Battle of Indignation, Gathering His Strongest, Juppon Gatana!

Chicken! Broomhead! Chicken!! Broomhead!! While Kenshin tends to Hiko's wounds by giving him a medicine his master gave him as a child, Saitou arrives at a prison in Kyoto, only to find Sano is there waiting for him. Sano shows off his new technique, the Kiwami to Futae, but Saitou has no interest in continuing their fight in Tokyo. Instead, Saitou visits Chou, who was recently brought in. Saitou questions Chou on two things. The first thing is from the night before, fifty men of the police and army were killed in Kobe; Saitou wants to know if any man serving under Shishio can do such a task. Chou lies, saying it was him. Even if Saitou offers to get the sword loving one out of jail, Chou refuses to leave. Sano knows that Chou is scared, scared because if he was set free, Shishio would have him assassinated due to his capture. Immediately, Sano and Chou begin arguing. When their petty exchange of words is through and after Sano demonstrates his strength, Chou decides to talk.

The Holocaust of Kyoto!? There are only two men who could have done that; Soujirou and a man by the name of Usui. Usui was a Hitokiri for the Tokugawa Bakufu, but one day, he was blinded by Shishio. Since then, he's wanted revenge on Shishio and mastered a technique known as the Shin Gan, but for some reason, aligned himself with Shishio. Saitou continues with his second question, asking Chou what's the facts about the Holocaust of Kyoto. Chou answers, basically saying it's Shishio's plan to burn down Kyoto for revenge on the Meiji Government that burned his body. Hearing that, Sano grows enraged, determined to stop Shishio Makoto.

Not a very good fit... All members of the Juppon Gatana have arrived at Shishio's base. After an incident with Usui trying to kill Shishio, Soujirou has returned after being absent for three days. Quietly, he shows Shishio a note, which tells Shishio his ship is prepared to set sail. Meanwhile, Kenshin is rudely awoken from his nap by Hiko. Kenshin is glad that his master is fine, thinking the medicine did the trick. Hiko looks questionably at the "medicine", then finally tells Kenshin it's nothing but a seasoning. The real trick was Kenshin's Sakabatou, it couldn't kill a thing whether Kenshin wanted to or not. Outside of Hiko's house, Hiko presents Kenshin with his trademark mantle, demanding that he take the symbol that represents the inheritor of the Hiten Mitsurugi Ryuu. Kenshin declines the offer, not only because he'd look bad in, but he doesn't want to take the name of Hiko Seijuurou the 14th. All Kenshin wanted to do was to inherit the style's discipline. Even though Kenshin has disappointed his master, the rurouni asks Hiko if he could protect everyone at the Aoiya while he's gone fighting Shishio. It all sums it up when Hiko turns around, smiles, and gives the thumbs up.

Kenshin is definetly different and now prepared. Kyoto is being occupied with policemen rapidly. Shishio's plan to burn Kyoto to the ground will start the following day at 11:59 P.M. The only hope for the Meiji Government is Kenshin. As Saitou waits in a police station in Kyoto, a man informs him that the Battousai just departed from a police department at the foot of the mountains in the morning and should be arriving by carriage. In a few seconds after, a carriage pulls up. Out steps Kenshin a new, more powerful man. Saitou can see the change in the rurouni and is almost overwhelmed with the power he's gained in such a short time.