"You know about Kenshin?" "Tell me!" "Where is Kenshin?" "Can it be this is the person Himura was talking about..." "The person he parted with in Tokyo?" "Oh, then..." "Kenshin was here..." "So we just missed him..." "I had a feeling all along that Himura had left someone dear to him back in Tokyo." "I know it by looking at your eyes..." "I mean, I can tell how deeply you have been supporting Himura." "I want to see him..." "At any cost..." "Answer one question for me..." "You know Himura is challenging himself in a battle to determine the future of Japan..." "Right?" "Yes..." "You also know that being half-assed about this is dangerous to you and to Himura, right?" "But, you still want to see Himura?" "If you were me would you travel all this way from Tokyo to see someone if you were being half-assed about it?" "I will..." "Even if I have to chase him all over Japan, I will find Lord Aoshi!" "All right..." "I'll take these two to where Himura is." "Tell me where Himura is now." "All right..." "Oh!" "We did it, Kaoru!" "I got it." "Follow me!" "I'll show you!" "S-Sure!" "Oh..." "Thank you very much." "You sure are a rude chap, cutting at a simple potter so suddenly like that." "Seijuro Hiko is no ordinary potter." "It has been a while..." "Master." "It's you." "Okina!" "Okina!" "There's a guest at the front door." "I'm not feeling well." "I'm sorry, but have them go back." "Are you sure?" "It's a young woman..." "W-Wait!" "I thought you weren't feeling well?" "I just got better." "I'm feeling great!" "Dirty old man..." "Um, I was asked to hand this to you right outside..." "Thank you." "So, what kind of person was it?" "He was tall, and handsome." "My heart was racing when he approached me." "It has been a while..." "Normally, I should be more polite to you, as you are the Commander..." "There is no need for that." "Misao has been wanting to see you." "I have no wish to see her now." "The one dear granddaughter that our great previous Commander left behind..." "Everyone feels they must not subject her to any danger..." "And, what do you want?" "I'm looking for someone..." "The name is Himura, the Battousai." "Where is he?" "I have no wish to tell you, as you are now." "Aoshi, wake up." "What you need right now is solace for the soul." "Although we are of the same Oniwaban group..." "We cannot understand each other's feelings..." "Aoshi." "If you lose the pride of the Oniwaban and become just a murderer it would be my error for making you Commander." "If that becomes the case, I will use all the power I have..." "And crush you!" "Oh?" "What a coincidence!" "So you are here in Kyoto." "I'm glad!" "And who was watching the whole time, huh?" "The whole time?" "We just got here to Kyoto today!" "I see, a coincidence." "I've sensed someone's eyes on me since this morning." "O-Oh?" "Gee, I'm no match for you..." "Oh, all right." "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, forgive me, I apologize." "I'll apologize, so can you come with us for a bit?" "I'm just about to head back to Mr. Shishio's place." "I thought I told you..." "I have no intentions of teaming up with anyone." "It's not like joining forces or anything." "I hate to say this, but you can't find the Battousai right now, can you?" "When it comes to gathering information, we're pretty good at it." "All right." "Take me there." "It's been fifteen years..." "And now, you show up..." "What do you want with me, Seijuro Hiko?" "To think you changed your name and were living the simple life as a potter..." "But why pottery now?" "Becoming an artist is the best way to avoid annoying, ordinary society." "Well, a true genius can do anything..." "So you are still very arrogant..." "Don't change the subject." "You came here for something that is hard to talk about..." "I'm your Master, remember?" "I can see through my stupid apprentices easily." "Then..." "I would now like to ask for the teaching of the final secrets of the Hiten Mitsurugi Style left undone fifteen years ago!" "I decline." "You were the one who ran off back then." "Besides, why now?" "Please..." "I beg you." "It looks like you're under pressure to do something..." "Kenshin's master?" "There is such a thing?" "Yeah, Seijuro Hiko." "That name is given to the one who knows every technique of the Hiten Mitsurugi Style." "That means..." "Kenshin still has an attack that he hasn't mastered?" "I'm sure he went to see Seijuro Hiko to learn it!" "If he learns it, then Kenshin..." "That's right!" "He will become even stronger!" "Amazing!" "He really isn't human after all!" "He's monster, I tell you!" "Kenshin..." "Finally..." "Finally I'll see you again..." "So, you are becoming Battousai the Manslayer again, due to the appearance of this Makoto Shishio." "To defeat Shishio without becoming a manslayer again you have to get stronger than you are now..." "You're being greedy!" "Master!" "I thought I taught you..." "A sword is a weapon, swordsmanship is learning how to murder." "No matter what ideals you proclaim, those are the facts, and that is the truth." "Your sweet little dream and the serious reality of this era saying you want to protect both is just simple selfishness." "At the root of this, your first mistake was 15 years ago..." "What?" "You're leaving?" "Yes!" "You idiot!" "Don't worry about the outside world!" "Just work diligently in your training!" "Even as we stand here now many people are becoming involved in the chaos and are dying!" "Isn't protecting people from the pain of the times a teaching of the Hiten Mitsurugi Style?" "And you're saying you're going to do that?" "You're arrogant!" "Master!" "If you're saying you must go after you defeat me." "You!" "You hit me with your full strength!" "Because you don't understand what I'm saying!" "You're the one who doesn't understand!" "Listen..." "The Hiten Mitsurugi Style, due to its strength will guarantee victory for the side it allies with in a conflict!" "In other words, it's like the black fleet!" "Do you understand?" "I don't!" "People in front of my eyes are in pain, and are saddened!" "No matter what the reason, I can't leave them alone!" "You were a brat that couldn't be held down back then." "And, the result of you leaping from my teachings is this." "Your swordsmanship was superior, but at only 14 years old the stupid apprentice whose mind hadn't matured suffered deep wounds that would not heal on his left cheek and in his heart becoming an unstable swordsman, swaying between a manslayer and one who does not kill." "And your Hiten Mitsurugi Style as a result, helped create this ghost of the Revolution called Shishio." "Got it?" "Hiten Mitsurugi Style has been taught to protect people from the pain of the times!" "But, only as a free sword that is not under the influence of any power at all!" "Because you didn't understand that..." "You are not qualified to learn the final secrets of the Hiten Mitsurugi Style!" "It's here." "No mistake." "Now, Miss Kaoru..." "What's wrong?" "What are you doing?" "Yeah, Himura is on the other side of this door!" "Go away!" "It was a mistake for me to teach an idiot like you the Hiten Mitsurugi Style!" "Like you?" "Idiot?" "Hey!" "Who are you saying that to?" "Who the heck are you?" "Miss Misao..." "Yahiko..." "Miss..." "Kaoru..." "You know them?" "Y-Yes..." "Sheesh..." "I sure have a lot of guests today, and I didn't want any of 'em, either." "Kenshin, go down to the river and fetch some water." "Water, I said, water." "Why do I..." "I don't have any left up here." "No, that's not what I mean, why can't you go, Master?" "You still have some nerve..." "Stop whining, just hurry up and go!" "H-Himura..." "Kenshin..." "What?" "Kaoru!" "Why are you just standing there?" "You finally saw him!" "Why didn't you say anything?" "Well..." "Sheesh..." "Now, when it's important..." "He's..." "The master who taught Kenshin his swordsmanship..." "The successor of the Hiten Mitsurugi Style..." "But..." "What's with him?" "Hey, you guys." "Yes?" "We have a question first!" "Exactly how old are you?" "Forty three..." "What about it?" "Forty three, with this face?" "Just like Kenshin, who is twenty eight, you know!" "Twenty eight?" "Yeah, twenty eight, twenty eight!" "That Hiten Mitsurugi Style how does it work?" "Anyway, why are you guys here?" "What?" "To see Kenshin..." "And?" "He's asking, what do you want to do after seeing him?" "Like, do you want to go back to Tokyo with him?" "Or express your feelings for one another?" "Or do you want to fight together?" "N-No..." "It's that..." "It just was that I wanted to see him..." "I just wanted to see him once more..." "That's all." "I don't know what's so good about the blockhead but my stupid apprentice sure is popular." "Hey, you!" "You don't know anything about Kenshin since parting ways so long ago!" "About that..." "Could you tell me more?" "It's been ten years since the Meiji started..." "What's that blockhead been doing with the Hiten Mitsurugi Style I taught him?" "That's what I want to know the most." "Not from his own mouth..." "But from those who have seen the side of him that I don't know." "Miss Kaoru and Yahiko have arrived in Kyoto..." "That means, I'm sure Sanosuke will too..." "In another way..." "The battle against Shishio becomes more troublesome..." "However..." "Lord Shishio." "Sojiro has returned." "Well, it's been a while..." "The first secret sword, Homuradama..." "You all shouldn't sneak peaks at other people's attacks." "I brought the Juppongatana from the eastern half of the country." "It's been a while, Anji." "Did you finish your training?" "Yes." "Henya, I hope your arm hasn't gone rusty." "Surely not!" "Iwanbou." "You look as dumb as ever." "And?" "A strange guest, isn't he?" "So for the past ten years you've been traveling around the country as a wanderer, helping people." "You took a roundabout way to reach the teachings of the Hiten Mitsurugi Style?" "Or, is it that you're repenting for all the men you killed in your manslayer days?" "Both, that it is..." "And..." "I cannot leave people alone if they are suffering in front of my eyes!" "You keep barking the same words as before..." "All right!" "I will teach you the final secrets of the Hiten Mitsurugi Style!" "No matter what your thoughts are, we can't leave Shishio alone." "Master..." "You can put Shishio in his place with the Hiten Mitsurugi Style!" "Follow me!" "Yes!" "Kenshin!" "Are you mad we came to Kyoto?" "Half of me." "The other half of me is somewhat relieved." "Let's go." "We don't know where Shishio's group is hiding..." "So be careful, that you should." "Kenshin..." "He didn't turn back like he usually does..." "But..." "But..." "Before we begin, there is one thing I need to say." "If you acquire the final secret, your strength will match mine..." "But, don't let it get to your head." "This era is not so simple that you can put everything on your shoulders and be the only sacrifice." "And, at the same time, one person's happiness isn't that simple, either." "If you should fall as a sacrifice one girl who came to Kyoto with the one wish to see you will definitely face misfortune." "Remember that." "No matter how strong you get, you are just a human being..." "There is no need for you to become either Buddha, or a murderer." "That's all I have to say." "Let's begin." "We're going back to the Shirobeko now?" "Why?" "We don't have to go home in the middle of the night!" "Kenshin began training to learn the final secret." "If we were there, we would get in the way of his training." "That's true..." "Are you okay, Miss Kaoru?" "I was able to see Kenshin, like I wanted..." "I see..." "Well, you can spend the night at our place, and stay as long as you like." "Thanks." "I wonder what the secret final attack of the Hiten Mitsurugi Style is like." "Well, I mean, it must be the strongest final attack..." "The strongest?" "Speaking of the strongest..." "What's wrong?" "Strongest..." "I thought I had something that I needed to tell Kenshin..." "That's right!" "Aoshi!" "That's right!" "Aoshi Shinomori!" "He's here in Kyoto, and he's after Kenshin, too!" "I just have to tell him!" "Wait!" "Misao!" "What are you doing?" "Was what you just said true?" "Lord Aoshi is here in Kyoto?" "Aoshi?" "Lord?" "Ouch!" "Yahiko!" "Kaoru!" "She's one of the Oniwaban!" "What?" "What's the reason you approached Kenshin?" "Orders from Aoshi?" "Or seeking revenge for the deaths of Hannya and the others?" "Seeking revenge?" "What do you mean?" "What in the world happened between Lord Aoshi and Himura?" "The guys of the Oniwaban..." "What happened to..." "Are you going to play dumb?" "Both of you..." "Calm down!" "Kaoru, she's..." "I was able to meet Kenshin again thanks to Misao!" "Miss Kaoru..." "So you know too, about Lord Aoshi?" "Tell me!" "Please!" "All right." "Kaoru..." "Will you be okay?" "I'm sure that for you this will be a very harsh story." "Aoshi Shinomori and Nenji Kashiwazaki..." "An ironic destiny has chosen former allies to be on opposite sides and shed each other's blood." "However, Misao heads to where the two are, to stop that destiny..." "Next time..." "Look forward to it, please."