A/N: I've had a migraine for like three or four days straight. Your author is this far from relieving the pressure via ice pick and a hammer.

Disclaimer: I own nothing but this goddamn migraine.

Kaoru cannot breathe. Or rather, she can barely breathe; it is a hard, angry rasp deep in her chest as the power of Jin-E's swordsman spirit chokes the life out of her. Sweat pours down her face, her limbs grow heavy, and she fears the worst.

"If you do not kill me," Jin-E explains with a ruthless sort of delight, "the girl will die. It's a horrible death, suffocation; she will salavate and her bowls will loosen, and she will feel pain to the very last second."

Kenshin sheathes the sakabato he used to messily break Jin-E's nose. He then pulls it, scabbard firmly in place, from it's position under his katana, throwing it away; it flies into the bushes, abandoned.

When he draws his katana it glimmers in the moonlight, deadly. Kaoru wants to scream - no, no, not for me, don't kill for me - but what can she do? She can't breathe, she can't move, spots flicker in front of her eyes and there is...there is no time...

"I will take your head for this." Kenshin – no, Battousai - breathes.

Jin-E howls his pleasure. "Your eyes! These are the eyes of a killer, and I love them!"

Kenshin flies once more, high into the air, roaring like a demon as he shoots from the skies towards Jin-E. Kaoru's captor dodges a death blow, but his scream is high and loud as blood flies and his arm dangles uselessly at his side.

Kaoru can see bone.

"Your arm is ruined," says Kenshin, straightening. "You will never pick up a sword again. Now release my wife, or I will take your life."

"It isn't that simple - the only way to save this girl is to kill me, otherwise my spell will not be broken. So take my life, Battousai, take my life and relish in the blood you spill!"

Kenshin sheathes his sword, takes up a strong stance, hand hovering over the hilt. Jin-E wails his amusement, gripping his wakazashi in his one good hand. Blackness crowds out these images, and Kaoru fears...fears her death, fears how Kenshin will react when he is forced to kill for her, fears what will come after – if he will leave her for putting him the position to kill..

"No!" Her shriek cuts through the clearing with the force of a shot. Jin-E whirls; Kenshin has already began to unsheath his sword (battoujitsu, the art for which he gained his name), and he nearly impales his katana in the ground as he abrutly turns the swing downwards.

"No, Kenshin!" Kaoru sobs, "don't kill...not for me..."

The world goes soft and bright. Breathing is painful, so painful.

"Kaoru!" Kenshin catches her as she topples.

(She wakes to find Jin-E with a wakazashi in his gut and a smile on his face.

Kenshin does not release her.)