I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

"I'm pretty sure that if you indulge in a comfortable life and spend your days eating, drinking and having fun, you'll never encounter this 'moment'."

"On the ever-changing, fierce battlefield I had never set foot on before, I might just get what I wanted—this thought compelled me to pick up my sword again."

"Thinking about it carefully, I really feel ashamed... In order to pursue the martial arts I envisioned, I made such a willful move, even causing my wife to worry and shed tears."

"However, after crying, Abi didn't say anything more, nor did she try to persuade me to leave Edo with them."

"Although she is a bit of a chatterbox and her words aren't always pleasant, and she always gets hung up on small things, she always gives me her full support during important moments."

"That's how it was when we poured all our wealth into building this test palace."

"The reason why I left quietly with my whole family, allowing me to go to the battlefield without any worries, is the same."

He paused briefly, then stroked his chin and let out his signature laugh:

"Hehehe~~ Before I knew it, I said a lot of embarrassing things."

"Alright, let's not talk about me for now."

"Elodie, and how are you?"

"Are you also staying to fight?"

Upon hearing this, Elodie replied without hesitation:

"That's natural!"

"The reason I came to Edo is twofold: first, to take Hijikata Toshizo to receive treatment for his injuries, and second, to fight the rebel army to the very end!"

Upon hearing this, Kondo Shusuke lowered his eyelids, his already narrow eyes narrowing into slits.

After a moment of silence, he slowly said:

"...I have lived to be seventy-two."

"He's quite old, he doesn't have many years left to live."

"To put it bluntly, it wouldn't be a pity if they died instantly."

“But you are different. You are only sixteen years old. You are still very young and have a long way to go. You have a bright future ahead of you.”

“Elodie, to be honest, I don’t want you to go to the battlefield…”

Kondo Shusuke tried to persuade Elodie in a tactful way.

Elodie tilted her head, unfazed, and smiled gently.

"Mr. Kondo, just as you have your own pursuits, so do I."

"I only mentioned my childhood dream to my master and the dancers."

"Let's make an exception this time and bring it up again."

"From a young age, I have always longed to be a chivalrous hero like Robin Hood, who fights for justice."

"Ah, Robin Hood was a great man of England. Like the Rat Monk, he was also a good man who robbed the rich to help the poor and was kind to both the good and the bad."

"Although it was a childish dream of mine, I have never forgotten or given it up."

“I will probably never forget those five days when I fought the Eighth Prince.”

"It was my first time fighting on the front lines, my first time experiencing enemy blood spraying on my face, and my first time feeling death so close... Although I was very unwilling, I was indeed very afraid of pain and very afraid of death."

"I'm terrified that the sharp blade will fall on me."

"I'm afraid I'll never be able to eat the food I like again."

"I'm afraid I'll never be able to play with Miss Wu and the others again."

"I'm so afraid I'll never be able to be with my master again..."

At this point, she suddenly stopped talking and did not continue.

After hesitating for a moment, she skipped over the unfinished part of her sentence:

"Despite being filled with fear, I also felt a kind of pleasure."

"I am eliminating evil and upholding justice."

"I am protecting the borders and ensuring the safety of the people."

"For the first time in my life, I feel so close to the image of the chivalrous hero of my dreams!"

"I want to continue being a knight-errant that I can be proud of—that alone is enough to make me stay in Edo."

She paused briefly, then adopted a half-joking tone:

"Now that I'm all grown up, I can't let my younger self down."

Kondo Shusuke listened quietly until the very end.

After the girl finished speaking, he slightly curved the corners of his mouth, and a faint smile appeared on his face.

"I apologize, I think I said something quite tactless just now."

Please forget what I just said.

After saying that, he reached out his hand to the girl.

"Elodie, let me sharpen your knife."

"After five days of fierce fighting, your knife must be covered in wounds by now, right?"

"A sword that has been wielded for decades, a sword that has been honed for decades."

"When it comes to sword-sharpening skills, I'm no less skilled than those professional sword sharpeners."

Upon hearing this, she smiled with delight and picked up Yamato no Kami Yasusada, who was resting beside her right leg, and handed him over with both hands.

Kondo Shusuke solemnly accepted it, then with a "click," he pulled the sword out halfway.

Even the most powerful and durable knife is still a consumable.

Kondo Shusuke is right; the fierce fighting of the past few days has left Yamato no Kami Yasusada's blade riddled with holes.

He examined it carefully and nodded:

"Hmm... It's alright. Only the blade is damaged. The blade itself isn't bent. Just sharpen it once and it'll be as sharp as new!"

As he spoke, he sheathed the knife.

Give me an hour.

"An hour later, I guarantee your knife will be reborn."

Just as Kondo Shusuke was about to get up to get his sharpening tools, a loud shout came from the direction of the door:

"Is anyone there?! Is anyone there?!"

Kondo Shusuke and Elodie were both stunned.

"Mr. Kondo, is this your guest?"

"I didn't have any clients today..."

He frowned slightly as he spoke, and then walked towards the door.

Elodie followed behind him.

Soon, they arrived at the gate one after the other and pushed it open—standing outside was a young man they had never seen before.

The man was covered in filth, probably because he hadn't bathed in a while; his clothes were equally filthy.

His face was patchy with black and white marks, making him look like a charcoal burner.

It is worth mentioning that this person was carrying a long object tightly wrapped in homespun cloth on his back, and judging from its shape... it seemed to be a knife!

Kondo Shusuke sized him up a few times:

"May I ask who you are?"

The young man straightened up slightly, head held high and chest out:

"I am Shikisaki Sukeyo, a swordsmith!"

Shikizaki Kiyoshi—this strange and memorable name instantly evoked Elodie's memories.

"Shikisaki Kiyoshi... Could it be that you are the one who helped Master... helped Tachibana Aoto repair his sword?"

The young man... Shikisaki Kiyoshi nodded vigorously.

"Indeed! It is I!"

As he spoke, he untied the long object from his back and presented it to Elodie and Kondo Shusuke with both hands.

"Vairocana has been reborn from the ashes!"

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Chapter 945 Entrusting the "Black Blade"! The Siege of Edo Begins! [5000]

“Vairocana…!”

Elodie stared wide-eyed at the long, thin object that Shikisaki Kiyoshi had handed her.

When she came to her senses, she had already reached out and taken the cloth, peeling off the outer layer.

The black and purple hilt and scabbard, the ancient scabbard decorations that tell a long history... it is none other than the demon sword, Vairocana!

Taking advantage of the moment when Elodie and Kondo Shusuke's attention were both drawn to something, Shikisaki Kiyoshi grinned.

"A blond, blue-eyed foreigner... I've heard of you. You must be Tachibana Seiden's apprentice, right?"

Elodie nodded subconsciously.

"That's perfect! Since you're Ju Qingdeng's apprentice, I can confidently entrust it to you!"

When he used the pronoun "it," he lowered his head and looked gently at the Vairocana in Elodie's hand.

"Although it took a little longer, I managed to accomplish my mission."