have to use my grampa's Fuyutsuki back there in the East
Valley. And thank you also for what you said earlier... nobody has ever 
called me 'brave' before."

     Yahiko scratched the back of his head embarrassedly. "Well... 
that's because... you were." He then coughed once as he attempted to 
change the subject. "But don't be so thankful for psycho-kid's 'help.' I
don't trust him. He probably knows more about this Battousai business 
than he's letting on...."

     "My, my... what a nice mood you two are in. Aren't we as pretty as 
a picture?"

     Both Yahiko and Kyoko blinked in surprise as they were greeted by
a half-happy and half-irritated Chizuru Raikouji. They were finally back
in the village, it seemed. 

     Upon further realization of their current posture, they then 
quickly departed from each other's familiar encirclement.

     "So the prodigal daughter had returned... welcome back!" Chizuru
'cheerfully' greeted Kyoko as she twisted the younger girl's left ear. 
"Now go back to your mother so that she could cook up the proper 
punishment for you, young lady."

     "S-Sumimasen," the kowtowed Kyoko said as she made her way back to
her mother's soba shop.

     Yahiko looked at the scene through half-lidded eyes. <She's 
becoming more and more like the old hag as the hours pass by.>

     "And as for you..." Chizuru started as she glared at Yahiko.

     "W-What?" the sixteen-year-old stammered defensively, wincing as 
he expected the worst. 

     He was then overwhelmed by a warm embrace.

     "Eh?"

     He also heard a bit of sniffling from Chizuru.

     "Hey! You're not crying, are you? We just met yesterday! Don't tell
me you were actually worried about a stranger! I'm sorry, okay?!"

     He then felt the Chizuru's embrace tighten as he heard a multitude 
of expletives from her, some of which he had just heard for the first 
time.

     "'Cry,' my ass! I caught a cold after waiting for you two lovebirds 
the whole night! I barely slept a wink! Sakaguchi-san was so worried... 
and here you were, cavorting all around the East valley like 
newly-weds!" 

     "Hey, lady! You got it all wrong! Didn't you notice the bandages!? 
I was hurt trying to rescue Kyoko! And I didn't cavort with nobody!"

     "Saving Kyoko-chan does not give you the excuse to be _that_ 
familiar with her..." Chizuru trailed-off as she jumped to conclusions. 
"Did something happen between the two of you? Did you get her pregnant?!
TELL ME THE TRUTH!" Her death grip on Yahiko further tightened as she 
held onto him like a boa constrictor.
    
     Agony. The Tokyo Samurai couldn't think... because of it.... 
<Somebody... anybody... stop the pain.... please...> he beseeched to no 
one in particular... the mere fact that he was in such a pathetic 
condition not angering him in the least simply because it was hard as 
hell to think of anything else except the unworldly pain that was now 
coursing through his entire body.

     "Help... meee..." Yahiko whimpered one last time before the silken
bleakness once again draped itself over his consciousness.


     

***




Next: Gan, the White Tiger.

First of all, I have to apologize to Ltjg. McHorney... sorry
man, I can't wait any longer. This fic has got to get posted
by now. I hope there's no hard feelings. :))

Got to love that Soujiro, eh? Deux ex Soujiro, he is. :P To give 
you an idea of how I'm going to use him in the storyline (if it 
isn't obvious enough), it's like this... it's like how 
Inoue-sensei would use Rukawa of Slam Dunk fame or how Capcom 
would use Gouki of Street Fighter fame... got it? Good.

Hm... a lot less Himura family interaction in this chapter... 
hopefully, as the mood of the story goes back to a more cheerful 
tone, they'll return. ^_^

A note of dedication goes to MadamHydra for inspiring me to make 
this fic... her own "That Which Lingers" is somewhat an influence 
in this endeavor of mine. 

Disclaimer: All characters used in this fanfic (save some others) 
are the rightful property of Nobuhiro Watsuki and Sony. 
Don't sue me please, I'm very poor.

Ja ne!
C. Casta�eda





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