01x15 - That Man – Raijuta

[bunniefuu]

Here we go.

I wonder if this is a little too loose.

Hey, what's taking so...

Oro?

{\an8}ORIGINAL STORY BY NOBUHIRO WATSUKI

You show no mercy, as always.

What do you mean, "as always"?!

Are you training outside today?

Yes. At the Maekawa dojo.

Oh yeah! Why won't you come with us today?

Maekawa-sensei said
he would like to meet you.

I'll pass today.

I still need to chop the wood
and prepare the bath.

Oh, since you are on that,
you can do some shopping too.

We need miso, salt, rice, soy sauce,
and vinegar.

I guess I'm coming with you, then.

Good choice!

Well then, let's go!

Sensei!

It took a while,
but I got almost everything.

The most active around here
is the Chuuetsu-ryu, Maekawa dojo.

The master, Maekawa Kunai, is probably
the best practitioner in this area.

There's a rumor about a skilled Rurouni
who's been living at the Kamiya dojo.

But of course, he's just a Rurouni.

He can't be that strong.

Come then.

Yes, sir!

CHUETSU STYLE - MAEKAWA DOJO

Head!

STRAIGHTFORWARD AND STRONG SWORD

Hello!

Hey!

-Welcome, Kaoru!
-Hello!

We've been waiting for you.

Oh, don't worry about me.
Please go on with your training.

Exactly as Kaoru said.

Don't get distracted with your training.

Maekawa-sensei!

I see you've brought this Kenshin
you've been telling me about.

That's the Rurouni everyone
keeps talking about?

Himura Kenshin.

Sensei wanted to have a match with him.

I wonder which one is stronger.

The one who loses will
have some serious damage.

Maekawa-sensei never mentioned
something like that to me.

I'm glad you came.

Please train my students.

No, I just came with Kaoru.

I see.

Well then, please have a seat over there.

Thank you.

Sensei.

Sorry I kept it a secret.

But if I had told you, I knew you
were never going to bring him.

Don't worry, I have
no intention to fight anymore.

Or, I should say, I lost
without properly fighting at all.

I understand now.

What a great set of eyes from a young man.

STRAIGHTFORWARD AND STRONG SWORD

Don't panic when your opponents come in!

Don't pull your hips back.

Watch your opponent's eyes!

-All right?
-Thank you very much.

OK, next!

So, what do you think of my dojo?

It's good.

You have a lot of enthusiastic students.

Actually, usually,
it's one-third of this who shows up.

There's a lot here today
because Kaoru is here.

She's a charming amusement for the young.

There are only ten or so
who are serious in kenjutsu.

It's sad that this used to be
one of the most famous dojos

during the Edo period.

Though the saddest thing is

I'm still using my old comrade
Kamiya Koshijirou's legacy

to make people come.

Don't speak that way about yourself.

Allowing us to come here
to train helps us a lot too.

It's a win-win.

Still, I wonder
what will happen to kenjutsu.

The Meiji era and Westernization

will lead to its disappearance
in the future.

Back in the day, there were swordsmen
who came to challenge the dojo every day.

You can't enter the dojo with sandals on!

Take off your sandals!

Stop him!

You!

Maekawa Kunai,
founder of the Chuuetsu-ryu,

I challenge you to a match.

I am Isurugi Raijūta,

a man who is deeply concerned
about the future of kenjutsu.

His eyes are too muddied
to reveal their secrets.

But he's strong!

I challenge you for a match.

Get out of here!

This dojo won't accept
challenges from other...

Wait!

As you say, Raijūta,

we will have a match.

As in a normal match,

two out of three hits win.

Good luck.

Maekawa.

I know.

He's no ordinary man.

That is why I want to fight him.

I may be old,

but I, Makeawa Kunai, was once
one of the top 12 swordsmen in Edo.

A shinai?

I said nothing of this.

What?

-Sensei!
-Yutaro,

you're late.

I couldn't help it.

Your legs are longer than mine.

I ran as fast as I could.

Anyway, for your match,
a real sword or the bokutou?

A shinai.

A shinai! Are you serious?!

You're fighting with those toys?

And you call this a dojo?!

Shut up!

Who do you think you are, brat?!

You're the brat!

You are too.

I'm the best student
of Kamiya Kasshin-ryu, Myojin Yahiko!

Remember that!

Well, I'm Raijūta-sensei's best pupil,
Tsukayama Yutaro!

And that kick is going to cost you!

Shut up.

Unfortunately, I don't have a shinai.

I'll borrow one.

Now a win will be difficult for Maekawa.

They'll each score a point,
but Raijūta will take the final blow.

Well, for fairness, the judge will be
from another school, Kamiya Kaoru.

Come.

I'll teach you how strong I am!

First round!

What a great chi!

I already know it all.

When you made it a three-strike match with
a shinai, you're telling me you're weak!

No!

I didn't see the jump at all.

What great speed with such a huge body.

Was that an ill*gal strike?

Strike to the head, first point!

Wow!

It missed, but the first blow
had incredible power behind it.

That was no miss.

The skull of the head is a round bone,

so there is a possibility
that the sword can slip.

So, for a downward strike,
you always aim for the shoulder.

A standard tactic of old-style kenjutsu.

No! The bone is cracked!

-We'll have to get a doctor.
-Wait!

This match is still on.

Second round.

Second round!

Ridiculous!

You're already dead with that first blow!

Second point!

The match is over!

A fool who can't
even see that he has lost...

Wait!

What are you...

You've won two strikes in the match.

Are you trying to k*ll him?

Of course.

A man has only one life.

That means there's no such thing
as a three-strike match.

Either you live or die.

After Edo times, kenjutsu flourished
with the introduction of the shinai.

But we have lost the great strength
of the old-style.

Kenjutsu has become weak!

In these deplorable times,
those fools who play with shinais

have no right to hold a sword!

You don't belong to this dojo, do you?

No, I'm staying at the Kamiya Kasshin dojo
for the time being.

So you're the skilled Rurouni.

How fortunate.

I would like to fight you in a match.

Using a real sword.

I will neither draw my sword to compare
my skill nor will I do so to flaunt it.

Is that so?

-Yutaro!
-Yes.

Take down this dojo's sign and burn it!

As I have defeated the dojo's master,

I can do whatever I want with it.

Step forward if any of you object to this.

I'll take all of you at once.

Let's burn it on the main street
so that everybody can...

That's enough.

Let me go.

You want to get k*lled?

What's the matter?

Don't you care about your sign?

I'm wasting my time here.

All right then,

I'll be your opponent!

Kaoru?

I won't be going easy on you
just because you are a girl.

I understand.

I will be your opponent.

But as this is
a formal challenge in the dojo,

we will not use a real sword.

So be it!

We'll use a bokutou.

A one-strike match.

Are you sure about this?

I should be fine.

Be careful!

He is not some ordinary swordsman.

I know.

Let's start!

Who will be the judge?

No need.

Now we will see
how strong that Rurouni really is.

Yeah, but I doubt he's really that strong.

That guy, Raijūta, his strikes
have so much speed and power!

And that Rurouni dodges it like nothing.

He really is what
Maekawa-sensei thought of.

Indeed, they both are great.

But Kenshin,

why aren't you fighting back?

Is he...?!

All right then.

You intend to force a draw
and keep me from taking the sign.

Then try this!

He's fast!

What is this?!

What's your name?

Himura Kenshin.

I'll remember that.

We are leaving.

Yes!

I don't really get what just happened,

but Sensei was obviously superior
through the whole fight!

Yeah right!

Kenshin didn't even use half his strength.

I'll have to settle things
with you sooner or later.

Until then, just be happy
that you are still alive!

Jeez. That big-mouthed idiot!

He's just mad
that Kenshin guy lost to you!

-Himura Kenshin.
-Sensei?

My secret technique,
Izuna, was dodged for the first time.

He must be a practitioner
of old-style kenjutsu,

at a very high level.

Himura Kenshin,
your strength is incredible!

Wow.

What on earth is this?

It looks like a cut from a real sword.

Not even close.

It's far sharper than a real sword.

This is not the petty skill
of a dojo destroyer.

Who is this Raijūta Isurugi?

{\an8}I see.

I can't remember the last time
I met a guy that interesting.

That wasn't interesting!

Because of him, the Maekawa dojo
will have to close for a while!

But they both fought fairly, right?

-And in the end, one side lost.
-But!

If he's the master of the school, his
opponent being too strong is no excuse.

Right, Kenshin?

That certainly is true.

Even so,

he has passed the point of needing
to hone his skills or show off for fun.

What could he possibly gain
from destroying dojos?

Excuse me.

Is this the residence of Himura Kenshin?

That is me.

Then this is for you.

INVITATION

ISURUGI RAIJŪTA

An invitation?

What in the world?

It's a challenge, I guess.

Well, I'm merely a servant,
so I couldn't say.

But there is a carriage
waiting for you outside.

Please.

We have arrived.

If you cross this courtyard, you will find
yourself outside of the main residence.

Are you Himura-san?

Nice to meet you!

I'm the owner of this place.

My name is Tsukayama Yuzaemon.

Tsukayama?

Not that brat's dad?!

You're the brat here!

Raijūta-sensei only called Himura here!

What are you doing here?!

Yutaro, stop that!

I will not tolerate such behavior
towards the Sensei's guest!

I apologize.

My son has been very rude.

No, not at all.

The Sensei is waiting near the pond.

I'll take you there.

Please follow me.

Yutaro, take care of our guests!

I have no choice.

I'll give you
some leftover tea and scraps.

Oh, that's great.

But sorry. No, thank you.

What?

I am a merchant and I deal with swords,
exporting them overseas.

Japanese swords sell for a lot in Europe,
where they are treated as works of art.

Three months ago,
my carriage was attacked by bandits.

I was saved by Sensei.

Yutaro was very impressed with Sensei's
strength and asked to be trained by him.

Ever since, Sensei has been staying
as a kenjutsu instructor for Yutaro.

Sensei.

Well, take your time.

{\an8}So that's Raijūta.

Did you really have to do that to the kid?

He deserves it, that jerk!

What do you want with me?

What do you think about
the state of Japanese kenjutsu?

Don't you think its soul is dying?

That it's fragile and weak?

The weak always gets weeded out.

This is nature's way.

My school is Shinko-ryu,

a school
that thrives on reviving kenjutsu.

If you have such ambition,
why do you go around destroying dojos?

My objective is to destroy
all 500 or so schools of kenjutsu.

Wasn't your goal to revive them?

Yes.

But before that, there is
a need to eliminate the useless.

The first thing I must do is destroy
the root of all weakness, shinai kenjutsu.

After that,

I will begin the revival
with my Shinko-ryu

as the only true form
of Japanese kenjutsu.

We will aim to be a kenjutsu that
will not even lose to Western firearms.

No.

I see.

Maintaining the quality of kenjutsu
by only passing it down to the best.

You were able to dodge
my secret technique, Izuna.

Lend me your strength.

Old-style kenjutsu
is the k*lling art from times of w*r.

You do know that, right?

Of course.

Shinai kenjutsu is a mere imitation.

I see.

Then you and I are on a different path.

Do you not feel anything
about kenjutsu getting destroyed?

As a swordsman,

I do hope the best
for the future of kenjutsu.

But a future where the k*ller's sword runs
rampant is a future I'd rather not see.

I won't deny that k*lling
is the true essence of kenjutsu.

But to persecute others or destroy those
who practice the sword that protects life,

I will oppose it with all my power.

I see.

You can't agree with my way.

Well then,

you are my enemy from now on.

Next episode, "A Man Of Ideals".