Mr. Seta...
Everyone's making noise today...
What is it?
I see...
Mr. Shishio, Mr. Shishio!
What is it now?
Apparently, a man with a cross-shaped scar on his left cheek...
...and a policeman with a Japanese sword...
...are headed towards this building.
I see...
He's come to visit before I've had a chance to go say hello...
Nothing less from my predecessor.
Sojiro, go greet them.
Yes.
And have Senkaku get ready for battle.
Senkaku is always ready for battle.
Mr. Himura the Battousai and Mr. Hajime Saito, is it?
This voice!
You shouldn't fight against Mr. Shishio.
If you don't want to end up like that...
Be careful, Saito.
That's the guy who killed Mr. Okubo.
You're too much...
I'm only a guide today.
Here, I have no weapons on me now.
Mr. Shishio is waiting for you in the back room.
Now, please come in.
Nothing will ever happen if we're too cautious.
Let's go.
I said, wait a minute, Eiji!
I'm telling you to leave me alone!
Wait, wait a minute!
At this rate...
They did nothing wrong, but they were killed by Senkaku...
The souls of my Dad, Mom, and Brother won't be able to go to the afterlife...
At least, let me seek revenge for their deaths with my own hands!
I understand your feelings.
But Shishio's soldiers are guarding that mansion heavily.
If you jump into that place when you're not prepared...
...you'll only get slowly beaten to death.
You won't even see that guy named Senkaku.
Then, what do you want me to do?
To seek revenge for all my family...
Leave it to me!
After all, I am part of the Oniwaban group that can even quiet crying kids!
Oniwaban...
...group?
Well, just you watch.
Hey, what are you planning?
Ready?
Run when I give you the signal!
There!
What's that?
What was that?
A noise!
Now!
What's that?
Maybe it's an owl or something.
Sheesh, making us worry like that!
How's that?
What do you think of me now?
You're...
How about it, Mr. Shishio?
Something to drink after your bath?
They're here.
So you are...
Makoto Shishio, that you are?
You could give me some honorific...
You really are rude, my predecessor...
Don't let it bother you.
Rudeness is a trait we have in common, that it is.
Hey, how can you just stand there like you're confused?
If you were the Battousai, you would hop over there and slice at Shishio!
It's all right.
Mr. Himura would never try something underhanded like an ambush...
Unlike you, Mr. Saito.
Why did you go after this village?
I'm sure you're after the entire country of Japan, and not just a few villages.
The hot spring.
The hot water springs here work wonders on this burnt skin of mine.
But, if others here for the treatment saw me, they would become scared, right?
So, I made this place all mine.
Just for such a petty reason...
You took over this entire village?
A joke, just a joke.
You really have one damn serious personality, just like the rumors say.
A cheap taunt.
Don't let yourself get agitated, like some girl we know.
Y-You idiot!
Sorry, sorry.
I wonder if someone is talking about me...
It might be Lord Aoshi!
I took this town to use it as a military headquarters for the Tokai district.
Although, it is true that I like the hot springs here.
Shishio...
You stay quiet.
So, you're using the village as a base to seek revenge on the Meiji government...
...you bandaged young punk.
Mr. Hajime Saito, leader of Shinsengumi Squad Three...
Because you're more like me than the Battousai is...
...I thought you would understand.
I guess I was wrong.
What?
Ten years ago...
After I took over the Battousai's job as the manslayer in the shadows...
...I worked and risked my life for the sake of the imperialist government.
But they not only used me...
...they tried to kill me off because I knew too many...
...of their secrets.
They even went through the painstaking process of burning my entire body.
However...
I didn't die.
But, because of the burns...
...my body began operating at a temperature much higher than normal.
In other words, remnants of hell's flames...
...have been burning inside of my body...
...all this time.
But, I have no intent to seek revenge on them at all.
In fact, I actually thank them for what they did.
These wounds taught me so many things...
That I will be betrayed if I trust someone...
If I let down my guard, someone will kill me.
Kill before you are killed.
And, a really great guy will have women chase him no matter what happens...
I see.
Then, can you shut up already?
It's rather tiring to fly all over Japan just for your sake.
You, me, and my predecessor are men who lived through the revolution, right?
But, why?
Why don't you understand how I feel?
Rewards, allegiance, and defending the shogunate they spoke of...
But in the end, the Revolution was the first time of chaos in 300 years...
Those that defended the shogunate and those who opposed it...
...both waived their own flags and called them justice.
A time of chaos when people like that killed each other day after day...
If I happened to have been born in such a day and age...
Wouldn't it only be natural to fight for my place at the top of such a world?
But, what happened?
I was nearly assassinated...
...and when I finished tending my wounds, the chaos was gone...
...and this thing called the Meiji government had shown up.
It's a weak little government that can't even get rid of me, one man.
I can't leave such a government to rule this country...
Then...
If the chaos is over, I will create chaos once again!
I will take control over the country!
And, I will make this country stronger!
That is the justice by which I will take this country!
But...
You are not one of the people who will shed their own blood for this justice...
Those that will shed blood are the people who live peacefully in this day and age!
This world is merely a game where the fittest survive...
But that doesn't seem to be reason enough for you, my predecessor.
Makoto Shishio...
I can't allow any more bloodshed just for your personal justice!
What about you, Mr. Saito?
I'm not one to speak of ideals like this guy, however...
It seems that going after Shishio is just my style, though.
I don't care either way, whether or not I fight...
But, if we are going to fight, I would like to do it in the grand city of Kyoto.
So, if you really insist...
l, Senkaku, ruler of this Shingetsu village, will be your opponent!
Mr. Senkaku, you are blunt as always...
Senkaku...
I see...
You must be the one that killed Eiji's parents, is that it?
What about it?
Take this!
He's fast!
You're slow!
Oh, that ended much quicker than I thought...
Himura the Battousai...
Nothing to worry about!
I made a promise to Eiji, that I did.
What?
Oh?
I will defeat you, and then Shishio!
Defeat?
Me?
Yeah.
Interesting...
l, Senkaku, have cut up ninety nine people so far.
My one hundredth target...
Will be you!
Ninety nine people?
You've slain quite a few.
Oh?
This must be that god like speed we've heard about.
But if it's speed against speed, Senkaku won't lose so easily.
There you are, Battousai!
Hey, is Battousai the Manslayer...
...too chicken to do anything but run around behind me?
If that's all...
I can do that as well!
I match you in speed!
But I have power that you don't have!
And, these nigiri kaiken make the best use of both traits!
Wow...
This security is much tougher than I figured.
We can't get close to the mansion like this...
Dammit...
Where in the hell is that Senkaku?
Don't worry about it.
Sneaking in is something I do the best, as part of the Oniwaban group.
Just pretend you're boarding a big ship, and...
...leave everything...
What now, idiot?
A spider?
There's someone there!
You idiot, they found us!
I couldn't help it!
I hate spiders and caterpillars!
Do you think we have time for that?
Hey, who is that over there?
Come out!
I guess we have no choice now...
You stay here, all right?
Who are you?
l, Misao Makimachi, have no name...
...to give to villains!
But she just told us her name.
What are you doing, you idiot!
D-Dammit...
I look like a fool...
No, no, no!
That doesn't matter at all right now!
If you don't open up a path for me right now, I'll let you have it!
Don't mess with us!
You're just a moron!
Get her!
Yeah!
Who are you calling a moron?
Take this!
Final attack...
Kecho Kick!
You brat!
Dammit!
That takes care of that...
S-Stop it!
Eiji!
You're our guide.
Take me to where Senkaku is.
You kid...
Have you ever killed someone before?
If you can, try now!
F-Fine, I will!
Wait!
You idiot!
Why are you stopping me!
A-All right!
You want me to guide you, right?
You...
...and your little ratty movements!
I am even with you in terms of speed!
Do you think you can dodge like a cockroach forever?
Mr. Himura is having a hard time.
He's being pushed back constantly, and can't even get an attack in.
How about you help him out?
You've got to be kidding.
I have no intention of showing my sword to something like that.
Look...
He was smirking until just a few minutes ago...
...but when the battle started, he put on that face.
He's trying to discern every move the enemy can make, without missing one...
He has no weak moments at all.
I'm sure that Battousai has also noticed his expression.
That's why he hasn't attacked, and is waiting for his opponent to fall apart.
Fall apart?
It should be almost time...
You, why don't you just st--
My leg!
It's b-broken!
Because you kept moving without dropping your speed...
...the stress put on your body when changing direction was too much.
Impossible!
We were moving at the same speed...
There is no way the stress would hurt me before someone frail like you!
Because we were at the same speed...
...there was more stress on your body, because you're heavier.
l-lmpossible!
I've never had this happen to me before!
There is no way that there would be too much stress on my body at that speed!
You idiot...
You haven't realized it yet?
W-What?
The Battousai was gradually speeding up at every turn.
Because you believed that you were at the same speed as the Battousai...
...you fell for it.
You fell apart on your own.
You killed ninety nine men, you said?
The hundredth death will be yours, and that makes for a happy ending.
I see...
I guess you all were fighting with a lot of forethought...
It's a lie!
It was just a lie!
I didn't do it!
I was just bluffing when I said ninety nine men!
However, the one that killed Eiji's family...
Was you, right?
Senkaku...
From the start, I never thought that you would win against the Battousai...
But if you lose now, without making the Battousai show me even one move...
...I will personally kill you.
Here?
Y-Yeah...
Thanks!
All right, we'll go in so they won't find us...
Hiten Mitsurugi style...
Ryu Shou Sen!
Amazing...
Himura...
It's him...
Senkaku...
You showed mercy even to such a useless idiot like him?
That mercy will cost you your life.
I'm not worried...
Against a successor...
...there's no need to get worked up.
I see, you really are amazing!
Makoto Shishio...
Pick up your sword.