Rurouni Kenshin Chapter 223: "Dreams, Reality, and Illusions"
Thanks to Wuken sabesami@ucla.edu for this summary!
The chapter opens up with Tsubame running into the Village of
Outcasts. She
mutters Kenshin's name, and the villagers say he's become like a locust's
shedding (i.e. the shell of a person, with no soul inside). Tsubame says
that they're wrong, and that Kenshin isn't like that -- the Kenshin she
knows is always kind and strong. She rushes forward, but a man named Kuma
stops her. He complains about how there's yet another visitor for the
"samurai".
Kenshin, with his back against a boarded, tattered fence, sits and stares
into empty space. The bottle of white plum perfume is lying open in front
of him.
"The white plum perfume has calmed my heart. The effect is just as the old
man said."
Kenshin then goes deep into his memories, and pulls out specific events:
Hiko finding Shinta. Shinta being given a new name, "Kenshin". Kenshin
leaving Hiko. Kenshin being reared into the role of the Hitokiri Battousai.
Kenshin killing Tomoe's fiance. Kenshin living with Tomoe. Kenshin killing
Tomoe. Kenshin being given the sakaba. Kenshin meeting Kaoru and Yahiko.
Kenshin fighting and befriending Sanosuke. Kenshin encountering Jin-eh.
Kenshin running into Megumi. Kenshin going up against Shinomori Aoshi and
the Oniwabanshuu. Kenshin getting reacquainted with an old rival, Saitoh
Hajime. Kenshin bumping into Misao. Numerous flashbacks about Shishio
Makoto and the Juppongatana. A flashback about Enishi and the six comrades.
Kaoru killed. Kenshin saying, "I've had enough."
(the majority of the chapter's dialogue lies in the flashbacks above;
numerous quotes and even artwork were pulled from old chapters)
Tsubame, escorted by Kuma, finds Kenshin in the same position she had left
him in. Her eyes fill with compassion and later tears as she sees the
condition he is currently in. "Kenshin-san..." Kenshin continues to stare
deeply into space.