I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

After a brief moment of excitement, Kondo Isami licked his lips, suppressing his surging emotions, and asked in a deep voice:

"Yamazaki-kun, are you sure?"

Yamazaki nodded vigorously:

“I’m absolutely certain! I took the opportunity of serving the drinks to observe their faces up close. I’m absolutely certain—the person sitting in the main seat is indeed Katsura Kogoro himself! Furthermore, I have memorized Miyabe Teizo’s appearance!”

Upon hearing this, Kondo Isami closed his eyes and let out a long breath—after exhaling the last breath, he suddenly opened his eyes, a sharp glint in them.

"Yamazaki-kun... well done! You've done a great job!"

Yamazaki Susumu's report continued:

“I have already quietly opened the back door. If you need, I can lead you there.”

Nakazawa Koto swallowed hard and asked Kondo Isamu in a nervous tone:

"Director Kondo, what should we do now?"

"Are we going to attack directly?"

"Should we send someone to inform the lord first, and then attack together after both sides have joined forces?"

As soon as Nakazawa Koto finished speaking, Kondo Isami answered without hesitation:

"Is that even a question? Of course, we'll just storm in!"

"Those patriots who advocated rebellion may not have any other skills, but their ability to escape is top-notch."

"If we dawdle, we'll likely run into more problems."

"The enemy is right in front of us, how can we not take action immediately?"

"We'll definitely have to notify Tachibana-kun."

"But before they arrive, let's go and cause some chaos!"

Having said that, he turned to look at Yamazaki Susumu:

"Yamazaki-kun, Tachibana-kun and the others are searching along Nawate-dori east of the Kamo River. Go and inform them immediately!"

As a first-class ninja, Yamazaki Susumu possesses the fastest foot speed among everyone present, and he is not a combatant, so even if he were to join the attack, he wouldn't be of much use.

Therefore, choosing him to inform Qingdeng and the others was undoubtedly the most appropriate decision.

Just as Yamazaki was about to nod in agreement, a calm voice suddenly broke in:

"Director Kondo, please wait a moment."

The speaker was Soma Kazue, the vice-captain of the Sixth Division.

Because of his calm personality and commanding presence, he is currently being groomed by Qing Deng as a "future vice-commander".

The chief strategist of horse appraisal slowly said:

"None of us recognize Miyabe Teizou."

"Once the chaos begins, Miyabe Teizou will disappear into the crowd and we won't be able to find him."

"If Vice-Captain Yamazaki leaves, who will lead us to identify Miyabe Teizo?"

"I think Captain Yamazaki must come with us and charge in."

Kondo Isami nodded after hearing this.

"Yes, that makes sense."

After a moment's thought, he turned to look at Yamazaki Susumu again.

"Alright then, Yamazaki-kun, after you identify Miyabe Teizou, leave immediately and head to Nawate-dori to find Tachibana-kun and the others!"

Yamazaki nodded vigorously:

"I understand!"

After giving instructions to Yamazaki, Kondo turned to the others and gave precise instructions to each of them.

"Soma-kun, Yoshimura-kun, you two guard the front gate."

Soma Kazue and Yoshimura Kanichiro both nodded.

"Heisuke, Ms. Nakazawa, you two guard the back door."

Heisuke Todo and Kotomi Nakazawa both said "Yes".

Then, Kondo Isami turned to look at Souji, Nagakura Shinpachi, and Inoue Genzaburo.

"Tsukasa, Shinpachi, Genji, you guys follow me. Yamazaki-kun, how wide is the staircase at Ikedaya?"

Yamazaki Susumu immediately replied:

"Approximately two feet wide (60cm)."

"Two feet...that's very narrow..."

After a moment of contemplation, Kondo Isami turned his gaze and fixed it on Souji.

"Xiao Si, once we break in, you and I will be the vanguard. Let's charge straight to the second floor and storm into the enemy ranks!"

"Shinpachi and Genji will lead the second wave of the attack, following closely behind us, giving the enemy no chance to breathe!"

"The stairs are narrow, so watch your step and avoid crowding."

After hearing this, the commander-in-chief couldn't help but ask:

"Are you and I the only ones responsible for leading the charge?"

"There are 35 people on the other side, and there must be many very strong martial arts masters among them, including 'Kogoro the Swordsman'."

"A vanguard of only two people... wouldn't that be too risky?"

Kondo Isami curled the corners of his mouth and asked in a half-joking tone:

"What's wrong, Xiao Si? Do you not trust my abilities, or do you lack confidence in your own skills?"

Souji paused for a moment, then smiled confidently—though she didn't respond, her expression said it all.

"The fourth head of the Tennen Rishin-ryu main family and the 'Heavenly Sword'—this combination is enough!"

Kondo Isami grinned broadly as he spoke, his spirits high.

"My brother and I haven't fought side by side for a long time."

"Let's take this opportunity tonight to rekindle our 'brother and sister working together' tacit understanding."

"With the combined strength of you and me, brother and sister, we'll turn the world upside down!"

Our side has 8 players, the enemy side has 35 players.

Despite the vast disparity in numbers, not a single person showed any sign of fear.

They dispersed, poised to strike!

Soma Kazue and Yoshimura Kanichiro were paired together.

Heisuke Todo and Koto Nakazawa are in the same group.

Souji, Nagakura Shinpachi, and Inoue Genzaburo stood behind Kondo Isami in a triangular formation.

Kondo Isamu raised his gaze, staring intently at the "Ikedaya" signboard above his head and the vast night sky.

"Tonight, Kotetsu is so hungry he wants to drink blood!"

Before he finished speaking, he slowly drew the Nagasone Kotetsu from his waist.

Clang, clang, clang, clang...!

As the blade was pulled out inch by inch, his aura grew stronger and stronger!

The others also drew their knives from their waists.

Nagasone Kotetsu, Kaga Kiyomitsu, Hara Province resident Neneyama Ujishige, Oshu Province Shirakawa Province resident Kanetsugu, Kazusa Province resident Kaneshige... These famous swords, the moment they were drawn from their sheaths, emitted a resounding clang, as if they were eager to plunge into the bloody battle of tonight!

The clanging of swords drawn and the scattered sword energy instantly dispelled the summer night's heat and blurred the moonlight!

"Remember, kill them all! Don't let a single one escape!"

Kondo Isami strode through the door like a lion, inserted the Kotetsu sword into the crack of the door, used the sword as a lever, and gently pushed it to the right, silently opening the door.

After opening the door a crack wide enough for one person, Kondo Isami took the lead, followed closely by Souji, Nagakura Shinpachi, Inoue Genzaburo, and Yamazaki Susumu, and they filed in one after another.

Soma Kazue and Yoshimura Kanichiro stood guard at the gate.

Heisuke Todo and Kotono Nakazawa went around to the back and blocked the back door.

Upon entering the store, the dim yellow light of candles fills the view.

Kondo Isami and his group of five lowered their center of gravity, tensed their nerves, and raised all their senses to the limit, moving silently toward the stairwell with their superb footwork that made their feet stick to the ground.

At that moment, the owner of Ikedaya appeared.

The boss, holding an abacus, swaggered out of the inner room.

One second he was beaming with joy because he had made a big deal tonight, the next he was completely petrified.

He stared blankly at the group of uninvited guests dressed in light blue haori, as if he were a clay or wooden sculpture.

The next instant, he belatedly opened his mouth wide, about to scream—at this critical moment, Kondo Isami swiftly rushed forward and struck his side of the neck with the hilt of his sword.

His eyes rolled back, his limbs went limp—the boss didn't even have time to utter a groan before collapsing to the ground, unconscious.

At the exact moment the boss collapsed, coincidentally, a woman carrying a wine tray walked down from the second floor.

When she saw her boss lying on the ground, and Kondo Isami and others wearing light blue haori, her eyes widened in shock.

A moment later, she turned and ran back upstairs, shouting at the top of her lungs:

"Run! The Shinsengumi are here!!"

……

……

The innermost room on the second floor of the Ikedaya shop.

Even though a long time has passed, Katsura Kogoro, Miyabe Teizō, and others are still arguing endlessly about the rights and wrongs of "burning down Kyoto and kidnapping the Emperor".

Prajna, feeling utterly bored, lowered his head, pulled his hat down to shield himself from the light, and began to doze off.