I formed the strongest swordsman group.

Chapter 1196 The Final Chapter: The Legend of Niou - The Curtain Falls!
Two months after the Battle of Otsu—

Qinjin Fan, Dajin—

"Make way! A caravan of timber is coming!"

"One, two, three, lift! Very good, one more time! One, two, three, lift!"

"Barley tea! Barley tea that's just been chilled in well water! One penny a bowl!"

……

Looking up, Otsu was bustling with activity.

A constant stream of convoys, crowds thronging the streets... everyone is working enthusiastically to rebuild Dajin.

Qing Deng kept his promise and rebuilt Otsu at any cost after the war ended.

Now that Aoto has completely taken control of the eastern country, he has mobilized manpower and resources from all over the eastern country to rebuild Otsu with the strength of half of Japan.

Once the Western Kingdom is pacified, Qingdeng will have even more resources at his disposal.

With the support of its financial power, Otsu is changing at a rate that can be described as changing every day.

Everyone firmly believes that this resilient town will regain its vitality in less than a year!

……

……

Qinjin Domain, Ojin, Ojin Castle, main castle, a certain room——

Kazuya knelt beside Tokugawa Iemochi's bed and recounted the various events that had occurred recently.

"Mr. Tachibana is preparing to launch the 'Western Expedition' in September to completely wipe out the remnants of the 'Southern Dynasty'."

"This time, no matter how capable the Sa and Chang tribes are, they will not be able to escape disaster."

"The world, which has been in turmoil for so long, is finally about to return to peace."

"So, Jiamao, please wake up soon."

"The peaceful world you have been longing for is about to come. It would be a great pity if you missed it."

After saying that, Kazuya leaned over and carefully observed Tokugawa Iemochi's facial expression.

She was full of hope.

Unfortunately... her hopes turned into disappointment once again.

Tokugawa Iemochi's eyes remained closed, showing no signs of waking up.

A hint of disappointment lingered between He Gong's brows.

Just as she slowly stood up, preparing to leave—

"And...the palace..."

The unfamiliar and long-lost voice made He Gong stop in his tracks, his whole body stiffening.

She turned her head both eagerly and cautiously—because she was afraid she had misheard, afraid she was dreaming.

After turning her gaze to the bed, she saw Tokugawa Iemochi struggle to lift his eyelids and meet her gaze weakly yet resolutely.

The couple, who had endured so much hardship, gazed at each other, gazed at each other, gazed at each other... until tears rolled down their cheeks, blurring their vision.

……

……

Qinjin Fan, Dajin, somewhere in the suburbs——

"That bullet hit me right in the stomach! The pain was no less than being cut open..."

Before Harada Sanosuke could finish speaking, Nagakura Shinpachi interrupted him with a look of annoyance:
"Zanosuke, stop! You've told this 'surviving a gunshot wound' story thousands of times already!"

Kondo Isami smiled and took over the conversation.

"Zanosuke, you really have a lucky life. You were shot in the stomach and you still survived."

Harada Sanosuke chuckled:
"I'm immortal! How could mere bullets possibly harm me!"

The weather is excellent today, making it a perfect time for an outing.

At Souji's call, the Shinsengumi's high-ranking members, along with many acquaintances such as Iwasaki Yataro, Oshio Heihachiro, Shiyo, Sagara Sozo, and Kazami Kazuma, held a grand picnic at a scenic spot on the outskirts of Otsu.

Not long after the Battle of Ōtsu ended, Ōshio Heihachirō declared that "as long as Tachibana Seito does not betray the ideal of 'universal harmony,' all the patriots of the Ōshio Party will always be his most loyal comrades-in-arms."

His proposal was agreed upon by almost all members of the Great Salt Party.

Since the Battle of Otsu, everyone has not had a proper chance to relax for a long time.

Therefore, the picnic had only just begun when everyone was already having a blast.

Nagakura Shinpachi took off his shirt and started dancing his favorite comical dance.

Harada Sanosuke, who had just calmed down, is now endlessly recounting his "heroic deeds."

"Back in the day, before I became a ronin and was still an official in the Matsuyama Domain of Iyo, some annoying guy slandered me as a 'lowly clerk who didn't even know how to commit seppuku.' I'm the kind of person who likes to take things seriously. He said I didn't even know how to commit seppuku, so I immediately pulled out my wakizashi, stabbed it into my stomach, and performed seppuku right there and then! I didn't die even after cutting my stomach open! Now I'm even stronger, and I won't die even if a bullet pierces my stomach! I'm truly immortal!"

Kondo Isami demonstrated his "swallowing fists" trick to the crowd.

Yamanami Keisuke, Todo Heisuke, and Serizawa Kamo took out paper and pens and began to write waka poems and lyrics.

As expected, the souji, who is known for his love of drinking, drank too much again.

“Mmm…mm…mm…mm…mm…”

She groaned, her petite body swaying like a roly-poly toy.

Sanako, standing to the side, said helplessly:

"Shogun, please stop drinking."

As soon as she finished speaking, Souji collapsed, leaning against Sanako's right leg, and fell into a deep sleep.

Coincidentally, at almost the same time, Ah Wu and Elodie, who were also drunk, also passed out.

They could have leaned on Sanako, but instead they fell in the opposite direction, one after the other, onto Tenshōin's legs.

Tenshoin covered his mouth and chuckled softly.

"Oh dear, it seems I'm more popular with A-Wu and little Elodie~~"

Sanako pouted, revealing an adorable, sulky expression.

Both being well-off Yamato Nadeshiko (ideal Japanese women), Sanako and Tenshōin always find themselves competing in strange ways.

After finishing another bottle of sake, Hijikata Toshizo raised his eyes, scanned his surroundings, and looked for something.

After searching unsuccessfully, he turned to Sanako and asked:
"Has the orange arrived yet?"

Sanako stroked Souji's hair like she was petting a cat, and said with a wry smile:

"He went to Osaka to see off a friend, and he won't be back for a while."

……

...Osaka, Osaka Port——

"Mr. Ogata, take care."

Aoto held Ogata's hand tightly.

Ogata smiled:
"Well, take care of yourself too."

Behind the Ogata couple is a French ship about to set sail.

Today is the day that Mr. and Mrs. Ogata are heading to Europe.

After numerous delays due to various reasons, they are finally about to embark on their European trip.

Besides Aoto, Ogata's old friends—Kinoshita Rin, Kiryu, Makimura Yahachi, Asai Shichirobei, and Shimada Katsuro—all came.

A group of elderly people stood in a row, their expressions varied—some reluctant, some sad, and some calm.

Aoto felt a mix of emotions upon hearing Ogata's departure.

Who knows when we'll meet again after this parting...

Thinking of this, Qingdeng couldn't help but show a visible sadness.

"Tachibana-kun, don't make that face. It's not like we're saying goodbye forever."

Ogata started off joking, then switched to a serious tone:

"One day, Atachi and I will come back."

"I hope that by then, you will be closer to the ideal of 'universal harmony'."

Qingdeng smiled and nodded vigorously.

"It's natural!"

"After talking with Yamata no Orochi, I thought a lot."

“Since a dark world can breed ‘embodiments of anger’ like the one who punishes the party, then what I should do is very clear.”

"I will spare no effort to change the world."

"I will make this world no longer dark."

“I will ensure that ‘the Party is punished by law’ never appears again.”

Ogata smiled broadly:
"Then let's work hard in our respective fields. After arriving in Europe, I will do my best to investigate the origins of extraordinary powers such as 'immortality' and alchemy."

Waaaaaahh ...
The sudden blast of the steam horn interrupted Aoto and Ogata's conversation.

"Oh dear, it's time..."

Ogata gave a wry smile, then bent down and picked up the luggage at his feet.

Atachi obediently stepped forward and stood shoulder to shoulder with Ogata.

Kiryu, Rin Kinoshita, and others approached the Ogata couple one after another.

Kiryu the Boss: "Ogata-kun, Omachi-san, please take care."

Kinoshita Rin: "I will take good care of your descendants."

Makimura Yahachi: "If you're not comfortable in Europe, come back as soon as possible."

Asai Shichirobei: "Sigh... I'll be lonely after you all leave..."

Katsuro Shimada: "Have a safe journey! If possible, remember to send back several letters!"

The Ogata couple bid farewell to each of them without ever getting tired of it.

It wasn't until the boarding time was about to end that they stepped across the deck of the boat and successfully entered the ship, watched by Qing Deng and the others.

They had barely boarded the boat when it started moving.

The huge merchant ship, belching black smoke, slowly sailed away from the port.

Ogata stood on the ship's railing, watching the crowd on the shore recede into the distance, and waved vigorously:
"Everyone, please take care! The future is always more unpredictable than certain! I believe that one day in the future, we will meet again!"

Atachi followed closely behind, cupping her hands to her lips:

We will meet again!

The couple's words made Qing Deng and the others burst into laughter.

Although they hadn't agreed beforehand, as if by telepathy, they simultaneously drew half of their swords from their waists and then forcefully pulled them back in.

A clear, ringing sound rang out.

Upon hearing this sound, Ogata and his wife laughed. Immediately afterwards, they each drew their own swords and forcefully sheathed them.

The clanging sound of the oath being struck mingled with the sea breeze, lingering for a long time.

……

……

"Moo moo moo~~ Moo moo moo~~"

Radish hummed softly with pleasure as it swished its long, thin tail.

After bidding farewell to Ogata and his wife, as well as Mr. Kiryu and others, Aoto rode his radish alone on the road back to Otsu.

Qingdeng looked up at the azure sky.

"...The weather is so nice."

In September of this year, he will completely destroy the "Southern Dynasty".

Unifying Japan was just the beginning.

If he wants to make "universal harmony" a reality, there is still much, much more he needs to do.

Although he had a mountain of tasks waiting for him to handle, he was not in a hurry.

After all, there's plenty of time in the future!
"I hope Souji and the others' picnic isn't over yet..."

As Qingdeng muttered to himself, he gently tapped the radish's belly to speed up the process.

A man and an ox galloped across the wilderness, heading straight for the horizon.

The weather is sunny and sunny.

Cloudless.

……

……

The final volume of Nioh—The End!

The Legend of Nioh - The End!
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【Complete book】

The epilogue will be released the day after tomorrow (October 10th). It will discuss the weddings of Aoto, Tenshōin, and Elodie. The content will be short and free.

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Please be sure to check out the new book – *America: The Great Chase of 1924*!