I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

His original plan was to have the "Seven Spears of Senshu" participate in the "Oyu Examination" and defeat the captains of the Shinsengumi, thereby increasing the prestige of the Sendai Domain!

Although these seven men were quite disgraceful tonight, displaying their ugly side, they are undoubtedly the seven strongest samurai in the Sendai Domain.

Ida Keibang was very confident in their skills—otherwise, he wouldn't have brought them along.

He didn't expect the "Seven Spears of Senshu" to be able to defeat all the captains of the Shinsengumi.

But... but... it doesn't seem like it's impossible to defeat just one or two captains of the Shinsengumi!

Although the two sides clashed head-on tonight, the result doesn't prove anything.

According to reports, in tonight's "sudden battle," all seven guns were defeated by Qing Deng alone.

Date Keibang was not surprised by the result, because in his view, losing to Qingdeng was to be expected and there was nothing shameful about it.

Before being defeated by Aoto, the Seven Spears, while not gaining much advantage against the Shinsengumi captains, still managed to put up a fight.

Date Keikun didn't understand martial arts, so he assumed that although tonight's fighting style was "hand-to-hand combat," which was completely different from "armed combat," both belonged to "combat," and the aspects of strength, speed, and reaction ability were the same!

Therefore, he secretly made a decision: let the "Seven Spears of Xianzhou" challenge the captains of the Shinsengumi, and they should be able to win at least two or three rounds!

However, being cautious by nature, he still subconsciously asked:

"General Tachibana, if... if we don't win a single game and end up with a 'complete loss', then... what should we do?"

Upon hearing this, Qing Deng immediately revealed a meaningful smile:

"Well... I advise you to avoid this kind of thing from happening."

Looking at Qing Deng's smile and listening to the "suspense" he deliberately created, Ida Qingbang swallowed hard.

Then, he gritted his teeth and made up his mind:

"Understood! We will proceed as you have arranged!"

……

……

The next day—

Wakamatsu-cho, northern suburbs, the arena for the "Oyu Tournament"—

The stands were exceptionally lively today.

As everyone has heard, there will be a heavyweight match today – the Shinsengumi vs. the "Senshu Seven Spears"!

Even before Date Keikun arrived at Wakamatsu Castle, rumors were already circulating in the city that "the Seven Spears of Senshu will participate in the Oyu Conference," whetting everyone's appetite.

Now that the rumors have come true, how can people not be excited and look forward to it?

Such a clash of titans is not to be missed.

Therefore, as soon as the sky began to lighten, a large number of people arrived at the arena early to secure their spots.

Even in 19th-century Japan, "warfare skills" were an omnipresent part of civic culture.

While waiting for the competition to begin, the audience enthusiastically discussed the outcome.

"Haven't you guys watched the matches lately? Don't you know how strong the Shinsengumi are? The Shinsengumi will definitely win decisively, is there even a need to say it?"

"That's not quite right. The Sendai Domain is a large domain with an actual koku of rice exceeding one million koku. Compared to it, domains like Shirakawa and Shonai are considered small domains. Sendai possesses vast territory and is rich in talent; the strength of its warriors should not be underestimated."

"Kondo Isami, Nagakura Shinpachi, Saito Hajime, and Serizawa Kamo are all top-tier swordsmen; they shouldn't lose. In comparison, Inoue Genzaburo and Harada Sanosuke, who are slightly weaker, are in more danger; they should lose."

"Kondo Isami will definitely not lose!"

"The pen leader of the 'Seven Spears of Senshu,' Date Koichi, was also a renowned hero."

“Hashimoto Shozo, who ranks third among the ‘Seven Spears of Senshu,’ is a genius who is proficient in the Hozoin style. He has a great chance of winning.”

"Huh? Who is Date Nimichiro?"

[Note: The person ranked first.]

As time passed, the sun completely dispelled the morning mist and dew.

Amidst the expectant gazes of the crowd, the feudal lords, including Aoto and Date Yoshikuni, ascended to the VIP seats one by one.

Because all the lords of the Ou Reihan (Ōu) Domains had arrived, the VIP section was exceptionally lively. Everywhere you looked, everyone was adorned with gold and silver, and covered in silks and satins.

Immediately afterwards, the captains of the Shinsengumi and the "Seven Spears of Senshu" appeared on the east and west sides of the arena respectively—as they appeared, cheers erupted from the crowd.

Although it's troublesome, today's match is quite special, so Qing Deng will still give an opening speech.

"We hope everyone will give it their all," "Let's have a showdown without regrets"... After such pronouncements, finally, with the crisp sound of a gong, today's competition officially began!

Kondo Isami, carrying his bamboo sword, strode into the arena—today, he would lead the charge!

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Chapter 1014 Crushing, Crushing, and Crushing Again! The Shinsengumi's Ruthless Crushing! [5100]

The order in which both sides play is predetermined and cannot be changed arbitrarily; otherwise, the player will be automatically disqualified.

In this way, the occurrence of "Tian Ji's horse racing" can be prevented.

Neither side knew who their opponent would be or who they would fight; it was all up to luck.

The Shinsengumi used the same old method of drawing lots to determine the order of appearance.

After Kondo Isami entered the arena with his sword, his opponent—a short and wiry young man around 25 years old—also carrying a bamboo sword, strode onto the arena and appeared in the audience's view.

This person is none other than Ita Shinji, who ranks second among the "Seven Spears of Xianzhou".

The "Seven Spears" title is merely a conventional honorary designation; one does not necessarily have to be skilled with a spear to be included.

Of the current "Seven Spears of Senshu," only Koichi Date and Shozo Hashimoto are proficient in spear techniques; the other five are pure swordsmen.

The newly elected bureau chief faced off against the second-place finisher of the "Seven Musketeers of Senshu"... The first round was a clash of titans, much to the delight of the spectators.

The two stood in the center of the field, staring intently at each other.

Compared to Kondo Isami's nonchalant demeanor, Date Shinji was clearly much more nervous.

Last night, after leaving Qingdeng's bedroom, Ida Qingbang gave the seven of them a death order: today's duel must not be lost!

"You have to clean up your own mess! This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to make amends, don't let me down again!" - That's what Date Keikun said coldly.

It was a battle to make amends, and also a battle to avenge the defeat... so it's not surprising that he would show such a solemn expression.

At the referee's instruction, the two men held their bamboo swords steady, performed a squatting salute, and announced their respective families:

"The Seven Spears of Immortal State, the One-Sword Style of Hokushin, and the Second Kin of Date."

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

After the ceremony, the two stood up simultaneously, both assuming a mid-level stance, ready for battle.

Just by looking at his stance, one can tell that Date Kinji is a swordsman of the Hokushin Itto-ryu school—the tip of his sword twitches slightly like the tail of a wagtail.

His technique was very skillful, even superb.

Those with slightly less skill will likely be blinded by the unpredictable sword tip and unsure how to defend themselves.

With his feet firmly planted on the ground, Date Shinji moved forward gently to close the distance, tentatively touching the tip of Kondo Isami's sword with the tip of his own.

However, Kondo skillfully ignored his provocation, firmly guarding the center line of his body and not giving his opponent any opportunity to take advantage.

The standoff between the two sides appears set to continue for a long time.

But in reality, just 2 seconds later, a fierce attack and defense suddenly broke out!

"Haa ...

Without any warning, Kondo Isami suddenly let out a shout from the depths of his dantian, stepped forward, and swung his sword fiercely.

Although he is a swordsman of the Natural Rishin-ryu school, his slashes have always had the style of the Shinto Munen-ryu and Jigen-ryu schools!

The name "Natural Mind-Body Rinpoche" is very misleading; at first glance, it sounds like a school of thought that pursues physical fitness.

Despite its "natural" name, its core philosophy is incredibly aggressive: attack, attack, and attack again! Unleash all your strength in one go, leaving your enemy breathless, and victory will naturally follow!

As the fourth head of the Tennen Rishin-ryu school, Kondo Isami has always regarded this philosophy as his guiding principle.

As Kondo Isami swung his bamboo sword at him, Date Shinji's pupils constricted sharply, and he instinctively took a half step back and raised his sword to defend.

Snapped!

Two bamboo swords clashed in the air, producing a crisp sound.

The powerful reaction force slammed into him, causing Date Shinji to feel a tingling sensation in his palms, as if countless electric currents were coursing through them.

Using the reaction force, he leaped backward, attempting to widen the gap.

Unexpectedly, Kondo Isami caught up with them!

The endless sword shadows filled Date Shinji's field of vision.

But Kondo Isami attacked with the ferocity of a beast, relentlessly unleashing a second and a third sword strike... one after another, each strike heavier than the last!

Ida Shinji intended to retaliate, but he was now only able to defend himself and had no power to fight back.

—What incredible strength!

He gritted his teeth and persevered.

Kondo Isami's slashes were too fast and too fierce. Under his continuous attacks, Date Shinji felt his palms and fingers go numb and swell, and he almost lost consciousness.

—Impossible! How could I be defeated so easily!

None of the Seven Guns felt discouraged by last night's defeat.

After all, losing to Niou was to be expected.

It's like wrestling with a brown bear—is it really that embarrassing to be tackled to the ground by a brown bear?

—I am the second-ranked member of the 'Seven Spears of Immortal Continent'! How can I possibly be defeated like this!

He gritted his teeth inwardly, a fierce glint flashing in his eyes.