I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

"Although I don't want to waste my breath on a dying man, since you've brought up the 'trends of the times,' I'll talk to you about it briefly."

"I don't know if there is such a thing as 'general trend' in this world."

"But I know that there is only one 'trend' in this world, and that is 'the winner takes all, the loser is condemned'!"

"Let's leave the future aside for now."

"But at least tonight, we will be the victors!"

Upon hearing this, Miyabe Teizō's face darkened, and he gritted his teeth:

"Hmph! What a waste of breath! Victory? You think you can be the victor? You lackeys of the Shogunate, I advise you not to be too smug!"

"You don't believe me? Fine, stop with the nonsense! Since we're both samurai, we should settle things with our swords!"

Before the words were even finished, Kondo Isami leaped out! Soaring into the air, using the momentum of his descent and his own weight, he forcefully brought down the Kotetsu sword that was held high above his head.

His chosen target was the very person who had just withstood his attack.

The offensive he's unleashing now—like a sword slashing down from a cliff—is truly formidable!

The sheer "whooshing" wind pressure alone was enough to send chills down one's spine.

Whether the man didn't react in time or was too confident in his skills, he didn't dodge. Instead, he spread his feet apart, lowered his center of gravity, and prepared to get close to Fujiwara's sword, just like before.

In the blink of an eye, the impact and roar shook the atmosphere.

clang!!

The sharp blades rubbed against each other, producing a piercing noise that nearly tore eardrums apart.

The explosive impact caused a nick to appear on the blade of Kotetsu's sword.

If even the Kotetsu was like this, then the opponent's sword was even more so—spiderweb-like cracks appeared centered on the point of impact, and it was clear that it was no longer usable.

Unable to withstand the immense force, the man stumbled backward, crashing into the second wall of people behind him, instantly disrupting the previously intact formation.

Kondo Isami seized the opportunity and roared as he brandished the Kotetsu sword.

His innate "lone wolf" spirit was brought to its fullest potential!

He swung his sword to the left, deflecting the attack from the enemy on his left. Then, he adjusted the direction of the blade, forcing back the enemy on his right. Finally, as he pulled the sword back to his hand, he successfully slashed the arm of the enemy in front of him.

He fought against many opponents single-handedly, holding his own against Miyabe Teizou's bodyguards without being at a disadvantage!

Seeing that Kondo Isami was engaged in a fierce battle, Souji, who was not far away, was about to go and help after taking down another person.

Just then, from the thick darkness beside her, a blade whistled—a cold blade suddenly rushed over! Heading straight for her snow-white neck!

The moment he felt the air pause slightly, Souji instinctively crouched down.

While dodging, Kaga Kiyomitsu on her right hand drew an arc in the air, crossing the sky to precisely intercept the attack, changing its trajectory and deflecting it to the side.

Then, Souji jumped to the side, creating distance between himself and the attacker.

Upon recognizing the attacker, Souji was initially startled, then revealed a half-smile:

"No wonder your strike was so sharp just now, it was you."

As soon as the commander finished speaking, a tall figure emerged from the darkness—it was Katsura Kogoro.

As a fellow swordsman who had been involved in the Edo martial arts world, Souji naturally recognized the once-famous "Sword Master Kogoro".

Souji glanced at the sword in Katsura Kogoro's hand and said quietly:

"Katsura Kogoro, you're a big shot in the Zunyao faction. I thought you'd run away in a panic to save your life, but I didn't expect you to stay and fight."

Katsura Kogoro said in a deep voice:

"Mr. Miyabe is an important leader among our loyalists."

"I can't just stand by and watch him die here!"

As he spoke, he raised the blade, its cold gleam flashing.

"This is a rare opportunity, so let me experience the power of 'Heavenly Sword'!"

Having said that, he steadily raised his knife.

"Shinto Muken-ryu, Katsura Kogoro!"

Seeing this, the commander smiled slightly:

"What a coincidence! I've wanted to have a match with the famous 'Sword Master Kogoro' for a long time now."

As she spoke, she raised the knife to the middle.

"Natural Rishin-ryu, Okita Souji!"

……

……

"Now's the time! Run!"

"We absolutely cannot die here!"

Taking advantage of the intense fighting and the fact that no one was paying attention to them, the two patriots secretly ran out of the room, tumbling and crawling through the corridors and stairs, and hurriedly arrived at the entrance hall on the first floor.

They were secretly relieved, thinking they had escaped unharmed—unaware that two people were already waiting outside the gate.

Seeing that enemies had finally fled here, Soma Kazue and Yoshimura Kanichiro both raised their swords.

Yoshimura Kanichiro steadied himself, assumed a mid-section stance, and twitched the tip of his sword like the tail of a sekirei—truly a textbook example of the Hokushin Itto-ryu sword-wielding posture.

Just when they were about to escape, they were suddenly blocked by two obstacles... In their panic, the two patriots were overcome with a strong will to survive and thus unleashed their full power.

"You lackeys of the Shogunate! Get out of here!"

One of them drew his sword, raised it high above his head, and slashed at Yoshimura Kanichiro's forehead.

While lacking in skill, the sheer force of the performance was undeniable.

As a fellow disciple highly regarded by Yamanami Keisuke, Yoshimura Kanichiro possesses formidable strength, capable of holding his own against even Nagakura Shinpachi and Saito Hajime for a time!

He calmly stepped to the side, dodging the opponent's strike.

While dodging, he lowered his blade and raised it to the next level.

Just as the two were about to pass each other, he swung his knife upwards—the blade spraying out droplets of blood.

With a single blow, the man showed no signs of life. After groaning a few times, he fell forward and landed face-first in the dirt.

At the same time, Soma Kazue was engaged in a fierce battle with another loyalist.

In comparison, Soma Kazue's skills were not particularly outstanding in the Shinsengumi, which was full of strong fighters.

Fortunately, the opponent he is currently facing is weaker than him.

He created an opening to lure the enemy into attacking.

After his opponent fell for the trap, he nimbly jumped up, easily dodging the opponent's knife. As his body began to fall, he swiftly slashed down with the knife in mid-air, striking his opponent squarely in the face.

Before Soma Kazue and Yoshimura Kanichiro could catch their breath, several more people were seen escaping from the Ikeda-ya...

……

……

Upon learning that a skilled guard was stationed at the main gate, some people took a different approach and attempted to escape through the back door.

The first person to escape to the back door was a short man who was less than 1.5 meters tall—in fact, in the Edo period, such a height was not considered short.

As the little man pushed open the back door and smelled the sweltering outdoor air, he immediately saw a huge figure—

"Give me your life!"

"Giantwoman" Nakazawa Koto shouted and wielded her naginata like a flicking lamp wick.

Don't be fooled by the slender blade of the woman's naginata. When you swing it in a wide arc, the terrifying power unleashed by the leverage effect makes it a truly heavy weapon!

With a single strike, the unsuspecting dwarf shrank even further.

Long weapons such as naginata and spears can only exert their maximum power in open spaces—which is why Kondo Isami deployed Nakazawa Koto outside the Ikeda-ya.

The people responsible for guarding the back door were Todo Heisuke and Nakazawa Koto.

They worked together, one responsible for "mid-range strikes" and the other for "close-range kills".

A katana and a naginata were used to firmly seal the back door, preventing anyone from escaping.

As the saying goes, the will to survive can greatly unleash a person's potential.

To survive, the man gritted his teeth, secretly lying in wait for the best opportunity to strike.

Based on his limited practical experience, he realized that Todo Heisuke was not someone to be trifled with, and that Nakazawa Koto was the best "breakthrough point".

Just then, a man with considerable skill fought with Nakazawa Kotomi for several rounds. Seizing the opportunity, he charged forward with a roar, raised his knife, and slashed straight at Nakazawa Kotomi's waist and abdomen.

If this attack hits, even if Nakazawa Koto doesn't die, he will be severely injured and fall to the ground.

He thought this move would kill Nakazawa Koto directly and carve out a bloody path for him, and his face was full of sinister smiles.

But to his surprise... when he swung his knife down, his palm did not feel the solid sensation of cutting flesh and breaking bones, but was instead shaken and hurt, as if he had hit something hard.

Looking up, I saw that the blade had cut open Nakazawa Koto's haori, but the tear did not reveal her fair skin; instead, it revealed her dark armor.

Instantly, the man's eyes widened in grief and indignation, and he murmured, half annoyed and half aggrieved:

"Chain armor...?!"

This murmur became the last words he uttered in his life.

Heisuke Todo stepped forward, a flash of white light, and he collapsed to the ground, his expression of grief and indignation unchanged.

……

……

Kyoto, Nawate-dori (east of the Kamo River), somewhere—

Hijikata Toshizo and the others waited silently outside the alley for Seiden's return.

Qingdeng's absence was not long.

All in all, it only lasts a little over 5 minutes.

However, these short five minutes gave Hijikata Toshizo and the others the illusion that more than five hours had passed.