I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

Heavy breaths escaped from Qingdeng's slightly parted lips.

Although the fight with the youth lasted only a few seconds at most, his opponent's superb skills and formidable strength put him under immense pressure!

This immense pressure, as if a giant boulder were pressing down on his shoulders, caused Qingdeng's physical and mental strength to be rapidly depleted.

"He actually managed to withstand my attacks one after another... He's really impressive!"

The young man smiled as he released the lingering resentment and slowly lowered the knife tip, adopting the lower section of the structure.

His lower stance appears to be casually executed, yet it exudes a chilling and intimidating aura.

Her posture was flawless, her stable lower body as solid as a rock, and her slender upper body exuded a terrifying sharpness.

His posture exudes a strong sense of oppression; if the confrontation lasts too long, one feels completely suppressed by him.

At this moment, a neutral voice suddenly intervened between Qingdeng and the young man.

"It seems... a really troublesome guy has arrived..."

Souji, carrying her sword, slowly walked to Qing Deng's side and asked softly:

"Tachibana-kun, is your shoulder alright?"

"Well, thankfully, both Gutou and Shinu are fine, so it doesn't affect their ability to wield the sword."

[Note: "Senu" refers to a person with a nervous system. People in the Edo period called this person "Senu."]

Upon hearing this, the commander showed a relieved expression.

"That's good..."

She had witnessed the entire battle between Qingdeng and the youth on her way to provide support.

Although at first glance the two seemed to be evenly matched, it was clear to anyone with eyes that the young man had the upper hand! Whether it was the "Unknown Thrust" of the Natural Rishin-ryu school or the "Severing Hand" of the Hokushin Itto-ryu school, all of Qing Deng's signature moves were ineffective!

As Aoto's "roommate," partner, and ambiguous relationship, Souji was naturally well aware of Aoto's background.

Even the formidable Qing Deng was suppressed by this guy of unknown origin... This person's strength is unfathomable!

Upon realizing this, a somber shadow appeared on the commander's face.

This solemn expression was quite rare for the cheerful Souji, whose pretty face was always adorned with a bright smile.

She let out a long breath, spread her legs, lowered her center of gravity, and struck her signature pose of leveling her eyes.

The moment she took her stance, a sharp aura erupted from her.

The commander-in-chief has unleashed her power!

Several months ago, on the day that Shieikan and Genbukan jointly participated in the "Red and White Battle", after Souji and Aoto joined forces to narrowly defeat Chiba Michizaburo, she broke through the bottleneck and reached the "momentum" realm that many martial artists seek in their entire lives but cannot achieve!

The young man, who had been calm and collected just a moment ago, suddenly changed his expression and cast a shocked look at the commander.

"Hey, hey, hey, 'A really troublesome guy has arrived'... Shouldn't I be the one saying that?"

Although he said that, the young man did not show any frustration or fear on his face. Instead, he grinned excitedly.

"Kid, although I can't see your face, judging from your still very immature voice, you must be under 20 years old, right?"

"So what?"

The commander responded with indifferent words.

The young man's smile widened even further.

"Impressive! To have reached the level of 'momentum' at such a young age! You are truly an extraordinary talent! What is your name? I would like to know your name!"

"That's your father!"

"Oh my, he seems to be a refined young man."

The young man raised an eyebrow dismissively.

Then, the corners of his upturned mouth slowly curved into a meaningful and elusive arc.

“Since you have already shown your ‘power’… it would be extremely rude of me not to ‘respond’.”

The moment the young man finished speaking... the atmosphere around them changed!

An invisible, powerful aura emanated from him!

His "momentum" clashed fiercely with the commander's "momentum" in mid-air.

A clash of forces!

The two forces were locked in a fierce struggle, much like two surging waves, each trying to overwhelm the other.

A stinging tension permeated the atmosphere.

Even though they were just bystanders, people as strong as Aoto and Sanako couldn't help but get goosebumps all over their bodies.

If someone with a weaker mentality were here... they might feel suffocated.

Sanako, who happened to be behind Souji, couldn't help but gaze at Souji's back, a hint of envy flickering in the depths of her beautiful eyes.

This clash of "moments" was only evenly matched at the very beginning.

Soon, the "momentum" of the commander-in-chief was gradually overwhelmed by the "momentum" of the youth... and the overall trend was unfavorable.

Despite being at a disadvantage in the clash of "power," Souji's expression remained unchanged.

Her eyes remained resolute, and her hands still gripped the knife tightly in her palms.

Amidst this tense standoff, a sharp, bird-like cry rang out from afar.

Whoosh!

That voice... Qing Deng will probably never forget it in his lifetime.

It was this voice that took Onodera's life!

Qingdeng turned his head to the side, his movement as fast as lightning.

However, the arrow was flying at an incredibly fast speed.

Even though Qing Deng had dodged at the fastest speed he could, the arrow still grazed his straw hat.

One of the drawstrings on the straw hat had been severed during the fight with the youth, leaving the entire hat in a highly unstable state.

The arrow grazed past, and the strong wind it generated followed, causing the straw hat to creak under the strain.

With a creak, Qingdeng's straw hat flew away into the distance.

Instantly, the young man's gaze fixed on Qing Deng's face.

"Huh? You are...!"

The young man first widened his eyes, then revealed a complex expression of three parts shock, three parts joy, and four parts confusion.

"Oh dear... What a day it is today! Not only have I run into the daughter of the Chiba family and a martial arts master who has reached the 'Power' realm, but I have also encountered the renowned Lord Niou..."

Qingdeng raised his left hand and gently rubbed his right cheek.

Having grown accustomed to wearing a straw hat, he felt inexplicably uncomfortable when the cool air from the outside world caressed his facial skin as his face was "regained its light."

—Has my identity been exposed... Oh well, it doesn't matter, so be it.

At this moment, the young man raised his head and shouted into the depths of the woods behind him:

"Nue! Wait! Stop shooting!"

Nue… Is this the name of the “sniper” who can launch precise shots from hundreds of meters away? Qing Deng wondered.

While silently memorizing the name, Qing Deng scanned his gaze, looking in the direction from which the arrow had just flown, and listened intently.

Even with the blessing of the "Wind Sensor" and the "Gathering Spirit," Qingdeng could only hear the sound of the wind and the sound of leaves and flowers being ruffled by the wind.

The sniper named "Nue" is either in an incredibly remote location or is extremely skilled at concealing his presence.

Whether it's the former or the latter, they both point to the same fact: this person is indeed a qualified "sniper"!

A qualified sniper must be able to protect himself while providing remote support to his comrades.

"Your Majesty! I have long wished to meet you face to face like this!"

The young man put down his knife, disengaged from his fighting stance, and adopted a harmless demeanor.

"Ah, sorry, I got so excited that I forgot to introduce myself. I have no name or surname, and I only use the two characters 'Rakshasa' as my name."

In an instant... what happened next really happened in a flash.

An indescribable atmosphere descended upon Qingdeng and the youth... that is, between the Rakshasa.

In an instant, Qing Deng, Sanako, and Souji all focused their intensely emotional gazes on Rasetsu.

Suddenly, as if time had resumed its flow, Qingdeng didn't overtly express the boiling emotions in his heart in a cold voice:

"So... you are Rakshasa."

"Ok?"

Rakshasa raised an eyebrow, looking surprised.

"Hmm? Ren-ou, judging from your tone, it seems you already knew about me?"

"I know more than just you."

Emotions boiling like flames were conveyed from the voice to the eyes.

"The mind-destroying 'poison,' the Fazha Party that used the Shimizu clan to manufacture and sell this drug, your feud with my father... I know all of this!"

"!"

A noticeable ripple stirred deep within the Rakshasa's eyes.

"...Tachibana Takayuki...wait...you've been risking your lives to protect Onodera all day...ah, I see...so that's how it is."

After murmuring, Rakshasa raised her hand to her forehead and let out a series of self-deprecating laughs.

"You already know everything about your father...?"

"Hehehe... Today is indeed a special day."

"That's right! I am your father's killer: Rakshasa!"

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