I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

However, in the instant he swung his sword, Souji had already vanished from the path of his blade.

Although it was only fleeting, he did catch a glimpse of the short ponytail swaying rapidly out of the corner of his eye.

A moment later, the commander who had been facing Prajna appeared beside Prajna.

As he dodged, Souji lowered his center of gravity, his whole body almost touching the floor, and switched to the Kasumi stance, the tip of his sword pointing like a bull's horn at Hannya's vital points in his waist and abdomen, and thrusting his sword forward!

To come up with such a ruthless move right from the start... it's clear that the commander-in-chief is determined to "win this battle quickly."

Almost at the same time, Nagakura Shinpachi, who was standing to the side, also made his move.

Nagakura Shinpachi lunged forward, his body standing tall like a giant. With a whoosh, the tip of his blade pointed diagonally to the sky, and then, like Mount Tai pressing down, he slashed down from mid-air, aiming for the back of Hannya's head!

A thrust and a slash came from different directions at the same time... Faced with such a dangerous situation, Prajna moved her body as if strolling in a garden.

He swung his right sword to deflect Souji's thrust; he raised his left scabbard to block Nagakura Shinpachi's slash—the two actions were performed simultaneously!

He resolved the crisis with such ease.

This outcome was within Souji's and Nagakura Shinpachi's expectations—they did not believe that they could defeat the monster before them with such ordinary moves.

After their attack was neutralized, they raised a cloud of dust from their heels and shifted their positions to confuse Prajna and disrupt her judgment.

Having witnessed Prajna's unfathomable and formidable strength firsthand, the two reached the same conclusion—they must maintain the offensive! Disrupt this guy's rhythm! Force him to lose his composure!

Once they panic and lose their composure, that will be the decisive moment!

The general manager took the initiative to accept the heavy responsibility of "head-on confrontation".

Nagakura Shinpachi, meanwhile, roamed the flanks, waiting for an opportunity to harass them.

In the blink of an eye, with a "whoosh," first the sound of metal clashing, then the vibration in the air—Prajna had once again blocked the commander's attack.

The commander-in-chief kept a close eye on Hannya's gaze.

The instant Hannya glanced sideways to observe Nagakura Shinpachi's actions, Souji attacked without hesitation, striking Hannya in the face.

But who knew that it was as if Prajna had several extra eyes, and even when her eyes were not looking at Souji, she still clearly saw his every move.

His right-hand sword sprang up as if by reflex, precisely intercepting the commander's slash, achieving a "force against force" effect, with sparks flying.

Shinpachi Nagakura's support was timely.

Taking advantage of the moment when Hannya swung his sword to block Souji, Nagakura Shinpachi seized the opportunity to attack, his blade making a loud noise as he slashed at Hannya's lower body from a tricky angle.

As soon as Nagakura Shinpachi raised his sword... Hannya once again displayed his unparalleled reaction and speed.

He spun around like a top, and his left scabbard, propelled by centrifugal force, drew a clean arc in the air, deflecting Nagakura Shinpachi's sword.

At the same time, the right-hand sword, taking advantage of the rotation, swept diagonally towards Souji's chest, forcing her back.

He easily neutralized their combined attack once again.

In the next instant, Prajna suddenly spread her arms wide, and her body began to spin again—

The blade slashed towards Souji with lightning speed.

The scabbard whistled as it rammed into Nagakura Shinpachi's chest.

Although Souji and Nagakura Shinpachi dodged the attack, before they could even catch their breath, the next wave of attacks came...

The two intended to disrupt Prajna's rhythm, making him too busy to defend and unable to attack.

But before they knew it, the opponent had gradually taken control of the rhythm of the battle...!

Prajna's sword-wielding speed was unbelievably fast!

No matter how Souji and Nagakura Shinpachi attacked or swung their swords, Hannya's sword or scabbard could always move to the most suitable position faster and block all their attacks.

Of course, compared to his slashing speed, his ability to "do two things at once" is even more remarkable!

Because he understood that he couldn't defeat Souji with the scabbard, he used the sword in his right hand to deal with Souji, while reserving the scabbard in his left hand to deal with Nagakura Shinpachi.

Despite being multitasking and simultaneously facing two top Shinsengumi fighters, his two arms seemed to possess "autonomous thinking," able to fight independently, assess danger, and automatically take defensive or offensive actions depending on the situation.

Souji and Nagakura Shinpachi both felt as if they were fighting two or even more people, rather than one person!

In terms of the ability to "do two things at once", he far surpasses Chiba Michizaburo, who developed the "Hokushin Two-Sword Style"!

Thus, even when facing two opponents alone, he was not at a disadvantage at all! On the contrary, he gradually gained the upper hand over the two of them!

shhhhh!

Prajna's steps were intertwined, and her body spun like a top, forcing the blade and sheath apart with rapid swings.

Because the movement was too violent, the top hat on his head wobbled slightly and then slid down.

He quickly freed his left hand to straighten the top hat on his head.

"Oh dear, oh no... my hat almost fell off."

Taking advantage of the moment he adjusted his hat, he raised his eyes and looked straight at the commander-in-chief in front of him, following the brim of his hat.

Is this all Okita Souji, the "Heavenly Sword," is capable of?

He pursed his lips as he spoke, a hint of disappointment appearing in his eyes.

"I thought the genius female swordsman, who was hailed as the 'Number One Admiral of the Shinsengumi,' would be more capable."

"If you still have any strength you're holding back, or any amazing tricks or secret techniques that work wonders, then feel free to use them."

"Let me see more of 'Heavenly Sword's' capabilities!"

At this point, Prajna seemed to remember something, paused for a moment, and then adopted a meaningful tone.

"Ah, right, right, I suddenly remembered."

"You seem to be Tachibana Aoto's wife, right?"

The commander replied coldly:

"So what?"

Upon hearing this, Prajna straightened his hat and his expression became strange.

"Well, if that's the case... then we're practically relatives now."

This simple sentence stunned the commander.

"Huh? What nonsense are you talking about? I don't remember having a relative like you who wears such strange clothes."

Prajna smiled and shrugged.

“I’m not making this up. If we’re talking about seniority in our sect, you’re my sister-in-law.”

The more the commander listened, the more confused he became.

Nagakura Shinpachi couldn't help but frown, a puzzled look on his face asking, "What's going on?"

"'Seniority/Discipline'? When did our Natural Mind School gain someone like you?"

This time, it was Prajna's turn to look puzzled.

"Huh? Hasn't Tachibana Aoto mentioned me to you guys?"

Souji and Nagakura Shinpachi responded to his question with blank expressions.

Prajna narrowed his eyes—he seemed to realize something, and a dark cloud gathered on his cheeks.

However, he still tentatively asked again:

"My name is 'Yamada Asaemon Katsumi'—Did Tachibana Aoto really never mention this name?"

Souji and Nagakura Shinpachi still looked bewildered.

However, their expressions changed when they heard the name "Yamada Asaemon".

The commander's tone was filled with surprise:

"'Yamada Asaemon'? You're one of 'Yamada Asaemon's' people?"

When asked the question by the chief, Hannya did not answer.

"..."

He silently lowered his head and pulled his top hat down.

Because of the brim of his hat, Souji and Nagakura Shinpachi could not see his expression at that moment.

"Oh, I see... Didn't he tell you?"

"Is he deliberately keeping quiet, or... does he know nothing at all...?"

In that instant, Souji and Nagakura Shinpachi both frowned, instinctively gripping their swords tightly—the aura emanating from Hannya suddenly changed! It was as if a clear, cloudless sky had turned into a dark, overcast one!

"Fine, if I don't know, I don't know."

As Prajna spoke, she looked up again, glancing at Souji with icy eyes and an expressionless face.

"Let me make this clear from the start: although you are my sister-in-law, I will not show you any mercy."

“You seem to find it hard to believe that I am a member of ‘Yamada Asaemon’.”

"In that case, I'll show you the true swordsmanship of an 'executioner'!"

The moment he finished speaking, Prajna vanished from the spot.

Souji's pupils contracted slightly, and he swiftly raised Kaga Kiyomitsu in his hand—

clang!!

The steel blades clashed heavily in the air.

Suddenly, Hannya appeared in front of Souji. He had already hung the scabbard of his left hand back on his waist, and was now holding the sword with both hands. He aimed at Souji's skull and slashed down with his right hand!

The sharpness and destructive power contained in this strike should not be underestimated!

The commander bit his lip and used brute force to deflect the attack.

Prajna's offensive continued unabated, followed by a second strike.

At that moment, Nagakura Shinpachi's reinforcements arrived, his blade thrusting out from the side to block the attack for Souji and deflect Hannya's sword.

Although it was only a snap of the fingers, the commander had already taken advantage of the opening to regroup, raise his sword and pounce on Hannya, and the battle began.

Nagakura Shinpachi followed.

The empty corridor resounded with the clang of metal on metal! It was filled with the scorching heat of clashing blades!