I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

At the same moment that Sae raised her hand to pinch Aoto's right hand, Aoto heard someone's breath behind him.

Even without looking back, I know who it is.

The eightfold figure that flashed out from behind Qingdeng resembled a swallow flying low in the sky.

With her upper body almost touching the ground, she lifted the wakizashi and moved as fast as ink to approach Qing Deng's back.

With his right arm bound by gauze and his back completely exposed to Yae's sword, Qing Deng's current situation was extremely dangerous.

Qingdeng was certain that danger was imminent.

At this critical juncture when the Nine Cauldrons were locked in a struggle, Qing Deng... this swordsman, forged through countless trials of blood and fire, displayed his lightning-fast prowess.

He suddenly flipped his right wrist, which was being held by Saeshige, and used the same method against her, tightening his grip on Saeshige's wrist in return.

The overwhelming strength difference between the tall man and the petite woman, and the dexterity and strength of the fingers granted by "Skillful Hands +1" that far exceed those of ordinary people... the combination of these two factors makes Qing Deng's finger strength far greater than that of Sha.

In just one stroke, a bright red handprint appeared on Sha Chong's fair and white wrist.

She, who was always as cold as ice, collapsed to the ground like a lump of mud because she could not bear the excruciating pain.

In addition, she also let out a pained cry that sounded like both a soft moan and a groan.

He wasn't sure if Qing Deng was seeing things, but he felt that Sae's expression... seemed a little excited and enjoying herself?

Forget about that for now, let's focus on ending this battle first!

In the blink of an eye, Yae, who had charged forward, had already reached the optimal attack position.

Qing Deng had already heard the sound of swords ringing out behind him.

Perhaps because she was eager to rescue her sister who was being held captive, Yae's footsteps and breathing became noticeably more rapid.

There was no time to look back... Qing Deng simply launched a counterattack without even turning his head!

In an instant, Qing Deng suddenly knelt down, held the knife in his hand with his back turned, arched his back, closed his eyes, and focused all his mind and attention on his ears. While listening to the movement behind him, he stabbed the knife backward, aiming at the sound of wind rushing towards his back.

The feeling of striking a hard object... accompanied by a surprised shout, Yae's wakizashi was knocked away.

The next instant, Yae lost control of her forward momentum and stumbled, falling with a cry of "Ouch!" onto Qing Deng's broad back.

Qing Deng threw away the wakizashi in his hand, reached his free hand behind his back, grabbed Yae's slender left arm, and took the opportunity to perform an over-the-shoulder throw.

With a whoosh, Yae used Aoto's body, who was half-squatting on the ground, as a fulcrum, to tumble forward and fall next to her sister.

At this point, Qingdeng had a legal loli in each of his hands.

The two sisters, who had both fallen into Qingdeng's clutches, were subdued on the ground by one of them. They were like fish that had just been pulled ashore, struggling desperately, but they could not break free from Qingdeng's control.

Saeshige was the first to give up struggling.

She let out a regretful sigh, then laid her limbs flat, assuming a "I surrender" posture.

[Ding! Talent detected]

[Successfully replicated talent: "Graceful figure"]

[Talent Introduction: Exceptionally Strong Internal Organs]

Seeing her older sister surrender, Yae stopped resisting. Her face full of resentment, she said to Aoto, "You won... let go of me and my sister...!"

[Ding! Talent detected]

[Successfully replicated talent: "Flexibility"]

[Talent Introduction: Skin with exceptional resilience and elasticity]

******

******

To write this chapter well, the author specifically reread all the fanfics featuring Carolina and Ristine from Persona 5. The twins are just so adorable!

This book is over 200 million words long, yet it still manages to come up with so many fancy fight scenes... I admire my own imagination! (Leopard proudly.jpg)

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Chapter 323 Tenshōin: "Tachibana-kun, I like you! I want to spend more time alone with you!" [6700]

Edo, Tsukimiya Shrine—

Tenshōin, dressed as a shrine maiden, sat with her legs together on a smooth, large rock, with a towering ancient tree behind her.

The warm sunlight, tinged with orange, filtered through the gaps in the leaves, casting dappled shadows onto Tenshōin's delicate form.

Whenever a gentle breeze blows, the shadows of these leaves flow back and forth as lightly as a clear stream.

The wind blowing from afar occasionally brings a few snowflakes.

The snowflakes, swirling and tumbling in the air, glittered under the sunlight, resembling tiny fairies dancing in the sky.

Particles of light and the dancing snowflakes bathed Tenshōin's already exquisitely beautiful face, even without makeup.

If a painter who loves to paint beautiful women were to pass by this place, he would surely be amazed by the beauty of the scene before him and would be eager to permanently imprint this scene on rice paper.

The white top and purple bottom, the pure colors of the shrine maiden's outfit exude a sacred aura.

This sacred aura complements the warm winter sun, making Tenshō-in appear as if he were a celestial being descended from heaven.

So, what is this beautiful widow, who is as beautiful as a fairy, doing now?

She was sipping the tea she was holding in her hands, just like an old lady.

Sometimes, when I feel the tea is a bit too hot, I'll blow on it in the cup in a very unladylike manner.

The warm tea made Tensho-in feel completely comfortable.

"Haa~"

Feeling incredibly comfortable, Tenshōin stretched like a cat, her red lips slightly parted, letting out an alluring moan.

Slap... Slap...

At this moment, the tranquil leisure time at Tenshō-in was broken by the sudden sound of footsteps in the snow.

"Huh? Oh, Tachibana-kun! Sae! Yae! You're back."

Following the sound of footsteps in the snow, Tenshōin looked toward Aoto and the "Double Sisters," who were walking in a triangular formation.

At the very front, Qingdeng held a "pass item": a fan painted with cherry blossoms.

The "two sisters" walked two steps behind Qingdeng.

The older sister, Sae, looked calm, as if she had already accepted the fact that she had lost to Aoto.

On the other hand, her younger sister Yae looked like a squirrel with its mouth full of acorns, pouting and puffing out her cheeks, practically writing "unhappy" all over her face.

"You came out much earlier than I expected."

Tenshōin put down his teacup and turned to look at the incense burner at his feet.

Of the two short incense sticks on the incense altar, one had already burned out, and the other had just started to light.

"Saege, Yae, how's it going? Did Tachibana-kun's performance impress you?"

"..."

Sha Chong pursed her small lips and spoke first:

"To be honest, Tachibana's performance was impeccable."

"Reaching the attic in such a short time proves that Tachibana-kun's footwork and skills have reached a considerable level."

"As for the skills of indoor combat, they are even more exquisite."

"Even if Yae and I team up, we are no match for Tachibana-kun."

"In terms of indoor combat skills, Tachibana-kun has far surpassed us."

As soon as Sae finished speaking, Yae picked up the conversation:

"Although I am very unwilling... the junior's Cloud Flow has indeed been extremely powerful... However, Lord Yu Du, if we were to have another match with Tachibana-kun, I am fully confident that I could defeat the junior and avenge this humiliation!"

"Giggle..."

Tenshōin covered her mouth and let out her signature silvery laughter.

"Since even you strict people acknowledge Tachibana-kun's strength... then it seems that Tachibana-kun's Cloud Flow is indeed quite remarkable."

After saying that, Tensho-in turned to look at Seidon.

"Tachibana-kun, you did a great job, I'm very satisfied."

"You flatter me."

Qingdeng bowed slightly.

Tenshōin put down her teacup and stood up.

"What time is it now...?"

She muttered something to herself, reached into the high bulge of her blouse, and pulled out a small gold pocket watch.

After glancing at the direction of the minute and hour hands on the clock and confirming that it was too early, Tenshōin nodded with a slight smile.

"Tachibana-kun, come with me."

As the pretty widow spoke, she tucked the watch back into the mountain peaks.

Qingdeng tilted his head and looked at Tianzhangyuan with his eyes, asking: Where to?

Tenshōin responded quickly:

"Come with me to the archery range. It's been a long time since I've given you an archery lesson. I've finally got some free time today, so let me give you a little pointers."

Upon hearing the word "arrow field," Qing Deng's expression immediately turned strange.

"Yes……"

To conceal the strange expression he was showing, Qing Deng hurriedly agreed while burying his head so that Tian Zhangyuan and the "Double Sisters" wouldn't see his face.

Sage and Yae were behind Aoto, so they didn't notice Aoto's current strange behavior.

However... the Tenshō-in, which is directly in front of the Shōdō, is another matter.

Although Qingdeng lowered his head immediately, the sharp-eyed Tenshōin noticed the strange look on Qingdeng's face right away.