I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

As she spoke, she opened her arms, making a "How about it?" gesture.

"My legs are perfectly fine!"

"I just got up too quickly and lost my balance!"

"I'm in a really good state right now!"

Looking at the steady-standing Souji, Mr. Kiryu's eyes widened in surprise.

Although he was not a professional doctor, he had studied some medical skills—he had previously studied some traditional Chinese medicine in Nara and some Western medicine in Nagasaki.

In his mind, a person who has been lying in bed for more than half a year could not possibly stand up.

Let alone standing up, it's already quite difficult to even sit up.

Unexpectedly... today, he witnessed a "medical miracle" firsthand.

This unexpected slap in the face plunged him into a brief state of confusion...

Suddenly, Ogata, who had been silent until now, abruptly interrupted:

"...Tsukasa, you're not going to Toba or Fushimi, are you?"

The commander answered without hesitation:

"Of course! I am the captain of the first division of the Shinsengumi! Now that my illness is gone, what reason do I have not to fight?"

Ogata spread his hands:

I advise you to rest for a few days first.

"Although you are physically fine, there is no way you could have avoided the negative effects of being in a coma for so long."

No sooner had Ogata finished speaking than Kinoshita Rin added:

“That’s right. You’ve only just woken up, so you should rest for a while longer.”

"It's a pity I didn't bring a mirror, otherwise I would really like to show you—you don't look well right now."

"I'll have a doctor come and give you a full check-up in a bit."

Ogata and Kinoshita Rin's coordinated efforts... had absolutely no effect.

"No! I can't wait even a second longer!"

The commander-in-chief cast a straight, unwavering gaze at them, his voice rising inch by inch.

"Qingdeng and his men are fighting a bloody battle! How can I stand idly by? If something terrible happens on the front lines while I'm enjoying my leisurely life here, I'll never forgive myself!"

Kinoshita Rin lowered her eyelids, her expression and tone becoming stern:

“You’re not living a leisurely life; you’re recuperating. When you’re sick, you need to recover; when you’re injured, you need to heal. That’s only natural.”

She paused briefly, then spoke slowly and deliberately, in a serious tone:

"...Tachibana-kun entrusted you to me. If something happens to you, I won't be able to face him in the future."

Instantly, a tense atmosphere filled the room and the surroundings.

Souji and Kinoshita Rin stared intently at each other, neither willing to give in.

Kiryu looked at Souji, then at Kinoshita Rin... a meaningful expression lingered on his face.

A moment later, he slowly raised his left leg and assumed a kneeling position.

Then--

call out!

He suddenly pulled out the wakizashi from his waist!

The sharp blade, flashing with a cold light, sliced ​​through the air, drawing a beautiful fan shape, and swept towards Souji's body!

The sudden and unexpected attack caused Souji's pupils to shrink to pinpoints instantly.

Kiryu's strike was swift.

But the commander-in-chief reacted even faster!

In a split second, she instinctively leaped backward, narrowly avoiding Kiryu's slash.

"what……?"

After her feet landed back on the ground, Souji blinked her beautiful eyes a few times, her face showing surprise.

Whether it was her imagination or not, she felt that... her reaction speed seemed to have increased.

If she had been healthy before her illness, she could have easily dodged the attack.

However... they wouldn't have such keen reflexes...

Just as Souji was still confused, Kiryu had already sheathed his sword, turned his gaze, and looked at Kinoshita Rin with a serious expression.

"My lord, since Xiao Si was able to dodge my attack just now, she should be fine."

Souji was taken aback for a moment, then immediately reacted. He first gave Kiryu a grateful look, and then cooperated with him, applying "pressure" to Kinoshita Rin with a firm gaze.

Looking at Kiryu, who was "siding with outsiders," Kinoshita Rin twitched her lips a few times, glaring at him with a mixture of displeasure and helplessness.

Just then, Kinoshita Rin seemed to realize something, frowned slightly, and looked around.

"...Huh? Where are he and Atachi?"

Because Souji didn't know Ogata's true identity—only that he was a reclusive master with "miraculous blood" who usually disguised himself as a "wagashi master"—Kiryu and Kinoshita Rin were both careful not to call Ogata by his real name in front of Souji, only referring to him as "he".

A single sentence awakened them from their reverie. Souji and Kiryu, the shopkeeper, belatedly realized that Ogata and Omachi had both disappeared.

They left at some unknown time; the couple was no longer in the room.

Speak of the devil and he appears—as they searched for Ogata and his wife, Ogata's voice drifted from outside the house.

"Oh, thank goodness, you're still here."

Ogata pushed open the door and returned to the sight of everyone.

Compared to before, he now carried something extra—a knife tightly bound with old strips of cloth slung over his shoulder.

"Xiao Si, here you go."

He threw the knife as he spoke.

The commander exclaimed "Huh?" and hurriedly raised his arms to catch the knife without any real danger.

"This is……?"

Ogata smiled:

"As you can see, this is a knife. It's been with me for quite a while, and I've always wanted to give it away, but I haven't found the right person. Somehow, I feel that you'd be a good match for it, so I've decided to entrust it to you."

"knife……?"

As a samurai who is obsessed with swords, Souji is naturally interested in all kinds of swords.

She lowered her head and stared intently at it.

"Can I remove the strips of cloth?"

"Of course. This knife is yours from now on, and you can do with it as you please."

Upon hearing this, the commander-in-chief did not delay any longer. He hurriedly untied the strips of cloth and peeled them off one by one, like unwrapping a bandage... Soon, the full appearance of the knife came into view.

This is a typical katana, with a large curve in the blade and an extremely long edge, nearly 80 centimeters long.

At first glance, it seems to have no other distinguishing features besides its exquisite knife fittings.

However, with careful observation, one can discover that the area near the handle is decorated with a sixteen-petaled chrysanthemum pattern and a horizontal line.

Although Souji is not a professional sword appraiser, he has basic sword appraisal skills and at least knows the appearance of various famous swords.

Therefore, upon seeing this unique pattern, her expression immediately changed, her cheeks filled with disbelief.

"This...this knife, could it be..."

She raised her eyes and looked at Ogata, unable to contain her excitement.

"As far as I know, this knife has long been lost, but there are rumors circulating in the city that it is being kept by a hermit..."

Ogata shrugged, his expression playful.

"Yes, this rumor is true; it was indeed kept by a samurai."

The excitement and disbelief on Souji's face had reached an unprecedented level.

She gripped the knife tightly, her eyes swirling with a variety of emotions.

After a brief silence, she opened her lips, as if preparing to say something.

Before she could speak, Ogata saw through her intention and interrupted her preemptively:

"Don't tell me, 'This is too valuable, I can't accept it.'"

"Swords are tools. Only when they are used to cut can they truly become swords."

“A dusty object left in the attic cannot be considered a sword.”

"Take it without worry. And then... let it become a real sword."

Ogata's tone was full of unyielding force.

He was saying cool things just a second ago.

However, in the next second—

"...How long are you going to stand at the door?"

"Oh, I'm so sorry."

Ogata smiled apologetically and obediently stepped aside.

Ogata, who had been blocked from entering the door, stepped on the small pieces of cloth and placed the stack of clothes she was holding at Souji's feet.

The commander recognized them immediately—these were her clothes.

A purple kimono, white hakama, black tabi socks, a purple ribbon specifically for tying hair... and the most important piece, a light blue haori.

One delivered weapons, the other brought clothes... Watching the couple working together so well, Kinoshita Rin, who was being "isolated," looked puzzled.

"Hey, are you guys serious? You really want Tsukasa to go to Toba and Fushimi?"