The Two Hitokiris is the 7th episode of the Rurouni Kenshin 2023 anime adaptation.
Synopsis[]
Jin-e has kidnapped Kaoru to force Kenshin back into his murderous ways, and now he must duel Jin-e to save Kaoru. But Jin-e still has several tricks up his sleeve to force Kenshin to become the Hitokiri Battōsai once again. What is really at risk in this fight? Is Kenshin going to be able to defeat Jin-e without killing him and breaking his oath of never killing again?
Summary[]
Kaoru has just been kidnapped by the sinister Jin-e. Kaoru accuses Jin-e of cheating, saying that he is afraid to fight fairly and is holding her hostage to put Kenshin at a disadvantage. Jin-e laughs at her ignorance, saying that he can easily defeat Battōsai before finishing a cigarette, but says that that would be no fun. Instead, he wishes to re-awaken the Hitokiri inside Kenshin by making the latter surrender his anger. Kaoru tells him that he has no clue how powerful Kenshin really is, and Jin-e corrects her, saying that it is she who is clueless about Battōsai's true power, as a Hitokiri who froze men's blood in fear during the Bakumatsu.
He then recounts how he was a member of the Shinsengumi in Kyōto during the Bakumatsu and how he encountered Battōsai and witnessed him killing several of his Shinsengumi comrades, but sparing his life. He desires a death battle between two Hitokiris, himself and Battōsai. Kaoru tells him Kenshin is not like him and will never return to being a Hitokiri, to which Jin-e laughs at.
Kenshin arrives just in time to face Jin-e, who notices and is pleased by the anger that is beginning to swell inside the former Hitokiri. Kenshin states that he is indeed angry at Jin-e for kidnapping Kaoru and himself for being unable to stop him from doing so. Kaoru notices a change in the tone of Kenshin's voice and realizes that he is not his usual self.
The two warriors begin to battle and seem to be evenly matched. Jin-e then performs a series of moves, starting with a form of Hirazuki (a one-handed thrust) and ending with what appears to be a Karatake (i.e., downward slash). However, instead of ending with Karatake, Jin-e sneakily switches hands from behind and thrusts his sword toward Kenshin, wounding him in the shoulder. Kaoru screams in worry as a pool of blood gushes from Kenshin's wounded shoulder.
Jin-e says that his opponent is still far from the Hitokiri Battōsai of the Bakumatsu since he still does not want to kill. He says that he can still win the battle before finishing three cigarettes. Still unsatisfied, Jin-e raises the stakes by performing a special and extra powerful version of Shin-no-Ippo on Kaoru, causing her lungs to paralyze and leaving her with five more minutes of life, at most, before she suffocates to death. He tells Kenshin that the only way for her to escape this fate is if she manages to break the Shin-no-Ippo, which he says is impossible since her Ken Ki (swordsmanship spirit) must be at least as good as his for this to occur, or if the user of the Shin-no-Ippo, i.e., Jin-e, dies.
Thus, it seems as though Kenshin is left with only two choices: to kill Jin-e or watch Kaoru die a horrible death. Jin-e tells Kenshin to harden up and pick up his sword, with a desire to kill. Suddenly, Kenshin's speed amplifies, and he strikes Jin-e with a fast and hard blow, dislocating the latter's nose and causing blood to gush out. Jin-e smiles in satisfaction, saying that not only was he unable to see the sword's path, he didn't even see his opponent's body move. He says that such skill is truly that of Hitokiri Battōsai.
Kenshin openly expresses his desire to kill Jin-e, which further worries the paralyzed Kaoru. Jin-e, on the other hand, can barely contain his excitement and puts his nose back in place. He charges towards Kenshin, and just as he is doing so, Kenshin exhibits his Ken Ki to the latter, causing him to jump to the side and stop his attack. Jin-e realizes that he must be at his fullest now to stand a match against Kenshin, so he uses Shin-no-Ippo on himself by using his blade as a mirror (the Hyōki technique, which he had not used since leaving the Shinsengumi 15 years prior). This causes his power to amplify.
Kenshin tells Jin-e that no matter his technique, his fate is sealed. Kenshin then goes into the Battōjutsu stance, which causes Jin-e to worry, knowing that Battōsai can pull the blade from his sheath at "God-like speed" and use the stance to slay opponents instantaneously. After a little thought, Jin-e believes that since his opponent is using a Sakabatō (reverse blade sword), his sword draw will be slower, allowing him to dodge and take advantage of the moment when he is left defenseless.
When the encounter occurs, it happens just as Jin-e had hoped. However, Kenshin surprises him by using the blade's sheath to attack and break his arm when Jin-e believed him to be defenseless. Jin-e realizes that Kenshin had used a double-Battōjutsu, incorporating the sword and the sheath together. The move used was "Sō Ryū Sen" (Twin Dragon Flash), a Hiten Mitsurugi-ryū Battōjutsu technique. Kenshin tells Jin-e that he knew of the disadvantages of using a Sakabatō for Battōjutsu, but that he perfected Battōjutsu in every way, which is why he was named Battōsai.
He then tells Jin-e that his life as a swordsman is over since his elbow joint was crushed and his ligaments torn. He then says that his life will end with his hand. However, Kenshin still hesitates to finish his opponent. Jin-e smiles and tells Kenshin that the only way for him to lift the Shin-no-Ippo from Kaoru is to go through with the kill. Kenshin says that to protect Kaoru, he will become a Hitokiri again. Jin-e laughs hysterically, saying that it is an honor for him to meet his end at the hands of the legendary Hitokiri.
Just as Kenshin is about to kill Jin-e, Kaoru begins to remember Kenshin's words - that he would prefer a world where the ideals of Katsujinken, i.e., the sword that gives life, would be a reality. She then breaks free of the Shin-no-Ippo hold on her and shouts desperately for Kenshin to stop. She tells him not to use Satsujinken, i.e., the sword that takes life. As she says this, she falls down, but Kenshin grabs her and ensures she is alright.
Jin-e is surprised that Kaoru could break free of his hold on her. He heads towards Kenshin and Kaoru and draws his sword. Kenshin tells him that he can do nothing with a broken arm and that he should peacefully be arrested, but Jin-e says that there is still one more thing left. He then stabs himself through the heart and says, "This is a good feeling", before dropping to the ground.
Kenshin then stares at him with a sad look on his face, and Jin-e tells him that he does not like that look on his face - he prefers the sinister look when he wants to kill. He tells Kenshin that he is a Hitokiri from the inside, coming from one Hitokiri to the other. Such a statement is no mistake. He also tells him that he, a Hitokiri, can never be anything else until he dies. His last words to Kenshin are that he will look on from the edge of hell and see how long Kenshin can stay as a Rurouni without reverting back to his true nature.
Kenshin and Kaoru walk home on the city streets. Kaoru thanks Kenshin for saving her, but Kenshin says that he is the one who should be thanking her. He then thinks that if Kaoru hadn't shouted at him back when he was about to kill Jin-e, he would've reverted to his old self. He then gives her Kaoru's indigo ribbon, which is all bloodied, due to Kenshin's shoulder injury during the battle. This angers Kaoru, and chases Kenshin on the street. They arrive at the Kamiya Dōjō, where Yahiko and Sanosuke welcome them home.
Characters in Order of Appearance[]
Anime Notes[]
- There are several differences between the anime and the manga regarding the events of this episode:
- In the anime, they add a flashback scene where Jin-e (as a Shinsengumi member) encounters the Hitokiri Battōsai and witnesses him killing several Shinsengumi members but sparing Jin-e's life. This was not present in the manga.
- In the original manga, Kaoru angrily holds the ribbon for accidentally ruining it with his blood. In the anime, Kaoru angrily chases Kenshin on the street.
- The original manga chapter ends with Kenshin thanking Kaoru while they are walking home. In the anime, they arrive at the Kamiya Dōjō, where Yahiko and Sanosuke await their return.
- In the original manga, Jin-e's corpse is left as it is. In the anime, the corpse's face was covered by his hat.
Trivia[]
- The episode was titled after the original of Act 12.
Gallery[]
To be added