I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

Qing Deng recognized the model of the gun at a glance, after all, it was too famous - it was the famous Gatling gun!

Besides the firearms, Qing Deng also recognized the middle-aged man's identity.

Although it had been quite a while since I last saw Mael, he didn't look much different.

However, when they met before, Mael's words and actions had an indescribable composure and calmness, the kind of demeanor that a man has the power of life and death over the world he lives in.

Now, with his brows furrowed, his expression ferocious, and his eyes gleaming with a fierce light, he looked every bit the "desperado."

The middle-aged man… namely Mael, belatedly noticed Qingdeng's head peeking out of the doorway, and immediately started turning the spinning wheel beside him—

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

A dense barrage of bullets rained down once again.

Qingdeng immediately withdrew his gaze and head, hiding in a blind spot where bullets could not reach.

The bullets that missed their mark grazed past Qingdeng, all of them embedding themselves in the wall opposite the door, kicking up countless specks of dust.

Amidst the swirling dust, Mael's voice rang out:

"Hmm? You dodged it again... You're quite capable!"

Qing Deng said in a loud voice:

"Mael de Orléans! You have nowhere to run. Surrender now! It will be better for both of us!"

Hearing the familiar voice, Mael was startled:

"Hmm? That voice... is that Tachibana Aoto?"

"That's right! It's me!"

Upon hearing that the most troublesome Niou had arrived, a hint of gloom appeared on Mael's face.

After a moment of silence, he asked quietly in return:

"Ju Qingdeng, it's been a long time. How is my daughter?"

With a formidable enemy at hand and impending doom looming, at this critical juncture, he first inquired about the current situation of his daughter, whom he had been separated from for many years… Mael’s question truly took Qingden by surprise.

"Elodie... no, Alice is fine! You'll see her right away if you just surrender!"

Mael immediately understood Qingden's implied meaning:

Is Alice here too?

Elodie did not participate in tonight's night raid.

Although she strongly requested to join the war, Qing Deng refused after careful consideration.

Firstly, Elodie's strength is not so great that she is indispensable. Having her would naturally increase the combat power, but losing her would not affect the overall situation.

Secondly, Qing Deng was worried that Elodie would become hesitant and timid in battle due to personal feelings.

Their opponents tonight are Mael's private army, and if things go well, they will be able to face Mael face to face.

If Elodie were to encounter her father on the battlefield... no matter what unexpected circumstances arise, it wouldn't surprise Qing Deng.

Qingdeng bets: Elodie would absolutely not... no, to correct him. Absolutely not be able to kill Mael!

As for how Mael will treat Elodie, he has no idea.

Although Qingden was not familiar with Mael, according to Elodie and Anthony (Elodie's grandfather), Mael had a clear impression of him: an ambitious man who would stop at nothing!

Despite being a businessman, he harbored ambitions to build a nation and relentlessly worked towards it... A ruthless person like him would most likely not be influenced by personal feelings.

Qingdeng had a vague premonition: if Elodie really hindered Mael's "hegemony", he might really resort to "tiger-like predation"!

On a battlefield where lives are at stake and the situation changes in an instant, even a moment's hesitation can be fatal!

Therefore, taking all these concerns into consideration, Qingdeng kept Elodie at the back, ordering her to wait quietly and absolutely not to let her participate in the battle.

"Alice is somewhere not far from here! After learning that her father was suspected of being involved in the Ainu uprising, she insisted on coming north with me!"

After he finished speaking, silence fell over the surroundings...

Qingdeng did not hear Mael's response; all he was met with was a long silence.

What kind of expression is Mael wearing at this moment, after remaining silent for so long?

Due to the limited perspective, Qing Deng was unable to know the answer to this question.

About three minutes later, Mael's voice rang out again:

"...Ju Qingdeng, although we have different positions, I still thank you for taking care of my daughter."

"It's been a long time since I last saw Alice... To be honest, I miss her quite a bit."

"I will meet her eventually, but not now!"

"I have more important things to do!"

At this point, Mael suddenly raised his voice, his tone becoming impassioned:

"So, Tachibana Aoto, let's make a deal!"

"If you let me leave, I can give you one of my ironclad warships!"

Upon hearing this, Qing Deng chuckled lightly, adopting a half-joking tone:

"Mael, are you sure you're not mistaken?"

"A mere ironclad warship is not enough to buy your freedom."

"If I capture you, both of your ironclad warships will be mine!"

Mael responded:

"Ju Qingdeng, don't rush to conclusions! Let's discuss this slowly! If one ironclad warship isn't enough, then we'll add detailed intelligence on the Fazhu Party! Is that satisfactory?"

Upon hearing this, Qing Deng's expression changed slightly.

Mael continued speaking to himself:

"As far as I know, you've been fighting against the Party that seeks to eliminate the law, haven't you?"

"If we want to eliminate the Fa-Zhu Party, we can't do it without intelligence!"

"You must be very curious about the details of the Party's crackdown on crime, right?"

"I've been in contact with the Fa-Zhi-Dang (a political group that opposes the legal system) for a long time! I know a lot about their secrets!"

"I not only know what Orochi, Ōtakemaru, and others look like, but I also know why Ōtakemaru is hailed as the 'Supreme Fighting Force of the Law-Slaying Party'!"

"If you let me leave, I'll tell you all this information!"

He had barely finished speaking when Qing Deng said in a low voice:

"This really surprises me, Mael. You're just going to betray your ally like this?"

Mael, as if offended, gave a cold snort:

"Ju Qingdeng, you're wrong! I have never been an ally of the Fazhu Party!"

"My relationship with them is nothing more than mutual exploitation!"

"My cooperation with them expired several months ago! From now on, we will go our separate ways and not interfere with each other!"

"Since we're already strangers, how could it be considered 'betraying an ally'?"

"I didn't sign a contract with them that said I 'absolutely cannot leak their information'!"

"Ju Qingdeng, give me a straight answer already!"

"What exactly do you want me to do to make you leave?"

It seems that Mael also knows that his chances of survival are slim tonight.

The fierce warriors of the Shinsengumi have stormed his camp, and even Niou has reached him.

Even with the most optimistic mindset, he didn't believe he could defeat this group of "men in blue" by force alone.

He genuinely wanted to negotiate with Qing Deng in order to gain his freedom.

Unfortunately, he clearly misjudged Qing Deng's determination—from the very beginning, Qing Deng had made "capturing Ma'er alive" his most important objective!

What he wanted to get from Mael was far more than just an ironclad warship and intelligence on the French Extermination Party.

Even if it's just to fulfill Elodie's wish to "see her father one more time," he can't let Mael slip away right under his nose!

“Mael, I’m sorry, but no matter what conditions you offer, I will not let you leave.”

Mael frowned, his tone impatient:

"Ju Qingdeng, do you really intend to fight me to the death?!"

Qing Deng said calmly:

"If we fight to the death, the fish will definitely die, but the net will never break. Mael, don't think that just because you have a Gatling gun, you can stand up to my blade."

Mael raised an eyebrow:

"Oh? You actually know the name of this machine gun?"

As he spoke, he smirked, raised his hand to pat the barrel of the machine gun, and a hint of ecstasy flashed in his eyes.

"This machine gun is a treasure that I went through a lot of trouble to get my hands on!"

"Even the armies of various countries do not use this gun!"

"Although it is still in the experimental stage and its functions are not yet perfect, this machine gun will definitely change the future of warfare!"

"Look at the shards of door at your feet! That's its power!"

"It can continuously spew bullets! It can fire 150 bullets per minute! In the blink of an eye, it can turn you into a pile of minced meat!"

"Ju Qingdeng, I know you can split bullets!"

"If you don't want to let me leave, then come and attack!"

"If you have the guts, come and fight my Gatling gun head-on!"

"I'd like to see if your cutting speed is faster, or if my Gatling gun is more powerful!"

Having said that, Mael gripped the rotary drum, ready to launch at any moment.

Qingdeng looked solemn and silently clenched the Vairocana in his palm.