Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ Hell's Conquest ❯ Weakness and Death ( Chapter 8 )

Chapter 8

Hell's Conquest

Weakness and Death

Kimiko awoke to the sounds of the entire company up and ready to go. Shishio had concluded that if Tetsumaoliko would return, as he probably would, he'd go back to the village.

"Hurry up child! You're wasting our time!" Houji demanded fiercely.

"I'm up I'm up!" Kimiko said, jumping to her feet.

Houji was trying his best to keep this excursion organized but Shishio was quite the difficult man to keep organized. First, in the Juppon Gatana, he'd brought in a wide range of…different warriors. They went from a fat, stupid, useless creature, to a transvestite, to a tall-haired sword collector. Now, with Shishio dragging women and children with him, the task was even more difficult. But Houji knew it was not Shishio's nature to do this. Yumi was to blame for this. If he could only get her out of the picture… Then Houji noticed something about Yumi that he hadn't before. Her face and neck were covered in fresh burns. Houji sneered. He knew exactly where these marks came from. But no matter what anyone thought, Yumi was proud to be Shishio's lover. Soujiro had respected their love…Houji didn't. He thought it useless.

"Lord Shishio?" Houji asked, as everyone took to the road back to the village.

"Hmm?" Shishio asked, not really caring what Houji would say.

"Well I just noticed how Yumi seems to be covered in burns…" Shishio stopped walking.

"What?!" he asked rather angrily.

He had no idea that she'd suffered burns from his advances last night. Now he was upset.

"Lord Shishio, I find these attempts at…intercourse between the two of you is…rather pointless. Wouldn't you agree Lord Shishio? I'm sorry. I hope I haven't overstepped my bounds…"

Shishio looked down at the ground. He was shaking with saddened anger. Never had he thought his condition had progressed that much.

"Well…I think you have!!!!! What Yumi and I…" he shouted, unable to mask his emotions.

Then he stopped and took a breath.

"Don't speak to me Houji. I…I'd rather not have to deal with your idiocy currently." Shishio said calmly, walking forward.

The children had heard Shishio's outburst and jumped. The only other time Shishio had ever lost his temper in ten years was in his first encounter with Kenshin. Yumi had heard as well and wondered what had angered him. No doubt his temperature had risen. Who would have the nerve to do that to him? Yumi's eyes scanned the scene for anything…and found Houji smirking. Yumi couldn't believe it. Houji was finally becoming brave enough to make his master angry! Yumi walked up to Shishio to find out. She watched how alone he looked as he walked forward. He would never admit it to anyone, but he looked lonely without Soujiro at his side. Yumi, without saying a word, gently touched his bandaged shoulder. He turned and smiled.

"Yumi…I'm…glad you're here with me…" he whispered, a sad smile across his lips.

Yumi could tell something was wrong.

"Lord Shishio…are you feeling alri-…Lord Shishio!!!" Yumi cried as he fell to his knees…coughing.

She dropped down beside him, hugging him tightly, his head pressed into her chest. Yumi hated that she could do no more than sit and wait for the coughing to end. He was shivering with fever. Yumi tried to discern how bad this attack was by looking him over. Shishio wasn't yet coughing up blood or saliva; which was a good sign, but his eyes were distant and he definitely looked to be in pain. Yumi's eyes flared in anger. Houji had caused Shishio to lose his temper and bring up his fever. He would pay for this.

"What's wrong with him Miss Yumi?" asked Kimiko, watching in horror.

Shishio was about to speak but couldn't.

"He…he's just sick. That's all." Yumi said gently, trying not to make it seem as bad as it was.

"Oh. When is he going to get better?"

This question hurt Yumi only nearly as much as it did Shishio. He looked up at her with his warm red eyes, wishing so much that he would feel better…for Yumi's sake.

"Oh…I…don't know…" Yumi didn't know how to respond.

"Oh." Kimiko was rather disappointed that she wasn't given an answer but couldn't say much else because Houji was hurrying the children along.

"Well…I hope you feel better real soon." Kimiko added, running off. Shishio's heart felt heavy with sorrow and fury.

Why did they have to suffer so much for their love? What had Yumi done to deserve such torture? But something else that was disturbing Shishio was the fact he'd gotten so sick from just yelling at Houji. The truth was obvious. Things were worse here than on earth. There was no possible way he could fight the demon to his full potential…let alone Enma. But he could never let Yumi or the children know of this. Not when he'd always been able to fight regardless of his condition. He didn't want to admit it yet…but he believed he would burn to death…this time permanently. Houji had begun to walk over, trying to hurry the two along, when Shishio shakily lifted himself to his feet.

"Lord Shishio? Are you alright now?" Yumi asked softly. He clenched his teeth painfully and walked onward, without responding. Yumi hated when he didn't answer her, and sincerely wished he would tell her what was wrong, but went along with it anyhow. She ran forward, catching up with him. She couldn't help noticing how hard he was breathing and how each step he took caused him pain. Shishio's mind was focusing on walking forward and he didn't see Yumi approaching him. She reached out and gently touched his shoulder…he snapped around as fast as lightning and in a reflex…drew his sword to strike…

"Lord Shishio!!! Please…I didn't mean to…please!!!" Yumi cried aloud, falling to her knees in shock.

Shishio awoke from his daze and lowered his katana. Suddenly, Shishio's forehead started throbbing with fever and his vision blurred. If he wasn't too tired, he felt he would vomit from this new feeling of sickness.

"Oh damn…what's happening to me?.." Shishio said, falling down again.

"What is taking so long?!!" Houji demanded furiously.

Yumi couldn't believe it. He was serious.

"Houji!!! Can't you see?!! Lord Shishio is sick! He needs rest! Why are you hurrying us along when you know…"

"Lord Shishio would want us to keep going! Even in his absence. But of course, you wouldn't know that, being as how you're not allowed to be further than 5 ft away from him." Houji mocked.

Shishio was stunned. Houji was being much bolder than he normally had showed…and he was mocking Yumi. That would not go unpunished.

"How…dare you…speak to…my-…my-…" Shishio started, not knowing quite how to finish.

If he were to say servant, which was what Yumi was to him, it wouldn't be entirely right because…she meant more to him than any servant. But if Shishio were to refer to Yumi as his lover…that couldn't entirely be right either. So he didn't finish. He immediately got up and drew his sword…finally killing the man that had been his true downfall.

"You…deserved…every bit of that…I never did…much care to have you around." Shishio said with difficulty before collapsing to the ground, his sword drenched in his financer's blood.

"Lord Shishio!!!" Yumi cried, throwing her arms around his neck.

"Huh?" he grunted with little care.

"Arigatou." Yumi said smiling.

Shishio smiled in return.

"I thought you might…appreciate that."

And he closed his eyes, lying motionless on his back. Yumi smiled, running her fingers through a small patch of his burnt black hair. He needed the rest. But rest would not come that easily… Off in the distance a man was thinking on vengeance; a man adorned with a spear and tortoise shell…

"Ahh…what a pity. It seems your opponent Makoto Shishio is getting weaker, Tetsumaoliko. It would be a terrible waste to fight him like that." Enma said idly, watching Shishio sleeping through a special greenish orb that he kept on the right arm of his throne.

"What a fiery young wench he has with him. I feel sorry for that one I must say." Enma added lazily, his blazing white hair falling over his shoulders. Tetsumaoliko sighed.

"I suppose. But I'll kill the two of them nonetheless." he said heartlessly.

Enma just laughed.

"You demons! I've lived among you for so long and yet I'm still not used to how serious and unfeeling all of you are!"

"Nani? But I thought, Lord Enma, that you were a demon as well! Do you mean…you are a…human?" Tetsumaoliko asked, confused.

Enma laughed. "Well…sort of. I was one of the earliest creatures on this planet. I'm not demon in any way but I'm not human either. I don't really know how one would define me." Enma said, thinking on his statement.

It had been slightly confusing for even him to understand. He wondered how Tetsumaoliko would handle it. He just stared out into space for a little while before giving up on grasping the idea.

"Well so what do you think you'll do? I mean you can't go and kill Shishio now. I will not permit you murdering him in his sleep for any reason. Or you could wait it out until he fights the blind man. Then you could finish off the winner." Enma suggested, a new idea surging into his mind.

"Oh seriously! We both know that this Shishio could wipe the floor with the blind man! He killed one of my demon guards with two sword strikes!" Tetsumaoliko stated.

Enma's eyes lit up with an evil fire.

"So then…in theory…his body probably wouldn't hold out completing about…100 strikes?" Enma asked.

Tetsumaoliko had no idea what his master was considering when suddenly an idea clicked in his head.

"What do you mean by that, Lord Enma?" he asked, though he had a very good idea what was going on.

"I say we catch up with this Usui and inform him of what I have in mind." Enma said with a cruel smile on his face.

The End of Chapter 8

What's Enma got planned and wasn't that so great I finally killed off Houji?