I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

—How did the Shimizu clan keep such a master hidden away until now? Could this Oishi Kuwajiro be a new recruit recently gathered by the Shimizu clan?

As the largest Yakuza group in Edo, the Shimizu clan was always a key target of observation by the "Three Returns" of the Enforcers, the Eight Provinces Enforcement Officer, and the Fire-Fulfilled Thieves Reform.

Every high-ranking official in the Shimizu clan, as well as dangerous members who require close monitoring, are meticulously recorded on the government's blacklist.

As the rule of the shogunate and various feudal states gradually declined, more and more lower-ranking samurai became ronin due to family bankruptcy or lived a life of hardship almost indistinguishable from that of poor farmers. These "taro samurai," who lived a miserable life but often had good cultural and martial arts education, became excellent "resources" for yakuza organizations.

Taking the Shimizu clan as an example, the sheer number and strength of the martial arts masters recruited and kept by the Shimizu clan has changed the minds of the Fire Thieves, who have always presented themselves as having "high combat power," and they are all shocked by what they see.

For example, Mori Sasuke, who once demolished five casinos and okonomiyakuza establishments belonging to a certain yakuza organization that opposed the Shimizu clan overnight.

For example, there is a bloodthirsty man named Tanaka Katsunosuke, who once set a record of killing 21 people in a yakuza shootout and had an extreme fondness for the "skull-crushing" technique of chopping people's heads off.

These names... let alone in the government and the underworld, even in the common people, they are terrifying names that are known and feared.

With his innate photographic memory, Qingdeng had memorized the names of all the dangerous individuals on record in his group.

But he couldn't recall having a member named Oishi Kuwajiro in the Shimizu clan.

Almost at the same time that Aoto was thinking to himself, at the edge of the dojo, Kitahara Kōnosuke let out a "ha" as he relaxed, thinking to himself: That really scared me to death.

Just now, as Aoto's bamboo sword was about to strike Oishi Kuwajiro's shoulder, Kitahara Kōnosuke's heart jumped into his throat.

Seeing that Oishi Kuwajiro had narrowly escaped danger by dodging at the last second, he finally let out a long sigh of relief.

—Excellent! Sending Ōishikujiro to fight Niō was definitely the right decision! Ōishikujiro truly lives up to his name as the "Man-Slayer"!

Oishi Kuwajiro's ability to fight Aoto to a draw so far, and to maintain a close and evenly matched battle, has greatly satisfied Kitahara Konosuke.

Aoto's guess was correct. Oishi Kuwajiro was indeed a swordsman newly recruited by their Shimizu clan three months ago.

"Besides being quite good with a sword and daring to kill, I have nothing else to offer. Just assign me some killing missions." - This is what Oishi Kuwajiro said when he joined the trade.

With excellent martial arts skills and the courage to kill, such cold-blooded individuals are commonplace in the Shimizu clan, so few people take Oishi Kuwajiro's words seriously.

It wasn't until Ōishikujiro participated in several yakuza battles and assassination missions, and began to distinguish himself, that people gradually realized his extraordinary abilities. The higher-ups of the Shimizu clan took notice and began to give Ōishikujiro important positions.

First of all, his swordsmanship is beyond question. Even within the Shimizu clan, where there are many masters, Oishi Kuwajiro's swordsmanship is among the best.

Of course, superb swordsmanship alone is not enough to win the favor of the Shimizu clan.

After so many years of accumulation, the Shimizu clan has long been a place where hidden talents reside.

Although Oishi Kuwajiro's martial arts skills were strong, they were not strong enough to stand out from the crowd or be the only one of his kind.

The main reason why Oishi Kuwajiro became a coveted target for Kitahara Kōnosuke and other high-ranking members of the Shimizu clan was his indifference to human life.

Oishi Kuwajiro's disregard for human life was truly indifferent!

To describe him as "cold-blooded" would be too mild.

To give a more vivid example... when others disregard human life, it's merely a psychological disregard. Deep down, they still know they've taken a life, and their emotions will still fluctuate as a result, it's just a matter of degree.

But Oishi Kuwajiro was different; his indifference to human life stemmed from a physiological indifference.

Simply put, they don't think killing is anything to be surprised about.

In his eyes, killing someone was no different from breaking a toothpick or snapping a willow branch.

Would you feel pity for toothpicks and willow twigs?

Would you feel guilty for breaking a toothpick or crushing a willow branch?

Oishi Kuwajiro was just that kind of person—a born killer!

What's even more commendable is that Oishi Kuwajiro has little personal ambition or lust for power. Unlike some people who desperately try to climb to a higher position, he never participates in the factional struggles within the Shimizu clan.

My attitude has always been, "Give me any task, and as long as I get paid enough, everything is negotiable."

How could a natural-born assassin with both outstanding talent and no outrageous desires not be loved by the high-ranking members of the Shimizu Clan, who have been dealing with dirty business like shooting and assassination for years?

Therefore, adhering to the principle of "making the best use of resources," the high-ranking members of the Shimizu clan began to give more important roles to Oishi Kuwajiro, assigning him various tasks related to murder more and more frequently.

With his outstanding personal abilities and his naturally twisted personality, Oishi Kuwajiro always manages to achieve success whenever he takes action.

As Oishi Kuwajiro killed more and more people, and his terrifyingly calm demeanor while killing was truly horrifying, some busybodies within the Shimizu clan gave him a nickname: Kuwajiro the Man-Slayer.

"Hitachi" is a common nickname in ancient Japan, often used to refer to a warrior who has killed countless people.

Ogata Hayase, who was active during the Kansei era 70 years ago, had a number of titles such as "Eternal Sword Saint", "Shura", and "Ichitosai the Manslayer", as well as the nickname "Hayase the Manslayer".

Because Oishi Kujiro was a newcomer who had only recently entered the profession and had not yet carried out any missions that could "make him famous overnight," his name had not yet come to the attention of the authorities, which was why Aoto was unaware of his existence.

At that moment, Kitahara Konosuke couldn't help but think:

—The seasoned Niou, his sword undoubtedly stained with a great deal of blood; he could be considered a master slayer. The clash between the slayer Aoto and the slayer Kuwajiro… if this battle were publicized, it would surely attract a large audience. The ticket sales alone would be substantial, and if you added the revenue from selling snacks and drinks… hmph, the income would be quite considerable!

Kitahara Kōnosuke is in charge of economic affairs in the Shimizu clan, so when he thinks about problems, his mind always uncontrollably veers towards money-related matters.

Meanwhile, not far from Kitahara Kōnosuke's side, Ōtsuki Minoru... this girl who had been optimistic before the battle started, believing that Aoto would definitely defeat Ōishi Kuwajirō, was now being pessimistic on her own.

Watching the tense battle on the field, with no clear winner yet, to calm her anxiety and regain some confidence, she couldn't help but tilt her head and softly ask Sanako beside her:

"Miss Chiba, can Tachibana-kun...can he win?"

No sooner had Ōtsuki Minoru finished speaking than Sanako replied without hesitation, each word spoken with a serious tone:

"Of course we can win."

Sanako's quick and firm answer startled Ootsuki Minoru, who instinctively asked in return:

"why?"

"..."

Sanako tilted her head and looked at this girl with her clear black and white eyes without saying a word... After learning that she was Aoto's childhood friend, she always felt that she was a little... strange.

Before her brain could even begin to process or think about how to answer Ōtsuki Minoru's question, her lips and tongue started moving on their own.

"Because I know Tachibana-kun better than you do."

After saying that, Sanako ignored Otsuki Minoru and didn't even glance at her again.

Ootsuki was left with a dumbfounded expression, his gaze returning to the front as he continued to watch the fight intently.

……

……

Back to the battle at the dojo—

Oishi Kuwajiro probably realized that Aoto's strength, speed, and stamina were all superior to his own, so he changed his fighting style.

He quickly took two steps back, gripped the sword with a fierce look, his body tense, and most of his body shrank into the shadow of the bamboo sword.

Oishi Kuwajiro's pose exudes an astonishing aura, radiating a chilling sense of oppression that sends shivers down one's spine.

Judging from the looks of it, the Blue Eyes Technique is his specialty... Qing Deng thought to himself.

Qing Deng dared not be careless, but he was also fearless. He mustered his spirits and withstood the oppressive feeling coming from Oishi Kuwajiro. He judged the distance between himself and Oishi Kuwajiro and thrust his sword into Oishi Kuwajiro's throat in one go.

If a hundred people with poor swordsmanship come, they will all be struck by the sword and forced to retreat.

Oishi Kuwajiro simply took a small step back, easily dodging the sword strike, and then swung his sword at Aoto's side profile.

Qing Deng did not parry. He thrust his sword forward, gracefully dodging Oishi Kujiro's sword, and then smoothly executed the second and third moves.

Although Oishi Kuwajiro managed to parry all of them, he was slightly outmatched in strength and speed by Aoto, making his defenses somewhat difficult and leaving him looking quite disheveled.

Qingdeng's condition gradually improved.

"Concentration" is actually a talent that takes time to develop; it requires a certain amount of time to focus one's mind and consciousness.

As time passed, Qingdeng's spirit and energy had reached their peak. He truly embodied the spirit of "remaining calm even if Mount Tai collapses before him, and not even blinking when a deer runs past on his left."

Qingdeng's eyes were now only on his opponent and the battle before him.

Nothing in the world around him could disturb Qingdeng's mind in the slightest.

Even if peerless beauties like Xi Shi and Diao Chan were undressing next to Qing Deng, he wouldn't even glance at them.

In order to create a favorable opportunity, Qing Deng suddenly pulled the bamboo sword back, changing from an "offensive stance" to a "defensive stance".

Seeing that Aoto had changed his move and that he had an opportunity to counterattack, Oishi Kuwajiro raised his sword overhead with the force of a powerful strike that seemed to cleave the man in two with the next blow.

In an instant, Qing Deng suddenly loosened his grip on the hilt of the sword. The tip of the bamboo sword swayed gently like the tail of a wagtail, giving the blade a light and rhythmic feel.

It is the classic sword-wielding stance of the Hokushin Itto-ryu school.

Qing Deng not only used the classic stance of the Hokushin Ittō-ryū, but he also used the classic move of the Hokushin Ittō-ryū. With a footwork speed that was a fraction faster than that of Ōishi Kuwajirō's sword speed, he moved to Ōishi Kuwajirō's right side and then slashed down with his bamboo sword, directly striking Ōishi Kuwajirō's right wrist holding the sword.

Although he was wearing protective arm guards to protect his elbows, the protective gear was not foolproof. After being hit solidly by Qing Deng's sword, even if he didn't break any bones, he would definitely be in so much pain that he couldn't hold the sword properly for a while afterward.

When Sanako, who was standing by the dojo, saw that Aoto was stealing their Hokushin Itto-ryu swordsmanship again, she couldn't help but twitch the corners of her beautiful mouth, and a helpless look of both laughter and tears appeared on her face.

When the bamboo sword of Qingdeng was less than 5 centimeters away from his wrist, Oishi Kuwajiro displayed an astonishing reaction speed.

He gathered the bamboo sword and his hand back in front of the bear, then stepped back to the right—his movements were fluid and graceful.

Immediately afterwards, Oishi Kuwajiro displayed a moment of heroic prowess.

Oishi Kuwajiro's movement had slipped into Aoto's blind spot, so he couldn't quite see what move Oishi Kuwajiro was using, but his nerves and the skin exposed outside his clothes sensed a dangerous aura.

He turned around quickly, facing the figure attacking him, and the white bamboo sword that filled his entire field of vision.

A lightning-fast attack and defense clash—in an instant, the sound of three bamboo swords clashing rang out continuously without interruption.

Despite his failed attack, Oishi Kuwajiro persisted.

He held his breath, gathering his strength and spirit, and launched a fierce attack on Qingdeng.

One sword technique after another, without any outside flow, was unleashed by Oishi Kuwajiro in one go.

They attacked fiercely like a raging storm, even suppressing Qingdeng for a while, making it difficult for Qingdeng to find a favorable opportunity to retaliate.

The Mugae-ryu style is known for its high practicality. It's quite a good match for a swordsman like Oishi Kuwajiro, who has a slightly antisocial personality.

Because they used the same style, Qing Deng couldn't help but compare Oishi Kuwajiro with his good brother, Saito Hajime.

According to Qing Deng's own personal judgment... Oishi Kuwajiro's strength is no less than Saito's, and their swordsmanship levels are evenly matched.

No.

wrong.

If these two were to actually fight, Oishi Kuwajiro might have a slight advantage.

The reason is simple: the way Oishi Kuwajiro wields his sword, showing no regard for human life, is truly terrifying. This kind of sword-wielding aura gives him a huge advantage in battle.