The opium lord—, a wealthy industrialist with samurai roots and Western cannons—sends a former Shinsengumi captain named Saito Hajime to eliminate Kenshin. Saito does not work for money; he works for order. He sees Kenshin as a feral dog who should have been shot after the revolution.
Kenshin: "No. The difference is that you still believe the era needs wolves." The Rurouni Kenshin
Kanryu kidnaps Kaoru and Yahiko to force Kenshin into a final confrontation. The battlefield is Kanryu's mansion, filled with explosive charges and hired killers. But the true trap is emotional: Kanryu has also unearthed the grave of , Kenshin's first wife—whom Kenshin himself killed by accident during the revolution. The opium lord—, a wealthy industrialist with samurai
They clash. Saito's gatotsu thrust pierces Kenshin's shoulder. Kenshin's sakabatō snaps Saito's ribs. Neither wins. Both bleed. Kenshin: "No
For the first time in ten years, Kenshin does not smile. His grip on the sakabatō turns white. Kaoru, chained to a pillar, sees his eyes go flat and cold.
"Where will you go?"
Kenshin leaves one morning, before dawn. He leaves no note. But on the porch, he has left a new signboard for the dojo, carved by hand: Kamiya Kasshin-ryū – Sword That Protects Life.