I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

Leaving aside the open-minded Chiba Sadakichi.

Chiba Jutaro, who would rather suffer himself than see his younger sister suffer, and is the embodiment of the term "sister complex," would definitely oppose Sanako going to dangerous Kyoto.

However, no matter how much they objected, it was to no avail.

Sanako's personality... to put it nicely, she's persistent; to put it bluntly, she's stubborn!

Once she has made up her mind, even if her family and loved ones try to persuade or threaten her, her belief will not waver.

"I have arrived as promised. You won't go back on your word and refuse to let me join the Zhenfu Army, will you?"

"That's impossible."

Qing Deng shrugged and smiled:

“I’ve spoken myself, and there’s no reason for me to take it back. Come on!”

The bamboo sword, which had been drawn from the middle of its movement, was pointed diagonally at Sanako's brow.

Sanako's lips curled up slightly, and with a flick of her wrist, she held her sword in front of her, assuming a fighting stance.

"Hokushin Ittō-ryū"

"Chiba Sanako!"

There's nothing worth mentioning about the battle between Aoto and Sanako.

Two years ago, Sanako was no match for Aoto.

Now, one side's strength has "made rapid progress," while the other side's strength has "stagnated"... making the disparity in their victories even more pronounced.

However, despite this, Aoto clearly felt that Sanako's moves had become much more powerful.

This is the best proof that Sanako is unwilling to be complacent, strives for excellence, and constantly challenges herself.

Although Sanako's skills are far inferior to Aoto's.

But for ordinary people, the heroic figure she displayed was truly astonishing.

The blade flashed so fast it was almost invisible.

Simple yet aesthetically pleasing moves.

Even from a great distance, the sound of wind breaking could be heard clearly.

All of the above... is dazzling and leaves one speechless.

Those who had just questioned, "Can even women join the Zhenfu Army?" are now all silent.

As for those who had just cast lewd glances at Sanako and harbored malicious intentions, their faces turned pale, and they lowered their heads, no longer daring to show any disrespect to Sanako.

Qing Deng did not hold back.

If you show mercy out of consideration for your friendship, you will definitely anger the proud and arrogant Sanako.

Therefore, Qing Deng launched a full-scale attack right from the start of the battle.

Sanako fought Qingdeng's sword for a full 15 rounds before being defeated.

To be fair, this is already quite a good result.

Excluding Serizawa Kamo who deliberately "tortured" him repeatedly to put him in a bad light, Sanako is the applicant who has stayed on the platform the longest so far, without exception.

"You've passed. Go over there to register your personal information."

Qing Deng mimicked the action of sheathing a sword, bringing the bamboo sword to his left waist, then bowed slightly to his opponent in front of him.

Throughout this brief battle, he never considered Sanako a "special being" until the very end.

Looking at Aoto, who clearly knew what he wanted and disliked, Sanako gave him a "you're sensible" look, then tucked her naginata into her waistband and returned the greeting.

Thank you for your guidance.

……

At this very moment, below the platform—

Chiba Jutaro's gaze remained fixed on Sanako.

When he saw Sanako walking towards the "soldier registration desk," he let out a heavy sigh.

"Brother Chong, take it easy."

Chiba Michizaburo stretched out his left arm and put his arm around his shoulder.

Chiba Dozaburo, who took on the heavy responsibility of "second head of the Hokushin Itto-ryu main family" at a young age, was far more mature and composed than his peers.

"Don't always think the worst."

“It’s a good thing that Sanako has her own goals and things she’s eager to do.”

“The trip to Kyoto was certainly dangerous, but it was also an opportunity for Sanako.”

“Simply viewing her as a weak person in need of protection will backfire.”

“Your sister…our sister is much stronger than you can imagine.”

"Give her a chance to show her skills and spread her wings."

No sooner had Chiba Michizaburo finished speaking than Chiba Tamon Shiro grinned and interjected:

“I think the people whose safety should be worried about by their families right now are those lawless vagrants in Kyoto.”

The two brothers comforted Chiba Jutaro.

"..."

Chiba Jutaro kept his head down.

I have no idea what he's thinking.

……

After Sanako left the stage, the officials below the stage flipped through the account books with a "clatter".

Then, Qingdeng heard a name that was particularly familiar to him:

"Next! Kondo Isami! Kondo Isami!"

Qingdeng raised an eyebrow, a smile playing on his lips.

So it's your turn already...

Thump, thump, thump, thump—steady and powerful footsteps came from the stairwell—a magnificent "gorilla" entered Qingdeng's field of vision.

Aoto glanced at Kondo Isami, who was rubbing his hands together in anticipation, then shifted his gaze to the direction he had come from—the group led by Souji were all eager to try and wait to take the stage.

……

The battle between Qingdeng and the brothers of Shiwei Hall is even more difficult to describe in detail.

After all, they had just fought a battle at the "Natural Heart School Sect Leader Succession Ceremony" not long ago.

Even if powerful figures like Hijikata, Saito, and Nagakura all attacked together, they couldn't do anything to Aoto, let alone in a one-on-one duel.

The only people who could put pressure on Aoto in a one-on-one fight were Kondo Isami and Souji.

Sanako's "time record" was broken by Kondo Isami and Souji in quick succession.

Kondo Isami and Aoto fought for more than fifty rounds.

The commander-in-chief, however, raised that number to "seventy".

Kondo Isami's "lone wolf courage" is truly a talent for being utterly shameless.

If you are weaker than him, he can easily suppress you.

If you are stronger than him, he can rely on his "lone wolf" and shameless nature to forcibly shorten the gap in strength between you.

Even Aoto had to use his real skills to barely defeat Kondo Isami.

Souji's performance certainly lived up to his title of "genius swordsman".

However, if she had shown her true abilities, Qing Deng certainly wouldn't have won so easily.

Anyone familiar with Souji could clearly see that she didn't use her full strength when fighting Aoto.

She didn't even use her signature move, the "Three-Stage Thrust with Flat Blue Eyes".

It possesses both thunderous explosive power and lightning-fast attack speed... combining both offense and speed.

Let alone those who are weaker than Souji or even on par with her.

Even top experts whose strength far surpasses these three daggers could be caught off guard and suffer a crushing defeat.

Even Qing Deng today wouldn't dare to confidently say that he could absolutely dodge Souji's "Hirōgan Triple Thrust".

In terms of talent, Souji is a true genius.

Like Qingdeng, she has been constantly getting stronger.

Unfortunately, during their private sparring sessions, Souji was always unwilling to show her full strength.

Therefore, even Qing Deng, who was extremely close to her, did not know how terrifying her combat power would be if she went all out.

Perhaps only when she personally faces a perilous situation where a single misstep could cost her her life will we be able to witness her "true" heroic bearing.

The students at the Shieikan Academy passed the test without any pressure—if they couldn't pass, then there would be very few people in all of Edo who could.

Most of the contestants who went on stage ended up being "eliminated" in seconds. Under such circumstances, these young people, whose average age was only in their early twenties, were able to go through more than a dozen rounds with Qingdeng on average. Such a remarkable performance naturally aroused heated discussions among the onlookers.

"Who are they? They're so strong!"

“Okita Souji… I remember that name. I have a friend who is a fan of Shudo, and he often mentions that name. He says things like, ‘There’s a handsome young man named Okita Souji in Koishikawa, Kohinata, and Yanagi.’”

“I know them! They’re from the same dojo as Niou!”

"From the same dojo as Niou? Goodness, does Niou possess some kind of magic? It's one thing for him to be strong, but how come even those around him are so powerful?"

"Who knows? Maybe this is what they call destiny."

"It was probably Niou's personal charisma that attracted so many outstanding talents."

……

The dazzling appearance of Sanako and the rest of the Shieikan group revitalized the previously stagnant atmosphere of the venue.

However, their appearance was ultimately just like throwing a stone into the lake.