Megumi is alone in Tokyo and coincidentally encounters Aoshi at Kamiya Dojo, who’s come back for another fight with Kenshin. Aoshi asks Megumi where Kenshin is, but she feigns ignorance. Unhappy with the lack of response, he threatens to kill her if she doesn’t tell him, when a man suddenly appears. Meanwhile, Kenshin encounters a young girl in the forests of the Hakone mountains as he makes his way to Kyoto.
After Kenshin’s kidnapping, a bond begins to develop between him and Shura. However, while Shura is confident in the loyalty of her crew, the profits to be made from dealing opium draws them into a mutinous plan.