"... Are you catching a fever?" The masked man asks.

"Sano..." I say.

My heart tightens. What is he saying? Who is this masked man? He wore black clothing with ripped sandals. He had a gunshot wound. I grip my eyes. Dead? Of course he's not dead. He's Kenshin. He's survived everything. He's too strong for death.

"What's going on?" Yahiko runs in.

"This joker is saying Kenshin's dead. Hilarious!" Sano yells.

"That's sinister making jokes like that!" Yahiko spits.

"... But I wasn't joking." The masked man says.

"Oh please! There's no way Kenshin's dead." Sano says.

"He is. Heck I should know. I'm the guy who killed him." The masked man says.

I drop my bag.

"What...? What...?" I ask.

"Come on don't be silly!" Sano yells.

"I'm not. Honest to the High Lord, I killed him." The masked man breaks his chains.

I draw back. Sano's face turns red. The officers shoot out their swords and guns.

"I killed him. Here's the proof." He takes out a sword.

My eyes widen. No... please no... tears fill my eyes. I almost scream.

"That's Kenshin's sword!" Yahiko yells.

"You've got to be kidding me!" Sano yells.

"It's broken... and covered in blood." I mutter.

"Yeah, kind of got crushed under the mountain. Also probably stained in his blood." He drops it.

I fall to my knees.

"You're... you're lying!" I yell.

"And if I was lying, shouldn't he have come back five days later?" He cocks his head.

"You bastard!" Sano charges.

"Oh, for the love of-" He flicks Sano.

He goes flying backward and the cage bars break.

"Might as well get something to eat. I'm starving." He says.

"Where do you think you're going?!" The officers shoot forward. 

He dodges them and slams them back.

"I am telling the truth Miss Karou. I killed him. Remember that." He turns.