I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

“Old man, you’re already quite old, long past the age where you can act recklessly.”

"Even if you leave Edo, no one will blame you."

Shusuke Kondo shook his head with a wry smile:

“That won’t do. Even if no one blames me, I don’t want to leave Edo.”

Upon hearing this, Abi couldn't help but question:

"Why?!"

"..."

Kondo Shusuke pursed his lips and paused briefly.

A moment later, he adopted a serious and earnest expression, looked directly at Abi, and their eyes met.

“Abi, I have never told anyone what I am about to say.”

"You are the first listener."

"Actually, when Tachibana-kun formed the Shinsengumi and marched to Kyoto, I really wanted to catch up with him."

"I want to go to Kyoto too!"

"I also want to achieve great things!"

"What a pity... just as you just said, I am really too old."

"At that time, I was worried about my aging body."

"I was afraid of causing trouble for Tachibana and the others, so I suppressed the urge to 'chase after them'."

At this point, he grinned and let out a self-deprecating laugh.

"It's a pity that I've immersed myself in swordsmanship for decades, yet I haven't achieved anything in the end."

"The only two achievements I can be proud of in my life are establishing this Shieikan in Edo and allowing the Tennen Rishin-ryu school to spread in a small area of ​​Tama."

"On the day I saw Tachibana and the others off to Kyoto, I couldn't help but think: This is probably how my life will be."

"I would bask in the sun every day, take walks, and live out my days peacefully at the Shie-e-kan... I don't dislike such an ending, but I still feel regret."

"I was prepared to die peacefully."

"I never imagined... that I would encounter such a fierce battle right before my eyes today!"

"To be honest, when I learned that the Choshu army was attacking and Edo was in danger... at that moment, I felt my whole body burning up."

"At that moment, I understood: even though my body is decaying, I still don't want to admit defeat."

"The blood in my veins is still boiling hot!"

"Just like this knife, still sharp!"

At this point, he suddenly clenched the Erwang Qingshi in his hand.

“Abi, the day I’ve been waiting for has finally arrived.”

"If I miss this opportunity, I might really have to live out my life as a 'retired old man' and never have the chance to become a 'swordsman' again."

"So...I want to fight! I want to join the war!"

"This is Kondo Shusuke's last battle!"

"Whether I live or die, or whatever the outcome may be, I will accept it with equanimity!"

At this moment, anyone could see that the old man was radiating an astonishing "vitality".

Shock, panic, worry... one emotion after another rose and fell on Abi's cheeks.

As a family member, she naturally didn't want to see the elderly person take any risks.

She instinctively opened her mouth, trying to dissuade him.

However… after listening to the old man’s heartfelt words and seeing his proud demeanor, she knew better than anyone else that even if Amaterasu herself descended to earth, she couldn’t persuade the old man to come back.

So she slowly closed her mouth, then bit her lip, lowered her head, and couldn't utter a single word for a long time.

Seeing his wife remain silent, Kondo Shusuke smiled faintly, his expression softening.

"Abi, don't make that face."

"Although I just said it as if I was going to my death, I'm not that easy to die."

"after all--"

He suddenly drew out the last syllable, grasped the two kings' statues with his left hand, let his right hand hang down naturally, slowly stood up, and faced the Buddha statue beside him.

The next moment, he slightly opened his squinty eyes, and a glint of light shot out from between them.

At the same time, he drew his sword, Erwang Qingshi, with a "whoosh"! A silvery-white blade shot out!

The gleaming blade reflected his hunched, yet proud, old face.

The gust of wind generated when the sword was drawn swept across the entire arena.

"I am Kondo Shusuke, the third head of the Tennen Rishin-ryu school!"

……

……

Edo, Military Academy—

The head of the military academy, the sword saint Otani Seiichiro, strode towards the backyard.

Before long, a small, exquisite courtyard, reserved for the use of the military academy's senior officers, came into view.

Kubota Seine, also a head of the martial arts institute, known as a "major force in the martial arts world" and proficient in many martial arts, was sitting on the veranda of this courtyard, gazing at the sky, lost in thought.

Ootani Seiichiro stood behind Kubota Kiyone and said calmly:

"Qingyin, relay the order from Liuying: The entire Jiangwu Army is to launch an attack! Fight to the death!"

Liuying – a respectful term for the shogunate.

The so-called "military training army" was a new army that was organized and trained by the military training institute.

This new army has experienced many twists and turns since its formation due to complex political struggles.

It has undergone several downsizings and budget reductions.

It wasn't until Tokugawa Iemochi came to power and Aoto was promoted to Army Commander-in-Chief that the living conditions of the Military Academy finally improved significantly.

With the concerted efforts of Tokugawa Iemochi and Aoto, the Jiangwu Army received the same treatment as the Hachioji Sennin Tōshin, being given priority in being equipped with Western-style guns and cannons and receiving the most advanced military training available at the time.

After hearing Seiichiro Otani's report, Kiyone Kubota remained silent for five seconds before letting out a long sigh:

"Sigh, if only the Changzhou army had arrived six months later..."

The Jiangwu Army shares the same problem as the Thousand-Man Unity Army: although equipped with new guns and cannons, it lacks corresponding training and has not yet formed a considerable combat capability.

In short, the current combat capability of the Jiangwu Army is far from being able to go to the battlefield and fight the enemy.

Ootani Seiichiro also sighed deeply:

"Even if it's difficult, we have no choice but to grit our teeth and go for it. This is a major battle that concerns the fate of Edo, and we cannot back down."

As he spoke, he bent down and sat down next to Kubota Kiyone.

"Qingyin, how are you feeling? Can you still draw a bow and wield a sword?"

Upon hearing this, Kubota Kiyone smiled gently:

"What? Seiichiro, are you trying to send me to the battlefield?"

Seiichiro Otani calmly responded:

“I said, this is a major battle concerning the fate of Edo, and we cannot back down. Everyone who has the strength to fight must go into battle—including me.”

Kubota Kiyone shrugged helplessly.

"I am now too weak to wield the knife."

"Expecting me to kill the enemy with a sword is definitely a dead end."

"The only thing I can barely manage is drawing the bow."

Otani Seiichiro nodded:

"In that case, when I charge into battle with my sword, I'll have to trouble you to provide cover with your bow and arrows."

Kubota Kiyone shrugged, as if she had heard something interesting:

"...Seiichiro, if I may be so bold, in this era where guns and cannons dominate the battlefield, how much of a role can our swords play?"

Otani Seiichiro shrugged.

Not entirely.

"We will use Edo as our battlefield and fight a siege battle against the enemy."

"In the complex terrain of the town, the enemy's guns and cannons are difficult to use, but our swords and knives can still come in handy."

Kiyone Kubota grinned, a self-deprecating expression on her face:

"The 'samurai spirit' can only be of some use when fighting in cramped, narrow streets... How ridiculous."

Ootani Seiichiro chuckled:

“Qingyin, this is not funny.”

"It has always been this way, hasn't it?"

"As someone proficient in more than ten martial arts, you should know better than I do that even in the Warring States period, the role of swords and knives was quite limited."

“Every single one of those generals who went into battle carried a long spear, for fear that their spears were even a fraction shorter than the others.”

"Even a sword saint like Kamitsuzumi Nobutsuna obediently wields a spear when he goes to the battlefield."

Kiyone Kubota shook her head with a wry smile:

“Seiichiro, this is different.”

"During the Warring States period, no matter how powerful the naginata and spear were, swords still had their uses."

"However... with the rise of guns and cannons, I truly feel that swords and the like are going to be phased out."