I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

Strangely, however, he calmed down after fully seeing the truth.

The eyes, which were originally filled with resentment and frustration, are now gradually regaining their clarity.

He stared intently at Kondo Isami and said softly and calmly:

"I see... Mr. Kondo, so you were Tachibana Aoto's mole sent to spy on me."

Kondo Isami shook his head:

"No, Ito-sensei, you're mistaken. Mr. Tachibana had no intention of sending me to monitor you. It was I who volunteered and took on this important task."

After hearing this, Ito Kashitaro closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"I see... From the very beginning, you never intended to stand with me through thick and thin; you only wanted to kill me..."

"What a pity... I truly believed you would fight alongside me to conquer the world..."

“Mr. Kondo, although I have no right to criticize you, I still want to remind you: you made a really bad move.”

“If you stay in the Shinsengumi, your brilliance will always be overshadowed, and people like Tachibana Aoto and Hijikata Toshizo will always be ahead of you.”

Are you really willing to accept this?

Kondo Isami said calmly:

"Teacher Ito, if I really betray the Shinsengumi and fight alongside you, perhaps I will have a real chance to achieve even greater success."

"But in doing so, I will never be able to return to the 'Test Guard Hall' again."

"It would certainly make me happy to become a great figure who will be remembered for all time."

"But the time I spent practicing swordsmanship and laughing with everyone at the Shieikan... that time, which was both ordinary and yet so memorable, is what I crave most."

"It doesn't matter if I can't become a brilliant and outstanding person like Tachibana-kun or A-Sui."

"Compared to fame and fortune, I would rather protect the Shieikan."

"This is my 'one', the fourth head of the Tennen Rishin-ryu main family and the second head of the Shieikan.

Kondo Isami's tone wasn't high-pitched, but the firmness in his voice was incredibly strong.

"..."

Ito Kashitaro frowned slightly, staring intently at Kondo Isami with an incredulous look.

"Willing to submit to others for the sake of a temple... What a ridiculous reason! I cannot understand your thoughts at all."

Kondo Isami smiled slightly:

I don't crave your understanding.

"I will spare no effort to protect all the people and things I cherish, even if it means suffering criticism from the world. This is the 'way of the scholar' that I have recently come to understand and am prepared to uphold for the rest of my life."

Ito Kashitaro seemed to choke, the words he wanted to say stuck in his throat, and he remained silent for a long time.

After a moment, he took another deep breath, and then, as if forced back by Kondo Isami's sincere gaze, he silently withdrew his gaze from him and turned to look at Aoto.

"Tachibana Aoto, I lost."

"You actually allowed a high-ranking official like Kondo Isami to feign betrayal... To be honest, your audacity far exceeds my expectations."

"Now that things have come to this, I have nothing more to say."

“I won’t say ‘please spare my life,’ and you’re not going to let me go either.”

"Any words from a loser are meaningless."

So... don't waste everyone's time! Bring it on!

With that, he suddenly drew his sword, the dazzling blade flashing into the eyes of everyone present.

Hattori Takeo drew his sword immediately after him, his eyes, filled with fighting spirit, roaring silently: Come on! Even if it means death, I will fight you to the death!

Seeing that Ito Kashitaro was already prepared to die, Aoto, who had been silent until now, finally spoke:

“Mr. Ito, although you have committed an unforgivable crime, it is an indisputable fact that you have made great contributions to the Shinsengumi.”

"As a sign of respect, I originally intended to personally see you off on your journey."

"However... someone is determined to settle things with you."

After speaking, Qingdeng shifted his feet, making half a body's width to the side.

Then... a person that Ito Kashitaro never expected appeared.

Then, Todo Heisuke walked out from behind, brushed past Aoto, and moved to stand in front of Ito Kashitaro.

"master……"

"Heisuke..."

The master and apprentice stared at each other, their gazes clashing, each filled with intense emotion.

They seemed to have countless things to say, yet they kept their mouths tightly shut.

In this deathly silence, the first person to speak was Todo Heisuke.

“…Master, I have always been proud to be a part of the Ito Dojo.”

As Todo Heisuke spoke, a faint smile curved his lips.

More than two weeks ago, he was nearly killed by the other party.

If it weren't for Kondo Isami, who acted as an inside man, providing timely cover, he would have long since become a victim of the enemy's blade.

Without a doubt, he had every reason to resent and hate the other party.

However, when they met as enemies, there was not a trace of resentment or malice in his eyes, nor a hint of murderous intent.

He poured out his emotions quietly and slowly:

"I will never regret becoming your disciple, whether in the past, present, or future."

"Perhaps our current opposition is not a matter of good versus evil, but the cruel times have forced us to draw our swords against each other. In that case, I cannot stand idly by no means."

"So... Master, come on, let's settle this once and for all."

"Let this duel mark my complete graduation from the Ito Dojo!"

Todo Heisuke suddenly drew the sword from his waist, raised the tip, and took a stance with a blue eye.

"Ito Dojo"

"Hokushin Ittō-ryū"

"Toudo Heisuke!"

Ito Kashitaro didn't say much, silently holding his sword in front of him.

"Ito Dojo"

"Hokushin Ittō-ryū"

"Ito Kashitaro!"

The moment they introduced themselves, Toudou Heisuke vanished from his spot and appeared before Ito Kashitaro in the blink of an eye, slashing down with his sword!

Ito Kashitaro lowered his center of gravity, stepped back firmly, raised his sword to block, and easily parried Todo Heisuke's sword.

The intense clanging of metal against metal, along with the resulting strong wind, echoed in all directions, whipping up countless grains of sand and gravel.

Under Qingdeng's orders, everyone kept their distance, leaving enough space for a fight.

This is a duel between master and disciple... a fight to the death, each resigning to fate! They will fight with all their might until one of them falls!

Everyone present was aware of the sacredness of this duel.

If you were to step forward to help, it would be an insult to the two swordsmen engaged in fierce combat!

Therefore, whether it was Aoto, Kondo Isami, or anyone else, they all stood silently, quietly watching this unprecedented duel!

Amidst the flashing swords and clashing blades, Todo Heisuke unleashed all the techniques he was proficient in.

Straight thrusts, diagonal slashes, robe cuts... one move after another, each faster than the last.

His left rib—the spot where he was injured during his previous duel with Saito Hajime—was still aching.

A little over half a month is not enough time for his injuries to heal.

However, his high morale and determination to "win" made him completely forget the pain!

In the blink of an eye, his knife once again cut through the autumn wind, flashing across the night sky.

clang!

Although Ito Kashitaro successfully blocked the slash, the immense force transmitted through the blade caused him to lose his balance and uncontrollably take a step back.

Heisuke Todo pressed his advantage, launching an even more ferocious offensive.

Dense flashes of sword light enveloped Ito Kashitaro from all directions, sometimes launching a fierce frontal attack, sometimes ambushing from the side.

The phrase "swift and decisive" perfectly describes Heisuke Todo's offensive.

At first glance, he had gained a significant advantage, firmly suppressing Ito Kashitaro and giving the latter no chance to catch his breath.

It's a pity... all these scenes are ultimately just "at first glance".

Even the most meticulous plans can have flaws—at this very moment, the connection between Toudou Heisuke's previous slash and this slash was not entirely smooth.

Although the opening occurred in the blink of an eye, Ito Kashitaro astutely seized the opportunity! As he twisted to dodge, the sword in his hand leaped from an unbelievable angle, slashing towards Toudou Heisuke's chest!

Startled, Todo Heisuke quickly leaned back, narrowly avoiding the attack.

Although he successfully escaped outside the opponent's attack range, his originally impeccable physical stance inevitably became loose.

The experienced Ito Kashitaro would naturally not give Todo Heisuke a chance to regroup.

But he clung to Toudou Heisuke like a shadow, relentlessly harassing him in every way possible.

In this situation, let alone regrouping, even self-preservation would be extremely difficult.

Thus, Ito Kashitaro reversed the situation with just one move, turning defense into offense!

The once imposing Todo Heisuke is now showing signs of defeat.

Toudou Heisuke viewed tonight's battle as his last, prepared to die, and raised all his senses to the highest level, unleashing a power far exceeding his usual strength.

However, the gap between him and Ito Kashitaro is not so easy to overcome.