There are no cherry blossoms in bloom on the branches of the cherry blossom tree in the courtyard, only the yellow leaves of the tree are left.
The morning breeze blew by, like a golden rain.
Okita Souji raised his cheeks, took a deep breath, and tasted the taste of this world that made him nostalgic. Then he opened his eyes and said to Zhang Heng, "I studied under the third-generation master of the Natural Rishin-ryu, Mr. Kondo Shusuke. When he was nine years old, he received a free license, and then came to Kyoto with his senior brother Isamu Kondo, joined the Shinsengumi, and participated in the assassinations of former director Serizawa Kamuo and Uchiyama Hikojiro, as well as the subsequent Ikedaya operation. In addition, he also There are missions big and small. I don’t remember how many people I have killed. My sword skills are getting better and better. Six months ago in Gion, we fought side by side, but if you still think about it at that time, If you look at me with such eyes, I’m afraid I’m going to suffer a loss next.”
Okita paused, "I had nothing to do during this period of illness. I could only think about it every day to relieve the pain. During this period, what I thought about the most was swordsmanship. I reviewed almost all the previous battles, looking for and I spent a lot of time thinking about where I could improve, so I’m not lying, I’m in the best shape mentally and physically right now.”
"It just so happens that I have been busy improving myself recently." Zhang Heng nodded, "It seems that we can confirm each other's achievements during this period."
"Happily obey."
After speaking, Souji Okita raised the wooden sword in his hand and made a starting stance.
The next moment, his whole person's temperament changed. There was no longer the dead air before, and his whole person was filled with endless vitality and vitality. It almost made people forget about his serious illness. If Nakamura Hanjiro was like a tiger descending from the mountain, and the current Okita Souji was like a bright moon hanging high by the river at night.
He threw his shadow into the river. It seemed within reach, but yet it was far away in the horizon.
"Be careful, Mr. Abe." After Souji Okita said, he swung his wooden sword and turned sideways. At the same time, his footsteps began to move. As light as a butterfly in a flower, he arrived in front of Zhang Heng almost in the blink of an eye. What made him move faster was the wooden sword in his hand, which he slashed with one blow.
Zhang Heng, on the other hand, stood still and didn't move much, but his eyes never left Okita Souji's hands.
The moment the wooden sword struck, he caught the sword firmly.
But the next moment Zhang Heng let out a light sigh, and Okita's wooden sword disappeared from his sight.
Just a moment later, the wooden knife appeared again and hit the back of his knife accurately.
The wooden sword in Zhang Heng's hand sank. Souji Okita did not waste this rare opportunity. He stabbed Zhang Heng's open chest with a direct blow. However, Zhang Heng remained calm in the face of danger. The body skills he had trained in the waves helped him again. When he reached him, Zhang Heng turned sideways at the critical moment and let the knife pass.
But this is just the beginning.
After Okita seized the opportunity, he attacked continuously, and the angles of each sword were more cunning. The wind of the sword lifted up the fallen leaves on the ground, like a gorgeous piece of music.
Zhang Hengneng could clearly feel that Okita was not talking big words before. He had indeed improved a lot compared to Gion that night. If Nakamura Hanjiro was standing in front of him now, he would most likely not be able to survive twenty moves. Considering With his current physical condition, this is almost impossible.
——Should I say that he is worthy of being a genius swordsman who received the Immortal Swordsmanship at the age of nineteen? Zhang Heng was very curious about what heights this man, the number one master of the Shinsengumi, known as the Bakumatsu Heavenly Sword by later generations, would have reached if he had not died so young.
Unfortunately, this is an answer that no one is destined to know.
Fortunately, at the last moment of his life, there were still two people who could witness the last dance of this peerless master.
From the first moment the two of them fought, Akane Koyama couldn't help but hold her breath. For her, who also practices the art of swordsmanship, nothing in the world could be more moving and eye-catching than the battle in front of her.
Two men who were perhaps the strongest swordsmen at the time joined forces to dedicate this battle. It was not earth-shattering in this small courtyard, but it brought a touch that touched her soul. It was not until a few years later that Akane Koyama also Once you become a master, you can still gain a lot from this battle when you recall it.
After the battle in Gion, Zhang Heng almost forgot how long it had been since he felt pressure when fighting someone.
Is this a talent gap?
While he was still trying to challenge the major venues in Kyoto and improve himself bit by bit, Souji Okita had also quietly caught up with him. No one knew that this big boy who was tortured by illness would have another chance between life and death. What kind of insights have they gained, and now the two of them are standing on the same starting line again.
In this world, the most enjoyable thing is to meet an opponent in chess and meet a close friend in wine.
Without any extra words, Zhang Heng and Souji Okita can clearly feel the feelings conveyed by each other. This is a state of tacit understanding and mystery.
Okita Souji's eyes lit up like stars in the sky, and then the corners of his mouth also raised, revealing that long-lost innocent and hearty smile.
Opposite him was Zhang Heng on the other side. The latter suddenly closed his eyes. The mental state cultivation formula that Professor Koyama Akane had given him before, which in his opinion was useless, suddenly came to him at this moment. heart.
Zhang Heng naturally advanced into the state of sticking to one's heart as mentioned by Koyama Akishinryu. Although he closed his eyes at this moment, the other four senses were sharper than ever before.
The movement of his heart and the direction of his sword were actually kept as motionless as a mountain by Okita's sword technique that was as brilliant as the stars.
Unknowingly, tears fell from Akane Koyama's eyes. In order to witness the most touching scene in the world, this is the common pursuit of beautiful things in the human heart. She could see that neither Zhang Heng nor Okita Souji He held back his hand and gave his all without reservation in this battle.
Especially Okita, he is simply fighting in a way that burns him, just to burst out the fireworks for a moment.
Zhang Heng had also forgotten that he was seeking a breakthrough and devoted himself wholeheartedly to the battle itself. He did not even hear the system prompts passing by his ears. He was quickly thinking about the next changes in his mind. As the battle was too fierce, the sweat on his body evaporated and turned into curls of white smoke. However, the powerful aura in front of him suddenly disappeared without warning at the next moment.
Silence returned between heaven and earth, leaving only a vast expanse of white land, as clean as if there was nothing.
However, Zhang Heng knew that there were traces of that man's presence in this world.
He opened his eyes and saw Xiaoshan Qian, who had already burst into tears.
