Rurouni Kenshin: Unleash the Battousai

[1] Sena

"Kenshin! Hey, wait up!" Sanosuke Sagara shouted. He ran up to his samurai friend. "Where do you think you're going?"

"Miss Kaoru asked me to go get some tofu." Himura Kenshin replied. "Would you like to come along?"

"Nah." Sano replied. "I've got better things to do."

Kenshin just smiled, stretching the cross-shaped scar on his cheek, and walked towards the town.

"Wow." Sano thought. "Hard to believe that he used to be Battousai the Manslayer!"

During the Revolution, there was only one man known as the strongest. And his name was Battousai the Manslayer. The bloodthirsty samurai would slaughter everyone in his path. With his godlike speed, thanks to the Hiten Mitsorugi Style, no one could oppose him and live. That all changed, however, when the Meiji Era began.

The Battousai realized his wrongdoings and gave up being a manslayer for good. There were no need for those kinds of people anymore. He then became a wanderer, and helped people to make up for every life he took.

After ten years, he found a home. The dojo owned by his friend Miss Kamiya Kaoru. Living along with them was the dojo student, Yahiko, and the street fighter, Sanosuke.

As Kenshin walked through town, he sensed a Swordsman Spirit. The aura of a fighter, unmistakable to one of its own. The will of a swordsman to hold his weapon.

Kenshin walked to the presence, his reverse-blade sword clanking against his leg. There was a man in a mask, wearing all black. He carried a sword on his belt as well.

"Battousai." The stranger whispered. "Fancy meeting you here."

"Who are you and why are you here?" Kenshin said quickly, under his breath.

"My name is Sena." The man said aloud. "And I'm here to defeat you." With that, he walked away.

"Sena, hm." Kenshin thought to himself. "This is very mysterious, that it is. I have heard the name somewhere, but I cannot put my finger on it."

It was dinner time at the dojo. Sanosuke and Yahiko were talking about new techniques, but Kenshin was quiet, staring at his food in a daze.

"Kenshin?" Kaoru said. "Are you alright?"

"Oro?" Kenshin broke from his trance. "Oh, yes. Just something that happened today has been on my mind, that it has."

"What is it?" Yahiko asked, interrupting Sano's lecture on proper fighting styles.

"Yea. Tell us!" Sano added, whacking Yahiko in the back of the head.

"Alright, if you must know." Kenshin sighed. "I was walking through town today and sensed a Swordsman Spirit." The others looked somewhat scared. There were never swordsmen in their little town! "I approached him. He was wearing all black, with a black mask covering his face. He said he was here to defeat me."

It was then noticed that little Yahiko's hands were clenched into fists. "Did he say his name?!" He shouted at Kenshin.

"He said his name was... Sena." Kenshin replied quietly.

"No... He's dead... No..." Yahiko stammered.

"What is it?" Kaoru asked, concerned.

"I'm gonna let you guys in on a secret." Yahiko said with his head down and voice dark. "During the Revolution, there were two manslayers. The Battousai, whom everybody knew and feared, but there was another. One who hid in the shadows, and was even stronger than the Battousai! His name was Sena. Sena Manslayer. The Government had kept Sena's existence from the people of Japan, hoping that they would not panic. And no one ever found out."

"If no one found out, then how are you telling us this now?" Sano asked him, hoping that he was joking.

"I know because my father was killed by him." Yahiko replied. He suddenly grabbed his shirt and tore it off. "And I was his only survivor!"

The Sano and Kaoru gasped. On Yahiko's chest, there was a deep scar running from his collarbone to his belly button.

"Why were we not told of this earlier, Yahiko?" Kenshin asked, seeming not shaken by the emotional moment.

"I thought he was dead." Yahiko replied softly. "I saw a policeman slash him across the chest after he had slaughtered my family."

"If you lived, then he did too, it seems." Sano added.

"But Yahiko!" Kaoru asked, worried. "Didn't you say that he is more powerful than Kenshin?"

"Yes. He is. Unless he has gotten rusty, Kenshin will be no match." Yahiko replied.

"For all of our sakes, I will try to defeat this monster. Especially for you, Yahiko." Kenshin said as he stood up and walked out the door. "I intend to get some rest now, that I do. Goodnight."

"He can't." Yahiko whispered to Sano and Kaoru. "Sena will keep coming at him until one of them is dead."

"Has there ever been a case when Kenshin has lost?" Kaoru said. "He can do it."

"I have a really bad feeling about this..." Sano thought.

Himura Kenshin laid down to sleep in his small room and stared at the bamboo ceiling. "Sena the Manslayer." He thought to himself. "My father."