I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

As he stepped forward, Qing Deng raised the tip of his sword, assuming the Kasumi stance, with the tip pointing directly at Naneisuke's chest.

Natural Mind-Body Flow: Ignorance!

The blade, piercing through the back, splattered scalding blood.

[Ding! Talent detected]

[Successfully replicated talent: "Minor Proficiency in Gunplay"]

[Talent Introduction: Gunmanship talent is boosted 6 times the average level]

"Eisuke the Spear" Kusunoki Eisuke, fallen in battle!

Despite the death of Nanami Eisuke, Kishijima Mantaro remained unfazed. He brandished his twin pistols and fearlessly engaged Aoto in battle once more.

At the same time, two Yakuza bravely stepped forward, taking the place of Naneisuke, and together with Kishijima Mantaro, launched a pincer attack on Aoto.

However, the two new recruits are far less capable than Nanae-suke.

Therefore, compared to before, Qingdeng was under much less pressure.

Qingdeng dodged nimbly and gracefully, as if swimming on a vast, calm lake like the moon reflected in water.

In the blink of an eye, Kishijima Mantaro aimed at Aoto's calf and swung his gun in a sweeping motion.

His attack was intended to disrupt Qing Deng's lower body, causing his stance to become disordered and revealing an opening.

Because the gun was aimed at Qingdeng's lower leg, it was positioned at a low angle.

Qing Deng lowered his eyelids, squinted, and stared intently at the trajectory of the gun barrel.

The combination of "Eagle Eye +2" and "Speed ​​+4" – just as Kishijima Mantaro's spearhead was about to sweep across Aoto's calf, he suddenly raised his right leg and firmly stepped on the spearhead with his right foot!

The next instant, Qing Deng also lifted his left leg, and his left foot immediately stepped on the gun barrel, so that he stood directly on Kishijima Mantaro's short gun!

A moment later, Echizen-no-kami Kanetori, following Aoto's body, leaped up with great force.

Aoto's sword and body collided heavily with Kishijima Mantaro's gun and body.

Just like being scalded by boiling water, Mantaro Kishijima stumbled back several steps.

A deep, bone-revealing gash stretched across his chest, severing his left shoulder, left clavicle, and left sternum. His drooping left shoulder looked as if it might fall to the ground at any moment.

After staggering a few times, Mantaro Kishijima weakly bent his knees, his neck drooping limply in front of his chest, as if staring at his exposed sternum.

[Ding! Talent detected]

[Successfully replicated talent: "Guns Master"]

[Talent Introduction: Lower back is less prone to strain, injury, and fatigue]

[Ding! Gun skill talent boosted to 10 times the average level]

[Ding! Initiating talent fusion]

[Ding! The "Minor Proficiency in Gunplay" and the "Master Gunner" have begun to merge.]

[Please wait, host... Please wait, host...]

[Ding! Talent fusion successful]

[Ding! "Javelin Proficiency" upgraded to "Javelin Master"]

[Gun Master Talent Introduction: Gun skill talent is amplified 16 times the average level]

"Dual Gunner" Mantaro Kishijima is dead!

Qing Deng flicked his right wrist, twirling the knife in a flourish.

Ever since he became an apprentice of Kiryu, he has grown to love the art of slashing slashes.

Of course, Qing Deng's flourish with his sword wasn't just for show; he was using it to flick off the bloodstains on the blade—a new trick he had recently come up with.

Because the blade traces a fancy trajectory in mid-air, the blood droplets attached to the blade no longer slide straight down, but fly out in a fan shape, much like fireworks soaring into the sky.

Taking advantage of the moment of blood tremor, Qing Deng turned his head and scanned his surroundings to observe the battle situation.

Despite the reinforcements from the new Oniwaban, their forces still only account for one-third of the enemy's strength.

In terms of numbers, Qingdeng is undoubtedly at a disadvantage—however, in terms of "quality," the advantages and disadvantages of both sides can be reversed.

While the "elite Yakuza" of the Shimizu clan are indeed very strong, they are ultimately just a hastily assembled "team of thugs".

The new Imperial Guards brought by Grandpa Tenkura and the Nijō sisters are all regular soldiers who have undergone rigorous training.

Although the New Oniwaban is merely an intelligence agency, not a combat unit, and its members are mostly intelligence personnel who have only received traditional ninja training rather than warriors specializing in hand-to-hand combat, they are still genuine "professionally trained" individuals.

Since they are ninjas, their combat strength is naturally not weak—at least they won't lose to the mere Yakuza.

Sanako, Souji, Sae, Yae, Amakura Owl, Ebina, Ichinose, Akutsu... each one of them is a hero capable of taking on ten men.

Not to mention Qing Deng, a fierce general who could take on a hundred men single-handedly.

Therefore, thanks to the valiant attacks of Qing Deng and others, the balance of the battle has now shifted slightly in their favor.

Qing Deng raised his head, his gaze passing over the shoulders of countless people, and looked at Shimizu Eiichi in the distance.

Shimizu Eiichi remained standing with his hands behind his back, not joining the fray since the start of the war.

To shoot a man, first shoot his horse; to capture a thief, first capture his king—this is a truth that applies to both ancient and modern times.

Having long heard of Shimizu Eiichi's status as the Shimizu clan's strongest warrior... Upon this thought, a faint sense of excitement ignited within Qing Deng.

In the blink of an eye, he had already charged towards Shimizu Eiichi with his sword.

But at that moment, two dark figures approached him from the left and right.

"Oh oh oh oh oh oh!"

The dark figure on the left roared deafeningly as it brought down the knife it had raised above its head.

The dark figure on the right was much quieter. He silently approached Qing Deng and unleashed a Kasaya Slash. Although he neither spoke nor roared, the power of his slash was in no way inferior to that of the former.

Before their blades could strike, Qing Deng leaped away from them.

Qingdeng retreated several steps in one breath, creating distance between himself and the two enemies who suddenly appeared.

After seeing the faces of the approaching enemy clearly, he murmured in a tone devoid of joy or sorrow:

"Two very famous faces again..."

These two men were none other than the "Sendai Bull" Rozaburo Ozeki, known for his brute strength, and the rather famous "Blood Tiger" Shigetaro Sakurai, a physical idiot.

Ozeki Louzaburo revealed a ferocious smile.

"Hahaha! I never thought I'd have the chance to compete with the King of Kings in my lifetime. Come on! Let me see just how much the famous King of Kings really weighs!"

Before he finished speaking, he was already far away—Ozeki Louzaburo charged straight at Aoto.

Qingdeng casually spread his legs, assuming a mid-range stance to meet the attack.

Ozeki Rozaburo truly lived up to his reputation as a fierce warrior bearing the name "Ox".

His strike was a terrifying blow that shook heaven and earth.

Qing Deng saw it at a glance—he couldn't take the knife head-on! Even if his limbs could withstand it, the knife might not be able to.

As a result, Qing Deng slipped and turned around gracefully under the blade of Wei Guan Lou Sanlang.

Qingdeng didn't run far; while dodging, he quickly got into a fighting stance.

The next instant, Echizen-suke Tsurinomori Kaneshige slashed down from above at an angle.

clang!

Two silver snakes intertwined in the air.

Despite his large size, Ozeki Rozaburo was remarkably agile.

He slightly twisted his body and used his knife to parry Qing Deng's fatal blow.

The two passed each other, and the ground thumped.

Suddenly, the aura of the blade rushed into Qing Deng's mouth and nose, and then he suddenly felt a chill on the back of his neck.

Qing Deng's body acted before his brain—he knelt down on one knee without hesitation, twisting his waist as he slashed at the cold air behind him.

It didn't hit anything... or rather, it hit the spot where "Blood Tiger" Shigetaro Sakurai had stood.

Shigetaro Sakurai intended to ambush Aoto, but because Aoto saw through his plan, he had to leap backward to escape Aoto's attack range.

This scoundrel truly lives up to his reputation as a "special forces" individual with a missing piece of his head.

Whether in peacetime or wartime, he always maintained a detached and indifferent demeanor, expressionless and silent.

Using terms like "cold-hearted" or "heartless" to describe him... feels a little off.

Rather than being cold-hearted, he simply didn't know how to express emotions, much like a puppet that never experienced joy, anger, sorrow, or happiness.

His appearance, which is "human but not quite human," would cause anyone to experience the uncanny valley effect if they looked at him for too long.

Aoto and Sakurai Shigetaro exchanged a glance—and with a snap, the air between them vibrated violently.

Their figures merged into one, then quickly separated, and their positions were reversed.

Shigetaro Sakurai swung his sword, but missed Aoto.

Aoto also swung his sword to attack, but although the blade missed its target, it grazed Sakurai Shigetaro's scalp and shaved off a few strands of hair.

Although it was just a simple exchange, it was already clear who was more skilled.

However, Shigetaro Sakurai was not discouraged by this... Of course, it is also possible that he simply did not have the feeling of "being discouraged".

He regrouped, raised the tip of his blade, and assumed a flat-eyed stance—a beautiful posture that even Qing Deng couldn't help but secretly admire, as if he had completely disappeared into the shadow of the blade.

In the blink of an eye, Shigetaro Sakurai raised his sword high diagonally upwards, aiming straight for Aoto's forehead. The speed of the blade was terrifying.

At the same time, Ozeki Louzaburo, who had been waiting for the best opportunity to attack, stood tall like a giant and ran over in one breath with a shout. His feet brushed the ground as if he were gliding, and with a roar like that of a wild beast, he leaped up and used gravity to bring down the sword he had raised above his head.

One attacked from the middle, the other from the top; one blocked the front, the other blocked the air... a perfect pincer attack.

Both of them were incredibly strong and capable of lifting heavy objects.

Qing Deng did indeed feel the blade slicing down, the air being compressed, and the sharp wind brushing against his skin.

At this critical moment, Qingdeng exhaled a breath of stale air—

The next instant, he vanished in the blink of an eye.