Ep. 30: Shishio Makoto's Revenge Plot Emerges as Kenshin Battles Saito

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Kenshin fights Saito while Kaoru Kamiya fears his violent alter ego will never fade. A superior interrupts the clash, prompting Kenshin to punch himself and revert to his gentle self. Toshimichi Okubo reveals that Makoto Shishio, the former Shadow Hitokiri, survived being burned alive and is now assembling an army to overthrow the government. Okubo orders Kenshin to defeat Shishio, giving him a strict deadline to accept the mission. He is threatened that if he refuses, Megumi Takani will face charges for opium manufacture. This ultimatum forces Kenshin to weigh his personal safety against the greater threat posed by Shishio's rising power and political ambitions.