I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

"Hmm? It's a Power Card..."

Qingdeng raised an eyebrow:

"Is he Cyrilka? He looks... even more imposing than I imagined."

Ogata's tone was deep:

"Kid Orange, be careful. As far as I know, Sharp Card isn't that tall."

After meeting up with Ogata, Ogata not only provided detailed information about Mael and "Berserker Water," but also concisely introduced Shrekka's character.

Thanks to this, although Qing Deng had never met Xilika, an image of a tough guy who was stern, well-loved, and ambitious took shape in his mind.

Qingdeng declined to comment on Cilicia's ambition to "reclaim the land of his ancestors and revive the Ainu people."

If forced to comment, Qingdeng's only assessment would be, "His ambitions are great, but he is incompetent."

"The Yamato Conquest"... It sounds impressive, but he misjudged the balance of power between the two sides. He overestimated the fighting strength of the "Ainu Allied Forces" and underestimated Qingdeng's abilities.

In the end, this fate is entirely their own fault.

Even without Ogata's reminder, Aoto knew that there was something strange about the current Siri.

No normal human being could grow to such a mountain-like size.

He must have drunk some kind of magic potion, Qing Deng thought to himself.

Given that Mael could provide the magical "Berserker's Water," it is not surprising that he would offer other, more potent potions as well.

Because the current Siricard was too strange, Qing Deng and Ogata both adopted a cautious attitude and did not rush forward.

"You're here..."

A hoarse voice echoed in the empty room.

Xilika slowly raised his head, staring at the two people opposite him without any emotion.

He first looked Qingdeng up and down:

"If I'm not mistaken, you must be 'Niou' Tachibana Aoto, right? And you..."

She turned her gaze to Ogata, a few indescribable emotions flickering in her eyes.

“It’s you… ‘Ilanchili’.”

Upon hearing the alias he had made up to infiltrate Goryokaku, a look of surprise appeared on Ogata's face.

He did not remove the headscarf and face mask, leaving only his eyes exposed.

He had only met Cilica once and exchanged a few words with her, yet Cilica was able to recognize him just by looking at his eyes... This truly surprised Ogata.

Now that his identity had been exposed by Silica, Ogata was too lazy to pretend to be confused.

"Sylica, how did you know it was me?"

Xilika twitched the corner of his mouth.

"I remember your eyes... your calm yet sharp eyes, which were unlike those of ordinary people."

"And... the series of questions you asked me back then put me in an awkward position for a moment, so I remembered you."

"Have you switched sides with the Kazu people? Or were you already serving them?"

Before Ogata could reply, Cialis continued on her own:

"Forget it... this kind of problem doesn't matter anymore."

He turned back to look at Qingdeng:

"I've long admired your name, 'Niou' Tachibana Aoto. According to you and the others... I am the enemy's supreme commander, Shorika."

Qing Deng's expression was indifferent.

He had absolutely no interest in talking to Xilika.

Therefore, he skipped the unnecessary pleasantries and got straight to the point:

"Sharika, surrender now."

“My troops have launched a major offensive into Guo’s territory, and it will not be long before the entire Guo is completely wiped out.”

"You have already failed. Continuing to fight will only increase casualties."

"Even if you transform yourself into this inhuman, ghost-like form, you still won't be a match for me."

Qingdeng spoke very directly, without any euphemisms.

Xilika remained calm in the face of Qingdeng's blatant coercion.

There was neither anger nor sadness.

He nodded slightly in agreement.

"Niou, you're right, we've suffered a crushing defeat..."

“A ‘Uenkamyi’ like me should not exist in this world.”

"I started this war rashly for my own selfish reasons."

"However, my desire to make the Ainu people stronger and more prosperous is also genuine."

"If that's the case, then let me... struggle until the very last moment."

Having said that, he stretched out his left arm, picked up the red-scabbard katana beside his leg, and slowly stood up.

Qingdeng didn't quite understand what Xilika had just said, as it was rather cryptic.

However, he could clearly sense the surging killing intent emanating from him!

“…Mr. Ogata, please step back.”

Ogata seemed to have expected this, and calmly countered with a question:

"Don't you need my help?"

"No need. Although he is an enemy, his determination to fight to the end is admirable."

"He is the enemy's general, and I am the general of the Mu army. Let us two generals have a fair and square duel."

After hearing this, Ogata said nothing more, silently took a step back to make room, and put the Great Shiten in his palm back into its sheath.

Qingdeng leaned forward and slowly approached Xilika.

Xilika on the opposite side also slowly stepped forward, heading straight towards Qingdeng to close the distance.

Before long, the two stood facing each other in the center of the large hall, 4 meters apart.

Clang, clang, clang...

With one hand holding the sheath and the other drawing the sword, the slender blade, over eighty centimeters long, leaped into Qing Deng's eyes, emitting a dazzling white light.

The katana... Qing Deng has seen all kinds of enemies in countless battles, but he rarely encounters an opponent who specializes in the katana.

The tachi is a special weapon from a special era. Its prototype can be traced back to the Heian period (794-1185). At that time, cavalry warfare was the main mode of combat, and the tachi became popular because its length was suitable for mounted combat.

As the nature of warfare continues to change, wielding a sword on horseback has become an outdated practice, and the katana has also declined along with it.

Nowadays, swordsmen who have studied and mastered the art of the katana are extremely rare.

After drawing his sword, Xi Lika held it in front of him, the blade held upright in front of his chest. From the front, the sharp blade seemed to divide his figure in two, creating a unique sense of oppression.

"Undercurrent"

"Sharp Card"

Seeing that the other party had introduced himself according to the etiquette of a martial family, Qingdeng calmly accepted the greeting:

"Natural Flow of Mind"

"Orange Green Ascent"

In an instant, all around became completely silent.

Orange sunlight streamed through the window into the room, while wispy dust motes filled the air.

Bathed in the glow of the setting sun, only half of each person's face was illuminated, while the other half was tinged with a deep hue, their eyes flickering with light.

From muscles to mindset... everything in their bodies was mobilized and thrown into the battle before them!

The tense atmosphere created by the confrontation between the two made the passage of time seem strange.

It felt like a long time had passed, but in reality only 5 seconds had gone by.

Five seconds later, a loud stomping sound shattered the silence!

Like a ferocious beast, Xilika leaped up, raised his sword overhead, and then slashed down fiercely!

Qing Deng crouched slightly, his sword arcing upwards through the air, precisely intercepting the blade of the katana and deflecting the attack.

The two swords collided, unleashing a powerful shockwave that blasted away all the dust in the surrounding air!

The immense power transmitted back from the blade caused Qing Deng's expression to change slightly.

Upon seeing the opponent's terrifyingly muscular physique, Qing Deng knew that his strength must be extraordinary.

Despite being mentally prepared, the opponent's strength far exceeded his expectations.

—It has great strength... but how about its speed?

Thinking of this, Qingdeng adjusted his breathing slightly, then twisted his wrists, and with a clang, he skillfully deflected the katana to the side, leaving Xilika's body wide open.

The next instant, Qing Deng slid forward, his palm blade slashing upwards at an angle.

Although it was a tentative move, if you couldn't catch it, your chest would be cut open.

But Xilika calmly stepped back, widening the distance, and with astonishing speed pulled his katana back to his chest, blocking Qingdeng's slash.

Such a massive body can move with such dexterity... Logically speaking, this is simply impossible.

Such an unbelievable scene unfolded right before Qingdeng's eyes.

Not only his strength, but also his speed is not to be underestimated... Qingdeng silently made a new assessment of Xilika's strength.

The opponent was far stronger than expected... and the same was true for Xilika.

The first round ended with the two testing each other.

As if they were being bounced apart, the two of them jumped backward at the same time, creating a gap of about ten meters.