Kyoto 1864. Late
one evening, three samurai walk the streets,
headed off for a night's rest. Shigekura, Ishiji,
and Kiyosato are their names. Kiyosato seems
to be a little frightened walking the streets,
since there has been so much assassinations
going around, but Shigekura and Ishiji tell
him not to worry, as Kiyosato will soon to be
married to a beautiful young woman in the near
future. Yet, Kiyosato had a right to be cautious.
Behind them trails a hitokiri seeking to take
away their lives. The three samurai turn around
and place their hands over their swords. When
asked the hitokiri's name, he answers Himura
Battousai.
In less than
a few seconds, Battousai draws his blade and
kills Ishiji. Following, Battousai leaps up
and comes down, drilling his sword through Shigekura's
head, using a move he calls the Ryu Tsui Sen
Zan. Shigekura is the only one of his party
remaining. He does his best to protect himself
from the cold edge of Battousai's blade by constantly
telling himself that he cannot die in such a
place. However, Battousai's sword gets the best
of Kiyosato. When the two cross paths, Kiyosato
is the one to fall in a pool of his own blood.
As for Battousai, he is left with a diagonal
cut on his cheek.
Battousai touches
his cut and stares in amazement at his own blood.
Two inspectors working for the Choushuu Clan
arrive on the scene when the assassinations
are carried out. One looks at Battousai and
asks if his opponent was skilled, as it was
the first time he's seen the hitokiri cut that
badly. Battousai sheathes his sword and walks
away as the inspectors place papers reading
"Tenchuu" on the corpses. It was not
because of Kiyosato's skill, but his will to
live that allowed him to touch Battousai with
his blade. Battousai quietly wishes Kiyosato
happiness in the next world then disappears
back into the shadows.
