I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

Seeing the bamboo spear about to pierce her chest... a fierce glint flashed in her eyes in that instant.

She turned her body slightly to the side, hiding her chest and exposing her left shoulder—she was preparing to use her thicker shoulder to take the blow head-on!

This is a trick that Qingdeng taught her.

If you encounter an attack aimed at your chest that you cannot dodge or defend against, slightly turn your body to the side and let your shoulder take the hit.

The chest is one of the most important and vital parts of the human body, if not the most important. It is essential to protect your chest at all times.

A chest injury can reduce even the most skilled fighter to a significant degree, or even kill them on the spot, but a shoulder injury is different.

Firstly, the shoulder is not a vital part of the human body, and even if the shoulder is injured, it will not lead to death.

Secondly, the shoulder muscles are easy to exert force. Simply bending the arm can easily tighten the muscles in the shoulder, greatly improving defense and withstanding enemy attacks.

Trading injury for life... a terrifyingly aggressive fighting style!

Elodie gripped Yamato no Kami Yasusada's right hand tightly, preparing to deliver a swift and deadly blow after the bamboo spear pierced his left shoulder!

In the blink of an eye, the slender shadow of the bamboo spear almost overlapped with Elodie's petite figure.

Such a scene leaves no doubt that in the next second, the tip of the bamboo spear will pierce deeply into Elodie's left shoulder, splattering countless drops of blood.

But in that fleeting moment, a burly man suddenly leaped into Elodie's field of vision from the side!

Along with it, two dazzling blades of light also entered its field of vision!

The sharp blade flashed twice in mid-air.

This was the first time the bamboo spear that was about to pierce Elodie's shoulder was slashed away.

The gunman's head was severed a second time.

His movements were swift and his knife skills were superb... It was clear at a glance that he was a master swordsman with profound skill!

Immediately afterward, before Elodie could recover from this sudden change, she heard a familiar voice:

"I remember you. You're Tachibana-kun's apprentice, right? It's been a long time."

Elodie stared blankly at the burly man who had suddenly appeared, shielded her from the attack, and finished off his opponent.

Soon, she remembered who he was and whispered his name.

"Chiba... Jutaro...?"

The burly man who appeared just in time was none other than Chiba Jutaro, the instructor of the Chiba Sword Academy and Aoto's brother-in-law.

Chiba Jutaro smiled slightly:

"I'm glad you still recognize me."

Almost at the same moment, Shimada Kai, who was not far away, also received timely help from an unexpected person.

Two farmers, guns at the ready, closed in on Shimada Kai, launching a pincer attack.

At this point, Shimada Kai was exhausted and barely able to stand, let alone dodge.

Just as he was about to be pierced by the bamboo spear, two figures darted in from the left and right sides to block the attack for him!

They each unleashed a flash of light, one person responsible for one blade, shattering the two attacking bamboo spears into pieces.

Both men were young men in their prime; one, holding a pair of long and short swords, was slightly older; the other, wielding a katana, was slightly younger.

Looking at the two young men and their swordsmanship, Shimada Kai's eyes widened, his face filled with disbelief.

As a swordsman who had practiced swordsmanship since childhood, he could tell at a glance that the swordsmanship of these two young men was far superior to his own! It was the skill of a true swordsman!

Upon seeing the two young swordsmen suddenly appear, the farmers hurriedly retreated, creating distance between them.

"Who...who are you people?!"

Someone shrieked.

The young man wielding two swords replied:

"Chiba Michizaburo, the second head of the Hokushin Itto-ryu main family and instructor of the Genbukan School."

The younger man answered:

“Genbukan Shihandai, Chiba Tamon Shiro.”

Chiba of the Genbukan... This name enjoys unparalleled prestige in the Kanto region!

As expected, upon hearing that the two men came from a famous family of sword masters, the farmers present all changed their expressions and hurriedly retreated, as if their lives would be in danger if they got close to the two men!

At this moment, Elodie and Chiba Jutaro stepped forward and joined Shimada Kai and the others.

The fierce battle came to an abrupt end with the sudden appearance of the three Chiba members.

The farmers retreated and gathered together, staring at Elodie and the others with fear on their faces.

The two sides faced off, separated by a distance of 6 or 7 meters.

The farmers' shock was not yet over.

Suddenly, a clear, melodious male voice rang out from the depths of the woods behind Elodie and the others:

"I finally made it."

The farmers raised their eyes.

Elodie and Shimada Kai turned their heads.

A barrage of gazes fell upon him—and a young man, not very old, emerged from the shadows of the woods with unhurried steps, revealing his face and figure.

With delicate features, a tall and slender figure, and a blue-sheathed katana at his waist, he exudes an aura of immense pressure at first glance!

Shimada Kai did not know this person.

Elodie vaguely felt that the man looked familiar, as if she had seen him before, but she couldn't remember who he was.

In contrast, the reaction of the farmers opposite them after seeing the man's face was much more intense.

Some people's faces have lost all color.

Some people were dumbfounded, their jaws practically dropping to the ground.

Some people are timid, their legs tremble, and they can't stand steadily.

Amidst this astonishment, someone cautiously recited the person's name:

"Edo's strongest, Chiba Eijiro...!"

Chiba Eijiro smiled:

"'The strongest in Edo'... that title no longer belongs to me."

As he spoke, he moved forward and moved to Chiba Jutaro's side.

Four Chiba men stood in a straight line... Even though they did nothing but stand there, they still put immense pressure on the farmers!

If the farmers were filled with panic and fear at that moment, then the figures of Elodie and Shimada Kai in the carving were filled with joy and exhilaration!

It was only then that Elodie belatedly came to her senses.

She had been in a state of intense confusion, as if she were half-asleep.

Elodie wasn't familiar with Chiba Jutaro and the others, having only met them a few times, but she knew the meaning behind the title "Sword Master Family"!

Her tense nerves relaxed instantly, and she almost fell to the ground.

"Gentlemen, I sympathize with your situation."

Suddenly, Chiba Eijiro spoke, his tone calm.

"The arduous and extraordinary life has forced you to transform into demons and monsters."

"only--"

As he changed the subject, the atmosphere at the scene shifted dramatically.

“Since you have chosen to draw your swords against each other and nearly harmed our comrades, then no matter what kind of suffering or hidden reasons you have, they are not enough to make me let you go.”

At this point, Chiba Eijiro slowly drew his famous sword, Shingetsu Nagamitsu, from his waist with a clanging sound.

A bewitching, dark blue blade flashed into the farmers' eyes.

"If you have a farewell poem, read it aloud as soon as possible, otherwise you won't have the chance again in a little while."

In the next instant, the four Chiba raised their swords, and astonishing sword energy emanated from them and spread outwards!

The death sentence was pronounced without question... This directly angered the farmers.

"Stop being so arrogant!"

"Don't be afraid, everyone! Don't be intimidated by their reputation!"

"That's right! So what if it's Chiba? If the bamboo spear pierces them, it'll just leave another bloody hole!"

"We outnumber them! Our weapons are longer!"

"That woman and that big guy are no longer able to fight!"

"Attack them all! Stab them to death!"

"Don't fight individually! Form ranks! Form ranks quickly! Form ranks as we practiced before!"

The farmers encouraged and cheered each other on, gradually dispelling the atmosphere of panic and fear.

Click, click, click, click, click...

They laid their bamboo spears flat, forming a tight hedgehog formation.

Immediately afterwards, they moved with fairly synchronized steps and charged straight at the four Chiba members!

They even know how to set up formations... It seems they have indeed put in a lot of effort for the "Fallen Warrior Hunt".

The Hedgehog Formation... In the era of cold weapons, this was an exceptionally powerful formation, belonging to the level of a king!

It combines offense and defense, making it impossible for cavalry to charge or infantry to get close.

However, the four Chiba members showed no sign of panic in the face of the rapidly approaching giant "hedgehog".

They quietly assumed their positions, watching the group of fools who had willingly come forward with a mixture of amusement and amusement...

……

……