I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

As he put away his stethoscope, he cast a sharp glance at the commander.

The commander chuckled dryly a few times, then turned to look at him:

"'Enduring'? Mr. Nanjo, what are you talking about? I didn't endure anything."

No sooner had he finished speaking than Nanjo Akizaburo shouted:

"Captain Okita, please don't lie to me, a doctor."

Your words may deceive me, but your breathing cannot!

“A normal cough doesn’t have such a terrible breathing sound.”

"Captain Okita, you're suffering from 'blood cough'!"

As he finished speaking, Nanjo Akizaburo could no longer hide the shock on his face.

Hemoptysis—this disease is known as "tuberculosis" in modern times, but in Edo-period Japan, it had another name: "Red Incurable Disease"!

As the name suggests, once you contract this disease, you will cough up blood continuously until you die, and there is no cure!

It wasn't until the advent of antibiotics, represented by penicillin, that this terrible disease that killed countless people was finally conquered.

Souji remained calm in the face of Nanjo Akizaburo's diagnosis, her pretty face showing neither shock nor fear.

Upon seeing this, Nanjo Akizaburo was taken aback at first, then tentatively asked:

"Captain Okita, did you... already know you had hemoptysis?"

General Wan'er:

"He coughs up blood every day, it's hard not to know, right?"

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Please vote with monthly tickets! Please vote with recommendation tickets! (Leopard crying.jpg)

P.S.: Leopard doesn't know anything about medicine and doesn't know how much blood one coughs up after contracting tuberculosis, so I might have exaggerated Souji's condition. Please don't take it too seriously.

By the way, I have no intention of abusing women. In history, Okita Souji unfortunately contracted tuberculosis, and there was nothing I could do about it.

Chapter 927 Okita Souji's Gamble with His Life: Fighting to the Last Moment for the Shinsengumi! [5300]

"...Captain Okita, when did you start experiencing symptoms?"

"I can't remember."

The commander-in-chief said calmly.

"At first, I just had a cough, which I thought was just a cold, so I didn't pay much attention to it."

"It wasn't until... I found traces of blood in my coughed-up saliva that I realized something was wrong."

"Because I didn't want Tachibana-kun to worry, I secretly went to see a doctor behind his back."

"Then... I learned about my condition."

"The doctor prescribed some medicine for me to take with water every day, saying it would help relieve my symptoms."

Upon hearing this, Nanjo Akizaburo immediately inquired further:

"What medicine? Quickly, take it out and let me see!"

The commander obediently took out a paper package from his pocket and handed it over.

After receiving the package, Nanjo Akizaburo opened it and carefully examined the powder inside.

"Hmm, it's alright..."

He breathed a sigh of relief.

"Your doctor is quite reliable; you didn't prescribe any unnecessary medication. This powder is indeed a good remedy for relieving coughs."

It's no wonder that Nanjo Akizaburo was so nervous.

In feudal times, there were quack doctors everywhere who preyed on people's money and killed them.

Among them were even witch doctors who relied on chanting scriptures and performing shamanic rituals to cure diseases.

If you take bad or wrong medicine prescribed by a quack doctor, it will not only fail to cure your illness, but will also harm your health.

"Thanks to this medicine, I've held on for a long time, trying my best to pretend that nothing's wrong. But alas... I've held on until today, and now I can't hold on any longer..."

After saying that, the commander gave a self-deprecating bitter smile.

Nanjo Akizaburo said in a deep voice:

"Judging from your breathing, your condition is quite serious."

"If I'm not mistaken, you must have been coughing up blood frequently lately, right?"

The commander nodded:

"That's right, exactly."

“Mr. Nanjo, things have come to this point, so I will no longer hide it from you.”

"The reason I went out just now was to avoid everyone and have a good cough."

Nanjo Akizaburo fell silent.

After a moment, he said quietly.

"...In short, I will first report to the lord and ask you to rest and recuperate in the rear and not go to the front lines again."

He picked up his medicine box and made a move to leave.

"Mr. Nanjo, please wait!"

Before he could take a step, the commander reached out with lightning speed and grabbed the other man's arm.

How could a doctor, who was powerless to even kill a chicken, resist the grip of the Heavenly Sword?

He felt as if his arm was being clamped by an iron clamp, and he couldn't move.

"Mr. Nanjo, please don't tell Aoto the truth about my condition."

Nanjo Akizaburo was startled, his face showing confusion:

"why?"

The commander-in-chief said solemnly, enunciating each word clearly:

"Now is not the time to rest."

"The current Battle of Sekigahara has not yet yielded a winner."

"The rebel army is heading straight for Kanto. Mr. Hijikata is desperately holding out in Hachioji, and Edo is in dire need of help."

"I am the captain of the first division of the Shinsengumi, the 'Heavenly Sword' of the Shogunate. If I retreat to the rear to recuperate, it will greatly affect the morale and fighting strength of the Shinsengumi."

"So I can't rest yet... I have to fight!"

Despite the strong determination in Souji's words, Nanjo Akizaburo did not easily back down:

"Captain Okita, you can't do this! Your condition is very serious! You need to rest properly!"

"'have a good rest'?"

Souji seemed to have heard an amusing joke, and the corners of his mouth curled up, revealing a strange expression that was neither a smile nor a frown.

"What's the use of lying in bed and resting? Will I recover just by resting quietly?"

Nanjo Akizaburo opened his mouth, instinctively wanting to refute.

However... his lips opened and closed repeatedly, but he couldn't utter a single word for a long time.

Hemoptysis is an incurable disease. Even if one rests quietly, it only prolongs one's life—this is something that even ordinary people are well aware of, and Nanjo Akizaburo, as a famous doctor, knows it even better.

Taking advantage of the other party's prolonged silence, Souji continued the conversation:

“Mr. Nanjo, since ‘blood cough’ is an incurable disease, then I can’t rest any longer.”

"While I can still move, while I can still wield my sword, I want to help Qingdeng as much as possible."

She paused slightly at this point, a calm smile spreading across her face.

"It is a very difficult time now, and the situation is turbulent."

"Heaven knows how many more arduous battles we will have to endure before we can usher in a peaceful world."

"Mr. Shannan was unfortunately seriously injured. Even if he survives, he will not be able to return to the front line in a short period of time."

"At this critical juncture, if I were to step down to the second line like Mr. Shannan, Qingdeng would probably be scratching his head in frustration."

"Qingdeng needs my help."

"While I still have breath in my lungs, I want to help Aoto! I want to help everyone in the Shinsengumi!"

"So, Mr. Nanjo, I'm counting on you!"

Souji raised his gaze, his determined eyes fixed directly on Nanjo Akizaburo.

"If things are exposed in the future and Qingdeng tries to blame you, I will do my best to protect you and will never let you be implicated. I assure you!"

"Qingdeng is a reasonable person."

“After he finds out that I coerced you, he will definitely not blame you, but will only scold me.”

As she finished speaking, only the soft crackling of burning candles remained in the tent.

"..."

Nanjo Akizaburo lowered his head and remained silent for a long time.

A strong sense of hesitation flickered in his eyes.

About half a minute later, his hoarse voice finally broke the silence:

"...Captain Okita, I'll prescribe some medicine for you."

"This medicine is my secret recipe, and it has a remarkable effect on relieving coughs."

"You can eat more pears in the future, as pears have the effect of moisturizing the lungs and relieving coughs."