Himura Battousai
Copyright© 2007 by Trojan_85
Chapter 133: A Spirit Broken
Soujirou: It's annoying. Just seeing him is somehow...
Yumi (thinking): Annoying? He's smiling same as always, but... (aloud) Boy! You've got all kinds of enemies to face after this. Use the Shukuchi in the next attack and finish him. (thinking) He's different from the normal Soujirou!
Soujirou: Of course. That was my intention. I've decided to use one step before the Shukuchi.
Yumi: Boy!!
Soujirou: Oh, please don't be angry. I have every confidence that I could defeat Mr. Himura with the Shukuchi. But using my full strength against his wrong-headed sword would just be too annoying.
(He re-enters the next room.)
Sanosuke: Here he comes.
Kenshin: Yes...
Sanosuke: You gonna be okay?
Kenshin: I can't say. Only that if I can't defeat this boy, I won't reach Shishio. So I won't be able to return to Miss Kaoru and the others. I'll use my full strength. I have no other choice.
Soujirou: One step before the Shukuchi.
(He all but disappears, detectable only by the breaking of the tatami mats under his feet.)
Kenshin (thinking): Right? Or left?
(A similar break hits the ceiling, then a wall. Kenshin is surrounded on all sides by the crashes that mark Soujirou's passing.)
Kenshin (thinking): An omnidirectional attack, using not only horizontal but vertical space!
Sanosuke: There's nowhere to run now!
Soujirou: After all, in this world the flesh of the weak is the food of the strong.
(Kenshin whips his head around to follow the voice, but there's nothing there.)
Soujirou: The strong live, the weak die.
(Kenshin turns again--Soujirou materializes over his left shoulder, and he puts up his sword to block. A glimpse of the nine-year-old Soujirou, smiling.)
Soujirou: You don't kill? You protect the weak? That's what you say, but you're wrong.
(He strikes again, and again Kenshin blocks. Young Soujirou, crying out in shock.)
Soujirou: Why didn't you protect me then? If what you say is right, why didn't anyone protect me?
(He disappears again. Kenshin does his best to dodge the blitz of rapid movement.)
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