I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

Just as Qingdeng was about to practice "cutting down" from the beginning, footsteps suddenly came from the direction of the dojo's gate.

Familiar footsteps.

Walk with the lightness and energy of a puppy.

Qingdeng, who has now lived in the test site for nearly eight months, could not possibly have misheard.

"Okita-kun, didn't you go to take a bath?"

Without turning his head, Qing Deng accurately called out the name of the person who had just arrived.

"Hmm? Tachibana-kun, you were able to recognize my voice."

"How long do you think I've been here? I've memorized everyone's footsteps."

Qingdeng chuckled, put away his bamboo sword, and turned around.

At the entrance of the dojo stood Okita, holding a bathtub containing only a towel, soap, and a change of clothes.

"I don't know what's going on today, even at this hour, there are still quite a few people taking baths at Chihiro's place." Okita smiled helplessly. "There's nothing I can do but come back for now."

"Okita-kun, you really enjoy having the bath all to yourself..."

Okita has an unusual obsession with having the large public bath all to himself.

In order to have the huge bathtub at Chihiro-ya all to himself, Okita would only go to take a bath late at night when Chihiro-ya was about to close and there were basically no more customers.

Without exception.

Qing Deng had been staying at Shieikan for so long, yet he had never seen Okita go to Chihiro's house outside of the late night.

"Of course!"

Okita tucked his left hand, which wasn't used to hold the bathtub, into his waistband and puffed out his flat chest.

"Tachibana-kun, don't you think it's really great to be all alone in a bathhouse?"

"Spread out your arms and legs as you like, and lie in the bathtub in whatever position you want."

"You will never encounter the embarrassing situation of not being able to straighten your legs, or accidentally kicking someone while trying to straighten your legs."

“Well…” Qing Deng blinked, “That makes sense…”

Aoto could understand Okita's desire for a "private bath".

After all, being alone in the huge bathtub, you can soak however you want and lie down however you like, which is really great.

"Tachibana-kun, it's so late at night, why are you still practicing your sword here?"

This time, Okita asked Aoto a question.

"Hmm. Since I'm just killing time anyway, I might as well practice my swordsmanship for a while."

"Tachibana-kun, you're really diligent... How's your health recovering?"

Okita and the others, who lived under the same roof as Aoto, knew that Aoto had been actively undergoing "physical rehabilitation" in recent days.

"I guess we're recovering in a steady manner," Qingdeng said half-jokingly. "Our muscles and bones are still very stiff, and it will probably take some time to fully recover to our pre-injury state."

"It's good that you're recovering steadily. Will my presence here interfere with your practice?"

“It’s alright.” Qing Deng waved his hand. “In fact… Okita-kun, you’ve come at the perfect time. I happen to have something I’d like to talk to you about.”

"Is there something you want to talk to me about?" Okita tilted his head in confusion.

"I heard it from Hijikata this afternoon," Aoto said with a smile. "Is it true that your older sister, Okita Hikaru, and your brother-in-law, Okita Rintaro, are coming to Edo for Kondo-kun's wedding?"

Okita paused, taken aback.

Then he reached his left hand behind his head and played with his ponytail.

As Okita played with his fingers, the slender ponytail swayed lightly behind his head.

“Mr. Hijikata told you about this… Yes, after learning that Kondo was getting married, my older sister and brother-in-law wrote to say that they would definitely come to the wedding to congratulate him.”

"My second sister also wrote to say she wanted to come, but because where she lives now is too far from Edo, she had to give up."

Okita has two older sisters who are already married.

The eldest sister, Okita Hikaru, married into Hino-juku in Tama District, not far from Edo. Her husband was a live-in son-in-law, and after marrying Okita Hikaru, he changed his name to Okita Rintaro.

The second sister, Okita Kinori, married someone from a rather distant place.

"When will your eldest sister arrive in Edo?"

"I don't know. My older sister didn't say in her letter when they would arrive."

At this point, Okita Asahito raised a questioning look in his eyes.

"Ju-kun, why do you seem to care so much about my older sister?"

“I’ve heard so much about Ms. Okita Hikaru’s name,” Aoto said with a smile. “Kondo and Hijikata have both mentioned to me that you and your older sister look very alike, like you were made from the same mold.”

"That's why I've wanted to see for a long time whether your older sister really looks that much like you."

At this moment, Qing Deng suddenly noticed that Okita's expression was... a little strange.

Her long, delicate eyebrows furrowed slightly, her eyelids lowered, her lips pursed, and a faint hint of melancholy hung between her brows. Her left hand, which had been reaching behind her head, stopped playing with the ponytail hanging high on the back of her head.

"Okita-kun, why do you suddenly look so troubled? What's wrong?"

"Hmm? Oh, it's nothing."

Okita's body trembled slightly.

Immediately afterwards, Aoto saw Okita's signature sunny smile, which he recognized very well.

The delicate ponytail bounced lightly behind Okita's head once again.

"I'm just worried about how to deal with my older sister and brother-in-law's pressure to get married when they arrive."

"Pushing me to get married?" Qing Deng was stunned.

A visible look of helplessness and bitterness slowly appeared in Okita's eyes and on his cheeks: "My older sister is the kind of person who thinks 'it's not good to get married too late'."

"Last year, when I had just turned 15, my older sister started writing letters urging me to get married and began looking for blind dates for me..."

At this point, Okita let out a heavy sigh.

"I don't want to get married or start a family right now..."

“I have told my older sister many times that I have no intention of getting married at the moment, and that she should stop urging me to get married and stop helping me find blind dates.”

"But my older sister won't listen to me at all..."

"Ugh……"

Qingdeng raised his hand and scratched the back of his head, then smiled wryly and echoed:

"Your eldest sister... isn't she being a bit too hasty?"

"Although Okita-kun, you are indeed at the age where you can get married, it is far from the time when you need to rush into marriage."

"That's what I told my older sister too!" Okita grinned, annoyed. "But she just wouldn't listen to reason!"

"Ugh... How annoying..."

After letting out another heavy sigh, Okita took a deep breath and composed himself, adjusting his expression and tone.

"Never mind... Tachibana-kun, let's not talk about this anymore."

Okita placed the bathtub he was holding on the ground at his feet.

"I wonder when the Chihiro House will finally be empty."

"Tachibana-kun, how about we have a little spar right now?"

Qingdeng raised an eyebrow sharply: "A spar? Now?"

"Hmm!" Okita put his hands on his hips and laughed, "It's already this late, and you're still practicing your swordsmanship in the dojo... Your diligence is getting me all fired up!"

"I happen to be quite free right now, so why don't we have a sparring match?"

"It's been quite a while since the two of us have sparred."

As soon as Okita finished speaking, Aoto nodded without hesitation.

"Well, good!"

To spar with Okita after so long... this is exactly what Aoto wanted!

Fighting against a master like Okita would greatly benefit his rehabilitation, allowing his body to quickly recall the feeling of fighting!

Aoto and Okita walked quickly to the edge of the dojo, one after the other, each took a pair of protective gear, and skillfully put them on.

At this moment, Okita suddenly smiled at Aoto and said:

“Tachibana-kun, speaking of which… I don’t think I’ve mentioned this to you yet.”

"What did you mention?"

"I've recently gained some completely new insights into our natural flow of mind!"

"Insights? What insights?"

Okita let out a "hehehe" laugh, revealing a mischievous smile.

"Based on the Pingqing Eye and the Wuming Sword, I have come up with a new ultimate move!"

Pingqingyan: A basic sword stance in swordsmanship, a variation of the middle stance, and one of the most commonly used stances in the Tianran Lixin School.

Mumei Sword: A thrusting technique from the Tennen Rishin-ryu school of swordsmanship. Of all the sword techniques in the Tennen Rishin-ryu school, this is the one that Qing Deng has mastered the best, and it is Qing Deng's most proficient sword technique.

Qingdeng paused for a moment, then grinned.

"You've figured out a new move? What kind of new move? Can I see it later?"

“I can’t show it to you yet.” Okita shook his head vigorously, his thin ponytail flying high at the back of his head. “My new move is still under development, and there are still many things that need to be improved. I can’t show it to anyone yet.”

At this point, Okita paused, then grinned, revealing a wide, crescent-shaped smile to Aoto.

"I'll show you this new move once I've fully developed it and mastered it!"

"Although there are still many imperfections, I have a feeling that my new trick will definitely surprise you, Tachibana-kun... no, it will surprise everyone!"

Qing Deng smiled and said, "Then I'm really looking forward to it."

As they spoke, the two, now dressed in protective gear, stood on either side of the center of the dojo.