Rurouni Kenshin: Unleash the Battousai

[2] Rikuni no Sariki

Kenshin awoke from his deep sleep and sat up in his bed.

"My father... Sena the Manslayer..." He thought to himself. "He's here. And I will have to fight him."

"Oh, Kenshin! I was told to come and get you!" Another friend, Miss Megumi said through a slightly open door. Miss Megumi was a doctor, who had been saved from a drug business by Kenshin and his friends.

"Oh, am I needed, Miss Megumi?" Kenshin asked, putting his smiling face over the serious one.

"They got a note with your name on it nailed to the dojo's door." Miss Megumi replied.

Kenshin's eyes shot up. He pulled on his day clothes and ran over to where everyone was standing.

"Battousai the Manslayer." Miss Kaoru read. "At noon at the old temple of Shinisko, I will be waiting. Come with your comrades and your sword. One will die." She looked worriedly at Kenshin.

"Why all of you?" Kenshin asked. "Usually, opponents ask for me alone."

"They probably want us to distract you or something." Sano replied.

"I'm going anyways." Yahiko said with anger. "I want to see Kenshin defeat him."

"But we'll just d-" Kaoru began to say, but Kenshin interrupted.

"It is okay, that it is." He said calmly. "As long as you do not disturb the duel, you should all come, as he asks."

"It is almost noon." Miss Megumi stated. "We should start to the temple."

So the group of five left the dojo and headed to the Temple of Shinisko. After the long trek up the stairs, they found themselves in front of Sena the Manslayer, one of the most powerful men of the Revolution. Dressed on black from head to toe, black mask covering his nose and mouth, and a single katana.

"Here are the rules." Sena began to speak. "All of the little friends go stand off to the side, so they won't get in the way. It's a fight to the death. Don't feel bad about killing your own father, because I feel nothing of killing my son."

This brought stares from Sano, Yahiko, Kaoru and Miss Megumi.

"Father? Son?!" Yahiko tried to believe it. Kenshin was so gentle and kind, while on the other hand, his father was a bloodthirsty tyrant.

"Didn't see that coming." Sano replied quietly, surprised for once.

"Kenshin is related to that monster?" Kaoru thought.

"Oh my." Miss Megumi said, astounded.

"I do not intend to kill anyone." Kenshin replied to his father. "I will never kill again!"

"Well, if I don't, then you will." Sena remarked.

"I would rather die than to break my oath to myself!" Kenshin shouted.

"Is he really that serious about his oath?" Yahiko thought. "This is Sena the Manslayer! He'll be killed if he doesn't kill!"

"Stand back, all of you." Kenshin asked of them calmly. "I don't want any harm to come of you, that I don't."

Sena and Kenshin took fighting stances, and drew their swords. Kenshin tried to use his speed to hit him with his reverse-blade sword, but he was blocked almost too easily.

"What style do you use?" Kenshin asked, bewildered. "This is unlike any style I have encountered!"

"No style suited me." Sena replied, smirking at Kenshin's surprise. "So I created my own: the Rikuni no Sariki!"

"And what does this style do? I would like to know, that I would." Kenshin questioned.

"It combines the incredible strength of the Futae no Kiwamii Style and the speed of the Hiten Mitsorugi Style. In other words, it's a mix of your style and that of your street fighter friend." Sena replied.

"How does he know my style?" Sano asked abruptly.

"He's probably been following Kenshin for a while... Learning counterattacks for all of his moves, discovering his weaknesses, everything! He does his research." Yahiko replied, anger growing.

"I still think Kenshin has a fighting chance." Kaoru said.

"Always the optimist, aren't you?" Yahiko retorted.

"Your behavior seems to have changed since Sena has been mentioned." Miss Megumi observed.

"It... It's just painful." Yahiko replied. "That man killed my father, and now I'm finding out that he's my idol's father! It's just overwhelming."

Their eyes went back to the makeshift battlefield as the father and son began talking again.

"Defeating me isn't your reason for coming here, is it, Sena?" Kenshin asked suspiciously.

"And how did you come up with that absurd question?" Sena asked.

"I can see it in your eyes." Kenshin replied.

"You want to know the real reason why I came to see you?" asked. "Well, I couldn't help but notice that you've grown to be a bit soft. You have no incentive to kill. I'm here to change that." He leaned closer to Kenshin's face. "I'm here to turn you back into your former self: Battousai the Manslayer."