The place is now downtown Tokyo, on the 11th year of Meiji. The deputy instructor of the Kamiya Kasshin-ryu, Kaoru Kamiya, was on the chase for a man who claims to be the "Hitokiri Battosai," and was a crossroad killer tarnishing the name of her family's sword style.
One night, Kaoru encounters a man who is carrying a sword on his hip. Without a moment of doubt, she confronts and questions him, but he doesn't appear to have any intention to fight her. Appearing doubtful, Kaoru thinks to herself, "Is this person really the Hitokiri Battosai?"And the man introduces himself to her, that he is Kenshin Himura, a "Rurouni."