I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

She looked completely bewildered, with a few clumps of messy hair on her head, looking around blankly.

A moment later, she met the gaze of the stunned Atachi.

Before Atachi could speak, she asked softly:

"Is there any food...? I'm so hungry..."

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It's almost the end of the month again! Readers with monthly passes, please be sure to vote for this book! (crying leopard head.jpg)

Please vote with monthly tickets! Please vote with recommendation tickets! (Leopard crying.jpg)

P.S.: Souji has finally woken up! How long had she been asleep? I'd really appreciate it if kind readers could help me figure it out (sigh).

Chapter 1156 Bowing to the Sword! Ogata Itsuki Presents the Sword!

"Glug...! Glug...! Glug...! Glug...!"

The chief was like a starving ghost, desperately shoveling food into the steaming hot porridge.

Of course, calling them starving ghosts is not entirely wrong.

She had been in a coma for more than half a year since she started drinking Ogata's blood.

For the past six months, she has only been able to drink some easily swallowed thin porridge or soup when she regains consciousness slightly, relying on her instincts... enough to keep her alive, but not enough to fill her stomach.

The accumulated hunger erupted like a volcano on this day... truly a case of being starved and desperately waiting to be fed!

The image she carved seems to wish she had more mouths to eat and more hands to hold the bowls and chopsticks.

In the blink of an eye, the bowl of hot porridge in her hand was completely devoured.

She held the empty bowl, licked her lips, and her eyes shone with a lingering sense of satisfaction.

"Um... can I have another bowl?"

She turned her head to look at Kinoshita Rin and the others beside her, revealing a shy expression.

Six clean, empty bowls were placed beside her bed—a meal she would never have dared to imagine under normal circumstances!

Kinoshita Rin smiled:

"of course."

The next moment, another bowl of hot porridge was handed to the commander.

As Mr. Kiryu served the porridge, he said softly:

"Xiao Si, eat slowly, no rush. If you finish eating, I can cook some more."

"Huh? Mr. Kiryu, did you cook this porridge?"

"I used to study cooking in Osaka. Does it suit your taste?"

"It's so delicious! I thought this porridge was made by the chef of some high-class restaurant!"

After saying that, she put her hands together, quickly said "I'm starting," and then went back into "whirlwind" mode.

As Souji wolfed down her food, Ogata, Omachi, Kiryu, and Kinoshita Rin sat around her, watching her with varying emotions.

Suddenly, Kiryu tapped Ogata's side with the tip of his right elbow and whispered:

"Is she... alright now?"

Ogata curled the corners of his mouth into a smile:

Isn't it obvious?

Upon hearing this, Kiryu couldn't help but raise his gaze and cast a look of half delight and half amazement at Souji in front of him.

Another person who successfully absorbed the "power of immortality" appeared before him... The feelings he had were truly indescribable!

A short while later, an eighth empty bowl appeared beside the chief's bed.

Mr. Kiryu asked enthusiastically:

"Xiao Si, would you like another bowl?"

The commander quickly waved his hand:

"No, no, I'm full. This is the most filling meal I've ever had in my life!"

With her hunger gone, her spirits lifted, and her mind became much clearer. The lingering confusion on her brow since she woke up gradually faded away.

She looked around, then at the unfamiliar ceiling, then at the unfamiliar walls... "Confusion" replaced "bewilderment".

"Where am I...?"

Kinoshita Rin answered softly:

"This is Osaka."

"Osaka? How did I get to Osaka? What's the date? Where's Aoto? Sanako? Mai? Where's everyone?"

Following "confusion," "fear" crept onto the chief's cheeks.

Kiryu's boss, on behalf of Kinoshita Rin, replied:

"Xiao Si, you don't need to worry."

"Many things happened during the time you were in a coma, too many to explain in a few words."

"We will patiently answer your questions."

……

……

Mr. Kiryu recounted in detail the changes in the world after Souji fell into a coma.

The establishment of the Southern Court, the Empress's ascension to the throne, Aoto becoming the supreme ruler of the Northern Court, the confrontation between the North and South, the Southern Army's large-scale attack, and the outbreak of the Battle of Toba-Fushimi...

The commander listened attentively, his facial expression constantly changing.

Because her memory was still stuck at the moment she "swallowed Ogata's blood", she was speechless with shock when she learned that she had been in a coma for several months and that it was now the second year of the Kuoten era, and even the emperor had changed (Katsu-no-miya ascended the throne).

At this moment, she felt as if she had been transported to another world.

She felt like the protagonist in the fairy tale "Urashima Taro," who had traveled in the Dragon Palace for several days and returned to shore after decades had passed in the human world.

Although her feelings were mixed and unpleasant, her sentiments lasted only a moment—her entire attention was instantly taken over by the ongoing battle.

Upon learning that Aoto was leading the Shinsengumi to block the "Southern Army" along the Toba-Fushimi line, she involuntarily clenched her fists, her knuckles turning slightly white, and her face filled with a solemn expression.

Finally, Mr. Kiryu finished speaking.

Souji, who had listened to the last words, touched his chest thoughtfully, then turned to look at Ogata.

"...Now that I've woken up, that must mean I've succeeded, right?"

She emphasized the word "success".

Ogata shrugged and joked:

"You should know more about the changes in your own body than I do, right?"

Upon hearing this, the commander instinctively took a deep breath, continuing until his chest was full and his lungs were bulging before stopping.

"My chest doesn't hurt anymore... Is this what it feels like to breathe freely...? I've almost forgotten what this feeling is like."

She grinned as she spoke, and took several deep breaths, just like a child excitedly playing with a new toy.

There was a time when she didn't dare to speak much, or even laugh much, because if she did, she would cough uncontrollably...

She thought she would never experience the feeling of "deep breathing" again.

Even now, just a moment ago, the crisp air flowed through her throat and into her lungs... There was no severe chest pain, no unbearable itching in her trachea.

This feeling is something I haven't experienced in a long time.

For the first time in her life, she felt that being able to breathe freely was an incredibly wonderful and blissful thing!

After a half-joking sigh, she stretched lazily, then her expression turned solemn again, and she murmured:

"...I woke up at just the right time."

The next moment, with a soft "whoosh," she suddenly threw off the quilt covering her.

"Miss Lin, Mr. Kiryu, where is my knife?"

After Kashuu Kiyomitsu's sword was damaged in the Battle of Ikedaya, Aoto helped her find a new one. Although it was made by an unknown swordsmith, it was a high-quality sword.

As she asked the question, she suddenly sprang to her feet—

"what?"

With a surprised exclamation, her body shook violently like a roly-poly toy, and then fell straight to the ground.

Fortunately, Atachi, who was closest to her, reacted quickly and nimbly stepped forward to support her precisely and promptly.

"Xiao Si, are you alright?"

Atachi asked with concern.

"I...I'm fine...I'm just a little unsteady on my feet..."

Souji blinked a few times, then lowered his head in a daze, looking at his legs.

The Kiryu boss said calmly:

"Of course."

“You’ve been lying in bed for so long, all your muscles have weakened.”

"Right now, you even have difficulty standing up."

"You will need some time to recover and regain your former health."

Upon hearing this, Souji immediately puffed out his cheeks like a squirrel, revealing a defiant expression.

Without a word, she broke free from Atachi's embrace, spread her legs, and exerted force with her waist—her body swayed a few times before regaining its stability.

"Mr. Kiryu, please take a look!"