Somewhere in the atlantic, A ship approached the continent of Japan. One could dismiss the cargo ship as nothing at first glance... Until they dropped whatever they were holding, as well as their jaws, when they realized it literally flying across the waters, going at least a hundred miles per hour and surrounded by an energy field. Heading straight for Asuka. ## The last creature collapsed to the floor, twitching in agony, and the tunnel was silent once more. Karou sheathed the sakaba, glancing at nearly a hundred some unconscious creatures scattered all over the place. No one of them touched her. Something in the back of her mind screamed something was wrong with this picture. She ignored it. The next room was just like she expected, something out of a nightmare. Huge, impossibly so, with a decor both gothic and Victorian. Walls of polished black marble, glowing with latent power. Shadows stretched and crawled, like spiders and cobwebs in a crypt. Crystalline stalactites reflected the glow, but could do little against the almost sentient darkness. And finally, the centerpiece...a lake of blood for its 'floor'...marble still...bottomless... Karou stepped out into that pool, as if she knew bone pillars would rise below her. Waiting. "You're early." Karou glimpsed Ashura's naked form gliding through the blood. Watched sharp spines grow along the woman's back, coffee complexioned skin harden to scales. Then the change was gone as quickly as it came. "I was bored." Ashura slowly rose out of the lake, arms crossed over her breasts and eyes closed...the blood forming a simple black dress over her like a second skin. Then she smiled at her, regarding her with interest. Karou smiled back. Neatly sidestepped and stiffarmed the silent creature pouncing from behind, the following spin kick launching it toward Ashura. Watched her destroy it with a glance, not even the ashes falling near her or The smile never leaving her face. "You've changed, Karou dono." "Not so much as you." Ashura's grin widened at the barb. "Oh, this?" She raised her hand, or rather claw. Flexed it as it became human again. "A temporary setback, til I complete the transformation." Ashura and Karou started circling each other, smiling tigresses eager to sink their fangs into the other..."But you didn't come all this way to talk, Karou dono..." "Actually, I was hoping we could talk girl to girl," Karou smirked. "Before I kick your manstealing ass." "Never could deny a last request." "Explain a few things to this country bumpkin...Why were you at the Jamison library? Trying to keep us in the dark? Please. All those bloody pawprints you left show you were there a while, looking for something..." Karou paused to observe Ashura. That damned smile was still there. Hell, she looked even more amused. "And all this..." Karou scoffed. "If world domination was your goal, you would of hit Tokyo first. Or the American government. Not here." Karou's eyes hardened and her smile lost it's humor, because a sneer worthy of Satiou. "So what are you really after, bitch?" An eternity of silence went by. Then Ashura roared with laughter. Genuine, without her usual malice. "Ah Karou dono, You never fail to impress me..." Still chuckling, Ashura formed a chair of bone with a guesture, plopping down like an impatient child ready to tell a story. "Have a seat Karou dono" She raised a similar chair behind Karou. "This will take some time to explain." Karou did as she was told. Without taking her eyes off Ashura and placing the Sakaba in her lap, hand on the hilt. Ashura shrugged. "As you guessed, this isn't about you worthless humans. It's about destiny...My true destiny....For I have glimpsed the truth: Bane and the swordmaker, for all their vaunted power, are merely pieces of a far greater puzzle than even I can imagine...But I don't have to tell you that, do I Karou dono?" If Karou was surprised, she wasn't giving Ashura the satisfaction of knowing it. Even so, Ashura looked even more smug, A wine glass appearing in her hand as she continued. "I know you felt it last night at the forge. Hell, when you stepped into this ship even. That feeling of Deja vu...Of something familiar..." "Why don't you just spit it out, Ashura? You bore me." "Would if I could, Karou dono." Ashura couldn't keep the pleasure out her voice. "But I'll tell you this: There's something out there that doesn't belong in this little world of ours...Disturbing the fragile balance our world needs to survive. Humans are only aware of it's presence as Children, and adapt to it as they become adults. Avalonians can't feel it at all because their magic blinds them to it for some reason. And we swordbearers..." "Can't sense it because it's connected to Bane and the Swordmaker, the source of their power?" "Perceptive as always, Karou dono. But there are exceptions. Some humans, like you, never adapt and can still sense it. And then there's me..." The humor left the woman, and what it left in it's place was frightening...some emotion that Karou could not describe but scared her. "...Who it summons..." The burst of lighting was so well timed it wasn't funny. "Let my family play world domination to their hearts content. They must not know of this, Karou dono. Especially my beloved Mother. But whatever's out there calls to me...like an old friend, a lover for Kami-sama's sake! I've felt this way since I was born! That's why I need Bane's knowledge so badly...To find out what I truly am and what the hell is out there! To be prepared! And why Asuka, Dear Karou dono? Because it's coming here, drawn to the energies released last night! ." Karou could almost feel a swell of pity for the woman. Almost. Then the smile returned full force, Ashura back to herself as she sat back. "Ah, yes, confession is good for the soul. But I've been so rude to my other guest..." Had Karou been a second slower, she would have also been sliced in two like the chair. As it was, her ponytail ties had been cut and spilled her long hair down her back...landing in a crouch as her yellow cloaked attacker turned to face her with burning black and yellow eyes... Karou's heart froze in her chest. "No..." The cloak was thrown aside, confirming her fears. Yellow orbs burning from thier dark depths, contrasting the youthful face and contesting the flame of the red mane that framed it. Spoke silently but fiercely of the incredible strength belied in the slender frame she knew so well. Even matched the ragged blue gi and white Hakama... Karou screamed in denial, now deadly serious at Ashura's latest perversion. "WHAT DID YOU DO TO HIM YOU-!!" "Spare me, Karou-dono." Ashura cut her off. "I didn't expect the ritual to have this side effect on him..." He said nothing. Merely watched her, watched and waited. "That only the strongest persona would survive...That weak shadow of him you fell in love with is dead and gone, there is only Battousai now!" She walked over to him, sensuously running her hands all over him as she drunkenly kissed him. "My...Battousai...." Karou's eyes narrowed, appearing to be surprisingly calm...even through her knuckles were white from gripping the Sakaba's hilt. And ever so briefly, the blood around her boiled... As she laughed in Ashura's face. "What's wrong, Ashura? Couldn't seduce him on your own? Had to use your cheap mind tricks?" She mirrored Ashura's grin. "I didn't need any help when I did..." That one scored deeper than Ashura let show. "Is that any way to thank me? This is the chance of a lifetime, Karou-dono! Save the boy, face your fears...Prove to me and everyone that you aren't so useless..." She lounged in her chair, legs crossed and chuckling. "Then we can settle things between us...woman to woman." The room was eerily quiet afterwards, briefly canceled by the rasp of drawn swords. Beauty and Beast they were...but no romantic candlelight enbraced them, no heartfelt symphony to guide them across this crimson dance hall. This was no fairy tale. But this would be a dance to remember. Oh yes. Even the shadows refused to stay in The Battousai's presence as he casually circled her, carelessly, disturbingly, plowing the blood with his sword and raising it to let the liquid slide down it's length. Smiling at her the whole time...a gruesome parody of the smile she knew and loved. Arrogant. Malevolent. Every inch the nightmare that once haunted her ever since that night... But it wasn't real...Karou knew this and wasn't afraid. She barely saw him move, Karou meeting his strike with surprising strength and skill, eyes locking as they bore down on each other. Amusement flickered in those insane gold eyes, as well as a measure of respect for this mouse that suddenly became a lion. "To die so young." He taunted. "Shut up!" He pushed her away one handed, taking half-hearted swipes at her that she blocked with ease. Too much ease. The grin widened as he sped up the attacks and watched her block every one...Until their swords could barely be seen, and still both were putting up very little effort the whole time...Until Kenshin suddenly flickered from view... Karou merely raised her sword above her head... Waited one precious second...then... *I got something up my sleeve too, bitch....* It seemed like she was striking at air at first, sweeping the sakaba down in a beautiful but viscous arc. Like she was wielding a hammer instead of a sword. So both Ashura and Battousai was unprepared for the massive wall of air that exploded around her just as he appeared behind her...slamming him into the far wall. Ashura raised an eyebrow, clearly startled. "Kamiya Arashi Enbu:" Karou stated proudly. "Ki Hammer." Kamiya Kassin Ryu wasn't the only fighting style invented by her father. He also experimented with a alternate version of Kassin Ryu, where the user tapped into the Ki energies around them to enhance their strength. In theory, One could defeat an opponent by using their own Ki against them, their aggression and murderous intent feeding you while it drained them, until they simply collapsed. It was a dangerous gambit, such power could ether corrupt or even destroy the user... He named it Arashi Enbu: Tempest Waltz. His last gift to her. And now she had perfected it. *Had to do something other than cry after Kenshin left.* She thought ruefully. The surge was familiar to her now, reminding her of the first time she did it out of reflex, to break Jineh's spell over her. It would be tricky this time, with so much evil energy surrounding her...Not to let the rush of pleasure, of false invincibility overwhelm her... It was an impressive sight, even to the Battousai and Ashura: Karou had taken a batou stance, planting her feet firmly and gripping the hilt tightly. Her eyes were sapphire flames and her hair danced in a rising wind. A wind that soon exploded into a literal storm of blue energy around her, the blood churning around her and nearly boiling...And as they looked closer at the maelstrom Karou stood calmly within, it wasn't 'winds' at all...but countless illusions of Karou herself, revolving around her so fast it gave the impression of her being the eye of a hurricane... Battousai charged into that storm...hammering through and getting hammered by multiple karous all at once, each attacking differently yet as one...It was like fighting an army all once. Worse still, even as he 'killed' they would simply reform, and the numbing shock that went through him each time from cutting them or from their successful blows both slowing him and enraging him...It was hard for even Ashura to discern who was who in the chaos... Karou then drew that power inward, instead of riding it, each shade adding it's strength to her own...actually putting him on defensive as she fought like twenty Karous wrapped into one. Battousai shook of his surprise, kicking blood into her eyes and lunging forward as she blocked. "Hiten mitsurguri ryu: Ryu-sou-sen!" "Kamiya Arashi Enbu: Banish!" The strikes bounced off the Ki shield the shades shifted to form around her, reverting after the last strike to flying tackle him into the wall and vanish as he slid to one knee. "Nice trick." He slowly rose, sneering. "Too bad you can't keep it up." "Long enough." Battousai flickered from view again...this time Karou redirecting the ki hammer to pull toward her instead of pushing away...Karou barely dancing under his wicked slash as he overshot her and hammered him across the back as he sailed by...Battousai cutting a flip before he landed...Nicking Karou's cheek as he slashed out in midair... And with the speed that earned his name, drew his short sword and let it fly. Metal kissed flesh, tasted bone. Karou screamed. He sprang at her the moment he landed. White lighting raced through her nerves, her left arm ceased to exist. He half twisted his body, smiled ferally as he focused his ki. She saw her death in his eyes. Heard it's name before it passed his lips. "Hiten mitsurguri ryu: Ryu-kan-sen-Tsumuji!" She heard another voice. Almost recognized it as her own. "Not now." A roar. Snikt. Whoosh. A second roar. Crunch. Silence. THUD. Time restarted. Ashura couldn't help but stare. Her mind refused to believe her eyes. It should of been over. The short sword buried in her shoulder, Karou was as good as headless. Instead something that entertaining, she was treated to watching Karou duck under Kenshin's attack... and counter with a Ryu-sho-sen. Not an imitation...But as flawless as Kenshin himself. Ashura glared at the young girl as she landed. Glimpsed something within her as it briefly stirred. Something familiar... Battousai climbed to his feet. Relocated his jaw with a gruesome crack as golden flame met sapphire ice. The amusement had vanished. Karou had officially pissed off the Battousai. She merely stared right back as she tore out the short sword. Eyes never leaving his as she threw it behind her, Ashura not even flinching as it struck the chair beside her ear. Resumed her stance despite her arm and the hellfire that was his voice raking over her. "No more games." And the battle resumed. Twice as fierce as before. Karou no longer held back in fear off hurting him. She had no choice. Even then it was barely enough to keep her alive, much less beat him. The bloodloss wasn’t helping either. But he was hurting too. There was still a chance. They fought across the room and back. Briefly up the wall and midair even. Sakaba and Katana dancing with such speed they could not be seen, sparks of impact being the only evidence of their existence. Each waiting for that one moment, that split second that decided victory and defeat. That came... Now! Karou half twisted, half hopped as Battousai swung upward, aiming to cut her from hip to shoulder...instead shredding her Gi and raking her back. At the same time, Karou raised the sakaba and brought it down in a viscous downstroke. His left shoulder shattered. Battousai bellowed, knees buckling. Swung his saya right-handed, uppercutting her across the temple. Karou spun through the air and landed in a heap. Battousai collapsed. It was several moments before either stirred. Battousai staggered to his feet with the aid of his sword. Karou made it halfway before upchucking dinner. Even crippled, arm hanging like a side of beef, Battousai managed to sneer. "What's wrong, woman?" Her vision cleared just as He jabbed the saya into her injured shoulder, following with a backhanded blow across her face that sent her flying. "Can't focus?" She climbed to her feet. Dizzy from bloodloss, her head throbbing and eyes unfocused...But she stubbornly, shakily, rose to her feet to glare at him. Glare at him with such defiance even he was impressed enough to step back. The sakaba was rammed home in it's saya...fists dropping to her side...Standing perfectly calm despite the fire in her eyes. He felt the hairs rise on his neck, the air was that thick with rising Ki. He threw away the saya and picked up the katana. Tensed to spring... Karou's eyes flared white. Thrust her hands out with a roar. And for them both, All ceased to exist. Kamiya Arashi Enbu: Suppression. A technique dangerous to both wielder and victim, but Karou had no choice. She had seized the Ki energies around them, engulfing him within a massive tornado of Ki energy...Fueled by the same Ki it drained from him, until he finally collapsed in exhaustion. 'Cept he wasn't collapsing. *He wouldn't.* Stubborn bastard he was, cutting loose one of the those screams of his, Battousai actually started increasing his Ki...Trying to overload Karou's control of the Ki Storm...Even if it killed him...Karou increased her efforts with a grunt, hair dancing and eyes flaring brighter...The blood pool churing around them...Quite an impressive sight. Unfortunately... Karou's knees buckled. The world spun. Someone had to give... The headshot was with the saya was planned...She realized that now...numb as she fell to her hands and knees and retched. Dazed as she was, she couldn't concentrate... The Ki storm faded. His Katana brushed her cheek. "No more tricks?" He rasped. Karou didn't even look up. He stood there for a moment, admiring her while he caught his breath. Raised the Katana. If she only knew how close... Brought it down. "Just this." Ashura saw it coming. Karou caught the sword with the Kasshin Ryu Ougi...Folded thumb over middle and ring fingers, forming a Y with each hand. "Kamiya Kassin Ryu Ougi..." His eyes widened as he saw sparks dance between the fingers. Heard the call of thunder... "..SECOND STEP!!!" Silence...Then with a sonic boom that nearly flattened them, Lightning speared from heaven and through the ceiling to strike them...Karou channeling The blast of Positive Ki directly into him before he could let go of the sword...The scream it ripped from him hurting her just as much...And suddenly it was over as quickly as it begun, the positive and negative ki energies violently reacting to each other in an explosion that shattered the sword. Threw him into the wall hard enough to crater it. For one fearful moment, Karou watched him attempt to rise. Those horrible eyes still burning with hate... Then glazed over as he collapsed facefirst. Out cold. *Tempted to join him* She thought ruefully. That last one had taken a lot out of her...and sleep sounded so good right now... Only the sound of clapping kept her awake. "Bravo, Karou-dono. Bravo." Three Ashuras walked-hovered-whatever toward her...Karou not even bothering to try and focus on her. Probably smirking at her anyway, the bitch. Go away. The mock applause stopped abruptly. Ashura now spread her arms, as if to embrace Karou. Closed her eyes. "Now claim your reward..." Fangs now completed that infamous grin of hers. Opened her now glowing, reptilian eyes. Her voice deepening, aging as she spoke. Laced with brimstone and less than human. "Foolish little girl..." Karou felt it long before she could actually see it. It was like she was drowning and burning all at once. Her nerves screamed at the seeming invasion of her body, her mind screaming at her to run even though her limbs felt numb and useless...her blood like ice water... So evil was Ashura's rising Ki. And it just kept RISING...! It burned off her like oily smoke, now clearly visible and suffocating Karou. Ki the color of blood and filled with malice, literally staining the air till it was all one could smell or taste. Ashura looked at the miserable Karou with contempt. "You thought you could walk in here alone and challenge
me?" She simply narrowed her eyes, Karou doubling over in agony as some
invisible icy hand reached into her chest and squeezed her heart. "You're
only human. And a pathetic one at that." The grip got tighter, Karou crying
out. "Killing you would be doing you a favor...I owe you that much at least." She raised her hand, palm upward. "What? No more charming oneliners
before you die?" It was all Karou could do not to curl up into a ball. It hurt so much and she was so tired and broken. How could I have been such an idiot... *The battle is not finished, Kamiya Karou.* The voice again. Much clearer now. *And you are not alone.* Ashura paused. Did she just hear...? "Say again?"
Karou didn't raise her head, but she spoke much louder this time...Her eyes hidden beneath her bangs. *Now I understand...what Merlin said.* "Baka. Who said I came alone?" "Nani?!" Then she heard the bellow of a foghorn... ** It was one hell of a sight. The chaos in the city streets had actually ceased a moment just to gaze in wonder. Yahiko's jaw dropped. Arain swore in amazement. Megumi just sank to her knees and stared, at loss for words in a rare moment. Silk however, summed it up for everyone as even they paused their epic battle. "Now there's something you don't see everyday..." The ship had finally reached Asuka...Practically a fireball of energy now, clocking at least a hundred and fifty miles per hour now and gaining...not even stopping as it slammed through the harbor without slowing. If someone looked closer, they could see someone standing at the prow...guiding the ship with one hand as if it was an oversized missile... But everyone was too busy ducking for cover after they realized it's true target... ** There was no need for Ashura to ask what Karou meant. She felt it. The explosion was enough to rock her ship, punching through it’s armor with alarming ease...The ship bellowing as it was nearly severed in two...secondary explosions ripping up and down the upper deck... Ashura was thrown off balance, Karou putting all she had into one superhuman leap over to Kenshin...shielding them both with the banish technique as Flames seared the throne room...engulfing Ashura before she could even react in a roar...blasting the roof outward and nearly evaporating the blood pool instantly... Then it was over. The ship’s roaring ceased. Then started to rebuild itself with remarkable speed. Karou struggled to breathe in the scorched and steamy air, just lying there as she dropped the shield. “Kenshin?” She turned her head-which was all she had strength for anyway-to look over at his still unconscious form. “Kenshin? Dajoub-!” He answered by grabbing her by the neck. Glaring at her as he rolled atop her and leaned his full weight on her, Karou beginning to black out... Then suddenly he was pulled off her. Sounds of struggle. A yell and an all too familiar crackle of energy. As soon as she could breathe she looked up... Ashura swept away the smoke so she could see, untouched by the flames and still crackling with power. And stepped back in shock. “Impossible!”
Battousai had fallen to his knees, twitching soundlessly in the firm grip that was draining the evil from him...The midnight and amber slowly leaving his eyes and reverting back to their normal violet. His face softened and he just went to sleep like a tired child, gently resting in a welcome embrace. Plum blossoms replaced the stink in the air. “Just sleep, anata.” She kissed him on the forehead. “It will be over soon.” “You should be giving some shark indigestion!” Ashura snarled. “I killed you
myself! For real this time!” “That’s ironic, coming from you.” Karou remarked as she stood beside her rescuer. Ashura glared at the two of them, her anger fueling her aura. *How could that bitch still be alive? She was drained to the point of true death! How-!* Then she saw it. Just briefly, as she did before, but this time it was enough. She grinned. “I see.”
Ashura couldn’t help but laugh. And when she finally composed herself she looked fondly at Kenshin. “I should of known...that you would turn defeat into a fighting chance, Battousai.” She smirked. “Or should I say...Swordmaker?”
Karou smiled right back at her. Winked her now golden left eye. “Surprise.” Tomoe sneered, her left eye glowing as well. To be concluded in the seventh and final chapter, NO TURNING BACK!!! Author’s notes. *Sentora pops up from bottomless pit.* Heyya! *Ducks various thrown objects, holding up a white flag.* Sorry for lurking so long again, trying to get my so called life back in order and finish this monster. And finish I will, even if it kills me. I decided to stretch this into seven chapters instead of six, to keep it from getting bigger than it already is...*Winces at the memory of part five.* Before I go on, I must thank everyone who helped me get off my butt and finish this, and everyone who stayed behind me from the beginning. Information Specialist my willing victim err..Beta reader and ‘coach’ *LOL* Miss Led for creating Arain and providing much needed help on the Excailber legend, Ashfae for her wonderful support, Fox for creating Akira and ending my writer’s block, Callistachan, Jedi Brother Horace, Jade one, Sakka-chan, and everyone else who actually enjoyed this and told me so. Thank you all! ^_^ And a special thanks to Rurouni. Who took a chance to say that this crazy idea might actually work and provided translations in the beginning. Ashura (Background.): Kissup. SHADDUP YOU!