02x13 - Aoshi vs. Okina

[bunniefuu]

The collapse of the Oniwaban Group.

The time is sneaking up on Aoiya
one second at a time.

Meanwhile...

Low stance.

Just because I swing a sword back doesn't
necessarily mean that a slash is incoming.

You rely too much
on the speed of reading your opponent.

It was the right choice
to test your abilities

before I teach you the ultimate technique.

I didn't think your skills would be
this rusty. I wasn't expecting this.

I have no time.

Even as we stand here like this,
Shishio's hands may be reaching out.

Instead of this,
let's get to the ultimate technique—

Drawing the sword
after removing it from his belt.

This is Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu's
double Battojutsu...

Soryuusen.

The first attack is the sheath?

Drat, this is...

the other double Battojutsu that connects
from a sheath attack into a sword attack!

Soryuusen - Ikazuchi!

You thought you could learn
Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu's

most powerful ultimate technique
with rusty skills?

You stupid apprentice!

Try landing a hit on me first.

That's when the teaching
of the ultimate technique begins.

Come on, what's wrong?

I made an effort to hit you
with the back of the sword.

Hurry and stand up.

Unlike his skill,
his gaze has not dulled at all.

You're just like back when I
taught you Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu.

That makes it all the more
worth bullying— I mean, training you.

Huh?

Nothing.

Come on, hurry on and come at me.

You don't have time, do you?

If you dilly-dally, it will be
too late for your dear buddies.

RUROUNI KENSHIN

RUROUNI KENSHIN
-KYOTO DISTURBANCE-

EPISODE 37: AOSHI VS. OKINA

RESTAURANT AOIYA
THE NIGHT BEFORE
KENSHIN STARTED TRAINING

The Owl Clan?

Among our soldiers, we cherry-picked those
who see well at night and trained them.

It's a squadron of spies
just for night raids.

They say it previously was
the Oniwaban Group's base in Kyoto.

Nowadays, it's just a restaurant.

In other words,
something like a rat's nest.

No need to send the Ten Swords.

An owl will suffice to hunt down the rats.

We only have business with the old geezer.

k*ll everyone else.

Got that?

Roger.

All right. Disperse.

Who the hell are you?

I asked, "Who the hell are you?"

Why don't you...

answer the question?

- Damn it!
- Whoa.

Even if you call for them,
all your buddies are asleep.

I can surmise
that you were sent by Shishio.

But first, what is your objective,

and for what reasons
have you targeted Aoiya here?

What'd you think?

We're not demons,
so if you speak up and be honest,

we'll let you go home right away.

Damn you!

Silent and unspeaking...

As a spy,
you're one of the cleverer ones.

However...

Ochika, bring me candles and long nails.

It is the epitome of foolishness
to defy me,

the most feared in the Oniwaban Group.

They're late.

What is the Owl Clan doing?

Lord Hoji!

"Noon. I will wait for you
at Location A.

Come alone. Okina"?

It can't be.

Were all of the Owl Clan defeated?

This is for me.

He was planning on torturing, yet he
was the one tortured and sent home.

Okina was the only Oniwaban skilled enough
to equal the former leader, my master.

There is no other way than for me
to fight him myself, after all.

I thought I told you, Aoshi...

if you were to lose the pride
of the Oniwaban Group

and turn into a true slaughterer...

I will crush you myself!

A lie!

Han'nya and all of them dying
has got to be a lie!

It's not a lie.

I heard it as well.

The four Oniwaban Group members

covered for Aoshi Shinomori
and lost their lives.

I mean, we're talking about Han'nya here!

There's old Shikijo with them, too!

I saw Han'nya's skill with my own eyes.

But there's nothing he could have done
when he faced a Gatling g*n.

Those four really died.

Aoshi is after Kenshin

to prove that the Oniwaban Group
is the strongest out there.

Kenshin is fully aware of this.

But to think it would backfire like this.

Misao!

I won't believe it,
not that everyone died!

Gramps! Gramps' intel network

should be able to investigate
if it's the truth or a lie!

Gramps!

Misao!

Huh? Where's Gramps?

O-Oh. Okina has stepped out.

What's with that floor?

Oh, well...

Okina was half asleep...

and he did a bit
of that "Sexy Commando—"

Misao!

Misao.

Answer me, Ms. Omasu.

Where in the world did Gramps
head out to? To do what?

It's definitely not trivial

if Gramps pulled out his ninja garb
and weapons from his active days!

Location A! So Gramps and Lord Aoshi
are fighting at that spot!

I have to stop them!

There's no way both of them would stay
unhurt if they seriously fight each other!

I have to stop them. No matter what.

Was that okay?

I mean...

Even if we headed over now,
we wouldn't make it in time, but...

at the least, we have to let her
do everything she's capable of doing.

Because the person closest to her
or the person she loves the most...

she will certainly lose one or the other.

{\an5}RUROUNI KENSHIN
-KYOTO DISTURBANCE-

Oniwaban Group in Kyoto, Location A...

Have you made up your mind?

Yeah.

I have made up my mind to defeat
someone who was once my comrade.

Dual Kodachi.

You gained the skills of the former leader
on your own.

No wonder you are called a genius.

However, no matter how ingenious,

once warped,
you only are of harm to people.

I will crush you.

Here goes, Aoshi!

He has something up his sleeve.

Tonfa.

You're aware of the story
that I was the only one

who could go toe to toe
with the former leader.

The answer is this steel tonfa
that you cannot cut with a blade.

Your Dual Kodachi
will not work against me!

Oh. I'm surprised you endured that.

Movement of flowing water...

Moving at fluctuating speeds
to trick your opponent's vision...

that was something you excelled at.

However, no matter how you move,

do you think I would miss the one moment
where you switch into an attack?

Right there!

Dual Kodachi...

Onmyo Kosa!

What doesn't work against you
is the former leader's Dual Kodachi.

Whether it be steel or a former comrade...

or even Himura Battosai.

What I cannot slice
with my Dual Kodachi...

doesn't exist.

So the raid on Aoiya failed.

I am terribly sorry. It is all because
I was too naive in my insights.

At this point,
I, Hoji the "All-knowing" of Ten Sword,

would like to head out myself.

No need for that.

Aoshi Shinomori headed out already,
didn't he?

- However...
- Is that... check?

No need to interfere with that guy.

That is, if you value your life.

Hoji, are you the type
that believes in what they call hell?

Huh?

Hell, you say?

Yeah.

No.

Good or bad, we are all
nothing but lumps of meat.

Once we die, we become equal
and return to the earth.

That's like you.
A very logical way of thought.

But, to be honest, I believe in hell.

Huh?

Himura Battosai,
a hitokiri who became a legend.

And Aoshi Shinomori, who declared that
slaying such a Battosai was everything.

Furthermore, this old soldier named Okina

who took off his mask of a gentle old man
to defeat Aoshi.

And then all those
in the Meiji government...

who enveloped me in flame
to cover up all of their evil deeds.

Such is the present world,

where slaughterers who wash blood off
with more blood gather.

Don't you think that is already hell?

Looks like your resolve is a bit lacking.

If that's the case, it'll be impossible
for you to survive in this hell.

Hoji, you need to be baptized.

L-Lord Shishio?

Shut up.

What is this?
Is this body temperature even human?

What in the world...

When my entire body
was covered in burns 10 years ago...

almost the entire mechanism that
creates sweat was destroyed from my body.

Ever since, I can't control
my body temperature through sweating.

My body started to keep so much heat

that doctors said
there's no way I should still be alive.

In other words, the smoldering remains
of the flames of hell.

The embers are not just in my arm.

Legs, gut, chest...

my entire body continues to burn.

Of course...

here, too.

And the heat from this uncooling flame
became a voice

and one day started telling me the truth.

Every man is truly a devil.

And this world is hell itself.

DRAGON KING

Himura Battosai denies such a nature

and is desperately trying
to hang on to reason.

KING GENERAL

The Imperialist government
conceals all their past evil deeds...

and tries to fool everyone
that this Meiji Japan is the ideal nation.

They are both small. They are both frail.

The heat of flames
roughen the voices in my brain.

This cannot be.

A powerful nation where only slaughterers
have the right to survive...

that is fit to be a hell.

You're trembling again, Hoji.

Are you scared of me?

No, quite the opposite!

This is trembling out of joy!

Back in my bureaucracy days when I
worked for the Imperialist government,

every person I met that was
entrusted with this nation was a fool.

I felt so much despair that I stepped
out of the position three years ago!

However, now...

I have come across someone so grandiose,
I cannot measure it with my imagination.

And I can create a new Japan together
with that individual.

I am elated about that!

Lord Shishio...

please, for those ideals,
use me completely!

I will follow you
all the way to the ends of hell!

Looks like you found your resolve.

Counting on you, Hoji.

Yes, sir!

The birth of yet another
faithful slaughterer.

Mr. Shishio is so unfair.

He changes the destiny of people
all too easily.

Oh? You dissatisfied?

No, not at all.

Oh, speaking of a slaughterer...

He's strong.

This is nothing
like the Aoshi that I know.

By abandoning emotions
and becoming a slaughterer,

he has fully drawn out
all of the latent power within him.

Tell me Battosai's whereabouts, Okina.

If you do, this will be the end.

You underestimate me.

Please, let me get there in time!

Though an old soldier, I,
Okina of the Oniwaban Group, unlike you,

will never sell out my comrades
to the enemy!

I see.

Then I will defeat you here,
head to Aoiya, and ask the other four.

I won't let you!

Aoshi...

your power far surpasses that
of the former leader already.

But that is all the more reason why,
right here, right now,

even if I give my life for it,
I must defeat you.

For Himura and to protect Japan
from the demon named Shishio!

It's useless. With only one tonfa,
you no longer have any chance of victory.

You fell for it, Aoshi.

Even if it's just one tonfa,

if it's an attack with all of my force
from point-blank range,

things are a bit different!

Ensatsu Gokokon!

How's that?

Reverse hold on the kodachi!

Not good! This stance is that
of the ultimate technique, Kaiten Ken—

Dual Kodachi...

Kaiten Kenbu: Six Successions.

I made it—

It's over.

Lord Aoshi!

Get lost.

Never show yourself
in front of me ever again.

NEXT EPISODE
MISAO'S DECISION

Next episode, "Misao's Decision."