A beep from a car is heard from outside the Hinode Dojo. Yanagi looks outside and see three girls inside a silver Cefiro. The girl driving the car was blue-haired, blue-eyed and tied her hair in a blue ribbon, she wore a purple vest over a blue dress. The girl in front had green hair, green eyes and wore green shades, she wore cargo pants to compliment her green shirt and made two braids out of her hair. The one in the back had red hair, red eyes and wore a pink clip on her short hair, she wore a black miniskirt to compliment her red blouse. "Minna! Okaeri nasai!" called Yanagi.
"Minna, I want you to meet my old students of the Hinode Ten Ryuu. Kotori Mizumaki," The blue-head smiled and bowed, "Tsubaki Midori," The green-head gave the peace sign, " and Hyoko Hiyama," The red-head smiled and waved. Everyone smiled and greeted them. "Probably later, they'll demonstrate their mastery in the Hinode Ten." Kazuki grinned slyly at his cousin.
Ken looked at everyone at lunchtime. "How could everyone fit in five rooms?" he asked Sammy. "Maybe they'll count off." Sammy chuckled. For a while there was a thought bubble with little SD charachters counting off, "ichi, ni, ichi, ni..." but it popped when Kari pointed to their bowls. They were still full of rice.
That afternoon, everyone gathered into the practice hall. Kotori wore a white gi with a blue hakama, Tsubaki wore a pink gi with a green hakama and Hyoko wore a yellow gi to compliment her red hakama. "I will demonstrate my mastery in the Hinode Ten first," started Kotori and, looking at a rock in front of her, broke it in to pieces using a single downward slash, "I use a different version of a technique called Futae-No-Kiwami. Even though I couldn't break it with my fist alone, I use my daisho (twin katana) to break the rock with a single blow." "So that means your level of mastery is on the power of the blow, making the opponent lose with a single attack." Andrew said coolly. "My turn!" Tsubaki said genkily. Sammy from the other side of the hall threw 20 stones at Tsubaki. Tsubaki smiled and hit all the stones with high accuracy and her warfan. "I've been mastering the main purpose of the Hinode Ten," "Which is accuracy!" finished Miki with a smile. "Yatta!" cheered Tsubaki. Hyoko stepped up and cleared her voice. Yanagi who also studied archery drew a bow and arrow and shot it. Hyoko seemed to not move but in a blur she was a few steps away and the arrow broke. "That my friends would be my mastery of speed. Which allows me to outrun my opponents in no time at all." Hyoko smiled warmly and slung the nagitana unto her shoulders. "You've shown your students Yanagi-kun. Wait 'till you see mine." Kazuki Seijurou asked for Miki to stand up. Kazuki set a bullseye in the other end of the practice hall. Miki threw her kunai. All hit the bullseye. Tsubaki was cheering as she's all ways been. Andrew asked Yuri to stay in the center. Andrew (who by the way holds a bokken) does his illusion, and as Yuri thought she'd get him, he attacks. Hyoko was facinated. Sammy throws a heavy ball of rock in to the air and smashes it in the air. "Futae-No-Kiwami. Runs through my family's blood." Sammy said. Kotori smiled with approval.
Suddenly, Kari came into the hall carrying a letter. It said : To Yanagi Hinode, This is announcing that our troop will attack Kyoto in 3 days. I dare you and your students to defeat the Juppongatana again. If you fail, we shall make Japan a living hell. - Shishio Makoto
Spoiler Alert! This one shows the Kamiya Kasshin Ryuu Ougi. This also contains spoilers on the Kyoto Arc.
Ken woke up to hear the crackling of fire in the distance. He find the village nearby in flames. He rushes to wake up everyone in the dojo. "The Juppongatana!" Kotori gasped as she remembered what happened several years ago.
Several years ago - Kotori unsheathed her daisho and charged at Kamatari. She managed to dodge the scythe, but the ball followed and hit her on the back. Darkness fell upon her as Hyoko was bombed away by Hennya and Tsubaki was hit brutally by Iwanbou. Kazuki already killed Fuji, as for Yanagi, she killed Hoji before he'd shoot her. Her speed was near equivalent to Battousai though her accuracy had never failed to kill an enemy. She brought Hoji down with the Hinode Ten equivalent to Ryu-Sou-Sen, the Sempu Ryu. As Kotori awakened she found the two cousins with blood smeared on them. Kazuki's hands and cloak was covered with blood. And Yanagi's face and hands as well was smeared with the color of death.
The gang ran towards the center of the attack in their gis, hakamas, and shinobis. Ken in magenta and white, Kari in white and blue, Kotori in yellow and blue, Hyoko in yellow and red, Tsubaki in pink and green, Yanagi in blue and red, Kazuki in light blue and black, Miki was in an oniwabanshuu shinobi, Andrew wearing that trenchcoat thingy and Sammy in street fighter clothes (don't forget the Aku ^-^) "Yanagi and the girls, attack the Juppongatana. We'll head for Shishio." Kazuki ordered. The girls replied with nods. "Miki, Kotori go for Hennya. Hyoko, Tsubaki go for Iwanbou. Me and Kari will face Kamatari." Yanagi ordered as they charged. "Ohoho! Look at those Hinode students, thinking that they can beat us now." Kamatari (who, of course, is now a girl.) laughed at the girls going for the kill. Yanagi slashed at every opponent in sight. Kari was hitting every opponent with her bokken. Miki beated them up using her kempo. Hyoko didn't have any trouble with the nagitana. Kotori slashed away with her daisho. Tsubaki went through enemies with her warfan. When they go to their real opponents, Kotori went to Kari to give her one of her daisho. "Kari-chan. We'll have to kill them so that their souls won't live another generation." "Hai." Kari replied as she slipped the sword on her sash.
Between Miki and Kotori Hennya flew above them, he disablised the police with his bombs. Miki startted the attack with a few kunai, Hennya dodged all. Kotori then devised a plan. She was to unleash the Do-Kasumi-Hinode and while Hennya is blinded, Miki would throw her kunai at him. Miki agreed on that plan. Kotori took her place. "Hinode Ten Ryuu, Do-Kasumi-Hinode!" With her mastery in strength, she made the asphalt dirt rise up in an great tower, blinding Hannya for a while. Miki followed with 20 kunai and Hannya dived down since the kunai have struck all of his vital points. Miki smiled at her accomplishment.
Now the battlefield was centered on Hyoko and Tsubaki. "Hinode Ten Ryuu, Sempu Ryu!" The both using the same technique. Hyoko's speed and Tsubaki's accuracy made it impossible for Iwanbou to move, then, Hyoko rose into the air, Tsubaki crouched on the ground. "Hinode Ten Ryuu, Hinoiri Sen!" "Hinode Ten Ryuu, Hinode Sen!" Their movements looked like two suns. One setting and another rising. Iwanbou fell sliced in half. The two wiped the sweat from their brows and contiued exterminating the henchmen.
Now the final fight commenced. Yanagi and Kari took their stances. "Two against one. This will be interesting." Kamatari smiled maliciously. "Midare Benten!" She started. Yanagi had to go critical. Kamatari moved towards Yanagi. "Hiten Mitsurugi Ryuu," Hyoko, Tsubaki and Kotori looked at their shishou. They had never seen her demontrate the awesome power of the Hiten Mitsurugi. "Ryu-Kan-Sen!" She hit Kamatari but the ball hit her at the back. "Baka." Teased Kamatari. "You'd never win against me." Just then, the scythe was broken. "I'll just have to adjust. Benten-Mawashi!" Kari went to attack. She felt this urge for this certain kind of attack. Although she was just a student, she unleashed the ougi. "Kamiya Kasshin Ryuu Ougi, Hawatari!" Her attack was sucsessful, killing Kamatari with one blow. "Yanagi-san!" "Shishou!" "Hinode-san!" Yanagi woke up to see Kari, Miki and her students helping her up after the fight. "Daijoubu, Hikari-san, Miki-san, Hyoko, Tsubaki, Kotori." Yanagi smiled as she replied.
Note: Do-Kasumi-Hinode = Do-Ryu-Sen
Sempu Ryu = Ryu-Sou-Sen
Hinoiri Sen = Ryu-Tsui-Sen
Hinode Sen = Ryu-Sho-Sen
Spoiler Alert! This contains spoilers on the Kyoto Arc. I'm feeling lazy so this chapter is lazy all the while...
The next day, we find the men riding in Yanagi's Lancer. They stop at a small shop selling knives. "Konichiwa! May I help you?" asked a man who had brown hair that ressembles Nick of the Backstreet Boys. "Nothing, just came here to rest a while." says Kazuki. "Oh. Why don't you stay in the shrine for a while." says the man. The men decided to rest under a tree near the shrine when suddenly, "Hand over the sword, Arai Reizumi!" says a broomhead holding the man by his haori. "Who are you and what do you want?" asked Sammy in rage. "I'm here for a sword this man's ancestor made. It's priceless. By the way, I'm Chou." "I can't give it to him. It's an-" The broomhead cluched his neck. "You, Icicle!" he said pointing to Andrew. "Fight me! You win, I let the man go, you lose, I get the sword."
Andrew replied with the unsheathing of his double kodachi. The fight began, Chou used his thin blade sword. Andrew dodged it with precision. He lept in the air steering clear of the blade and knocked him out using his feet. "Content?"
Meanwhile - "Aha!" rang two genki voices from the study. "Finally, I hacked the Juppongatana's website." grinned Tsubaki evilly with her sunglasses flashing. "We've hacked them...." Miki's voice sang as they exchanged high-fives. "Missed!"
On the other side of the dojo, Kotori stepped out of the bathroom and Hyoko fainted. "It....smells...."
By the way - "Ah! Nothing like training to fire your senses!" said Yanagi. It was followed by a crash of a tree. "Oro?"
And again - "OH NO! Another disaster!" The voice of Yuri rang through the hall. "I am never gonna eat that..."
For the last time........................ Where's the sword? "It's a sakabatou." Everyone facefaults but Ken gets it.
KASUMI-CHAN'S A FREAK OF NATURE!
Authors Note: Regarding Yanagi Hinode. At first, her main purpose was just to be a Hiko stand-in. But when looking back on each charachters timelines, I decided that Kenshin would be reborn in a strange way. One half would be the Rurouni. The other would be Battousai. Take a look at the flashback description on JGChapter 2: Dawn of the Attack. The fight scene in the mind's eye looks near Battousai. Hehe. Think of a female hitokiri -.-;; Looks like the rurouni's Ken while Battousai's Yanagi. Kinda makes sense though (Hinode Battousai) regarding the fact that Yanagi gets to fight Reiko Hajime and she's got the hair, the speed and the skill. Btw, I'll write a little OVA type in contrast to this and no, she is never going to marry a male type Tomoe reincarnation. They're just gonna be friends, capishe?
Note: Reiko turns out a bit fond for Yanagi.
Ken. Kari worried that evening. Yanagi spotted Kari sitting on the porch. Yanagi was in her hakama and gi armed already with her katana. Yanagi approached Kari and greeted her with a warm smile. "You're worried about him, aren't you?" Kari nodded in reply. "I felt the same way, too. When I was in the Ishinshishi Niban, I had three friends. From all of them, Tomo Yukiyama was one of the closest. One time, he was asked to do a one-man assignment. A few days later he succeeded. But, during our next assignment, he was slashed to death." Tears fell from Yanagi's willow green eyes. "Demo, I'm sure Ken will succeed. Ne, Hikari-chan?" Kari looked at Yanagi with a smile. "Yanagi-chan," "Hn?" "You sort of remind me of Ken. Though you seem to be more hurt inside than him." "Aa. Physical wounds melt away but the wound on your feelings will never dissapear. I've been scarred several times." "Yanagi-chan." Kari snuggled close to Yanagi leaning close. "You're warm. Like Ken. You're sweet, too. Could you do me a favor?" "What would that be?" "Please, bring him back for me." Yanagi hugged her. "I will, Hikari-chan. I will." Yanagi stepped away and took the keys to Tsubaki's motorcycle and her helmet.
A while later, Yanagi reached a glade. She settled down for it was midnight and she heard a masculine voice. "The Ishinshishi Niban's best female hitokiri, Yanagi Hinode or should I say, Shiro Battousai." "And may I say the same, Reiko Hajime. It seems that you have not changed. You are still that Miburo's Wolf I used to know." Reiko stepped out of the darkness. Yanagi turned to face him. "You seem to have changed, Shiro." "Shiro, Yanagi, Battousai or Miss Hinode. I'm still an hitokiri fighting to protect Japan." "Aa. Your will to live is stronger and the aura which I sense has become more potent than during that rage attack. You are pretty much what every hitokiri fears." Yanagi smiled. "And what would that be?" Reiko held her chin up to his face. "A young, beautiful, female hitokiri. Your name suits you, Yanagi, a willow, strong but graceful." Yanagi turned away. "I'm off to battle Shishio. Where are you headed for?" "Same." "You live for the battle, do you?" "Aa." Reiko nodded lighting a cigarette. "Is it the same with you?" "Iie. I live to protect. Of course, now I have my students." Reiko smirked, "Did you teach them that magnificent technique?" "Nope. I trained them in technique branched off from it. Although a male student of mine learned both from me." "Shall we have a quickie then?" "I hope you don't mean that quickie." Yanagi laughed, "One on one. First one bleeds loses!" The two took their positions. "Koi!" Yanagi's fighing spirit rang through that word. Reiko charged with a gatotsu. Yanagi sidestepped. Reiko only saw a blur but it was too late. Yanagi made a light bleeding wound on his back. "I'd take it easy on you since I don't want to kill without a good reason." "Your eyes tell me that you are always ready to partake in combat." Reiko smiled. "Your sword smells like lillies. Why is that?" "I want to hide the blood. It's offensive to strike someone with such an evil sword." "You still play innocent, ne?" Reiko said looking at the fresh white lily on Yanagi's head. The lake in the scene looked like an addition to her innocent face. "You were like the old days. Your face making the whole battlefield look serene. Sore ja. I'll see you tommorow. I wouldn't want to spend the night with an Ishinshishi Niban." Yanagi smiled and retreated into the tent.
Standard Disclaimers Apply. Yanagi Hinode belongs to moi. The little gi incident I caught from Jessica Entis' "An Inn in Hokkaido"
Pitch black. Yanagi floated in the dark depths of the unknown abyss. Then, she found herself in a dark alley. There she saw someone like Ken being challenged by a young lady who looked like Hikari. "Hikari-chan!" Yanagi called out but, the lady did not respond. "Hitokiri Battousai!" the lady called out to the man. Hitokiri Battousai! So this man is...Himura Kenshin!
Before she could step, she fell again into another scene. A man who looked like Reiko was fighting the hitokiri. The red locks of the hitokiri were released from the tie. Yanagi looked close. Sunset red hair, yellowish eyes, speed like a cheetah and the name Battousai. Yanagi's memories of the rage she unleashed years ago flashed through her mind. Her green eyes suddenly turned of a yellowish tint, tears flooded her eyes as she killed like a madman avenging her friend's death. The words of her comrade echoed, Yanagi-kun, I have liked you a lot. Please don't die in this cruel war. Kyoto still needs you. Niji and Kyo still need you to fight with them. Yanagi-kun, I love you... Yanagi fell to her knees. As she watched the fight continue she saw the lady crying. She must have been his lover. He still has someone to care for. This young lady needs him. By all means, HE SHOULD NOT DIE! As Yanagi watched them go for the last blow, she yelled out, "Himura-san! YAMETE!"
Yanagi woke with a start. She was inside her tent. She went outside. The sun just rose. "I'll have to catch up with them... Later that day, Yanagi tagging Reiko along with her, caught up with Ken and the others in front of Shishio's lair. "Konichiwa!" "Yanagi-kun," Kazuki questioned, "Who's the cockroach?" "Reiko Hajime, an ex-Shinsengumi Niban." Reiko stepped in between the two red-heads and asked, "Ah, Shiro, who's that red-head and how come you're wearing Midnight Blue while he's wearing Magenta Pink?" Yanagi turned SD looking like Battousai with a flower in her hair while Reiko had wolf-ears and a tail poking out of his body and the SD Battousai-Yanagi beat him up with the sheath of her sword while saying, "Don't mind the gi's you fool! I'm still a girl! And I'm never gonna be a boy!" Yanagi reverted back and poked at Ken's clothing. "Oh my, how come you're wearing Magenta Pink?" "It just popped in to my head..."replied Ken. Yanagi thought hard Speaking of Magenta Pink, are my eyes fooling me or didn't Himura-san wear Magenta Pink when I saw him in my dream...
A sexy female walked in from the dark abyss of Shishio's Lair. "Aa. I see that all of you are here. By the way, the grounds you are on are not Kyoto 2000. You have stepped into Kyoto 1878." Reiko took a look at his police uniform, from the modern kind he wore, they reverted into an old style. Yanagi felt a vicous pain in her eyes. The willow green of her eyes faded revealing dark purple eyes. Yanagi's Lancer and Tsubaki's motorcycle faded out of their sight. But what really facinated them was Yanagi's change in eye color. Kazuki looked closely at both his baka deshi and his adopted cousin. They looked so much like twins although Yanagi was ten years older than Ken. "Let me introduce myself. I am Yumi Komagata. I'll lead you to Shishio demo, he made a special barrier where in you'll have to understand your past lives before you come and battle him." Andrew looked coldly at her, "How will we do that?" "Let's say there will be a special messenger sometime around." Sammy lost his cool, "Teme! I want to kill that freak now!" He charged at the abyss but the barrier electrocuted him. The group came to his aid. "Alright, we'll go back. Demo, don't think of destroying Kyoto yet." Yanagi said with a tinge of anger in her voice. As they stepped out, Reiko's uniform reverted to their old form and Yanagi's willow green eyes reappered again.
Standard Disclaimers Apply. Yanagi Hinode, Helena Alexandria and the Hinode Ten Ryuu belong to me.
The new Kenshin-gumi reached the entrance to Shishio's lair. Yumi once again appeared to them. "I see. You all know your true identities now. You may enter Shishio's lair." When they stepped into the deep abyss, they saw the battlefield. There was a cage there with a face both Sammy and Ken knew. "Seta Sakurai!" "Well, well, well. Nice to see you again, Himura Kenshin, Sagara Sanosuke, Saito Hajime, Seijuro Hiko, Shinomori Aoshi and let's not forget the former female slasher in the back." Shishio said calmly while pissing Yanagi off. "Well, I'll just be inputing Soujiro's memory back into this reborn body of his and well finish you off." The young boy of 11 stuck his hand out and tried to reach Ken but it was no use, the cage held the young boy in. Shishio held his hand out in front of the young Seta and tried to talk Soujiro's memory into him. "Ken, don't we have anything to stop this?" asked Yanagi as she worried. Ken remembered a packet Kari gave him. He opened it and found a locket that held the kanji word for light on it. Then he found a note written by Helena, 'The Emblem of Light could only be used by females. It hold powers to reverse evil. Yet, this can only be used once in five days.'
"That spell Shishio's conjuring is a dark type. Might as well take a gamble and use Yanagi." Kazuki said as Seta cried for help in the cage. Yanagi took the emblem and muttered first, "I wish Kari-chan was here. Then we wouldn't have to use the emblem." So, Yanagi held her hand in front of her facing Seta and conjured a spell.
'Seta Sakurai. Your name is Seta Sakurai.' Yanagi meditated as blinding yellow light flowed out of the emblem. 'She's lying. You are Seta Soujiro. You were maltreated.' Shishio countermeditated. 'Don't belive him! He's lying. You are loved by your siblings and your parents. Your friends loved you too.' Yanagi meditated even stronger. 'No! The strong shall live, the weak shall die! And you are strong Seta! You must kill to be strong!' Shishio meditated more. 'No! You don't want to kill. You didn't even want to kill in the first place.' Yanagi maditated with the remaining power in the emblem...
"Seta! Seta-kun!" Seta saw his friends, Yamato Kamioka, the brother of Kari. Suzume, who works at the Akabeko. And Yukiro Verde, Ken's cousin from Italy. "Come play ball with us, Seta." Suzume said holding her hand out to Seta. "No. Don't you want to be strong? Follow me." Seta spun around. He saw Shishio holding his hand out to him. "Seta. Won't you come play with us?" Yukiro held out his hand, too. "Seta. Won't you come to us." Behind Shishio, Yumi held out her hand. "Seta-kun. Let's play!" Yamato held out his hand. "Seta. Shishio-sama's waiting. Let's go." Houji held out his hand from Shishio's side. Seta rembered two things. The fun he had with his friends and the victories spent with the Juppongatana. "Seta. Don't you want to go with them. We'll treat all of you to lunch at the Akabeko, right minna?" Seta looked at Suzume's side. Ken was there with Kari-neesan and everyone else. Miki, Andrew, Yuri and Sammy. He remembered some good times. Playing baseball with Yukiro, Yamato and Suzume, Ken helping him with his projects, Sammy treating him to a movie, eating out with Miki and Kari, Andrew willing to pick him and the others after classes and Yuri taking care of all his wounds. Life couldn't get any better. "Seta, doushite? Let's go out and kick some lousy asses." He looked at Shishio's side. The rest of the Juppongatana was there. He wanted to go back yet he never wanted to kill so, "Seta! Let's go! The baseball field can't wait!." Seta took Yamato's hand and a golden light shone.
Yanagi dropped to the ground. "Yanagi-kun. Daijoubu?" She heard her cousin say. The final meditation made her lose all the power for one day from the emblem. "I'm fine. It's just that, I saw a bright light conquer Shishio's spell." "Seta's saved, thanks to you." She saw a figure escaping from the cage running towards Ken. Seta came rushing towards Ken and asked, "When will you treat me out?" "Later Seta. Yanagi, take Seta to the car." Yanagi nodded and took Seta's hand. "Shishio. Time to fight." Yanagi took Seta out of the building. "Who are you? Why do you look so much like Ken-niisan?" Yanagi looked at the boy beside her. "Well. I'm his older sister, Yanagi." "Why are you taking me to the car?" Seta asked. "Um. We don't want you to get hurt so Ken told me to bring you there. Just don't go out of this place. Mind calling my house on the cellphone? Just ask for Kari or Miki to pick you up from here." Yanagi took her cellphone out of the car and dialed a number. She gave the cellphone to Seta. "We'll be back. We promise." Yanagi fished out a scrunchie with a white flower attached to it and tied her long orangey-red hair up in a Battousai-like hairstyle. "Whew. At last. A fine breeze. It's not nice to fight when your hair's making your neck sweat."
Ken charged at Shishio with a Ryu-Tsui-Sen. Shishio dodged it perfectly. Kenshin countered with another attack. Shishio was struck on the back. "You think you can beat me that easily?" Shishio's injury vanished. "I'm invincible. No one can beat me or anyone of the Dark Masters with such a measly attack!" Then suddenly..."Yaiba no Kaze! (Blade of the Wind)" Yanagi's element hit Shishio on the head. "Such a puny attack." Shishio charged at Yanagi and grabbed her by the gi. "Dark Snakes!" A bunch of black snakes struck Yanagi's limbs. Yanagi fell to the ground bleeding. "No one hurts my cousin and gets away with it!" Kazuki yelled, "Hagane Sen! (Steel Slash)" Shishio was hit in the abdomen yet he was laughing. "You can't kill me with several slashes." The wound closed itself. "You'll have to kill me with one blow!" And Shishio slashed Kazuki's abdomen sending him collapsing down on the other side of Shishio. "Take this then!" Andrew slashed with a Snow Rainbow. "Missed me!" Shishio struck down on Andrew. "Touriya!" Reiko yelled as he did the lightning gatotsu. Reiko gasped as he saw where Shishio was, he was right behind him. "Shi ne!" Shishio laughed as the dark snakes appeared again hitting Reiko on his limbs. Sammy charged at Shishio but it was no use. Shishio threw him to the wall with a dark barrier. "You still have to fight me!" Ken charged at Shishio. "Hayashi (Forest) Ku-Zu-Ryu-Sen!" Shishio fell. "You haven't won!" A dark serpent struck Ken in the abdomen. The ground around Ken slowly became red with blood.
Kenshin's mind worked in Ken's body. "Ken. Ken. Get a hold of yourself!" Kenshin's voice rang in Ken's mind. "You can't give up! You're living the life I'd kill to have." "Why?" Ken questioned. "You're with Kaoru-dono. You don't have that guilt I have. You can't die! You still have Kari to take care of. Yanagi would damn your grave if you die. Everyone will be discouraged. And I will lose all hope to be with Kaoru again." "What made you lose Kaoru?" "You see, Chaos, Erebus and Night came to Japan and took Kaoru's life while I slept with her." Kenshin shed a few tears. "How did that happen?" asked Ken. "One day after receiving the news that black-robed strangers that call themselves Chaos, Erebus and Night arrived in Japan. I decided to sleep with Kaoru since she was scared by those people and scared of me leaving her again. When she was asleep, I felt something cold creep over me and Kaoru and in the morning, I found her not breathing. I was so saddened that I killed myself in that room. So please don't die!"
"Sammy! Sammy! Oi! Baka!" Sano called to Sammy in his mind. "Never give up! That fox is worried sick about ya!" "Really. She didn't seem to care." "Well, she healed your wounds right?" "Yeah."
"And what about that bastard? You can't possibly fall under such a man!" Sammy stared in wonder at Sano's words, "So might as well live!"
"Oi. Ahou!" Saito cursed Reiko in his mind. "If you die now. You can't see your wife again, ne? So, aren't you going to kick that bastard's ass?"
Andrew felt an arm around him. It was Aoshi. "I know you care for Miki. Just like I care for Misao." "I do." "Well," Aoshi started his cold expression turning into a rare slight smile. "Wake up and fight for her!" Kazuki found himself in front of Hiko. "Yo! Baka!" "Who's a baka?" "You are!" Kazuki fell back in shock. "You should never give up! Never fall back!" "Hai!" Kazuki sharply replied.
Yanagi found herself on the edge of a mountain cliff. Her hair was down and she wore her kimono. "There you are!" Yanagi spun around to see who was talking. Battousai was hiking up the cliff with a sakabatou not a katana. "Hey. What are you doing here." Yanagi replied with a solemn tone. "Well, just came here to see the sun set." "Why were you looking for me?" asked Yanagi again. "Well. I just came to say that aren't you going to fight for the ones you love?" "Well. I did this to protect my country and my friends." "Then, would it be good that you were living a better version of my life?" Battousai asked with his hands behind his head, relaxing against the mountain. "What do you mean better? I saw blood." "Well, you didn't go through people hating you for defending the government. Our old govenment was scorned by millions. Yours was working fine until the Shinsengumi Niban came and said that your government needed a change. You don't want the country and your friends to die, ne?" "No." answered Yanagi. Battousai smiled at her. "So, fight! Fight for your country and your friends! "
Shishio turned to see Ken stand up with determination. "I'm not going to give up. Kari is still waiting for me. Kenshin is counting on me. I'm going to win." Shishio turned to find Sammy slowly bringing his bruised body up. "I'm going to live! I'm not going to fall under an evil man like you, Shishio!" Shishio turned again to find Reiko sitting up saying, "Ahou. Do you think a Miburo like me will give up?" Then as Shishio turned again, he found Andrew and Kazuki slowly rising. And finally, Yanagi arose saying, "You can't take over this country, Shishio. For we will crush you like an insect!" Yanagi's green eyes turned a yellow-greenish tint. "Tenshi no Kaze!" "Hagane Batsu!" "Yuki Sen!" "Lightning Gatotsu!" "Rock Punch!" Then as Shishio weakened, Ken gave the final blow, "Ryu no Hayashi!"
A blast of light blew Shishio and Yumi away with the battlefield, too. All was sucked into a deep vortex. "IYA!" Shishio's enraged shout escaped from the vortex. "I'm so sorry, Master Chaos!" A deep voice answered back, "Would you think I'll let a weakling like you handle them again? Never!" The vortex closed and a blinding light flashed. Yanagi sheilded her weakened brother with her wind barrier, Andrew and the rest tried their best to keep away from the debris flying toward them.
"Ken! Yanagi!" Ken awoke to see Kari looking at him with worry. "You're hurt. Don't move. Helena will fix all of your wounds in a jiff." "Ame no Inochi (Rain of Life)" Silvery drops of water emitted from Helena's baton. One of the droplets hit Ken's wound, the wound closed itself. Yanagi sat up, "Where's Seta?" "Hyoko and Yuri took him to the dojo." Kari replied. "That's good." Yanagi smiled. "The fight with Shishio is over, demo, the three dark sorcerers haven't been defeated yet." Helena added.
"Say, Helena, could you give us info about these dark sorcerers?" asked Kazuki when they got to the dojo. "Well, all I can say is that Night is the mistress of hypnotism and she can't fight back. She has two henchmen named Darkness and Shadows. Erebus is good at controlling souls. He doesn't need hypnotism and can fight back. Chaos is master of evil. He can turn a friend against you and may even make you kill them. Chaos can only be killed when Love, Day and Peace appear. Love is the head of the three saving angels. Day is the second of the three, her blinding light goes with Love. Then, Peace, the third, is an angel, too. The angels could be called on when all the virtues are combined." Helena said to them. "Then what are these virtues?" asked Miki. Helena explained again, "Well, the virtues are in your element. Nature has serenity. Light has hope. Wind has freedom. Fire has determination. Ice has bravery. Steel goes with will. Rock to faith. Lightning to strength. Poison to knowlege. Even though me and everyone else has an element, we don't have virtues. We are only for backup I can heal your wounds, Kotori could give water, Tsubaki ca read opponents minds and Hyoko can distract using her speed."
Coming up...Darkness Arc Chapter 1: Night Befalls Yanagi!