I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

At the same time, Nishiki Shinmi, the captain of the Fifth Division, also reached out and restrained Kamo Serizawa.

"Saito-kun, Mr. Tachibana and Mr. Daiki will be here soon, so please put your sword away."

Nagakura Shinpachi said solemnly.

"Serizawa-kun, calm down. Fighting in this kind of situation is no joke."

On the other side, Nishiki Nishiki is also comforting Serizawa Kamo.

Sixth Division Captain Inoue Genzaburo noticed the commotion and quickly said:

"Hey, let's not fight."

"..."

Saito Hajime was silent for a moment, then—with a snap—he sheathed the sword.

Immediately afterwards, Serizawa Kamo also lowered his hand from the knife.

While we cannot launch a "physical critique" at this time and place, it is still not a problem to fight fire with fire.

When it comes to verbal sparring, the Commander-in-Chief is second to none.

She put her hands behind her back and scoffed.

"You clearly look down on farmers and women, yet your own status isn't any higher than theirs—you're even lower than those two farmers. Don't you know who should feel ashamed?"

Upon hearing this, Serizawa Kamo immediately widened his eyes and glared angrily at Souji.

However, the other party didn't care at all, and didn't even look at him directly, continuing to look straight ahead.

"What? You're not convinced? If you're not convinced, then draw your sword. Someone like you, I can take you down in five rounds. Want to try?"

Before the commander could even react, Nishiki Shinmi grabbed his shoulder tightly.

He didn't say much, only spoke softly and sincerely:

"Brother Serizawa..."

Serizawa Kamo turned his head to meet Shinmi Nishiki's gaze.

"..."

After a short while, he turned away silently with a somber expression, avoiding further conflict with the commander and the others.

Seeing that the other party was taking the initiative to back down, Souji and the others, not wanting the dispute to escalate, also decided to stop while they were ahead.

The unexpected incident was thus resolved.

Since just now, Sanako, as the captain of the 7th Division, has been paying close attention to the situation here.

Seeing that the storm had subsided, she straightened her head and continued to be a celestial being who was out of place in her current environment.

Among a group of rough men, the elegant Sanako stood out.

In such a solemn environment of war and chaos, it would certainly be inappropriate to wear a women's kimono that only allows for small, quick steps.

The Edo period was an era of strict social etiquette, and it was common for men to dress as women. For example, all Kabuki performers were men, and the female roles in the plays were played by male performers dressed as women.

It's acceptable for a man to dress as a woman, but it's absolutely unacceptable for a woman to dress as a man.

Women's kimonos and men's clothing are not allowed... The only clothes that Sanako and Kinoshita Mai can wear are kendo uniforms.

Strangely enough, Sanako was the only person among everyone present—aside from Hijikata Toshizo—who possessed the demeanor of a general.

She held her head high, her eyes fixed straight ahead, her expression neither humble nor arrogant, making no unnecessary small movements. Her high ponytail fluttered in the wind, giving her an imposing presence from afar.

In contrast, the others... while they can't be called mere imposters, their every move exuded an aura of insecurity and timidity.

However, they cannot be blamed for this.

To expect a group of low-ranking, unknown samurai who were just a few days ago to grow into formidable heroes of the time in a short period of time is simply too much to ask.

If the fairy in blue was the most elegant and refined among them, then the girl in red represented the other extreme.

As the only two women in the Shinsengumi (ostensibly the only two), their current performances are worlds apart.

Even people with normal social skills like Souji and Nagakura Shinpachi couldn't help but feel nervous at this time and place, so it's not hard to imagine how socially awkward Kinoshita Mai would react.

Unsurprisingly, she hunched her shoulders, drooped her head, looked down at her nose and mind, her face was pale, and her eyes were unfocused.

Anyone who looks at her can immediately tell that this girl is very nervous.

To her left was Harada Sanosuke, the captain of the 10th Division, and to her right was Toudou Heisuke, the captain of the 8th Division… people she didn’t know at all!

Kinoshita Mai had never wished so much that Sanako could stand beside her as she did at this moment.

Although the two of them didn't get along, at least she didn't feel nervous or afraid when facing Sanako.

Surrounded by strangers, she was trembling all over if she hadn't clenched her hands tightly and concentrated all her strength and attention between her palms.

Don't look at me, don't pay attention to me, I want to shrink, I want to shrink—this is the message conveyed in Kinoshita Mai's posture.

Those who are unaware of the situation would never imagine that such a girl is actually the captain of the 9th Division of the Shinsengumi, on par with Souji, Sanako, and others.

Judging from her appearance alone, she looks like a little girl who has gotten lost from her parents.

The captains of the sword-wielding squad were making a ruckus—and the officers standing in front of them were just as boisterous.

"Ah... I'm so full... I should have known better than to eat so much."

Kondo Isamu gently stroked his swollen belly.

What did you eat for breakfast?

Hijikata Toshizo asked casually.

Kondo Isami patted his muscular chest and grinned, revealing his teeth:

“I ate chestnuts and kelp before I left home.”

Eating chestnuts and kelp is a Japanese folk custom, taking advantage of the homophones for "victory" and "joy" to bring good fortune.

"This kind of behavior, which is purely for comfort, is meaningless."

As soon as he finished speaking, Hijikata Toshizo paused for a moment, then smiled slightly.

"Upon closer reflection, I don't think I was able to criticize your stance. Just a few days ago, I had a drink with my brother-in-law and sister."

Draining water from a glass is also a Japanese folk custom to signify farewell.

“Ah Sui, you don’t have to be like this…”

Kondo Isami chuckled to himself.

"It's not like we're never coming back."

"Hmph, that's hard to say."

With that, Hijikata Toshizo placed his hands on Izumi no Kami Kanesada's waist.

Logically speaking, Hijikata Toshizo, being merely a farmer, should not be qualified to carry a sword.

However, since Japan is now in a state of moral decay, no one cares about these formalities anymore.

"Ah Sheng, we're not going on a trip, we're going to war."

"Perhaps in six months, three months... or even the day after we arrive in Kyoto, we will have to rush into fierce battle."

"Be prepared to die on the battlefield—that's my advice to you."

Kondo Isami shrugged after hearing this.

"Ah Sui, you don't need to worry about that. Even without your detailed explanation, I know that this trip to Kyoto will be fraught with danger."

"but--"

He suddenly changed the subject.

"I will definitely survive, and I will achieve great things!"

His words were filled with high spirits and self-confidence.

On the other side, Kiyokawa Hachiro struck up a conversation with Yamanami Keisuke with great enthusiasm.

"Yamanan-kun, it's been a long time!"

Yamanami Keisuke responded politely:

"Kiyoshi Hachiro, it's been a long time."

The two were from the same school, both disciples of the Hokushin Itto-ryu school.

The difference is that Kiyokawa Hachiro studied at the Genbukan, while Yamanami Keisuke studied at the Kochiba Kenkan.

Although their respective schools were different, the two sword-fighting schools were closely related "brother schools" and often interacted with each other. Therefore, Yamanami Keisuke and Kiyokawa Hachiro had known each other for a long time, but they were not very familiar with each other.

"Mr. Yamanami, from now on, we will be colleagues working together!"

Kiyokawa Hachiro had a hearty, unpretentious smile on his face.

“Long ago, the name of Mr. Sannan, who was a ‘talented in both literature and martial arts,’ was already widely known between my Genbu Temple and the Chiba Sword Hall.”

"With your talent, the Shinsengumi will surely flourish!"

Yamanami Keisuke smiled reservedly:

"Qinghe Jun, you flatter me. I do not have such great abilities."

"Mr. Shannan, you're too modest!"

Kiyokawa Hachiro's initiative and enthusiasm did not elicit any enthusiasm from Yamanami Keisuke, who remained quite indifferent throughout.

However, Kiyokawa Hachiro paid no attention to this and continued to chat and try to get closer to him.

……

……

time flies.

As the sun rose a little higher and the light grew stronger, a dozen or so fully armored and heavily armed flag bearers marched into the arena in two imposing rows, standing neatly on either side of the hall.

At this moment, everyone knew that the mobilization ceremony was about to begin, and they immediately became tense.

The temple and its surroundings fell silent, save for the various flags, large and small, fluttering in the autumn wind.

Click, click, click, click, click...