I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

It was this slight difference that determined the outcome.

Because Nagakura Shinpachi's bamboo sword is faster, he was able to accelerate earlier and possess greater power.

After the two bamboo swords clashed, Ishikawa Togoro's bamboo sword, which was slightly weaker, was deflected.

Immediately afterwards, Nagakura Shinpachi's bamboo sword found no further resistance and struck his opponent's body.

After Ishikawa Togoro fell to the ground, the referee slowly raised the small flag in his hand:

"The winner is Shinsengumi's Nagakura Shinpachi!"

At this point, the competition is already halfway through... The "Seven Spears of Immortal State" haven't even won a single match!

This made Date Keikun, who was confident that he could "always win one or two rounds," feel both ashamed and worried.

—Are we going to lose everything...?

Before he knew it, he was sweating profusely.

Round 5 – Harada Sanosuke vs. Date Nimichiro.

From a certain perspective, the instigator of all the trouble last night was this arrogant and ignorant Date Shichiro.

Although Harada Sanosuke wasn't very bright, he was always quick-witted.

Therefore, upon stepping onto the field, he smirked, revealing a mocking smile, and said to Date Niinshichiro in a sarcastic tone:

"Boy, I remember exactly what you said last night."

"It is said that once you show your true skills, you can easily beat us to a pulp."

"In that case, I'm really looking forward to your performance."

"You'd better show me your true skills and broaden my horizons!"

He emphasized the phrase "real skill" when he spoke of it.

Upon hearing this, Date Renshichiro immediately furrowed his brows, and the veins on his forehead bulged as if they were about to burst from anger.

Incidentally, its current appearance is quite comical, with its cheeks swollen high, resembling a squirrel storing up winter supplies.

When he appeared on stage, many audience members couldn't help but burst into laughter.

Because this guy was the culprit, Qing Deng gave him special "attention" last night.

Everyone else was taken down with a single blow, but this guy took three punches, one of which was specifically aimed at his right cheek.

Including the punch that sent him flying out of the store, he took a punch from Qing Deng on both cheeks.

Such a severe punch cannot be cured simply by sleeping it off.

Even with the best ointment applied, his face remained swollen, making him look particularly comical.

Although there is no risk of disfigurement, the swelling will not go down for at least a month.

Faced with Harada Sanosuke's sarcasm, Date Ninshichiro's face turned bright red, as if it had been roasted by fire.

Then, his eyes flashed with a fierce light, and as if he were chewing something, his lips moved and his Adam's apple bobbed slightly.

Although his face was filled with resentment and indignation, he ultimately said nothing, did not retaliate, and silently endured his frustration.

It's not that I don't want to, but that I'm simply unable to.

Putting aside the trouble he caused last night, it has already made him afraid to speak so rudely.

The four consecutive losses just now were clearly reflected in his eyes.

The successive defeats of his predecessors, such as Shinji Date and Togoro Ishikawa, completely shattered his confidence.

Now that things have come to this, he no longer dares to utter the arrogant statement that "the Shinsengumi is nothing special."

At this point, the referee urged them to "hurry up and bow."

Although unwilling, the two obediently followed the rules, performed the squatting salute, and introduced themselves to each other.

"The Seven Spears of Senshu, the Mirror Heart Akechi-ryu, Date Tonichiro."

"Captain of the 10th Division of the Shinsengumi, Hozoin-ryu, Harada Sanosuke."

The competition started with a hilarious scene right from the beginning.

Because Harada Sanosuke wielded a spear while Date Nimichiro used a bamboo sword, the latter was at a loss after the former took a stance!

Harada Sanosuke kept the tip of his spear aimed at Date Nimichiro's chest, keeping him out of the way.

No matter how the opponent moves or changes their stance, they cannot escape the lock of the spear tip.

For a moment, Date Shichiro was stuck, unable to advance or retreat, and could only remain in place.

Harada Sanosuke wasn't in a hurry to attack. Instead, he watched Date Renshichiro with a leisurely air, like a cat playing with a mouse, to see how he planned to break the deadlock.

In the world of combat sports, "long reach" is a decisive advantage.

The spear's lofty status as the "king of weapons" is unshakeable.

Only top-tier masters whose skill far surpasses that of their opponents have a chance to break a spear with a sword.

Clearly, Date Renshichiro did not possess such strength.

The long spear in Harada Sanosuke's hand created a gap of nearly 2 meters.

For Date Shinshichiro, this 2-meter gap was like an insurmountable chasm.

He tried various methods—stern intimidation, feigning movements—all to no avail.

At that moment, the murmurs of the audience reached his ears—

"Tsk tsk tsk, being completely blocked by the spear, how frustrating."

"Hey, how long are you going to dawdle? Hurry up and get going!"

"Alas, he is only the last of the Seven Spears, his strength is limited."

These words were like sharp thorns, piercing straight through Date Renshichiro's eardrums and sinking into his heart.

But then he furrowed his brows, his expression turning ferocious.

The anxiety of wanting to win, the humiliation of being criticized, the heavy pressure... all of these things were like a surging tsunami, destroying the mental defenses he called "reason".

On the west side of the arena, Date Koichi—the leader of the "Seven Spears of Senshu"—who had been silently watching the match, suddenly saw through Date Renshichiro's intentions. His face changed drastically, and he hurriedly shouted:

"Idiot! Don't be impulsive! Don't go!"

However, it was too late—Date Shinshichiro had already taken action.

In the blink of an eye, he swung his sword and slashed at the tip of Harada Sanosuke's spear, causing the spear to bounce off to the side.

With the spear no longer blocking his way, Harada Sanosuke's body was finally exposed to him!

He dared not be careless, and with a powerful push of his hind legs, he instantly reached maximum speed and charged towards Harada Sanosuke like a cannonball.

He deflected the spear and seized the opportunity to attack... His idea was not wrong.

However... if it were so easy to break a spear with a sword, then the spear wouldn't be recognized as the "king of weapons".

"Long reach" not only means a wider attack range, but also a greater margin for error!

Because your opponent needs to travel a greater distance to hit you, you have more time to react.

Seeing Date Renshichiro attack, Harada Sanosuke quickly and calmly stepped back. While dodging, he kept moving his hands and pulled his spear back. At this moment, Date Renshichiro had only crossed half of the 2-meter gap.

The spear arced through the air, sweeping towards Date Renshichiro's shoulder.

Anyone with eyes could see that before Date Shichiro could even get close to Harada Sanosuke, he would be swept to the ground by the spear.

Left with no other choice, Date Renshichiro could only stand still, raise his sword to defend, and barely manage to block Harada Sanosuke's attack.

Taking advantage of the moment when the other party stopped, Harada Sanosuke retreated a few steps—thus, everything returned to square one.

The distance between the two sides was widened to more than 2 meters again, and Date Renshichiro was once again blocked from the tip of the spear.

Faced with this situation, Date Renshichiro didn't even have time to feel annoyed—because at the next moment, Harada Sanosuke took the initiative to launch an attack!

The latter merely flicked his wrist... nothing more, just that simple movement, and the spear in his hand transformed into a nimble python! Twisting its body, it lunged at Date Renshichiro's body!

Date Renshichiro quickly raised his bamboo sword and parried each move.

In an instant, the small world centered around the two of them was filled with the shadows of bamboo swords and wooden spears.

Harada Sanosuke's attack was simple: he kept thrusting straight at his target. It was simple, but it was a huge threat!

It is fast, has short intervals, and is powerful, so it cannot be underestimated.

Date Renshichiro did consider retaliating, but his bamboo sword couldn't touch Harada Sanosuke at all!

In the truest sense, it means "only being able to parry, but having no power to retaliate."

If this continues, with one side weakening the other, defeat will only be a matter of time.

In the VIP seats, Date Yoshikuni and the other members of the Seven Spears on the west side of the arena clenched their fists, secretly praying that Date Yoshikuni could perform exceptionally well and come up with a way to defeat the enemy, or that Harada Sanosuke would inadvertently reveal a huge flaw.

Unfortunately... despite their high expectations, the subsequent battle unfolded uneventfully, without any unexpected events.

Even the most meticulous plans can have flaws, and Date Shinshichiro's concentration began to decline uncontrollably.

Faced with Harada Sanosuke's new attack, he reacted a beat too slow and failed to intercept the spear tip in time.

And so, the spear pierced straight into Date Shichiro's chest, sending him flying.

The referee's voice rang out at the opportune moment:

"The winner is Harada Sanosuke of the Shinsengumi!"

Looking at Date Renshichiro lying on the ground, clutching his chest and gasping for breath, Harada Sanosuke couldn't resist a sarcastic remark before leaving:

"The true skills of the 'Seven Spears of Immortal State' are not that great."

Upon hearing this, Date Renshichiro, who had just suffered an external injury and was now suffering from a heart ailment, turned his face into a deep liver color and glared at Harada Sanosuke with a look of utter resentment—this was the only thing he could do at the moment.

In his anger, he nearly suffocated.

Round 6 – Hajime Saito vs. Shozo Hashimoto.

It was bamboo sword against long spear again.

However, in this round, the weapons used by the two sides were switched.

Koichi Date and Shozo Hashimoto were the only two skilled spearmen among the "Seven Spears of Senshu".