I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

……

……

night--

Kyoto——

Under the deep darkness of night, except for a very few places like Shimabara, Kyoto was completely silent.

The occasional chirping of insects and cawing of crows added to the tranquil atmosphere.

Suddenly, somewhere near the Kamo River, a series of hurried footsteps and loud shouts shattered the tranquility of the night—

"Quick! It's over there!"

"Run! Don't let those bastards get away!"

"You guys come with me! We're going to flank them from behind!"

A dozen or so samurai, dressed in light blue haori and carrying lanterns with the character "诚" (chéng, meaning sincerity) on their hands, sped down the street.

The noise woke up the residents on both sides of the street, who opened their windows to check what was happening.

Seeing that it was the Shinsengumi members arresting the loyalists, everyone quickly closed the window they had just opened, not daring to listen or look any longer.

The ascension of "Mujin" to the throne, and his political stance of openly praising Choshu, deeply moved the patriots.

As a result, the "Respect and Exile Movement" in the Gyeonggi region has seen a resurgence.

Recently, the security situation in Kyoto has deteriorated rapidly.

The patriots once again flocked to Kyoto, secretly lying in wait and causing trouble everywhere.

Today they spread rumors, tomorrow they rob shops; today they attack shogunate officials, tomorrow they set fire to Nijo Castle... It never ends, it's incredibly annoying.

So far, although there have been no horrific deaths or injuries or large-scale economic losses, the impact has been extremely negative.

For example, just two days ago, the words "Mibu Wolf" were painted on the door of an izakaya (Japanese pub) frequented by Shinsengumi members.

The name sounds impressive, but it is actually an insulting and derogatory term, accusing the Shinsengumi of being too brutal, killing countless people, and being as fierce and vicious as wolves.

The common people dared not offend the Shinsengumi, much less provoke the radical patriots.

Therefore, out of sheer desperation, many shops have recently stopped serving members of the Shinsengumi, fearing retaliation from these patriots.

Despite being the guardians of Kyoto, they couldn't even get into the doors of Kyoto's shops... The Shinsengumi members were naturally indignant and resentful of these merchants for being ungrateful.

However, due to the restrictions of the Shinsengumi Laws—Article 4: Anyone who extorts others, robs others, harms the innocent, or rapes a woman shall be executed on the spot—even though the Shinsengumi members felt extremely aggrieved, they could only suppress their anger and dared not vent their frustrations on the civilians.

If left unattended, it will inevitably lead to disaster sooner or later.

There is no reason to tolerate the arrogant behavior of those who defy patriots.

This is no longer just a matter of respecting and resisting patriots; we must take strong measures!

Third Division, move out!

With a stroke of his pen, Qing Deng mobilized the Third Division to Kyoto and ordered Saito Hajime to take full charge of the "war of maintaining order" in Kyoto, to completely eliminate the evil-doing patriots!

In this way, it was as if we had returned to two years ago, when the Shinsengumi had just entered Kyoto—the bloody storm descended upon Kyoto once again!

The patriots, who were indulging in reckless behavior, and the Shinsengumi, who were upholding the law, engaged in a life-or-death chase and battle in the streets and alleys of Kyoto!

At this very moment, these dozen or so Shinsengumi members, as swift as the wind and lightning, are pursuing six escaped loyalists.

A figure charged ahead, his form blurring, his steps swift, his pale blue haori sleeves billowing high.

"You are surrounded! Surrender now! Those who surrender will not be killed! Otherwise, don't blame me, Oishi Kuwajiro, for being impolite!"

Oishi Kuwajiro, who made great contributions in the "Battle of Goryokaku" and was promoted to "Third Seat of the Third Division", is the most eye-catching newcomer in the Shinsengumi recently.

After the Third Division moved into Kyoto, Oishi Kuwajiro once again demonstrated his excellent initiative, becoming exceptionally active and always taking the lead.

Because he had lived in Kyoto for a period of time—working as a bodyguard for wealthy Kyoto merchants and mingling in Kyoto's "ronin circle"—he had accumulated a considerable network of connections and extensive influence in Kyoto.

He knows shortcuts that most people don't know; he has clues that most people don't have.

At a time when the "respect and humiliation movement" is being severely cracked down on, talented people like him who are well-informed and capable in combat are especially valuable.

Thanks to Oishi Kuwajiro's extensive network of connections and his familiarity with Kyoto's terrain, the Third Division achieved remarkable results as soon as they entered Kyoto, successfully eliminating a large number of loyalists.

Gradually, the name Ōishi Kuwajiro began to circulate among the loyalists of the Tōjō clan—undoubtedly, it was a bad reputation.

The patriots both hated and feared him, and bitterly called him "Kujiro the Man-Slayer".

Pursued by Oishi Kuwajiro and his men, the six members of the Zunjo patriots scattered in all directions, running aimlessly in their panic.

Just then, a group of people suddenly appeared from the side and blocked their way.

Oishi Kuwajiro's statement that "you are surrounded" was not an exaggeration.

Tonight's encirclement and suppression was meticulously planned.

From the very beginning, this group had no chance of escaping the Shinsengumi's pursuit; it was only a matter of time before they were caught.

With their path blocked, the patriots had no choice but to stop and search for another way out in fear.

However, in the brief moment of their panic, Oishi Kuwajiro and his men arrived from behind and surrounded them.

Thus, the situation is set... This is the epitome of "unable to escape even with wings".

The leader who had just blocked his path stepped forward and said, without any emotion, "..."

"Let's surrender. It'll be better for everyone."

The patriot immediately recognized the other party's identity, his face turned pale, and cold sweat broke out on his forehead:

"It's Captain Saito Hajime of the Third Division!"

The newcomer turned out to be one of the Shinsengumi's strongest swordsmen... The rest of the patriots all turned pale, their cheeks filled with despair.

"Third Division Captain Saito Hajime and 'Hit-Slayer Kuwajiro' are both here... Hmph, we've really grown some skills! We actually managed to attract two famous figures from the Shinsengumi to chase after us!"

Oishi Kuwajiro chuckled, scratching his head sheepishly.

"A celebrity? Heh, am I already a celebrity in the Shinsengumi...?"

Despite his excitement, Oishi Kuwajiro silently drew his sword with his right hand, ready to fight at any moment.

"You want us to surrender? No way!"

"Don't be so smug! The ultimate victor will definitely be Changzhou!"

"Kill! Fight them to the death!"

Accompanied by the sounds of swords being drawn one after another, a fierce killing intent spread out.

With only six men facing off against more than twenty elite members of the Shinsengumi's Third Division, who also had two top fighters, Saito Hajime and Oishi Kuwajiro, the outcome of this battle was completely predictable.

It started suddenly and ended quickly.

In just 10 seconds, the patriots were utterly defeated. Four died on the spot, and two others were wounded and captured. The Shinsengumi, on the other hand, were completely unscathed, without a single wounded soldier. When the difference in combat strength reaches a certain level, being unilaterally slaughtered is only a matter of course.

As Oishi Kuwajiro shook the blood off his sword, he loudly gave the order:

"Very good! Well done, everyone! Take the prisoners away! Dispose of the bodies!"

After several missions, Oishi Kuwajiro is increasingly showing the demeanor of a "third seat of the third division".

Under his orderly command, the team members on site were divided into two groups.

One group was responsible for escorting the prisoners, while another group brought carts and straw mats to move the corpses.

In a life-or-death duel where "the sword is swift and decisive," it is difficult to show mercy unless there is a significant difference in strength between the two sides.

Therefore, for the Shinsengumi, "how to successfully capture prisoners while apprehending those who uphold the righteous cause" has always been a major challenge.

Without powerful backing, it would have been impossible to mobilize such a large "group of patriots".

The most suspicious suspect is Changzhou.

There is reason to suspect that Choshu established an agency specifically responsible for disrupting Kyoto.

Therefore, it is very necessary to capture more prisoners for interrogation.

Although the results were not remarkable, thanks to the tireless efforts of the Third Division, the Mibu Garrison prison still gained more than a dozen "newcomers".

Unfortunately, no useful intelligence has been obtained from these prisoners so far.

What can be confirmed at present is that there is indeed a "secret organization" secretly plotting all of this!

The organization adopted a command method of "layer upon layer of outsourcing" and "middlemen within middlemen".

This greatly increases the difficulty of "following the clues to find the melon".

In short, this "Kyoto security battle" will be anything but easy!

Looking at the two prisoners being taken away, Oishi Kuwajiro couldn't help but laugh out loud. In a great mood, he took the initiative to chat with Saito Hajime.

"Hahaha! Captain, look! We've wiped out another batch of loyalists! It won't be long before we restore peace to Kyoto!"

Oishi Kujiro was so engrossed that he was a beat late in noticing that Saito Ichimoku was deep in thought, his brows furrowed, as if he had something on his mind.

Oishi Kuwajiro paused for a moment, then asked:

"Hmm? Captain, what's wrong? Why do you look so gloomy?"

Although Saito Hajime usually has a stern face, it is rare to see him looking so melancholy now.

Because he had only recently joined the Third Division, Oishi Kuwajiro and Saito Hajime were not very familiar with each other.

The latter is always very cold towards people with whom they have a shallow relationship.

Therefore, Oishi Kuwajiro was mentally prepared to receive a cold reply of "it's nothing".

However, something completely unexpected happened.

Saito Hajime did not give him a perfunctory answer; instead, he launched into a lengthy discourse:

"...The patriots who advocated the rebellion were just like weeds, they would grow back after you killed one batch, and you could never kill them all."

"Why are we still unable to completely eliminate those who advocate rebellion? Where exactly does the problem lie?"

Oishi Kuwajiro stared blankly at Saito Hajime—this was the first time he had heard the other speak so much since he joined the Third Division.

Everyone who gets to know Hajime Saito goes through this process: Huh? I didn't know you could talk so much?

Oishi Kuwajiro blinked blankly.