I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

"Actually, Tachibana, compared to 'the young master's lover,' your other identity—'Kiryu's apprentice'—is more surprising to me."

Mucun raised the bottle and gulped down several more mouthfuls of liquor.

"Indeed, once you live a long time, you'll encounter all sorts of things."

"I always thought that Kiryu, who was extremely strict in accepting disciples, would never be able to pass on his sword-drawing technique in his lifetime, and that his painstakingly crafted skill would be lost."

"But who would have thought... that he would quietly take on his first... and also last apprentice in Edo, hahaha!"

After speaking, Makimura once again raised the wine bottle in his hand.

This time, he drank the entire bottle of wine in one gulp.

I've lost count of how much he's drunk.

"Alright! The alcohol is kicking in!"

Makimura let out a long sigh and slowly stood up.

"Tachibana, grab your sword! Come with me to the courtyard!"

"Hmm?" Qing Deng raised an eyebrow in confusion.

We were just talking about Kiryu taking on an unprecedented apprentice, and now they're suddenly demanding he come to the courtyard... Isn't this a bit too much of a tangent?

"Mr. Makimura, what's wrong?"

Having recovered from the series of revelations from Kiryu's boss and Makimura, Kinoshita Mai hesitated and asked:

"Why did you suddenly ask Qingdeng to accompany you to the courtyard with a knife?"

“Heh…” Makimura grinned. “Ever since I learned that Kiryu had taken on a disciple, I’ve been incredibly curious! What kind of man could win the favor of Kiryu, who had spent nearly sixty years searching for a suitable disciple?”

"So... Tachibana, come and fight me! Let me see just how capable the man who is liked by the young master and chosen by Kiryu really is!"

*******

*******

Although I was 20 minutes late... it's not a big deal!

Please vote for me! Please recommend me! (Like a leopard crying.jpg)

It's so satisfying to write a protagonist like Qing Deng who doesn't shy away from doing things. You can let him be a scumbag without any worries... ah, no, let him get close to beautiful girls without any worries.

If all goes as expected, everyone will see Makimura's talent in the next chapter.

Let's guess what Makimura's talent is!

Chapter 354 Sword Drawing Technique vs. Greatsword Technique! Niou Faces the Dragon of Kyoto! [5700]

The loud voice of the mugwort made the dust on the roof beams seem as if it might fall at any moment.

Kiryu seemed to have anticipated Makimura's challenge to Aoto, remaining silent and only letting out a helpless sigh.

Kinoshita Mai was slightly taken aback at first, then opened her lips anxiously as if she wanted to say something, but after hesitating for a while, she chose to slowly close her mouth and silently look at Aoto.

This gesture obviously means, "Qingdeng, what do you think?"

"...You're asking me to bring my knife...are you planning to fight with the real thing?"

Qingdeng asked.

"Of course!"

Makimura stretched his big mouth wide open.

"Holding bamboo swords and wooden knives, wearing thick protective gear... what's the point of this kind of sparring that's so far removed from real combat?"

"Mr. Makimura, do you want to fight Aoto with a real sword?"

Kinoshita Mai couldn't help but gasp in surprise. She was about to say something more when Aoto, who was beside her, reached out to stop her.

Qingdeng gestured to her, "Awu, don't get excited."

"Young Master, there is no need to worry."

Makimura comforted him.

"No matter what, I will not allow anything to happen to the young master's lover. To be hated or resented by the young master would be worse than death for me. Rest assured, we will not use blades. Ju and I will only fight with the backs of our blades."

After hearing what Makimura said, Kinoshita Mai finally showed a relieved expression.

Makimura turned his gaze back to Shionden.

"Ju, what do you think? Whether you want to fight or not is up to you, I won't force you. However, if you can defeat me, or if your performance satisfies me, I can put in a good word for you when you propose to the lord... ah, that is, to the young master's grandmother."

"..." Qing Deng did not answer immediately.

After a moment of silence, he grabbed the half-empty bottle of wine that had just been opened and gulped it down in one go.

"Let's go to the courtyard."

Qingdeng put down the empty bottle and stood up.

"Oh? Not bad, not bad! You're so generous! Hahaha! I like straightforward people like you!"

Qingdeng smiled but remained silent.

While the conditions Makimura had just offered were certainly tempting, what prompted Aoto to nod so readily... was that classic and simple reason.

Qing Deng has always been open to martial arts sparring that offers the potential to replicate his new talent.

……

……

Thousand Things Shop, Garden —

Just then, the snow outside stopped.

The garden of the Senjiya was covered with a layer of snow that was neither too deep nor too shallow.

Qingdeng, having put on his snow boots, stepped onto the snow—whoosh—his entire body below the ankle sank in.

Although he was wearing thick snow boots, the biting cold still penetrated the boots and continuously reached Qingdeng's feet.

Qingdeng shuddered.

Despite the chill, Qingdeng felt invigorated thanks to it. His senses, which had become somewhat sluggish from being in a warm environment for so long, became sharp again.

"Do we need to clear the snow from the yard first?"

As Kiryu asked this, he handed Makimura a large dachi that was nearly 1.8 meters long.

Makimura thought for a moment, then looked up and called out to Aoto across from him:

"Hmm... Hey! Tachibana! Do you think we need to clear the snow from the yard first?"

Qingdeng blinked thoughtfully, then shook his head.

"Haha! I also think it's unnecessary! This level of snow accumulation shouldn't affect my movements!"

Having said that, Makimura raised his large, fan-like hand and took the katana from Kiryu's hand.

"Alright. Young Master, Kiryu, step back!"

Crack!

Makimura shrugged his shoulders forcefully twice, producing a sickening cracking sound from his joints.

"...Makimura, let me give you a word of advice: don't underestimate my star pupil."

Kiryu's lips curled into a meaningful smile.

"Although his current strength still has many shortcomings, that's only compared to me. So, don't be careless, and... be prepared for defeat."

"Hahaha, Kiryu, who do you think you're talking to?" Makimura laughed a few times. "Don't you know me? I wouldn't be careless or underestimate my opponent even if I were fighting a three-year-old!"

"...That's true."

Kiryu smiled faintly.

Then, he pulled Kinoshita Mai back to the edge of the courtyard.

"I chatted with Kiryu a few more times without realizing it. Sorry, Tachibana, I kept you waiting."

Makimura bowed apologetically to Aoto across from him.

The next moment, he raised the sheath with his left hand and gripped the handle with his right, and with a clang, the sharp blade was drawn!

"Now... let's begin!"

The aura of a blade, the coldness of iron—the greatsword in Makimura's hand emitted a chilling light, like the winter sun, dazzling to the eye.

Without making a sound, Qing Deng drew the Ding Gui Shen sword from his waist, gripped it with both hands, and assumed a mid-section stance.

"Natural soothing flow, orange green ascends!"

"Wow, not bad!"

As he spoke, Makimura quietly sheathed his knife, then loudly announced his home address:

"I flow, Makimura Yahachi!"

In an instant, the air in the courtyard changed.

Makimura, who had been all smiles until just now, suddenly fell silent, focusing on only one thing—his entire attention on Aoto in front of him.

The same applies to Qingdeng.

Before he even announced his home address... no, even earlier, his "focus" had already been activated!

His eyes were fixed intently on Makimura across from him, without blinking. His world consisted only of Makimura... and the Demon Slayer in his hand.

The atmosphere was thick with tension that made people gasp.

The only two audience members, Kiryu and Kinoshita Mai, fulfilled their duties as spectators very well: keeping quiet and not causing any disturbance to the competition.

—A greatsword, huh…?

The "Lone Wolf" talent in the talent list didn't glow in gold... This means that Makimura's strength is not stronger than Aoto's.

Even so, Qingdeng dared not be careless in the slightest.

Roughly speaking, Qingdeng has dealt with quite a few opponents who wield great swords.