I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

"The Morioka Domain, with no outflows, is led by Kakimoto Mitsuhiro!"

The other party aggressively reported their arrival at their home.

"Captain of the Third Division of the Shinsengumi, without any outside involvement, Saito Hajime."

Saito Hajime responded indifferently.

The match started with a duel between fellow disciples without any outside involvement, which was particularly eye-catching and drew cheers.

Since it is a formal competition, the proper etiquette and procedures must be followed.

At the referee's instruction, the two swordsmen came to the center of the arena, performed a squatting salute, and touched the tips of their swords together.

"start!"

At the referee's signal, the two men stood up simultaneously and got into position.

The "no-outflow" style is known for its "simplicity," with simple and direct movements that aim for a fatal blow and avoid unnecessary actions.

Therefore, neither side made any moves rashly.

It's not hard to see that the challenger... namely, Mitsui Kakimoto, is indeed quite capable.

His eyes were like lightning, his breathing was steady and powerful, and his knife-wielding technique was superb, with the tip of the knife remaining perfectly still.

What's even more remarkable is that his lower body is extremely stable, his two legs are as solid as a rock, yet they are also flexible and elastic.

With such a stance and such movements, one can tell at a glance that he is a martial arts master.

Qing Deng immediately realized that if it were Saito Hajime from two years ago, he might not have been able to defeat him.

However... it's not quite enough to compete with Saito Hajime now.

After following Aoto through thick and thin, the Shinsengumi generals have been completely transformed!

Compared to the warriors of the Ou Domain, the Shinsengumi generals had a significant advantage—they had an unparalleled wealth of combat experience!

It is no exaggeration to say that the Shinsengumi generals, led by Aoto, are the most experienced group of people in Japan today!

No matter how well you practice "Dojo Sword," it can never compare to "Battlefield Sword."

Time and again, they walked on the edge of death; time and again, they pushed themselves to the limit in order to survive… These are invaluable experiences that “Dojo Sword” cannot provide.

Swordsmanship is a killing art; only swordsmen who fight bloody battles can reach a higher level!

Although the two sides have not yet engaged in a formal confrontation, Saito Hajime has already gained the upper hand.

Putting everything else aside, his aura alone far surpasses that of his opponent.

The longer the standoff lasted, the more cold sweat appeared on Kakimoto Mitsuda's face.

—What a terrifying aura…!

Even though Saito Hajime did nothing, not even a single expression, just gripping his sword and getting into a fighting stance, he still felt immense pressure!

To counter Saito Hajime's terrifying aura, he had to grip the bamboo sword tightly in his hand to gain a sense of security.

Kakimoto Mitsutaka kept a close eye on Saito Hajime, trying to find a weakness.

However, no matter how hard he tried or how wide he looked, he couldn't find the slightest flaw!

He felt like he was fighting a "ball"—too round! Too smooth! There was no opening at all!

The standoff between the two lasted for about half a minute... and then, the outcome of the battle was decided in an instant.

In an instant—the instant Kakimoto Mitsudai blinked—the "ball" in front of him hurtled straight toward him at an incredible speed!

He blinked involuntarily because his eyes were dry.

His vision went dark for a moment, then brightened again—in just a split second, Saito Hajime, who was only a few meters away, had already rushed up to him!

Using the momentum of his forward lunge, Saito Hajime swung his sword horizontally, producing a loud "thud" as his bamboo sword struck Kakimoto Mitsudai squarely in the waist and abdomen.

In the next instant, Saito Hajime's body flashed like the wind, quickly reaching a spot five meters away on the other side.

"Waaah..."

Kakimoto Mitsuda felt intense pain spread throughout his body, and he couldn't help but groan. His face was contorted with pain, and he staggered forward two steps before collapsing to the ground with a thud.

Before he fell to the ground, he tried to use the bamboo sword to support his body... however, it was all in vain.

"I appreciate your concession."

Saito turned around, said "Thank you for the courtesy" in a calm voice, and then turned and left without looking back, retreating to the sidelines.

He doesn't make a move unless he's sure of it, but when he does, he instantly defeats his opponent—Saito Hajime's amazing performance immediately ignited the atmosphere.

In terms of results, Saito Hajime lived up to his glory as the "first to go" and demonstrated the strength of the Shinsengumi in the very first round!

Following Saito Hajime, the second person to take the stage was Nagakura Shinpachi.

"Kameda Domain, Katori Shinto-ryu, Kitani Akiga!"

"Shinpachi Nagakura, captain of the second division of the Shinsengumi."

After performing the crouching salute, Nagakura Shinpachi raised his sword without hesitation, assuming the upper stance.

This move drew exclamations of "bravery" from countless experts at the scene.

Compared to the versatile mid-range and blue-eye, the upper-range has the drawback of "lacking defense".

Therefore, a swordsman who dares to use the upper stance as soon as he enters the arena is either a novice or someone with exceptional skill and daring.

Of course, Nagakura Shinpachi belongs to the latter category.

The swordsman of the Shinto Munen-ryu style assumed a high stance... just that alone was enough to terrify his opponent.

The swordsman, who was pursuing offensive power, used his most powerful stance—Nagakura Shinpachi's opponent, Kitani Akitaka, was clearly unwilling to fight head-on.

Kitani Akitaka positioned himself in a neutral position, maintaining high vigilance against Nagakura Shinpachi's attack while simultaneously seeking opportunities to subdue the enemy.

However, at this moment, in his eyes, Nagakura Shinpachi was as impenetrable as an iron wall!

Even though he had emptied his chest and ribs, he remained unbreakable...

Kitani Akihiro was certain that anyone who stepped into Nagakura Shinpachi's attack range would definitely suffer a fierce counterattack!

Left with no other choice, he had to change his stance and prepare to use the Kasumi stance to launch a strong attack on Nagakura Shinpachi's upper stance.

This gave Nagakura Shinpachi an opportunity to fight.

Then Nagakura Shinpachi opened his eyes wide, and just as his opponent raised his sword, he roared like a lion:

"Let go!"

The next instant, his bamboo sword drew a clean arc and struck his opponent's right wrist with precision.

Out of pain, Kitani Akira unconsciously loosened his grip, and the bamboo sword flew out.

Another instant kill... Round two, another instant kill!

"I appreciate your concession."

Nagakura Shinpachi slowly stepped down... The third person to enter the arena was Kondo Isami.

In terms of fame, Kondo Isami is slightly inferior to Nagakura Shinpachi and Saito Hajime.

In terms of strength, he is no less than these two!

"Morioka Domain, Ono Itto-ryu, Mikami Sadaharu!"

"The head of the Shinsengumi, Tennen Rishin-ryu, Kondo Isami."

This round of confrontation was exceptionally aggressive—as soon as the referee shouted "start," both sides couldn't wait to start clashing!

Without a prolonged standoff, the two sides shouted and swung their knives at each other.

"Drink it! Aa ...

A hoarse shout burst from Triangle Dingzhi's throat.

He used all his strength to push off the ground, and with each step, a powerful force traveled from his waist to his palms.

He charged up, closed in, and swung his bamboo sword—slashing fiercely at Kondo Isami's body.

Kondo Isami's strategy was very simple: just "counter each move as it comes".

He nimbly turned his body to the side, his dodge concealing a counterattack technique.

As he dodged, he suddenly lowered his sword, bringing it down to the lower section, breaking through the celestial light, and striking his opponent squarely in the chest from a tricky angle.

The opponent was shouting loudly just now, but after being hit, his eyes bulged out instantly, and he couldn't say a word. He quietly collapsed to the ground.

The third flash sale!

After Kondo Isami came Harada Sanosuke.

After Harada Sanosuke came Inoue Genzaburo.

After Inoue Genzaburo came Serizawa Kamo.

Apart from Abe Juro, the captain of the 11th Division who is not good at fighting, all the captains who came to Ou with Aoto took to the field.

No matter which captain takes the field, no matter who their opponent is, the final result is always the same—instant kill, instant kill, and instant kill again!

The strength of the Shinsengumi generals made what should have been an exciting duel rather dull.

The challengers who went up to challenge the Shinsengumi were undeniably hardworking, but no matter how hard they tried, they could not achieve any result other than a "crushing defeat"!

Although the match was somewhat boring, with each round being a one-sided crushing victory, Qing Deng, sitting in the "VIP seat," watched with great interest.

He watched the martial arts competition with great interest, occasionally breaking into a smile.

He had recently become accustomed to witnessing ruthless and bloody battles.

Seeing a proper and orderly martial arts competition for the first time in a long time both surprised and saddened him.

And so—

"……it is good."

He murmured something, then slowly stood up...

……

……

Because every round is a one-second kill, the match is incredibly fast-paced.