Original subtitles

BAKUMATSU ERA KYOTO

There is no need to worry.

After all, I am the Captain of the First Unit of the Shinsengumi.

But your lungs are ailing now, aren't they?

I will slay him.

Captain of the Third Unit of the Shinsengumi, Hajime Saito...

Here I come...

Hitokiri Battosai.

EPISODE 1: KENSHIN • HIMURA BATTOSAI

11th YEAR OF MEIJI DOWNTOWN TOKYO

Hitokiri Battosai!

I finally found you!

Your killing spree ends tonight! Prepare yourself!

Oro?

Don't play dumb!

Nobody else would walk around with a sword late at night,

completely ignoring the Sword Abolishment Act!

Ouch.

Well, that was easy.

Is this the rumored Hitokiri Battosai?

Rurouni.

I am nothing more than a rurouni,

a swordsman on a journey with no destination, that I am.

I have just arrived in this town.

You say, "Killing spree," but I have no clue—

Then what is that at your hip?

Even if you're a swordsman, you're not allowed to carry a blade!

What is this?

A Sakabato?

Can you kill someone with this blade, that you can?

You can't.

In the first place, there are no nicks at all on this reverse blade,

nor any smell of blood or clouding from oil.

It's as good as new.

You really are just a...

Rurouni, I am.

But why do you carry such a useless sword?

The police!

This time, for sure!

It seems something is going on, that it is.

Weak!

Weak, weak, weak!

You all are too weak!

H-He's too strong!

This strength is indeed...

that of the rumored Battosai!

Stop right, there, Battosai!

Oh, no—

You are a reckless one, that you are.

Rurouni.

Over here! The bandit is over here!

I am the Battosai!

Himura Battosai of the Kamiya Kasshin-ryu,

people call me Hitokiri Battosai!

Wait!

Wait, what are you doing? Let me down!

Pursuing too long while injured may be fatal, that it may be.

He's already claimed to be of a certain sword style,

so don't fret—

Kamiya Kasshin-ryu is our sword style!

He's using our name to commit crossroad killings!

Let me down!

I'm gonna go catch him right now—

You won't catch up if you go now, that you can't.

Before the police start investigating us,

we should depart, that we should.

Let me down!

KAMIYA KASSHIN-RYU

Kamiya Kasshin-ryu...

ACTING MASTER

KAORU KAMIYA

STUDENT

Acting Master, Kaoru Kamiya.

Students...

STUDENT

Oro?

We were a very small sword style to begin with.

But we used to have about ten students and were working together really hard.

But two months ago, that guy suddenly started crossroad killings,

and look how it is now.

All the students left, fearing the name "Battosai,"

and nobody in town wants to even come close to our dojo.

Hitokiri Battosai, even now in the Meiji Era,

is still feared by people.

Why does he claim to be of the Kamiya Kasshin-ryu?

Is he really the Battosai? I have no idea.

But I have to end his atrocity as soon as possible.

I see.

But it's better if you didn't walk around at night anymore, that it is.

Huh?

That man is far stronger than you are, Miss Kaoru.

What?

Being able to acknowledge when others are stronger than yourself

is part of being a swordsman.

It should be obvious how your next clash will end?

The pride of a sword style is not important enough

as to risk your life to protect it, that it isn't.

The Kamiya Kasshin-ryu...

The Kamiya Kasshin-ryu is a sword style my father created in the Meiji Era

after surviving the turbulence of the Bakumatsu Era.

My father didn't approve of murderous swords.

With an ambition for swords that give life,

he was giving it everything he had for ten years.

But even he was sent out to the Seinan War

as part of the Metropolitan Police's swordsman squad,

and in a place that was so distant from his own ideals, he left this world.

That man claiming to be Hitokiri Battosai uses that name of Kamiya Kasshin-ryu

and has already caused over ten injuries and fatalities.

My father's heirloom sword style, the Kamiya Kasshin-ryu,

idealizes a life-giving sword.

But it has been tarnished by a murderous sword!

You're merely a rurouni!

You wouldn't understand the frustration I'm feeling!

However, in either case, with that arm,

you can't make the rounds at night, that you can't.

It's best if you stay on the safe side.

In the first place, someone seeking a life-giving sword

being unable to live her own life is no joke, that it isn't.

Besides, your late father wouldn't wish his sword style

to be protected at the cost of his daughter's life, that he doesn't.

Excuse me.

Now we're all done.

Thank you, Kihei.

Kaoru, you shouldn't open up to someone like that.

A rurouni is nothing more than a failure in life.

Yeah.

You are too nice for your own good.

I know.

I know that.

RUROUNI KENSHIN

A FEW DAYS LATER

Hey, don't thrash about!

Behave!

Oh? Did someone get caught?

Ororo...

Rurouni!

What did this man do?

As you can see, he's disobeying the Sword Abolishment Act!

Hmm? If I recall, you're...

from the dojo with Hitokiri Battosai—

I'm telling you that's a false accusation!

What, are you going to fight back against an officer?

"Officer" this! "Officer" that! Don't act so big!

- What? - Now, now. Please don't get so angry.

Let's peacefully settle this.

Hey.

Out of respect for the geezer, we'll tolerate him.

You won't get away next time.

I have been spared thanks to you, that I have.

You're welcome.

You're still in this town?

Do you have something to do here?

No, not really.

Anyway, what happened to that crossroad killer's case?

Yes. I have leads on who the perpetrator might be.

There is another swordsmanship dojo in the neighboring town.

Oh?

To be precise, it's a former dojo.

Nowadays it's a hangout for gamblers and thugs.

And apparently a has-been samurai swordsman took control two months ago.

That guy is said to be huge, close to six and a half feet.

See? Doesn't that sound fishy?

The crossroad killings started around two months ago, too.

By an adept swordsman who is about that tall.

Huge guys like that aren't that common!

Miss Kaoru, I have to prepare dinner, so I will get going now.

Oh, right. Thanks.

See you.

And how is that man related—

Kihei? He's like a live-in servant.

It was right after my father passed away.

I found him lying on the street in front of our dojo

and nursed him back to health.

He gets worried about me

and tells me I should sell off the dojo and live in peace.

His background?

I don't know, because I never asked.

You are too carefree, that you are.

Oh, is that so?

It's all right.

It's not surprising for anyone to have one or two tales of the past

that they don't want to tell anyone about.

I can say the same for you, right?

Isn't that why you are a rurouni?

You are correct, that you are.

Hey, rurouni, you don't have enough money for an inn, right?

Then why don't you stay at our place?

I have errands to run, so I will be back another day.

Oh, wait.

Is there something else?

Um, well...

the other day, well...

I didn't get to say thank you for helping me,

and then saying you were merely a rurouni...

well, um...

I'm sorry.

Do you have a fever, that you do?

I'm making an effort to apologize here!

Oh, that's what it was, I see.

Rurouni do not care about the little things.

You should not worry about them either, Miss Kaoru, that you shouldn't.

Thinking about it, what errand does he have?

A dojo in the neighboring town.

No wonder I couldn't find them when I searched this town.

Pardon me! Excuse me!

KIHEIKAN

Pardon me! Excuse me! Pardon me! Excuse me! Pardon—

Shut up! Who the hell are you?

The leader of this place—

Mr. Hiruma is not here right now! Come back another time!

Oh ho! So his name is Hiruma, that he is.

You came here not knowing that, punk?

Oh, I had totally assumed...

his name was Crossroad Killer Battosai.

It seems Miss Kaoru had a good read about this place, that she did.

What's wrong, Mr. Nishiwaki?

Who's that shrimp?

Oh, it's just some rat.

Take care of 'im.

Oh, no. It broke on its own.

Miss Kaoru.

Oh, it's you, Kihei.

What's the matter?

Why, yes, about this land and estate...

I've been telling you I don't plan to close this dojo.

But as you can see here...

TRANSFER OF LAND AND BUILDING DOCUMENT

all the paperwork has already been completed.

Kihei?

And all we need is one stamp from you.

With that, this land and estate will become ours!

Yo!

You're...

Gohei Hiruma.

He's my little brother.

If you're doing it, do it legally. That is my motto.

But since you caught on to my brother's true identity,

I couldn't keep saying that.

Playing the role of a good-natured old man to gain trust went according to plan.

You're a sucker for things, but really stubborn when it comes to swordsmanship.

So I had my brother cause a commotion with crossroad killings

to tarnish the name of your sword style.

Using the Hitokiri Battosai's name worked well in our favor, too,

despite the fact he is a legendary manslayer

whose existence is dubious at best.

Thanks to that, we got this far in just two months.

The value of the lands around here will grow five- or six-fold

thanks to the westernization policy.

It's too good for some kendo dojo to be standing here.

Kihei...

I heard from my bro.

Your mission is a life-giving sword?

How amusing.

Why don't you try saving yourself with it first?

As expected, the sword of a little girl talking in her sleep doesn't work on me.

Existing for violence, and murder is at its soul!

That is the true nature of swordsmanship!

Ow.

And now this land and estate are ours.

It's all over for the so-called Kamiya Kasshin-ryu .

What's wrong, Nishiwaki?

H-He's strong.

R-Rurouni!

Sorry I'm late.

I heard the entire story.

You again?

Do you mouth off about life-giving swords just like this girl does?

No.

Swords are weapons.

Swordsmanship is a means of murder.

No matter how you sugarcoat it or have lofty ideals, that is the truth.

Miss Kaoru talks a sweet, naïve lie

spoken only by those who have never had blood on their hands, that she does.

Rurouni.

But in the face of such awful truth...

I much prefer Miss Kaoru's naïve lies, that I do.

I wish that her lie could become the truth of this world, that I do.

Hey, bro, you don't mind me killin' this guy off, do you?

Yeah. You can torture him to death.

Hey, boys!

- Yeah! - Yeah!

Rurouni, make a run for it!

I don't want to recklessly increase the number of injured.

If you don't want to go see a doctor, be quick and retreat, that you will.

Nobody here will be injured!

The only injury will be a fatality, yours!

Impossible! One swing, and he takes down four, even five at once!

I-Is this some sort of sorcery?

No, it's not sorcery. This is...

speed!

Sword speed, speed of posture, and speed of reading opponent movements.

Making full use of every type of speed

to simultaneously take down multiple opponents with minimal movement!

I forgot to mention one thing.

The sword of Hitokiri Battosai is not that of Kamiya Kasshin-ryu.

It is an ancient sword art with its roots in the Sengoku Era.

The sword style name is Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu.

It excels in one-versus-many combat.

If it weren't for me having a sword like this,

it is surely lethal.

It is a murderous sword at godly speed, that it is.

No way. Then you are the Hitokiri Bat—

Interesting! I didn't take you on the other day,

but I didn't think you were this strong!

You were holding back against me!

Unlike you, I don't like to be violent all that much.

But now I'm thinking I should have slammed you down back then.

That's quite the confidence.

But that's what people call being conceited!

This world doesn't need two Battosais!

Over here.

I have no remorse nor attachment to the name "Battosai."

Even then, I cannot hand it down to someone like you.

You were the mastermind, so you're not getting off so easy.

Good grief.

TRANSFER OF LAND AND BUILDING DOCUMENT

The more someone schemes,

the more cowardly their true nature is, that they are.

Miss Kaoru, I am sorry, that I am.

I had no intention of fooling you or hiding anything.

But if I could help it, I would have liked to not talk about this, that I would.

Pardon me. Fare you well.

H-H-Hold it right there!

You expect me to bring the sword style back up and running all by myself?

You could at least give me a bit of a helping hand!

I'm not particular about people's pasts!

I advise against it.

This is your chance to clear your name.

If the real Battosai were to linger,

it would make everything for naught, that it will.

I'm not saying I want the Battosai to stay here with me.

I want you, a rurouni, to be here—

F-Fine! If you want to go, just go!

But at the least, you can tell me your name before you go!

Battosai is your past warrior name, isn't it?

Or do you not even want to tell me your true name?

Kenshin.

Kenshin Himura.

That is my current name, that it is.

I am a bit tired of traveling.

As a rurouni, I don't know when I will wander to the next place.

But if that's fine with you...

I will stay here for the time being, that I will.

The beginning of the heroic tale...

is in the 11th year of Meiji in downtown Tokyo.

It began with the arrival of a rurouni, Kenshin Himura.

Hold on just a minute.

If you were a warrior back in the Bakumatsu Era,

exactly how old are you?

You can't possibly be over 30 with that face, can you?

Oro?

NEXT EPISODE TOKYO SAMURAI • YAHIKO MYOJIN

Next episode: "Tokyo Samurai Yahiko Myojin."