In order to become a Heroic Spirit, I had no choice but to cause trouble in history.

At this time, the shogunate was in complete chaos.

Tokugawa Iemochi had lost control of the situation and, with his trusted officers and soldiers, slipped back to Edo by sea.

Shogun Katsu Kaishu ordered the Shinsengumi to intercept the Eastern Expeditionary Army at Koshu Town.

Unlike the chaotic Shogunate forces, the new government army was in high spirits and advanced triumphantly.

Not only had their military strength begun to overwhelm the shogunate army, but many civilian organizations were also assisting the expeditionary force.

The most famous of them was the "Red News Corps" led by Sagara Sozo.

They helped the new government forces cross the natural barrier and enter the Kanto Plain.

The new government forces learned of the deployment locations of the shogunate's troops through intelligence and chose to split their forces into two routes to attack Koshu and Shinshu towns respectively, intending to form a pincer movement against the shogunate's stronghold, Edo, after capturing these two nodes.

Zuocun was incorporated into the forces attacking Jiazhou and participated in the raid on Jiazhou town.

Zuocun has been exhausted these past two months.

His mood plummeted to rock bottom as Okada Izo died in the Shinshu raid.

However, during the Battle of Koshu, fate played an even crueler joke on Samura.

......

Kyoto, Mibu Village.

"Cough cough—cough cough cough—" Since arriving here, Okita Souji has sat in the same spot almost every day, looking at the courtyard.

She is so ill that she can no longer walk very far.

Dr. Ruslan came by once, but after examining Okita, he shook his head and left.

Okita Souji was not surprised at all and did not take it to heart.

"Okita-neechan, you're up early again today." Kanna took out a broom, looked at Okita sitting in the courtyard, and greeted her with a smile.

"Good morning, Kanna—cough cough cough—!" Okita said just one sentence before starting to cough.

Kanna quickly ran over and patted Okita on the back.

"I'll get you a glass of hot water. There's no need to force yourself to talk."

Okita Souji stared at Kanna's back, lost in thought.

During his time living here, Okita Souji felt incredibly peaceful.

They no longer deliberately avoided mentioning Kashuu Kiyomitsu.

However, as his body weakened day by day and his vitality faded away, Okita felt lonely and pained.

I don't want to die—

I'm still young—there are still so many things I haven't done—

This thought lingered in Okita's mind.

She couldn't convince herself not to be sad.

Kanna brought out a glass of warm water and handed it to Ms. Okita: "Drink slowly."

"Thank you, Kanna."

Miss Okita obediently drank a glass of warm water.

She placed the cup on her lap and looked at the scenery in the distance.

“...Shiona.” she called softly.

"What's wrong, Okita-nee?" Kanna looked up.

"My life... is almost over." She turned her gaze back to the cup in her hand.

There are only a few drops of water left in the cup, and it won't be long before it evaporates completely.

"Okita-nee, you're overthinking things again," Kanna said, sitting down next to Okita. "You'll definitely survive, so don't be sad, okay?"

Okita smiled and patted Kanna's head.

"Zomura is right, you are a good girl."

"I am so happy to have you with me during the last period of my life."

Kanna tried her best not to show her sadness, but tears still welled up in the corners of her eyes.

"Hey, Kanna, can I ask you for a favor?"

Okita Souji pulled Kanna's hand and placed it in his somewhat withered palm. "This may be my last request in this life."

“…You said, Okita-nee.” Kanna tried hard to control herself and not cry.

"You can make clothes, and you make them very beautifully."

A slight blush appeared on Okita Souji's pale face.

"Could you... help me?"

"I'll only make one white kimono."

She asked with a smile.

Kanna's tears welled up and spilled out.

------------

Chapter 417 The Demise of the Shogunate

The Battle of Koshu ended quickly due to the overwhelming advantage of the new government.

In the Battle of Koshu, the Shinsengumi, who had caused the new government forces a great deal of trouble in the Battle of Kuwana and the Battle of Toba-Fushimi, was defeated and was responsible for guarding the town.

Shinsengumi Chief Kondo Isami was captured alive, while the remaining few managed to escape.

Samura entered the cell where Kondo Isami was being held.

No one stopped him.

He opened the cell door and walked in carrying a bottle of wine.

Kondo was lying in the corner, facing the wall, and wasn't too surprised when he heard someone come in.

"If you're trying to extract information through torture, please forgive me for not being able to tell you."

“I’m not here to interrogate you,” Samura said, sitting down opposite Kondo Isami. “I just came to have a drink with you.”

Kondo Isami raised his head.

Samura looked somewhat dejected, but he was still much better off than Kondo Isami.

"...You just walked in like that? And you want to chat with a prisoner like me?"

Kondo Isami asked expressionlessly.

"Don't tell me you don't want to drink." Samura opened the bottle and threw a bowl in front of Kondo Isami.

“…Of course I want to!” Kondo Isami sat up abruptly, snatched the sake bowl, and held it out to Samura. “Pour the sake!”

The two looked into each other's eyes and smiled simultaneously.

Zuocun poured wine for the two men, and the bowls clinked together, making a crisp sound.

The two men moved almost in sync, tilting their heads back and drinking the wine in their bowls in one gulp.

The two of them didn't say a word, they just drank like that.

One bowl, two bowls, three bowls...

After finishing one bottle, Zuo Cun ran out and brought back a whole case.

One bottle, two bottles, three bottles...

Whether it was sweat or tears, they fell from the two men's faces onto the prison floor.

"Do you know why I came to find you, Kondo? Do you know why I'm drinking with you?"

Zuo Cun lowered his head, and water dripped continuously onto the ground.

Kondo looked at Samura, his face flushed, and remained silent.

"I'm afraid I won't be able to do it. This isn't a battle, this isn't a battle... but I have to kill you, I have to kill you..."

Kondo drank another bowl of sake, burped, and remained unmoved by Samura's words.

"If you are captured alive, I know what kind of torture and humiliation you will suffer; your head may even be hung up and displayed in public..."

"Unacceptable! I cannot accept this!"

Zuo Cun poured himself a bowl of wine, tilted his head back, and drank it all.

Kondo Isami suddenly burst into laughter.

Hahahahahaha————

"At the end of my life, I never imagined I would have to accept your charity!"

He took off his shirt, revealing his neck.

"Come and chop me down!"

Zuocun stood up silently.

The crane's wings are drawn from their sheaths.

Goodbye, Kondo.

Zheng—

......

Samura buried Kondo's body on the outskirts of Koshu Town.

Saigo Moritaka did not inquire much about the matter.

As Samura added the last handful of soil to Kondo's grave, he felt his eyes become dry.

He turned back to the military camp and found Saigo Moritaka.