I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

"I thought that Niou, who had performed so many miracles, would be an even more capable man."

"I never imagined... he was just a young man in his early twenties!"

"They are neither patient nor have a long-term vision."

"In my opinion, the most suitable position for him is the bodyguard of the General Who Conquers the Barbarians, rather than the commander who guards a region."

"To appoint a swordsman who only knows how to wield a sword but is completely ignorant of military affairs as the commander-in-chief of the new army... is truly a major blunder by the Edo Shogunate!"

Kiyokawa Hachiro did not hold back his sharp and sarcastic remarks.

His words were so harsh... it was as if what came out of his mouth were not words, but sharp knives.

Thus, under Kiyokawa Hachiro's leadership, Aoto was subjected to much criticism and ridicule.

Kiyokawa Hachiro's scathing remarks about Aoto made everyone present feel relieved, and the atmosphere gradually relaxed.

However… suddenly, a weak voice rang out:

"...Could it be that Tachibana Seito dares to spend money so lavishly because he has the strong support of the shogunate, or...has he mastered a way to make a lot of money steadily?"

The person who raised the question was Sugiura.

As soon as Sugiura finished speaking, everyone's eyes—including Kiyokawa Hachiro's—immediately focused on him.

Kiyokawa Hachiro blinked blankly, then shook his head vigorously, stating decisively:

"Impossible, absolutely impossible!"

"Matsudaira Shuzurisuke had previously told us that due to financial difficulties, the shogunate did not intend to provide substantial financial support to the Shinsengumi."

"I believe this is completely credible!"

"As far as I know, the shogunate's current financial situation is extremely bad."

"I'm certain that even if the shogunate provides some support to Tachibana Seito, the amount of aid will definitely not be much."

"As for 'mastering a method to consistently make a lot of money'... is making money really that easy?"

"If it were so easy to make a lot of money, there would be no poor people in the world."

"This is the capital region, and most of the businesses that can make big money have been snapped up by Osaka's big merchants."

"In order for the newly formed group to maintain its current level of spending and operate smoothly, it must at least reach an income level of 'two thousand taels of gold per month'."

“From the time Tachibana Seiden first arrived in Kyoto until now, it has only been a little over a month.”

"Given his unstable foothold, how could he possibly find such a lucrative opportunity?"

"Sugiura-kun, your argument is unfounded!"

After Kiyokawa Hachiro's explanation, the previously tense atmosphere eased again.

Even Sugiura himself, who raised the questions, gradually relaxed his facial features.

He lowered his head and said respectfully, full of apology:

"Lord Qinghe, I'm sorry... I was foolish..."

Kiyokawa Hachiro waved his hand to indicate "it's alright," and continued the conversation:

"In short, no matter what, it's a great thing for us that Tachibana Seiden is acting recklessly."

"The more foolish moves he makes, the more advantageous it is for us."

"Although he is currently enjoying great success, he has won the hearts of the army and gained widespread support from his soldiers by providing them with unparalleled and abundant food."

"But... to put it bluntly, the soldiers are a bunch of heartless people who will follow whoever feeds them."

"When you can pay the soldiers and feed them, you are a beloved saint of our time."

"But when you're out of pay and food, nobody will take your words seriously anymore."

"Therefore, time is on our side!"

"The day Ju Qingdeng exhausts the military funds will be the day he loses the hearts of his troops!"

"That will be the moment of our rise!"

Kiyohachiro's voice suddenly rose.

At the same time, he narrowed his eyes and stared intently at his subordinates.

Inspired by his solemn demeanor, Ishizaka and the others straightened their backs and unconsciously adopted a serious expression.

"It's a pity that I didn't become the commander-in-chief of the Shinsengumi directly, and only got a nominal position as a Shinsengumi staff officer... But to dwell on regret too much is to lose one's mind!"

"I'll say it again—the Shinsengumi will be ours sooner or later!"

"In the not-too-distant future, we will take the Shinsengumi from Tachibana Seito's hands... no, correction—we will take back the Shinsengumi that rightfully belongs to us!"

Kiyokawa Hachiro's tone was filled with immense confidence.

"At this stage, we will continue to maintain our established plan!"

He turned to look at Ishizaka and Ikeda.

"Actively seek external support from the imperial court and the Choshu Domain."

His gaze shifted to Sugiura.

"On the other hand, we will then spread the ideology of revering the emperor and expelling barbarians within the Shinsengumi, recruiting as many ordinary members as possible into our ranks to strengthen our power and dismantle Tachibana Aoto's rule from within..."

Suddenly... really suddenly, Kiyokawa Hachiro's words came to an abrupt halt.

He frowned sharply and looked up at the ceiling.

Such unusual behavior naturally aroused the confusion of others.

As Ikeda followed Kiyokawa Hachiro's gaze, he asked softly:

"Lord Qinghe, what's wrong with you...?"

choke!

Before Ikeda could finish speaking, he was interrupted by a loud sound of a sword being drawn!

With lightning speed, Kiyokawa Hachiro leaped into the air.

At the very moment his legs left the ground, a shimmering silver snake flew from his left waist.

He held the knife in one hand, the blade drawing a breathtaking and terrifying arc in mid-air before striking the ceiling above his head.

With a loud bang, Kiyokawa Hachiro shattered the ceiling with a single strike, creating a hole more than a meter wide.

This is an old, uninhabited house that has been there for many years.

In other words, the ceiling of the room was already covered with a thick layer of dust and cobwebs.

No sooner had Kiyokawa Hachiro shattered the ceiling than a massive amount of dust and broken cobwebs began to fall, enveloping the entire house.

The dust surged and billowed... just like snow falling. As far as the eye could see, everything was white and shrouded in mist.

The sudden "dust wave attack" caught Ikeda and his companions off guard, causing them great suffering.

"Cough! Cough! Cough!"

"Ouch! I've got dust in my eyes!"

"Achoo! Achoo! Achoo!" (sneezes)

"Lord Qinghe! What's wrong with you?"

Kiyokawa Hachiro remained silent, ignoring their questions.

He squinted, using his long eyelashes to filter out the dust.

Beneath her eyelashes lay a sharp gaze, like an arrow.

Under his piercing gaze, a... correct, a two-lobed mouse fell down.

The poor rat was cut in two, the cut intact—clearly it was struck directly by Kiyokawa Hachiro's slash, which led to its tragic end.

The two pieces of mouse landed right at Kiyokawa Hachiro's feet.

Kiyokawa Hachiro lowered his head, glanced at the dead rat at his feet, then raised his head again to carefully scan the ceiling above.

After confirming that there was nothing unusual on the ceiling, he breathed a sigh of relief and his expression relaxed.

"Oh, it's a mouse..."

As he spoke, he placed the tip of the knife back against the scabbard opening and deftly sheathed the knife.

Ishizaka stepped forward and asked eagerly:

"Lord Qinghe, what's wrong? What exactly happened?"

Kiyohachiro replied calmly:

"It's nothing, I just vaguely heard a strange noise coming from above, so I checked it out... Looks like I was just being paranoid."

After saying that, he casually kicked the dead rat at his feet far away.

……

……

At the same time—

In a dark alley not far from the old house where Kiyokawa Hachiro and the others were—

A graceful figure leaped up with the agility of a spring up from the ground, lightly grabbing a rafter under the eaves. Then, like folding paper, she flipped her body upwards and landed steadily on the roof.

The figure was dressed entirely in black, from head to toe.

Black cloth stockings, slightly tight-fitting custom-made black trousers, equally tight-fitting custom-made black clothes, black headscarf and face mask... only his eyes were visible.

If any officers from the Edo Magistrate's Office were here, they would surely be astonished to see this man's attire.

This appearance... is exactly the classic look of the Phantom Thief Neko-sō!

"...They're quite alert."

Kinoshita Mai pulled down the black mask from her face and turned to look in the direction she had just left... the direction where Kiyokawa Hachiro and the others were.

"Hmph...! Kiyokawa Hachiro, I've finally found your weakness...!"

His muttering was filled with displeasure and resentment.