The cherry blossoms on the branches of the cherry blossom tree in the courtyard were long gone. All that was left were yellow leaves.
The morning breeze blew past like a golden rain.
Okita Soki raised his cheeks, took a deep breath, and savored the taste of this world. He then opened his eyes and said to Zhang Heng, "I studied under Kondo Shushu, the third-generation leader of the Tenran Rishin-ryū. When I was nineteen years old, I received my Miyabune. Then, I came to Kyoto with my senior brother, Kondo Isami, and joined the Shinsengumi. I participated in the assassination of the former director, Serizawa Duck, Uchiyama Hijirou, and then the Ikedaya operation. Other than that, I've taken on many missions. I can't remember how many people I've killed, and my swordsmanship is getting better and better. Six months ago, in Gion, we fought side by side.
Okita Soki paused, "I had nothing to do while I was sick. All I could do was think about random things every day to relieve the pain. During this period, I thought about swordsmanship the most. I reviewed almost all the previous battles, looking for and thinking about where I could improve. It took me a long time to recuperate. So, I'm not lying. My mind and body are indeed at their best now."
"It just so happens that I've been busy improving myself recently." Zhang Heng nodded. "It seems that we can verify what we've learned during this period."
"Gladly."
Okita Soki raised the wooden sword in his hand and got into a fighting stance.
The next moment, his entire temperament changed. He no longer had the deathly aura from before. Instead, he glowed with infinite vitality and vitality, making people forget that he was seriously ill. If Kirino Toshiaki was like a tiger coming down the mountain, then Okita Soki was like a bright moon hanging high on the river at night.
He threw his shadow into the river. It seemed to be within reach, but at the same time, it was far away.
"Be careful, Mr. Abe." After Okita Soki said that, he placed the wooden sword behind him, and at the same time, he began to move. He was as light as a butterfly, and in the blink of an eye, he appeared in front of Zhang Heng. Faster than him was the wooden sword in his hand, and he swung it at Zhang Heng.
On the other hand, Zhang Heng stood still, but his eyes never left Okita Soki's hands.
The moment the wooden saber slashed down, he firmly caught the saber.
But the next moment, Zhang Heng was surprised. Okita's wooden sword had disappeared from his sight.
In the blink of an eye, the wooden saber reappeared and accurately hit the back of his saber.
The wooden katana in Zhang Heng's hand sank, and Okita Soki did not waste this rare opportunity. He immediately stabbed Zhang Heng's chest. However, Zhang Heng did not panic in the face of danger. Once again, the footwork he practiced in the waves helped him. Zhang Heng moved sideways at the critical moment and dodged the attack.
However, this was only the beginning.
After Okita seized the initiative, his attacks were relentless, and each time he attacked from a tricky angle, the leaves on the ground were stirred up. It was like a magnificent piece of music.
Zhang Heng could clearly feel that Okita wasn't bragging. He had indeed improved a lot since that night in Gion. If Kirino Toshiaki were standing in front of him now, there was a high chance that he wouldn't be able to last more than twenty moves. Considering his current physical condition, it was almost impossible for him to survive.
Should he say that Okita Soki was indeed a genius swordsman who obtained the Mizutogitsu at the age of nineteen? Zhang Heng was very curious about the number one swordsman of the Shinsengumi, the man known as the Bakumatsu Heavenly Swordsman, if he did not die young, what kind of heights could he have achieved?
Unfortunately, this was an answer that no one would ever know.
Fortunately, at the last moment of his life, two people were able to witness the last dance of this peerless master.
From the first moment the two fought, Akane Koyama could not help but hold her breath. For someone who also practiced swordsmanship, nothing in the world could be more eye-catching than the battle in front of her.
The two men, who were perhaps the strongest swordsman of their time, joined forces to fight. It was not earth-shattering in this small courtyard, but it touched her soul. Years later, when Akane Koyama became a master, she would still learn a lot from this battle.
After the battle in Gion, Zhang Heng had almost forgotten how long it had been since he felt pressured in a fight.
Was this the difference in talent?
When he was still working hard to challenge the major dojos in Kyoto and improve himself little by little, Okita Soki had quietly caught up with him. No one knew what kind of epiphany this big boy, who was tortured by illness, had come to when he was on the brink of death. Now, the two were standing on the same starting line again.
In this world, the most satisfying thing was to meet a worthy opponent and drink with a bosom friend.
Without the need for any extra words, Zhang Heng and Okita Soki could clearly feel each other's thoughts. This was a kind of telepathic connection, a mysterious realm within a mysterious realm.
Okita Soki's eyes lit up like the stars in the sky, and then the corners of his mouth curled up, revealing the long-lost innocent and hearty smile.
Zhang Heng, on the other hand, suddenly closed his eyes. The mental cultivation mantra that Akane Koyama taught him previously, which he thought was useless, suddenly came to his mind at this moment.
Zhang Heng naturally entered the state that Koyama Myoshin-ryū talked about. At this moment, although he closed his eyes, the rest of his four senses were unprecedentedly sharp.
His heart moved, his blade pointed, and he was as still as a mountain in front of Okita Soki's dazzling swordsmanship.
Unknowingly, tears fell from Akane Koyama's eyes as she witnessed the most touching scene in the world. This was the common pursuit of beauty in the human heart. She could see that both Zhang Heng and Okita Soki did not hold back. They gave everything they had in this battle without reservation.
This was especially true for Okita. He was practically burning himself to fight, just to burst out the spark that burst out at that moment.
Zhang Heng had also forgotten that he was seeking a breakthrough. He was fully immersed in the battle itself. He did not even hear the system prompt that passed by his ears. He was quickly thinking about his next move. Because the battle was too intense, the sweat on his body evaporated and turned into white smoke. However, the next moment, the powerful aura in front of him suddenly disappeared without warning.
The world returned to silence once more, leaving behind only a vast expanse of whiteness. It was so clean, as if there was nothing there at all.
However, Zhang Heng knew that there were traces of that man in this world.
He opened his eyes and saw Akane Koyama with tears streaming down her face.
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