"Just one more fight
and I'll be history....
Yes, I, will straight out
Leave your sh$#...
And you'll be the one who's left..
Missing me.."
~Limp Bizkit, My Way

Again, welcome to my sorry excuse for a Gatekeeper fanfic, Gate
Masters. This is part 2. All standard disclaimers apply
I DON'T OWN Gatekeepers or RK.

"Honestly, Himura, I don't know how you do it." Ukiya nursed his
drink of Stolichnaya on the rocks. "I mean, all the girls of Tategami
High talks about you all the time, and you're still single? Come
on, I know you have a significant other..."

"Iie, Ukiya-san....why talk about such things?" Kenshin laughed
and patted his friend at the back. "I'm not like you, of course...settled
down already in a nice house, with two kids and a nice wife....say, how is
Shun, anyway?"

A shadow flitted over Ukiya's face. "He just got mad at me for not
fixing his toy aeroplane again, Kenshin. It's my work that gets
in the way. I'm always thinking of how I'm going to make it up to
him, but somehow, there's always something. New deadline, the workers
want a raise...." Ukiya drank from his glass, swallowing the bitter liquid.

"Be thankful you've gotten out of my line of work." Kenshin tipped
his glass toward Ukiya's direction, and gulped down his ice-cold...water.
He had been drinking for a while, and wanted no more.

"Those were the days, eh?" Ukiya raised an imaginary gun in his
hand. With a motion of his index finger, he blew imaginary battalions
of invaders to kingdom come. "Me and you, always watching each other's
back." He fired another round into the air. "Blasting invaders to
pieces. I miss it all so much..."

"Nothing's the same, Ukiya. Nothing went right after you got out.
I'm the only remaining Gatekeeper now. The others were stationed
in other parts of the world. And miss it? Ukiya, you already have
a wife. She'd probably have an embolism watching you fight."

"Yeah, but...you gotta admit, it is exciting to save the world everyday."

"Well...yeah." Kenshin admitted. "Maybe it IS fun, when you're not
rescuing hostages, or have Shirei telling you what to do. Other
times, I feel as if I'm in the Bakumatsu again, being a shadow hitokiri."

"It can't be all that bad."

"Oh yeah? Everytime I crystallize a bunch another squad pops up,
twice as big as the first one. And when I'm done with THAT, another
bunch, then another...until either Shirei pulls me out or they just disappear."

"I know, I know. I've seen the reports." Ukiya sighed. "Sometimes
I ask myself if we're really making any progress. Things just seem to
get worse by the minute."

"Ukiya, my friend.." Kenshin smiled commiseratingly at Ukiya.
"...you don't know the half of it."

No one spoke for a while. Then---

"Hey..." Kenshin suddenly asked, out of the blue. Ukiya looked at
him curiously. "...you gonna drink that?"

"Nah. I've had enough." Ukiya slid his glass along the counter,
stopping exactly in front of Kenshin, who grabbed it and swallowed
the contents, wincing slightly at the taste.

"Ah. Much better." Kenshin stretched his arms.

"By the way...how is Reina?"

Now a shadow flitted over Kenshin's face, his eyes darkening.

"She's recovering from the shock...God knows what Akuma
and Kikai did to her."

"They'll find the new generation soon enough, Kenshin."

"I hope you're right." Kenshin looked down at his glass. "Shirei's
coming, by the way, to discuss some things. Why don't you join us?
I'm sure he'll be glad to see you." The door opened, and Shirei
walked through, as if on cue. "In fact, speak of the devil..."

"Himura. Ukiya." Shirei nodded to them in acknowledgement, and sat
down next to them. He seemed all business.

"Hello to you too, Shirei," Kenshin smiled. "Why don't you have
a drink with us? Come on. It's on me."

"I have no time for this, Himura." Shirei briskly put down a folder
on the table and opened it. "Take it."

"What-" Kenshin took the folder and read it. When he finished, he
threw a burning look at Shirei. "You know I can't do this." He dropped
the folder on the table. Curious, Ukiya took a look at it and understood
why Kenshin's behavior changed....it was a notice of suspension.

"Look, Himura, as much as I want Akuma dead too we're afraid of
what this thing might do if you fail. Think of Reina...if she loses you..."

"Leave her out of this." Kenshin hissed sharply. "You have no idea
how much pain Akuma put her through....you can't just take me out-"

"I've just served you an order from high command, Kenshin Himura.
I can't do anything about it, and you can't, as well. I'm asking
you as a friend, Himura, not as a superior officer....don't fight
Akuma, please. I know you're upset---"

"--you haven't seen me very upset." Kenshin interrupted Shirei harshly
in a voice he hardly recognized as his own. Shirei and Ukiya were
startled. Will Battousai come out of their friend again...?

Kenshin took out his Gatekeeper License and slammed it on the
counter with a resonant bang.
"Maybe I can't do anything about this, being Kenshin Himura," His
purple eyes glowed amber. "But maybe Hitokiri Battousai can." Kenshin
thrust an uncounted wad of thick bills at the bartender and briskly left.

"Kenshin! Wait!" Ukiya shouted to the departing back of Kenshin.
He turned back to Shirei. "Why are you suspending him? You know
he's our best...our only bet against..."

"You don't understand," Shirei's glasses glinted in the dim light.
"Upper Command knows that Kenshin is far more powerful than any
Gatekeeper. If he goes to the invaders...well..."

Ukiya saw the wisdom in Shirei's explanation, but nonetheless turned
and ran out of the bar, looking for Kenshin. He saw him, trying to hail a cab.

"Kenshin..." he put a hand to his friend's shoulder. Kenshin brushed it off.

"Stay out of this, Ukiya, or you might get hurt. This is between
Akuma and me and God helps anyone who gets in our way." A cab stopped
in front of him. "Where to?" the cabby asked.

"Tategami High," Kenshin replied. Ukiya was shocked. *Masaka....*

"Kenshin, don't do this!" Ukiya shouted as Kenshin got in and slammed
the door in his face. He hammered at the car window with his fists.
"Don't you dare use that weapon again! Kenshin...!" The taxi zoomed
off, leaving Ukiya in a cloud of smoke.

"Himura..."
***

*He had better be here.*

Kenshin pressed his hand against his shoulder, applying pressure
to a slash wound earlier. One of the swordsmen that was guarding
one of Akuma's strongholds had gotten lucky and tried to gash him
with a spear, but he was able to dodge the initial thrust and deliver
an soaring upward slash that sent his enemy flying. Without his head.

*Of course he'll be here.* he looked at the pile of armored bodies
strewn across the snow-covered plain. Blood stained the ground into
a cherry red, much like the watermelon-flavored snowcones being
sold downtown.
*You eleminated half his personal guard. You destroyed two of his
strongholds in one night. If he doesn't get off his ass get after
you for all the damage you caused...well, you'd better cause some more.*

Kenshin looked at his bloodstained daikatana. One more. Just one
more. One more life to snuff out. One more evil to destroy. And then it's over.

He stared blankly at his sword. *Maybe if I repeat that some more,
I'll start believing it, since I've been lying to myself all this
time. Do I really have the power to stop?* Kenshin raised his blood-bathed
daikatana into the air. Hiko, see your baka deshi now. How he'd
gone from a 15-year-old that only wanted a free government to a
merciless murderer with no hope of death. Tomoe, see the man you
scarred, physically and emotionally, kill everyone. Reina, see your
own brother slaughter our own friends.

Kaoru-dono....my promise...

Jin-e was right all along.

Reina....Kenshin smiled sadly as memories resurfaced. Although we
were not of kin, I always thought of her as my sister...loved her as mine....

He shook his head. *Remember you're doing this for her as well;
You're killing the head invader before Shirei could fill her head
with 'let's save the world because we are AEGIS' crap and die alone.
* A voice pointed out.

Kenshin turned as he heard some panicked voices in the distance.
"Look! It's Battousai, the Angel Slayer! He's destroyed Akuma's...."
the rest trailed off in the night.

Hitokiri Battousai, the Angel Slayer. Keeper of the Gate of Death.
The amber-eyed one who extinguishes stars. *How long, exactly-*
Kenshin unsheathed the Angel Slayer and stuck it into the chest
of one warrior who was trying to beg Kenshin to kill him, for he
was dying so slowly-- *--has it been before someone called me
with my real name?*

No matter. The fact is--- Kenshin felt the presence of an enemy,
a strong one----

It ends here.

Suddenly, a man taller than Kenshin appeared in the shadows; Kikai.
Wearing western general regalia. And holding a double-edged broadsword.

"Where is Akuma?" Kenshin asked, his purple eyes glinting amber.

"He feels that you are unworthy to face him. So he sent me...to kill you."

Enough of this blather. Kill him already. "Kikai...you have no idea
how I don't give a damn." Kenshin said with a tired chuckle. He
dropped into the killing pose of Hiten Mitsurugi Ryuu, sword hand
a wrist's breadth from the handle, battou-jutsu pose. "After I kill
you, Kikai, your master's next."

Kikai was inwardly stunned at the Angel Slayer's behavior. Normally,
at battle, he gave the utmost respect for his enemy....but now----

"Hiten Mitsurugi Ryuu-"

Without warning, Kenshin moved forward and struck so violently and
quickly that Kikai barely had time to dive out of the way, dodging
an immense black wave of dark energy that Kenshin's cursed sword
generated. The dark wave crashed into the ground behind Kikai, and
was obliterated, debris flying.

Kikai stood up quickly. "Nice try--" he threw away his sword and
formed a large gun in his hand. The Angel Slayer was lethal at close
combat, not so from afar. He looked around for Kenshin. "Where--"

"RYU-TSUI-SEN!!!"

Kikai looked up to see Kenshin diving downward at him, eyes blazing
yellow, the Angel Slayer held out horizontally, trailing black energy,
aimed at splitting Kikai from head to toe. How he got to that height
in such a short amount of time Kikai will never know. He reached
up to shoot the plummeting Slayer but the latter was far more quicker,
giving Kikai no time to aim. Kenshin's sword emitted a light so
searing it blinded Kikai for a half-second, which was all the time
Kenshin needed.

*SLASH*

Kikai heard Kenshin land, and the explosion of the sword's dark
energy striking and obliterating the ground. Then, his vision cleared---

---and saw that his gun arm had been cut off. Cleanly.

"DAMN YOU!!" Kikai grasped his wound to stem the bleeding.

"You should be thanking me." Kenshin said, shaking the Angel Slayer
with a flick of his wrist, flinging the steaming blood off. "I changed
the angle of my katana at the last second. Be happy it's only your
arm." *Because it might have been your head. After all you've put
me through- after all you've put Reina through....before this day
ends, Kikai, you will suffer.*

"DIE!!" Kikai roared, and sent black energy from his other hand
streaking towards Kenshin. Kenshin, almost lazily, countered with
his own, the two beams colliding with each other, pushing each
other in the opposite direction.

Kikai struggled to keep his beam from weakening, sweat and blood
running down his forehead. How the Angel Slayer had gotten this
powerful---more powerful than he was, and maybe even more than
Akuma----he may never know.

Suddenly, Kikai's beam failed, and Kenshin's black energy crushed
through it, like an arrow, and hit Kikai dead-on the chest, pushing
him backward into the air and into a tree, which exploded in dark waves.

Kenshin smiled, one not of warmth but of cruelty, his eyes full
amber, black energy swirling around him. He walked to where Kikai
lay, grabbed him by his throat, and raised him off his feet.

"How does it feel, Kikai?" Kenshin whispered harshly at Kikai. "You
are about to die, just like me, just like Reina, only this time
you're going to die before me...."

"You will die....as well....Battousai..." Kikai struggled futilely
to escape Kenshin's grasp. He laughed harshly, spitting blood. A
dagger silently slid into his hand. "....and sooner than you think."
He stabbed Kenshin in the stomach, and jumped back.

Kenshin gasped sharply as he felt the metal pierce his flesh, and
fell to his knees. He pressed his hand to his stomach, and felt
blood...his blood....flow out hotly. Blinding pain blocked out the
whole universe.

Too late. Too late. Reina....

"And now, Himura, our forces will have your remarkable sword. Pity....you
could have joined us, being a Dark Gatekeeper. All in vain, Himura,
all in vain." He picked up his broadsword and prepared to deliver
the blow that would finally kill the Angel Slayer.

...Reina...

"When we bury you, Slayer, I will make sure you recieve the highest
honors." He raised his sword.

..forgive me...

"Bury me...? What a notion." The kneeling Kenshin said in a dark
voice, much unlike his own. Kikai's sword hesitated in midair, then
went on its downward course again.

With the speed of a rattlesnake, Kenshin grabbed the blade of Kikai's
sword, never noticing that the blade had sunk into the flesh of
his palm, and crushed it into fragments.

"Gah! What-" Kenshin sent Kikai flying upwards with a standing roundhouse
kick that had the force of an oncoming train.

Now you suffer.

Kenshin followed his descent, planted both feet into Kikai's chest
and gave a massive push that sent Kikai hurtling down into the ground.
He landed on his face, tasted the grainy, blood-soaked dirt.

"Himura is asleep now." Kenshin said in a voice that defined death itself.

"I am Battousai."

Kikai tried to stand up, but Kenshin suddenly disappeared---

---and appeared half a second later, directly in front of Kikai,
and hit him with a massive kick across the jaw.

"You've done a very bad thing, now..." Kenshin crouched and
whispered in Kikai's ear.
"..and for that I must thank you...." he looked at his stomach,
which was ravaged with a deep cut.

"Dear, dear....such a small wound...you could have done better,
Kikai, but what is to be expected with carrion such as you?" He
toyed with his own blood. "I think I've got a few minutes more before
I disappear...."

"How..." Kikai wiped blood from his chin as he staggered to get
up. No mortal could ever take a wound like he had dealt and still
fight. "You're supposed to be dying..."

"In a few minutes, yes," Kenshin drawled, sheathing Angel Slayer.
"But you see, I own the Gate of Death. Or rather, I AM the Gate
itself. For that, I am immortal, in a sense that everytime my life
force fails, I come back, a hundredfold more powerful. And to put
it in a more succinct manner...." Kenshin tucked the Angel Slayer
into his belt. "In killing me, you've only served to making me stronger."

Kikai looked into the malevolent, cold eyes of the Hitokiri and
for the first time, felt the devastating fangs of fear slowly ripping into him.

"Even if you destroy me....I'll come back." Kikai formed blades
of his arm. "Nothing can stop us! Not even your pitiful alliance to AEGIS!"

Lazily, Kenshin touched his wound, covering one fingertip with crimson
blood, and began to inscribe kanji into the air, which glowed a
bright red. "See my power, Kikai. See how pitiful you think my power
is. And remember that when I resurrect myself, when I come back
from the afterlife, Kikai, you will see what Death really looks
like." He opened his gate, which seemed to drink up the light around it.
"Gate Assault...."

He unsheathed Angel Slayer, held it above his head. "Dark Corona!"

Waves of black energy swirled around him, then swam up his sword,
gathering. Kenshin struggled to keep from releasing the energy.
Wind screamed around him; torn by the force of the gathering energy.
*Concentrate, dammit, or you'll blow yourself to pieces. Concentrate,
just like you did last time, like you taught Reina...*

...Reina...I'm so sorry.....

The circle was complete. Black energy swirled around his sword with
enormous force. With a strangled cry, Kenshin turned the blade down
and stabbed it into the ground......

......and, instantly, a globe of black energy surrounded Kenshin,
ever expanding until it was a mile in circumference and height....

Tenshi. Ansatsu. Ken.

....and then it imploded, pummelling everything with dark energy,
destroying, reducing everything in a three mile radius into nothing.....

....and in the center of it all, Kenshin dropped, lifeless, his
body disappearing into one strong glowing light, which flitted into
nowhere. The Angel Slayer, the dark daikatana stood in the
blood-soaked dirt, the only survivor.

******

"And then...and then he laughed at me...(sniff)....hey, are you
listening?" The girl sitting next to Kenshin eyed him suspiciously
in tears. Kenshin raised his hands in surrender.
"Gomen, gomen de gozaru yo! I was listening...I was only reminiscing,
that's all." He took her handkerchief and dabbed at the girl's eyes,
careful not to let her tears blot out her mascara. "There, there..."
He finished his sketch of her, rolled it up and gave it to her.

"Try to hear his side of his story, de gozaru," Kenshin said gently,
putting his pencil back into its case. ""Maybe you were in the wrong
place at the wrong time. Anyways, from what I've heard from you
it seems that he cares for you so much. Don't worry."

The girl looked at him, smiling amidst tears. "Thank you, Ken-san,
for listening." She looked at her purse. "Oh! I...don't seem to
have any money with me now....." she looked at Kenshin hesitantly.
"Iie," was Kenshin's soft reply. "I don't mind-" The girl pressed a
calling card to his palm.
"Just send my company the bill. My secratary'll take care of it..."
She leaned toward Kenshin, cheeks faintly pink, and planted a shy
kiss at his scarred cheek.
"Again...arigato, Ken-san.." The girl bowed, blushing now, and ran,
portrait in hand. "Sayonara..."

Kenshin waved at her direction, and turned his attention to the
pile of calling cards in his duffle bag. Someday, somehow, he'll
find the courage to speak up, and, God Forbid, actually CHARGE a
customer for their portraits... *Now I'll have to use that bank
account Shirei gave me...* "Yare yare.."

"Ken-nii! Ken-nii!" Kenshin turned to see his two wards rushing over.
"We have a customer!"

"Oh? Who?" He looked to see a young girl, probably about seventeen,
with pretty brown eyes, long brown hair kept in a rare yellow ribbon.

"Konbanwa, Miss...?" Kenshin smiled at her. Surprised at his friendship,
considering his somewhat scarred visage, the girl hesitated,
then smiled as well.

"Ruriko...." The girl said, bowing. "Ikusawa Ruriko."
****

"Come on, he's not much farther." The little girl egged Ruriko on.
They had been walking for half an hour now...

*You're a bossy little one,* Ruriko smiled as the little girl tugged
on her fingers. *You were just about my age when Shun left..* Then,
they saw a man, sitting on a bench next to a duffel bag, his red,
messy hair tied back into a rough ponytail that hung at the back
of the bench. *Foxtail...hmm...kawaii...* Ruriko giggled at the
nickname. Foxtail. It seemed to fit.

"Ken-nii! We have a customer!"

The man turned, smiling at the two little girls, giving Ruriko a clear
view of his face.
He was probably about a little shorter than Ukiya, with long red
hair, with the face of one that had seen too many battles, and deep
purple eyes. Ruriko turned her head to look more closely, then she
saw the strange scar on his left cheek, which didn't affect his
visage in any way, it only made him look more mature. She tried
not to stare, but there was something about him...

His eyes lightened up as they fell on her, as if he had expected
her to come. "Konbanwa, Miss...?" he said, startling her.

"Um...Ruriko..." Ruriko bowed, a little embarassed. She felt as
if she had been caught staring, which she was. "Ikusawa Ruriko."
She looked up. "Foxtail, I presume?"

That incited a giggle from the two girls. Kenshin smiled and shook
his head. "Yare yare...kids these days. It's the hair, actually."
He held out his hand, and Ruriko shook it. "Kenshin Himura, at your
service for the night." *And what a screwed-up night it is...*

Ruriko sat down next to him, strangely feeling comfortable in his
presence. "Pardon me, Ken-san...but have we met before? I feel as if...."

"Don't worry...I get that effect on most people sometimes. It's
one of those traits that make people unique, ne?" He rolled off
a sheet of clean paper from his duffel bag, clipped it into the
board to make it stay straight, took out his pencil, glanced at
Ruriko briefly and began to draw.

Ruriko was amazed at how quickly Kenshin's hand danced across the
paper; leaving a thin trail of graphite, drawing a picture as if
he was merely tracing it. In seconds, he had imprinted a likeness
of Ruriko's face, smiling, into the paper.

"You seem to know your stuff," Ruriko said admiringly as he began
shading. "Not even the top sketchers in my school could've..."

"Well, I'm a bit older than the average high school student....or
college, for that matter." Kenshin said lightly, erasing a nick.
"I've had time to practice..." *Or eternity for that matter...*

"No way!" Ruriko gave him a once-over again; he looked no more than
a fourth year student. "How old are you, anyway?"

"I'm thirty years old de gozaru..." Kenshin said mildly.

"Really? Demo..." Ruriko squeaked in amazement.
Thirty! Ruriko was expecting more of an eighteen, or maybe twenty..
.but thirty? And to look this good?

Kenshin looked at Ruriko, exasperated. "Judging by your looks,
you don't believe me."

"Gomen! Gomen na sai..." Ruriko said, clasping her hands. "It's just...just..."

Kenshin continued drawing. "Well? I'm waiting de gozaru."

"You're kind of..." she gestured with her hands. "ummm...not tall enough.."

Ruriko waited for Kenshin to reply, who was obviously offended but
nevertheless kept on drawing. She waited.....the pencil stopped
in midair....*Oh, Rurippe, you're such an idiot...why did you have
to open your big-*

...and then Kenshin chuckled. He continued.

"Arigato..." he said, smiling at her. "Arigatou de gozaru yo! Lots
of people tell me that. I thought you were going to say that I was
too thin, my hair was too long, or something I really had no idea I had."

Ruriko breathed in relief. "You scared me, you know!" she pushed
him lightly on the shoulder, laughing, the tension slowly disappearing.

"Again, people get that from me sometimes." *Or everytime.* "Besides,
if I was angry at you, I would just finish this, ignore you, and
walk away." Kenshin rolled up the paper and gave it to her. She
reached into her pocket, but Kenshin shook his head. "That one's
on me, and besides, my customers never do pay anyway."

"Oh?" Ruriko twiddled the portrait in her hand. "Why?" She looked
at Kenshin and inwardly grinned.

"Because they forget."

"Hmm?"

"Most of my customers are...girls. Well, all of them. They talk
to me, cry on my shoulder and ask me for advice. I try to help out
as much as I can. They get caught up in telling me their stories
that I can't even get a word in edgeways, and...well...you know
the rest. But today may be the last time I'm sketching..."

"And why is that?" Ruriko asked, concerned.

"Oh, nothing life-threatening." Kenshin said, leaning back. "Just
my past, coming back to haunt me..." He put his gear back into the
duffel bag, zipped it up and hiked it up his shoulder. "Well, we'd
better be going now, so..."

"Ken-nii!" Ayame wailed. "We haven't even been on a ride yet!!"

"Hai, hai, sumimasen de gozaru yo.." Kenshin raised his hands in
defense. "Alright, we'll go on some rides...."

"Can I come with you?" Ruriko asked. "I came here with some friends,
they're probably waiting for me at the Carnival..."

"Ano....well, if it's okay with..."

"Yes! Take her!" Ayame kicked Kenshin's shin. "Let's GO already!!"

"Hai, hai...suminai de gozaru...." Kenshin bowed meekly. Ruriko
almost laughed, and took his arm. "Are you always this easy a
pushover when it comes to girls?"

"...Ano.."

"Ken-nii....stop flirting with Ribbon-girl and step on it!!"

"Oro..."
******

"He's here."

Akuma raised an eyebrow, looking studiously at Kikai. "You mean
the Angel Slayer? Kikai, he's dead....he destroyed himself, probably
having the delusion that he can take you with him as well."

"You saw how he destroyed nine of our strongholds in one night,
Akuma." Kikai's eyes burned with conviction. "And that was after
I dealt him a mortal blow that would have killed any man." *Any
man....except him. He's no man...he's a demon...*

"Well, I have heard legends about this sword of his, that bears
his name," Akuma rubbed his chin. "They say that it was used by
the gods to tip the cosmic balance of the universe...and that it
had taken the soul of many an angel...and that whoever uses it will
fall into darkness, to live forevermore in the shadows. But they're
questionable...because.. .well..they ARE legends.."

Kikai shook his head. "Akuma, believe me when I tell you this; this
man is no ordinary Gatekeeper. And he has come back to bring about
the next Apocalypse with that cursed sword of his!"

Akuma narrowed his eyes. "Come come now, Kikai. No man can do that-"

"HE IS NO MAN!!" Kikai exploded, both fists clenched in his fury.

"Am I missing something here?" A slightly sarcastic voice said.
Both turned to see Reijin, cleaning his pair of sunglasses with
a handkerchief. "What's this about?"

Kikai snorted ruefully. "None of your business, you pathetic-"

A single shadow edge the shape and length of a katana embedded itself
next to Kukai, missing him by mere inches. "You were saying?" Reijin
asked, his gate open before him, hand ready.

Kikai stood up sharply, seething, his arm materializing into a black
blade nine inches long. He lunged at the dark Gatekeeper.

"ENOUGH!!" Akuma yelled. The whole room shook. His eyes glowed with
a dark green light. He motioned for them to sit down.

"AEGIS found another Gatekeeper." Akuma explained, the glow from
his eyes disappearing slowly. "And Kikai...is concerned."

Reijin sighed, almost exasperated. "So what's new?"

Kikai flinched.

"It seems that AEGIS' new find is what you say, a bit more....
stronger than the norm..."

"So what?" Reijin shrugged, obviously not caring. "We outnumber
the bastards a million to one...
and surely Kikai-shogun could take care of another skinny little
girl...or maybe that's just asking too much..."

Kikai was about to protest with vigor that the Angel Slayer was
not as harmless as another skinny little girl when Akuma silently
sent him a warning.

He does not need to know.

"It's none of your concern, Kageyama." Akuma said, choosing his
words carefully. "Just working out a few conflicts, that's all." He smiled.
"You may go."

"Very well..." Reijin made an ironic salute at Kikai, who looked
at him through eyes burning with malice. He just shrugged with a
smug smile on his lips, and walked out.

Akuma waited until Reijin was out of earshot, and then turned his
attention to Kikai.
"Kikai, I'm giving you all the invaders you need. Assimilate if
you need more. If what you're saying is true, then we must proceed quickly."

Kikai nodded, made a salute, and walked out of the room. He looked
at his arm....he had long replaced it with a hook -- the Angel Slayer's
energy prevented Akuma from creating him a new one...it was as if
the arm was permanently sealed, defiled...

*All those years....Himura...I going to kill you, whatever it takes.*
********

"I'll need a signature here...here..and here..." The weaselly man
pointed to a vague line in the piece of printed paper he was showing
to Reina and went off to another customer.

Reina soured, took out her ballpen, uncapped it and signed the paper.
She had been walking for hours until she found a decent armory.
The small Gunshop seemed to as good as it got in this old crappy town.

She hammered the bell with her palm, almost breaking it. "Hey. Hey!"
The manager came scurrying. "Yes? Have you signed-"

"Here." She shoved the form into his face. He read them over quickly,
and, satisfied, motioned for his attendants to close the windows.

Reina looked curiously at the attendants who were scurrying around
to close anything that would let in light. She turned to the owner,
who was leafing through piles of acquisition forms. "Excuse me, but why...?"

"Oh, them?" He gestured to his staff with a vague wave of his hand.
"Just for security. See, some of the calibers we sell here are...how
do you say....legally questionable." He looked up. "Well, how can I help you?"

"I'd like a reload, some extra magazines...." She took out her sniper
rifle and placed it on the counter. "...a check on the sights, maybe
they're off, and if they are, a replacement would really help."
She detached the scope. "I need a new case, by the way, the color
of this one's hard to camouflage. Oh, and two boxes of armor piercing,
two boxes of hollow point and three boxes of the normal stuff. All
.357 Magnum." The owner just nodded, took her rifle, and gave her a number. "Umm..payment?"

"Plastic." Reina gave him Kenshin's credit card. He nodded and rang
up the register. "Comes to three hundred thousand." He gave her
the receipt. "This may take a few hours, ma'am. Would you mind if--"

Reina shook her head. "Iie. I'll just wait here."

The owner shrugged. "Suit yourself." He started to dismantle Reina's rifle.

Reina stood for a few minutes, her eyes critically examining the
owner's movements, making sure he doesn't screw up her rifle in
any way. Then, assuming that the owner knew what he was doing, and
acknowledging the fact that the combined weight of her katana, Kenshin's
Angel Slayer and her own bulging backpack was getting heavier and
heavier by the minute, she went to the worn settee next to the counter
and sank into the thankfully soft cloth-covered foam. She closed
her eyes. *Maybe I'll nap a little,* Reina thought, yawning into
the back of her hand. *I haven't slept for three days..."

She fell asleep, silently dreaming.....

...remembering....

******

"No...Kenshin...please! You...you can't die!!" Reina cradled Kenshin
in her arms, who was lying on the ground, with a large slash wound.
Blood was pooling underneath him. Not even Megumi can do anything
now. "Kenshin...please..." She closed her eyes tightly, trying to
block out the tears, which fell freely down her cheeks.

...Kenshin...

It was terrible. Ayame and Suzume were kidnapped by some assassin,
hoping to lure out the Battousai out of Kenshin. When Kenshin found
out...he rushed out of the dojo, not even bothering to say goodbye...he
then rescued the two girls and defeated the assassin....but not
after getting shot in the process... Reina found him dying slowly
on the ground, his sakabattou lying useless beside him.

"Don't cry...." Kenshin whispered. Blood trickled down the side
of his mouth. "I'm glad that it's over..."

"Glad?!?" Reina shouted, tears streaming. "Are you glad that you're
leaving Kaoru? Leaving Ayame and Suzume? Leaving...me?....Alone?"

"Of..course not..." Kenshin reached up with one hand and weakly
brushed the tears away from Reina's eyes. "I'm not leaving anyone....I'll
still be here...I'll be with you always..."

"NO!!! Kenshin!! Please don't die! You're all I have left..." Reina
sobbed, hugging Kenshin, not noticing that the blood was darkly
staining her kimono.

"Shhhh, Reina-chan...don't cry...." Kenshin reached up and touched
Reina's hair, feeling it softly filter through his fingers. "Never cry for me....."

Reina said nothing, mumbling incoherent words through her sobs.
Kenshin slowly withdrew to look at her face, and she looked back
uncertainly, eyes brimming with tears. He gave her a soft kiss on
her quivering lips, and brushed back her hair.

"People say that we are remembered by the gifts we give to our children."
She once heard Kenshin say. "That's why I fought. That's why I killed,
Reina. That's why I became Battousai. So that the children of today
will not experience the hell that I lived in as a shadow, where
power rested on the sharp edge of a katana...and live in peace.
I know it sounds too good to be true...sometimes I believe no such
thing ever existed, or ever will....but someone needs to try...
and I'll continue to....even if I die."

*And now he's dying,* Reina thought bitterly. *Dying right in my
arms. He was trying to atone for sins that would curse any man into
hell....sins that he commited willingly, so that the rest of us
could live peacefully....

...and now Fate wants to take him away.*

"Aishiteru....Reina....please tell Kaoru... that I love... her..."

Kenshin's wounded body suddenly went slack in her arms. The purple
eyes that were full of life just now dimmed, devoid of any light.

"Kenshin? Kenshin? Sonna......" She loosened her embrace to look
at Kenshin's face...his eyes were closed...he wasn't breathing.

"No...." She hugged him fiercely, sobs wracking her small frame. "Kenshin..."
*Is this it? After all the times I've seen you and Kaoru together?
I know you loved me, but only as your sister...
....did I mean more to you as you meant more for me?....did you....

...did you even love me...?*

Reina heard the patter of feet coming towards them, and she
turned to their direction.
Ayame. Suzume.

"Neechan..." Ayame kneeled in the ground beside them. "Why is Ken-nii
sleeping on the ground?" She reached out with one hand and shook
Kenshin's shoulder. "Ken-nii...Ken-nii..."

"He's not going to wake up, Ayame-chan." Reina said in a shaking voice.

He's not going to wake up.

I should have followed him. If I thought this was going to happen, I....

You're going to what? No one can help him now.

Kenshin...

You are no protector, a voice inside her spat. Remember when you
fought him, but he didn't kill you, knowing that you needed someone---someone
in your life, because you were alone, like he was, long before Kaoru
came? You said you'd protect him too, if ever the time came when
he needed you---but look at him now. He's gone forever.

Gone forever.

Forever.

But there is a way....

"Reina, I've heard about those powers you and Himura has..." Hiko
told her one day, after he had sent Kenshin to fetch some water
from the falls--"When one of you is injured, the other one must
not use his or her power to heal the other, for like Ying and Yang,
they will clash, and something unthinkable will happen."

Screw Hiko. I have nothing to lose now.

Reina stood up. Angrily, she brushed her tears aside. "Kenshin
Himura, I will not permit you to die! You can't leave us! You can't
leave me!!" She opened her gate, white energy swirling around her.
"Ether Revive!"

Her last vision was a dark hole opening up in front of them...

...then.....all was darkness.

"Miss! Miss!"

*Aishiteru...Reina....*

"MISS!"

"Huh? What?" Reina snapped awake from her dreams, and looked around.
She was still in the Gunshop. The man at the counter was holding
out her rifle and the boxes of ammunition.

"You fell asleep," The man opened the blinds, letting the moonlight in.
"For about an hour or so."

Reina nodded, and rubbed her eyes, slightly surprised to feel tears
wet her fingers. She wiped them on her jeans. *That tears it. I'm
finding Kenshin if it kills me in the long run. And then I'll kick his
ass for doing this to me.*

An afterthought took her. "By the way..." Reina asked the man as
she packed the ammunition and her rifle into her bag, "...do you
happen to know where Tategami High School is?"

*******

Shirei slowly sipped the coffee he had prepared himself earlier.
Ochiai was already gone when he got back from the carnival--he had
no doubt that she had handled the day's meeting with the efficiency
he always wanted in the Far East Branch.

His thoughts went back to Kenshin. How he reacted violently in the
conversation, but finally acquiesced to join. Apparently, in the
given situation Shirei had presented him with an ultimatum; go back
to your old, killing ways and save the universe once again, or live
in recluse, like a hermit, and live until the invaders took over.

And you know as well as I do that I had done enough. Kenshin had
said with pure malice. I had very well given my entire life to AEGIS.
I gave my life to protect the people who might turn into what
I protect them from any minute.

He was true, though; during the full-scale war of AEGIS and the
Invaders, Kenshin was one of the few Gatekeepers to tip the scales
into their favor. He was like a machine then; being sent on missions
day and night. Sometimes he even went so far as to go on missions
even when seriously injured(much to the chagrin of his younger sister
, Reina, and his two wards).

Reina. Kenshin's younger sister, keeper of the Gate of Ether. The
two worked devastatingly efficient as a team; not one invader stood
alive when they were on the job. She was like Ikusawa at that time;
smart, kind, and pretty, but Reina was a bit more daring than Ruriko
was. Being a master at the ways of handling firearms, Reina became
a bit more reckless as well, much like her brother.

But that all changed when Kikai and Akuma kidnapped her.

They were on a mission once-the objective was to neutralize a pack
of invaders uptown---they were nearly finished when Akuma suddenly
appeared and took Reina away. Kikai also appeared and fought Kenshin
for distractionary purposes....Shirei vaguely remembered recieving
a report that half of the abandoned area was destroyed...and Kenshin
coming back to HQ, seriously injured. Shirei half-expected him to
rage about, but Kenshin only sat there, as the medics patched him
up, staring blankly at the floor, tears falling from his eyes.

After that, though....Kenshin seemed to have no more tears to shed.
He became his regular, cheerful self...but at night, he became pensive,
always in deep thought, closing up into himself. Shirei guessed
that he was plotting some kind of revenge, or a way to get Reina
back. Many times he had caught Kenshin staring off into the distance,
sword hand tightening into a fist. When he asked Kenshin about it,
he smiled and denied it in a friendly but firm way.

And he did get Reina back. Kenshin, along with Ukiya, led a team
to one of Kikai's strongholds, after receiving a mocking challenge
from Kikai himself....they found Reina, comatose and bleeding. Heaven
knows what the invaders did to her. Nobody dared to ask.

Suddenly, an alarm went off.

"Report!" Shirei automatically shouted to one of the com-technicians.

"A large group of invaders is heading toward the Carnival!" they
shouted back, staring at the green map exploding with red dots on
the large screen in front of them.

"Contact the Gatekeepers! Inform them of their current situation
and have all units prepped and ready!" He barked commands out to
respective section leaders.

So...Kikai's found out already....and now he's trying to eliminate Kenshin first...

***

***
Yukino silently nipped at the big, puffy cloud of cotton candy Saemi
bought for her, her eyes nonchalantly flicking from this to that,
looking for Ruriko, then finally settling on Ukiya and Kaoru for
a few minutes before looking away. Yukino rather found Ukiya's situation
to be humurous; being fought over by two girls, one older than the
other, and both having the same feelings for him. Nevertheless,
they both acted like little children, like siblings.

Keeping up with the group had been no easy task. They flitted about
one stall from the other, playing games, winning prizes. Saemi and
Fei won a small teddybear, about the same size as Hisame, and the
two, grinning with cheshire cat grins, presented her with it, along
with the cloud of cotton candy. Yukino had been unable to refuse.
She carried the small teddybear along, cradling it, much to the chagrin of Hisame.

Yukino took another bite of the cotton candy. She had never seen
one before; and frankly, thought they were inedible. But after a
few tentative bites, she found herself rather liking the taste,
relishing how they melted into sugar in her mouth.

Her mind wandered back to what happened earlier. Foxtail....she
was sure she heard it before somewhere.
*I think I gave someone that nickname....I just can't remember who...*

"Minna-san! Hey! Over here!"

Suddenly, someone waved at them, near the booth that sold onagiris.
It was Ruriko, walking toward them with two small girls-probably
the two that dragged her off earlier-and another person with long
red hair, a small frame, and...and.... her eyes traveled to the
man's left cheek as he came to view. A scar...

*...masaka..crossed scars...*

Foxtail....

The half-eaten cotton candy fell to the ground, beside her feet.

****
They're here. Maybe forty, fifty, give or take five. Maybe three
cores. All in attack mode. Kikai's not with them. Looking for me.

Kenshin tightened his grip on his duffel bag, where his katana was
hidden, and looked around for potential people that might start
whipping out sunglasses at any moment and attack.
The last thought disturbed him greatly.

You've been spoiled these four years, you know, a voice chided him.
Five years ago you could already tell who's going to be assimilated
even before their minds get taken over, or in other cases, predict
if they're going to attack or not. In the Bakumatsu, you would barely
have been surprised. How can you forget at thirty what you knew at fifteen?

He looked at his two wards, chatting with Ruriko, silently cursing himself.

Baka--you're three years out of practice. Three years.

Three years. My old shishou would kill me if he knew.

But I'm Battousai, Kenshin thought, in spite of himself. Hitokiri
Battousai. The greatest swordsman in Edo. I've either destroyed
or killed anything and anyone in my path. And that was before my
gate...and the Angel Slayer came. Surely I can-

Surely you can what? The Angel Slayer's gone, and who knows what
may happen if you even open your gate a little bit.

It's not gone. It's just out there, somewhere. Besides, I can make
it appear anytime I want to, with that incantation Reina taught me....

Reina...

She's safe, Kenshin reassured himself, looking down at the ground.
Shirei told me. She's in an AEGIS Branch, far away from here,
and she doesn't know where I am.

Kenshin looked one more time at Ruriko, Suzume and Ayame, who were
oblivious to the danger that drew nearer. Ruriko had found her friends,
and were calling them, waving them over. They looked perfectly normal,
typical high school kids. Out of the corner of his eye, though,
he saw a white kimono flash by.

Yukino...?

Now I am getting old. I'm seeing things now.

Never mind that. Now, the two million-yen question: Will I be able
to protect Suzume and Ayame and try not to get killed in the process,
unlike five years ago?

I'll try, Kenshin thought vehemently under a sincere smile as Ruriko
introduced him to her friends, names that he took care to remember.
Names that somehow felt familiar. I'm not saying that I'll succeed, but I'll try.

***

"Ne, Ken-san. These are my friends from High School." Ruriko said
as they met. "This is Shun, though we call him Ukiya." She gestured
to Ukiya, who shook his hand. "Konbanwa."

"Konbanwa de gozaru." Came the low reply.

"...and this is Kaoru..."

"Konbanwa de gozaimasu!"

"..and this is Fei..."

"Ni-hao, Ken-san!"

"...this is Megumi..."

"....."

"...and this is Megane..."

Ruriko went on, introducing each one of her friends to Kenshin.
He seemed to take in each name she said, nodding and smiling in
acknowledgement. Yukino was missing, though, but it was like her
to disappear without warning. When she had finished introducing
Bancho and Kenshin had recovered from the slap on the back the 'gang
leader' gave him, Ruriko couldn't help but notice a certain change
in Kenshin's mood. Although he was quite good at hiding it, it was
as if he was watching out for something, darting quick glances here and there.

"Daijobu desu ka, Ken-san?" Ruriko asked Kenshin as soon as Ukiya
and the others were out of earshot.

It took Kenshin a few seconds to answer.

"Nani?" Kenshin slowly shook his head. "Hai....hai, Ruriko-dono.
Daijobu...de gozaru." He looked up and smiled at her.
"Just a little sleepy, that's all."

"I'm not surprised," Ruriko admonished, sitting next to him. Her
gaze drifted to Suzume and Ayame playfully chasing Fei with Saemi.
"Taking care of those two....they're quite energetic for kids their ages."

"They don't give me any trouble," Kenshin said, and Ruriko could
detect a hint of protectiveness in his voice. "None at all."

"Honestly, Ken-san. That kick Ayame gave you earlier..."

Kenshin waved a hand dismissively. "They're good little girls. They
even help me with the housework, and the laundry....well...maybe
not with the laundry de gozaru..but they help me hang them out...and
the cooking....but most of the time they burn it anyway...demo..."

It wasn't long before Ruriko started giggling.

"..Oro?"

Gomen na sai, Ken-san, Ruriko snickered at his bewildered expression.
Here's a man who actually likes the arts, loves children and can
actually do his own chores around the house, not to mention take
care of two kids like Suzume and Ayame...

I wish Ukiya was like him. It wouldn't hurt to be a little like Kenshin.

Ukiya...

"Sumanai de gozaru, Ruriko-dono...did I say anything wrong?"

Ruriko hastily stifled her giggles. "I-ie, Ken-san. Su-sumimasen."
She said between gasps. "I just haven't met a guy who actually does
his own laundry, and be comfortable in talking about it..."

He blinked violet eyes at her. "A-ano..."

"Daijobu." Ruriko leaned back and let the wind ruffle her hair.
"I think it's very cute. Besides, I know a few guys who could stand
to be a bit more...proper..." Her gaze drifted to Ukiya, Megane
and Bancho, shoveling big handfuls of buttered popcorn into their mouths.
Yare Yare...

"They're still young." Came the soft, lonely reply. "Enjoy your
childhood, Ruriko-dono...someday you'll look back at it, and how
you miss it...never chastise anyone for enjoying their youth."

Ruriko did not expect that. That was more like something Yukino
or Megumi would say...and in the same voice tone as well.
She looked uncertainly at Kenshin.

"Ken-san, is something wrong...?"

Kenshin looked back at her with something unreadable in his eyes.
It was as if he aged ten years in a single minute.

"Iia. As I said, just tired." He stretched his arms and bent his
back and yawned as if to confirm it; Ruriko could hear the faint
cracking sounds of joints.

"Ow." Kenshin said, smiling wryly. "Body's not what it used to be....anyway,
Ruriko-dono, can you keep an eye on Suzume and Ayame for a while?
I need to talk to someone. I won't take long..." His voice trailed off, silently pleading.

"I don't mind," Ruriko said, puzzled about Kenshin's sudden mood
change. Kenshin nodded, bowed, grabbed his duffel bag and took off at a dead run.

"Ne, Ruriko-san....where's Kenshin going?" Kaoru said, sitting next
to her. "I wanted to ask him to sketch me too, but he left before I could ask..."

"Something important, I guess." Ruriko said with a shrug. But what
could be so important that he leaves his two children behind? Unless....

Fei and Saemi sat next to Ruriko, hearts in their eyes. "Ken-san's
just...so...so cute! His hair's longer than mine, but it's neat,
not like nii-chan's... and his eyes...their color's like...like..."

"Orchids..." Fei finished for Saemi. "And he's got that scar......and
his voice...so dreamy...not like Bancho-san's, and certainly
not like Megane's....kakkoii!!!"

"Hey!!" The only three men in the group protested.

Saemi and Fei stuck out their tongues at them in perfect inflammatory
unison. "Biiii!! You're all just jealous!"

"I, jealous?" Bancho yelled, indignant. "That Ken-san of yours looks
so skinny and small I could probably...."

Oh, Gods, don't, Bancho....Ruriko covered her face with a hand,
hastily stifling a smile. You're setting yourself up for...

"You'll what?" Fei jumped up and thwacked him on the head. "You
said the same thing about Kaoru-chan! Right before she threw
you into a wall! BAKA!"

Ukiya burst out laughing. "She's got you there, Bancho," he said,
in between gasps of hilarity.

"Ukiya...not you, too?" Bancho said, looking remarkably like a landed fish.

"Besides," Fei continued, wagging a finger bemusedly at the confused
gang leader, "Kenshin's a swordsman. He would probably kick your
butt with the flat end of a sword before you could even get close to him."

"How'd you know?" Ruriko asked.

"Simple." Ukiya answered, waving to his mom and Saemi as they went
off, for it was already late- "He has callouses on the inner ridges
of his hands, something you get for handling a sword and using it.
I wouldn't be surprised if he turned out to be a very good one, or an assassin..."

"Ansatsusha?" Ruriko's brow furrowed.

"Well..."

"Really Ukiya. Ken-san doesn't look the sort." Ruriko admonished.
"He's only a freelance artist with two kids."

"You really can't tell," Ukiya shook his head sagely, as if he was
the expert on such things. "He could be a ninja for all we know.
Or maybe a samurai." He shrugged. "Who knows?"

Ruriko was about to respond when Suzume walked up and tugged at
her sleeve lightly. "Ribbon-girl...where did nii-chan go?"

"He's off to talk to someone, Suzume-chan. He's asked me to take
care of you while he's gone."

"Oh...." Suzume's bright face seemed to dim. "He's fighting again,
isn't he." Her voice was a mere whisper.

"Nani...? Fighting..again?" Ruriko's brow furrowed.

"He promised," the little girl whispered, tears forming in her eyes.
Her small frame trembled. Ruriko wrapped her arms around
her and pressed Suzume softly to her.

"Promise? What did Foxtail promise?" Ruriko asked, keeping her voice low.

"He's fighting them again...he promised.."

"Them?"

"Ruriko-chan! Ruriko-chan!" It was Ukiya. Something was wrong. He
tapped his watch. "Shirei just called. There's a large amount of
invaders on the southern section of the park. We've been ordered
to neutralize them. But there's something strange..." His voice trailed off.

"What? What is it?"

"Well, Shirei says that they're not doing anything. Inactive.
As if they're waiting..."

"The question is..." Megumi suddenly spoke up. "...what?" Her glasses
glinted in the moonlight. "A signal, or an event....what?"

"Shirei doesn't care about that, for some reason." Ukiya scratched
his messy hair. "All he said was to exterminate them as soon as possible."

"Demo... Ukiya, what about Ayame and Suzume?" Ruriko said, feeling
Suzume's grip on her hand tighten. "Kenshin left them with us...
it's too dangerous to..."

Ukiya fretted over this for a second, then finally came up with
a decision. "We have to. Ken-san left them with us, and it's our
responsibility, after all."

"Demo..." Ruriko said again, looking wistfully at the little child
whose eyes were already shiny with unwept tears.

"Look. I'm sure Ken-san has a good reason to go, and I certainly
know that a battlefield is no place for children." Ukiya adjusted
his gloves, something which he always did before a fight, and
now it became sort of a habit.

"But Ken-san didn't know we were Gatekeepers, or that we're the
constant target of invaders. If we leave them here, with no one
watching them, who knows what might happen? We take them along.
Now let's go. Megane-kun, contact the base and request for backup
if necessary."

The others saluted sharply in perfect unison. "Affirmative! AEGIS!"

*****

I shall not fear.

Kenshin slashed the air with violent conviction.

Fear is the mind-killer.

Without warning, Kenshin jumped straight up into the air, sheathing
his sword, and flipped, landing exactly three metres away from the
spot he jumped from, and from a split-second recovery, savagely
decapitated an imaginary Kikai with an upward battou-jutsu strike.

Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration.

Barely breathing hard, Kenshin's whole body tensed, and, twisting
around, ripped his sakabattou out of its saya and violently sliced
the air behind him in a seemingly fluid motion.

When I look in front of me I shall not see my fear. For when I see
my fear I will close my eyes. And when I open them I shall not see
it, for I have destroyed it.

Obliterated it. Destroyed it with my own hands, with the help of no one.

---then.....and only then....--

I will fear no more.

Taking a deep breath, Kenshin stepped out of battle-stance, savoring
the feel of battle-pitch singing in his blood for the first time
in three years. Sharply flicking his sword downwards at his right
side with his fully extended arm, he raised the sword, slid its
cutting edge along the mouth of the saya and then slid the katana
home. The assassin's version of chiburi, Kenshin noted with morbid
fascination.

Hitokiri Battousai mentally saying the Litany of Fear. I think
Shirei would just laugh at this one.

No, he won't laugh, he'll just blink. Well, Ochiai might. Reina
would probably die laughing.

He was certain they would follow them here; it was a secluded spot,
where condemned rides were scrapped. Lots of hiding places around,
and far enough from the crowds that whatever ensues will just be
drowned out by the Carnival's music.

Kenshin started to reach into his duffel bag, stopped for a moment
before reaching in again.
Never did figure out that I was going to use it now, he thought,
pulling out a .44 Magnum Desert Eagle from the bag, along with a
few magazines. It was Reina's own, customized for accuracy and firepower.
She had presented it to him on his birthday, a strange gesture on
her part(since he didn't actually give her anything on hers) saying
that he'll probably need it sometime.

And that time is now.

Aiming experimentally, he adopted an stance that Reina commonly
used; the gun held out arrogantly at a point-blank range with the
other hand supporting underneath the butt of the gun. The Magnum
felt ungainly, uncommonly heavy for a sidearm. How Reina shot it
like it was only a light Heckler and Koch .32 he would never know.
Shrugging, he holstered it.

After this is over, I'm going to apologize to Ruriko-dono. Running
off like that, leaving Ayame and Suzume behind....some guardian
I'm supposed to be.

That is if I live through this.

A deep, rumbling noise thundered behind him.

Here they come.

Kenshin barely moved as invaders solidified from the shadows, their
emotionless, spectacled faces shadowed by the wide brims of their
hats. Their spectacles glowed eerily bright, reminding Kenshin of
some twisted vampire from a dark age. All of them carried a large
brown leather bag on their left side, a parody of a suitcase, which
really contained their weapon, an invader-frequency emitter that
destroys with ring-like shockwaves.

They haven't changed at all. Not one bit-- just like how I remember
them. Not as if I care -- an invader is an invader. Evil is evil.
Nothing will change that.

Evil is evil..

Just like me.

A core invader, garbed in blood-red clothes, stood in front of Kenshin,
the invaders readying their weapons in perfect military unison.

And here comes Satan himself.

"Himura. The Angel Slayer." The Core said flatly. It was not a question -
more like an insult.

Kenshin smiled, feeling Hiko's sardonic smirk slide into his face.

"Last time I checked." He shrugged. "Tell me, Kikai, since when
did you start hiding behind your cores?"

The Core stepped back, as if surprised, but no emotion showed
on its stone-like face.

"Of all the invaders...you were the only one who referred to me by
my last name."

Kenshin silently drew the large pistol out of its holster and
one-handedly aimed it at the Core's head.

The Core didn't flinch when Kenshin thumbed the safety off.

"Coward."

Kenshin fired a single shot, the gun kicking in his hand; the large
slug blasted out of the gun in a deafening explosion and missed
the Core's head by mere centimetres, crystallizing an invader behind
it. The spent cartridge flew and plinked on the floor, smoking.

Silence. Then----

The Core's emotionless face twisted and morphed until it mirrored
Kikai's harsh visage.

"Himura....so you are back." Kikai sneered, baring his teeth in a
cruel parody of a smile.

"Of course I am." Kenshin lowered the pistol. "I still haven't made you suffer yet."

Kikai smiled and shook his head, almost exasperated. "Himura, look
around you. More people are becoming soft. They desire things they
will never have, and would do anything to get them. And we grow
stronger, everyday, feeding on their desires. You should have wiped
us out long ago, when we were still weak. You could have stopped
us then- but you..." Kikai paused, a sneer twisting his lips, "...like
the worm that you were, and still are, let us live. Now...we are
invincible. There is nothing. Absolutely nothing you can do to stop us."

Kenshin shook his head. "Iie. You're all nothing but parasites.
And you're not invincible." He shrugged again. "I am."

Kikai laughed directly at the Angel Slayer, mocking him. Kenshin didn't blink.

"And what makes you say that?" Kikai asked.

"Simply this." Kenshin raised his left hand before him. His gate
opened, black energy eminating, swirling, on the palm of his outstretched hand.

Hear me, the cursed one who is destined to wield you.

Come to me now and let me avenge.

"Tenshi."

Come to me now. Come to me, so I can kill. Destroy. All that I hate.

I offer my tainted soul to you.

Come to me--

"Ansatsu---"

And let me slay again.

Kikai's eyes grew wider. Not in amusement, but in terror at the
realization of what Kenshin was about to do.

No--
***

Reina watched, in both relief and in horror, as the Angel Slayer
dematerialized before her very eyes. Relief that Kenshin was still
alive, for he was the one-- the only one-- who could summon the
sword....Horror that Kenshin was going to use it...

Damn you, Kenshin.....why now? WHY?!?

Reina hiked her bag up her shoulder and started to run.

Kenshin....

***

"--Ken."

No sooner than Kenshin had said the word the earth beneath them
started to rumble, as if a long-sealed monster waking up from a
deep slumber. An unearthly growl came from somewhere, Kikai couldn't
just place it....then he suddenly realized that the growls were
coming not from the ground, but from Kenshin's gate...

...and stepped back when he saw a pair of slitted eyes, glowing
bright red, open in the darkness of the Gate of Death, staring right
through him. Eyes, with no pupils, only red, demonic, as if owned
by some beast of myth, from the depths of hell.

Suddenly, a large serpent-like dragon, black and demonic with eyes
burning like the fires of hell-- apparently the owner of the eyes
Kikai saw earlier, blasted itself out of Kenshin's gate, the ground
shaking as it bellowed its thirst for blood......

Kikai took another step back as he watched the dragon fly and circle
around Kenshin, the air torn by the dragon's flight. Kenshin simply
raised his right hand up into the air, as if to reach for something.

The dragon, seeing this, flew up into the air, right above Kenshin's
right hand, bellowed one final, blood-curdling roar and then exploded
in a blinding light that forced Kikai to close his eyes.

When he opened them, he saw a long object...no, a daikatana, fall
from the air, spinning end over end, from the exact same height
where the dragon had been...

....and was caught by Kenshin's right hand.

Kenshin lowered the daikatana and held it out to Kikai. "Remember
this?" He asked, although knowing full well he didn't need to.

Kikai's eyes widened as the recognization of the daikatana's identity sank in.

"Sore wa...."

The circle is now complete. The dark soul, once broken, is now together.

Without warning, Kenshin one-handedly drove the end of the daikatana,
still sheathed, into the ground with ease. The sound of cement being
crushed abruptly pierced the silence.

"The Angel Slayer." Kenshin leaned upon it as one would a staff,
a hand upon the handle. "I haven't summoned it for quite a long
time, and I didn't know if I could--but there you are."

Kikai gritted his teeth, the initial shock of seeing the Angel Slayer
giving way to frustration, hatred, and most of all, fear. Frustration
that the Angel Slayer had come back from the dead....hatred, for
the enemy that had humiliated him in countless battles was still alive....
and fear...

Fear...

Kikai had once seen the Angel Slayer's power at its fullest, and he
had barely survived....

It was an ambush. Two thousand invaders with five cores surrounded
the Angel Slayer and Reina. Then, one core made the fatal mistake
of striking Chiharu first, not Himura, who took the brunt of the
blow. But in shielding Reina, the seal of the Angel Slayer was broken,
releasing its uncontrollable bloodthirst...

The seal, apparently a talisman wrapped under the Angel Slayer's
handle, imbued with the Gate of Ether to neutralize its dark power,
was torn by the blast, unleashing the sword's capability to possess
its owner and magnify its owner's violent side, or in Kenshin's case,
Hitokiri Battousai.

It was total carnage. Not one invader survived to teleport back.
What took two weeks to assemble and assimilate was destroyed in
a matter of seconds. Kikai remembered Kenshin summoning about twelve
dragons exactly like the one earlier....and that Kenshin's eyes
blazed a different color then -- a bright red. Kenshin only stopped
when the last invader lay broken under his katana, and, according
to the spies he had planted in AEGIS, went into a coma afterwards.

And now it's back. The only Slayer known to exist.

And the strongest.

What now, Akuma?

Are we defeated?

Damn you, Himura. Damn you to the deepest hell --

-- to MY hell --

"That infernal sword means nothing." Kikai hissed sharply with a
violent sweep of his left arm, his voice shaking with rage, piercing
the tension-filled air. "We are invincible, Himura. We have changed.
We have EVOLVED. You have no idea how many civilizations -- planets
-- dimensions -- have fallen before us. How could a single Gatekeeper
stop our invasion? Im-"

"I am no Gatekeeper, Kikai. Have you forgotten?" Kenshin's eyes
bore upon Kikai's, piercing deep into his soul. "In fact, I gave
you a scar -- so that you wouldn't."

Kenshin tilted his head to the side, staring at Kikai.

"And it seems that someone had spared me the task of giving you
another.....I thank the lucky bastard who did....but knowing you,
you've probably killed him..."

Kikai's, or rather, the Core's hand reflexively jerked up and felt
the jagged cross etched on its face....a souvenir from the Angel
Slayer himself...when the seal was broken...

...and the other was from the human named Ukiya.....

Irony. How cruel it is.

"K-kisama...." Kikai swore.

Kenshin seemed to smile wider.

"I was going to give you another, right after I made sure Reina
was safe...but you teleported away before I could even draw my sword.."

You are now marked, like I am. Scarred, like I am...

Reaching down, Kenshin grasped hold of the Angel Slayer just below
the hilt and pulled, lifting it up.

I am no Gatekeeper.

"I wanted you to remember me....the lives you have ruined...Reina...
Ukiya....the
people you've killed...the people you've assimilated..."

Kenshin tucked the Angel Slayer into his belt, below the sakabattou,
and with infinite slowness, drew the reverse-edged sword from its
saya, a soft, almost seductive sound issuing from it as the blunt
edge slid against the saya's metal inner sheath...a sound Kikai
had heard so many times...and feared...

The moon shone off the blade, a crescent of light in the darkness, inviting.

"...to remember that you're fighting me."

I am a Gatemaster.

"Ikuzo." Kenshin said coldly, eyes hard.

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To be continued.....
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[Unit Two-One][Angel Slayer]