Spanning the Ages-Reira

[Linx]

He nods lightly, "Personally, I'd hope for no fighting, but that is merely my opinion." he says, laughing softly. He trails his fingers lightly along his blade, thinking idly of everything his skills had seen him through. Modesty aside, if she were even half the warrior he was, she would be more than capable for most anything to come at her. Only one foe had ever so truly outclassed him, and he hoped she'd never have to face him. There was one other that was his greatest rival, and a shiver ran down his spine at the thought of her fighting him. As capable as he was, even he had been hard pressed to hold his own against. A nagging thought ran through him and he looked at her with a mixture of trepidation and suspicion.

"You don't have Saito with you, do you? I recognized Beshimi of the Oniwaban, so I can only assume there's more with you." he says, smiling lightly. What would Saito say if he could see him now? Probably nothing, and would lead with his Gatotsu. Their rivalry had been settled at least, he was alive, unless Saito had made it off their world somehow. He shrugs lightly to himself, finishing his drink and setting his cup down, a little color coming to his cheeks as he began to feel at least a little revitalized. He had a purpose again for now, so he couldn't just lay down and let the guilt wash over him like he had before. "Whenever you wish it, we can begin training together." he says, forcing his mind to the matters at hand, before a stray thought tried to steal him away again. How long until everything went bad once more? How long could the Battosai be kept in check?

[Saasha]

At the mere mention of that name, that... name... her eyebrow twitched as a chuckle floated into her ear. Her gaze stayed on the sky but it was clear that the name meant something to her. She grabbed her cup and poured herself another serving, shooting this one. She took it without so much as a flinch and turned to Kenshin, "Does that answer your question?" She asked flatly. "I hate training with him. I love it... but I hate it." She rubbed the side of her face as memories of her interactions with the man. One of his favorite things to do now that he was dead was to capitalize on the fact that he was one of the few of the spirits that could sneak up on her, and he had the neat little ability to make his strikes felt in her mind. "Over the years, he has developed the ability to make his strikes felt, though no injury is made. A swipe across the stomach feels like the real thing but without the damage. Yeah he is fun at two o'clock in the morning." Gah she hated him... In actuality she was rather fond of the man, and this would show within her expressions if Kenshin watched her carefully.

"As for the others, yes. There are others that follow me around. I usually have two or three spirits that accompany me. Typically it will be one of the Oniwaban group, though it can change a bit. My Grandfather is usually around but it would seem he has departed for the time being." She stopped for a moment, listening to the wind, the whispers around her, and the noises in her mind. "Yeah he is gone for now. Either that or he is just not making his presence known for some reason. As for Lord Aoshi-" she cut herself as a voice spoke to her. "He is with my partner. His own descendant."

She remembered the first day that they had made themselves known to the group. How jaw dropping that had been- to see ghosts that looked exactly like older, more battle-worn versions of yourself and your friends is quite the shocker.

[Linx]

He smiles lightly as she talks about Saito. "That certainly sounds like Saito. He always keep one on their toes." he says with a laugh. Despite her words, it seemed as if she truly enjoyed having them around, and he wondered how Saito felt. Probably like it was just another job. He remembered hearing about how he'd treated Sano after all, his rather unorthodox method of motivation. He was a difficult one to get along with, that was for sure. "Strange to me to think that all would convene around you. I didn't think they'd ever get along for any length of time." he says with a laugh, smiling as he poured them both another drink, taking this one much more slowly.

He relaxes slightly, feeling a little weight sliding off his shoulders. She was certainly in good hands if she had both the Oniwaban and the Wolf of Mibu looking out for her, not to mention their world's Kenshin and Okina. She was certainly in good hands. All he was needed for was a physical opponent and companion for her, and he would fulfill that role to the best of his abilities. Somehow, he felt the other Kenshin would agree with his choice. Unneeded as he was, he couldn't abandon someone to account for the Battosai's sins when he could be there. Even if she wasn't truly related to him at all, it mattered little. It was the enemies of the Battosai that had cursed her, and so it would be Kenshin Himura that would stand by her to face them. Another thought struck him like a bolt of lightning, and he froze for a moment, wondering if it was possible. Were they with her too? Had they ever forgiven him? Could they even forgive him?

[Saasha]

She laughed lightly and shook her head. "They don't. And that is the best part. It is never boring around the shop. We each have our own people that like to watch over us, so when we all get together, the guys do too. That makes for some interesting antics." She grinned and shook her head again. When she looked back up at Kenshin to continue, she noticed his look of... guilt? What was wrong? "Kenshin? Are you alright?"

[Linx]

He shakes his head quickly, clearing out the thoughts. "Y..Yes, I'm fine." he says, smiling quickly to reassure her. He takes a sip of his sake, sitting back with a soft sigh. Even if they were, they weren't the ones from his world. But even still...to see them again, to apologize for everything...no, there was no point in dwelling upon what would never be. They were gone, and he would never see them again. Best to reconcile himself to that fact and move on. "When did you wish to start training?" he asks, hoping to deflect her from any further questions along that route. There were some things he wasn't sure he was ready to talk about after all, though he doubted he'd decline to answer her if she asked.

[Saasha]

"Why not now?" She asked, not wanting to push the subject further. "A small sparring match maybe? It is up to you though, honestly. You are the one who is donating his time, so you should be the one to decide when." She was kind of hoping that he would agree- she was a bit excited to be able to spar with a live Hiten user. Her Grandfather was a great partner and teacher, but he had been right in what he told her so long ago, "There is no substitute for the real feel of battle." She had been in so many since then, so she was not unprepared in the least- but to fight another Hiten user... If he agreed, she was certain she would have to stay on her toes.

[Linx]

He nods lightly, rising to his feet, sliding his sword into his belt. "Very well then, let's see how well you do with the Hiten Mitsurugi style." he says, walking a short distance away from her. He inhales deeply, a calming breath as he lowered himself into a ready stance, his eyes opening slowly. Gone were the carefree eyes of the Ruroni, instead, he had the death glare of Himura the Battosai. He slid his blade an inch from it's sheath, ready for a faster draw as his eyes narrow on her. He remains silent, eyes locked onto his now opponent, allowing her the first move.

[Saasha]

Without moving her feet she rose from her seat and picked up her Katana with her. Not looking in his direction, she walked a few paces away form the spread, eyes downcast and her face expressionless. She turned on the balls of her feet to face her opponent, but something had changed... Her face no longer held it's cheerful expression, her lips no longer curled into a smile. Indeed even the very air around the woman began to shimmer and shake as she kept her head down. But she didn't drop into a stance. Rather she just stood there, hand on the sheath of her sword and the other on the hilt.

Under her bangs, she focused on his breathing, on his muscles as the shifted, the sounds of the grass, all else fading away into nothingness. It was just he and she in that field. Her eyes slowly opened and revealed that her amicable facade was gone. Before him stood not only a woman who had been through a lot despite her young age, but also was the very blood of the family name. She took a single pace forward, but it didn't last long as she suddenly would vanish to normal eyes. Of course, Kenshin was not normal was he? She rushed in keeping herself lightly off centered to his sword side, popping her blade open as she dashed. Her sword flew from the sheath with little resistance and found it's path headed along the end cap of his blade and continuing across his chest.

[Linx]

His eyes watch her every move, barely blinking as she dashes forward with incredible speed, angling outside his sword arm. Smart, would make drawing his blade and countering that much harder. Were he any normal swordsman. He dropped his stance, leaning to the side and back to stay just out of her swords reach, using the force of her own swing to speed his turn as he drew his blade, spinning in a tight circle to deliver a vicious blow to her abdomen. The Hiten Mitsurugi style, Ryukansen. Using his own god like speed and the additional force created by her swing, much as when he'd first seen her practicing, the blow would be quite powerful. Even with a sakabato, the damage could be severe. She would have cracked or shattered ribs at the very least, assuming it managed to land.

[Saasha]

Ryukansen. She narrowed her eyes a bit but didn't falter in dropping ot her knees and letting her body bent back under the blow, using the grass to slide under the blow. It did catch a bit of her long bangs as she slid under the blade but that didn't really shock her. But what did occure to her as she looked up at the blade mere inches from her eyes and saw her reflection and the scar... This was really happening. She let herself slid to just behind him before bringing her outside leg over herself so she was at his back still somewhat crouched. She let her sword whistle as she swiped upward at his back before rolling back then springing to her feet, figuring he would be continuing his swing.

[Linx]

He didn't blink as his sword moved unopposed through the open air, his eyes flicking down to hers. He read it all as he took a step forward to plant his foot firmly, leaping straight up above her, spinning to plant his feet against one of the branches and launching himself back at her with a downward slash. Hiten Mitsurugi style, Ryutsuisen. In her eyes, he'd read the shock at her finding herself against a live blade, the excitement against testing herself against a physical opponent, and that she was more than just a user of the Hiten Mitsurugi style. There was something more to her, and that very well could be his end, unless he figured it out.

[Saasha]

She quickly rose and looked up in time to catch Kenshin's descending form. Time to put some simplicity into this. She tensed her arms a bit and raised her blade above her head, catching his descending one. But she knew better than to stay under him. Bad bad idea. She had done that once by a false Hiten user and even then had been almost bowled over. And Kenshin was no amateur. She tilted her blade and side stepped the slightest bit to let his blade run down the length of hers using his own body weight to drop the technique to the earth. Before it slid completely off though, she tilted it more to rotate her blade around his and aim her hilt right at his face. Rather, past it to avoid unnecessary injury if he didn't dodge but still.

[Linx]

He hit the ground hard, collapsing one leg to throw himself in a sideways roll to absorb the impact of his landing and to put some distance between them. He comes back to his feet and slams his sword down into the earth, the Doryusen, sending projectiles flying at her as he charged back in in the blink of an eye, leading with the Ryukansen Tsumuji, aiming to hit her hard in the stomach. Not waiting to see if the blade would land or not he drops into a crouch, rising quickly into the Ryushoshen to launch her high into the air. She was good, very good, and he was beginning to get a better grasp on just how good she really was. He felt the stirrings deep within himself, but had no time to dwell upon it. The battle was still raging.

[Saasha]

She stayed calm as the spray came at her simply jumping back to let the debris spread out wider and farther apart, and dodging to the side as a larger piece of earth flew past her head. At the same time she placed her blade directly in the way of the Ryukansen Tsumuji, the metal on metal collision echoing throughout the field. Music to her ears. Peaceful to her, a wonderful sound. But she paid little mind to it however as he dove down and stove his blade straight up for her neck. She stepped forty-five degrees to the side to bypass his blade on his left, unleashing a Ryokansen of her own. But seeing as her blade was still in her left hand, she used the first pass to strike towards his now exposed ribs. Without hesitation, she used the rest of the turn to step away and bring her back foot around to face him, following up closely behind her first attack with an extra burst of speed and a Ryūsōsen, delivered silently, but with the slightest groan of effort at the end. She had put a bit more oompf and speed into this succession.

[Linx]

She was fast, faster than he. This time. The gash across his ribs tore open his flash, spraying crimson across her, and before he could hurl himself backwards she hit him with the Ryusosen, tearing open his chest and shoulders. He used the force of the blows to hurl himself backwards from her, disengaging as he hacked up blood, his breathing labored. Crimson blossomed across his body as he raised his eyes to her, his breathing steadying. Were she not distracted by the vicious assault she'd just landed, she'd note one very important fact. His eyes had changed colour, becoming yellow, and much more violent. He knew she wasn't human, and now, the Battosai was in control. His blade shattered from the blow of her Ryukansen, as he managed to pull it in to absorb some of the impact to avoid himself being severed in half, and reflexively his hand reached out, and his true sword answered.

Ragnarok, the Twilight of the Gods, shimmered into being in his hand. A katana made of rune, a powerful material on his world, heavily enchanted and etched with arcane symbols, it pulsed with it's own power. With a growl, he executes the Notojutsu of the Hiten style, the Ryumeisen. A miniture sonic boom erupted out of his sheath from the speed of the sheathing of the blade, and for any normal opponent, it would only stun them momentarily. But for something not human with a vastly acute sense of hearing, it would travel deep into their inner ear, throwing off their equilibrium, putting them off balance, and the Battosai didn't hesitate to press the advantage. His blade flashed out as he launched himself at her with the Kuzu Ryusen, meaning to strike nine vital points simultaneously. Fortunately he hadn't turned his blade, so only the blunt side would impact her if she didn't avoid it. Even still, it'd be painful. Not pausing for an instant to let her regain her balance, he dropped back and spun into a Ryukansen of his own to mirror hers in it's positioning across her ribs. Normally a counter move, it could also be used as a standard, yet powerful attack.