I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

Roughly speaking, the two have been separated for three years.

Compared to before, Chiba Eijiro's appearance has not changed much, but his temperament has changed a lot, becoming more reserved, calm, and authoritative without being angry.

—He's become stronger!

Qingdeng thought to himself with certainty as he continued:

“Eijiro-kun, I knew you would return to Edo after receiving my letter.”

Chiba Eijiro replied with a half-joking response:

"How could I possibly ignore a challenge personally written by Niou?"

Having said that, he swayed his shoulders and walked slowly towards Qingdeng, his steps as light as a traveler enjoying a spring outing.

"It seems you've already defeated all the martial arts dojos in Edo, including the Kōbō-sho... If you defeat me too, you'll be the undisputed 'Edo Musou,' the new 'Strongest in Edo.'"

“I have no interest in such titles. However, I would be extremely regretful if I didn’t get to have a chance to compete with the current ‘Strongest in Edo’ before I leave Edo.”

As Chiba Eijiro approached, the expressions on the faces of Aoto, Souji, Otani Seiichiro, Kuboda Kiyone, Oishi Susumu, and a handful of others changed simultaneously.

Just as he reached a point where he was only three steps away from Qingdeng...

Clang!

In an instant, his right arm became a phantom, snapping open like a broken bowstring!

He drew the Zhenyue Changguang sword from his waist, and with a "whoosh," the air was suddenly compressed as a pale blue blade of light cleaved through the atmosphere, striking towards Qing Deng! The speed of the sword was breathtaking!

Almost at the same moment that Chiba Eijiro drew his sword, Aoto also drew his own.

The Vairocana sword sprang from its sheath, its dazzling purple light filling the vision of both sides in the battle.

Purple and blue – the fusion of two rays.

clang!

A terrifying clanging sound... From it, one could tell that the two had used a fierce force that could not be dismissed as mere "playing around."

The two swords, which were locked in a stalemate for long, quickly moved apart and then collided again in mid-air.

In an instant, swords flashed and shadows danced between the two. Two beams of light, one purple and one blue, flickered incessantly.

Aoto and Chiba Eijiro were locked in fierce combat, while the surrounding crowd mostly looked bewildered, as if they hadn't quite caught up in the moment.

The comparison created a strange feeling that "only Aoto and Chiba Eijiro were subjected to 'speed-up magic'" or "only the surrounding crowd was subjected to 'slow-down magic'".

About five seconds later, they were thrown back as if they had been bounced away, leaving four long marks on the ground with their legs.

"...Wow, my hands are going numb."

Chiba Eijiro lowered his head, glanced at his right wrist holding the sword, and then smiled at Aoto in front of him.

"Tachibana-kun, you've gotten so much stronger."

Qing Deng smiled.

"Likewise. Your way of greeting people is certainly quite enthusiastic."

"I have to test you out, right? If you can't even handle such a simple attack, then there's no point in having a duel between us."

"So, what are your test results?"

Chiba Eijiro grinned – his eyes and smile were filled with an irrepressible fighting spirit.

"When and where is the duel?"

"How about tomorrow?"

"I only want to fight you when you're at your peak. Let's postpone the fight a little so you can get more rest."

"Then let's do it the day after tomorrow."

Chiba Eijiro nodded.

"As for the location..."

Before Aoto could finish speaking, Chiba Eijiro interrupted:

"Regarding the location, I have a suggestion—choosing a place like a dojo would be too boring. Let's choose a more exciting duel location!"

What's your opinion?

"Mount Atago—it's a great place to go in winter. Let's have our showdown in the dense snow-covered forest!"

Mount Atago, located south of Edo Castle, was a popular winter snow viewing spot among the people of Edo.

Qingdeng nodded vigorously without hesitation.

"Alright! That's settled then! I'll be waiting for you at the summit of Mount Atago at 8:00 AM the day after tomorrow!"

Chiba Eijiro returned the gaze with a deep look.

"I'll be waiting for you halfway up the mountain in the kendo path!"

……

……

The news that "Nioh" Tachibana Aoto and "Technique of Chiba" Chiba Eijiro will have a showdown at the top of Mount Atago the day after tomorrow has caused quite a stir!

On one side is the "Strongest King" who has reigned supreme in the Edo martial arts world for many years, and on the other side is the "Strongest Challenger" who has conquered all of Edo.

How could a de facto "struggle for the throne" not attract attention?

Edo and beyond, the "Aoto craze" has once again swept through the region.

Teahouses, taverns, bathhouses, restaurants, dojos, academies... everywhere you can hear people enthusiastically discussing the upcoming "battle at the summit."

One can imagine that when the day after tomorrow arrives, Mount Atago will be bustling with unprecedented activity, packed with spectators coming to watch the battle.

Some astute vendors have already begun planning to set up stalls on Mount Atago the day after tomorrow, hoping to make a fortune.

Qing Deng is completely unconcerned about the current external disturbances.

After all... he now has something more important to do.

A matter concerning a man's dignity.

……

……

The next day, at night—

Edo, Koishikawa, Kohinata-Yanagi-cho, Shieikan, Souji's room—

"Huh? Tachibana-kun? What brings you here?"

Souji, while clinging to the door, blinked her beautiful eyes and looked at Aoto, who had suddenly arrived outside the door, with a puzzled expression.

"Um...can I go in first?"

As he spoke, Qingdeng revealed a bright, harmless smile.

*******

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Before you know it,

By the time the "Kyoto Arc" arrives, traditional "sword duels" will be much less frequent. After all, Qing Deng's stage is no longer the streets, and his opponents are no longer enemies of the level of terrorists or Yakuza. Please look forward to Qing Deng's heroic figure, wielding his sword against an ox and riding a carrot into battle!

Chapter 540 Miss Okita's bedding was soaking wet [4800]

"call……"

Qing Deng let out a long breath, leaned back, and lay flat on the soft tatami in a "spread-eagle" position.

The room reflects the person – Souji's room, just like herself, is clean and refreshing, a truly delightful space.

"It seems a bit cold, I'll go close the window."

With that, the commander stood up and strode toward the wide-open window.

Since he was in his own room and it was almost bedtime, Souji was dressed very casually.

She was wearing a close-fitting white nightgown.

Her hair, which she usually wore in a high ponytail, was let down and cascaded over her shoulders like a waterfall.

A pair of fair, bare feet, without socks and with full insteps, pattered on the tatami mat, looking incredibly cute.

As for the "four-dimensional breast wrap," it was naturally taken off, and the liberated ** stretched the pajamas into an uneven shape.

Qingdeng turned his head and looked at the figure that was so different from usual, and couldn't help but mutter to himself: Xiao Si's chest wrap is really too unscientific!

Although Souji's figure isn't as hot as Sanako's or Kinoshita Mai's, it's still quite impressive for the average woman.

It's unbelievable that her bodice could perfectly conceal such a captivating curve as a smooth straight line.

"...Tachibana-kun, what are you looking at?"

At that moment, Qing Deng suddenly felt a cold gaze—Souji was glaring at him while turning her delicate body to the side and covering her chest with her hands.

At that moment, Qing Deng instinctively activated the two talents he often used when facing Sanako, Kinoshita Mai, and Souji: "Emperor's Art" and "Trickster +1"!

He sat up abruptly, and said in a serious yet sincere manner:

"Because this white dress suits you so well, I couldn't help but take a few more glances..."

Don't give me that.

Before Qing Deng could finish speaking, Souji interrupted him impatiently.

"Do you think I'm like Ms. Kinoshita? Do you think I'll be easily flattered by a few nice words from you, like Ms. Kinoshita?"

"I saw it clearly, you were looking at my...my......"

At the end, Souji stammered, seemingly wanting to say something but stopping himself, his face turning red rapidly at a visible speed.

"Hmph! Anyway, I know that compared to Ms. Chiba and Ms. Kinoshita, my body is like that of a little girl."

"That's not true at all."