I formed the strongest swordsman group.

Chapter 1116 Sweeping Away the Imperial Guards! Severely Damaging the "Satsuma Royal Thief"! [6200]

On his deathbed, Ito Kashitaro felt his mind go blank.

Ambition, resentment, unwillingness... all these emotions have left him.

Beneath him lay hard yellow earth, his hands too weak to grip the knife... It was all over.

However, for some reason, as if driven by his subconscious, he unconsciously raised his gaze and looked at Qingdeng not far away.

The other person remained unchanged, with an indifferent expression, looking down at him who was lying on the ground, about to lose all life.

Perhaps this is what is called a "revolving lantern"—in that instant, scenes from the past flashed before his eyes.

The day he joined the Shinsengumi; the time he spent working hard to build the Shinsengumi as an assistant in the General Affairs Department... there was nothing to reminisce about, yet it left him feeling quite wistful.

He suddenly remembered that there was a time when he had the idea of ​​"giving up on competing with Tachibana Seido".

However... however...

Human beings are all slaves to something, whether it is money or women.

And he, Ito Kashitaro, was a slave to the obsession with "surpassing Tachibana Aoto".

It's pitiful that he was so clever all his life, yet he was manipulated by this obsession, going astray without realizing it. He toiled for it for years, only to end up like this... He wanted to give a self-deprecating bitter smile, but he no longer had the strength to even twitch his lips.

And so, he looked straight at Qingdeng and breathed his last.

Although it was barely perceptible, at that moment, a sense of peace did emerge deep in his eyes—the liberation of completely letting go of a certain obsession.

The death of Ito Kashitaro deeply affected Hattori Takeo, who was standing nearby.

"Ito-sensei... Ahhh... Ahhhhhh!!"

First came a painful screech, followed by an angry roar.

"Die, all of you! I'm going to kill you all!!"

With red-rimmed eyes and bloodshot whites, Hattori Takeo's eyes turned a terrifying blood red, resembling those of a wounded wild beast.

He drew his wakizashi from his waist with his left hand, switched to a two-sword style, and fought like a cornered beast.

He was one of the Shinsengumi's top swordsmen.

He had long been renowned within the Shinsengumi for his exceptional bravery.

Right now, he is fearless in the face of death and has unleashed extraordinary strength!

Such opponents who are willing to risk their lives are the most terrifying. You must not underestimate them, or you will inevitably pay a heavy price!

At this moment, five team members rushed forward to attack him, using all sorts of methods, but they could do nothing to him and were instead forced back by his fierce sword strikes.

In Japanese swordsmanship, the two-sword style is the most difficult technique, but also the simplest.

The reason it is considered difficult is because the katana is very heavy. Even holding one katana with both hands may not be enough to wield it freely, let alone holding two katanas with both hands.

However, on the other hand, as long as you are strong enough, you can easily master dual-wielding!
No skill required! Simply swinging your sword wildly is enough to defeat a powerful enemy!

That is what Hattori Takeo looks like now.

He swung his twin swords wildly, displaying no skill whatsoever, yet the relentless barrage of blows left the team members on the scene utterly helpless.

"Come on! Is this all you've got?! Are the knives in your hands just for show?! Come and kill me!!"

Suddenly, he launched a fierce attack, leaping to the right and wielding his katana to disperse the soldiers on his right. Then, he stopped and leaned to the left, his wakizashi (sword) thrusting out like a poisoned needle, forcing the soldiers on his left to retreat as well.

Thus, the encirclement surrounding him became loose and no longer as tight as before.

Seizing the opportunity, he immediately broke free, escaped the entanglement of the team members, and dashed south.

His target was none other than Kondo Isami, who had caused him and Ito Kashitaro to end up in this predicament!
"Kondo Isami! You beast! Prepare to die!"

He ran and raised the two swords in his hands, the gleaming blades reflecting Kondo Isami's solemn face.

Seeing this, Kondo Isami silently raised his right hand and grasped Nagasone Kotetsu at his waist.

However, before he could draw his sword, a figure suddenly darted out from the side and stood between him and Hattori Takeo.

"Vice Captain of the 8th Division of the Shinsengumi"
"Oishi Shojiro"

"Come on!"

Another one has come to cause trouble… Hattori Takeo gritted his teeth and shouted impatiently:

"Get out of my way! I don't have time for you scum!"

Oishi Kuwajiro naturally ignored his threats.

He calmly held his knife in front of him, leisurely spread his legs, and stared intently at his opponent without any panic.

Seeing that Oishi Kuwajiro was unwilling to back down, Hattori Takeo didn't bother to say anything more. He got into a slashing stance, ready to use this foolish guy as a sacrificial offering before killing Kondo Isami!

One side leaps forward at lightning speed, like a thunderbolt, using movement to attack stillness!

The other side stood still, like an ancient tree, using stillness to control movement!

In the instant the two passed each other, a flash of light appeared—

Oishi Kuwajiro ducked slightly to dodge Hattori Takeo's slash, and passed under his left armpit.

The instant the two figures merged into one, he held the knife in his hand horizontally at the other's waist. He didn't even need to swing the knife; the other "consciously" ran into the blade!
scoff!

With a dull thud as the blade sliced ​​through flesh, Hattori Takeo's charge was abruptly halted.

Although Oishi Kuwajiro's sword was not a priceless treasure, it was still a top-quality sword, capable of easily cutting flesh and breaking bones.

After the attack, Hattori Takeo's upper and lower body were only connected by a few bits of flesh.

With such a broken body, there is absolutely no way he could stand or fight again.

Driven by inertia, he staggered forward two steps before collapsing to the ground like a lump of mud.

With such severe injuries, he didn't even have the strength to cry out.

Hattori Takeo struggled several times, but could not get himself up again.

Even so, he still did not give up on revenge!
He raised his head and cast a hateful, venomous glance at Kondo Isami, as if he wanted to memorize Kondo Isami's appearance in his eyes and heart so that he could seek revenge in the next life!
Kondo Isami met his gaze without fear, his expression open and honest, as if to say: Remember my face, I welcome you to come and seek revenge anytime!
And so, Hattori Takeo glared fiercely at Kondo Isami before taking his last breath.

Takeo Hattori, a former Shinsengumi member and Goryo-ebi, died in battle!
Unlike Ito Kashitaro's relief at the moment of his death, Hattori Takeo did not give up his hatred for Kondo Isami until his last breath.

Even though its brilliance had faded, a fierce rage remained in its eyes.

It's over... Ito Kashitaro and Hattori Takeo were both killed, and apart from Todo Heisuke who suffered minor injuries, no one else was killed or injured.

"Kujiro, well done."

After giving a brief compliment to Oishi Kuwajiro, Aoto slowly moved to Todo Heisuke's side:
"Heisuke, you should go and heal your wounds."

Although the injury to Todo Heisuke's left shoulder was not fatal, the amount of bleeding was not to be underestimated.

In a short while, the small patch of his clothing centered around the wound was stained red with blood, looking particularly frightening.

However, Todo Heisuke seemed oblivious to the pain in his left shoulder, his eyes blankly fixed on Ito Kashitaro's corpse.

To personally kill one's mentor... perhaps no words or phrases can accurately describe the state of mind he was in.

"...Mr. Ju, may I have the right to dispose of my master's remains?"

Qingdeng nodded without hesitation:

"That's what I meant."

"Mr. Ju, thank you..."

Todo Heisuke looked up, wanting to show Aoto a grateful smile.

However, he now feels that every muscle in his face is as heavy as a thousand pounds, and he can't even do something as simple as "lifting the corners of his mouth".

Aoto patted Todo Heisuke's head and whispered:
"Heisuke, you didn't have to do this..."

When Todo Heisuke declared his intention to fight Ito Kashitaro to the death, Aoto explicitly opposed it.

It wasn't just that they were worried he wouldn't be a match for Ito Kashitaro, but also that they didn't want him to bear the heavy pressure of "killing his mentor."

Faced with Aoto's concern, Toudou Heisuke mustered his spirits and gently shook his head:
"Mr. Ju, thank you for your concern. You don't need to worry about me."

“I’m fine. I was prepared when I drew my sword and charged at my master.”

"I have no regrets about killing my master."

"I'm just... a little disappointed..."

"So this is what it feels like to lose a loved one... It feels like a piece of my heart has been ripped out..."

Qingdeng pursed his lips, wanting to say something more, but not knowing how to begin.

He had only killed his senior brother, not his master, so he couldn't possibly say something as irresponsible as "feeling the same way."

After a moment of silence, he could only pat the other person's head again:

"Heisuke, I'm giving you two weeks off. You should rest well."

"Yes……"

After comforting Todo Heisuke to the best of his ability, Aoto turned around, raised his chin, and gazed into the distance—in the direction of Kodai-ji Geshin-in Temple—and murmured softly:
"It should have started by now..."

……

……

Kyoto, Kodai-ji Geshin-in Temple (the stronghold of the Imperial Guards), a room on the second floor—

"Why hasn't my brother returned yet..."

Suzuki Mikisaburo stood by the window, frequently glancing outside, his face filled with anxiety.

Logically speaking, Ito Kashitaro, who went to meet with Imuta Shohei, should have returned long ago.

However, even at this hour, with the moon already past its zenith and below the horizon, it was still nowhere to be seen...

The deeper Suzuki Saburo thought about it, the more anxious he became.

Although he didn't want to speculate negatively, an ominous premonition had already crept into his heart...

Just as he was contemplating whether to gather his men to search for Ito Kashitaro—

"Hmm? You are... um!"

"Enemy attack! Enemy attack!"

"It's the Shinsengumi! The Shinsengumi are attacking!"

"Ughhhhhh!"

The fierce shouts of battle coming from downstairs instantly took away Suzuki Mikisaburo's entire focus, leaving him frozen in place like a statue.

Before he could react, a series of rapid footsteps came from the direction of the corridor—a large group of people was rushing towards him!

At that moment, Suzuki Miki Saburo finally came to his senses and immediately drew his sword.

Bang!
The fragile paper sliding door was kicked open roughly.

Samurai dressed in light blue haori filed in and surrounded Suzuki Mikisaburo.

Swords and blades formed a forest, their cold gleams pointing diagonally in all directions at Suzuki Mikisaburo, blocking all his escape routes.

Upon seeing the Shinsengumi members suddenly arrive, Suzuki Mikisaburo's face immediately turned extremely ugly.

What are Tachibana Aoto's lackeys doing here?!
As he was puzzled by this question, he suddenly spotted a familiar figure in the vast sea of ​​people.

"Saito...kun...?"

Suzuki Miki Saburo stared wide-eyed, his face filled with disbelief.

Saito Hajime stood at the forefront of the squad members, looking expressionlessly at Suzuki Mikisaburo. In the moonlight shining through the window, his eyes gleamed with a cold light.

Standing beside Saito Hajime, Inoue Genzaburo spoke in a clear, deliberate voice, enunciating each word clearly:
"I am Inoue Genzaburo, captain of the 6th Division of the Shinsengumi! Suzuki Mikisaburo, you have violated Article 5 of the Shinsengumi Law! Surrender!" [Note: Article 5 of the Shinsengumi Law: Those who betray the enemy shall be executed on the spot!]

Seeing Saito Hajime standing side by side with Inoue Genzaburo, Suzuki Mikizaburo instantly understood everything.

"Saito Hajime...you brat...so you were an inside man for the Shinsengumi?!"

He gritted his teeth in fury, his face turning deathly pale with fear, and his face flushed red like a tomato in an instant.

"..."

Saito didn't say a word, but silently raised his hand, drew his sword, and released a fierce killing intent!
Suzuki Mikisaburo relentlessly questioned in a shrill voice:

"Where is my brother? Where is he?"

Inoue Genzaburo said coldly:
"Now that things have come to this, do you still have the energy to care about others?"

Having said that, he drew his knife and stepped forward.

The soldiers around him stepped forward and tightened the encirclement.

“Damn it…Damn it…!”

Hatred, fear, panic... Suzuki Mikisaburo's face was like a large dyeing palette, with all sorts of negative emotions vying to emerge and blend together.

After a short while, as if he had made up his mind, he turned his head and stared intently at Saito Hajime.

"Aaaaaaaaahhhhhh!!"

In the blink of an eye, he shouted and charged at Saito Hajime with a heart full of rage.

Ordinary swordsmanship, ordinary speed... Suzuki Mikisaburo was never known for his swordsmanship.

It would be alright to send him to kill ordinary people with mediocre skills.

Facing Saito Hajime... even if ten of them attacked together, the outcome was already predetermined!
In his anger, he completely forgot the vast difference between himself and Saito Hajime.

Saito Hajime first sidestepped, effortlessly dodging Suzuki Mikisaburo's desperate attack, then swung his sword diagonally—the latter couldn't even react in time and could only watch helplessly as the silvery-white blade light filled his vision.

call out!
Saito Hajime assumed his attack stance, and behind him, a large, sharpened head flew into the sky.

The severed head and the headless body, which had flown into the air, fell to the ground almost simultaneously.

Suzuki Mikisaburo, former member of the Shinsengumi and vice leader of the Goryo Guard, died in battle!

At that moment, two team members rushed in from outside the door.

"Captain Saito! Captain Inoue! The first floor has been completely cleared!"

Another person then reported:
"The second floor is also cleared!"

Inoue Genzaburo nodded:

"Okay, thank you for your hard work. Take all the bodies away! Let's call it a day!"

After giving the brief order, Inoue Genzaburo turned to look at Saito Hajime—who was wiping away the bloodstains on his sword and sheathing it.

"Saito-kun, it's so good that you're back."

Inoue Genzaburo walked over and patted Saito Hajime on the shoulder, a smile of satisfaction on his face.

Saito Hajime was taken aback when he heard this.

Suddenly, a rare smile appeared on his usually expressionless face:
“I have never left, and there is no such thing as ‘coming back’.”

……

……

Somewhere in Kyoto—

Naoto Imuta hurriedly jumped from one dark alley to another.

Kyoto may not have much else, but it has an abundance of messy, chaotic alleyways that resemble "Shit Mountain Code".

Thanks to Kyoto's complex terrain, the loyalists were always able to evade the Shinsengumi's searches.

At this moment, Imuta Naohira once again plunged headlong into a dark, damp alley.

He navigated the terrain with ease, effortlessly avoiding potholes and drainage ditches even without lighting.

at this time--

Whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh!

Without any warning... a sudden burst of incredibly noisy footsteps!
In the blink of an eye, a dense wall of people blocked both ends of the alley, trapping Imuta Naohira inside.

Imuta Naohira was startled; his rapidly beating heart sounded an alarm bell.

"We are the Shinsengumi under the command of the Left Office!"

Imuta Naohira looked in the direction of the voice—behind him, Nagakura Shinpachi stood with his hands on his hips, continuing to shout with an imposing air:
"Satsuma's trusted deputy commander of thieves, Imuta Naohira, you're under arrest!"

Naohira Imuta swallowed hard, trying to appear calm:

“You’ve mistaken me for someone else. I’m not Imuta Naohira, my name is Ariji Hiiragi.”

Nagakura Shinpachi was too lazy to argue with him and just snorted coldly:
"Don't give me that! I advise you to just give in obediently, that way you'll suffer less!"

After saying that, he waved his hand, and several team members around him immediately stepped forward, carrying ropes, shackles and other catching tools to approach the other party.

Seeing that he couldn't fool him, a ruthless glint flashed in Imuta Naohira's eyes.

call!
He suddenly ripped off his haori and threw it like a net at the soldiers who came to capture him.

Taking advantage of the moment when "Ibu was staring at him," he fled forward, away from Nagakura Shinpachi.

He had heard of Nagakura Shinpachi's name before, and he had no desire to have a direct confrontation with the Shinsengumi's top forces!

His plan was brilliant, but unfortunately... he probably never imagined that running away in the direction of Nagakura Shinpachi would have been a much better option.

Because there was a terrifying fellow, far more brutal than Nagakura Shinpachi, guarding right in front of him!
In a split second, Imuta Shohei drew his sword and slashed fiercely at the burly man blocking his way.

Unexpectedly, the opponent didn't even draw his sword; he merely twisted his body slightly, causing Imuta Shohei's slash to miss.

The next moment, the burly man reached out with his two iron-like hands and tightly gripped Imuta Naohira's wrists.

The burly man stared at the terrified Imuta Naohira, who was standing close at hand, a hint of mockery in his eyes:
"I forgot to introduce myself. I am Serizawa Kamo, the captain of the fourth division of the Shinsengumi."

The instant he finished speaking, Serizawa Kamo forcefully thrust his right knee high, striking Imuta Naohira squarely in the stomach.

Naohira Imuta felt as if a wild horse had crashed into him, and his internal organs seemed to have shifted.

With a loud "whoosh," he vomited everything in his stomach, then arched his body like a shrimp and collapsed onto the ground, right on the puddle of vomit, and passed out.

Nagakura Shinpachi walked over with a helpless expression, glanced at the unconscious Imuta Naohira, and then at Serizawa Kamo in front of him:
"Hey, Serizawa, you went too far! Mr. Tachibana said he was going to keep him alive, you didn't kill him, did you?"

Serizawa Kamo said calmly:

"Don't worry, I left him with half a breath."

……

……

Otsu, Shinsengumi Garrison —

The two soldiers walked side by side on their way back to the barracks.

Suddenly, a dozen or so soldiers, also dressed in light blue haori but with black headbands tied around their foreheads, appeared from the side and surrounded them from both sides.

Upon seeing the newcomer's appearance, both men showed expressions of fear.

A black cloth strip is tied around his forehead...this is the insignia of the Censorate!
The Metropolitan Police Department was the "military police" of the newly formed military unit, responsible for maintaining discipline within the troops.

For this reason, the Shinsengumi members were terrified of the Metropolitan Police Department, and would consciously take a detour whenever they saw a black headband.

While the two men were at a loss, the leader of this group of "Mufu" (low-ranking officers of the Censorate) stepped forward with his hands behind his back and said without any emotion:
“Saburo Sato, Susumu Aizawa, please come with us.”

There was no discussion, no negotiation, just the delivery of cold, hard orders.

The two men, addressed as "Sato Saburo" and "Aizawa Susumu," immediately argued:
"What crime have we committed? Why are we being arrested?!"

"Yes! Even the Censorate can't just arrest people arbitrarily!"

The man just now chuckled:
"Are you sufficient grounds to claim that you are Ito Kashitaro's spies and have violated Article 5 of the Shinsengumi Law?"

Upon hearing this, Sato Saburo and Aizawa Susumu could no longer remain calm, their faces filled with intense fear.

They instinctively tried to escape, but the guards were prepared and swarmed them, pinning them to the ground.

Similar scenarios occurred at other bases such as Kyoto and Osaka.

The inspectors launched a large-scale operation—the first of its kind since the establishment of the Shinsengumi—to eliminate the "spies" that Ito Kashitaro had planted within the Shinsengumi, and to execute any who resisted on the spot!
……

……

That night, the three towns of Kyoto, Otsu, and Osaka were exceptionally "lively".

……

"We are the newly formed group under the command of the Left Office! We are here on official duty to conduct a search!"

……

"The Shinsengumi are here! Run!"

……

"Damn it! Why was our base exposed?"

……

"The captain has ordered that no mercy be shown and all of them be killed!"

……

"Fifth Division! Follow me and kill them all! Don't let a single one escape!"

……

"Shinsengumi enforcement! Unauthorized personnel, please leave!"

"Sir Samurai, what's going on? Who are you arresting?"

"No comment! Please leave immediately!"

……

"Hey! What's with all these weapons? Why would a merchant who sells Wu clothing have so many weapons in stock?"

"This...this is my hobby, I like collecting weapons..."

"He doesn't even think before he lies! Guards! Take him away!"

……

"My lord! I'm innocent! I've never had any dealings with the Samoans!"

"Let's discuss any grievances we may have at the Shinsengumi settlement!"

……

……

That night, Qingdeng deployed nearly a thousand troops in one go.

That night, the sounds of the Shinsengumi members running, shouting, and slashing continued until dawn.

That night, the people of Kyoto, Otsu, and Osaka were both nervous and expectant, all wanting to know what had happened to cause such a big move by the Shinsengumi.

That night, the Imperial Guards under Ito Kashitaro's command were completely wiped out! The "Satsuma Imperial Thieves" under Saigo Kichinosuke suffered heavy losses!
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