Chapter 11

In early June 1864 (the fourth year of Bunkyū / the first year of Genji), Shin arrived in Kyoto. At this time, Kyoto was a place where various forces were vying for power. When Shin arrived, it was already dusk. He had planned to rest well in an inn, but in the middle of the night, a group of assassins rushed into the inn to kill someone staying there. Unfortunately, the person who was assassinated was staying in the room next to Shin. Shin had not intended to get involved, but unexpectedly, one of the assassins kicked open the door to Shin's room and attacked.

"Damn... I got dragged into this, didn't I?"

It seemed that these people had mistaken Shin for a bodyguard, or perhaps they wanted to eliminate any witnesses. However, Shin didn't bother to think about the reasons. He dodged the assassin's sword, quickly drew his sword from the bedding, and with a single swift sword technique, cut the assassin in two. This action, however, stirred up a hornet's nest. The scream of the dying assassin attracted the other assassins who were preparing to leave, and they all rushed toward Shin's room, making the veins on Shin's forehead bulge.

There was no choice. There were over twenty assassins, and they were trained. The narrow room was not suitable for large-scale attacks, so dealing with them would require some effort. Shin sheathed his sword and then drew it again, a pale blue sword aura instantly slicing three assassins who had rushed into the room into six pieces, spraying foul-smelling blood. Shin then used the sheath to strike two more assassins who were trying to take advantage of the situation. The powerful sword aura from the sheath's impact shattered their internal organs, and the two assassins, hit by the sheath, fell to the ground, spewing blood and internal organs, clearly not surviving.

This display of skill intimidated the remaining dozen assassins, who surrounded Shin, trying to use their numbers to make up for their lack of quality. Unfortunately, their numbers were not enough to overwhelm Shin. To Shin, these assassins were full of weaknesses. By reading their movements, Shin's every sword strike found the gaps in their coordination, and his speed, enhanced by his ability to control his qi, reached an astonishing level, nearly eight times faster than an ordinary person.

The pale blue afterimages of Shin's sword strikes formed a large net around him, and not a single sword touched his clothes. The battle, from start to finish, lasted less than a minute. Shin emerged unscathed, while over twenty bodies lay on the ground.

Shin cleaned up the bodies and then fled.

The next day, Shin went out to gather information about Kenshin. Kyoto was in a festive mood, despite the unstable times and the chaotic political situation. The people were still celebrating. Shin also remembered that today, in the original story, the Ikedaya in Kiyomizu would be attacked by the Shinsengumi, causing heavy casualties among the Chōshū reformers. Because of this event, Kenshin and Tomoe were forced to hide in Ōtsu, pretending to be a married couple.

Not far away, a Shinsengumi patrol was on the streets. Shin quickly hid in a nearby tavern to avoid them. Among the Shinsengumi patrol, Shin recognized two familiar faces—Saitō Hajime and Okita Sōji, two men who could match Kenshin in combat. Being surrounded by these two and over twenty other skilled swordsmen would be a formidable challenge for Shin. If he were hit by Saitō's Yatsume or Okita's Shukuchi in the chaos, even Shin would be in trouble. Therefore, avoiding unnecessary battles was a good principle to follow during the turbulent Bakumatsu period.

As the Shinsengumi patrol moved away, Shin continued his journey through Kyoto, naturally with a sake bottle in hand. At least, when not drinking, it could serve as a disguise.

Night was always the best cover for assassins. That night, the Chōshū reformers, who were in the middle of a meeting, were caught off guard by the sudden attack of the Shinsengumi. Saitō and Okita cut down the reformers with ease. At that moment, Kenshin was with Tomoe in a hotel, where Tomoe carefully poured sake for Kenshin, acting like a devoted wife.

"It's been a long time since I've tasted real sake," Kenshin said, drinking the sake. Tomoe immediately refilled his cup.

"It must be because of the holiday," Tomoe replied.

"Perhaps. Sake always brings back memories of the past..." Kenshin and Tomoe drank their sake in silence for a moment before Tomoe broke the silence.

"I'm the opposite of you. I haven't been drinking much lately," Tomoe's voice seemed to suppress her emotions, sounding very calm.

"Is it hard to drink?" Kenshin asked, puzzled.

"No, it's different from before. I don't want to drown my sorrows in alcohol anymore. It's strange."

"Drowning your sorrows in alcohol..." Kenshin picked up the sake bottle to pour more for Tomoe, but before he could, Tomoe's voice interrupted him.

"Later, was your face still bleeding?" Tomoe asked.

"No, I've forgotten about it," Shin's response was also calm. As a killer in the shadows, maintaining a clear mind was crucial.

"So, the wound has healed, then," Tomoe's voice seemed to have a hint of happiness.

"No, it just stopped bleeding. This scar was left by your fiancé, a wound filled with strong resentment. It hasn't healed easily, and it has remained on my face for over ten years."

"Every time I see your scar, I wonder what the people you killed saw in their last moments. You say you kill to bring happiness to people."

"What do you want to say?" Kenshin's voice was cold. It wasn't that he didn't know killing was wrong; rather, because he didn't want to take lives, he had to make his mind and body cold to create a new world where everyone could live in peace.

"I don't believe that true happiness can be achieved through killing," Tomoe expressed her view, but it wasn't enough to convince Kenshin.

"Many people die every day for different reasons. I'm not killing indiscriminately."

"In other words, you're calculating how much value people have in their lives. And you delegate that task to others, just following orders." Tomoe asked, somewhat unwillingly.

"If I knew everything about the people I kill, I would hesitate. I have a reason for changing the world, and that's enough." Just as Tomoe was about to say something, someone came to inform Kenshin about the Ikedaya incident. Kenshin and Tomoe hurried to the gathering place.

"There they are, it must be them." As Kenshin and Tomoe were rushing to the Ikedaya, they were stopped by five skilled swordsmen from the Shinsengumi. Kenshin was about to draw his sword and attack, but Tomoe held back his hand.

"Do you know that a sword needs a sheath? How long do you plan to keep killing? I want to see it with my own eyes." Before Tomoe could finish, Kenshin pushed her away and used a swift sword technique to knock down the attacker. However, the attacker didn't die; he rolled on the ground and resumed his fighting stance.

"Chainmail?" Kenshin noticed that the attacker was wearing sturdy chainmail, which his Mino blade found difficult to penetrate. Moreover, five more Shinsengumi members arrived as reinforcements. Even for Kenshin, dealing with ten skilled swordsmen who could join the Shinsengumi would take some time.

"It seems my foolish disciple is in trouble." A slightly frivolous voice came from behind Kenshin, and he turned back with an incredulous look.

"Te... Teacher!!!"

Physical condition:

Heart Coins: 800

World: Rurouni Kenshin

Name: Shin (Liu Tianyin)

Gender: Male

Physical Attributes:

Physical strength is about seven times that of an ordinary person.

Detailed Attributes:

Strength 75 (10) - Affects burst strength, pure strength, and strength beyond limits.

Agility 80 (10) - Affects speed, reaction time, and intuitive strength.

Stamina 76 (10) - Affects endurance, recovery speed, and the ability to withstand certain techniques.

Abilities: Swordsmanship and Qi Control - Tenken Style

Acquired Heart Powers:

Heart of Slaughter LV1: Does not waver in most situations when killing others, has some resistance to certain illusions, and gains a small amount of recovery from killing.

Heart of Compassion LV1: Compassion is a necessary heart for a strong person, has some resistance to certain illusions, and gains a small amount of recovery from helping others.

Other powers not yet activated.

End of page

Start of AD

End of AD