I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

In fact, it does.

Tick-tock... tick-tock... tick-tock... tick-tock...

Drops of blood gushed out from Shuten-dōji's wound, flowing onto the blade of Vairocana, then onto Qingdeng's hand, and then down to Qingdeng's feet.

The blade felt very solid as it entered the body.

Shuten-dōji's chest was pierced through.

Qing Deng was very certain that his stab had pierced Shuten-dōji's left lung, left sternum, and carotid artery, and would definitely kill him!

The chest is one of the most vital organs in the human body.

With such a deep wound, penetrating from the chest to the back, there is absolutely no chance of survival!

No matter how powerful Shuten-dōji was, he could not escape the natural law of birth, aging, sickness and death!

At this moment, Qingdeng suddenly felt a throbbing pain in both lungs—only then did he belatedly realize that he had been holding his breath for a long time.

Then, with a "puff," he exhaled all the stale air from his lungs and then inhaled large gulps of fresh air.

While regulating his breathing, he forcefully twisted the hilt of the knife in his hand, disengaging the muscles and sternum that were tightly gripping the blade, and then slowly pulled the knife back to his side.

In an instant, the moment the blade left his body, Shuten-dōji's wound gushed out like a bathtub with its drain turned on!

Shuten-dōji subconsciously steadied himself, but it was to no avail.

Soon, his body began to sway, much like a paper doll in the wind.

Finally… with a dull thud, he collapsed to his knees, his head drooping to his chest, as if examining the wound on his chest…

……

……

(What am I doing...?)

Shuten-dōji was too weak to lift his head; he could only stiffly move his eyes to scan his surroundings.

The stage is still there, and the audience is still there.

Qing Deng was still wearing his black clothes, and he was still wearing his white clothes.

But... the cheers stopped, the applause stopped.

It was eerily quiet all around.

At that moment, he suddenly realized that the audience around the stage seemed to be a different group of people.

After taking a closer look, he was surprised to find that many of the "new viewers" were familiar faces.

Among those he beheaded were corrupt officials, including the official who had caused his family's ruin and was ultimately dismembered...

There were innocent civilians who were implicated by him and became the raw materials for his "great cause"...

They were expressionless, silent, and didn't even blink; they were like puppets, staring straight at him...

(What...? Are you... trying to take my life...?)

He twitched the corners of his mouth, revealing a self-deprecating sneer.

(I can't move... Whether you want to insult me ​​or take my life... whatever you want to do to me... do it now...)

(However... let me make this clear upfront... I never regret what I've done...)

(If you want to force me to repent... you'll only be wasting your time...)

As if giving up on himself, he silently withdrew his gaze and stopped looking at the "audience" around him.

But just then, out of the corner of his eye, he suddenly caught sight of a familiar face.

He immediately glanced sideways and stared intently at the other person.

(Father……!)

His long-deceased father stood closest to him.

However... like everyone else, his father remained expressionless and silent, simply staring blankly at him.

(Father...you...)

Shuten-dōji felt a lump in his throat at his father's expression and reaction.

He instinctively wanted to say something, to explain something to his father.

But just as he was about to speak, he silently closed his lips again.

Now that things have come to this, he has nothing to say.

In that instant, he felt as if he had returned to that helpless night, back to that cold, dark prison.

I want to hate someone, but I don't know who to hate.

He wanted to kill someone, but didn't know who to kill.

(I... am not the loyal retainer, Ooshiki Yuranosuke...)

The instant this thought arose, his costume, the stage beneath his feet, and the surrounding audience seats all vanished into nothingness.

He returned to reality, back to the dilapidated castle tower.

At the same moment he returned to reality, he slowly closed his eyes...

……

……

Shuten-dōji's body slumped to the side, and he collapsed to the ground, lifeless.

Qingdeng looked at Shuten-dōji's corpse without any sadness or joy.

After confirming that the other party had indeed died, he silently lowered his head, staring intently at the Vairocana in his palm while recalling the details of the battle just now.

To be honest... he couldn't remember how he had just defeated Shuten-dōji.

All he remembers is that in a split second, his vision suddenly changed—that “transparent world” came back!

Shuten-dōji, pillars, beams, tatami mats, wind, clouds... everything within sight has become "transparent"!

While seeing through the internal structure, they also noticed a strange "airflow".

Everything, whether people or objects, has an unknown "flow" surging within it, only differing in quantity and scale.

Just as Shuten-dōji raised his sword to strike, a special change occurred in the "qi" within his body.

Although he couldn't quite put his finger on it, he instinctively made a decision: the chance to win with one blow was right now!

Then, his body moved uncontrollably, and like "magnets attracting each other," he closed the distance at a teleportation speed and stabbed Shuten-dōji in the chest with a knife.

Recalling this, Qing Deng subconsciously gripped the black knife in his hand, his expression becoming extremely complicated.

Here we go again... in this state again...!

Qingdeng was not unfamiliar with this state, having experienced it several times before.

Knowing that this state is extremely powerful, yet being unable to control it and only able to let it appear and disappear as it pleases... this feeling of helplessness is truly agonizing.

—Never mind... let's think about this later...

He let out a silent sigh, his weariness deepening.

Not only did they defeat powerful enemies and eliminate a major threat, but they also replicated the incredibly powerful eternal talent, "Heartless Demon Child."

From a personal perspective, this was undoubtedly a resounding victory.

However... Qing Deng felt no sense of victory at this moment.

He stiffly turned his head and looked out of the castle tower.

With his excellent viewpoint, he could clearly see the entire town of Edo.

Raging flames, acrid smoke, collapsed houses, corpses strewn everywhere... The once "Number One Town Under Heaven" has now become a scene of utter devastation.

Even the majestic Edo Castle, a symbol of the shogunate's authority, was ravaged beyond recognition.

More importantly... Tokugawa Iemochi's life hangs by a thread...

Yes, Aoto won, the Shinsengumi won, the Shogunate won.

But... after paying such a huge price, can it still be considered a victory?

……

……

Surrender now! Those who surrender will not be killed!

"Damn it! We can't keep going!" (Russian)

"There are still quite a few enemy soldiers there! Go and reinforce them!"

"Has the order to retreat not been issued yet?" (Russian)

"No! We can't find the commander!" (Russian)

"Never mind! Let's get out of here!" (Russian)

"No! Enemy soldiers are everywhere! There's nowhere to escape!" (Russian)

……

Before storming into Edo Castle alone, Aoto handed over command of the cavalry to Harada Sanosuke.

Although Harada Sanosuke was not a clever and shrewd strategist, he always possessed a remarkably sharp combat instinct.

Perhaps it is precisely because his mind is empty that he is never indecisive and acts very decisively without any ambiguity!

As it turned out, Qingdeng's decision to entrust him with the important task of "sweeping away the remaining enemy forces" was absolutely correct.

At this very moment, he was standing on the clock tower of Kan'ei-ji Temple, observing the battlefields on all sides while issuing precise commands and advancing the battle lines in an orderly manner.

For the Shinsengumi soldiers, the current battle was nothing more than boring "garbage time".

Exhausted and demoralized, the defeated troops were no match for their advance!

The offensive of the Seventh and Tenth Divisions and the Aizu Iron Cavalry was like a raging flood! Every street and alley was washed clean!

Wherever they went, the enemy troops collapsed as if ice had melted away!