Chapter 122: Boy's Fight

Yahiko: Oh, so now you're all "I'm gonna make you regret this"? Saying it and doing it are two different things!

Henya: Fool. I said anyone could kill you with one shot. With this--

(He drops a stick of dynamite; Yahiko loses him in the smoke.)

Henya: I can do this!

(He reappears in the air directly above Yahiko, wings spread.)

Henya: This is the fighting style of Soaring Henya of the Ten Swords--Hikuu Happa! I've taken the use of weapons to the limits--humans have a natural blind spot above their heads! You can't counterattack when your enemy is above you!

(He drops several more sticks. Explosions surround Yahiko.)

Kamatari (beating out flames): Ow ow ow ow! Watch where you're throwing those things!

Yahiko: Not like I care what happens to that crazy homo, but what the hell do you think you're doing, hitting your own guy!

Kamatari: What was that!

Henya (diving straight down): I'm just sacrificing a pawn.

(He drives his elbow into Yahiko's shoulder; Yahiko strikes back but Henya soars out of reach.)

Kaoru (thinking): He's squeezed his own flesh and bones until he's light enough to sail on the force of his explosions and attack from above! Yahiko can't win against that! (aloud) Yahiko!

Kamatari: Turn your back on me, and I'll split you in half. (Kaoru freezes.) You can't jump in and save him. Anyway, you're all going to die in the end.

Misao (sending out a stream of daggers): Says who!

(Kamatari catches them in midair.)

Kamatari: Why don't the two of you try me together? Since you went to all the trouble of setting up a two-on-one fight.

(More explosions; Shishio's men scatter for cover.)

Yahiko: Dammit! (thinking) What with this blind spot above, I'm completely exposed. I can't strike upwards. But if I could--that bat-bastard. He doesn't think I could hit him even once, so if I could get in just one good hit ... Kenshin could jump higher than those explosions. I'm pretty light, but I can't do that. If I had wings like him--no, not wings, but something I could use instead!

(A huge explosion knocks him back towards the Aoiya.)

Henya: I'm about out of ammo. Time to finish this.

Okina: That's enough, Yahiko! Get inside! Hide inside the Aoiya!

Yahiko (thinking): Run? No way. I haven't even gotten a single hit ... I was left here as a key part of the defenses. Even if I can't jump as high as Kenshin, even if I can't beat this guy--I am NOT running away!

(The greatest explosion of all goes off at his feet.)

Henya: Idiot. None can stand before my Hikuu Happa. Hmm ... with the ammo I've got left, I might as well take out the others.

Kaoru: Yahiko...

Yahiko: I've got you.

(Using a screen door to catch the updraft, Yahiko is coasting above Henya.)

Henya: That brat--used a door instead of wings--?

Yahiko: Learned-by-watching Ryuutsuisen!

(He breaks his shinai across Henya's back--Henya plummets to the ground.)

Misao: He did it!

Okina: Learned by watching ... on top of all his days of training, he's watched Himura fight all kinds of strong adversaries. He's two or three times better than he would have been...

Kaoru (thinking): I had no idea he'd be able to pick up Kenshin's favorite move, the Ryuutsuisen.

Yahiko: Ow ... dammit. I didn't think about how I was going to land...

Kaoru (thinking): He's really getting better!

Yahiko: Kay, so maybe I'm not as good as Kenshin.