I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

"The day when you will be asked to decide history will come soon."

"Qingdeng, examine yourself more closely, and then make a choice according to your heart."

That's all I wanted to say. Goodbye.

Katsurin Taro bowed slightly to Aoto, then turned and left unhurriedly.

Although he had stopped speaking, Qingdeng's mind was still in a state of great turmoil.

Eliminating the Gongwu, the common people of the world, the "new era"... these words flashed through his mind like shooting stars.

The brilliant and magnificent "bright sunset" was enough to unveil the deep night... Upon hearing Katsura Rintarou's words, Aoto's facial expression immediately turned strange.

Is it a coincidence? Just recently, an elderly Ainu man said his guardian spirit is "light," and that a pillar of light piercing the sky always shines from the back of his neck...

Watching Katsuragi Rintaro's retreating figure, Aoto revealed a complicated expression and jokingly said:

"'So nervous I can't sleep'...that's just an excuse, isn't it? You came to me specifically to say these things, didn't you?"

Katsu Rintaro did not respond, but only chuckled a few times.

Qing Deng continued in a joking tone:

“If I were a loyal subject of the Edo Shogunate or the Kyoto Imperial Court, I could arrest you on the spot based on your treasonous ‘demonic’ words just now.”

Katsu Rintaro laughed a few more times.

"But you're not. You never have been."

His words drifted away on the night wind.

……

……

At the same time—

Hakodate, Goryokaku, and Siri's Bedroom—

"Spirit Card, how about it? I didn't lie to you, did I? I said I could deliver freshly made 'Berserker's Water' within two days, and I will definitely keep my promise."

As Mael spoke, he turned to the side so that Cyrilka could see the four large wooden crates neatly stacked behind him.

Xilika slowly stepped forward and looked down to examine the contents—all the wooden crates were filled to the brim with glass bottles.

He reached out and casually picked up a bottle, which was filled with a colorless liquid... At first glance, it looked like ordinary water.

Cialis took a deep breath, then uttered a thought devoid of joy or sorrow:

"It's incredible that such an ordinary liquid can contain the magic to turn people into monsters."

Mael smiled and said:

"This is alchemy, an ancient technique of the Western world."

"Countless alchemists devoted their talents and lives to the creation of the legendary 'Bacchus of Immortality'."

"Although they all failed, many people have successfully concocted a number of strange and evil things in the process of studying the 'Baccano!'"

Xilika slowly put the "Berserker's Water" back in its original place.

"Mael, thank you."

"No need to be so polite. We are allies who share both glory and hardship. As allies, we should look out for each other. As your most loyal ally, I'm going to tell you some good news and some bad news, free of charge. Which would you like to hear first?"

Xilika frowned slightly.

He didn't like being kept in suspense, so he said coldly:

"Bad news."

"The bad news is that the Shogunate army in Aomori is showing signs of preparing to attack. If nothing unexpected happens, as early as tomorrow, or at the latest two or three days later, the massive Shogunate army will cross the Tsugaru Strait and head straight for Goryokaku."

Cialis's brow furrowed even more.

"Mael, how's the repair of your warship coming along?"

This time, it was Mael's turn to frown.

"Unfortunately, the steam engine of the 'Sun King' is beyond repair. It can only remain in Hakodate Bay, serving as a gun emplacement to hinder the landing of the Shogunate army."

"The Napoleon is in slightly better condition. The hull has been largely repaired, but because the armory was destroyed, a lot of cannons and ammunition were lost, so its firepower has been greatly reduced and is far from its original strength."

Xilika said in a deep voice:

"In other words, the only ships left capable of going to sea to fight are the 'Napoleon' and the 'Joan of Arc'."

Mael nodded.

"Okay, I've received two pieces of bad news now. What about the good news? Hopefully, your good news can ease my current bad mood."

Cialis curled his lips into a meaningful smile:

"The good news is that my alchemist has successfully created a rare 'treasure'."

As he spoke, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small glass bottle containing a pale yellow liquid.

"what is this?"

"This is the real 'Berserker's Water,' which can turn you into a true berserker."

*******

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Chapter 1072: The Battle of Hakodate Begins! Enemy Ships Suddenly Flee! [5600]

Mael emphasized the word "real" when he said it.

Xilika subconsciously reached out and took it, frowning slightly.

"Real 'Berserker's Water'... What does that mean? Are all these 'Berserker's Water' fake?"

As he spoke, he gestured with his chin toward the several large boxes beside him filled with "Berserker's Water".

Mael smiled and shook his head:

“Syraca, you’ve misunderstood. These ‘Berserker’s Water’ are all genuine.”

"However, the bottle I'm giving you has an even more amazing effect! You can think of it as a more advanced 'Berserker's Water'."

"For convenience, let's just call it 'Essence of the Berserker'."

"Ordinary 'Berserker's Water' can only give people outstanding vitality, so that even if they suffer serious injuries that would kill them, they will not die easily."

"But the 'Essence of the Berserker' is different."

"It can give users amazing vitality! And greatly improve muscle strength, reaction speed! And greatly increase pain tolerance! Become a true 'berserker'!"

Upon hearing this, Xilika looked astonished.

He instinctively felt that Mael was talking nonsense.

Just by drinking a bottle of potion, you can become a superhero? This is completely beyond Cialis's imagination!

However... after witnessing the terror of the "Berserker's Water" firsthand, the so-called alchemy left an incredibly deep and indelible impression on him.

In his eyes, alchemy was already synonymous with "divine magic".

No matter how powerful or terrifying the drug Mael pulled out, he felt it was all perfectly reasonable.

"...Why not mass-produce such a potent potion?"

As he asked the question, he cast a suspicious, incredulous glance at the pale yellow liquid in his palm.

"This is naturally because it is extremely difficult to refine and has extremely strong side effects after consumption."

Xilika's gaze sharpened slightly.

"side effect?"

"This is a genuine 'magic potion,' and all 'magic potions' will cause some degree of harm to the human body."

"Isn't 'Berserker's Water' a 'potion'?"

Mael shrugged and shook his head:

"Of course not. Based on the effects of 'Berserker's Water,' it certainly doesn't count as a 'potion.'"

"After taking 'Berserker's Water', the effects of the drug will remain in the body for a long time, up to several months."

"Because its efficacy is very limited, it can only slightly improve the vitality of the user, so relatively speaking, it has almost no side effects."

"If 'Berserker's Water' is a mild tonic, then 'Berserker's Essence' is a potent medicine."

"The effects of 'Berserker's Essence' cannot remain in the body for long; it takes effect immediately after ingestion and then quickly becomes ineffective."

"The specific duration of its effects varies from person to person."

"After the effects of the drug wear off, the user's body will become extremely weak, as if they have suddenly aged decades and will not even have the strength to stand up."

Cialis's brow furrowed even more, and his tone became low:

"...Isn't it possible to avoid these side effects?"

Mael's tone was firm:

"Unavoidable."

Cialis asked further:

"So, after the side effects take effect, if I work hard to take care of my body, can my body recover?"

"If properly cared for, it may be able to recover completely."

Although Mael spoke in a relaxed tone, Cilica still keenly caught the word "perhaps".

"Does that mean that after taking this 'potion,' I might become a cripple, right?"

Mael didn't mince words, and nodded slightly:

"That's right, you can understand it that way. Opportunities and risks go hand in hand, and that's the 'magic potion' that drives countless people crazy."