I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

"Faced with the powerful offensive of the 'Western Alliance,' we suffered a crushing defeat."

“From the Kinai region, they retreated to Nobi, then from Nobi to the Kanto region, then to the Utsunomiya Domain, the Aizu Domain… and finally all the way to Goryokaku.”

"Goryokaku became our last stronghold, and all the territory south of the Tsugaru Strait fell."

"The familiar faces are all gone... No Tachibana, no you, no Tsukasa, no one from the Shieikan... I'm all alone now, leading the remnants of the Shinsengumi, and waging a final, desperate battle against the 'Western Alliance'."

"It's called a 'final battle,' but there's really no suspense at all."

"The disparity in combat strength between the enemy and ourselves is enormous... The Western army is coming in overwhelming numbers. With such a small force and a mere Wulingguo, there is simply no chance of victory."

"On the eve of the Western Kingdom's general attack, someone said to me: Surrender, and you will live if you surrender to the Western Kingdom."

"The other side meant no harm; they just hoped that this battle, which was doomed to fail, could end as soon as possible, that there would be fewer casualties, and that I could survive."

"But I didn't even think about it and immediately refused."

"I cried out like a woman: If we surrender to the Western Kingdom, what kind of expression will I have when I go to the afterlife to face my comrades!"

"On the day the decisive battle began, I led my troops out of the city and charged into the enemy lines."

"I burned with all my might, wielding my sword with selfless abandon, fighting to the death to kill the enemy."

"The enemy soldiers, terrified by my slaughter, trembled and asked me who I was."

"I was already out of breath, but I still shouted at the top of my lungs, 'Shinsengumi Vice-Commander, Hijikata Toshizo!'"

"And these are my last words."

"After shouting those words, I charged straight into the enemy ranks, and then... I never came out again."

"That concludes the contents of my strange dream."

Hijikata Toshizo let out a long breath, a strange expression that was neither a smile nor a frown appearing on his face.

Doesn't Buddhism have the concept of "three thousand worlds"?

"I think what I dreamed about might be a true story that happened in another world."

"In another world, I was utterly defeated by the Western Kingdom, losing battle after battle, yet fighting on despite the defeats, fighting across most of the world, and finally fighting to the last moment under the banner of sincerity... Hmph, although it's disgusting, I have to admit that this is indeed something I would do."

"No matter what world I am in, being the vice-commander of the Shinsengumi is the identity I am most proud of."

"No matter what world I am in, I will give my life for the Shinsengumi."

“I was a ‘thorny brat’ who lived a ridiculous life, spending every day either fighting or on my way to fight.”

"Without goals, without dreams, without a career to be proud of, I drift through each day in a daze, as if I'm floating in mid-air."

“It wasn’t until Tachibana formed the Shinsengumi, and until I became a part of the Shinsengumi, that I finally had a real sense of ‘being alive’.”

"Seeing Shinpachi, Sanosuke, and Heisuke makes me happy."

"Seeing Yamanami and Saito makes me feel at ease."

"Seeing you, Xiao Si, Uncle Yuan, and Ju makes me feel less lonely."

"For me now, the Shinsengumi is my home, a place I would protect with my life."

"Anyone who wants to harm the Shinsengumi, anyone who wants to oppose the Shinsengumi, no matter who they are, I will not show them any mercy; no matter how terrifying their power is, I will not be afraid!"

"As long as I can protect the Shinsengumi, I am willing to become a true 'Demon Vice-Commander'!"

“Ah Sheng, even you can’t take away my ‘one’ if you don’t show the same fighting spirit and awareness.”

“Now that things have come to this, the Shinsengumi is no longer just my ‘school,’ but also Tachibana’s ‘school,’ Tsukasa’s ‘school’… and everyone’s ‘school.’”

At this point, Hijikata Toshizo seemed to understand something and paused for a moment.

Then, he raised his gaze and stared straight at Kondo Isami with a scrutinizing look.

"Ah Sheng, where is your 'place'?"

Kondo Isami's pupils suddenly contracted... shrinking to pinhole size in the blink of an eye.

He turned his stiff neck and looked at his delicate younger sister again.

"...Ah Sui, if I asked Xiao Si the same question, how do you think she would react?"

Hijikata Toshizo shrugged and said jokingly:

"I imagine she'd be chewing on some konpeito (Japanese candy) while giving you a look like you're looking at a fool, and saying, 'Huh? Kondo-kun, are you still half asleep? Come on, let's go sunbathe together. Once the sun warms you up, you'll wake up.'"

Kondo Isami chuckled, his previously tense facial features softening.

Although it was barely perceptible, the "mist" hidden deep in his eyes did indeed dissipate in that instant.

About three minutes later, Kondo Isami said softly in a hoarse voice:

“…Ah Sui, thank you.”

The moment he finished speaking, he grabbed Nagasone Kotetsu from beside his leg, and left like a whirlwind, bursting out the door and disappearing in the blink of an eye, his whereabouts unknown.

Hijikata Toshizo turned his head away, expressionless and silent, watching them go... Suddenly, a faint smile appeared on his lips.

……

……

Hatazu Domain, Otsu, Shinsengumi Garrison, a certain dojo—

Snapped!Snapped!Snapped!Snapped!Snapped!Snapped!

The clear sound of bamboo swords clashing could be heard continuously.

The fully dressed Todo Heisuke and Ito Kashitaro engage in a fierce and dazzling contest.

Since Todo Heisuke joined the "Ito Juku", he has met with Ito Kashitaro much more often.

As a result, they had more opportunities to learn from each other.

"Aaaaaaah!"

With a shout, Todo Heisuke once again used his signature move—a feint followed by a fierce slash at his opponent's right wrist.

Ito Kashitaro didn't move at all; he merely flicked his wrists, causing the sword tip to tremble slightly, and deflected Todo Heisuke's slash.

The next instant, Ito Kashitaro stepped forward with his sword—bang—the sword slashed down and struck Todo Heisuke precisely on the top of his head.

The strikes were so exquisite that there was absolutely no fault in them.

Although protected by protective gear, Todo Heisuke was not injured, but the astonishing force still made him dizzy, and he had to fall to the floor.

"Haa... I lost again..."

Heisuke Todo smiled wryly, removed the headgear, and sighed deeply.

"Master, I'm afraid I'll never be able to surpass you in my entire life."

To date, Heisuke Todo has defeated Kashitaro Ito zero times!

From the moment he began learning martial arts from his master, he had never won against him.

Ito Kashitaro smiled and sat down properly in front of Todo Heisuke.

"Heisuke, you don't need to belittle yourself."

"Your talent is undeniable."

"What you lack right now is nothing more than experience."

"Give me time, and you will surely defeat me!"

Upon hearing this, the bitterness on Todo Heisuke's face deepened slightly.

"'Unquestionable'... Master, I am very grateful for your high regard for me."

"But being surrounded by geniuses in the Shinsengumi really makes me lose confidence..."

“Master Kondo, Mr. Hijikata, Mr. Yamanami, Mr. Nagakura, and Mr. Saito are all genius swordsmen who are one in a million.”

“Even the newcomers… such as that Jiro Oishiku, who has been very active recently, possess amazing talents.”

"Not to mention Mr. Tachibana and Ms. Okita, those two monsters..."

"To be honest, I've felt more than once that a swordsman of my caliber is simply dragging the Shinsengumi down..."

Todo Heisuke said with a self-deprecating tone... however, if one looked closely, one could see a few dark glints in his eyes.

Kashitaro Ito stared intently at Heisuke Todo.

After a short while, he spoke with displeasure:

"...How could I, a disciple of Ito Kashitaro, lose to anyone else?"

"Heisuke, this is a rare opportunity. Today I will give you one last lesson!"

Todo Heisuke was stunned:

"Huh? What? 'The last class'?"

Ito Kashitaro nodded:

"That's right, the last lesson. After today, I have nothing more to teach you."

The sudden "class time" left Todo Heisuke at a loss.

Upon hearing the words "last class," he felt an indescribable sorrow welling up inside him.

However, the muscle memory he had developed from years of listening to lectures in front of the other party made him subconsciously sit up straight, pretending to listen attentively, and his upper body subconsciously leaning towards the other party.

Ito Kashitaro cleared his throat and began to speak:

"The so-called swordsmanship is nothing more than 'not letting oneself reveal a weakness and being careful to avoid being cut,' and 'making the opponent reveal a weakness so that it is easy to cut.'"

"These principles are the consistent truths in martial arts, and can also be applied to other areas such as fists, feet, and spears."

"Therefore, there is only one way to defeat an opponent you can't defeat no matter what—find a weakness in them!"

"The most feasible method is to deliberately let oneself be cut, and then seize that extremely brief opening!"

"No matter how skilled a swordsman is, his stance will inevitably falter when he wields his sword."

"That's absolutely true, there will never be an exception. How can you wield a sword if you don't stretch your body and open your arms?"

"Therefore, if you encounter an incredibly powerful enemy in the future, but one you must defeat, you can simply relax your defenses and let the enemy attack you. Then, seize the moment when the enemy has a fleeting opening and turn the tables to kill them!"

Upon hearing this, Todo Heisuke couldn't help but swallow hard.