#rurouni kenshin fanfiction

[eureka-its-zico]

Violent Delights

Summary: On a trip with your father to Shanghai, your caravan is overrun. You are taken back to a compound of one of the most ruthless Mafia bosses in all of China: Enishi Yukishiro. Who was in need of a new plaything. 

Pairing: Enishi Yukishiro x f!reader

Words: 3.3k

A/N: I apologize in advance for the filth. This is literally 99.9% smut and 1% filth. I blame @pauking5  for indulging me too much with wanting to write Enishi. But also the minute she told me she couldn't find too many reader insert fics for him my body felt COMPELLED to make this for her so....I hope you enjoy this filth I made you lol. I’m like sorry, but not? Because he doesn’t give me cute smiles and rainbow vibes. He gives me spit in my mouth and make me call you daddy vibes. I hope someone out there enjoys the filth. 🖤 Much love, Jenn

Warnings: This shit is dark besties. It’s dark. Mentions of kidnapping. Dubious consent. Mafia trope. Knife play. Harem. Mentions of violence. Fingering. Its Smut. It's Filth. Please do not read if you are not 18+ (If I miss anything please let me know).

Next

The smell of sex was beginning to overpower the room. The sounds of her moans grew louder and out of control. It was the wet sound of him thrusting into her, his hands keeping her steady as his hips pistoned into her. 

She was only growing louder with each thrust and you hated it. You wished she would shut up. That he would find a new toy to torment in the seclusion of the prison that was his bedroom. It’s been three whole days since he and his men had descended on your father's caravan. Three days of being housed inside this room and unable to leave it.

Like the previous nights before, he’d stationed you in different areas of the room. Areas that allowed you to perfectly see - to watch - as one of his concubines rode him. While he fucked them into an oblivion that left them dazed and unable to walk by the time he finished. 

Tonight, Enishi forced you to sit at the edge of his bed while he’d chosen to fuck one of the many girls in the chair he sat in now. You could still remember when she first walked in the door - the way he’d laid her over the intricate table that sat in between the two chairs in the bedroom, lifting her skirts to expose her to the room. To you. The lewd noises that followed as he licked and sucked at her cunt caused her to practically howl his name as she came. 

Enishi. 

The nice one - you’d forgotten her name - explained the best she could through the language barrier that they were concubines. 

You’d heard of tales from your father and mother when they’d come back from their grand adventures about women like this. Kingdoms where the kings got to have their wives and children and women just like her on the side. Women who did whatever was sexually asked of them and took whatever the man did because it was their duty. Deemed only for the pleasure they could bring and not conversation or substance. 

Just their body. Just their cunt. 

You could feel your cheeks burning as you focused on the edges of your dirty dress. You tried counting the frayed edges of one side that had torn when they’d ripped you from the carriage. The mud that had smeared on one side where you’d been dragged had completely dried and now began to flake. You ran your fingers over the dried dirt and watched it turn into sand with each rub of your finger. 

It would’ve been a solid distraction if the sudden octave from the concubine hadn’t increased. If she didn’t shout in surprise that left you involuntarily turning to make sure she was alright. 

Of course, she was alright. Enishi had simply changed positions. He’d moved her to be face down against the same round table from earlier, but now her hips were angled up to take each punishing thrust that he gave her. The sound of skin on skin filling the room back up at a punishing speed. 

It wasn’t the sight really that made a heat wave start across your skin that threatened to burst from your chest from sheer embarrassment. It wasn’t the angle he had her in either. 

Enishi was looking at you. 

Dark brown eyes bore into you as he held the concubine's arms back behind her. His body pinned her to the edge of the table so she had nowhere to run. Just like you. He continued to watch you as she came; her walls squeezing him as she struggled to get away from him as he continued to fuck her. 

You refused to look at him or acknowledge him at all. What you hated the most was that you already knew what he was planning to do. 

The first time he’d done this was two days prior. The first day you’d been kidnapped and held at his compound. He’d fucked two girls that night and you’d been more than impressed at his stamina. You’d tried to look away from him. He was your father's killer, for Christ's sake, and yet…

He was all tight corded muscle and shamelessly walked around the room naked and exposed. The first time you’d seen his cock it had been slick and wet from recent sex with one of the girls. His cock was still hard and had an enticing vein that ran down its side, begging for you to look. Enishi had a good length but what replayed in your mind was how thick he was. Insanely thick is what you shamelessly remembered and you hated how your body reacted as you shamefully rubbed your legs together to get some form of friction. 

The second day was when he’d noticed it. The way your legs moved under all that fabric of the skirts of your dress desperate for friction to ease the ache that had started at your core. With each snap of his hips and the cry of pleasure that came from one of the girls it sent you spiraling. You hated it. Felt betrayed by your own body. 

After he’d finished and sent the girls back to their room he casually came over to the chair he’d forced you to sit in. The same one he’d been in tonight. You tried to ignore him as he came over in nothing but a robe with the front still leaving him exposed. Your mind was worried about so many different possibilities of what he might do to you, that you never expected him to grab you by the throat and force you back into the chair. His feet kick your legs wide apart. 

Enishi controlled you easily. The way he applied just enough pressure to arch your back until you looked at the ceiling. His deep baritone resonated over your skin in his native tongue. You couldn’t tell what he was saying and had no way of knowing what it was. You just knew whatever he said as he lifted your skirts, was filthy. 

His knees kept your legs open enough that his free hand made its way through your undergarments to touch your wet cunt. You could still remember the devilish smirk that stretched across his lips as he continued to speak to you. 

Was he calling you a good girl or something or worse maybe? He could’ve been calling you his little slut for all you knew or even hinting that you liked it; like watching him devour the women he brought to his bed. Something nowhere near endearing and more centered around stripping you of every last ounce of what dignity you had left. You struggled to fight against him. To break free and do…what? 

Even if you somehow magically removed his hand from your throat and got away you had nowhere to go. Just outside the door of his bedroom were an endless number of guards. They would easily stop you and bring you back. 

Those same nimble fingers that touched at the edge of your cunt now moved between your folds. A soft whimper left your throat that you wish you would have swallowed back down. The pads of calloused fingers grazing your swollen clit wasn’t enough friction for release, but it was enough to bring your desire flaring up. 

Enishi pulled his hand back from you to find it covered in your juices. You watched as he played with it, his fingers scissoring to make a slow string appear. It was lewd. Vile. Yet you couldn’t tear your eyes away. Your heart now thundering for another reason as you watched him take your body’s betrayal between his lips and suck his fingers clean. 

Like clockwork, you heard him pull out. The lack of sound of skin on skin made the room achingly quiet. His words were sharp, demanding, and harsh as he took her by the head and pushed her towards his cock. His hand fisted it as he pulled long hard jerks leaving strings of come to lace over her waiting tongue - with his eyes glued to you. 

You fought not to shiver or let your hands curl in your lap as your heart hammered in your chest. 

Steady breathing. Deep…steady…breaths…

You faintly heard him dismiss her. Your eyes catch her hurrying back into her kimono and tying it sloppily. However, the look Enishi was giving her was enough to inform her plainly her usefulness was over. 

You’d seen what he could do that day he tore your world apart. The finesse he carried shattering bones and the ease of snuffing out life. You’d seen it in the way he handled some of the women he brought to his bed. All it took was one wrong move - word - and their moans turned to sharp whimpers before they were dismissed. 

There wasn’t any denying that Enishi was a man possessed by the devil and full of rage. He was terrifying, but also…

The sound of the door slamming shut behind the concubine brought you back to the room. Your heart was beginning to race as you realized you’d zoned out, leaving yourself unprepared for whatever was about to happen. A majority of the time he left you alone. He’d stare at you or move around you like you weren’t even in his room, except yesterday was different. 

Today felt different.

Enishi wasn’t anywhere near you, however, and you felt yourself breathe easier. Maybe you would get lucky and he would go back to treating you like a nuisance trapped inside his room. A nuisance he created. 

He was standing next to his desk and it only took a flick of your eyes to know he wasn’t dressed. He was still naked. It only meant one thing. Suddenly, you were confident to try and run away from this room - from him. The alarm in your head only grew louder as he poured himself a drink from the whiskey canter and set it back on the desk. 

He’d started talking and you weren’t sure if it was at you or to you. It was growing increasingly difficult to not grow more frustrated at the language barrier between you. The only good thing was spitting and the middle finger was a universal “fuck you” from the universe. 

You dared to spare a look up from where you sat on his bed. It was then you saw the wakizashi in his hand. The sheath missing and the blade glinted angrily in the light. Your mouth was suddenly dry, and you couldn’t stop yourself from trying to retreat. Your hands flew back on the soft sheets to try and pull you away; desperate to get some space. 

In one swift motion, Enishi tipped what was left in his glass into his mouth and launched it against the wall. The glass shattered immediately on impact and sent sharp fragments flying across the room with one scratching across your face. You screamed as you felt the sting of the air as it entered the fresh cut. You were concerned about whether you would crawl back into the glass when a hand wrapped around your bare ankle and tugged.

A fresh scream rose in your throat and just as you were about to release it, the wakizashi was pressed tightly against your throat. It was close enough that if you swallowed too hard you might just get cut. Enishi pulled you back down to the bed with your legs spread to make room for him. The duvet that had bunched at the end from your struggle was the only thing that saved you from feeling his cock pressed against you. 

Enishi waited until he had your ass barely on the edge of the bed, the rest hanging off and controlled by his waist. This was the closest you’d ever been to him. Your eyes hungrily took in the sight of the muscles in his stomach and the definition in his chest. The veins in his arms that shamelessly matched the veins in his cock. 

Enishi was raw power and if it wasn’t for the fact he had the wakizashi to your throat maybe you would’ve appreciated him more. What were you even thinking? This was the man who’d set your whole world on fire. Kidnapped you and left you a prisoner in a foreign land and at his mercy. 

A fire of rage lit up inside you and you no longer cared about being complacent. Safe. You wanted to tear him apart. Enishi noticed the change because a wry smile of a challenge lit up his face and when you went to move away from him, your hands clawing at his chest, he easily grabbed your arms and pressed them down. He did the same with the blade of the wakizashi and you felt the first warm trickles of blood slide down the side of your throat.  

He leaned forward until your faces were almost touching. His eyes peeked out from the blades of his air like a tiger in the grass. The richness of his voice smoked across your skin. All words you couldn’t understand, but the body language you could. 

He would kill you if you did it again. You were kept alive on the whim of entertainment for him. You wanted to spit at him. Tell him to fuck off just to see if he would do it. Death had to be better than this. 

The train of reasoning and fury came to an end when you felt the first traces of his fingers at your entrance. Panic flooded you while you realized he’d worked the skirts of your dress up leaving you exposed to the room - to him. 

“No.”

It came out rushed and through your nose. You tried to pull your arms free from under the forearm that held them, blade at your throat be damned, but Enishi was a mountain of strength and you had none left. You were still wet and you hated the way it made you seem wanton. 

Enishi mumbled one last thing before you felt two fingers push their way inside you. The reaction he received was instant. A moan sharp and wild burst from your mouth and enveloped the room. The sound was all the permission Enishi needed to start thrusting his fingers in and out of your cunt.

You wanted to tell him to stop - to tell yourself that you didn’t want this as Enishi buried his fingers knuckle deep over and over. His fingers curved upwards deliciously and you found your back arching against the sheets. A fresh sting from the blade carving across your skin as one hand grabs at his forearm and the other bunch in the sheets. 

God, you hated the way you were coming undone for him. The way your cunt tightened hungrily around his fingers to pull him in deeper in hopes of feeling fuller. The only way that would happen would be to feel the delicious stretch only his cock could provide. You wouldn’t go there. Wouldn’t allow this monster anymore of your body. 

With the hand on his forearm, you tried to make him stop and only succeeded in feeling the muscles work below the skin with each thrust from his wrist. 

Slowly, he removed the wakizashi from your neck and drew the blade across your collarbone. Even lower it continued until you heard the sound of fabric ripping as it was sliced open. Enishi timed each shred into the fabric with each pump from his wrist. When he finished the whole front of your dress - the last of the life you’d owned - was bared open exposing your breasts to him. 

One minute the blade was there then gone and replaced with the rough pads of his hand as they groped each breast. His fingers took the raised buds between calloused fingers that gently pinched.

Your body reacted to every touch of his hand on your skin and the demands it placed on it. Your hips were now moving in a desperate rhythm to meet his fingers. Your hand still locked on his forearm while the sheet was fisted in your hands. The duvet cradling around your head and practically smothering you as a throaty moan of, “Fuck,” came from you. You tried to smother it inside the duvet, refusing to let him hear just how good you felt with his fingers knuckle deep inside you. 

You pulled the duvet closer with your head turning to greet the soft fabric when it was ripped painfully out of your hand. The hand that had been at your breasts now was at your face squeezing it hard and forcing you to look at him. 

Enishi growled something - you could only assume it dealt with ownership. Whatever sounds you made belong to him and for him alone because as he spoke his thumb pressed down against your clit and rubbed in circles as the pace between your thighs grew brutal. The stimulation tore a moan from you instantly and you tried to pull your face away but Enishi held tight forcing you to fall apart as he watched. 

With the dual stimulation, it didn’t take long for your orgasm to build. Your walls fluttered around his fingers as your breathing became labored. 

Again, he spoke to you. His voice caresses along your skin like an extension of his hands. His thumb flicked up on your clit and he released his hold on your face allowing it to fall back on the pillows. This time you didn’t try and cover all the sounds he fucked out of you with his fingers. 

Just as your orgasm was about to crest Enishi brought his mouth down against his breast and bit down. His teeth tearing into the soft flesh turning your panting moans into a scream. Suddenly, your orgasm hit you with a violent intensity. The feeling of you gushing all over his hand - his bed - made your body feel euphoric as your orgasm rolled through you but the violence of his teeth imprinting against the tender flesh of your breast edged it towards pain. 

You knew he was marking you on purpose. One part because he could and the other because you were property - his property. 

When the aftershocks of your orgasm began to fade you were greeted with pain. Enishi pulled his mouth away from your breast and a wicked smile beamed down to greet you- a tint of your blood staining his lips. Again he spoke to you and again you wished you knew either the Japanese he spoke or the Cantonese he used whenever he spoke to most of the men who entered his office. You wish you could tell him how much you hated him and that he could claim you like this as many times as he wanted, but that hatred would never dull or fade. 

He must have seen it on your face because that smile spread into laughter as he pulled away from you. He was still completely nude and uncaring as he grabbed a towel and tossed it in your direction. Enishi gave you one last look before his bare feet padded towards the bathroom. 

You’d been dismissed. Just another toy he proved to himself he could have in the many at his disposal. You tried to remain calm as you sat up at the edge of the bed. Your hands shook uncontrollably as you took the towel he’d tossed and began to clean up what you could. 

The front of your dress was completely ruined. You weren’t even able to fold it over you. Fresh tears sprang to your eyes as you realized you had nothing left and maybe that was how Enishi wanted it. No family to come looking for you. Lost in a foreign land and kidnapped by the head of a criminal organization. He would take what he wanted because you weren’t strong enough to fight him or deny him. And maybe Enishi’s goal all along was to make the only person you could depend on be him. 

_________

As always, thank you so much for reading! Comments and reblogs are always appreciated.

_________

[pauking5]

Addicting Taste ~ Chapter 1 ~

Ongoing Series

Synopsis: Enishi Yukishiro was on a mission to execute his piece de la resistance. A plan to avenge his beloved sister. Until you showed up, rattling open the icy closed gates of his heart. Will you be a part of his downfall or will you try to save him?

Pairing: Enishi Yukishiro x fem reader oc

Genre: strangers to lovers, sunshine and grumpy, slow burn, a lot of fluff, occasional smut, angst by the bucket

Words: 6.7k +

A/N: I couldn’t hold back anymore and had to make a fic for Enishi. It won’t exactly follow the Rurouni Kenshin timeline for now but it will later develop into it. This is the first chapter in the series with more chapters coming. It is a reader insert as I couldn’t help but indulge myself in it completely. Powered by Mackenyu’s outstanding portrayal of Enishi’s character in Rurouni Kenshin: The Final, I hereby present you a story ripped from the figments of my mind. I hope you’ll love their story as much as I do. Enjoy lovelies, Paula.

Also thank you @eureka-its-zico for supporting me with this and getting me writing again 🫶

Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Bonus Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11

“Just how stupid are you?”

A loud smack echoed in the room upon connecting with his cheek, heavy rugged palm twisting his face to the side. He clicked his jaw menacingly, facing forward once more with another devilish smirk.

“You thought you could just get away with it?”

Another heavy punch collided with his face, this one making him drop to his knees. He might have been kneeling, completely at the mercy of someone with much more power in command, but this show of authority trying to assert him into submission did absolutely nothing for him.

Lest the displeasure of being Shanghai's commander in chief's unexpected catch of the night. Maybe even the catch of his whole career.

“You’re a fool.”

Heard that one before, he prepared to spit out like burning acid crawled out of his throat.

Just as the rims of his mouth opened to let the words out, he got cut off by an uppercut digging hard under his chin, throwing his body backwards. He tasted iron on his lips. The force of the blow made blood pool in his mouth surprisingly. He didn't think the old man capable of this much damage but as it turns out he had a thing for facial damage. A pleasure Enishi wanted so badly to return.

Spitting it out through clenched teeth at the side, staining the limestone carpet with crimson splotches to redecorate the man's office with a little color. He would've added other shades of red to the whole carpet, rounding it up on each and every shimmering golden seam until everyone in the room contributed. If only his hands were not bound behind his back, constricting most of his movement.

The man standing tall before him left his face full of cuts and bruises. But that was the least of Enishi’s worries right now.

Many months were spent tracking down the biggest shipment of weapons set to leave Shanghai for Kanagawa. Tonight, Enishi’s men were supposed to rob the storage by the docks completely dry before the ship set sail in the morning with empty cargo. But it turned out to be a harder task than it was intended to be.

He couldn't tell where it all went wrong.

Was it just bad luck? That would've been a first under the remarkable security he had around the area.

Was it a tip-off from the inside? Highly unlikely. If that was the case, he would've smelled the motherfucker who chirped before they even thought it possible to cross him.

Whatever it was, changed the course of the whole plan, rendering it nothing short of a total fail.

That fail was also what led to his current position - with his hands tied roughly behind his back, bloody with his patience running thinner with each breath, lying on the floor of the most secure precinct in Shanghai.

A few hours ago

“These dumplings are amazing,” you sighed happily, munching on three baozi dumplings at once.

The lady vendor grimaced at you. Well, less at you and more at your clear lack of manners since you were practically inhaling the soft dough before it even landed in the palm of your hands like a famished grizzly bear.

Leftover crumbs decorated the edges of your lips as you chomped down on the dumplings. You forgot all about etiquette when the food literally melted in your mouth. Heaven was definitely found in food and not in the afterlife and these little desserts were the very proof of it. Your stomach also agreed with that claim every time your mouth touched dumplings in any shape, form or filling.

Who could resist those plump, freshly made babies?

Not me. Ya'll stay safe though.

A little boy walked by with his mother when he caught sight of the dumpling cart. He ran to the cart gluing his face to the glass to watch the lady work the next batch. His breaths fogged up the glass as he gaped at the steaming dumplings in awe and adoration. But when he turned his head and saw the way you were devouring the small pastry like a goblin from the woods his face turned to pure disgust.

What do you want child, you muttered, cheeks filled with the new cherry filling you were trying out. He said nothing, continuing to stare you down as if you had some unresolved business with him.

You were getting annoyed by his staring, so you shot the little boy a slightly threatening look in hopes he would turn back to watch the magic dough rather than try to make enemies with you. Instead he started crying, running off in the direction he came from. You watched until he got tinier and tinier, disappearing somewhere in the depths of the street.

His mother watched the whole exchange from behind you. Upon meeting her burning gaze, she regarded you with a condescending look then followed after her child.

You turned back to your dumplings, chewing slowly in guilt. It wasn't your fault children had the temperament of the unpredictable weather forecast. The vendor lady did not seem to share your opinion, pinning you with an icy authoritative glare typical of her generation. The one that usually scared off the youngsters.

“Can you leave before you scare all my clients away?” she said, irritated with the fact that you’ve been hogging her cart for the past half an hour and you didn't look like you would be leaving anytime soon.

“Listen lady, I am your only client. Plus, I could buy your whole cart if I wanted to. Just let me enjoy these,” you said with your mouth full, reaching for another bag of dumplings on sale. She smacked your hand away, looking down at the bags you were already holding safely on your chest.

“I’ll be the one leaving then," she hissed as she started to put away the steaming buns away and gathered all her tools, folding the cart faster than you could catch up to her. "You might spoil my dough from raising if I stay here any longer,”

“Wait! You can’t just leave -"

By the time you yelled after trying to stop her from leaving with the heaven-sent goodies, she was already gone. Old ladies really are a different breed these days, you thought. Cooking, knitting and chit-chatting were activities that seemingly didn't provide them with enough soul sucking out of people to their heart's content.

Anywho, there went your only meal for the day. At least it was a nice filling one to last you some time and kick in some energy your body desperately needed. You looked down at your stomach with a sigh, patting in a comforting manner before you turned to go on your own way.

The crisp air of mid-October made its presence felt as an icy gust blew against the sleeves of your cotton dress making the material flutter and fill you up with cold air. Your attire was nothing short of inappropriate for the lingering cold season, but the leather bits, like the corset laced up over your chest or the pants under it, kept a fraction of warmth with you.

The chilly weather made it harder to do any jobs, take out hitlist services not requested as much in this period of time. Rage requests usually came with the hot scorching summer rather than the fall of the first autumnal fog. That meant you never knew where your next meal would be coming from most of the time, so you powered through with anything you could find. Though your money was slowly running on empty, you always made sure to keep some aside for your delicacy cravings.

Only mad people walked the streets of Shanghai, the city of all things food confectionery, without indulging in at least one treat from the vendors. Broke or not, you emptied your pockets here on good measure.

There was a downside to all good things in life.

The once bustling street, buzzing with chatter and sizzling pans where savory and sweet scents danced in the air, turned awfully quiet with nightfall. It was the norm in this part of the city. Vendors were quickly packed away and activity was slowly coming to a halt in the wake of the coming night. Any normal person in these parts would know that being on the streets when the last flicker of daylight disappears wasn’t safe in the slightest.

Who would want to be out in the dark with the Shanghai mafia having a full blown war with the commander in chief on the streets until the early hours of dawn? Definitely no one in all faculties of the mind or at least some.

Clutching the rest of your dumplings closer, you made your way down the narrow pathways circling the outskirts of the city. As you padded the cobblestone road, windows hatched closed, doors shut and all light dimmed to ward off danger. The people of Shanghai lived in fear of this war every night. You did too. But at least you had weapons and could defend yourself in case of anything.

The place you resided in for the time being was just a hop down from the city docks. It was a modest room at the top of an abandoned jewelry shop, furnished with a desk, a small wardrobe, and a corner to store the little belongings you carried around. It was not the comfiest nor the safest place in the world, but it provided a space to roll your futon for the night and that was as good as anything.

The bags in your hands shuffled with each step you took. You cast a look at the buns, the delicious smell still wafting up to your nose even as they were covered and tucked inside the paper. On impulse, you bought a bunch of different flavors with all kinds of fillings you haven’t tried before. Just thinking of taste testing all of them made your mouth water and your step quicken with happy strides.

Whilst getting lost in your pastry daydreams, you were shaken back to earth by persistent yelling. As you were making your way further down to the docks, more agitated shouting ensued and the quick pace of your walk slowed down. You were far away from the entrance, unable to really see anything, but the growing commotion piqued your curiosity.

It wouldn’t hurt to take a closer look, right? It's in the way anyway, you shrugged.

Inching closer to the side of the docks entrance, you hid behind an abandoned fishing boat perched up on empty fishing crates. They might've been rusty from being left outside for god knows how long but they still smelled like few days old catch that went off. Ignoring the horrendous smell and tucking your petite form well enough so you wouldn’t be spotted, you looked over the edge of the boat to see what was going on.

Moving your eyes around you counted about twenty masked men, all dressed in black with swords attached to the hip. Mercenaries. You didn't need to see more than the blades and their eyes to be able to tell they were possibly wanted people.

Most of them were frantically rushing in and out of the biggest storage on the other side, holding cases filled with… guns?

As more of them came out you realized it wasn’t just guns - there was long and short range artillery, fuses, even more blades and all kinds of artisanal bombs. It looked like the place to be for pyromaniacs and sadists. Depending on which category took your fancy, there was something for every sin you wanted to commit, from arson all the way to testing out painful killing methods.

Whatever these guys were planning was nothing short of mass destruction.

“We’ve secured all the weapons, Master,” a shushed voice spoke in Japanese from your right. He came closer, standing right in front of the boat you were using as a hiding spot.

He looked about half a person in height. If a wild gust of wind blew his way he would most likely topple over and become dust. Besides that, what caught your attention was the unsure nature of his Japanese accent. He definitely wasn't Japanese but whoever he talked to just now was because they replied in a grave pronounced tone, one hundred percent of Edo origin.

“Good work,” said a deeper voice from the left as he approached too. The way he spoke those simple words was enough to make tremors run down your spine in sheer thrill.

Weird, you shook them off trying to get a better view of the owner of the voice. A curly, tangled mop of white hair entered your vision. The roots were darker than the silvery ends shimmering in the pale blue moonlight.

Damn, this guy was long overdue for a haircut. And a hair dye session. Who was this gramps?

Trailing your eyes further down you took in his sturdy physique that was outlined through the clothes he was wearing. Wait. This is no gramps body. You could tell he was trained in some kind of martial arts. No one just walked around with heaps of muscles like those. You could easily draw a map of the world between those wide shoulders if you focused hard enough on just what lay beneath those tight, crunched up cotton creases- Snap out of it, Miyu.

The loud crash of crates rattling to the floor brought you back to reality. You weren't supposed to be there, eavesdropping and peeking like a spy when these people could probably cut you to pieces in one breath.

I need to get out of here ASAP.

You couldn’t risk getting caught and brought in by the commander in chief. If he wasn’t alerted yet he sure got wind of things by now. That man definitely has mutant senses. You didn't need to get caught by this mafia either because from the looks of it they definitely were part of one.

The last thing you needed was them catching wind of your location. You've spent so long staying under the radar and now was not the time to advertise your whereabouts like you were the main specialty on sale in the morning newspaper.

I am void. I don’t care. I haven’t seen anything.

I am not getting involved with this.

Repeating that mantra several times in your head in order to calm down, you had to figure out a way to sneak out as smoothly as possible without alerting anybody. Not even a fly and especially not the strong muscular white mop of hair who hasn’t moved at all from his spot right in front of you. He was probably one of those people gifted with extended field of vision that could see the world in one side to side look like a bird, so any move or choked breath of yours would fall on his alarm sensors instantly.

After a quick scan of your surroundings, you came to two viable options that would help you avoid getting skewered: going left, straight through the docks and to your hideout located just on the other side; or going right, having to circle around the whole city to get back.

It wasn’t hard to figure out which one was safer. You’d rather go around the whole city as many times as you needed if it meant staying away from whatever they had planned. You just had to wait for the right time to make your way out.

Any minute now...

The two continued supervising the undercover operation, not once moving away. Not even one accidental turn of their heads somewhere else.

More like any day...

If you didn't know any better, you'd think they picked up on your scent and were just waiting for you to breathe through the wrong nostril before they jumped you. The singular possibility of that drenched your spine with cold drops of nervous sweat. You've done the stake out thing a million times before, but this one was somehow so different - gut twisting in churns and knots like you took a hit of deja vu different. Like disaster waited patiently at those rusty gates to catch and cradle you sweet like a lover from the very moment your eyes first laid on the docks tonight.

After an agonizing long while, the two men blocking your view finally moved, heading towards the rest of their squad on the other side of the docks. That was your chance. All you had to do was get set, lift your ass from the floor and sprint the hell out of there before someone caught you and made you fish food.

If only things would play out like that but they rarely do for normal people.

Raising to half your height, trying to keep cover behind the boat, you turned to the right. In your rush to escape, you missed a teeny tiny key detail that was in your way to freedom - a dark brown fishing cord extending from the boat to the other pile of empty crates behind you.

You didn't see it in the darkened confined space around you and if you did, you took notice of it too late, barely making it two steps before your leg tangled in it and you were falling face first to the hard concrete floor, taking the crates behind with you. Disaster caught up to you, smiling sickly at your futile attempt to escape so easily.

The steaming buns you tried so hard to keep close spilled all over the ground in the process. That was the least of your worries. What should've worried you was that you just made the loudest sounds known to man that were probably heard under the sea. The clangs from the metal cages rattling on top of each other before crashing to the ground with a thud, rolling into other piles like rumbling waves of a raging sea, echoing deafeningly in your ears.

Once they stopped, the loud screeching of the crates was replaced by the loud beating of your heart with the realization that your body was halfway exposed to the other side of the docks. In full view for anyone to snap your details. The danger alarm rang multiple times in your head but your body just refused to move.

There was nowhere for you to run without getting caught now.

I’m. so. fucked.

“What was that?” growled one of the masked goons on the other side.

Mophead stopped in his tracks, muscles in his back contracting with impending doom. He turned around swiftly, faster than a wild feline, locking eyes on you. Lifting your own gaze from your uncomfortable spot on the floor, you connected it with his. You choked on a breath caught halfway in your throat before it could reach your lungs.

Dark black eyes akin to predators that lurk in the dead of night pierced yours. They screamed murder. The ‘chop you apart for funsies’ kind of murder, in a silent, more maniacal and lethal manner than serial killers normally sported.

But something about those eyes caught you off guard. He was just a few feet away. Close enough to reach for you and squeeze the life out of you. Close enough to catch the blue hue outlining his pupils. Something about those eyes, though eerie and downright terrifying, awaking every urge to take off to safety, was so oddly familiar that it froze you in place.

Where have I seen these eyes before?

He seemed to be stuck in his own reverie, fixed on your own for a good while. A tilt of his head could only signal his confusion to your presence. Or was it recognition? It could be both.

You don’t even know how long you were both stuck soul searching each other until the roaring sound of gunfire descended down on the docks.

Breaking your staring contest apart, you frantically craned your head behind trying to locate where the firing came from. Then it dawned on you.

The commander in chief is here. Knowing him, he was just waiting for his cue to shine like the superstar pawn of the government he is.

Mophead set off in your direction, most likely to grab you, but he only managed to take a step before bullets lined up a few feet in front of him. With a low grunt, he spared you one last deadly stare marking you as a new enemy to his possibly extended list before retreating back to his gang.

The bullets flew closer and closer to your spot and the intense smell of gun powder filled your nostrils. This was your cue to exit stage. In any direction at this point.

You got to your feet in seconds, saving what was left of your steamed dumplings and made a run for it. A few bullets narrowly grazed the low ends of your dress but you quickly made it to the safety of a dark alleyway close by.

Checking on your precious dumplings in the crumpled paper bags, you saw most of them were unharmed and let out a breath of relief. Then you cursed yourself for leaving your weapons on your neatly folded futon the one time you could actually make use of them.

The blaring gunshots halted all of a sudden. The docks were quiet again. Way too quiet. Strange. Did they run out of ammo this fast? I thought the police got endless resources in that field. Nevermind that, the mob had thousands of them at hand, itching for a little assembling and bullets. A showdown between a gang and the authorities couldn't have just ended this fast. Something felt off.

You made sure the shadow of the brick wall covered you whole before peering over to the docks from the corner of the alley. Assessing the situation, you noticed that half of mophead’s party was shot down by the commander’s force. Blood was everywhere, splattered on the cement from the entrance as far as you could see. Possibly all the way to the other end of the pier. Big and burly bodies that were swarming the warehouse and executing orders just moments ago, now laid lifeless next to and on top of some of the crates filled with weapons. Some of them managed to flee the scene when the firing started, abandoning ship cowardly. The rest of them that were still alive and kicking were captured and put in restraints to be taken into custody, together with their leader who must have been a ticking bomb of rage on the inside by now.

The more you looked at it, you didn't take him for someone that would get caught so easily. He gave the impression of the superior kind of thug. The type that calculates and plans until all doubts, variables and collaterals were executed off the table.

Something didn't add up.

What is really peculiar was that this part of the harbor was not even on the open side, clearly to make the storing of arm supplies as reclusive as possible. But anyone who wanted a hit and run, quick and fast, could flee the scene absolutely undetected under the safety of nightfall. The only way you could get caught was if someone chirped like a hummingbird, loud and close to the commander's ear. You nearly giggled at the possibility until you took another look down at the pier and all amusement in you dissipated.

Maybe it was the smug look on the commander’s face as his men rounded up the thugs. Or the way most of his force came out from what looked like stationed places at the other end of the docks entrance. Even the sure nods the officers shared as they shoved the last of the goons to their knees behind their leader.

It almost seemed like they knew mophead and his crew were going to be here tonight, set on stealing the armament.

No way.

Was this a set up?

Back at the precinct

Enishi was fuming.

Things went sideways too quickly for his liking tonight. The only feasible explanation was that someone talked and he was going to make sure they weren’t seeing the light of day under his watch. Once he made it out of the shithole he was currently held in that was. Which seemed to be somewhere in the far future.

The old man ceased his relentless show of authority punches, changing the plate for questioning, trying to intimidate Enishi. Too bad. Having the man breathe opium smoke in his face did not phase him at all.

“I’m going to ask again," sneered the commander, puffing up his chest with another intake of the drug. "Why were you stealing weapons?”

His patience was running thin, beyond irritation, showing in the way the veins on his neck strained. But he could press on as much as he wanted. Enishi wasn’t going to give him shit.

“Either you talk or your good for nothing squad will suffer in your place.”

He really thought he did something with that line. Those men were disposable. The real ones waited back at the base. He wasn't mad to deploy them for a mission that was supposed to be easy. But this was probably the last time he employed outside resources for a mission.

“I don’t give two flying fucks about them,” spat Enishi. He hoped some of the drops of blood flew to land on the commander's face.

That geature only earned him another punch, this time deep to the stomach. The guards who were holding him let him drop to the floor, more blood dripping on the side of his mouth.

The commander handed his pipe to one of the officers, discarding his coat on a chair before letting his fingers work to roll the sleeves of his shirt up. He moved around his golden desk furniture with the grace of an old dragon, aware of the ways of the world. That was what he wanted his assailants to believe. Truth be told, he was nothing but a puppet for the higher ups.

“I guess I’ll have to beat it out of you then,” said the commander, cracking his knuckles.

Bracing for the commander’s punishment, his thoughts wandered somewhere else. Not to the mission. Not to the missing weapons. Not to his men. But to the girl who was there tonight, hiding behind the boat.

He wasn’t stupid. He sensed someone was eavesdropping from somewhere. It just wasn't in his benefit to do something about it when they weren't showing up to lay claim to the weapons or to stop him from taking them.

But you weren’t supposed to be there. You were a variable in his plan that he couldn’t have predicted. A wildcard? A hidden weapon he could've used? He didn't know. Where a handful of questions swarmed around in his head, three of them stood out the most, distracting him from the incoming hit to his side.

Why were you there tonight?

Who were you working for?

And where have I seen you before?

Ten armed guards at the front of the building. Another two securing the entrance from the inside. Five more moving around the halls. None on the top floor.

Bingo.

Sliding open the glass window on the roof of the precinct, you snuck in quietly. You landed down swiftly, arching your heels like a cat to keep you steady. Stealth mode switched on in your head as you carefully inspected your surroundings.

The top floor is clear.

Tightening the grip on your twin Remingtons, you straightened and advanced to the walls on your right, opposite to the railing on the other side overlooking the secured entrance. No one seemed to be on this level at all.

As you rounded the corners, you spotted a staircase going down to what looked like a meeting hall.

Angry shouting and what resembled the sound of slapping got louder the more steps you descended. Someone was either receiving a beating or they were just into kinky shit.

You were on the last three steps when a guard's boots fell in step close by. Aligning yourself with the wall, you became one with the shadows. You held your breath, keeping your heartbeat under control as well as any other signs that could get you spotted. On the inhale, he walked by. On the exhale, he continued on his path. As he got further away, you tilted your head towards the glass ceiling and released the breath you were holding.

This was a terrible idea.

What were you even doing here in the first place? This was not your fight.

But your conscience convinced you that you were somehow responsible for the unsuccessful outcome of mophead’s mission. Call it remorseful helping.

You weren’t supposed to be there tonight. It was just incidental. Your stupid craving for dumplings made you come out of your extremely comfortable refuge and one thing led to another and you found yourself in the middle of the crossfire. The very thing you hoped to avoid at all costs.

Without thinking too much of your bad choices for the day, you geared up to save mophead. You didn’t know why you were going this far for someone you didn’t know. But you felt needed for once in a while and like you finally had a job to do. That and the fact that the betrayal under his command hit a little too close to home.

There was something else that bothered you about your encounter with him. The moment he locked eyes with you was branded into your head like a burn wound. Your brain replayed it over and over again for no specific reason until it drove you crazy.

Those eyes bugged you to the world’s end. There was something so addicting and familiar to them. But you couldn’t recall where you’ve seen them before no matter how hard you tried.

You needed to find out who this man is. So, like any normal person looking for answers, you went to ask him. Well, you will ask him. As soon as you busted him out of the most secure precinct in Shanghai.

In the meeting hall

“This would be so much easier if you just talked,” yelled the commander in chief.

“How about… fuck you. Good talk,” said Enishi with a sick grin.

“You son of a—,” the commander was cut off by the sound of shots being fired outside the meeting hall. Grunting and yelling ensued for a good minute until everything turned quiet. Everyone’s ears perked up listening for what could follow.

A powerful kick thundered against the golden door to the hall, making it come off its hinges and cave in on itself. The bolts creaked, splintering on the sides and the door fell with a loud thud. You stepped over it, the click of your heeled boots bouncing off the echo in the room.

All eyes were trained on you.

“Who’s ready to have some fun?” you chirped, enthusiastically twirling the guns in your hands. They landed perfectly in your hold and you cocked them right at the men in the middle of the room.

“Who are you?,” asked the commander in chief.

“Let’s just say I’m someone you don’t want to mess with,” you said confidently.

“You’re just a stupid girl if you think you can just come in here —“

“This stupid girl just took out most of your guards on duty. It will be her utmost pleasure to take you out too,” you said with a smirk.

Enishi was watching the exchange, his head swimming with confusion for the second time tonight.

Just who exactly were you? And why were you crossing paths again? Also, were you insane to just waltz in the commander in chief's lair like that?

You first show up as a hindrance to his plan and now you’re here to probably mess up more than you already have. He was also kind of blaming you for the situation he was in at the moment. You weren't of any help in his eyes.

At least you proved useful in distracting the guards and the commander so he could work on getting his hands free of the rope tugging at his wrists. Okay, maybe you were useful.

Looking over at mophead, you noticed he freed himself. You haven’t worked in a team in so long so you threw him a look asking for guidance on what to do now. What he saw however, was more of a weird face that kind of creeped him out, but he quickly caught onto what you meant.

He wasn’t sure whether to trust you. But he didn’t have the luxury to audition for partners right now. So, sending a silent nod your way, you let the fun begin.

Mophead lunged for the commander in chief while you preoccupied yourself with the five guards in the room. You easily took out the first one by the couch at the side. Pointing your gun to the next one, you pulled the trigger but nothing happened. You tried the other gun receiving the same vacant response. You were left without bullets having emptied most of them on the guards outside.

Strapping the guns back to your belt, you took a fighting stance and beckoned the officers to you.

Hand to hand combat it is.

The closest guard lunged at you and your fist connected with his nose. A loud crack echoed upon contact, blood seeping through his hands as he cradled his nose.

“You bitch—,” you cut him off by hooking your leg to the back of his neck, dragging him to the floor.

“Did your mother not teach you how to speak to a lady?”

He got back up and got ready to throw another snarky remark but you wasted no time in shutting him up with a nearby chair. The wood broke to pieces as it made contact with him, knocking him out cold. Once he fell to the floor, you directed your attention at the other three guards that started circling you from different sides. Showtime.

You let them come at you. The taller one came first, swinging a baton at your head. Ducking successfully to avoid having your head turned into a baseball, you went for a roundhouse kick to his head. He got projected to the other side from the force you put into the move.

The last two attacked you at the same time. One of them had a knife that managed to get a few cuts through the sleeves of your dress as he kept swinging at you recklessly. He wasn't even looking where he sent his blade. He probably just hoped they got you. If this was the training they got the armed forces were doomed.

You huffed disappointedly as you lifted a slashed piece to check the damage. “I just got this one."

Getting annoyed with his incessant flailing about, you caught his hand just as a slightly smaller in stature officer came from behind you. Kicking back your right leg into the stomach of the one behind, you got a chance to take the knife, throwing it away and out of his reach. You turned and elbowed the knife wielder in the stomach, directing another knee at his ribcage letting him fall flat to the floor.

One more to go.

Standing face to face with your last enemy, you spared mophead a quick look. He was struggling with the commander as he pushed him face down on the big wooden desk. He quickly turned the power around and got him into a deadly chokehold instead.

You didn’t even notice his outerwear was discarded and he was left only in a tank top. His huge biceps flexed dangerously as he tightened his hold on the commander’s neck, pushing into him with all his strength. Sweat was piling like rain drops down his arms and you found yourself drooling. Maybe you digged the whole white mop of hair look.

You were snapped out of your fantasies by the small garden goblin running towards you with a spiked staff. Where the fuck did he get that from?

Do these guys not have one normal weapon on them? Where do they get all this ridiculous stuff from?

You dodged his attacks and his futile attempts at trying to spear you like Dracula, until he got tired and his swings turned sloppy. Finding an opening way too easily, you caught the end of the staff with your right hand and turned your left into an uppercut diving it under his chin. The impact of your hit had him landing in a star shape on the floor. His eyes rolled around unable to focus like birds chirped around his head.

Just as you were finished with him, mophead finally squeezed the living daylights out of the commander and let him fall splat to the floor. He wasn't dead. Just out of service for the day.

Sensing the ruckus in the hall, the rest of the guards from outside started piling up into the hall. You both walked towards each other until you were back to back. In other circumstances you would’ve loved the way your heavy breaths mingled and the way your shoulders shyly grazed each other. But now was not the time to crush on your new partner.

“Any chance you have a plan to get us out of here?” asked mophead. Guards surrounded you from all sides, covering all exit points. The only way to escape was to fight your way out.

“I’m guessing breaking some more necks wouldn’t hurt,” you replied hastily.

“You take the ones on the right. I take the ones on the left,” he directed.

With another nod, you both got into position and waited as the guards descended upon you.

A storm of fists came your way. You tried blocking them as much as you could but five to one was too much to handle without a weapon. Mophead noticed your struggle and tried to get rid of the three baton swingers in front of him. With a low sweep kick to their ankles they all fell over at once, hitting each other with the bats they were holding.

You were holding onto three bats with all your might, pushing your arm muscles to greater strength than they were capable of. Two guards sneaked behind you, ready to deliver a dangerous blow. Enishi intercepted them before they could carry out their plan, catching their arms mid swing and twisting their arms to inhuman angles.

“Don’t you know it’s bad manners to hit a lady, especially from behind?” he said, towering over them, pushing them to their knees as they writhed in pain.

You finally managed to throw the three men backwards, taking to delivering a kick to each of them. By the time you were done with them you were breathing heavily. You were a good fighter, but your stamina was always holding you back. Mophead seemed to be more trained in that field though as you saw him cutting through the lines of guards with ease, taking down two or three at the time. And he was injured.

Five more guards circled both of you.

“Give me a hand,” you said as you ran towards mophead.

He sensed your idea right away. Latching your hand with his, you created enough momentum for him to pull you around in a circle to kick down all of the guards. Once you got both feet back on the ground looking for your next victims, you noticed the secure hand sitting idly on your waist.

Looking up at him, you saw he’s about a head taller than you. He was scanning the room too. Feeling you tense in his hold, he quickly dropped his hand from your waist and trained his gaze on the broken down door.

“We have to go before more of them come.”

“What about your crew? Are you just going to leave them here?”

“They can get out just fine by themselves,” he growled, annoyed and pissed enough to think of those fuckers too.

And with that he grabbed your hand and you made a run for it, stepping over the bodies of the commander's regiment, falling out into the precinct.

Next

Thank you for reading! Comments, notes and reblogs are always welcome :)

[miki-13]

I apologize for what I am about to ask, but you are my hope to save my family from hunger and death, and I hope that my message reaches all the free and compassionate people in the world. I ask you to save my family, because they are in danger. Every day we face death, the situation is dangerous, there are no necessities of life. No food, no milk, no diapers, no medicine. All goods at high prices. My nephew Mohammed has polio type C, and the fear of losing him has become very terrifying for me. Living in Gaza is very stressful. This war kills without mercy. We are in very great danger. Bombs on our heads every minute pose a threat to my life and the life of my family, so I ask you to help me quickly. Your contribution, no matter how small, can make a big difference in their lives. Or share this link with your network. Thank you for your kindness and support of my story. Here is the donation link: https://www.tumblr.com/momenalstaz/760956160851542016?source=share

[dawnrider]

Once again, I am following in @flannelfangirl's footsteps and putting out a call for prompt asks! Send an ask with any number between 1 and 100, a fandom (try to stick to ones you've seen me posting about) and pairing (platonic or romantic) and I'll write a vignette to go with whatever song the number corresponds to from my 2024 Spotify Wrapped playlist! (You can also just specify a fandom and I'll pick a character or pairing myself.) Happy prompting!

Ask Box

[scarletdawnwolfblogs]

Enishi Yukishiro x Reader

When you saw Enishi on his knees after his battle with Kenshin and Heishin, you can see so much grief radiating from his body.

The realization hitting him into knowing that he will lose his sister's smile forever after listening to Kenshin's reasoning to not hurt anyone anymore.

The realization of never seeing his sister ever again.

The realization of his wrong doings and believing that revenge is what Tomoe wants when it is not the right thing to do.

Despite his obsession for his revenge against Kenshin, you can see so grief he has been going through the years.

Consume in believing he had failed to protect his sister even though she sacrificed herself for Kenshin.

So you approached Enishi and got down to your knees in front of him, causing him to look up at you with the tearful eyes.

Then your arms reached out to wrap around him and pulled him close to you in an embrace, causing him to bury his face into your shoulder.

You ran your fingers through his silver strands, ignoring the dried blood that cakes in his hair.

You did not say anything... just sat there as Enishi buries his face further into your shoulder as warm tears rolled down his cheeks.

His hands clutched onto the back of your shirt/dress as he hold you close to him, not wanting to let you go. Afraid you would be gone too.

Hi, everyone! I want to say thank you so much for reading. This is the first time I've written a "canon character x reader", and I am hoping to do more in the future. I saw the live action, and so much emotions hit me. Again thank you and have an awesome weekend!

-Dez

[thequeerranpokinnie]

i'll be posting some (relationship/romantic) headcanons for a few different characters soon (im definitely writing for Chishiya from aib and Takahashi from Hanalei Bay, lmk if there's anyone else you'd like me to include, thanks in advance♡)

[quotablefanfiction]

“Simply watch. Your mind will wander, that it will. Guide it back. Be gentle.” Humor glinted in violet as Kenshin patted the archaeologist’s head. “The poor creature is obviously overworked.”

Kenshin goes over meditation techniques with Daniel (chp. 2)

Spin Cycle by Vathara (AO3, FF.net) Stargate: SG-1/Rurouni Kenshin – Teen – Himura Kenshin/Kamiya Kaoru #Alternate Universe #Crossover #Fandom Fusion #Airwolf #Spirits #Magic #Japanese Mythology #Youkai

Late-night laundry leads to a few other people keeping an eye on Cheyenne Mountain…

[kitsune024]

Crossovers

Jujutsu Kaisen

MCU

blackugou widow by @wonhaebunny I Chapters: 11/? I BAMF Bakugou Katsuki, Reincarnation, Natasha reincarnates into Bakugou

Rurouni Kenshin

Echoes of Your Silence by LLewtwo, Popjeckdoom I Chapters 27/40 I Immortal Himura Kenshin

Fullmetal Alchemist

How to Solve a Murder and Incite a Rebellion by Kastaborous I Chapters: 13/16 I BAMF Edward Elric, Canon Divergence but Ed is the Divergence to BNHA Canon

-

A Study In Deceit by @mentallyunawareofpapaya | Chapters: 15/? | Sherlock AU, Bakugou has the intelligence of Sherlock, Bakugou Katsuki & Todoroki Shouto Friendship, Bamf Bakugou, Psychological Horror Slope by sunfleurmoon | Chapters: 35/40 | Bakugou Katsuki Redemption, Bakugou gets expelled, Bakugou Whump, Torture, Bakugou adopts Eri, Quirkless Bakugou, Bamf Bakugou Your Sun in the Night Sky by @jothebakuho I Chapters: 10/11 I Bakugou Katsuki/Todoroki Shouto, This time Bakugou saves a kid instead of Midoriya- He gets too into it, Kid Fic Ground Zero by Windschild8178 I Chapters: 18/30 I Bamf Bakugou, Bakugou/Deku sibling shaninigans, Torture, Psychological Torture. Mental Anguish, Chronic Illness I Provide Protection by hitomi_mimii (PuffedGill) I Chapters 87/100 I Bakugou/FemOc, Cute fic, slow burn Can't See Shit by alice_tryingtowrite I Chapters 36/? I Bakugou has a different quirk, child neglect, bakugou and Izuku stay best friends, bullied bakugou, bullied Izuku, childhood friends, good parent Inko, class representative bakugou I Wasn't Here (But I am Now) by Emo_With_Ink, Sunshines_Catharsis I Chapters: 22/? I Bakugou Katsuki/Midoriya Izuku, Midoriya Izuku Gets Hit by a Quirk, Traitor Bakugou Katsuki, Slow Burn, Alternate Universe

Completed

Flip Off by @bern-the-bridge I Chapters 1/1 I one shot 5+1 Things, ooc Bakugou, Personality switch, Quirk Shenanigans End of the Line by LinatheLoud I Chapters 10/10 I Bakugou Katsuki & Class 1-A, Bakugou becomes Class 1-A's medic, Class 1-A as Family, Graphic Descriptions of Injuries, Hero Public Safety Commission Bashing, Blood and Injury, Injury Recovery, you won't like All Might here Ignition Point by noodle_writes I Chapters 17/17 I AU - Canon Divergence, Bakugou is a child soldier, Hero Public Safety Commission Bashing, AU- Dystopia

@ladygreenfrisbee

Standing at Ground Zero I Chapters: 16/45 | Bakugou Katsuki/Midoriya Izuku but not main focus, training camp arc, Vigilante Bakugo Katsuki, It Gets Worse Before It Gets Better, Bakugou doesn't get rescued, Canon Divergence The Ticking Time Bomb | Chapters: 15/25 | bakugo angst, Violence, All for One is a scheming monster, Dabbling in Quirks Elixir I Chapters 13/40 I Bakugou Katsuki/Midoriya Izuku, AU- Canon Divergence, Canon-Typical Violence, HealingQuirk!Bakugo, secondary quirks, Angst Bookmark Series All That Is Left | Part 1 - 2 | Bakugou Katsuki/Midoriya Izuku, All for One, Possession, It Gets Worse Before It Gets Better, Canon Divergence

@anonymoustwit

Completed Our Hero I Chapters 8/8 I Earthquakes, Whump, Hurt!Bakugou, It Gets Worse Before It Gets Better, Implied/Referenced Bullying, Bakugou Katsuki & Midoriya Izuku Friendship, Soft Bakugou Katsuki A Little Demonstration I Chapters 3/3 I BAMF Bakugou Katsuki, Bullies, Protective Bakugou Katsuki, In This House We Appreciate Bakugou Katsuki, Bakugou Katsuki Is A One Man Protection Squad Stray Bullet I Chapters 4/4 IHurt!Bakugou Katsuki, Gun Violence, Blood, Injury, Self-Sacrifice, Midoriya Izuku Needs A Hug, Class 1-A as Family

[ink-dusted-dreams]

The Melancholic Dance of Time - A Rurouni Kenshin Fanfiction

Enter the shadows of Bakumatsu, where Battousai, an enigmatic Ishin Shishi, holds the dual mantle of god and demon. As a ruthless killer, he holds the key to Ishin Shishi's dominance. However, when he crosses paths with the mysterious Tomoe, the narrative takes a riveting turn.

FF | AO3

Author: ink-dusted-dreams/floatingrumi

The Bakumatsu era in Rurouni Kenshin has always captivated me. Perhaps it's my historical fascination with that period, or maybe it's the story's intricate plot. While the plot complexity deserves praise, the real credit goes to the compelling nature of history itself.

I've always lamented the limited Bakumatsu era chapters. However, I understand the constraints of the shonen genre, which likely necessitated significant filtering.

Furthermore, Kenshin's heroism is debatable. The Meiji Restoration's merits are still a subject of historical debate.

Initially, the Ishin Shishi's methods bordered on terrorism. This makes portraying Kenshin as a pure hero difficult, which is reflected in the fanfiction.

My goal is to rewrite the Remembrance Arc with greater historical nuance.

[plothooksinc]

AHA. I have learned!

Thanks to @shadowbends who pinged me and went AHA I KNOW HOW, so here. As I'm a few chapters away from the end of NRFTW, if you have a preference, let me know! (I won't necessarily keep to that preference, but it would be good to know what people would most like to see so I can work things out. Here's a hint: I intend on working on them all so no fear there.)

[sesshatetsuko]

Rurouni Kenshin fanfiction

~ For as long as Kenshin remembers, life had never been easy for him. So when carefully-buried memories are brutally awakened, the former assassin finds himself in the grip of his inner demons... ~ A post-Jinchuu story, depicting Kenshin's struggle with his past and future, and how he and Kaoru finally became a family... (canon characters, pls mind the M-rating)

Tonight, although she had already put on her chalk-colored yukata and unfolded her futon to sleep on, Kaoru Kamiya was walking through the corridors of her home with a small candle in her hand.

Let's just have a look at him before going to bed...

She had noticed that the wanderer had been distancing himself from the others more and more lately. If tiredness could explain this withdrawal, since his physical condition was getting better by the day, his friends had come to the conclusion that he was also recollecting memories of some of the events that had occurred after his training with his master in Kyoto. Therefore, Hiko was no longer the only one keeping an eye on him : Kaoru, too, would sometimes make a round in the evening. Because of the gruesome procession of nightmares that could repeatedly harass the swordsman into his sleep, the young kendoka feared these moments more than the rest of the day. She had seen Kenshin struggling with them long before all this happened...

His lantern is out... he must be asleep.

As she was peeking through the paper wall of his chamber, Kaoru noticed a shadowy figure standing upright. With a second thought, she carefully opened the door...

"Kenshin...? "

The swordsman, still fully dressed despite the late hour, was sitting in the middle of the pitch dark room. Right hand tightly clasped on his sword. The shoji overlooking the garden was open to the snowy surface, where the temperature had dropped to freezing.

Why doesn't he turn around?

Kaoru knew he must have been aware of her presence by now, sharp and perceptive as he was… Yet Himura did not move an inch when she stepped into the chamber. His body, stoic and livid, barely lightened by the moonlight reflecting on the white-covered plains, seemed utterly numb...

He's been there for hours...

When she grew closer, she saw that his eyes, spread wide open, were ghastly riveted on the cold and colorless expanse stretching before them ...And the drops of blood, trickling from his old cruciform scar, as a stark contrast to his painfully chilled face.

"Kenshin... are you okay? "

" I... "

He tried, but when he parted his lips, all that managed to escape was the shadow of a moan. What remained of his voice just crashed into his lungs. This time, Kenshin Himura could not even bring himself to force a smile, in order to reassure the person he wished to preserve more than anyone else from the atrocities of his past...

... When the sheer violence of his souvenirs had hit his frame all at once, he had nearly choked.

Everything from the whole Bakumatsu to his brother in law's terrible revenge had brutally come to life. As his nightmarish puzzle finally fell into place, the labyrinth of space and time in which he had been cruelly entangled for weeks had suddenly unveiled its true outcome… And it was far worse than anything he could have imagined. Kenshin felt like he was reliving an entire existence of misery and savagery... in the mere blink of an eye. This was too much, far too much for one brain to process. Tonight he had felt his sword twitching again as it was pitilessly slicing through the immaculate body of his wife, witnessed the light disappear forever from the irises of the one person he loved more than life itself, gazed in terror at the corpse of his second lover disfigured by his own hideous scar and his unforgivable failure to protect those he held dear once more, pursued by the blood-soaked faces of all the lost souls he had murdered during the revolution, replaying out in his mind one after another in a horrendous parody...

Don't worry, I'll be fine...

He wanted to tell her.

I'll be fine...

Yet no word came out of his throat. Because he wasn't.

He was surrounded by the maddening smell of death. Drenched in blood, guilt and pain... Horrified by all the despicable mistakes that had brought him to this point.

Himura could hardly breathe.

He knew he would be better later on, when his body would have enough time to absorb all the suffering, when tons of water would have flowed under the bridges – he knew that. His memory already told him that he would eventually get over this ordeal someday too, long after Jinchuu, but... Now, right now, his organism was beyond the state of shock. His brain stunned, his stomach atrociously knotted, his breath entrapped in his lungs.

Kaoru took an alarmed step towards him. His breathing was abnormally fast and he was covered in a thin layer of sweat despite the icy air.

...Is he ill ? But he's eating almost normally now, and it's been a long time since I saw him throw up a meal...

When the young kendoka pulled a sewn tissue from her sleeve, wishing to offer Kenshin something to dry the old unhealed wound on his cheek first, she noticed that with his hollow eyes, riddled by sorrowful wrinkles, and the blood running down his face, like so many unshed tears... The wanderer just seemed infinitely sad.

Oh my… he had the same expression when he first met Enishi in Tokyo !

Kaoru suddenly realized what might be happening inside his spirit at this very moment... And if his memories really did come back to him all together in one stroke, then the aftermath had to be extremely difficult for one single man to endure. Himura looked sick to the core.

"It's okay, if you can't speak..."

For the time being, the young woman dared not to touch him, afraid of how he might react -he'd proven he could be highly unstable in the past, especially if he was in a state of mind where wouldn't recognize her. Instead, she decided to sit silently next to the swordsman until he found the strength to turn and acknowledge her presence.

I am here with you, Kenshin...

They lay next to each other, motionless, for an indeterminate time... Kaoru watching him from a chosen distance, Kenshin lost in his macabre vortex. Right now it was impossible for him to connect with the world around, but… somewhere through his tormented soul, in faraway places, he could sense Her amongst other somber visions... and little by little, she would bring some light into the hellish storm of his souvenirs. When the air finally found a way to his throat, a strangled whisper broke the silence.

"I -I didn't mean to... "

"Huh...? "

Kaoru shifted, surprised to hear him.

"I didn't mean to kill all these people... This one just wanted to... " he couldn't even stop to breathe "... create a new era where no one would experience what I did... "

His voice trailed off.

"Kenshin..." How could she answer this? "I know. We all know. "

"I didn't mean... to kill... her"

The swordsman had wrapped his hands around his head, his fingers now clutching the crimson locks. He looked like he was about to collapse.

"Look at me, Kenshin... "

Kaoru covered his palms with hers.

"...It's over. You're not a murderer anymore. "

This wasn't true. A part of him knew it, deep inside in this little dark box his brain had locked away a year ago. But Kenshin needed the lie at this moment.

"It's over... "she continued, lowering her voice as soothingly as she could, almost whispering in the dark room. "…You're living here now…"

Rising an hesitant hand, Kaoru cautiously approached the cross-shaped scar to apply the cloth she had retrieved earlier. She wanted to treat the sorrowful wound that had bled so much since Tomoe Yukishiro's death by herself. At first the swordsman didn't even flinch at her move, but when he sensed the delicate touch on his cheek, he finally turned his face to her. Violet eyes crushed by unspeakable pain were staring skeptically into hers. Himura realized that Kaoru was actually there.

"This... this one is... "

Abruptly, the wanderer stretched his arm and the young woman nearly lost her balance. He held her tightly to his chest as he let his forehead fall into the hollow of her shoulder, removing his face from anyone' sight. She could feel his erratic breath on her neck, his hand that had closed firmly on her shoulder blade. Kaoru froze.

"Go...gomenasai... "

For Jine-e, for Enishi, for all those who had kidnapped and wounded her just to hurt him.

"Gomenasai... "

For the number of times her dojo had been destroyed and then rebuilt, when her friends had been threatened by his fault.

"Gomenasai... "

For having left her for Kyoto and made her cry all the tears of her body, on a night of May filled with fireflies.

"Gomenasai... "

Despite the grief squeezing his ribs and shutting his voice, the wanderer kept on, endlessly trying to breathe out his apologies in a choke. Kaoru's heart broke for him.

" It was my decision to offer you to stay here…" Can he even hear me…? "You -You have nothing to be sorry for, Kenshin... "

This was belittling what had really happened, but what else could she say? As he still refused to raise his eyes to meet hers, she could only imagine the expression crossing the face that was actually desperately buried against her.

Lord, how he must suffer

"You don't have to explain yourself..." she whispered, tentatively placing a hand on his scalp. "Stop thinking about it, just let go for now, p-please..."

What words were to appease such a grief... ? As she didn't know what else to do, the young kendoka began to stroke his hair, gently sliding her palm over his head. Kenshin said nothing, but at the contact of their two skins, she heard him exhaling slowly. One by one, Kaoru began to carefully untangle the long ochre strands that had been damaged by months of convalescence and the little care he had granted them. While she was combing his locks, she could feel the muscles on his spinal slightly loosen, as if they'd been holding back this tension all along.

"Daijobu, Kenshin... "

The swordsman closed his eyelids. For a moment, all that could be heard was the sound of the wind rushing from time to time in the chamber and their two distinct breaths.

I'll have to close this shoji. I'm getting cold and Kenshin is freezing, but...

...Kaoru wouldn't dare to break this rare embrace. She didn't want to lose the fragile contact they had established for once. Kenshin always wanted to be the one comforting others, but was unable to seek help for himself. This awkward situation could be embarrassing and she did not want to hurt him further.

"Daijobu... everything will be okay... "

When there were no more knots in the red mane, she finally rested her hand on his shoulder, all the while continuing to murmur the same meaningless yet reassuring words. Somehow sensing her gesture stop, Himura increasingly wrapped his arms around her waist. Not ready to let her go yet. They remained in this position for a long moment, neither of them risking to move any further, until Kaoru felt his breathing becoming more regular, and the weight of his head less heavy on her thin shoulder. Then, his grasp relaxed somewhat and he smoothly withdrew his hand from her back, raising his face at the same time. The young kendoka instantly stared into violet eyes, worried. Although still strongly marked, they had recovered some of their clarity.

"...This one is fine. You can go to rest now. "

"Are you sure... ? "

"Yes..." A weakly, fainted, ghost of a smile. "Yes" he repeated "...It's ok, you can leave this one"

Kaoru felt her heart clench. She had seen him at his worst, both mentally and physically broken, and he would still force himself to smile for her. Sighing, she retrieved the soiled compress, his scar now completely dry.

"Try to find some sleep at least, Kenshin..."

As she was about to exit, she heard a murmur.

"Oyasumi-nasai, Kaoru-dono"

When she left his room, the young kendoka could not hold back the tears that were threatening to spill…

It was the first time in almost a year that she heard him call her by this honorific.

In the weeks that followed, the daily life here had gradually returned to its usual atmosphere. The kiais of the so-called kendoka komachi and her students were resounding again behind the wooden doors of the Kamiya dojo, much to the delight of their more discreet neighbors.

"Get ready! The tournaments against Maekawa Dojo will be held in September, and the qualifying rounds will start this summer! "

While shouting her instructions to the small troop of more or less motivated budding kendokas, Kaoru was happily thinking about the incredible evolution of her dearest host's condition.

He was a bit of a handful at first, but he's getting better and better...

Now that he had recovered most of his memories, she could finally see the features of the former Kenshin Himura - at least the wanderer they had come to know and like when they first met. If he still sometimes got the date wrong, it was only by less than a year now. He also still had some minor physical problems but had regained most of his cognitive and athletic functions.

...With this, I finally have more time for Kendo lessons!

Lately, the wanderer had even naturally resumed some of the activities he used to do on a daily basis before, such as cooking for them. Kaoru couldn't even begin to describe how good it felt to finally taste his meals again. Well, Kenshin would regularly forget where things were stored -he had to be reminded of this nearly every 30 minutes-, and he would sometimes switch ingredients for his memory was still a bit off (after all, who had never dreamed of accidentally discovering the famous flavor of sweet and sour plates?), but his dishes had the priceless taste of a return to normality... At this point, the wanderer could have cooked from mud -or worse, come closer to her own culinary style-, Kaoru would still have eaten it with the utmost happiness.

Just knowing Kenshin's back puts me in a good mood!

The gifted swordsman found happiness in the small acts of life. Focusing on a simple and repetitive activity had always had the power to ease his broken mind by centering it on concrete things. And he was finally getting his bearings after months of blind navigation and arduous rehabilitation... To perform ordinary stuff, that's all he'd ever asked for.

However, in a remote corner of his brain, a small blurry area would stubbornly remain hidden from his understanding...

Alone, in the midst of the tall bamboo trees of the forest where he could practice his fearsome kenjutsu away from the sight of others, the wanderer was deeply immersed in his thoughts.

He used to walk there when he was looking for peace and solitude. It was one of his old habits that he had gladly regained, along with the other routines he had developed while living in Tokyo - a luxury he had never known before, as he had never stayed in one place for more than a few weeks during his ten years of wandering. Secluded, surrounded only by the sounds and smells of wild nature, he could easily train or meditate here. However, these times of dedicated peace were also providing the seasoned swordsman with his fair share of reflections. If Kenshin finally had the sensation to be 'normal' again, at least more like his old self, something was yet bothering him...

He still felt like they were a year ago, as if that whole period had been swallowed into nothingness. He had a really hard time placing the events of the last few months, especially those that had preceded his blackout. Such inconsistency was starting to become an obsession in his sharp and focused mind...

...How did I end up in this situation in the first place?

To fall unconscious for such a long time, he must have suffered serious injuries... But which opponent could have been strong enough to cause them? Megumi had explained to him that comas could leave such gaps in one's memory, but that didn't quite convince the experienced swordsman... Why did he not have a single souvenir of it when everything else seemed to have gradually returned to his memory? Even though everyone around him was acting ordinary, something was off.

This one remembers going to the Saitama Factory for a mission that Saito asked me to join, and then nothing...

People told him that he had lost a lot of blood, but without dwelling on the issue… shouldn't such an incident have been significant to all of his friends ? They seemed embarrassed whenever he brought this topic up, the lack of precise answer having him quickly realize that they were most likely not telling him everything there was to know on the subject… And this had inevitably ended up installing a form of distance between them. Kenshin already had major trust issues with people when it came to personal matters, and he certainly didn't need this new thing to add to his current insecurities.

…But should this one really try to remember ?

The swordsman also recalled the last time his memories had suddenly returned to him, and this particular episode had been violent enough to shake his entire organism at that moment... That's why he didn't push them to confess if they didn't want to, convincing himself that the souvenir would come back to him anyway, just like the others did.

If this one has to, I'll go to the Mibu Wolf and ask him. He won't mince words with me.

Kenshin sat down in seiza on the cold grass, retrieving his sakabato from his belt to place it at his side. Once again, the touch of his weapon's hilt made him shiver uncomfortably, nearly raising the hairs on his arm. Here was another inconsistency... Why did he sometimes develop this inexplicable aversion to the contact of his sword? As if his body was rejecting it, or even protecting itself from it...?

This one's been carrying the sakabato with him since the end of the Bakumatsu... what's wrong with it?

He had yet lived, slept, and eaten with this blade against him for more than a decade… Was it related to his memory lapse, that fragment he was missing just before his coma? Every time he tried to think about it seriously, a severe headache would plague him, preventing the search from going any further. What was even stranger was that they would systematically hit the left side of his skull.

My body definitely seems to be aware of more than my spirit...

Kenshin couldn't help but shudder at the thought. Who knew what this shadowy area contained, when what his brain had unleashed before already revealed more horrors than a lifetime could hold?

...Is there something important that I'm still missing? What if it changed this one's situation completely ?

He couldn't bear the uncertainty any longer. If his body knew the answer, then he knew how to make his body answer.

I need to understand

Finally, that night, isolated amidst the rustling of the long bamboo, he gathered his courage and rested his unnaturally trembling hand on the hilt of his sword. The touch was so achingly familiar. It fit his palm perfectly. Kenshin executed a few motions, which flowed naturally, instantly becoming one with the old weapon as if it had never been out of his reach. The swordsman began to perform the deadly dance he had learned by heart, patiently, continuously, focusing on his sensations for hours that quickly flew away like minutes... Then, when fatigue began to pull at the very roots of his muscles, he finally paused to contemplate for another long time the weapon that had allowed him to become the one who was no longer an assassin. The wanderer who never kills. He turned it carefully, examining it from one side and then from the other... When, under the surprisingly ochre moon, a ray of light slipped along his blade, its steel edge briefly reflecting in his violine irises. Right away, the swordsman felt a deep pain in his chest, suddenly rising from a wound engraved in his body as if it had been waiting for that precise moment. As screams and distorted children's faces awakened before his horrified eyes, in the small corner of his brain that had remained stubbornly numb since his recovery, the terrible events of the last few weeks that had preceded his final decision, the one that had thrown his soul straight into The Beyond for the past year, surfaced at last in his tormented mind...

…This is... not... possible...

This was no nightmare.

The excruciating rain of chain blows that knew no beginning or end. The repeated injections into his flesh, poisoning his brain, so much that he could no longer eat or talk. The unspeakable desecration of his body. The ravaged kids who looked, cruelly, incredibly like the victim he had been in another era... Then the dismembered corpses that were piling up in a heap of shapeless dolls around him. The blind rage. The slaughter, the too easy slaughter. The mad murderer who was still living inside him and eating away at his soul like a tumor...

...He had been tortured, drugged, raped, then he had killed -no, butchered- an appalling number of human beings, before attempting to kill himself... and this was no nightmare.

For his mind, deprived of memories during the long coma, all of this had happened yesterday.

"Masaka..."

Depression hit him with the cruelty of an evidence.

It was as if his soul had been broken into a thousand pieces, only to be put back together again and again when he all that was left of him were just pitiful shreds. His dearly held vow was dead and buried, and with it, the death of his former wife had lost its meaning, just as his life of repentance had no reason to continue either...

And yet...

...If Kenshin Himura could survive the harm done to him, the damage he could do to others was unbearable.

...I'm still here...

This monstrous soul, trapped in a body that still refuses to die.

Why...?

His hand was shaking.

Why, am I still here...?

His blade, cutting his skin like mere paper.

...What have I become?

He focused on the pain, the only thing that still felt real to him at this instant. A recognizable, almost comforting incision, distorting the tissue of his forearm.

Do I still… feel… ?

He's watching the ochre liquid flow

All the people who are close to me end up dying in the end

…And dreams of death.

If I could do it all over again, far away from here...

I would kill myself too.

Over the next few days, while things still seemed to have gone back to regular for the inhabitants of the dojo -Kenshin had returned to most of his daily routine quite straightforwardly-, there was however a serious exception in the wanderer's behavior… He was no longer pretending.

That's it, I can see them clearly now. These eyes that do not smile...

Something had shifted recently and Kaoru didn't know what. The swordsman's presence was even frighteningly more withdrawn than before. He spoke little. Disappeared often. Spent longer moments staring at the emptiness. Despite his physical envelope performing the same customary tasks as always, the wanderer looked like a shadow of his former self. Kaoru was now aware that his attitude was but an act... If Kenshin would never express anything clearly to them, he was closer to an empty shell, similar to the one that had once failed in the Rakuninmura -according to her disciple.

He's moving away from us, just as he did… right before he...

Since the suicide attempt that almost cost him his life, his friends were no longer mistaken. Sanosuke stayed more often at the dojo. He tried, without much success, to take the redhead out for bets with his group of friend in the evening. Even Seijuro, the hermit, was still wandering around the outskirts of Tokyo... Only Megumi had to return to Aizu to take care of her patients now that Kenshin's body was cured, having left her recently opened practice too long without a doctor.

The young kendoka had tried several times to talk to the redhead, but he always pretended that he was fine, or that he would get better, or that it wasn't important. Which made Kaoru all the more suspicious.

I must not lose sight of him... He could leave us at any moment.

Kenshin watched indifferently as the hundred-year-old bamboo trees in the forest around him were softly bending and creaking under the winter breeze, yet never broke... and pushed the katana against his slender forearm.

The sensation of the blade on his skin somehow seemed... right.

Until then, fights had been the only moments in which he felt alive. As he was unconsciously pressing the blade on the same damaged spot, he then remembered that this night on the cliff, the blow that should have put an end to his agony had been deflected at the very last second. Unexpectedly shifted a quarter turn to its right, by a...

...a breath of Ki?

He stopped his gesture for a second. Who could have been powerful and perceptive enough to do such a thing?

Was it... Hiko ?

Himura closed his eyes sorrowfully.

He could not even face his master after what he had done. His ultimate act was a source of guilt, even deep shame in front of the man who had saved him as a child and given his precious time to raise him.

But...

His body was disgusting him.

Stained with the blood of his victims, soiled by the seed of his aggressors, treated as a slave from a very young age, then as a cold-blooded murderer and finally as a puppet of the new government that was sent to the most despicable battles to get rid of the undesirables of the system. These hideous labels stuck to his body like the cruciform mark on his cheek.

A slash on his skin.

And Himura could breathe a little more.

His mind was disgusting him.

Unable to escape from the slavers who used him, unable to defend the three women who rescued him, unable to follow the teachings of his master, unable to protect his first wife from his own violence or to make his new beloved happy, unable to keep his promise not to kill again... Unable even to end his own life.

Another cut, a little further along his forearm.

Not enough.

He felt so hopelessly bitter. He was so worthless that he wasn't even able to end with this stupid joke people called Life...

Worse, he had no right to die.

With her death Tomoe had forbidden him to die, with her life Kaoru was begging him to live.

One more, one more, one more.

He had to see his blood shed. He had to sense the pain because it was the only thing that made him feel even slightly better.

He needed to feel something, anything. Anything else than the misery in his soul.

…However, once enough blood had been spilled to make his head spin, only a great emptiness would invade the wanderer.

This is how Seijuro found him.

He was standing in the middle of the centenary bamboo trees, his head bowed, his katana in his hand... the sharp side of the blade pointing indifferently at himself. Hiko saw the blood trickling down his arm. Then he saw the cliff. The pale moon. The body on the ground, and this awful crimson pool spreading between the herbs, sucking the life out of him... The empty orbs of his disciple's eyes that night, the stifled grimace of pain on his face. The unbearable scene of his suicide instantly replayed itself before his vision.

"Stop..."

The thirteenth master of Hiten Mitsurugi clenched his fists tightly at his sides. The lacerations were far from harmful, it was self-mutilation at this point, but their presence spoke volumes about Kenshin's appalling state of mind.

Again...?

"Don't do this..." the master continued, his voice devoid of its usual authority.

He took a step toward his disciple, quickly cutting the distance that separated them, and without a second thought, placed his hand on the back that was turned to him to prevent any further move of the ill-fated blade. A large and strong hand carrying in itself all the determination, the strength... and the human warmth that he should perhaps have given him once.

"Don't do this... just don't." ... The last part of his sentence was barely a whisper.

...Still, Kenshin sensed his master's will with as clearly as a note echoing through the void of his soul. He felt the air leave his lungs. Two violet orbs, hollow and haunted, were drawn to the one who had taught him to survive when his life was no longer of value to anyone. Somewhere in the tumult of his tortured existence, for a few moments, a little boy was trying to paint the image of a father he had never known.

"Shishô... "

So many things were left unsaid between the two men.

It's too late...

Himura put a shaking hand over his face, hopelessly seeking to contain the emotions that were pushing to break free. As the disciple was staring intensely at his master, they were shamefully threatening to escape down his face. This was too late. This was all too late... At the corner of his eyelid, an undignified tear. Many more along with it, perhaps... He had no idea. Against the very man who had raised him, Himura was defenseless…

"I've... I've broken my oath... "

It was all he had left as a human being, after having been an obscene murderer. His oath, to which he had clung like an anchor to his boat. His arms began to tremble, bruising a crippled torso yet already burdened by the remorse he was so desperately trying to bury within.

"I know."

Usually hard and reserved, the master of Hiten Mitsurugi also felt something unfamiliar in the depths of his well-guarded soul, something he could not control... He was carefully watching under his black irises the man he had seen growing up ever since he was barely taller than a bokken. And witnessed, powerless, the absurd extent of his suffering.

What have they done to you there...?

As if he had heard the unspoken question, Himura shook his head, gritting his teeth. There was a souvenir he had hoped he would never recover… back there in the hangar that bore the obnoxious number 41, on its dusty wooden boards. It took no more than that for Seijuro to wordlessly understand what might have occurred during his captivity to push him to deny his convictions. Momentarily swallowing his own pride, the thirteenth master of the Hiten Mitsurugi gave in to a rare moment of weakness. He placed his hands firmly around his former student... and pushed redhead against his chest. If he didn't let it out, Kenshin would die rotten on the inside.

Never again.

…When he felt two strong arms finally grounding him, for the first time since the death of his former wife, Kenshin Himura saw his self-discipline shattering. Deep inside him, the abyss of sadness that had always been tightly contained in the agonizing void he'd become, started to stream freely down the oval of his scarred face, held back for far too long… He could not point out how or when, his wrenching screams just went on like a broken record.

"Please... "

Momentarily overwhelmed, he began to shake, moaning helplessly against Hiko's solid torso. In front of this man who knew him like no other, Shinta allowed himself to be for an instant the child who had once been stolen from him. To be anything other than the strong swordsman life had taught him to be.

"Please let me die... "

For once, he would indulge in a rare expression of the humanity that had been ripped from him before he even learned to walk, breaking the dreadful chains continuously muzzling the horrors of his existence, all the while suffocating in the sturdy embrace of his only master. The crimson blood that was drying on his arm did not matter. The two men stayed like that, in complete silence, until no more tears could flow. When he was finally able breathe again, the wanderer's body was still convulsing violently.

Sometimes the pain is insufferable, even for a man like him...

Seijuro waited patiently, as long as it took for the last tremors to fade, before he finally answered his disciple.

"...No." He let the loud silence that followed emphasize his word. "Never."

"No," he continued again, "you are not allowed to die. It's been a long time since your life no longer belongs to you, Kenshin. "

It belongs to all those who love you, whose fate are now tied to yours. Even if you give up on yourself, you have no right to let them go.

Hiko knew that his disciple, who was aware of the price of life more than anyone else, already understood the meaning of his words.

"If not for yourself, you have to live for the others"

No more words were needed.

"Now, let's go."

Seijuro started to lower his arms... But the redhead's hand was still lingering on him, faintly gripping his shirt.

"What...? "

"... I-I can't... "

Himura raised his face to his master's. His features were drawn, his gaze lost and shadowed.

"Not...yet"

He's exhausted...

"Don't enjoy it too much. " Hiko stated, caught off guard. His sentence came out softer than he meant - or is it the other way around?- "Next time I'll beat your skull for that."

Looking at him, to his eyes the swordsman here seemed almost as frail as the child he had once met in Edo era. Am I getting soft...? Seijuro grunted yet remained at his disciple's side. At the very least, I must be getting old...

"...Don't you think you should clean those wounds instead? " the master asked, examining the injured skin on his arm out of habit.

That'll leave another scar.

Not that himself wasn't covered in such already. Besides, most of them had been earned during his training many decades ago - who could ever hurt a practitioner of Hiten Mitsurugi if not another practitioner of this school?

"Or else, I know a young girl who won't be happy to see this tomorrow. "

"Tomorrow... "

The word sounded strange in his mouth.

"Yes, tomorrow. There is a tomorrow, baka deshi. Whatever you feel, whatever you decide to do next, you must go on."

"Tomorrow... "

Hiko could have asked him what exactly had happened that he day he had slaughtered the slavers like a butcher. What had happened this one night, in his brain... on the hill behind the damned woods of MinatoNoMieru-Oka. Since he had left him for the hell of the Bakumatsu, even... But no matter what he could say or do, he didn't have the power to take that pain away. And he wasn't exactly good at comforting speeches... All Seijuro could do was to be there, where no one else but himself could find him. And prevent the worst from happening again.

"The day will dawn tomorrow, Kenshin. And you will rise with it. "

Himura sighed and ran a feverish hand over his discreetly swollen face.

"This one will deal with all of this... tomorrow "

The redhead dropped feebly on his knees, then cautiously sheathed his sword before resting it on his shoulder and leaning against one of the bamboo clumps. Not even caring if his own blood was still staining the precious weapon. If the wanderer's eyelids quickly shut after that, his organism drained by the whole scene, Hiko -who would stay in the same forest not far away that night - did not close them at all.

So, he finally remembers what happened in Yokohama. It's now that his will to live is truly put to the test...

"I'm not that thrilled to see you again given the context, but... Welcome. " …was all the former Mibu Wolf had to say as his former opponent entered his office in the first rays of dawn. He didn't look too good with the dark circles around his eyes and his drawn features. "…At least, you seem better than the last time I saw you."

"Keep your opinions to yourself, Saito"

"So why bother coming all the way here…? " The policeman took a drag from his cigarette, glancing at him suspiciously. Word of his recovery had reached his ears long ago, so he expected him to show up here at some point. Himura never gave up on an ongoing case.

"This one... " the swordsman in him was somewhat ashamed to ask this to an ex-opponent when his own memory was failing him. Old grudges were dying hard, but Kenshin desperately needed some information, and he was certain that this man would not beat around the bush "...has to know what really happened, after the slave traders were arrested in Yokohama?"

"The whole truth, huh?" he was eyeing the redhead with curiosity now "What exactly do you want from me...? "

"Don't play with me. I'm not in the mood, Saito"

Has Himura ever been in the mood when it comes to working together...?

"Then you'll have to be more specific"

"Are the children safe? "Kenshin cut almost immediately

Of course, that would be Battosai's first question...

"They are... As good as they can be, given their condition. The lucky ones who had families have been returned, as for the others they've been... entrusted to orphanages".

"I see... " somehow a weight was lifted from his shoulders. Himura had never known what had happened to the kids after he had freed them, and this question had been nagging at him ever since the memory of that sordid investigation, which had begun with his departure for the Saitama factory, had come back to him...

"As for the details of what happened to them next, I don't know. That's out of my hands. "

"Um..." Kenshin nodded "...And the slavers? "

"Them?!" Hajime could not resist a sarcastic chuckle. "Poor fools... I can't say you left me with much to handle, unless someone knows how to talk to corpses! "

Himura didn't so much as flinch, so the policeman continued more seriously.

"…Anyway, there wasn't a soul alive when we arrived at the scene."

Except for one redheaded psychopath.

"And... What about..." Kenshin hesitated, obviously uncomfortable with the horrible tenor of what had happened there. He was not in a normal state of consciousness at the time, and was as unaware as much he was afraid of some of what the others had witnessed. In Kaoru's eyes, he had seen the reflection of a monster -something Himura would never forget. "...What about this one? "

"You...? "

"I've killed those men. Whatever slavers they were"

Saito took a moment to observe his former adversary. Even though he had wanted to hear those words from the honeyed wanderer's mouth for a long time, it gave him no satisfaction at the moment. Not when Himura didn't fight back.

"Ha! …Here's a rather pretty way to put it!" he laughed again, his golden eyes glittering with malice These folks have been downright butchered "...I've buried the file. Filed it as a 'self-defense case'." He simply stated, handing him the corresponding file away to back up his words. Though it looked anything but self-defense… "...It still took some convincing from the agents on the ground, who were quite impressed with your 'little performance', but for the rest... You've already provided great service to the government in the past, so this part wasn't too complicated. "

The wanderer slammed both palms on the desk in anger.

"I don't want this! "

"It's too late to complain, Battosai" the former Shinsengumi immediately returned to Kenshin his threatening look "...It's already been done and over a year ago!"

"This one should have been punished, or at the very least judged for his crimes! "

Himura was fuming. Nothing ever seemed to go the right way in this new society for which he had once sacrificed his sanity. If he didn't take things to heart as much as Sanosuke did in this area, he couldn't bear to get a free pass because of his background as an assassin, especially in matters of this nature.

"Huh... Don't you think you've punished yourself enough already? " It had come out of his mouth spontaneously, while a disturbing smirk was crossing his face. This was not fair of him and he knew it.

"Shut up" the swordsman hissed, amber eyes narrowing, "I bet you were laughing your smart head off..." Himura was hardly jesting, his fingers reflexively clenched on the hilt of his weapon. His emotions had been turned upside down over the past few days, and the last thing he wanted to do was discuss all of this with a past adversary like the Wolf of Mibu.

Fortunately for both of them, the former Shinsengumi did not push the topic any further. The atmosphere was as strained as a cord.

A minute passed and Kenshin closed his eyelids briefly, concentrating more on the matter at hand than on his personal feelings, trying to suppress the anger he felt rising in him far too quickly for his liking.

"I guess..." the redhead took a deep breath before speaking again. He was being rude, when this man, as unpleasant as he was, had actually helped him at a time when he himself had failed so miserably "...I owe you an apology. And thanks. "

Saito raised his eyebrows This couldn't have gone better... he gloated. Working with Battosai was always interesting.

"I don't care about this. Just try not to repeat your crazy show again... I won't be able to cover your back forever."

"Forever...?" he stopped at the word. The wolf was smarter than many men, and it was best to always be aware of his insinuations. Kenshin had fought him often enough to realize this "...What do you mean by that? "

"Well, I guess it doesn't matter now..." Hajime took a long -too long- puff on his cigarette, enjoying the alarmed look on his interlocutor's face.

"What? "

"Pffff. Do you really want to know...? "

"Spit it out, Saito, don't make a fuss!"

Battosai, as stubborn as ever…

"Well, this whole 'no killing' crap has always been completely ridiculous to me..."

Oh, I'm gonna enjoy this so much...

"...I couldn't swallow your sweet talk at first, but when I found you after the Bakumatsu, you were so insistent on that pathetic 'Rurouni who doesn't kill' fable that I almost believed it... You know, when I was in charge of evaluating you before eliminating Shishio, at Okubo's request..." he crushed the cigarette against the window sill of the police station. This conversation was likely to last.

"...But after that, as I became more and more involved in your affairs, I was able to follow the people you had fought and arrested. And believe me, reverse sword or not, some of them simply did not survive their wounds. And that's without counting all of those who were left severely disabled, which to me is a fate hardly better than death...".

That's when I realized that Battosai was in denial.

Kenshin was stunned.

"You... You lie"

"And why would I do that?" Despite the burning gaze upon him, the former Shinsensgumi did not budge "Explain to me; what do I have to win in the process?"

The wanderer clenched his fists fiercely, panic stricken eyes now riveted on the pupils of his interlocutor.

"...You can check this information if you want. Their autopsy reports are standing with the mission accounts, probably in one of those stacks of folders back there..." he vaguely gestured with his arm to the shelf behind him, where packets of colorful files were piled up. For once there's a point to keeping all this junk...

"That's..." Himura knew his former adversary. Saito wasn't lying. "...S-Since when did you know... Why didn't you tell me anything...? "

"What would it have changed... ? "

Unable to process what he had just heard, Kenshin was still frozen on the spot, staring at the policeman as if he had just announced the end of the world to him.

...Everything...

His interlocutor was still puffing on his cigarette, watching him very closely behind a desk full of papers.

It would have changed... Everything

"...Do you have any more questions for me?"

"This one..." the wanderer murmured, breathlessly "...No " was all he could answer.

"And so, what do you plan to do next, now that you're fully healed? "

The policeman went on, as if all this was perfectly normal.

"I don't... fucking know! "Himura hissed, reaching the end of his tolerance since the recovery of his memory, and all the atrocious revelations that seemed to just follow one another without interruption these last weeks.

"Well, it was nice to be of service, Battosai... Am I to understand that I shall contact you again if I hear anything new on the matter? Or have you finally changed your working methods to something more... efficient?"

"Go to hell, Saito"

And without another word, Kenshin stormed out of the police building.

Well, Himura's even less civil than me today...

Error was adding to error. Horror was adding to horror.

It's not even only a terrible mistake this one's made in a fit of rage...

Since the end of the Bakumatsu, since his pious oath to stop killing, people had died as a result of their fight against him. Even when using simple blunt force, with the dangerousness of the Hiten Mitsurugi techniques, the violence of the reverse sword strikes was still capable of causing fatal injuries. Trauma to the spine or above the skull, internal bleeding on the torso, crushing of the liver, or worse... the list happened to be quite long.

What an idiot...

He didn't know how he had ended up in this Izakaya. He had just left and walked straight ahead, far too disturbed to return to the dojo right now.

How could I not realize this...?

He had yet killed so many people before.

I'm so stupid...

He didn't even pay attention to the glass he was swallowing.

Stupid, and dangerous

One Sake became two, which soon turned into four, and he lost count of the ones after that...

When his vision began to blur and his head to tangle against the wooden table, his brain vaguely registered that it was time to go home.

"Where are you going, Kenshin...? "

He had just passed behind her like a gust of wind, and Kaoru hadn't even seen him all morning.

"This one's... going shopping. "

"Oh, great! " the young kendoka offered him a bright smile that remained unanswered "...seaweed is missing and perhaps some tsukemono too! "

Kenshin simply nodded. He was about to walk through the front door when she called out to him again.

"Wait, shouldn't you take the basket with you? "

"...Oro?"

He looked even more over the moon than usual.

"Oh... right."

The wanderer promptly grabbed the said basket and disappeared down the street without even meeting her eyes. He couldn't care less about groceries. So much was on his shadowy mind.

Kaoru as for her resumed her previous task, concerned about her friend. The swordsman hardly seemed to pay any attention to them today... She made a mental note to prepare lunch for him this afternoon to relieve him of his duties, maybe that would at least help him to relax.

"...So, what do you think of my baka deshi?" Hiko had asked her shortly afterwards, barging in from behind the young kendoka, surprising her again in the garden without the slightest warning sign.

Gosh! How does he always manage not to be heard with this size of his...?

"Even though he's away a lot, considering the situation we're starting from, I'd say he's still improving... He's returned to most of the activities he was doing before, I mean. His memory seems to have mostly come back to him."

Kaoru didn't know what else to say to the intimidating master, who was staring at her from his height with two piercing black eyes. He had folded his arms, clearly judging her and making no attempt to conceal it.

"Hmpf... So it doesn't bother you if he's intoxicated half the day? " Hiko retorted, as if he was merely stating the obvious.

"What...? ?! Are you sure ?"

He looks pretty normal to me, just more withdrawn than usual... ?

" What a useless question..." Seijuro replied, gauging with his hand the jar of sake that was hanging daily from his belt. Perhaps even more vital to him than food. "I never joke about alcohol."

How come… why did Kenshin…?

Kaoru was frustrated at her own inexperience. It took the XIIIth master of Hiten Mitsurugi less than five minutes to find out what was wrong with his disciple while she didn't notice anything about this... She was still young, and living with someone as complex as Himura often required her to mature faster in order to simply understand him.

"...Well I saw that he was distant, but... that's not so unusual from him lately, and given the context..."

*sigh* "There's not a good one in the lot, here…"

She better watch him more closely, or as I know my disciple she won't be able to tell the difference...

A part of him dreaded to go back to Kyoto as long as Kenshin was able to hide from his family how bad off he was. But the redhead had fully recovered his memories now, and he couldn't babysit him for the rest of his days.

What he decides to do from now on is not up to me... and as for what's left, there's not much I can do for him.

"Anyway, it doesn't really matter, as long as he keeps doing what he used to do here before..." ...and doesn't start killing every moving thing around. I much prefer for him to have a drink or else, whatever calms his nerves… "Now that my role here is over, I'll be heading back to Kansai soon. I don't want to stay in Tokyo any longer than I already have."

Like the other companions of the wanderer, he had left a number of things unfinished back where he lived so that he could rush to his disciple's bedside when he awoke. And it had been months since then... Even Megumi had returned to Aizu to take care of her patients since Kenshin's health was stable and he had come to his senses.

" I will be hitting the road in the next few days, depending on the weather."

It might be cloudy tomorrow, considering the sky…

"We can't thank you enough for your presence and advice, Master Hiko..."

"Well, don't get your hopes up. I did not do it for you."

Of all the disciples to take, why did I have to choose this complicated boy?

"…Thank you anyway"

With that, Kaoru bowed to the master.

...Sooo something wrong's definitely happened with Kenshin. If Hiko says he's been drinking.

She couldn't pinpoint exactly how long it had been... The whole memory recovery situation had proven to be complicated, but things seemed to have finally turned around, until perhaps the last few days...?

Since he's gone to visit Saito this morning, he looks even worse...

Another abnormal thing was to note, she had noticed that now, Kenshin seemed to be running away from his master more than from the others, almost as if he was uncomfortable with him... And Hiko wouldn't speak up about it either, which was all the more annoying... Had he recovered those horrible, last memories? The dreadful hangar where he had been imprisoned in Yokohama, the tragedy that had unleashed back there, his final decision on the cliff? Was he ashamed of his act in front of the former master of the Hiten Mitsurugi? Or did it only have to do with his visit to the police office and whatever that damned wolf could have told him...?

...Anyway, Kaoru immediately took Sanosuke into confidence. They had to confront Kenshin, the sooner the better. Or else, they would run the risk of this whole disaster happening again.

Anything but this

Later that day, the two companions were waiting for him after having had dinner on their own, racking their brain about how they could get the guarded wanderer to confide in them. It had been several months since he had been awake and no one had yet discussed this particular subject with him. Of course, the latter would never bring it up on his own.

We missed something in Yokohama, and it almost cost him his life... We can't just pretend that everything is okay even if he says so!

"Kenshin, can we talk for a moment? "

They were sitting around the fireplace, sipping a tea that had been prepared more for appearances than for any real desire.

"...Why?"

The wanderer's gaze was vague. He didn't seem to be interested in the conversation to come.

"...Well, you don't seem to be doing so well lately?"

"This one is fine "

"Jou-chan's right." Sanosuke immediately came to her rescue with his usual delicacy "…We can see there's somethin' eatin' at ya…"

"Has anything changed...? "

Their questions were met with utter silence. And two sips from his cup.

"I can't take this comedy anymore..." the former Sekihotai was not the man for convoluted speeches "...No need to be a freakin' genius to see that yare avoidin' us like the plague !"

"…This one is not. I'm just tired. *sigh* Anything else? "

Obviously not in the mood for small talk, Kenshin looked like he was already about to leave, that's why the young kendoka tried another way.

For better or worse, the boil must be lanced.

"Say, we've never discussed this together before, but I think it's important... " Kaoru was forcing the words out of her mouth. Seriously, no one wanted to talk about these events again. "...Would you mind telling us what happened that night?"

Himura closed his eyes.

"What do you mean by ...that night? "

So, he's gonna make it as hard as possible, huh...? Sanosuke tightened his grip on his poor tea.

"What happened after you left the hostel in Yokohama... Just before Hiko-san found you..." she couldn't bring herself to say it all "...badly injured."

For a long time, the muffled song of the Shiwasu wind was her only response. The wanderer was absently gazing at the surface of the liquid stirring inside the cup between his hands. He knew this question would come up sooner or later.

"This one... Doesn't remember it." The answer came without a shadow of emotion.

"...Really? "

That's possible... Kaoru reasoned, struggling to interpret the swordsman's indirect reaction... The fragmentation of memories can occur in major traumas ; Megumi had warned us that this could be the case in his condition, but... Is he really sincere?

As so often, the swordsman was unreadable. He kept his impassive face carefully neutral, a painful legacy of his practices during the Bakumatsu. Sanosuke shoved his hands into his pockets nervously.

" I bet ya know exactly what happened..."

So he's not willin' to share tha' with us either... no matter how damn serious this is

*sigh* "What do you want from this one...? "

"...I ain't buyin' any of tha' bullshit!" the former Sekihotai's irritation was now palpable "An' I'm gettin' sick of ya hidin' things after all th-"

"-I understand that it's not exactly pleasant to talk about it," Kaoru interrupted the brawler immediately, hastily digging her nails into his arm "... but don't you think it could do you some good? "

Kenshin swallowed the rest of his tea in one gulp.

"You're wrong." he replied, putting the cup back down. "As I've said before, I'm tired. I'm going to bed. "

With that he ended the conversation and rose without a glance at them. The wanderer retreated in the direction of what had been called his room for the past year, the land around him slightly unstable. His vision narrowing at its corners.

I don't want to be a danger to anyone anymore.

Unbeknownst to everyone else, it wasn't tea in his cup.

"...I can't believe he's doin' all tha sh*t again "

Sanosuke who had already reached the end of his short patience was about to hold the swordsman back, well determined to squeeze the information out of him if necessary, when he himself was abruptly stopped by the kendoka he had forgotten was still clutching his sleeve.

"You mean, avoiding to share his feelings with us? " she whispered, aware that the subject of their discussion might still be within hearing range "You know there's no point in forcing things with him..."

"True, he wasn't listenin' to anyone yet when he was entrenched in the Rakuninmura, even when usin' force..." Sanosuke slipped out of her grip easily. "...But he's ignorin' us again ; does this man still don't give a f*ck 'bout his friends ?! "

"I think he's just overwhelmed… " Kaoru tempered, lowering her voice "…He's probably got issues that go back a lot farther than we can see."

"If we can't reach him wherever the hell he is, then can't we pull him to us? "

"And how do we do that? That's what we've already been trying all along, and besides, he's always had a tendency to withdraw just to protect others from himself. "

"Yeah yeah..."

The two companions remained thus a few minutes side by side, each lost in their own reflections. Meanwhile, the sun was rapidly sinking outside and the temperature of the main room didn't show any signs of improvement. The former Sekihotai, who was beginning to tire, decided to end the matter for the night:

"...Well ultimately, if friends aren't enough to get him out of his hole it's gonna be up to ya, Jou-chan! "

"You're probably right, but... I'm not sure what to do?"

"Ya'll figure tha' out by yourself when the time's right. There's some stuff only ya can do, if ya catch my drift…"

Kaoru tried very hard not to blush at what his words could imply.

"Don't gimme tha' face Jou-chan, I'm not askin' you to jump on the man! " Sanosuke was not far from laughing. These two needed a push so badly "…Just allow yourself to bring him a littl' comfort when ya wanna, instead of always waitin' for him to reach for ya… I'm not sure he'd like me to come too close! "

Now she had turned bright red, clutching her cup awkwardly. Yes, she wasn't seventeen anymore, but… unlike the swordsman, she had no experience whatsoever in this regard.

" I- I agree there aren't many ways to get him to open up to others, but... Honestly it scares me a little" I can never predict how he'll react…

"Yeah. That's also why I'm here… so don't worry" The brawler made his way towards the guest room, stretching his arms as he yawned. He wouldn't make it back to the Ruffian tonight.

"I'll keep that in mind, Sanosuke"

I may have to... start all over again with Kenshin...

She didn't know how much he truly cared for her, but she was sure by now that she was more than a friend to him, enough for the wanderer to once say that the dojo felt like home to him.

I'm the only one he said goodbye to when he left us for Kyoto. The only one whose death had the power to put him in such a state...

Lately, he'd even taken her into his arms, showing a rare display of vulnerability... Even though sometimes, the sheer intensity of his reactions was frightening for the young lady, things seemed to be heading in the right direction as far as their relationship was concerned. And from what Megumi had told her after his fight with Shishio, she understood that it was up to her alone to heal his invisible wounds. Last year, in front of his near-dead body, Kaoru also made a promise to herself : no matter how long it takes…

I will make a clear step towards him, one that he can't ignore… I'm not a teenager after all, I'm the owner of my dojo now!

The brave young kendoka went to bed in turn, her spirit swarming with new ideas. Tomorrow, she would try something she had never dared to dream of before : a more personal approach.

...Except all she found on this foggy morning was an empty room.

"Kenshin...? "

His things were neatly tucked next to his futon. Only the sakabato was missing.

Kaoru clenched her fists around the tray she was holding, a lunch she had prepared early for him, in anticipation of the day she had planned to spend with the swordsman...

"No, he didn't..."

Although there was not even a note left for them, the message was clear.

He had taken nothing with him, except for his old purple scarf and his cursed blade. The former Ishin Shishi, who was not a materialistic person, had hardly collected any possessions during his stay at the Kamiya dojo ; nothing more than a white hakama and a warmer haori for the snowy seasons.

How dare he...

...She squeezed it so hard that she almost damaged the wooden handles.

" How dare he do this to me twice !? "

On a gray day at the end of winter, a day that looked like all the others, the redhead had left no trace of his former presence.

He was a wanderer.

Kenshin Himura had resumed his travelling.

[eureka-its-zico]

Violent Delights Pt. 2

Summary: On a trip with your father to Shanghai, your caravan is overrun. You are taken back to a compound of one of the most ruthless Mafia bosses in all of China: Enishi Yukishiro. Who was in need of a new plaything.

Pairing: Enishi Yukishiro x f!reader

Words: 5.6k

A/N: Whelp. Here we are again. Completely unhinged and riding the train to filth town. While the first one may have been filthy, dare I say, part 2 is like mega filth. Idk if I keep writing parts to this if it’s just going to get more unhinged (you know, porn with plot and all) or what it’ll be. For now, I just hope it’s something everyone can enjoy. Welcome to the deranged part of my brain. Much love 🖤 Jenn

Warnings: This shit is dark besties. It’s dark. Mentions of kidnapping. Dubious consent. Mafia trope. Knife play. Harem. Mentions of violence. Fingering. Voyeurism. Unprotected PnV. Oral sex. Its Smut. It's Filth. Please do not read if you are not 18+ (If I miss anything please let me know).

Part 1

Enishi’s solution to ruining your dress was simply getting rid of it all together. 

The moment he’d stepped out of the bath, droplets clinging to the ends of stark white hair and racing down an exposed chest, he made his way to where you sat on the bed. Your hands were still clutching to the fabric - the last known extension of yourself. It didn’t take long for Enishi to easily knock your hands away. A strong grip on your thigh controlling you to keep you from scooting away. 

His grip was vicious enough that you knew it would bruise. 

The only thing left for you to do was to reminisce on what little was left of your former life. The home you would never see again. The fiancée who you’d been promised to and barely gotten to know. Would he move on easily once everyone heard about what happened? What about your friends? Would the lingering ghost of your presence haunt them in any way, or would they easily dismiss you? The plans you’d had for your life were now a fading memory - left standing inside a burning house. The truly worst thought that plagued you was the thought of your father’s body floating out into the Pacific Ocean never to be found. 

You hadn’t even been able to mourn him, yourself, and your now-dead life. The only thing you could focus on was survival and surviving meant fighting.

And you wanted to fight him. 

To claw your nails down the hard plains of his muscles, until they created a river to rival the water on his skin. You wanted to lash out with kicks, slaps, and hate-filled words until it dimmed the look of conquest in his eyes.

You would do anything to prove to him that, just because he’d coaxed your body to come apart on his fingers, it didn’t mean he got to claim you. 

You weren’t his. 

But Enishi was always in control of everything around him and now that included you. 

He was quick to squash your small act of defiance. The arms you’d placed across your chest to help hold what little of your bodice remained - what remained of your dignity - were knocked away. A controlling hand applied pressure on your throat - delicious pressure - just enough to ease you back against the bed. Into the sheets that housed the sweat of your skin and your orgasm that soaked into the cotton fibers. 

Enishi kept the pressure of his fingers wrapped delicately on your throat, holding you down, as his free hand tugged and ripped what was left of the top of your dress. Once he worked the material free off your shoulders, it only took a matter of seconds for him to work it down to your hips. 

During the whole process, you’d remained motionless for him. Your pulse threaded against the callous digit of his thumb. Deep down you knew he placed it there - perfectly - to take notice of what would make your pulse tick faster. 

Enishi was all about control and, while he held you on the bed, you practiced your own form of control to not show him how his roaming eyes affected you. The way they darkened - darker than shadows - as his gaze drank in every inch of your body he revealed. 

You fought to keep your breathing even; your face expressionless. You didn’t want to give him the satisfaction of showing him a hint, one fucking ounce of emotion, besides hatred. A hatred you were struggling to hold onto as he drew his fingertips to trace across your collarbone, dipping down between your breasts.

It was such an intimate touch. One Enishi didn't deserve to give. In that one touch, it held the exploration of a lover, but a tenderness you hadn’t expected. Not from a man like him. It made your brain struggle against what it was shown, what he’d done, and the softness of his next touch. 

You’d remained unmoving through so much. You didn’t struggle when he knocked your hands away or fight him while he removed your dress from your shoulders, or wrapped his fingers around your neck like his long fingers were meant to grasp it. Through all of this, you were a good girl and didn't move.

Not until he touched you so sweetly, and his eyes lost the hard edges of demand. The soft dimming of control exposed something else you weren’t ready to see. 

You knew the minute Enishi felt your pulse speed up. The sneer at the thought of winning wore itself plainly on his face, and whatever softness his previous touch had lulled inside your consciousness quickly evaporated. 

All your earlier rage sparked fresh and all attempts to obey were wiped away. Without thinking, your hand lashed out and you felt your palm connect with his cheek. The sound of flesh meeting flesh fell heavy in the room. Enishi’s face didn’t even move from the impact, but before your hand was able to drop, you found your wrist caught tight in his hand. 

His grip tightened - tighter, tighter - until blackness cropped in your vision. You thought this was it. This would be the moment he finally discards you, possibly kills you, like you’d witnessed him do so many times to so many others - your father - in the few days you’d been held prisoner in his room. 

You welcomed the idea of oblivion. No longer being a prisoner to uncomfortable change - a prisoner to thoughts of a man who held you captive -  and maybe Enishi could feel it too. Or maybe he just meant to get you close to the edge before he brought you back with your lungs greedily sucking in air through a cough. 

Enishi’s hold on your neck remained, but the wrist he’d held captive was gone. His free hand was back to violently tugging, pulling, what remained of your skirts. The rich baritone of his voice carried as if he was yelling. His words deepened and rose in tone while he jerked on the last bit of your skirt until you heard the tearing of cloth crack like thunder. 

You were jarred by the burst of cold that hit you. Then came the shock of realizing he’d completely removed your entire dress and your underclothes. You were naked before him, and Enishi hungrily drank every inch of your exposed skin. 

You attempted to cover yourself. A choked sound of shock made its way past your lips as your legs tried to rise up off the mattress, your hands back to guarding your chest. Again, Enishi shoved them away. His hand gripping behind your knee to pull you closer to the edge of the bed. 

This time Enishi slotted himself between your legs and a gasp you refused to name etched itself into your throat. 

Unlike the first time, there was no cloth, no dress, to keep away the feeling of his cock as it pressed against your folds. Nothing to keep him from seeing your arousal - the way your body shamelessly hungered for him. His eyes were transfixed on your cunt and the way it coated his hardening cock. 

You watched his cock swell and grow in length - thick, so impossibly thick - pressed against your cunt and inches away from your entrance. For a brief moment, you were almost compelled to beg, to plead and cry for him to destroy you. Your mind selfishly followed the desire that flooded your body. A need so potent to know what it felt like for your cunt to stretch around him, and to feel the delicious searing pain as he pushed deeper and deeper until you threatened to burst. 

You knew the raw power Enishi wielded. You’d witnessed it dozens of times whether it was in the form of violence or sex. He was always in control and maybe that’s why you didn’t want to be just another tally added to the list. A conquest he’d have the satisfaction of claiming. 

He spoke again. While you couldn’t understand his words, what it was he truly meant, the fire in his eyes told you plainly: you were his. 

You belonged to Enishi, and he would not be denied what he claimed as his. 

You waited to feel the tip of his cock press at your entrance, and it left the air in your lungs suspended in anticipation. Your eyes took in the rise and fall of his own chest and realized for the first time it wasn’t steady. He was breathing fast as his eyes roamed over your body and you realized, for the first time, maybe he wasn’t as in control as he wanted to be. 

In a dizzying moment, you went from being pinned back against the bed, embarrassingly ready to let him fuck you, to feeling the absence of his demanding touch. Enishi released the hold he kept on your neck and moved away from the bed. The sound of his feet padding across the floor was enough to tell you his presence was still here. 

You wanted to get up but you knew what was coming. The sound of the chain rattling in the distance was a reminder of the nightly routine you’d fallen into since you’d arrived at the compound. Before Enishi went to sleep he always made sure you were secured to one of the marble pillars that lined the grandeur of his bedroom. You waited for him to come back, to grab you by your arm and haul you off the bed. 

Except this time that’s not what happened. 

Enishi grabbed you by your arm but only to force you up towards the headboard. Once he had you where he wanted, he released his hold on you and moved to wrap the chain around your right ankle and locked the lock into place. You watched, dumbfounded, as he wrapped the other end of the chain to the wooden leg of the bed frame. 

You couldn’t ask him what he was doing or why he was doing it. What it was that suddenly made him decide to chain you closer, closer to him, in his room, and what that meant for you. All you could afford to do was guess his intentions, his next steps, by the body language he rarely showed outside of rage. You barely knew Japanese and it’d become painfully apparent Enishi spoke both Japanese and Chinese. Neither one of them you understood.

You were pulled from your thoughts by the mattress tipping as his weight distributed on the bed. Your body swayed gently as if pushed by a wave until he settled back into the sheets. He barely covered himself in the soft goose-down comforter, the deep v of his hips devilishly exposed, with his head resting against his arm with those endlessly dark eyes trained solely on you. 

How did you know he was looking at you when you refused to acknowledge him? Your spine was brutally straight and unyielding to lie back against the soft cradle the bed provided. The answer was simple. When Enishi’s eyes were on you, it sent an electric current of want and fear - a maddening mixture - to flare across your skin. 

Just like now.

He spoke to you. His words ghosted over your exposed skin like an intimate caress that seized you as violently by the throat as his hand had earlier. His words were drenched in a drowsy alto that only seemed to grow deeper the longer he spoke. Enishi was so close to sleep and yet…

Your body lurched forward at the callous touch of his fingers drifting over your hip. It earned the sound of a deep chuckle that burrowed itself inside the marrow of your bones and took ownership. 

——

At some point in the refusal you’d strongly held on to not falling asleep beside him, you’d done exactly that. You were woken up by one of the concubine’s, Keiko, you believed was her name, raised up in caution. She was Enishi’s favorite concubine from the few days you’d been here. She never protested to anything he did to her or objected to what he asked. Not that you would know what he said, because you couldn’t understand. 

And here she was kneeling beside the bed. A bed that was now empty of Enishi’s presence - the whole room empty of it - with just Keiko and you being the only souls inside. You were suddenly very aware that you were still very much naked. Keiko didn’t appear to be the least bit fazed and offered you a small smile to try and ease your panic. 

“The master - he asked me to prepare a bath for you.”

It surprised you how well she spoke your native tongue. The surprise displayed on your face no doubt was the reason a smile spread across her face. Warm and bright enough to make you forget for a split second where you were. Who she was. 

“Would you like a warm bath?”

Did she even have to ask? You couldn’t answer her right away. A sharp nod of your head was the only response you were able to give as your mind mulled over her words. 

Master. 

It’s what she’d called him without hesitation and with no hint of disdain tinging her words. A part of you wondered if she enjoyed calling him that - if she called him that while he buried himself to the hilt inside her. 

A flash of jealousy flared in your chest as you followed her to the washroom. As quickly as it rose up, you were just as quick to squash it. Bury it down, down, down inside the graveyard of your mind and refuse to allow yourself to dig it back up. 

Keiko pushed open the washroom door and, when you stepped inside behind her, found a Japanese soaking tub full of warm water. 

A bath. A real honest-to-goodness bath.

 It’d been so long since your skin was scrubbed clean. You weren’t sure if you were allowed to just step right inside the steaming water or if you would need to wait for Keiko’s instructions. In the end, you focused on the latter and when she gave you another soft smile, her hand gesturing towards the tub, you didn’t hesitate to sink beneath the water. 

When you surfaced from the water a sigh made its way from deep in your chest. A bath couldn’t soothe everything, but it was enough to help make you feel human again. You were leaning against the side of the tub, your head back and eyes closed, enjoying the warmth of the water, when soft fingers began to massage your scalp. 

Your body involuntarily jerked away and you spun to see who touched you. It felt silly. You knew it was Keiko. It could only be Keiko and yet, you couldn’t swallow past the dread that lodged itself inside your throat. Your own heart pounded like a caged beast against your ribs. 

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to frighten you. I only want to help wash your hair.”

Keiko’s hands were where you’d left them: splayed open with the suds of soap and the scent of bergamot lifting up to greet you. She didn’t push you to return to her. She waited patiently for the panic to subside before she gently motioned for you to return. 

“Can I wash your hair for you?”

“Yes. Yes.”

It’d been so long since you've used your voice, aside from yesterday when Enishi had torn curses and moans from you. A memory that sent heat rising to your cheeks that you quickly tried to hide by giving your back to Keiko, offering up your head for her to finish what she started. 

After you were properly bathed, and your skin and hair were drying with scent of oils, you expected to be brought a kimono. If not a kimono at least a robe. So, when Keiko instructed you to sit back on the bed after she’d combed your hair, with no clothing in hand, the first real sting of panic began to bloom. 

You watched her while she moved around the room. Her hands tidied up areas and her eyes carefully trained on her task at hand. Never on you. 

You knew better than to ask her if you could have any clothing items. You were sure part of the instructions Enishi gave her also dictated what you could be given after you were made clean, which was nothing. Enishi was going to make you wait for him with no way to hide your body. 

A wave of blinding rage overtook you in that moment. The realization that you weren’t even being given the dignity of having clothes, a robe, or a fucking towel, to cover yourself with made you want to scream. You wanted to tear him apart. Instead, you scooted back farther on the bed, your legs working closer together with your balled-up hands in your lap and your arms desperately trying to cover your breasts. 

You were completely lost in your thoughts. So lost, you hadn’t even realized when Keiko departed the room. You didn’t realize you were alone until the sound of the door opening and closing brought you out of your thoughts and back to the present.

It was Enishi and Keiko who’d walked back inside the room. Keiko was closing the bedroom door behind her while Enishi walked further inside. His hands were tucked inside the large open sleeves of the amber and cerulean Haori draped over his body that matched the hakama pants he wore. The material looked finally woven - silken - and expensive. The hakama was cinched tight on his powerful waist and against a thick black vest material. A pair of small glasses adorned his face and sat low on the edge of his nose. 

It felt surreal seeing him dressed. You’d grown so accustomed to his naked frame moving with intensity, power, around the room - commanding to be witnessed. The clothes he wore now did little to dim that unspoken demand. 

He made his way over to the desk in the corner of the room. Not one ounce of his body showed any sign of acknowledging your presence. He simply pulled his hands free from inside his Haori and placed a scroll, rolled tight and sealed with black string, inside a glass jar. 

A part of you was beginning to worry. The whiplash of going from panic, rage, and now fear made you dizzy, but you needed to focus. Focusing meant you realized not even Keiko acknowledged your existence. It felt silly to be worried about the lack of a look because shouldn’t you want to be invisible? To go unnoticed? 

The sound of rustling brought you back from your thoughts. A flash of amber drew your eyes back to Enishi who removed his Haori and left it dangling over the back of a chair. No longer were his eyes intent on his scroll, his desk, or anything else. The discontent you felt at being ignored was now answered with the full attention of his gaze. 

You immediately dropped your gaze from watching him make his way towards you. The sound of his glasses being placed on his small table made your hands squeeze tighter together. Your knees press closer. Enishi was almost to you and the only thing your brain could think to do was two options: run or hide. 

Enishi must have known because his pace quickened and, within a few more steps, he was in front of you. His fingers pressing underneath your chin and forcing it up to bring your gaze to meet his. 

You didn’t know if it was night or day. If you would ever see the outside of this room again. If you’d leave this compound wrapped in cloth or on your own two feet. If one day you’d get to remember what it felt like to be free. The only thing you did know for certain was the look in Enishi’s eyes was a warning of what was to come. 

He kept a tight grip on your chin, refusing to give an inch, as he spoke. His Japanese was commanding, harsh, and left no room to be disobeyed. Enishi words weren’t directed at you, you realized, but to Keiko who was still in the room. You couldn’t see her any longer. Enishi didn’t allow you to look at anyone - anything - that wasn’t him, but you could hear the shuffling of her feet. The soft sound of her kimono as it rustled until she came to a stop. 

“Master has instructed that, starting tomorrow, I will tutor you in Japanese.”

Why? 

Why did it matter if you could speak Japanese or understand him? It wasn’t like you were brimming with conversations that could be had about art or philosophy. Did he think you would learn and you’d both what? What did Enishi want from you?

“To be able to speak without me present.”

Keiko’s words jolted you out of your thoughts. Had the question left your mouth without you being aware of it? It must have happened because Keiko answered. 

He spoke again and released the hold he kept on your chin. You were about to search for where Keiko stood when you felt Enishi’s hands dip between the mattress and your legs. You didn’t have time to think, to try and comprehend what was about to happen. One minute you were sitting upright on the bed fighting for modesty and the next your back was against the sheets. 

It was the surprise of it that trapped your next breath in your lungs. It quickly escaped in a yelp of surprise when his hands pulled you closer to the edge of the bed again. Your hands lashed out to find purchase in the sheets, to pull you away, but you knew it was pointless. It wasn’t until Enishi had your ass hanging halfway off the bed that he stopped pulling and used both hands to spread your legs wide. 

The suddenness of having your cunt exposed to the room - to him - caused a scream to tear free from your throat. Your hands scrambled to peel his hands away from your thighs. The hands that kept your legs pried open under his watchful gaze. The thunderous sound of his words ricocheted off the stone walls and, for a split second, the fear from his voice, the fury behind it, left your body still. Keiko was quick to tell you what he said. 

“He said behave or he’ll tie them open.” 

You watched him as she spoke. Enishi’s eyes were no longer dark with desire but were replaced by something fiercer, darker. One that requires obedience and would accept nothing less. You knew he meant it. The words he spoke and forced Keiko to share in warning. If you didn’t give him this, give him your body freely without a fight, he would punish you for it. 

You fought to relax your legs in his grip and to hide your shame you tried to turn away from him. To hide yourself back inside the sheets once more. 

You should’ve remembered your lesson from yesterday. 

The minute you went to turn away, close your eyes, Enishi’s fingers dug into your cheeks and brought you back to face him. Another angry shout. You didn’t need Keiko to tell you what he meant - what he wanted. 

When Enishi was sure you wouldn’t try it again, that your eyes were focused where they needed to be - on him - he drew his hand away from your face. His fingers lazily traced a path along the curve of your jaw, a thumb under your lips, and down to the hollow of your throat. As he etched out a path along your body his eyes followed with each movement of his fingers causing his pupils to grow wider, ever wider, with lust until his entire iris disappeared. 

A shaky breath rattled through your bones. A sound that only seemed to excite him more. His fingers moved between your breasts and his eyes caught sight of the perfect imprint he’d left of his teeth in the soft skin. The pad of his index finger lazily swam up to trace along the bruising flesh. His next words registered so low, almost non-existent, you weren’t even sure if he’d spoken. It wasn’t until Keiko spoke his next question that you knew he had. 

“The Master - he wants to know if you’re married. If you’ve…been with any men.”

What should you say? You weren’t a virgin. You knew the desire and wants of men. How a woman’s body could turn them into helpless fools when they confused a woman’s sex for love. You were engaged to be married and you and your fiancée hadn’t waited for your wedding night.

You could vaguely recall your fiancée’s touch. The way you felt. It wasn’t anything like the way Enishi made you feel. A hard truth that you loathe to admit even to yourself, but a truth nonetheless. You’d both been fumbling in the dark and while your fiancée had come, you hadn’t experienced a real orgasm until Enishi had been knuckle deep inside your cunt. 

You refused to tell him this. 

If you told him you’d had plenty of lovers would he throw you out? Discard you? 

Your train of thought came to a screeching halt when two of his fingers moved through your folds to scissor your clit. You sucked in a shuddering breath. Your hips dipped down against the bed as your back arched up. You tried to keep your moan housed inside your body but Enishi began to massage the pads of his fingers against your swollen clit, driving a cry of pleasure to tear free from you. Your legs involuntarily clamped shut around his arm and Enishi was quick to punish you. His free hand smacking down on your thigh that only coupled with the pleasure of the next flick of his fingers. 

The hard smack against your thigh was enough to release his arm, and Enishi dropped to his knees between your thighs. You wanted to ask what he was doing - demand to know. All thoughts were silenced as he gave one last stroke of his fingers before he pushed both between your folds. 

The minute you felt the delicious pressure of his fingers another moan crawled its way up your throat. It quickly turned into a scream at the feeling of Enishi’s teeth biting down into the soft flesh of your inner thigh. Pain and pleasure melded together until you weren’t sure if the sparks behind your eyes was from the curve of his fingers inside your cunt or the way your nerves came to life under the pressure of his teeth. 

He pulled away just enough - his voice guttural - to ask his question again. Again Keiko repeated it and with the next curve of Enishi’s fingers, curving, curving up, up, you felt yourself close to breaking. You were about to give him the answer that he craved, coaxed, out of your body. You would’ve told him right then and there as his thumb massaged your clit, fingers sliding in and out of you, when he growled his next words in English. 

“Answer. Me.” 

It wasn’t perfect, but those two words didn’t have to be for them to make the impact they did. 

“I was engaged.” You huffed out. “I was going to be married.”

You couldn’t tell if Keiko relayed your answer to him. You weren’t sure of anything except the coil that was tightening low in your belly, tighter and tighter. A mewling sound filled the room and was growing in octaves. It took you a moment to realize it was you making the sound, but it was the only moment of clarity you had before you felt something unexpected.

Enishi’s fingers removed themselves from your cunt with a squelch. Before you had time to mourn the loss of him, his mouth latched over your mound. His tongue mapping out a figure 8 between your folds. 

Your chest collapsed in a moan that violently rippled through your body. Your legs shook and you tried to find purchase, to hold onto something while the waves of pleasure rolled through your body. Another roll of his tongue and the feel of his lips gently suckling at your clit sent your body spiraling. Your hands fisting deep to the roots of his hair - pulling, pulling, and it didn’t feel enough. 

Another breathless moan shuddered through your body. What Enishi was doing felt salacious - under heard of. Your mind raced to remember if any of your girlfriends shared stories of their suiters, fiancées, ever latching their mouths to their cunts. Their tongue greedily lavished relentless strokes - the way Enishi did now - as your body trembled in his palms. Your hands fisting his hair harder at the root.

You were sure Enishi would let go. Punish you for touching him this way. His hands only dug further under the mattress and took hold of your hips, to bring your cunt closer to his mouth. It allowed his tongue to fuck into you; three solid thrusts before he stopped. 

Keiko was still in the room. You knew she was. She had to be. Enishi hadn’t dismissed her and you knew they wouldn’t just take it upon themselves to just leave without being given the order. The thought alone should’ve been enough to drive the cloud of desire from your mind but it wasn’t. A sick thrill of the thought that for once they were watching Enishi take pleasure in you only peaked your arousal. 

The coil that’d been tightening low in your lower abdomen grew and grew. Your fingers dug tighter in his hair and you did something that, if you’d been in your right mind, you’d have felt the heat of shame on your cheeks. 

You didn’t have time for shame right now. 

Your hips moved up to meet the next thrust of his tongue. Eager and wanton in chasing your own release. You wanted to come on his tongue. To coat those pretty lips in the memory of how you tasted long after he’d finished with you. It was in the next flick of his tongue that sent you barreling over the edge. 

You thought you were screaming the way your mouth tore open, but no sound came out. It was shuddering breaths that shook free from your chest. You were well aware Enishi was still between your thighs. His tongue hungrily lapping up every last drop your orgasm offered until a quiver of a whimper came from your lips. Your hands that had fisted in his hair to keep him there were now trying to push him away. Your clit overstimulated and sensitive to the touch. 

Oh, so deliciously sensitive. 

Enishi pried his mouth from your cunt and you wanted to take a moment of pride at the sight of your arousal around his mouth. His chin. You watched as he worked the metal latches on his vest off one-by-one until it dropped to the floor. He worked his way out of the hakama and let it fall at his feet. 

His cock sprang free from the fabric aching and hard. You watched, wanton and eager, as Enishi took his cock in his hand and stroked it. He was already hard, painfully hard, so you knew it was meant for you to watch. So, you watched a pearl of precum leak from his tip. You watched his thumb gently smear it like lubricant before he moved to the edge of the bed. With his hands back under your hips, Enishi aligned his tip with your entrance and in one hard thrust was inside you. 

Your walls gripped him tightly as Enishi pushed his way into you. You knew he felt it too - the tightness, the resistance that your cunt offered. You could feel it in the way his hips stuttered and the sharp exhale that escaped him once he was fully sheathed inside of you. 

You didn’t have time to prepare for the stretch - the searing delicious, oh so, so, delicious pain - that came as your cunt tried to accommodate his thickness. You remember seeing him. You remembered imagining what it would feel like to have him take you and to feel him break you and make you anew. With the next role of his hips you felt your lips part to give praise just as he bottomed out. 

Your fiancée didn’t feel like this. Your fiancée hadn’t fucked like this. 

Enishi moved your hips further off the bed. His hands pulling you up at an angle that on the next thrust created stars to spark behind your eyes. He pulled your thighs up towards his hips and somehow it only deepened the next. Deeper, deeper, until you threatened to hollow out. The wet sounds of your bodies meeting over and over began to fill the room and you felt yourself becoming lost. 

With each unrelenting brutal thrust of his hips, Enishi claimed more and more of you. You struggled to remember why that was a bad thing. How could it be so bad when he made you feel so good? 

You were trying to remind yourself of what he’d done - who he was, but with his face inches from yours, your mind went blank. You didn’t know why your hands cupped his face or your thumb touched the small bell of his earring. Enishi was so close, so vulnerable, that for a split second you believed if you brought him down to kiss you, his mouth would’ve eagerly met yours. 

In all the times you’d watched him fuck his concubine’s - women like Keiko - you never witnessed him sharing a kiss with any. He used their bodies relentlessly. He broke them and whittled them down to puddles of sweat and come. Never did he kiss them. Never was he truly intimate with any of them.

Did he want to know the intimacy of your mouth? To claim you fully in a way he hadn’t claimed any other? 

It was a question that remained unanswered because with the next brutal thrust of his hips your world exploded. Your nails found a home in the groove of his back and dug in as your orgasm overtook you. It felt endless as his cock continued to stroke your walls until you felt his hips give one last thrust and, seconds later, felt his spend spill fill you.

For a brief moment, you should’ve been worried but you couldn’t think past your racing heart and aching body. 

The afterglow of the moment quickly vanished and the two of you were left a sweaty, heaving  mess. You were painfully aware how close you both were - foreheads almost completely touching - and it made you wonder, if only for a moment, if anything changed. Your hand ached to reach out and push the sweaty strands of hair out of his face. 

Your chest was tight with a need to bridge the few inches between you. Enishi hadn’t shook away your hands that were still cupping his face. There was no denying in such a small confined space that his eyes were lingering on your mouth. 

Did something change? 

You received your answer a moment later when Enishi violently tore himself from you leaving you raw and aching alone on the bed. You were vaguely aware of him barking orders at someone - most likely Keiko - as his padded feet stormed off to the bathroom. The door slamming shut behind him. 

___________

As always, thank you so much for reading! Comments and reblogs are always appreciated.

___________

Tag list: @ellisaworld @missroro @ram716 @misfits1a

[pauking5]

Addicting Taste Chapter 5

Pairing: Enishi Yukishiro x reader oc

Genre: strangers to lovers, sunshine and sunshine protector, comedic relief, slow burn, a lot of fluff, smut (in premiere)

Word count: 8.9k+

A/N: This chapter was a ride. Parts of it were sitting in my drafts for the past few weeks and I'm happy that it's finally out. Breaking Up With Jesus by Reve is to blame for the way I wrote the smut. Hope the spice is to your liking since it's my first time writing it ;) Enjoy lovelies, Paula.

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Dumplings. Oh, how delicious and soft they all look. Dozens upon dozens laid out ahead, waiting for you to dig in. You reached out for one and another one, and kept going until all you could feel on your tongue was their sweet taste. This was heaven.

As you were sitting on the ground chewing away multiple dumplings at once something caught your eyes. On the right, sitting on top of a pillar, sat a dumpling bigger than the palm of your hand. It looked so plump and you bet your last coin that it tasted delicious. Getting up from the ground you went over to try and grab it but each time you jumped after it the pillar rose higher.

“I’m gonna have you and you will taste amazing," you say struggling to reach for the dumpling.

Putting more force into it you jumped and you got the dumpling off the pillar, floating back down to the ground. This was it. The moment you’ve been waiting for. You lifted the delicacy to your mouth and placed your lips on it to taste it when…

The sound of what appeared to be a pot and a pan hit together woke you up from your dream. You rolled in bed trying to cover your ears with the duvet to stop any more of the noise coming in.

“WHO THE FUCK-“

“It’s time for training,” said a rather enthusiastic Enishi, putting the pots away moving to stand in front of your bed. You opened your eyes to look at him, staring daggers at him violently. No one had the privilege to wake you from your precious dreams. Not even the heavens above.

“Get. the. fuck. out. of. my. room.”

“Someone’s cranky," he said, signature smirk sitting proudly on his face.

Well of course you were cranky. You couldn't sleep after the whole encounter in his office. You made a pact with the devil without thinking it through and it came to bite you in the ass. When you got back to your room you sat on your bed trying to think of a plan of attack and you came up with nothing. You practiced a few basic moves you normally used to get them under control, staying up until the early hours of dawn. So it was no surprise that you were currently annoyed at him for waking you up so early in an idiotic way at that.

“Enishi, I swear to god—“

You didn’t get to finish because he leaned down and took your pillow from under your head in one swift move. The movement made your head fuzzy, letting it fall flat on the bed. He got up just as quickly and ran out of the room with your pillow under his arm.

“I’M GONNA FUCKING KILL YOU,” you said as you got up and ran out after him.

You ran around the mansion hallways, closing in on the kitchen area. Stopping on opposite sides of the kitchen island you tried to block off his escape routes. Taking one quick left to fool you into reaching for him only to switch to the right, he successfully avoided your arms. Puffing out your chest in annoyance you took off after him again, following him to his office this time. He stopped in the middle of the room with nowhere to run, shifting to hold your pillow high so you wouldn't be able to reach it. You looked like a cat as you tried your hardest to jump after it.

Focusing too hard on getting back your precious pillow you jumped too high and lost your balance as you came back down. Before you could fall to the floor, strong arms wrapped around you, keeping you steady. Looking up, you saw Enishi’s face mere inches away from yours.

“You’ve got no space awareness at all do you?” he asked, a grin taking over his face. You really weren't in the mood for his antics today.

“Go fuck yourself," you say as you pushed him away. You made your way to the door and stopped when he called your name.

“You forgot your pillow—“ you cut him off whacking him over the head with it, storming back to your room. You had to get ready for the fight of your life.

—————————————————————————

This was it. The moment you would find out if the past weeks of training paid off or not. Nerves were taking over with every step you took. It wasn't too late to turn back and lock yourself in the comfort of your room. But you needed this. You needed to see if there was a chance for you to become the best without bringing her back.

Pushing open the doors to the terrace you stopped on the doorstep. Enishi was already there, stretching his arms, blue kimono resting on the back of a chair. Your hands got stuck on the doors as you thought it through again. You weren't ready, getting cold feet in the worst way possible.

Ah fuck. I can't do this.

Before you could turn around in defeat, a pair of eyes fixed on you. He picked up on your nerves from a mile away and flashed you a soft smile in hopes it would help. He knew this was a lot in such a short time, but he believed in you. He wanted you to get better and if you didn't do well today it wasn't that much of a big deal. You could always try again tomorrow.

His smile felt encouraging, giving you some hope that you could do something productive today. Taking a few deep breaths to slow down your accelerating heartbeat, you stepped away from the threshold of the cooking area, making your way to the middle of the garden. Reaching a few feet away from him you stretched your limbs, mind darting over the moves you practiced. Once you were done you straightened your back and took your place.

I didn't train so hard for nothing. I can do this. Let's beat his ass.

Enishi sensed an energy shift around you. You were ready to go, hands standing on the defensive, body angled for attack. He thought you changed so much in the last few weeks. When he met you that night at the precinct, you looked determined to skewer anyone who crossed you in the slightest. But there was this part of you that was afraid. Getting to know about your past made him understand why. You needed to get out of your head which is why he trained you this way. It only took a small push from his part to make you come out of your shell and he felt proud of what you accomplished so far.

He was proud of you.

Getting into a fighting stance of his own he watched as you started circling him. Your eyes narrowed in on him, preparing to read his moves. Just like he taught you.

"I won't go easy on you."

"I don't expect you to," you said and with that you launched yourself at him.

Lean muscles seared with force as your fist collided with his palm, slightly throwing him off balance. So your strength did get better. Latching his palm on your wrist he pulled you to him, pushing you down to the floor with his other hand. You landed on your hands and quickly hauled yourself back up.

"Your aim improved, but it's still not the best," he said as he charged at you. You ducked just in time, sneaking behind him to land a kick to his side. He reacted fast and turned, catching your leg just before it could hit him. He yanked on it getting you closer to him. You gripped his sturdy shoulders to balance yourself on your other leg.

"Hitting from the back is low, even for you," he said, fingers stroking your leg trying to throw you off balance. Little fucker.

"I wasn't planning on being civil today."

Pulling yourself up using his shoulders, you pushed off the ground and threw your other leg around his torso hanging to him like a koala. Twisting your body around his middle, you used all your force and tugged on your legs to pull him down as your hands reached for the ground. Your move caught him off guard and he almost hit the ground beside you if it wasn't for his annoying amount of balance. He turned his fall into a spin in the air landing in kneeling position, smirking at you. You threw your head back in frustration.

He's reading me too well. I have to change the strategy.

This time you let him come at you. His punches rained from all sides, moving relentlessly to land a blow on you, but you were just too fast for him. You noticed that he put a lot of strength into minimal movement and you used that to your advantage. Your small form proved to be a huge help as you darted around his robust body. He was getting frustrated with your tactic and you were enjoying every bit of it.

"Stop defending and attack!"

"Someone's getting impatient," you smirked. He was getting tired of swinging and that was exactly what you wanted.

He was going a little easy on you but his patience wore thin. He gave you the benefit of the doubt as he thought you were unprepared to take on him but you proved him wrong, pushing his buttons in the process.

Fast punches came your way and you caught every single one of them. The adrenaline that coursed through your body gave you inhuman strength as you pushed him backwards, making him stumble. You matched his pace and turned his own moves on him.

While your ego was filling up, his was slowly cracking. He came at you again, arms tightly clamping down on yours, throwing you off balance. You tried your hardest to get out of his hold but his grip wouldn't budge in the slightest. Locking them even tighter, he swung your arms and sent you flying to the other side of the garden. You landed on your shoulder, pain shooting down your arm. You got too cocky and it backfired on you.

Groaning to yourself, you got back up and rolled your shoulder backwards, wincing at the discomfort. You weren't going to back down, not when when you got this far.

Your marched back to him, slow steps turning into a full sprint. Jumping high enough, you brought your leg down into a kick, which he ducked. You dipped every time he tried to lay his hands on you, delivering a few quick punches to his abdomen that he failed to avoid.

You caught him by surprise as you ducked and swiped your leg behind his to throw him off his feet. Finally, he landed on his back accepting defeat, but not without latching a hand on your arm, tugging you down with him. Your body fell on top of his, arms securely wrapping around you. The feeling of his chest pressed flush to yours made your stomach flutter. You tried to steady your breathing that only picked up the more you gazed into his eyes.

"You did it," he exhaled. A smile took over his features as he looked at you.

"I did it," you said with a giggle as you laid your hand came to rest on top of his chest. His hand that was resting on your lower back trailed up to lightly grip your shoulder, causing you to wince. You suddenly remembered you were in pain. Worry flashed in his eyes as he checked you over, sitting you up.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," you tried to convince him but the frown on your face told him otherwise.

"Let me have a look."

"I said I'm fine- OUCH!" you cried as he touched your shoulder again and you flinched away in pain.

"Stop being so stubborn." He leaned over and took your arm in his, turning it around slowly to avoid causing you more pain. "It looks dislocated."

"What do you mean dislocated?" The adrenaline in your body started to wear off and the throbbing in your shoulder intensified, making you unable to hide it anymore.

"I can put it back, but it's going to hurt. Ready?" Your eyes snapped at him.

"You mean now? Hell no-" he pushed your shoulder back into place using your rambling as a distraction. You cried in pain holding onto it, forehead falling to rest on his shoulder.

"I hate you," you groaned, mumbling into his chest.

"I know you do," he chuckled, rubbing away at your shoulder to try and help with the pain.

"Is this a good moment to tell you we're going on your first mission?" You lifted your head, face beaming with excitement.

"You're joking."

"I'm dead serious. I think you're ready," he said as he got up and gave you a helping hand, gently pulling you to your feet. "I know you probably have a lot of questions, but I think it's best you go get some rest first."

“Okay. I'll swing by later," you said walking towards the kitchen.

"Put some ice on it," he shouted from behind you and you shot him a thumbs up with your good arm.

—————————————————————————

You tried to take a quick nap. Keyword: tried. No matter how hard you tried to sleep you couldn’t contain your excitement. It felt surreal that you were back in business so soon. My first mission here.

Deciding that it was no use to spend more time in bed, you got up and walked to the vanity table. You pulled out your pistols from the top drawer and ran your fingers on the golden rose crests that decorated the frame. They needed a little dusting off and tinkering, but they looked ready for some action. It’s been a while since I put these bad boys to good use.

The golden light filtering in through the window told you the sun was setting. You figured now was as good of a time to go over the plan with Enishi. You made your way to his office, stretching your shoulders to get rid of the previous strain from your combat session.

You thought back to the fight. As much as you improved, you felt like he did manage you a little, at least in some parts. Even if he did, he wouldn't admit it out loud if he wanted to keep his balls in the same place they are now. Anyhow, you were glad you got the opportunity to kick him off his high horse a tiny bit. He could be all "I am the god of martial arts" sometimes, but he knew when to tone it down.

You remembered the proud look on his face as he pulled you to the ground with him was enough to add ten years to your lifespan. There was something about it that made you feel confident in yourself and maybe that was what he wanted to accomplish. He seemed to have this empowering complex, always talking you out of your head when you needed it the most. It was like he knew what made you lock up and what made you open in such a short time and it kind of terrified you. He met the broken version of you all those years ago and now he knows the real you to a certain degree.

But you met him too. The present, real him. The Enishi that doesn't stray away from his goals, who does everything in his power to help people. You didn't want to admit it but he grew on you, latching onto you like a string of hearts. They are plants that need moderate care, often wallowing in sadness when they don't get enough sunlight or water. But looking at them makes you feel hope and warmth. As cold as the veins in their leaves appear to be, the green surrounding them embraces it in the shape of a heart. As weak as its stems look, they try their hardest to hold the hearts up so people can admire them and feel at peace. Enishi is like that too. You connected like the strings of the plant and you didn't want to untangle yourself from him just yet.

Your train of thought was cut short as you came to a halt in front of his office. Knocking on the door he beckoned you in. He was sat at his desk looking over maps and plans. The sleeves of his kimono were rolled up to his elbows, allowing you to see his arms, veins popping and twisting the more he moved his hand around. He looked deep in thought as his eyes were casted down on on the papers in his hands.

"How's your shoulder?" he asked without looking up from his work.

"Better. Thank you." You moved to stand next to him. "So... what's the plan for the mission?"

"There's a mafia playing at a casino in the city tomorrow night. They're called the Dao," he said as he pointed to a few wanted posters laying on the desk. "They're carrying the shipment we... failed to steal a few weeks ago," he continued.

Wait. The shipment I saw them loading off the docks that night?

"The plan is to go in and keep them distracted while the others load the goods onto our carriages. Once they're done we can leave quietly like we weren't even there in the first place." You nodded at all the information you were receiving, but you were failing to see what your role was supposed to be in this plan.

"So what do you want me to do?"

"You'll be inside with me. We're going to buy our way in to the usual poker game they host privately and play them a little."

"That's great actually."

"And why is that?" he prodded, eyebrow lifting in confusion at your sudden excitement.

"I'm great at poker," you confidently stated. He nearly laughed at you if it wasn't for the way you narrowed your eyes at him in a death stare.

"I guess we'll have to see if you are tomorrow."

—————————————————————————

Tomorrow couldn't come fast enough, finding you in a bit of a situation. You had no idea what to wear. The duffel bag you carried was basically your only wardrobe and your outfit choices were limited. Another issue was that you were going to a casino, which called for a little class and finesse.

After wafting through every outfit combination that was sprawled on your bed, you set on a shirt with a corset on top and a skirt matching your red corset. There was just a problem though. You needed help lacing up your corset. In the process of rethinking your outfit for the hundredth time, a soft knock echoed on the door.

“Come in.”

“I came to see if you’re ready,” he said, eyes going wide when he saw you. Your hair was made in an updo, long strands of hair cascading down your shoulders. The cotton shirt showed off your collar bones, while the velvet corset pushed your chest upwards, showing the tiniest sliver of cleavage but not too over-the top. It matched the ruby skirt that fell just a few inches above your knees. He thought you looked breathtaking.

“You have perfect timing. Could you help me lace up this thing?”

“I.. Yeah, sure," he breathed out.

He walked to your spot in front of the mirror and stopped behind you. Fixing your gaze through the mirror, you watched as he picked up the corset strings wrapping them around his slender fingers. He pulled on them until the corset looked tight enough on you but you motioned him to pull it tighter. He laced the rest of the strings up in a bow and smoothed a hand on the crisscross pattern, icy hand coming in contact with your warm back as you dragged in a shaky breath.

“You’re going like this?”

“I don’t really have anything else to wear.”

“Make sure you put a coat on.”

“But it’s a casino. I’m supposed to show off these goodies," you gestured to your chest as he tried his hardest to avert his eyes to somewhere else.

“Coat on or you’re staying here," he said and walked away, leaving you dumbfounded. What has gotten into him now?

The truth was that he thought you were showing a little too much. Once he was out of your room, he leaned on the wall besides the door and released a breath. You looked absolutely beautiful. But that was a sight he wanted to reserve for himself. You weren’t his. But he was damned if he would let anyone else see you like this tonight.

—————————————————————————

The carriage halted and Enishi stepped out first, holding a hand to you. He wore a white shirt under a blue qipao, intricate patterns reflecting in the dim light of the night. You took his hand and he helped you down from the carriage, fingers lingering on yours for a few moments before he let go.

"Is everyone in their places?" he asked Wu, who was driving your carriage. He nodded and left, hiding the carriage in the woods nearby.

"Ready?"

"As I'll ever be."

The casino was on the outskirts of Shanghai, which made escaping a possible mafia war easier. The outside of the building looked like a normal warehouse, but the inside was far from it. Carpeted floors in red and gold greeted you as you walked in, paving the way to the main area filled with sitting booths. A reception bar sat at the far end of the entrance, buzzing with customers. To the right was a corridor that was guarded by armed men. That must be the way to the poker rooms.

You made your way to the bar ordering a drink for you and Enishi, scouting the premises. How are we supposed to get in there without getting broken in half like a toothpick?

Your question was answered as a woman approached Enishi and beckoned him to follow her to the corner. Her blonde hair fell behind her back as she leaned her hand up on the wall, putting all her goodies on sight for him. He replicated her flirty gazes as he trailed a hand up her exposed arm.

Her black corset was laced tightly around her body, pushing her bulky breasts together. You looked down at your own, a little disappointed that you lacked in that area. The high slit on her purple skirt showed off her legs. She wore the tallest heels you've ever seen.

She looked so much more feminine than you and it made your confidence falter slightly. You didn't really care about looks before so why did it affect you so much right now?

You felt really self-conscious ever since you met Enishi. The loose clothes you used to lounge around in changed to tighter fitting clothes. They were better for training, that's what you told yourself. You fixed the bird's nest in your hair more frequently, braiding or putting it up in sophisticated styles. It made training easier, you told yourself again and again.

"Any chance you could get us in there?" you heard him ask the woman as she twirled her hair around her fingers.

"Depends on what you're willing to do for it," she said leaning further on the wall, flaunting her cleavage at him. Can she choke or something?

It wasn't strange that she found him attractive. Enishi was eye candy, holding himself like the gods sculpted him. Who wouldn't want to get a chance to explore the defined physique under his clothes?

He pulled out a handful of money bonded together and handed it to her discreetly. She took the money with a disappointed huff and went on her way to the men on guard. She whispered something to one of them and motioned you to follow her. Leading you down the long corridor she stopped showing you a door with the number 7 crested in golden. Well that was so hard.

After she left, Enishi turned to you seeing you look rather displeased.

"What?"

"Nothing." You leaned a hand on the wall and copied blondie's earlier position, hand on your hip as you batted your eyelashes at him. "Depends on what you're willing to do for it," you say mimicking her annoying voice. He couldn't help the chuckle that escaped him.

"Why are you laughing?"

"It looks like someone is jealous."

"Who? ME?! No. Not me. She can have you for all I care."

"Is that so?"

You nodded determined to show him you weren't affected in any way by the flirty exchange that took place earlier. Sparing you one more look he turned towards the door.

"Let's get this show rolling."

——————————————

The smell of opium hit you like a train, smoke hanging briskly in the confined air of the room. In the middle at a round table sat three men playing poker. You recognised them from the posters on Enishi's desk. The one in the middle was the boss of the Daos, the other two were his henchmen. Armed men sat behind them and around the room, busying themselves with their drinks.

There were no cards on the table yet which meant they just started the game. The dealer was a woman dressed just like the one you encountered at the bar. She looked scared as she mixed the cards, probably because she was here against her will. All heads turned to you as you walked in and sat down in the empty seat at the table.

"This is a private game," said a gruff voice from your right, belonging to the boss.

"This seat is empty, isn't it?" you asked, taking your coat off.

"What does a girl like you know about poker?" the one on your left asked after looking at you, licking his lips of the narcotics he smoked.

"You'd be surprised. Deal me in," you said confidently, hand held out for Enishi to hand you some money. He hesitated at first, but after seeing the determination on your face he sighed and dropped five thick stacks in your hand.

You shot the woman dealing the cards a look. She looked at the boss for approval and he nodded. A curious glint in his eyes told you he was curious about you and how far you could go. He had nothing to lose, especially with the amount of money sitting by your hands.

You quickly figured that the boss was the strongest player. His only flaw was that he bet everything knowing that his men would never go against him. He deemed you a weak player in the first dealings, but that was only because you were holding back on raising your bets on purpose, playing the weak damsel act to buy you some time.

Once you got your fourth card, you dealt all your money in, raising the bet double the amount. You smirked looking at the four cards in your hand, red hearts smiling back at you. A ten of hearts, a jack, a king and an ace. All you needed was a queen and you could play your hand in a royal flush, the highest card combination in the game.

"What's got you so happy, sweetheart?" asked the boss, confused at the smile pulling at your mouth.

"You'll see," you mumbled to yourself as you got your fifth card, completing your hand.

The dealer called the hands and the man on your right went first, placing his cards on the table. He had a lucky three of a kind as he turned to smirk at you. The other man in front of you showed his, grinning as he got a better hand than the other one, a strong full house thrown on the table. These guys were strong players despite having to yield in to their boss.

The boss took a long drag of smoke and smiled creepily at you. He placed down his cards, a straight flush of spades sitting idly on the table. He started reaching for the money in the middle before you cut him off with a look.

Enishi sat behind you, mouth slightly agape, until he took a look at your cards. "You're joking," you heard him mumble before you placed down your cards, a sheer of gasps erupting around the room.

"A ROYAL FLUSH?!" yelled the boss, the men sitting around the table just as surprised. You chuckled and turned to Enishi, a proud smirk taking over his features. You went all in and won against one of the most ruthless mafias in the country. He felt a little embarrassed for second guessing you without seeing you play.

You were about to reach for the earnings on the table as a man stumbled in the room.

"The shipment! It's gone," he said as he approached the boss. The earlier shock on his face was replaced by anger as he stood up to strangle the man, lifting him off the ground.

Enishi tapped on your shoulder, eyes motioning you towards the door. You had to get out of here now, whilst all the attention was on the man being choked. You made quick work of putting your coat on and got up quietly, reaching for the money in the middle of the table, before Enishi stopped you shaking his head. But I won them fair and square, you said with a look. We have to get out of here now, he pressed.

"How did this happen?" yelled the boss shaking the life out of the man. He pointed a trembling finger at you just as you were about to walk out of the door.

"Hold it right there," said the boss cocking his gun at you.

"This was an amazing game," you said with a hand on the door handle. "By the way, YOU SUCK," you yelled as Enishi pulled you down the corridor.

"Did you really have to?"

"The look on his face was priceless," you giggled. You came to a halt in the main area as everyone turned to look at you. The shouts of the boss were heard down the hall as the whole gang closed in on you.

"Don't let them get away."

There were about twenty armed men circling around you and there was only two of you, the only one actually armed being you. You reached for the pistols in the garter under your skirt, sitting back to back with Enishi.

We are so royally fucked.

—————————————

Guns were fired your way and you dodged them, shooting your pistols relentlessly. You managed to reduce the gang members to a half, while Enishi took to breaking limbs left and right.

You were shooting your gun at a taller guy when the clicks on your pistols locked and you realised you were out of ammo. He went to tackle you but you ducked before he could lay hands on you, going for a sweep, knocking his feet from under him. Another one got hold of your coat and you spun around taking it off your shoulders, using your arms to twist it in the man's hold. You pulled on it making him fall forward and you kicked him, projecting him into the bar island. Your coat ripped down the middle from the force. My only coat, gone. You served me well.

The guy got up from the floor and started throwing the glasses sitting on top of the bar at you. You barely dodged a cocktail glass aimed at your head, catching it mid-air. You sniffed the clear liquid recognising it to be vodka and you downed it in one go, throwing the glass behind you.

"That would've been a waste of good liquor." He sneered as he charged at you and you ran behind the bar taking hold of a beer bottle. When he got close you smashed it on his head rendering him unconscious.

Fire was opened again, this time towards you and you sunk to the floor taking cover behind the bar. Enishi joined you from the other side, reeling in next to you.

"What now?"

"We wait until they run out of bullets."

As if on cue the gunfire halted and you got up from your spots taking on the remaining members. Enishi slid over the bar landing a kick to someone's face mid-air. You took hold of a broom and used it like the bo staff you trained with.

Swaying the wooden stick around you cleared the path for him. Two goons jumped at you, trying to take your weapon. You were busy holding one of them off trying to shake his hands off the broom and failed to notice the chair heading straight to you.

"Miyu, watch out!" You turned just before it smashed into your back and dodged out of the way, letting the chair fall straight into the guy you were fighting off, both of them knocking into each other.

Enishi was fighting another pair. One of them pulled out a knife and tried to stab him. You intercepted the sneaky attack and caught his hand, kicking the knife away before yanking him towards your fist. He punched the other one and they both fell to the floor in sync.

You looked around at the mess you caused, trying to get your breath under control. The boss was nowhere to be found and you assumed he scurried off somewhere with the tail between his legs.

Spotting it among the pile of bodies, you went and picked up the shreds of your coat from the floor, smoothing a hand over it. Enishi took off his qipao and put it on your shoulders heading to the exit, without saying anything.

—————————————————————————

He didn’t speak a word on the way back. The only gestures he made were to direct Wu to take you back to the mansion. He didn't even look at you when you asked him about the mission. All he did was sit in complete silence, eyes closed in meditation, jaw clenched in irritation.

You went over everything that happened back at the casino. The blonde flirting with him, the poker game, the fight. Nothing stood out enough to be a problem and you certainly didn't do anything wrong, besides taunting and stealing off a mafia boss. Regardless, his silence was driving you crazy to say the least.

Why do I even care? I went and did my job and we finally got the weapons. What could possibly make him this mad?

You were snapped out of your thoughts as the carriage came to a halt in front of the mansion. Enishi quickly got off without sparing you a look, leaving the door open for you to get out yourself.

Wow. Fucking diva.

You stepped down from the carriage with the help of Wu and took off after him. You were determined to find out what made him this mad. His steps were fast like he wanted to get away from you but you weren't going to give him the satisfaction. You weren’t going to let him push you away again. He opened the door to his room and before he could close it shut you sneaked in.

He stopped in the middle of the dimly lit room, shoulders rolled in annoyance. You took in his room from your place by the door. His room seemed to be a mirror of yours, the only difference being that his was as dark as room décor could get. The cool light of the night washed the room in an even darker shade, currently reflecting its owners mood.

“Why are you here?”

“I want to know why you’re mad at me.”

“I’m not mad at you.”

“Cut the bullshit, Enishi. You haven’t said one word on the way back. Did I do something wrong?”

With a sigh he turned around to face you. His eyes were visible to you even in the heavy darkness. They seemed to drink you in with greed, debating on whether he should say something or keep the thoughts raging in his head quiet. He settled on the former, the adrenaline of the fight still pumping through his veins. If he didn't say anything now he knew he would regret it forever.

“You didn’t respect the plan,” he said taking a step towards you. “We were supposed to go in and get out,” another step, “not provoke a fight,” he stopped in front of you.

“Fuck the plan! We had them right in the palm of our hand. We got what we wanted, right? What else matters?”

“You! You matter,” he growled as he closed the distance between you, pinning you to the door. “You… drive me up the fucking wall,” he said as he settled both of his arms on either side of you.

“What?” you mumbled under your breath.

“I can’t take it anymore,” he exhaled and the next thing he did caught you by surprise. Warm lips landed on yours, moving with burning desire against your clueless ones. Your eyes widened in surprise and you froze, leaning a hand on the wall behind to keep you steady.

“I’ve been wanting to do this for so long,” he said as he pulled apart just enough for you to get a breath in, before he leaned in again, this time with much more hunger.

It was like your body caught on fire. You didn’t know what you were supposed to do so for the time being you settled on kissing him back. His hands moved from beside you to card through your hair, the other moving to sit at the base of your neck, pushing your face impossibly closer to his. His breaths were running wild across your skin as he moved down to your neck. Every kiss leaving his mouth was tightly sawn into your skin making your breaths heavier.

You craved and were afraid of his touch at the same time. Enishi could be both gentle and rough and you had no idea which one was sitting before you right now. Your mind was in constant tug of war between restraint and giving in to him. He didn’t let you wallow in your thoughts too much as a butterfly kiss to your collar bone brought you back to earth. He stopped and looked at you to make sure this was something you wanted too. Tracing your eyes to his, you saw the previous hunger in his eyes turned into sincere want. That was the only confirmation you needed to know as to which Enishi was with you right now, wasting no time in capturing his lips, a little rougher than he did.

Your mouths fought for dominance, none of you wanting to give in and submit to the other. The way his fingers worked to undo the corset he tied up for you just a few hours ago turned you on and you couldn’t wait anymore.

“Rip it off,” you whined.

“After I struggled so hard to tie it up—“

“Enishi, I don’t give two flying fucks. Rip it to fucking shreds.”

“Someone’s getting impatient,” he chuckled. Seeing you so worked up amused him. He didn’t want to make you wait any longer so he untangled his fingers from the strings and in one brisk move he pulled apart your corset, breaking it in two together with the white shirt underneath. The poor pieces of fabric fell to the floor, revealing your chest.

He revelled at the sight before him. You were exactly what he imagined in lewd fantasies at night, when his head was webbed with only thoughts of you. What set him on fire the most was that he knew you thought of him in that way too. Your eyes gave you away way too many times for him to not take notice of it. He just hid his a lot deeper so you wouldn't notice it. He failed to keep the thoughts away each time his hand found yours, or your waist, or your face.

You consumed him and you didn't even know it.

Tracing his hand down your arm made tingles dance all over your body. You couldn’t take his teasing anymore, not when you were this bare in front of him. If he's not going to move, I’ll do it myself.

With maddening frustration, you launched at his lips, capturing them wildly like they were the very essence of life. He responded to your attack with pleasure rolling off his vocal chords grunting into your mouth. Taking the opportunity, you pressed your hands on his clothed chest and ripped away at his shirt too, soft cotton turning into a mere rag as you pulled at it. Enishi was taken aback by your rawness and broke the kiss just enough to take another breath to be able to fight your mouth for his share of dominance.

He pulled you closer to get the skirt off of you just as you worked on his pants. You didn’t even notice you were already leaned back on his bed, spread wide for him to see all of you. Thoughts of every fantasy he had of you were spinning around in his head and he struggled to pick just one.

“Draw a picture it will last longer,” you say sitting up on your elbows.

“I’m gonna fuck this attitude out of you.”

“I’d like to see you try.”

The whole thing turned into another competition you both couldn’t get enough of. He wasn’t going to back down and neither were you. Most girls got shy whenever they saw this hunk of a man stand above them, ready to turn them to whimpering wrecks. But you weren’t most girls and you planned on showing him that.

He was spending too much time observing you and you were growing desperate. Deciding to take the reins, you sat up to mirror his kneeling position on the bed and laid your hands on his chest, pushing him backwards until he fell on his back. Straddling his lap, you leaned down to take in his gasps of surprise in a chaste kiss. A kiss so slow that it made his insides burn with lust.

“Miyu, stop fucking around,” he groaned between kisses.

“That’s what you were doing a minute ago,” you say smirking through the kiss. He responded by raking his hand through your scalp and gently pulling at it, drawing a moan from you.

“I love seeing you this needy for me," he said, biting down on your lip. "I haven’t even done anything to you yet and here you are, ready to pounce on me if I don’t give it to you.”

You were begging. All for someone who’s never touched you to do just that. Because you knew he would do it exactly the way you wanted.

Enishi was chaos. He was like a drug to you, a damn good one at that. Once you got a tang of it you kept wanting more. The more time you spent with him the wilder your delusions got and you realised you were addicted to his taste.

You continued the makeout session, rolling around in the bed, tongues fighting for power. You sat on his lap, skillfully pushing into him without a breath. Every time you came up for air he pulled your head back down to him. He was just as addicted to you.

“My turn,” he smirked taking your lips in his. His hands trailed down your shoulders to your chest and he held your breasts, softly squeezing them. It turned you on beyond repair and you couldn’t help the whines escaping your throat.

“What do you want me to do?” he whispered, lips stopping a few inches away, teasingly grazing yours.

“Anything,” you replied, moving your head up to catch them, failing as he moved away from you. You dropped your head on his pillows, feeling lightheaded from the anticipation. He could do whatever he wanted to you as long as he did something.

“I need words, Miyu.” The way he spoke your name made goosebumps raise on your arms. His voice alone managed to undo you.

“I want you to ruin me. Take me to God or to Satan for all I care.”

He didn’t waste any more time and took to trailing the most teasing kisses down your body, from the dip in your neck down to your navel. He savored every part of you like a priest chastising the Sunday mass. He preached your body like a prayer, prepared to sink you in the depths of his hell. He only knew sin and he was going to taint you in his darkness tonight.

His kisses got slower the closer he got to your throbbing core, the part that was aching for him the most. You couldn’t believe he was performing your wildest dreams. You made the mistake of rubbing your legs together to create some friction, wanting him to touch you already, only to have him pull your knees apart spreading you back out. He caressed your thighs, fingers running from the base of your knees all the way to your hips, missing your core by just a few inches. The waiting was driving you mad, turning you into a whining mess.

“Enishi, stop messing around.”

“I haven’t even started darling.”

Securing a hand around your torso, he dipped down to kiss your thighs the same way his hands caressed your legs. His kisses stopped just before your opening and he blew on it, making you shudder under his hold. With one more look at your face, he dove into you. He worked his skilled tongue inside your walls as you wrote your moans in his pillows, gripping the sheets tightly. The hand on your torso rubbed circles on your stomach adding to the ecstasy you were feeling. You surrendered your body to him, letting him worship you the only way he knew.

His strokes turned haste as you neared your release. You came fast and he devoured your juices like it was the nectar of the gods, leaving no drop go to waste. You were seeing stars, sweat sticking to your skin as the heat became too unbearable. The only light in the room came from the moon and as dim as it was it was blinding you, senses overwhelmed by the man at your feet. He came up to capture your lips, letting you taste yourself the way he tasted you. He wanted you to know how good you were and how much he wanted to savour you.

“Enishi…," you gripped his head and kissed him arduously. "Fuck me," you begged and that was enough to finally get him going.

“You don’t have to tell me twice.” With a swift kiss he slid inside you, length stretching you out sore.

He pounded into you at the speed of light. You closed your eyes to get rid of the stars you were seeing, but he made you to look at him. He wanted watch as he broke you apart and put you back together.

“Be a good girl. You can take it.”

His praises made your body quiver as he annihilated your insides. He was a god in bed, toned body shining in the moonlight as he took you to heaven. But he was also a devil, his thrusts branding his name inside of you like a mark. The more he delved in the better the pleasure he gave you. He knew exactly how to make you feel just right and you felt a surge of energy taking over as you flipped your bodies.

"My turn," you said, wanting to make him beg for you like you begged for him. Calloused hands worked their way up your sides as you took his lips once more, sitting on top of his lap. Your hands were messing around in his hair, grabbing at it every time he bit your lip.

You chased the dips in his neck with sloppy kisses, hands digging into your sides. Your hands massaged and pulled at his hair, moans rolling off his tongues like music. Your touch felt divine, awakening his cold body like the first sunlight of spring. He wanted you to be the queen of his hell, to fall in and out of grace together.

"I need you," he grunted. He got so turned on by this savage part of you and he didn't want to admit it, but it made him so weak. He craved all of you, even if he had to swim in your ocean endlessly just to find every piece of you.

"Your wish is my command," you said, sinking down on him with a grunt, feeling him stretch you out again. Once you felt comfortable you started rolling your hips, a string of curses leaving his mouth.

You were taking your sweet time and he felt you going agonizingly slow. His hands gripped your hips to move you faster and faster until your rhythm grew frantic, leaning to support yourself by his shoulders. Your head was spinning as you felt yourself come close to your release for the second time tonight.

"Enishi," you whispered breathlessly.

"What do you need?" he asked, fingers grazing your ear softly.

"You," you say seizing his lips. Your pace picked up as your moans combined in each other's mouth. He was twitching inside you, sign he was close too.

He would do anything if he could have you on top like this all the time. He would let his pride go to shit if he could feel you like this again. To see your hair stick to your face, locks tangled over your shoulders. To have your hands grip him like he was your lifeline. To see your eyes lost in the abyss that is him as you come undone together, bodies intertwined drunk on a high, on top of his bed.

—————————————————————————

Warmth. That's what you were feeling right now. Muscular arms held you securely, gaze focused solely on you. One of his hands was stroked your hair in a gentle rhythm, head laid on his shoulder as you stared at the ceiling. A piece of your hair fell over your face and his hand moved to place it behind your ear, his husky voice breaking the comfortable silence.

"Why are your ears so small?" he asked poking fun at you, only to get kicked in the shins by your leg. "Okay, I deserved that."

You turned around and his eyes caught a glimpse of something behind your ear. A tattoo. His fingers smoothed over the skin, making out the word yume. And there he thought you couldn't surprise him more than you already did tonight. He reached for your hair to move it out of the way to get a better view at the inkwork. His eyes turned curious as he ran his hand over the mark.

"Yume," he whispers, just enough for you to sense the question on his tongue.

"It means dream. I got it done before I left Japan," you sighed.

"Why yume?"

"I didn't have any dreams for myself. I still don't. All I wanted was to find my parents and that felt like a good enough dream at the time," you said, eyes slightly tearing up at the memory of your parents.

"But as I got older it became something that drove me. I suddenly wanted to find a dream for myself just so I can give this life meaning."

Silence hung in the air again as he mulled over the information. He wanted to know more about what happened to your parents but this definitely wasn't the time to ask. You were too vulnerable right now and he didn't want to pry into your head more than you did it to yourself.

You got up from the bed, his shirt sitting snugly around you. Stretching your sore body, you headed towards his bathroom. You noticed that blue was a recurring aesthetic in the place. The finish on the sink was just like yours, the only difference being that it was dressed in dark motives. He bathroom had a shower in the corner, surrounded by black granite tiles and a glass wall.

"Any other tattoos I should know about?" You turned around to him. He had his arms behind his head, biceps flexing the more he leaned back. The duvet covered his lower part, chest fully exposed to you. You bit your lip as you looked at him.

"If you join me for a shower I might just tell you," you giggled, leaning against the frame of the bathroom door.

"You can say that again," he said as he got up from his bed and ran to you, picking you up in his arms.

"PUT ME DOWN YOU'RE SWEATY!"

"SO ARE YOU BUT YOU DONT HEAR ME YELLING ABOUT IT."

"You're so annoying," you said, linking your arms around his neck so you wouldn't fall.

"That's not what you were moaning a few hours ago, babe," he said walking towards the shower with you in his arms.

"Eww, don't call me babe."

"Sure... babe," he smirked.

"Oh, dear lord."

—————————————————————————

Next

Thank you for reading! As always, comments, notes and reblogs are welcome :)

[alex7paulmercer10]

Legacy: A Demon Slayer Story S1 Chapter 1: The Beginning

Note: This story is a fanfic and crossover with another Wattpad story by Rebecca Sullivan called Night Owls and Summer Skies. A really amazing and cute story that I recommend reading, oh and it also has a Webtoon adaptation!

                                               »»-----　　-----««

Synopsis: 11 years since his mother was murdered by a demon, and after discovering a two-century-old family legacy, full of hatred, rage, and self-loathing, 18-year-old Tsukirou Kirigami vows revenge and becomes a demon slayer. However, a tough challenge presents itself as Tsukirou, and his best friend Haru are both stationed at Bellcrest High-school in the town of York, Maine. Can Tsukirou, who's never been to school before, Haru, who is somehow excited about the whole predicament, And their newest teammate Emma, pose as normal high-school students while simultaneously dealing with bullies, high-school drama, and protecting the town from Muzan's demons?

                                              »»-----　　-----««

A long time ago when I was young, my mother got me a telescope for my 7th birthday that I could use to see the stars every night, and it meant the whole world to me. We only had each other back then, just me and my mom.

These were the dreams that I see every night, if only they could last forever...

But there is no time to dream...

Your dreams are nothing more than painful and sorrowful memories of the past...

Your pain will never go away until you cut that bastard's head off. When that time finally comes is the day you can finally rest in peace...

So go, Tsukiro Kirigami, prove to the world that her death wasn't meaningless...

AVENGE MOM'S DEATH!!!

Tsukiro woke up startled by the dream- no, memory, tears streaming down his cheeks as he gasped for air.

'Mom...'

He wiped the tears from his eyes as he stood up from his makeshift bed. He stumbled quite a bit as the boat he was on hit a large wave making it rock back and forth, not to mention that it was raining outside. The door to the cabin creaked open due to its rusty hinges as his companion for the mission entered the cabin and looked at him with concern.

"Another nightmare Tsuki?" His burgundy-haired friend, who was soaking wet even with the raincoat he was wearing, asked with concern in his tone.

"...Yeah, I'm fine, but how did you-"

"Everyone could hear you screaming from the main deck."

A small 'oh' escaped his lips as he looked away in embarrassment. "There's nothing to be embarrassed about Tsuki, the dream...w-what was it about this time?" His friend asked.

He hesitated for a moment before sighing.

"Same thing every night, except different, I mean they're always the same but the way they go each night is different." He clasped his head between his hands as his friend sat next to him on the bed and comforted him.

"T-They never go away..."

His companion stayed by his side and listened, doing his best to comfort Tsukiro from the nightmare he witnessed in his sleep.

'They're frequently getting worse. I'm getting worried for Tsukiro...'

"WE'RE HERE BOYS!!!" The ship's captain's booming voice called out that stood out from the sounds of the storm that was brewing outside.

"We're here, Haru get ready," Tsukiro said as he adopted a more serious and stone-cold expression as he got up and walked over to the corner of the room to pick up his things, especially his katana.

His friend, Haru, nodded albeit still showing concern for his friend as he too went to pick up his sword. The two walked outside and headed to the main deck. The captain, a large burly middle-aged man with a beard, wearing an eyepatch, eyed the both of them as they arrived on deck with their swords strapped to their waists.

"This is as far as I can get you boys, the island is right up ahead, all ya' gotta do is jump down to the shore and lay waste to those monsters."

They both nodded in agreement as they were nearing the destination of their mission. Both of them, as well as other groups of slayers, were sent on an emergency mission to a remote island in the Philippines where demon activity has been spiking for the past few months. A group of slayers was stationed on the island to exterminate the demons and ensure the safety of the inhabitants. However, approx. 31 hours ago they sent an emergency distress signal and a message requesting backup, as massive hordes of demons overwhelmed them and were rampaging across the island ravaging towns and people's homes eating and killing civilians.

"Nervous?" Haru asked Tsukiro.

"Fuck no. This is just where the fun begins."

Once the coast was in the ship's vicinity, Tsukiro and Haru prepared to take off. "Hold on, wait! I haven't got both yer names yet!" The captain called out.

They both stopped for a moment to look back at the captain.

"Name's Tsukiro, Kirigami Tsukiro." He said before leaping off the ship, hand on his sword's hilt.

"Kamado Haru," Haru said as well before taking off in a burst of speed after his friend.

*usually Japanese people introduce themselves by saying their surnames first.

The captain chuckled, "Godspeed to you boys...".

»»-----　　-----««

His eyes were sharp and focused as he and Haru made their way in the direction of the smoke and screams, leaving behind a trail of dust as they both ran at inhuman speeds.

The rhythm of his breathing changed, it followed a stronger pattern as he moved at a speed that normal people couldn't follow nor could they ever achieve if they didn't go through the training he and others did.

But Tsukiro and Haru aren't just normal people.

They were Demon Slayers. And right now the safety of people's lives rested in their hands.

Tsukiro skidded to a stop, a large demon with a bulky frame showed itself in front of him. It stood over 3 meters tall and had large burly arms, it barred its teeth at him in an almost creepy grin as it began to walk towards him slowly with its arms stretched out.

Entering a stance, Tsukiro took a deep breath...

Total Concentration Breathing...

He initiated a powerful jump into the air putting himself above the demon, he quickly unsheathes his nichirin sword as he began to descend from the air.

"Hiten Mitsurugi Style: First Form..."

The demon was almost instantly decapitated. Its lifeless and headless body fell to the ground with a thud as it started to slowly turn into ash.

"Dragon Hammer Flash!"

Tsukiro gracefully landed on the ground, he turned around to look at the demon's dead body and scoffed as he wipes off the blood from his sword using his sleeve.

2 smaller demons leaped towards him from the treetops aiming to get the drop on him. Tsukiro sidesteps out of the way and swings his sword upwards decapitating one demon. The other remaining demon tried to swipe at his neck behind him, Tsukiro removed his sword's scabbard from his waist and used it as he spun around and broke the demon's arms, before the demon could regenerate from the damage it was immediately decapitated by Tsukiro.

He sensed more demons nearby approaching, he didn't waste any more time as he quickly moved to kill the demons within the surrounding areas

»»-----　　-----««

Meanwhile with Haru

Haru was carrying an injured woman on his back, she groaned and gasped in pain as he quickly made his way down towards the beach where the medical unit is treating injured slayers and civilians.

'I've gotta hurry real quick, she's bleeding out and I don't have a tourniquet on me.'

A group of three demons was chasing him from behind, Haru halted to a stop as he turned around to face all three of them head-on.

"Water Breathing: Second Form: Water Wheel!"

In one fluid horizontal circular motion, Haru swung his sword leaving behind a trail of water. The demons didn't stand a chance as all three of them were decapitated at the same time.

Another demon appeared behind him and tried to lunge at him, only to be met by a knee strike to the face from Tsukiro and a sword through its neck.

"Thanks, Tsuki!"

"Dumbass, watch your back next time!!"

Haru then left to bring the injured to the medical unit leaving Tsukiro behind to deal with the remaining demons.

"*Shinsoku!!"

*Meaning: Godspeed

At a speed that rivaled lightning itself, Tsukiro dashed forward a great distance decapitating demons left and right that were in the way of the technique.

He checked his watch and saw that there were only a few hours left until sunrise.

'Only 5 more hours left until sunrise, which means that if I-We don't hurry and finish these bastards off, they'll retreat and have a chance to multiply again'

He perched himself on top of a tall building and observed the other smoke pillars and fires all across the island rising from the ground and turning the night sky orange and black.

He could hear other demon slayers fighting as they engaged in combat with the monsters.

Without wasting any more time, Tsukiro used Shinsoku once more to quickly close the distance and reach the source of the violence eager to kill more demons.

»»-----　　-----««

"Water Breathing: Seventh Form: Drop Ripple Thrust, Curve!"

Haru exclaimed as he landed a fast and accurate stab through the neck of a small, fast-moving, flying demon headed his way.

there were only 3 hours left until sunrise. Tsukiro, Haru, and the rest of the other slayers had already killed a great number of demons on the island, as well as rescued a great number of civilians. Although it can't be said that there were no casualties.

A total of over a hundred demon slayers have been killed during the battle, leaving the rest to finish the mission and secure the island.

Suddenly, the sound of thunder catches both of their attention.

'Bout' time one of them showed up!' Tsukiro thought.

'Nice! right on time!!' Haru thought.

It was a great relief indeed, because a Hashira arrived.

"I wonder who the corps sent?"

"Beats me, it better be someone strong."

A tall figure, covered in blood, lands in front of them.

"Ah! Tsukiro-kun, Haru-kun, glad to see the both of you are still alive!"

It was the current Thunder Hashira, Kazuya Kinoshita. A man in his thirties with short slightly spiky black hair, he was wearing a specialized version of the corps standard uniform with a military jacket to top it off. The one thing that made him stand out was that he had only one arm.

"Kinoshita-san!"

"Yo old man, bout time ya' showed up."

"Tsukiro! Don't be rude!" Haru scolded his friend.

A tick mark grew on Kazuya's forehead as he refrained from bonking Tsukiro on his head.

"I'm not old, I'm only 35!"

"Uh-huh, yep whatever you say," Tsukiro said nonchalantly.

"Ahem!-- So, status report you two."

"The rest of the civilians have been evacuated, the injured are being tended to as we speak, and we're still taking care of the demons because there's still so many remaining, but that won't be an issue anymore now that you're here Kinoshita-san," Haru spoke.

Kazuya nodded before turning to Tsukiro.

"What about you Kirigami?"

"Well, I've already wiped out the bastards in the west, and south of the island-"

"Wait! That fast?!!" Haru looked at his friend in astonishment. Well, it was expected from Tsukiro, always stealing the kill from other slayers, always finding ways to kill as many demons as he can.

"What are your instructions Kinoshita-San?"

"I'll be taking the lead on this mission, the two of you assist your fellow slayers and secure the island, kill every last demon you see, when the sun comes up we regroup along with the other slayers at the nearest town, understood?"

"HAI!" The two of them said in agreement.

With that, the three of them split off to accomplish what they came here for.

»»-----　　-----««

There were only a few minutes left until sunrise. With the help of the Thunder Hashira, they were able to wipe out the remaining demons on the island faster.

"Hiten Mitsurugi Style: Seventh Form: Dragon-Soaring Flash!!"

Swinging his sword upwards which took the form of a flying dragon, while initiating a powerful jump into the air, Tsukiro kills 4 demons at once.

'alright, that's all of them.'

Landing in a somersault to cushion his fall, Tsukiro stood up and wiped the blood off his sword. He then doubled over in exhaustion as he used his sword to support his body, keeping him from falling over.

'This whole mission took a toll on my body, I should've been mindful on how many times I use Shinsoku...'

"CAW! CAW!"

He looked above and saw his Kasugai Crow flying down from the air and landing on his shoulder.

"CAW! REGROUP! REGROUP! CAW! MEET UP WITH HASHIRA KAZUYA KINOSHITA AT THE NEAREST TOWN!"

"Alright, Alright, you didn't have to scream in my fucking ear."

His crow took off flight again leaving him on his own. With that, he pulled out his tactical phone, which is given to every single slayer in the corps for various uses, from the small bag attached to his belt. Opening the GPS, he checked the location of the nearest town and immediately headed there.

»»-----　　-----««

With Haru...

Haru found himself in a bit of a situation right now.

In front of him, a middle-aged couple was trying their hardest to restrain their teenage daughter.

"LORNA! Honey stop it!!" Her mother cried.

Her plead was in vain as her daughter kept thrashing around trying to bite her father's arm.

"S-Sweetheart, please listen to our voices, we're going to get you help, e-everything will be alright!?" Her father cried.

But still, their pleas fell on deaf ears as their daughter kept on thrashing and biting, her eyes were blood-red and foam was coming out of her mouth.

Haru turned to the Hashira standing next to him who was looking at the scene with sad eyes, "Kinoshita-San...what should we do?"

Before he could get an answer, Tsukiro arrived at the scene, he gazed at the couple trying to reach out to their daughter for a few moments, "What's going on here?" He asked Haru.

"Their daughter...she's been demonized" Haru responded. He felt great empathy for the family of three and how desperate the husband and wife were at trying to calm their daughter down.

Tsukiro however, unsheathed his nichirin sword from its scabbard and strode towards the family.

"Tsukiro?"

He finally stood in front of them catching their attention, he stared at them with cold blank eyes as he firmly gripped his sword. Seeing the blade in his hand, the couple held on to their daughter tighter.

"I'm gonna have to need you two to move."

However, they didn't understand him because Tsukiro was speaking japanese.

"They can't understand you Tsuki, try speaking in english," Haru suggested.

Tsukiro took Haru's suggestion and spoke again, this time in english.

"I'm afraid your daughter's been turned into a demon. When demon blood enters the body, either through open wounds or orally, they become demons. I'm sorry to say this, but there's no hope for your daughter."

This made their eyes widen, then they started pleading.

"N-No, not demon, s-she's good girl, there must be something you can do, p-please sir!" The father spoke in broken strings of english.

"There's nothing we can do, once someone becomes a demon they are damned to eat human flesh and blood for as long as they live."

He flashed his sword.

"I'm going to decapitate your daughter now, so please move out of the way."

This made them cry and beg even harder.

Tsukiro gained an irritated look.

"I said move..."

He pushed both of them away before roughly grabbing the daughter's hair and aligning his sword on her neck.

"TSUKI WAIT!!-"

*SLASH*

The daughter's severed head fall to the ground, much to the horror of her parents.

"AAAAAUUUUUUUGGGGHHHHH!!!!"

The parents screamed in horror and despair as they see their daughter's body slowly disintegrate into ashes.

Tsukiro sheathed his sword and started to walk away, "The mission's done, let's get out of here."

Haru stared at his friend's retreating figure in shock then stared at the inconsolable couple in horror before running after his friend.

The couple's cries and anguish-stricken shrieks echoed across the island as they tried to hold on to what was left of their little girl.

Kazuya sighed and pinched the bridge between his nose before giving out orders to the other demon slayers and kakushi on what was left that needed to be done.

»»-----　　-----««

Tsukiro was making his way down towards the beach, where the ferries were waiting to pick them up after their mission, before he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned around and saw Haru giving him an angry look.

"What the hell was that back there?!!"

"I killed a demon, that's what happened."

"You killed their daughter in front of their eyes!!"

"Their daughter was already dead the moment demonic blood entered her veins."

Haru couldn't believe what he was hearing right now from his best friend.

"B-But, Tsuki you could've handled that more gently, what you did back there was out of line."

This made Tsukiro glare hard at Haru.

"Then what did you expect me to do Haru? Tell them sugar-coated lies? Give them false hope? Oh! Tell them fairy tales? By killing that girl, I stopped more people from getting killed and one less monster to worry about. We came to this island to do our jobs and we did just that so let's just go. "

Shrugging off Haru's hand, Tsukiro stomped away towards the beach leaving Haru to look at his friend with sympathy.

TO BE CONTINUED...

The other chapters are available on Wattpad and AO3, You can read them if you want, I hope you all enjoyed reading this!

Wattpad: https://www.wattpad.com/story/328096383-legacy-a-demon-slayer-story

AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/43609503/chapters/109651689

[sesshatetsuko]

On this truthfull note, Chapter 27 is finally available (after a few months, I deeply apologize) :

Kenshin has now awoken, and he’s recovering his lost memory little by little, with the help of Kaoru at his side... And Yahiko gets an unexpected lesson from Hiko and his former disciple!

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[quotablefanfiction]

“If you were fighting when the Empire took power - just how old are you?" He can’t be forty! He barely looks older than I am! Though her mother had said that masters strong in the Force could live a long, long time… “How old, indeed.” Thoughtfully, Kenshin started counting on his fingers. “You don’t even know your own age?!?”

Kaoru and Kenshin, a sort of canon conversation (chp. 1)

Shadows in Starlight by Vathara (AO3, FF.net) Star Wars/Rurouni Kenshin – Teen #Alternate Universe #Crossover #Fandom Fusion #Adventure #Family #Extended Universe #Shadow Jedi

What if Obi-Wan found more than the tractor beam’s location in the Death Star files?