I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

"To be honest, if I had a choice, I would rather be a scholar quietly reading in my study than a swordsman wielding a sword and venturing out into the world."

The two mortal enemies chatted peacefully... like two old friends who hadn't seen each other in a long time.

Elodie and Tenshōin were both dumbfounded by the scene.

Suddenly, Shuten-dōji stared intently at Tokugawa Iemochi, his tone turning serious as he spoke each word with emphasis:

“Mr. Iemochi, to be honest, I don’t dislike you.”

"You are a well-known wise ruler."

"If I were a retainer of the Shogunate, I might serve you wholeheartedly."

"When I think about this, I can't help but feel regretful—it's such a pity to be an enemy of a wise ruler like you."

"If all the shoguns of the past were as wise as you, that would be wonderful."

"In this way, the world should become a better place."

As he spoke, he seemed to recall some unpleasant memory, his eyelids drooping slightly, a hint of resentment flashing beneath his eyelashes.

Tokugawa Iemochi smiled slightly, as if amused.

"I never expected you to have such a high opinion of me."

"This really surprised me."

I dare not call myself 'wise'.

"All my actions, desires, and wishes are simply to restore peace to the world."

At this point, he seemed to remember something and paused.

A moment later, he suddenly posed a question to the other person:

"This is a rare opportunity. Could you answer one of my questions?"

Shuten-dōji raised his chin:

"Please tell me."

Tokugawa Iemochi raised his hand and made a "beheading" gesture at his own neck.

"You have gone to great lengths to conquer Kanto, and even risked attacking Edo Castle on your own. All you seek is to take my head and destroy the shogunate."

“I am the fourteenth shogun of the Edo shogunate and the co-leader of the samurai family. I understand that you want to take my head.”

"But what I don't understand is, are you really willing to be pawns?"

As he spoke, he squinted his eyes and scrutinized Shuten-dōji from head to toe.

"You must have heard it too, King Ni has arrived."

"The pale green waves are engulfing your troops."

"Edo Castle is a castle with a 'single path'."

"Whether you go in or out, there is only one way to go."

"In other words, if you want to leave Edo Castle, you can only return by the same route you came from."

"In that case, you will inevitably run head-on into the Shinsengumi's offensive and suffer the tragic fate of being worn down to death."

"Now that things have come to this, you are doomed to die."

Even if you kill me now, you will still die.

"I don't believe that the Party's foundation for punishing corruption is so strong that even the death of a high-ranking official wouldn't cause any serious damage."

"Furthermore, your Fazhu Party must have spent a lot of time and resources to establish that legion composed of Westerners, right?"

"After this battle, this legion is destined to be destroyed."

"Such severe losses will inevitably severely damage your strength and greatly reduce your combat power."

“Simply taking my head or reducing Edo to ruins is not enough to destroy the shogunate.”

"Even without me, the shogunate can continue to exist."

"In the end, you made such a great sacrifice, but did not get the corresponding benefits."

"What exactly are you thinking, doing something that harms others and doesn't benefit yourself?"

"Or are you the kind of people who act without considering the consequences?"

"Because he hated the shogunate, he was determined to seek revenge against them."

"You're satisfied as long as you can cripple the shogunate; you don't care what happens afterward. Is that right?"

After asking the question, Tokugawa Iemochi stared intently at Shuten-dōji, awaiting his reply.

The other party did not keep him waiting for long.

After a moment, he let out a few cold laughs, his laughter carrying a profound and meaningful tone.

"As you said, at first glance, it seems that our Party of Law Enforcement is doing something stupid that is 'harmful to others and not beneficial to ourselves'."

"There may be people in this world who are fond of 'harming others without benefiting themselves,' but that certainly doesn't include us."

"The reason we decided to attack Kwantung is definitely because it would bring us great benefits."

“Lord Jiamao, you’ve made a mistake.”

“Our ultimate goal in this battle has never been to ‘destroy the Shogunate’.”

“We know very well that the shogunate is deeply entrenched.”

"Destroying the shogunate will not be a matter of a day or two."

"The great feat of 'eliminating the Edo Shogunate' was not something that could be accomplished by cutting off one or two heads or conquering one or two cities."

"Therefore, our goal is very clear—'to create an environment conducive to anti-secession'."

Upon hearing this, Tokugawa Iemochi and Tenshōin seemed to realize something, and their expressions both changed.

Only Elodie, who lacked political sensitivity, remained rooted to the spot, looking completely bewildered.

Shuten-dōji's voice continued:

"The prestige that the shogunate has accumulated over three hundred years is not so easy to eliminate."

“On this basis, a wise ruler like you has emerged.”

"As a rare and virtuous ruler, your performance in recent years has won the trust and respect of the people."

"The people respect you."

"All the feudal lords in the world are wary of you."

"As long as you remain in power, the world can maintain apparent stability."

"So, here's the question."

"If you die, what will become of the world?"

"You have no children, so who will inherit the general's position in the future... Even without me saying it outright, you know the answer in your heart."

"Do you really think that guy who did something incredibly stupid and nearly destroyed Edo has any ability to control the heroes of the land?"

At this point, he chuckled sinisterly twice.

"Think about it again. After he takes the throne, what will the feudal lords of the world... especially those guys in the Western Kingdom, think?"

"That long-suppressed ambition will erupt."

"For us, the force that will ultimately overthrow the shogunate does not necessarily have to be us."

“It could be Satsuma, it could be Choshu, it could be Tosa, it could be Hizen, it could be any domain or any power.”

"When the day comes that all the feudal lords rise up together, even if you have a benevolent king to support you, you will be too busy to deal with everything."

Suddenly, he paused, then revealed an expression of "enlightenment".

"Ah, no, I misspoke. By then, King Ni will probably be fighting alone."

"He had to face the powerful domains in the west and the shogunate in the Kanto region at the same time, like the filling in a rice ball, silently enduring the pressure coming from all directions."

"He might have a way to break the deadlock, but it's more likely he'll be overwhelmed by the immense pressure."

Shuten-dōji finished speaking.

After hearing this, Tokugawa Iemochi remained silent for a long time.

About 10 seconds later, he slowly spoke:

"...So that's how it is. So this is your purpose...to create chaos in the world, and then you can take advantage of the confusion."

Shuten-dōji smiled slightly, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.

An eerie silence fell over the scene.

In the midst of this silence, Shuten-dōji spoke again:

"Alright, let's end the conversation here."

"I know your purpose."

"It's nothing more than stalling for time until the Shinsengumi arrives to provide reinforcements."

"Your wishful thinking is brilliant, but unfortunately it's all in vain."

"If I wanted to, I could take your life in just three seconds!"

Having said that, he cast a sharp, piercing glance at Tokugawa Iemochi, who sat in the main seat.

Upon hearing this, Tenshōin and Elodie immediately stepped forward, raised their weapons, and stood in front of Tokugawa Iemochi.

Only Tokugawa Iemochi remained completely calm, his expression utterly composed, showing no trace of panic.

At this tense moment, he even had the leisure to speak:

"You are enemies, but you are indeed formidable."

"With only a few thousand men, he wreaked havoc in the Kanto region, nearly causing the fall of Edo, and accomplished a feat that no one had been able to achieve in nearly three hundred years."

His tone was strange, making it hard to tell whether he was praising or mocking himself.

"However... as the fourteenth shogun of the Edo period, I also have my own principles."