I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

"So... Mr. Tachibana, has something happened? It's still a long time before Obon, why are you suddenly visiting your deceased father's grave? What is your purpose?"

[Note: The Ullambana Festival, also known as the "Soul Festival," "Zhongyuan Festival," or "Ghost Festival," is a festival for commemorating the dead and remembering ancestors.]

"...There's no particular reason, I just suddenly felt like coming to see him, and I had some things I just had to say to him right away—that's all."

Jingwang glanced sideways at Qingdeng, sending him a long, meaningful look. The emotions hidden in that look were hard to fathom.

Is that really the case?

To outsiders, Jingwang's rhetorical question probably seems inexplicable.

However, Qing Deng's calm expression remained unchanged.

"Abbot Jingwang, why do you ask this question?"

The old monk looked up, his eyes, hidden in wrinkles, fixed intently on Qingdeng's face.

"Perhaps I'm overthinking it, but to me... Mr. Tachibana, you look exactly like you're about to go to war."

Upon hearing Jingwang's words, Qingdeng's lips curled up slightly, revealing an expression that was both frank and upright, a smile that was not quite a smile.

"Going to the battlefield... that's probably true. Abbot Jingwang, tonight might be the last time we see each other."

The gaze, filled with complex emotions, silently shifted away from Qing Deng's face.

"...It seems that Edo will be anything but peaceful tonight...no, for the next few days."

Jingwang made a sound that seemed to have a hidden meaning.

Qingdeng glanced thoughtfully at Jingwang, then raised his gaze to the distant horizon, as if letting his thoughts drift to a place not here.

“Abbot Jingwang, are you going to stop me?”

Before Qingdeng could finish speaking, Jingwang answered without hesitation:

"No, this old monk did not mean that."

This time, Qingdeng's face finally showed an emotion other than "solemnity"—a hint of surprise flashed across his brow.

"I thought that as a monk... and a highly learned old monk at that, you would definitely do your best to prevent the bloodshed from coming."

Jingwang smiled slightly.

"First of all, I am but a monk who is powerless to even kill a chicken. What right do I have to interfere with the actions of 'Ren-o'?"

"Secondly, if you are simply trying to commit violence, then even if it costs me my life, I will stop your atrocities."

"However... He told me: You are not going to increase the killing, but to fight a battle that none can win."

"In that case, I have no reason to stop you."

Jingwang paused for a moment, then added slowly and deliberately:

"What reason could stop a man from fighting?"

The moment those words were spoken, a beam of moonlight stopped between Qingdeng and Jingwang, as if a halo surrounded them.

Qing Deng raised an eyebrow, then, as if savoring each word, slowly asked:

"Him? Who is 'He'?"

Jingwang extended his right index finger and lightly touched his brow, his expression intriguing:

"Buddha."

Qingdeng was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter.

Then, as if they had agreed beforehand, the two fell silent and stopped talking.

Their gazes once again fell upon Tachibana Takayuki's takara.

A tranquil atmosphere, exuding serenity, enveloped the surroundings.

About five minutes later, Qingdeng slowly turned around and looked back.

“Abbot Jingwang, it’s about time for me to go.”

"Are you leaving already? Have you said everything you wanted to say to your father?"

"Yes, that's right. Everything that needed to be said has been said. Abbot Jingwang, see you next time—if there is a next time."

Qing Deng, holding the sword at his waist, strode away.

He had only taken two steps when, as if suddenly remembering something, he abruptly stopped and turned his head back.

"Abbot Jingwang, can you do me a favor?"

Jingwang raised his chin, indicating "Please speak."

"If my remains are brought here tonight... or a few days from now, please pass on a message to all passersby—"

"Tachibana Takanosaki and Tachibana Aoto Moriharu of the Tachibana family of the Genji clan, they upheld their principles and ultimately rest here. But a spark of passion remained in their hearts; it could still burn, it was still burning!"

After leaving those words, Qingdeng turned around without the slightest hesitation, and with firm steps, strode straight out.

At this moment, a calm male voice, devoid of sorrow or joy, drifted out once more from the receding figure:

"I don't know if this trip will bring me good fortune or misfortune, I only know that I will keep running forward."

The only response to Qingdeng was Jingwang's stunned gaze, as if he had been taken aback.

The old man stood there, silently watching the soldier's retreating figure with a strange expression on his face.

"...Mr. Tachibana, wait a moment!"

Qingdeng paused for a moment, then slowly turned around.

Jingwang took out a string of Buddhist prayer beads that had been polished to an extremely smooth finish from his bosom. He held the beads in one hand and placed the other hand in front of his chest.

"All Buddhas of the three times attain Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi by relying on Prajnaparamita."

He recited scriptures as he slowly walked towards Qingdeng.

"Therefore, we know that the Prajnaparamita is the great divine mantra, the great bright mantra, the supreme mantra, the unequaled mantra, which can remove all suffering, truly and without falsehood."

"Therefore, the Prajnaparamita mantra is recited, namely: Gate, Gate!"

The tone of Jingwang's voice kept rising.

At this moment, he had already reached Qingdeng.

"Parajāgātī, Parasānggātī!"

"Bodhi Svaha!"

As if crowning the other person, Jingwang gently placed his withered yet surprisingly strong left hand on Qingdeng's forehead.

"Go, child."

He said softly.

"Go and accomplish what you are meant to accomplish."

The Heart Sutra.

The scripture was so famous and widely circulated that even Qingdeng, who did not believe in Buddhism, had heard of it.

Go, go, travel all the roads, and reach the other side.

From suffering to liberation, from ignorance to enlightenment.

Qingdeng remained silent, staring at the old monk before him without uttering a word.

Just then, he suddenly opened the scabbard, swiftly pulled out a section of the Echizen-no-Kami Kanetsugu from his waist, and then forcefully shoved it back into the scabbard.

clang!

The hilt of the sword collided with the scabbard.

The resounding clang of metal striking metal echoed in all directions.

……

……

A casino in Edo, owned by the Shimizu clan.

"Ah... I'm so sleepy..."

"Hey, stop yawning and get your act together. If the boss finds out you're slacking off while on duty, he'll give you a piece of his mind."

Two henchmen dressed as Yakuza diligently performed their duties as guards of the gate.

"Oh dear, is it okay to take a short break?"

The Yakuza who had just yawned shrugged indifferently.

"Anyway, it's unlikely that anyone will cause trouble on our Qingshui clan's territory. It won't matter if we space out for a while or daydream a little, right?"

"That being said, the tasks that need to be carried out still need to be carried out well... Hmm? Hey, look, someone's coming."

"Ok?"

The two of them looked straight ahead, neither of them taking turns.

From the darkness at the street corner ahead, a samurai with two swords at his waist emerged.

Without any companions or weapons other than his sword, he walked alone straight toward the casino.

Both Yakuza instinctively sensed something strange about the warrior, and quickly shouted:

"Hey! Who are you? What are you doing here... Hey! Hey hey! What do you want?!"

In an instant, the samurai suddenly quickened his pace!

The slow walk turned into a jog, then into a sprint, and finally into a blur of motion as it sped away!

In the blink of an eye, the warrior exerted his strength and leaped high into the air.

Before the two Yakuza could figure out what was happening, one of them was crushed by the falling warrior.

The survivor, drawing his sword and adopting a haphazard fighting stance, stammered in a trembling voice:

"Who...who are you?! Do you even know where you are?!"

"Of course I know, I came here to kill you all."

The instant he heard that brief self-introduction, a dazzling slash filled his vision...