Author's Note: One day, I wondered what Soujiro would be capable of doing if he saw any weakness or flaw in Shishio and then this idea came to me.

Chapter 1

"Soujiro what do you propose we do about the Kawacana Band? Soujiro! Hey, Soujiro! Where are you?" Shishio called out. He didn't notice that Soujiro had left during their meeting with Houji.

Houji looked uncertainly around the room, he didn't really like Soujiro but he was needed if Lord Shishio was to take over the whole of Japan. Also, that boy had a tendency to appear out of no-where. At the worst of times too. "Maybe he just, a, wanted to complete the tasks you set out for him to do, Lord Shishio."

Shishio shrugged and turned back to Houji, "I hope you do too, Houji. This is very important."

"Yes! Of course Lord Shishio! I'll get to it," he obeyed submissively. He scurried off leaving Shishio to his privacy. But he wasn't alone. He was never completely alone anymore. Soujiro may be his right hand man but Yumi was like his right hand. She never left his side.

"Come lie down," Yumi purred into his ear leading him over to their private quarters.

Shishio liked all the attention but he quickly remembered that he had arrangements to make. People to kill. A nation to capture. And most importantly a predecessor to defeat. "Ah, but I can't Yumi," Shishio told her reluctantly. "I need to find my sword. Do you by chance know where I put it?"

Yumi looked gloomy, but was happy Shishio still found that she could be useful. "You mean that sword that you're letting Soujiro use? It's in his room." She informed him giving him a massage now that he wasn't leaving right away.

"No, not that one. The one that I am going to use against the Battousai." He looked around the room. Sometimes there were swords and other favorite weapons lying about but it seemed today he wouldn't be lucky.

When he had said that Yumi quickly moved away from him. Busying herself with her off-the-shoulder kimono. "Yumi? What did you do with my sword?" He commanded.

She looked hopelessly at him. "You know as well I do what the doctor said! You should at least listen to him out of anybody!"

"Yumi, I will defeat Himura before anything could happen to me," he reassured her, now it was his turn to massage her. He closed his eyes tightly, thinking of how he could get her to give him back his sword. He didn't want to lose Yumi. She was the only stability he had in his life. She was the only one he wanted to satisfy his lust. He didn't love her. He couldn't love her. Love was for the weak. He, Shishio Makato, was not weak. "Yumi..."

"Hmm..." She was lulled by the spell his hands had her under.

"Where. Is. My. Sword."

Yumi's eyes snapped open as she stood up. "Lord Shishio-"

"Lord Shishio?" He repeated mockingly. "Now, Yumi. Where is my sword?"

Soujiro was sorry he had to miss that last of the meeting with Lord Shishio and Houji but he had to visit the bathroom. He could always ask Houji what the final decision was anyways. He turned the direction he was going and headed off to Shishio's room. Soujiro had a question that only Lord Shishio could answer and it was imperative that it was answered before he left on to fulfill one of the errands that he was needed to do.

As he neared Shishio's room he heard yelling. "Shishio never yells and by the sounds of it to Yumi. What could have gotten him so worked up?" Soujiro asked himself out loud. "Should I?" He answered his question by walking up to the half open door that let out every word of Yumi and Shishio's conversation.

"NO!" Shouted the normally docile Yumi.

Then came a growl from what sounded like Shishio but could have also been from Yumi. Soujiro couldn't tell.

"You will tell me now!" Shouted Shishio.

Soujiro was perplexed at the argument he found himself hearing. Yumi never said no to Shishio, she always agreed to everything. Even if it was a little... absurd. And Shishio never, under any circumstances yelled, or even slightly raised his voice at her. Something definitely was up but Soujiro did not want to get in the middle of it.

"Shishio! Don't tell me you will go against your doctor's orders! He specifically mentioned no-"

"Don't you think I'm aware of what he said? I was there. I know about my limitations even before he confirmed it for everyone else!"

Soujiro never was one to eavesdrop, but he was thoroughly intrigued now. He listened harder, detecting their movements in the room.

"Shishio! How can you hope to defeat the Battousai in your state? And in less than fifteen minutes?"

"Do you think that I am weak? I'll show you, Woman!" Shishio spat out. Soujiro could feel the hatred, and annoyance seeping through the door. "Give me my sword back now!"

"No!" Yumi cried out.

Soujiro felt her running to the door so he pulled himself back just as she burst from the door barely keeping her long elegant kimono from tripping her.

"Get back here WOMAN!" Demanded Shishio as he raced after her. He made it to the door before he noticed Soujiro. "Hey! Soujiro! Bring Yumi back." He demanded returning to his room.

He left Soujiro standing in the hall alone to think things over. Soujiro for the first time did nothing to comply with his master's ill advised wants. "Lord... Shishio... has a... breaking point? What did Yumi mean?" He thought again out loud to himself.

Soujiro remembered the strangest thing that Lord Shishio had told him long ago when they first met.

In this world, the flesh of the weak is the food of the strong. The strong live, the weak die. No matter how hard you smile, you can't run from the truth.

"Where did that come from?" He wondered his smile faltering for a second. Then it came to him. Something that terrified him, his smile now completely off his face. "In this world, the flesh of the weak is the food of the strong." He repeated the words that had been engraved in his mind, in his soul forever. "The strong live, the weak die. I never wanted to admit to myself that Lord Shishio was weak. How could I? He has taught me all that I know?" He was lost. The only meaning that he had in his life was now thrown out. "Shishio..."

Soujiro's mind was reeling everywhere. "Shishio has... become strong through me," he realized. All that Shishio has had been directly and indirectly obtain by him. "I can't run from the truth any longer."

Soujiro walked to Shishio's room and silently as was his nature opened the door. He took in all his surroundings. There was a well-worn but still useful sword to his right. Shishio was sitting at his desk a few yards in front of him still unaware that any one had entered his room. He picked up the sword and walked over to Shishio. His emotions were conflicting with what he thought -no- knew to be the truth of the world.

The strong live, the weak die.

As Soujiro pulled up the sword Shishio looked back, "Soujiro, what are you-"

Blood sprayed everywhere as he sliced Shishio's head off with one swift but powerful swing. But not a single drop landed on Soujiro. He didn't like to get stained with the blood of others while Shishio reveled in the blood he drew of others. Shishio told him he was like the Battousai in that way.

"In this world, the flesh of the weak is the food of the strong. The strong live, the weak die. No matter how hard you hide, you can't run from the truth." Soujiro told the lifeless form before him.

He felt Yumi approaching before she came in but couldn't leave the site for there was only one way out. He turned around to meet her. She came in with the sword that Shishio wanted. She froze in the doorway as she saw the blood, her headless lover and its head on the ground.

"Shishio!" She yelled as she ran over to it. "You monster!" She cried.

Soujiro ignored her comment, cleaned off the blade and left the room.