I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

The attackers must not be allowed to pass through this area.

This is what they mean by "meeting on a narrow path"!

In this utterly silent world, the first person to utter a single word was Eiichi Shimizu.

"...Tachibana Aoto, why are you back again?"

Eiichi Shimizu's tone was neither sad nor happy, showing no emotional fluctuations, making it impossible to understand his current thoughts.

"Of course, it's to send you to the Yellow Springs."

Qingdeng chuckled dismissively.

“Eiichi Shimizu, if I remember correctly, we haven’t spoken since the fireworks festival six months ago.”

"Speaking of which, you're really ruthless. You couldn't possibly be unaware of the dangers of hallucinogenic drugs, could you? You just stood by and watched your nephew ingest this kind of medication?"

"No wonder Shimizu Gosaku was acting crazy. It turns out he was driven insane by you, his heartless uncle."

Six months ago, on the first day of the fireworks festival... the day Aoto accompanied Kinoshita Mai to watch the fireworks, Aoto ran into Ootsuki Minoru, whom he hadn't seen in a long time, as well as Shimizu Eiichi's nephew: Shimizu Gosaku.

Qing Deng was puzzled at the time. Why was Shimizu Gosaku acting so crazy, spouting nonsensical nonsense, and having bloodshot eyes, looking like he had just escaped from a mental hospital?

At that time, Qingdeng was unaware of the existence of the illusionary sediment.

Looking back now, the bloodshot eyes, extremely unstable mental state, incoherent speech, extreme behavior, and inhuman appearance were all symptoms of long-term use of hallucinogens!

Although I don't have any evidence, Qing Deng is 100% certain that Shimizu Gosaku has been taking hallucinogens! And he has been taking them for a long time!

Upon hearing Aoto mention Shimizu Gosaku, Shimizu Eiichi's brow twitched slightly, and his expression underwent a subtle change.

"...I have suffered from an incurable disease since childhood."

"Even world-renowned doctors are helpless against my illness."

"Since he's already nearing the end of his life, rather than letting him suffer through the pain of his illness and die in agony, it would be better to give him pain-relieving pills like cyclophosphamide. That way, he can have a moment of relief before he dies."

Pat-pat-pat... Pat-pat-pat...

Just then, Qingdeng heard footsteps getting closer and closer behind him.

Judging from the volume... in about 3 minutes, Qingdeng will once again be surrounded by fully armed Yakuza.

Qingdeng turned his head and glanced at the increasingly noisy noise behind him.

"Sorry, I'm in a hurry. I don't have time to listen to your nonsense, and I certainly don't have time to waste here with you. Even if I told you to 'get out of the way,' you wouldn't obediently comply, would you?"

Shimizu Eiichi snorted coldly, calmly raised his left hand, held the knife in his left palm horizontally in front of his eyes, gripped the handle with his right hand, and slowly pulled the blade out inch by inch in a horizontal direction.

Clang, clang, clang...

The blade reflected a clear light, bringing a little brightness to the dim surroundings.

The face of Shimizu Eiichi, "flattened" by the refraction, was clearly visible on the blade.

At the same time, Qing Deng loosened his right hand, letting the dull knife in his palm, which had long since become unusable, fall to the ground.

"Bring it on!"

He reached behind him and pulled out the last knife from his body.

Needless to say.

When Aoto saw Shimizu Eiichi's figure, he knew immediately—tonight, at this moment, only one of them could live!

"..."

"..."

In an instant, Shimizu Eiichi launched a surprise attack.

He suddenly lowered his waist and rushed forward in an instant, as if gliding on the ground, rushing to Qing Deng's front. His control was excellent, and his advance was quite precise.

Faced with the lightning-fast blade slashing down from above, Qing Deng unhesitatingly used an upward slashing technique to parry, his movements as fluid as flowing water.

The sound of metal striking metal rang out.

As night fell, Mars danced wildly like little sprites.

Shimizu Eiichi, holding the knife that had been deflected back, took two steps back and regained his stance.

Qing Deng quickly glanced at Shimizu Eiichi's lower body to confirm the distance between them.

The next instant, the tip of his blade trembled like the tail of a wagtail, and then, with lightning speed, the blade slashed at Shimizu Eiichi's right wrist.

It is the "Severing Hand" of the Hokushin Itto-ryu!

Seeing the slash flying straight toward his arm, Shimizu Eiichi didn't even blink, his face completely calm.

He seemed completely unfazed by the techniques of the Hokushin Ittō-ryū school.

Come to think of it.

Hokushin Itto-ryu is the number one swordsmanship school in Japan today, with numerous disciples.

Especially in Edo, swordsmen of the Hokushin Itto-ryu style were practically everywhere.

Given that Shimizu Sakae is a martial arts fighter who fought his way up from the bottom of society, it's not surprising that he has extensive experience fighting against Hokushin Itto-ryu swordsmen.

He took a deep breath, crouched down, and the knife in his right hand drew a breathtaking arc in the air, avoiding a direct hit and striking the back of Qing Deng's blade, deflecting it to the side.

A beautiful defense—but Qing Deng's offensive didn't stop! His first strike contained the technique for the second, so after the first attack was blocked, he instantly unleashed the second strike.

hum!

The powerful sound of wind breaking through the air shook the air!

Aoto, with a blue-eyed stance, lunged at Shimizu Eiichi's shoulder.

The dazzling silver light streaked across the air, almost filling Shimizu Eiichi's mouth and nose!

Even an ordinary person who knows nothing about martial arts can clearly feel the terrifying power contained in this knife after hearing such a terrifying sound of wind being cut.

Shimizu Eiichi's stance and posture at that moment gave him no chance to escape.

However, he was, after all, a swordsman who had been through countless battles.

In the blink of an eye, he was ready to counterattack—lowering his waist and bending his knees—a posture that both helped to mitigate the power of the opponent's strike and facilitated his own power generation.

The next instant, he gritted his teeth, suddenly stood up, and took the initiative to slash at the blade that was slashing towards his head.

The clang of steel blades clashing was followed by an explosion.

Eiichi Shimizu's move impressed Aoto inwardly.

Before his blade reaches its maximum speed and power, strike first to minimize the damage you suffer.

This is a superb move that only those with rich practical experience, superb swordsmanship skills, and both boldness and meticulousness can execute.

Although Shimizu Eiichi's physical strength was not as great as Aoto's, with the help of this special technique, he managed to barely deflect Aoto's sword.

Their swords were powerful and fierce, so they were both pulled forward by inertia, taking several steps forward. The two men passed each other, their sleeves clashing, and the stone pavement thudded.

The instant their figures overlapped, Shimizu Eiichi seized the opportunity and swung his sword to slash across Aoto's waist and abdomen.

According to his calculations, this should have been a heavy blow that would have pulled out Qingdeng's intestines, but it only grazed Qingdeng's clothes.

Before Shimizu Eiichi's sword could strike, Aoto had already seen through his intentions and quickly twisted his body to dodge.

dong dong dong dong!

The two men, like charging knights, passed each other, leaving a gap of about five steps between them.

With his back to Aoto, Shimizu Eiichi suddenly felt a heavy, oppressive pressure approaching from behind.

Eiichi Shimizu's pupils suddenly contracted.

His body reacted before his brain could—gripping the knife in his hand, he swiftly turned around using his left foot as a pivot—and when he faced Qingdeng again, his vision was filled with Qingdeng's attacking figure.

Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!

The two clashed, swords clashing and figures swaying.

Eiichi Shimizu, who has never received a single day of formal sword training at a sword-making school, is a true self-taught swordsman.

Although "wild schools" have many disadvantages compared to formal schools, it would be wrong to dismiss them as completely worthless.

If we were to pinpoint the biggest advantage of "wild schools of thought," it would undoubtedly be the "sense of the unknown."

The Hokushin Itto-ryu, Shinto Munen-ryu, and Satsuma Jigen-ryu sword styles are renowned schools known throughout the world.

Because these schools of swordsmanship are so famous, their sword techniques and fighting styles have long been known to the world.

For example, when facing a swordsman of the Hokushin Itto-ryu style, you should be careful to protect your arm; when facing a swordsman of the Shinto Munen-ryu style, you should try to avoid exchanging blows with him; when facing a swordsman of the Satsuma Jigen-ryu style, you must dodge his first strike.

In contrast, "wild schools" of swordsmanship, because their techniques do not originate from any particular school, make it difficult to deduce their swordplay based on common sword routines.

Even Qing Deng found it difficult to predict when and from what angle Shimizu Eiichi's next strike would come.

Eiichi Shimizu gradually discovered the fighting techniques that best suited him and were most effective at killing through real street brawls.

Therefore, his swordsmanship can be described as a "comprehensive collection of killing techniques," with each move being extremely deadly and vicious.

When facing him, there is no room for carelessness. Even a moment of relaxation can lead to irreparable consequences, either broken limbs or death—of course, this applies to both sides.

Normally, if Aoto wanted to defeat Shimizu Eiichi, he would have to expend a lot of effort and might even get injured.

However, with his physical condition exceptionally good due to the activation of "Reversal Dragon", in terms of the power of his slashes and the speed of his swings, Aoto is only above Shimizu Eiichi, not below him!

On the one hand, he was eager to fight the Rakshasa, and on the other hand, he was influenced by the unprecedented feeling of comfort that still filled his heart. Since the start of the war, he had been taking an extremely aggressive offensive stance!

As Qing Deng's offensive intensified, Shimizu Eiichi gradually found himself under pressure.

While the latter could swing his sword twice, the former could already unleash three strikes.

Knowing that he would surely lose if things continued this way, Shimizu Eiichi mustered all his strength, swung his sword to force Aoto back, and then leaped backward to create space.

Qingdeng wanted to chase after him, but he stopped as soon as he took a step, sensing something.

Eiichi Shimizu planted his feet firmly on the ground, assuming a unique upper stance with the tip of his sword raised high. This posture exuded a chilling killing intent and contained a sense of oppressive power that sent shivers down one's spine!

He was estimating the distance between himself and Qingdeng, and it seemed he was figuring out how to use a powerful enough move to kill Qingdeng in one fell swoop.

Seeing this, Qingdeng remained silent.

He silently exhaled a breath of stale air, then spread his legs, lowered his waist, raised his sword, and pointed the tip of the blade directly at Shimizu Eiichi's chest, assuming his most proficient Kasumi stance.

The moonlight shone on Qingdeng's knife tip, making it gleam with a faint light.