A Chaotic Lunch and a Grim Request
Another day at the Kamiya Dojo begins in the usual chaotic way—with yelling, food flying, and Sanosuke teasing Yahiko—until an unexpected visitor arrives: Police Chief Uramura. He isn’t there for pleasantries. He’s come to ask Kenshin for help.
There’s a murderer on the loose known only as Kurogasa, a shadowy assassin targeting former Ishin Shishi who now hold political positions. Some say he’s out for revenge, others whisper he kills simply for pleasure. The government has kept it quiet to avoid public panic. Kenshin listens carefully, his expression darkening. He agrees to help stop Kurogasa—someone who stains the peace of the Meiji Era. Sanosuke, ever restless, decides to tag along “just for fun.”
Waiting for the Assassin
That night, Kenshin and Sanosuke arrive at the residence of Tani Jusaburo, Kurogasa’s next target. Tani has filled his home with bodyguards, feeling untouchable—until he sees who the police have sent to protect him. Kenshin, the very man who once saved his life, and Sanosuke, the fighter who once beat up some of Tani’s hired men, stand before him. The irony isn’t lost on anyone in the room.
As the clock nears one in the morning, the atmosphere grows heavy. Everyone waits. Kenshin and Sanosuke quietly play shogi to pass the time. Between moves, Sano asks why Kenshin took the job and what he knows about the assassin’s rumored technique—Shin no Ippo, said to paralyze victims before killing them. Kenshin simply replies that such a man has no place in this new era of peace.
The Arrival of Kurogasa
A scream pierces the night. Both men rush to the window and see policemen lying in pools of blood outside. The clock strikes one. Everyone tenses up. Seconds feel like hours. Then one of Tani’s guards scoffs that the assassin isn’t coming—only to be cut down mid-sentence.
From the shadows, a figure steps forward: Kurogasa, the killer with the twisted grin and eyes that glimmer like steel. He’s entered through the window, completely silent, and the air itself seems to freeze around him. The long night has begun.
Final Thoughts
This chapter shifts the tone into something darker and more suspenseful. The easy humor of the Dojo gives way to tension, mystery, and a real sense of danger. Kurogasa isn’t like the previous enemies—he’s a professional killer who moves like a ghost, and his eerie calm makes him terrifying.
I like how the story balances this dread with the quiet confidence of Kenshin and the restless energy of Sanosuke. They’re total opposites, yet side by side they give the sense that whatever comes next, they’ll face it together. The era of peace may be fragile—but in this chapter, you feel exactly what’s at stake.
All images are personal captures taken from my own physical copy of the manga.