Rurouni Kenshin: Unleash the Battousai

[8] Confrontations

  When Kaoru heard the news, her eyes widened, she began to shake. Megumi walked over to her, with a worried expression on her face.

"Are you all right, Kaoru?" She asked.

"Are you telling me that you're not doing the same?" Kaoru asked her friend. "Kenshin's become the Battousai again. The government and the police are helpless to do anything about it!"

"Yea, but we'll get him back!" Yahiko tried to cheer everyone up. "We'll get Kenshin back, and then he'll come back to us!"

"He might kill you before you say a word." Sanosuke cut in. "This isn't Kenshin anymore. We have to think with a different mindset. If not, we're all goners."

------

The next day, people had been slaughtered in the street. And not just a few. A good ten to fifteen people lay on the dirt road, their blood seeping out of their bodies.

"It looks like it didn't happen that long ago!" Yahiko exclaimed, noticing the fresh blood. "Looks like he went this way!"

The group ran along the road until they saw a figure. The figure had long red hair. "I'm gonna get off the road and trail around." Sanosuke whispered. "If he doesn't see me, we have an advantage." He then hopped off the road and began running.

The red haired figure noticed that he was being followed. He turned to see the group of people that he once considered friends.

"Nice to see you." Battousai said. The first thing Kaoru noticed was his eyes. Then, she noticed that his hair was in a higher ponytail than usual. And finally, she realized that he was covered in the blood of the citizens that he had just slaughtered.

But Kaoru knew that she couldn't break down in front of this man. She'd be dead. "What are you doing?" She asked the manslayer. "Your attacks seem random. Are you just killing for fun, or do you have a pattern?"

"You're in no position to be asking questions." Battousai replied. "I'm the one with the sword. Among your group, there is nothing that can fend me off."

"Speaking of swords, where'd you get that one?" Kaoru asked, confused. "There are no places that sell Japanese swords around here..."

Before she could process what happened, the blade was out of its sheath and pointed at her. "Did you not hear what I just said?" He replied in a darker tone than before. "Where is Sanosuke?"

"Sano?" Yahiko replied. "He's not here. He's off doing his own thing."

"It's his lucky day." Battousai smirked, sheathing his sword once more. "It sounds like his life will be spared." He began to pull it out, but was kicked in the head.

While he was still disoriented, Sano continued to punch him, until he was on the ground. Police whistles could be heard.

A police carriage had arrived. The carriage was metal and had no windows. A prison cell on wheels. Battousai was taken and thrown into the metal carriage. And then they left, obviously in a hurry.

"I... K... Ken..." Kaoru stuttered. It all happened so fast. First, Kenshin was trying to kill them. Now, he was going to prison!

"They're taking him to Kyoto is my guess." Megumi pointed out, breaking the silence.

"So... Who's coming to Kyoto?" Sano asked, chuckling.

They all agreed to leave the next morning.