I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

"Oh dear, this is terrible! If I had known this would happen, I should have shaved my beard earlier! If future generations see me looking like this, wouldn't I be a laughingstock?"

As he spoke, Nagakura Shinpachi gently stroked the stubble on his chin, a look of worry on his face.

Hijikata Toshizo shrugged:

"Don't worry, the photo isn't very clear, you can't see your stubble."

Just as everyone was about to disperse, Qingdeng shouted first:

"Wait a minute, don't rush off!"

After saying that, he turned to look at Serizawa Kamo and Niimi Nishiki not far away.

"Serizawa! Shinmi! Come over here, let's take a group photo!"

Upon hearing this, Serizawa Kamo and Nishiki Nishiki were both stunned.

"A group photo? Us?"

Serizawa Kamo frowned deeply.

"We're not from the Shiwei Hall, so we don't need to get involved, right?"

While Aoto and the others were enthusiastically taking photos, Serizawa Kamo and Niimi Nishiki stood on the sidelines, neither speaking nor joining the "photo session," displaying an aloof and detached attitude, as if they were the only ones sober in a world of drunks.

Of course, from another perspective, it's as if the two of them were isolated by Qing Deng and others.

Qing Deng explained with a smile:

“We were just taking a group photo of the ‘Shiekan faction’.”

"And now, I want to take a group photo of the Shinsengumi."

"So, Sanako, Mai, Elodie, and Mitaro, you guys come over here quickly too!"

This time, it was Elodie and the others who were stunned.

Sanako and Ama were fine and quickly returned to normal.

Elodie blinked her beautiful eyes, her face full of surprise.

Yataro Iwasaki was even more astonished.

"Mr. Tachibana, me...me?"

He pointed to himself, his face showing intense hesitation.

"But... but I'm not a member of the Shinsengumi, I'm from the Shinsengumi Trading Company..."

Before he could finish speaking, Qing Deng interrupted him:

"To me, you've been a member of the Shinsengumi for a long time. Stop talking nonsense and come over here."

"Mr. Orange..."

Yataro Iwasaki's face was filled with emotion, as if he might burst into tears at any moment.

Since Qing Deng had already put it this way, Elodie and the others no longer hesitated and jogged to the front of the camera.

Now, only Serizawa Kamo and Nishiki Nishiki remain in the same place.

Serizawa Kamo looked at Aoto with a complicated expression, neither advancing nor retreating.

At that moment, he suddenly felt a large hand pressing down on his shoulder.

Serizawa Kamo turned his head and saw Niimi Nishiki smiling at him, saying:

"Brother Serizawa, let's go."

"..."

Hesitation and indecision began their final tug-of-war on her cheeks.

Finally... about 5 seconds later, he slowly took big steps toward the group, with Shinji Nishiki following closely behind.

No one at the scene objected to their joining.

The bond of camaraderie is indeed a very special kind of connection.

In his previous life, Qing Deng had seen this little-known fact:

The camaraderie among comrades-in-arms... especially the kind of camaraderie where they go through danger together and entrust their lives to each other, can unleash amazing energy, much like a strong romantic relationship, or even more so than that between husband and wife.

Whether this little-known fact is true or false, Qingdeng is not a professional scholar and therefore cannot know.

However, based on his own experience, he felt that there was some truth to that statement.

Back when Serizawa Kamo and Nishiki Shinmi joined the Shinsengumi, they were, if not universally disliked, certainly out of place.

This was not because Qing Deng and others intentionally ostracized him.

The "Shiwei Hall Faction," led by Qing Deng, came from the same sword-fighting hall and had a very deep bond with each other. Naturally, they would stick together as a group, leaving no room for outsiders to interfere.

In contrast, Serizawa Kamo and Niimi Nishiki are fellow villagers (from Mito) and longtime friends, thus forming their own small group.

Thus, the estrangement and antagonism between the "Shiekan faction" and the "Mito faction" became a natural occurrence.

However, after going through many bloody battles, fighting side by side against the enemy, and risking their lives together, the rift between the two groups gradually diminished.

Comrades who have shared the same trenches, weathered storms together, and gone through thick and thin... such a bond transcends ordinary friendship.

Even Hijikata Toshizo, Saito Hajime, and others who used to be at odds with Serizawa Kamo no longer harbor the same hostility towards each other as before.

Of course, this change is inseparable from the outstanding military achievements that Ya and Jin earned with their sweat and blood.

The Shinsengumi are an army, so naturally they value strength above all else.

Whoever is better at fighting and more capable will earn more respect.

Hijikata Toshizo was to the Shinsengumi what Zhang Liao was to the Eastern Wu, capable of "stopping children from crying at night."

Whenever the "Demon Vice-Commander" is mentioned, the Shinsengumi soldiers can't help but shudder.

Despite this, no one dared to question its status.

The reason for this is that his outstanding skills in both literature and martial arts are evident to all.

Faced with tough and arduous battles, Serizawa Kamo and Nishiki Nishimi never backed down and always charged ahead, accumulating real military merits.

Serizawa Kamo even once won the top credit in the battle (Battle of Iga).

No one can deny that Serizawa Kamo is one of the most valiant and skilled swordsmen in the Shinsengumi!

Even those who dislike Serizawa Kamo the most have to admit his bravery and achievements, and thus give him the utmost respect.

On the other hand, whether it was because he was convinced by Aoto or because of their camaraderie, Serizawa Kamo was not as sharp as before.

In short, he has become much more composed, much like a precious sword that has been sheathed and is no longer easily shown to others.

With the addition of characters like Serizawa Kamo and Elodie, the area in front of the camera became exceptionally crowded.

It took everyone quite a bit of effort before they finally found their places.

Aoto still stood in the very center, with Kondo Isami and Hijikata Toshizo on his left and right sides.

The women, led by Sanako, stood in front of him, and Ama affectionately embraced Elodie.

The others stood or squatted so that everyone's face could be captured by the camera without being obscured.

Perhaps infected by the lively atmosphere, Kenzo Tamoto enthusiastically crawled behind the black cloth behind the camera.

"Stand still, everyone! Don't move! One...two...three...four...five...Okay, that's enough!"

……

……

The photography continues.

After taking the group photo, Shinpachi Nagakura, Sanosuke Harada, and others took turns taking individual photos, saying they would send the photos back to their hometown so that their fellow villagers could see how impressive they looked now.

Harada Sanosuke, that big rascal, even took off his shirt and declared that he wanted to take a picture of the scar on his stomach.

While taking photos, he even made sure to show Kenzo Takamoto the scar on his stomach:

"Back in the day, before I became a ronin and was still an official in the Matsuyama Domain of Iyo, some annoying guy slandered me as a 'small clerk who didn't even know the etiquette of seppuku.' I'm the kind of person who likes to take things seriously. Didn't he say I didn't even know how to commit seppuku? I immediately pulled out my wakizashi, stabbed it into my stomach, and performed seppuku on the spot to show him!"

……

……

After taking many photos, Hijikata Toshizo slipped away to an inconspicuous corner to rest quietly.

Suddenly, a deep, muffled voice rang out from beside him:

"Ah Sui, isn't it about time you explained yourself to me?"

Hijikata Toshizo raised an eyebrow and looked in the direction of the sound with a surprised expression.

"Ah Sheng, what brings you here?"

Ahead of him, Kondo Isami, with his hand on the sword at his waist, strode toward Hijikata Toshizo.

"Ah Sui, explain this to me quickly."

He repeated it without any emotion.

Hijikata Toshizo regained his composure and smiled slightly:

"Explanation? What do you want me to explain?"

"You're acting so strangely today, what happened?"

"Abnormal? May I ask what's abnormal about this? I just had a sudden urge, so I paid for everyone to take photos out of my own pocket. Is there a problem with that?"

"I can't really explain it in detail. In short, I just feel that you're acting very strangely."

"Seriously...aren't you being a bit too unreasonable?"

Just as Hijikata Toshizo was responding with a wry smile, a new voice suddenly rang out:

"Mr. Hijikata, if there is any hidden story behind this, please let me hear it."

Immediately afterward, footsteps drew closer.

This time, both Hijikata Toshizo and Kondo Isami were stunned.

The two followed the sound and knocked, just in time to see the commander-in-chief taking small, quick steps and arriving in front of them in the blink of an eye.