Kenshin, Kaoru, and Yahiko visit Akabeko, a beef hot-pot restaurant, where a group of democratic rights activists gets into a heated argument. One of them throws a bottle of sake, and it hits Kenshin, causing a commotion. Sanosuke Sagara, who happened to be in the store during the quarrel, stood up and blew away the activists with a single flick to the forehead. Seeing Kenshin's strength, Sanosuke's curiosity is roused and he asks, "You wanna buy a fight from me?"

Knowing how strong Kenshin was when he was the Hitokiri Battosai, Jine takes Kaoru hostage in order to fuel Kenshin's anger. The two engage in a fierce battle. However, Jine, believing that Kenshin has not yet regained his former strength, inflicts the Nikaido Heiho "Shin no Ippo" on Kaoru, causing her to stop breathing. With only two minutes until Kaoru dies of asphyxiation - Kenshin's anger reaches its peak.

At last, Kenshin faces off against Aoshi Shinomori, the head of the Oniwaban Group. In the Bakumatsu Era, the battle-obsessed "Oniwaban group" lost their meaning of existence after surrendering the castle they served without even being able to fight. Aoshi is unable to bear this regret and is in earnest pursuit of the title of the strongest warrior. As a former Revolutionary warrior, Kenshin cannot tolerate conflict without morality. Two men who made killing their profession in the Bakumatsu Era clash against one another, putting their pride on the line.

Raijuta, who wants to revive the murderous sword, considers Kenshin, who denies his idea, as an enemy. Raijuta initiates a fight using his actual sword, but Kenshin lands a blow that breaks Raijuta's sword and stops the situation from escalating further. After some time has passed, Yutaro, a boy who claims to be Raijuta's apprentice, arrives at the Kamiya Dojo. He claims he has come to challenge Yahiko, with whom he doesn't get along, to a match, but the way Yutaro holds his bamboo sword is no good...

Kenshin and the group are enjoying some tea time together. The group probes Kenshin to entertain them with an interesting story from his travels, specifically requesting "a story that's unusual, fun, and includes a villain's defeat." To answer to their demands, Kenshin decides to tell them about someone he met when he was visiting a foreign settlement in the lively city of Yokohama. A foreign doctor named Elder who was always wearing a mask.

Kenshin sees a dream recalling the Shinsengumi, who he faced off against back when he was a Revolutionary warrior. The Shinsengumi was a group of highly skilled swordsmen who he fought on equal footing back when he was the Hitokiri Battosai. He feels unsettled and ponders why he is suddenly remembering them. As the tension persists, a mysterious man with very unique-looking eyes pays a visit to the Kamiya Dojo while Kenshin, Kaoru, and Yahiko are not home. When he meets Sanosuke, who just happened to be at the Dojo, he claims that he is Goro Fujita, a medicine seller, but...

The person who had sent Hajime to face Kenshin was none other than the Head of the Home Ministry, former Satsuma Domain Revolutionary warrior, Toshimichi Okubo. He asks Kenshin to go to Kyoto to stop the secret plans of a man who claims to be the legitimate successor of the Hitokiri Battosai. However, that man was supposed to have been killed 10 years ago by his own comrades in the government, as they regarded him as a threat. Receiving this request to conduct an assassination, what will Kenshin's answer be...?