01x17 - Settling the Score

[bunniefuu]

Secret Technique, Tobi Izuna!

For better or worse,

Kenshin's right arm took some of the blow,

so the arm wasn't cut off completely.

But he won't be able to do kenjutsu again.

Why did this...

Stop joking.

He's putting everything on kenjutsu!

He's a genius!

Why does he have to go through this?!

You're a doctor!

Do something!

There's nothing I can do.

I'm sorry, Yahiko.

We feel your pain.

But medicine isn't perfect.

ORIGINAL STORY BY DAISUKE ASHIHARA

Are you okay?

Yutarō.

My right arm won't move.

So it wasn't a dream.

Sensei...

betrayed me.

Himura has already left.

We're going too!

What?

He can't move.

He needs to rest.

No.

We have to see the match.

If you don't see it
with your own eyes now,

you won't be able to recover.

Those boys...

Make sure those boys
don't do anything crazy.

Okay.

He's late.

It's been more than half an hour.

He must have seen how terrible
the secret sword is and ran away!

Idiot.

There's no reason to run away
from a weak enemy like you.

AKU

Or maybe you're the one looking
for an excuse to back out.

I won't judge you if you do.

It's Kenshin you're dealing with.

If you have the chance to run away,
you should take it.

Watch your mouth, boy.

I have some free time
and I don't mind playing with you first.

As long as it's alright with you.

But I'm not a swordsman,
just a street fighter.

And if you lose to me,
imagine how embarrassing that would be.

It looks like both of us are unlucky.

You're about to be sent home crying.

Enter the real fight.

I demand you fight me seriously this time!

I'll beat you and start
the new era of Shinko-ryū!

The "Izuna" technique
is actually a wave of a vacuum,

a traveling gap of air void of wind
called Kamaitachi.

You've noticed.

A large wound that doesn't bleed.

It's a distinct characteristic
of Kamaitachi.

Just because you know what Izuna is,
its strength does not change!

For an instant,
I could see the tip shimmer,

like a heat haze in the summer.

It's due to the sudden change
in air density.

There were clues to find out what it was.

But I couldn't figure it out until now.

So now I will defeat the Izuna!

Ridiculous!

Only a low-skilled swordsman
will take a second blow

from a technique he's already seeing.

Kenshin is not like that.

Tobi Izuna can cut through anything,
so you can't guard it,

but it's not difficult
for a first-class swordsman like Kenshin

who can read even the direction
of b*ll*ts to dodge.

Then take this!

Consecutive Tobi Izuna!

What you saw was the Izuna!

The secret technique I discovered

after ten years of searching the writings
of a secret book on old-style technique!

You weren't able to dodge that, were you?!

This is the symbol of my Shinko-ryū!

The ultimate k*ller's sword!

Are you happy now?

What?

This little scratch makes you happy?

What?

I know with certainty now, Raijūta.

Know?

Know what?

You preach the k*ller's sword
but you have never k*lled before.

Someone who has k*lled, a true Hitokiri,

would never be so pleased with himself
if he had not brought his opponents down.

You don't know the depths of hell
for those who carry the Hitokiri's sword.

And your ignorance and forceful sword
have stolen kenjutsu from Yutarō.

Prepare to pay for your crime!

I won't take your insults anymore!

Die!

I see now.

He's using the Matoi Izuna
and the Tobi Izuna together.

He attacks with Matoi Izuna when Kenshin
is within his space, leaving no opening,

and uses Tobi Izuna
when Kenshin's outside his space.

There's no way to return
or stop the Izuna,

so all Kenshin can do
is keep avoiding them.

On top of that, his right arm is injured.

With only his left hand, the power
of the Ryūtsuisen is cut in half

and he can't use his Battōjutsu.

This isn't good at all.

I've read your move!

Take this!

Kenshin!

I've won this fight.

No matter how fast you are,
you can't move with that leg.

It's only a little scratch.
Don't celebrate every little thing.

Ridiculous.

You can show off, but you can't
fight back with this much distance!

Unless you've got something
like my Tobi Izuna.

The Tobi Izuna.

It's true that
I cannot use such a technique.

As I thought.

Shinko-ryū is the best.

There's no enemy in front of the Izuna.

Die!

But I do have a way
of attacking outside of your space!

Hitenmitsurugi-ryū Battōjutsu!

Hiryūsen!

Kenshin!

Don't move!

Move and the brat dies!

I said I'll k*ll him!

Put down the sword!

Try and k*ll me!

k*ll me if you can!

I will not yield to you, even if I die!

He said to k*ll him,

so do it.

The Shinko-ryū practices
the k*ller's sword, right?

"Using a real sword", "old-style".

These things do not define
a k*ller's sword.

The weight of a sword that
steals a life and drags you down to hell,

that's the k*ller's sword.

You've never k*lled anyone.

With your Shinko-ryū, you can cut someone
but you can't k*ll anyone.

Put down your sword before
you experience a real k*ller's sword.

Let's go.

Let's go.

Goodbye, Sensei.

It's kind of you, but he says
he doesn't want to see anyone.

Really.

Well, please give him this.

Thank you.

We'll come again soon.

Thank you very much.

Please do come back again.

Shutting himself up is no good.

He was betrayed by his master and he'll
never be able to do kenjutsu again.

The Kamiya Kasshin-ryū
is "the sword that protects life",

but what are you supposed to do
at a time like this?

It's a tragedy.

I can't think of a single sword
that can comfort him.

When I look back,

the sudden change of lifestyle
after the Meiji era began,

I had no connections as a lower Samurai.

All I had was a good eye for swords,
so I became a sword merchant.

They were a great success overseas
and it made me my fortune.

When a lot of Samurai were ruined,
it may seem I've been successful.

But you can also say that
I'm no better than a dog.

To raise my family and to protect my home,

every day I bowed my head down to others
and sold swords, the spirit of a Samurai.

That's probably why Yutarō
didn't want to live a life like mine.

But that led to...

believing the false strength
of Isurugi Raijūta

and destroying Yutarō's dreams.

Oh, there you are.

That was quick.

Mr. Yuzaemon,

we'll come to pay another visit soon.

Thank you.

But this is probably
the last time you will see me.

I've been thinking about a lot of things

and I've decided to take
Yutarō with me to Germany.

-Germany?
-Germany?

Germany is the most advanced country
in medicine technology.

If there's a place he can recover,
it will be there.

And living in a foreign land can maybe
make Yutarō forget about kenjutsu.

We're leaving in a week.

I don't know when we're coming back.

SHINBASHI STATION

I want to thank you for all you've done.

Yutarō,

say your last goodbyes.

Yutarō.

I can't think of anything good to say.

I could encourage him,
but it wouldn't ease his heart.

Master, it's time.

Oh, right.

Well...

Yutarō!

Yahiko?!

Don't tell me you're going
to give up just like this?!

If you're bitter because
Raijūta betrayed you,

be stronger than Raijūta
and you can erase all this!

Not the fake Raijūta that he really was.

Be stronger than the Raijūta
you dreamed of!

If you can't do this, all your life,
you'll be nothing more than a beaten dog!

You!

Shut up and listen to me!

Who's a beaten dog?!

Yutarō!

There's no way I'm quitting kenjutsu!

No way I'll quit!

If my right arm is no good,
I'll use my left!

My left arm is enough to deal with you!

Don't talk to me like that,
you cat-eyed quitter!

Shut up, you twisted little shrimp!

I see.

Yep.

I see.

There was no need to worry.

Listen, and don't forget.

My fight with you isn't finished.

You'd better come back.

We'll have your spot as the second student
at Kamiya dōjō saved.

They are nice people.

That jerk.

Beating up someone who's hurt.

Myojin Yahiko.

I'll be back and I'll beat you up.

Well, we came all the way to Shinbashi.

Let's go get some Western food.

You're just trying to get
a meal out of me again.

Kenshin? What's up with the serious face?

It's nothing.

I was just thinking of Isurugi Raijūta.

I didn't like him,

but his Matoi Izuna
and Tobi Izuna were great techniques.

You can't deny his talent with swords.

But because of that talent,

he focused only on skills and ignored
the true essence of what a sword is.

If he wasn't so fixated on
Shinko-ryū or a k*ller's sword,

he could have created a new style
of kenjutsu in this Meiji era.

I hope someday he realizes

that he is fortunate
that he hasn't k*lled anyone.

Hey, what are you guys doing?

Let's go!

Maekawa of the Chūetsu-ryū
told me about the future of kenjutsu.

He was very pessimistic.

But seeing Yahiko and Yutarō,
it seems like there's no need to worry.

Right.

KAMIYA KAORU

DISCIPLE MYŌJIN YAHIKO,
TSUKAYAMA YUTARŌ - EXPECTED

k*ll!

Anyone!

I'll k*ll!

"Using a real sword", "old-style".

These things do not define
a k*ller's sword.

The weight of a sword that
steals a life and drags you down to hell,

that's the k*ller's sword.

Oh, this is...

Next episode,
"Sanosuke and Nishiki Paintings."