I formed the strongest swordsman group.

Chapter 963: The Black Sword Unsheathed! Qing Deng vs. Shuten Douji [6200]

Shuten-doji just declared that he could take Tokugawa Iemochi's life in just three seconds.

Now it seems that his plan has undoubtedly failed.

The joint attack of the three was far more difficult than he had expected.

Looking at the man and two women in front of him who were not so easy to deal with, he slightly frowned and his expression became serious.

The next moment, the knife in his hand drew a thrilling arc in the air and swept diagonally towards the top of Tokugawa Iemochi's head.

Seeing this, Tokugawa Iemochi's pupils shrank slightly, and he subconsciously raised his sword to block.
clang!
The two steel knives collided in the air.

Although he managed to block it, the huge force transmitted back along the blade made Tokugawa Iemochi lose his balance.

Holding the knife that was blocked from him, he staggered back several steps before he could barely steady himself.

Shuten-doji slid forward, ready to pursue the victory - Tokugawa Iemochi had not yet regrouped, and if he were allowed to get close at this time, the consequences would be disastrous!
Fortunately, at this critical moment, Elodie and Tianzhangyuan stepped forward in time to stop it.

The two of them used continuous and sharp attacks to force back Shuten Douji, and finally escaped danger.

But before they could catch their breath, Shuten-doji regrouped, got into a fighting stance, and attacked again.

Facts have proved that the gap in strength between the two sides is too big.

If Shuten-doji showed a little bit of his real ability, the three of them would be distracted.

If this continues, they will be wiped out within 10 rounds...

Looking at the increasingly unsuccessful battle situation and the powerful enemy in front of him, Elodie gritted his teeth - somehow, at this moment, a series of pictures flashed before his eyes.

The tragic battle of the Hachioji Battle...

The broken bricks and tiles of Akasaka Imperial Gate...

Kondo Shusuke at the rear...

Chiba Eijiro, who rescued her, Hijikata Toshizo, and Shimada Kai from the "Rakumusha Hunt" and is now presumably dead...

it's him……

It’s this guy in front of me!
He killed countless comrades around him directly or indirectly!
As soon as she thought of this, a strong sense of anger and hatred surged between Elodie's cheeks.

In an instant, these countless thoughts integrated into a unified idea: I must do something to avenge the dead!
However...she had tried her best.

She swung the knife madly, regardless of the fatigue in her arm muscles.

But the other party is like a loach. The harder you try to grab it, the more it will slip away from your palm.

She had used all her knowledge and tricks, but she was still helpless and could not hurt the opponent at all.

There is no doubt that if this continues, we will only end up in defeat.

The more tense the moment, the more you need to think calmly - Qing Deng's teachings suddenly came to her mind, so she took a deep breath and forced herself to calm down.

After she calmed down a little, she asked herself:
——Is there any way to catch an agile enemy?
The next moment, as if inspiration had suddenly struck her, she immediately thought of a method... a very bold and radical method!

She made up her mind without hesitation - to use this method to reverse the situation!

Just at this moment, Shuten-doji's slash came again.

But he saw him step firmly on his feet, attack with the Blue Eyes form, and stab towards where Elodi was standing.

call out!
The blade cut through the air, making a sharp "whoosh" sound.

Anyone who has learned swordsmanship can see that this move is not a killing move. It lacks strength and speed. He just wants to force Elodi to retreat.

With Elodie's skills, it was not difficult for her to dodge this attack.

However, something unexpected happened to everyone present - Elodie not only did not dodge, but took the initiative to step forward! Using her own body to block Shuten Douji's stab!

puff!

With the dull sound of the sharp blade entering the flesh, Shuten Douji's knife easily pierced through Elodie's petite body.

Tick, tick, tick...the dripping blood dyed the tatami at Elodi's feet red.

At this moment, not only Tokugawa Iemochi and Tenshoin were stunned, but even Shuten-doji was stunned.

He never intended to take Elodie's life.

So whenever he attacked Elodi, he would deliberately hold back.

The blonde beauty was covered in blood... This scene at this moment was completely unexpected.

At the moment when everyone was stunned, Elodie stretched out her left hand like lightning and grabbed Shuten-doji's right wrist, preventing him from drawing his sword or dodging!
“I got you…!”

She raised a bloody smile.

At the same moment when she smiled and spoke, her right elbow suddenly snapped like a broken bowstring! She swung the knife from the lower right to the upper left, sweeping diagonally towards Shuten-doji's neck!
This attack came so suddenly and so swiftly!

Even Shuten-doji couldn't help but widen his eyes and his whole body hair stood on end!

His knife remained in Elodie's body, and his right wrist was controlled by the opponent, so he had no way to dodge or defend himself!
Whether it was Elodie's 'sacrificing her life to trap Shuten-douji' or her slashing attack that risked everything, it all happened in an instant.

And everything that followed also happened in an instant——

Almost like a conditioned reflex, a strange light flashed in the depths of Shuten-doji's eyes - he subconsciously entered the "state of no self".

With the help of the "state of no self", he leaned back at an incredible speed.

If Elodie had a wider wingspan...

If Yamato-no-mori's blade was longer...

If Shuten-doji's dodging speed was a little slower...

If all of the above were to be achieved... even if only one of them were to be achieved, Shuten-doji would be killed instantly by the sword!
What a pity, none of these “ifs” happened.

Because of his timely and extremely fast leaning back, Elodie's knife failed to cut his neck and only scratched his forehead.

The blade cut the flesh on his forehead and blood gushed out.

Although the wound was deep and bleeding was heavy, it was not fatal.

The surprise attack failed, the attack was ineffective...the outcome was already determined.

After dodging Elodi's desperate attack, he bent his right leg and kicked out, hitting Elodi in the chest.

Elodie felt as if an irresistible force was coming towards her.

Her left hand couldn't hold on any longer and let go of Shuten-douji's right wrist. Her body fell off Shuten-douji's sword and she flew backwards like a cannonball.

After flying about 4 or 5 meters, she fell weakly on the tatami like a kite with a broken string.

She curled up her body, her eyes were closed, her face was covered with beads of sweat, her complexion was pale, and except for her chest still rising and falling slightly, she was no longer moving.

Blood flowed out from the wound...in the blink of an eye, it dyed most of the tatami beneath her red.

He was actually forced into the "state of no self"... Shuten-doji's expression became solemn.

"That's fine..."

He whispered in a voice that only he could hear.

"In that case, let's make a quick decision..."

He did not exit the "selfless state", but maintained his all-out attitude and turned his head to look at Tokugawa Iemochi and Tenshoin not far away.

At this point, the next battle... has no possibility of a comeback.

It happened in a flash, and his figure swayed slightly, and he flashed to the front of Tianzhangyuan.

call out!
The blade rustled in the wind and in the blink of an eye it fell on top of Tianzhangyuan.

Tian Zhangyuan subconsciously raised the naginata in his hand, ready to resist.

Unexpectedly, his slash was fake and his kick was real!
Tianzhangyuan's hasty defense was exactly what he wanted.

When she raised her naginata, her body was wide open, revealing all the flaws.

In an instant, Shuten Doji's sword suddenly stopped in mid-air.

While stopping the knife, he used his left foot as the axis and turned his body like a whirlwind. With the help of the centrifugal force of the rotation, he swung his right foot and kicked Tian Zhangyuan's left abdomen squarely.

Before she could even scream out in pain, she flew sideways and hit the railing not far away heavily. Half of her body was sticking out of the railing and she almost fell down.

Although she was not dead, the severe pain from her abdomen made her break out in cold sweats and almost faint. She couldn't even stand up.

Tenshoin and Elodie have fallen one after another...Tokugawa Iemochi has no helper by his side.

Shuten-doji quickly turned his head, looking for Tokugawa Iemochi, and happened to meet the other's calm gaze, and their eyes met.

Even at this critical moment, there was no panic on Tokugawa Iemochi's face.

He raised the tip of his knife, assumed a right upper section stance, took the initiative to attack, and rushed forward.

At this point, defending and dodging will only lead to death. Risking your life and bravely launching an attack may give you a chance of survival.

Coincidentally, Shuten-doji on the opposite side was in the same stance, with his sword raised to the upper right corner, and he also kicked his hind legs hard, running towards Tokugawa Iemochi.

The two men "running towards each other" instantly pounced on each other and entered each other's knife circle in no particular order.

The next moment, two knife lights flashed suddenly.

Although the two men swung their swords at the same time, the speed difference between their swords was too great.

Shuten-doji had already swung his sword to the bottom, and Tokugawa Iemochi was just about to lower his sword.

So...the outcome is self-evident.

Phew!

Shuten-doji's sword slashed across Tokugawa Iemochi's entire upper body, from his left shoulder to his right abdomen.

Tenshoin, who was standing by, watched Tokugawa Iemochi being stabbed but was powerless to do anything.

The following scenes... in Tianzhangyuan's eyes, were like a slow-motion videotape.

She watched as Tokugawa Iemochi's clothes slowly tore apart.

She watched the terrifyingly long line of blood slowly emerge.

She watched the line deepen and turn red.

She watched as large amounts of blood gushed out.

She didn't scream or whine.

He just stared with his eyes wide open and lifeless as he stared at Tokugawa Iemochi who was slowly falling to the ground. He was like a robot that had lost power. He didn't react for a long time, as if he was the embodiment of the term "dumbfounded".

Shuten-doji was bathed in the rain of blood, maintaining the posture of drawing his sword.

Finally, he succeeded in killing Tokugawa Iemochi... The ultimate goal of "Amano Spear" has been achieved. He did not disappoint his partners' expectations and did not let Sukuna and others die in vain. He can finally breathe a sigh of relief.

But in reality, there was no trace of joy on his face.

While he was releasing his Zanshin stance, he looked expressionlessly at Tokugawa Iemochi who was lying in a pool of blood.

Suffering such serious injuries, even the most advanced warrior would not be able to stay awake.

At this moment, Tokugawa Iemochi had already lost consciousness.

But he hasn't died yet.

His chest was still rising and falling slightly.

Upon seeing this, Shuten-doji silently turned his right wrist, changed his grip to an inverted grip, aimed the tip of the knife at Tokugawa Iemochi's heart, and prepared to finish him off with the blow.

Just as he was about to stab the knife in his palm -

boom! !

Suddenly, a terrifying sound of breaking wind came from behind him!
It's not a "whoosh" or a "swoosh", but a "boom"... Just by listening to the sound, you can tell how fast the person is coming!
The expression on Shuten-doji's face changed immediately, and his body took action one step ahead of his consciousness. He lowered his waist, turned around, and swung his sword backwards.

clang! !

The deafening sound of metal clashing spread out.

Before Shuten-doji could see the man's appearance clearly, he staggered, swayed slightly, and disappeared from his sight. Then, he felt a gust of wind passing by him.

He was startled for a moment, then turned his head to look at his feet - Tokugawa Iemochi was gone.

Then he turned his head to look at the place where the blonde girl fell - Elodie was gone too.

At this moment, he seemed to realize something, rolled his eyes and looked towards Tianzhangyuan.

The seat next to her, which was originally empty, now had an extra person.

The man half-knelt on the ground and gently placed Tokugawa Iemochi and Elodie in his arms.

At this moment, Tenshoin's lifeless eyes finally regained some light - because a light green haori filled his vision.

……

……

Outside the Akasaka Palace Gate, he saw the body of Kondo Shusuke.

(Hohohoho~Jujun, you came just in time, do you want to eat oranges?)

The old man's voice is still ringing in my ears
——When was the last time I spoke to Master Kondo?

He had two teachers, one was Mr. Kiryu who taught him the art of sword drawing, and the other was Kondo Shusuke who taught him the Tennen Rishin-ryu.

It is no exaggeration to say that all his achievements today are thanks to Kondo Shusuke's careful teaching!
This old man is not only his mentor, but also an elder whom he relies on very much.

——Why…why…why didn’t I talk to him more before?
——I obviously still have…still a lot to talk to him about…

After crossing the Akasaka Gate and rushing into the Sannomaru of Edo Castle, he met Shimada Kai.

Shimada Kai told him that three enemy generals had broken into Edo Castle, and Chiba Eijiro, Chiba Michisaburo and Chiba Shigetaro went in pursuit.

Hearing this, he did not dare to neglect it at all.

How could they attack the huge Edo Castle with only three people...there are only two possibilities.

Either these three people are fools, or they are all top masters!
He moved forward at full speed... and soon he met Chiba Michisaburo and Chiba Shigetaro in Ninomaru.

Although the two men successfully defeated the powerful enemy, they were exhausted and unable to move, so they asked him: Chiba Eijiro is chasing the enemy's general, go and help him.

He continued forward, forward...

Soon, he found Chiba Eijiro in Honmaru.

Chiba Eijiro leaned against the wall with his head hung.

If he hadn't opened his eyes unwillingly, he would have looked like he was asleep...

The person in the Chiba family who has the closest relationship with him is undoubtedly Sanako's brother Chiba Shigetaro.

Although his friendship with Chiba Eijiro was not very deep, he had always liked the other person, especially this pure and aspiring swordsman.

(Ju Jun, if there is a chance, let’s have another competition)

After seeing Kondo Shusuke's body, his heart fell into a strange numbness.

Without time to feel sad, he rushed towards the castle tower at full speed, following the broken limbs and corpses on the ground.

--It's fine.

He said to himself secretly.

——I have done everything I could.

——I rushed back to Gyeonggi from Choshu as fast as I could, captured Sekigahara regardless of casualties, and then rushed to Kanto as fast as I could.

——I will definitely catch up.

——I won’t let anything happen to you!

With this seemingly self-deceiving belief, he clenched his hands tightly around the reins, not realizing that his fingers were sinking deeply into his flesh.

Finally, he arrived at the castle tower.

He hurriedly jumped off the ox, threw away the spear in his hand, ran to the limit, and headed straight for the top floor of the castle tower.

——I can catch up!
With his speed, it only took him a dozen seconds to get from the bottom of the castle tower to the top.

So, ten seconds later... he saw Tokugawa Iemochi and Elodie lying in a pool of blood.

……

……

"Your Highness, please take them to heal their wounds quickly."

Qing Deng said as he slowly stood up, his eyes fixed on Shuten-doji in front of him.

The look in his eyes... even if we exhaust all human language, we cannot find an accurate description.

In a nutshell - his eyes at this moment seemed to be housing thousands of troops eager to go to war!
At this moment, a faint, weak voice floated from his feet:

"master……"

It was Elodie's voice.

Shuten-doji glanced at Elodie, then silently took two steps back and made a "go ahead" gesture.

In fact, his behavior was completely unnecessary.

Qing Denglian ignored him and focused on monitoring Shuten Douji's every move while glancing at Elodie's current condition.

Elodie struggled to open her eyelids... her weak body could no longer support her to open her eyes wide, so she could only barely open her eyes halfway.

She just stared at Qing Deng with a slight smile on her lips.

"Master...you are here..."

Qing Deng lowered himself again, hugged Elodie tightly, and said quickly, half at a loss and half anxiously:
"I'm sorry I'm late... Stop talking, you need to conserve your energy now."

Facing Qing Deng's advice, Elodie ignored it and continued to talk:
"Great... I can finally... give... 'this'... to you..."

After saying that, she took off the knife from her back with difficulty and handed it over with both hands.

"This is……"

Qing Deng unconsciously reached out his hand, took the knife, and uncovered the cloth covering it - the black and purple sheath, the sharply curved blade, the simple and ancient blade decorations...

"Vairocana..."

He whispered the name of his long-lost old partner.

Looking at the Vairocana in Qingdeng's hand, Elodi chuckled twice.

"Master... I feel very satisfied these days..."

"I finally realized... my... 'knight's dream'..."

"I stopped a powerful enemy..."

"I bought time for the evacuation of thousands of people..."

"I fought valiantly to the end..."

"Even if Robin Hood were reborn... he would have to bow down to me..."

After making a little joke, she looked back at Vairocana in Qingdeng's palm.

"I'm sorry... Master... my blood... stained your knife."

"My 'knight's dream'... has come true..."

"I have no regrets..."

"If I have to say there is one regret... it would be... I didn't have the chance to see this sword unsheathed..."

"If possible... I really want to see with my own eyes... how bright this black sword that carries my dreams will be..."

"But... unfortunately... since a while ago... my vision has become blurry..."

"I can't even see your face... Master..."

"It's really... such a pity... such a pity... such a pity..."

She spoke incoherently, just vibrating her vocal cords repeatedly.

Layers of moisture rose to her eyes, and she was about to cry.

Qing Deng stared blankly at the girl in his arms.

"...Elody, thank you."

The sound that Jiujiu finally made made him aware of his own existence again.

The moment his consciousness returned to his body, he hugged Elodie tightly.

"Thank you for the gift of 'Ten Thousand Steel'."

"Thank you for personally delivering this knife to me."

“Although I haven’t pulled it out yet, I can feel that this is a good knife!”

"I will use this sword to defeat Shuten-doji, Otakemaru, and all future enemies!"

"So, please just watch!"

"The light of this sword will penetrate heaven and earth!"

"Even if your vision is blurred, you will definitely be able to see it... You will definitely be able to see its brilliance!"

After saying that, he silently handed Elodie in his arms to Tenshoin's care, then stood up and walked towards Shuten-doji.

Looking at Qing Deng who was walking towards him, Shuten Douji asked indifferently:
"Are you done?"

While waiting for Qingden and Elodie to finish speaking, Shuten-doji did not just sit there and wait.

He took off his armor, which had long been tattered, and went into battle wearing light clothing.

Qing Deng casually threw away the unnamed knife at his waist and transferred the Vairocana in his right hand to his left hand.

"You must be Shuten-doji, right? I've heard that you have the ability to freely enter the 'selfless state'. If that's the case, don't waste time and enter the 'selfless state' quickly."

Shuten-doji sneered.

"You want to see my 'selflessness'?"

"It's okay, that's fine."

"But... considering your current condition, it seems that you don't have this opportunity."

As far as appearances were concerned, Qingdeng was in very bad shape.

Since the start of the "Second Great Return from China", he has hardly had any rest, and exudes a strong sense of fatigue.

In this case, it is no wonder that Shuten-doji felt that he was unable to fight anymore.

"Come on, Tachibana Aoto, let me see how much energy you have left..."

Before Shuten-doji could finish his words, Qingdeng disappeared from the spot.

When he appeared again, he was already in front of him.

Shuten-doji's pupils instantly shrank into pinholes, and then he subconsciously raised the knife in his palm and placed it diagonally across his chest.

Boom!
Qing Deng did not draw his sword, but instead used the sheath of the sword and sheath to strike Shuten-doji's stomach.

Although Shuten-doji managed to block it, he was unable to release the force due to his hasty defense, and flew backwards like a cannonball, directly hitting the railing behind him.

"Hurry up and enter the 'selfless state' and use all your strength. I will use this sword to kill you!"

He raised the Vairocana in his left hand to his chest, grasped the handle with his right hand - with a click, he pulled out the red copper latch, and then slowly drew the sword.

Under the sunlight, the purple-black blade light shone out! It illuminated the entire space! It also lit up the girl's eyes!

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