Tears As Saito receives an update on the fire's showdown, Kenshin and Sanosuke go to the Aoiya until the next fight. There Kenshin manages to properly meet Kaoru while Megumi is busy treating the wounded. Okina recovers from his previous fight and requests Kenshin to personally kill Aoshi in order to end his corruption. However, Kenshin believes in Aoshi's humanity, claiming he held back on their battle with his Kaiten Kenbu Rokuren. As a result, Kenshin promises to bring Aoshi back to the Oniwaban which causes Misao to cry in relief. Meanwhile, Hoji wants to give Shishio a strategy for their next action.