The commotion spread rapidly like ripples on water, spreading faster and wider.

In an instant, this magnificent mansion, which was intimidating to countless people in Kyoto, no longer had the peace it once had.

From top to bottom, it was a mess.

…

…

When the long-lasting commotion reached the top floor, the "radicals" headed by Nozawa Harunai and the "conservatives" headed by Suzuki Nizo finally stopped their quarrel.

This intense meeting, which had been stalemate for a long time as both sides were unwilling to give in, ended abruptly in a way that no one expected.

"What's going on?"

"What's this movement about?"

"Someone is coming! Someone is coming!"

After a while, urgent and fast footsteps came from the direction of the corridor.

When the footsteps stopped outside the door, anxious shouts immediately rang out:

"Lord Ayase! It's extremely urgent! A large number of thieves have broken into the mansion! They are coming fiercely! More than 20 people have been killed so far! The situation is urgent!"

In an instant, Taichi Ayase, Harudai Nozawa, Jinzo Suzuki... everyone in the room showed expressions of disbelief.

After a brief moment of daze, Ayase Taichi came to his senses and yelled out of control.

"What did you say?! How is this possible?!"

At the same time, Nozawa Harunai, Suzuki Nizo and other others were also excited and reacted strongly, as if they were suffering from a stress reaction.

No wonder they are like this.

Since the rise of the Nanmu Group, the life they have lived has been a nourishing one!

The Kyoto Executive Office, led by Inaba Masakuni and Nose Ryohiki, has completely lost its grassroots management capabilities and is unable to rectify the Kusunoki group.

Although the Aizu army led by Matsudaira Yoshiho had the powerful combat capability to easily annihilate the Kusunoki-gumi, they had no time to pay attention to them because of the important task of "monitoring the Choshu and Satsuma Domains."

The Kusunoki group acted recklessly in this comfortable "unsupervised" environment, and no one or force ever dared to confront them.

They have gotten used to it, and over time, Ayase Taichi and others have had a solid ideological imprint in their minds: We are known to everyone in Kyoto Town, the prestigious Kusunoki-gumi! How can there be someone who is not discerning?

Thieves are coming to invade us?!

However, Ayase Taichi is the hero who developed and expanded the Kusunoki Group.

He gritted his teeth, grabbed the saber by his leg, and stood up.

"Forget it! Since there is an attack by a thieves with no eyesight, let's just attack them! Report the situation to me! The number of attackers, their weapons, all come to me..."

Before he finished speaking, he seemed to realize something and froze in place.

It's a coincidence that at almost the same time, Suzuki Jinzo on the side seemed to have noticed something, and his face changed color.

Immediately afterwards, Nozawa Harunai's expression also changed immediately.

As if it was contagious, the expressions of everyone present suddenly changed one after another.

Suddenly, Ayase Taichi rolled his stiff neck and stared straight at the door.

"Have you... confirmed the identity of the intruder?"

"..."

It was quiet for a moment outside the room.

Then--

"Although it is unbelievable... I have seen it with my own eyes... Ayase-sama, the intruders are... 'Nioh' Tachibana Aoden and his tribe!"

At this moment, it became extremely quiet inside and outside the room, and you could hear a pin drop.

The whites of Ayase Taichi's eyes were instantly covered with red bloodshot threads like flesh worms, and his expression was dominated by intense horror.

"What did you say……?!"

…

…

The sudden invasion, like a bolt from the blue, stunned the patriots of the Nanmu Group and plunged them into unprecedented chaos.

After a brief "downtime", they finally regained their composure one after another, and launched resistance one after another, either sporadic or organized.

At this moment, a dozen patriots hurriedly picked up their swords and rushed towards the gate on the first floor, which had become a bloody battlefield.

"This way! This way! Follow me!"

"How dare you knock on the door...who are the intruders?"

"Who knows!"

"Don't worry about it! Go and stop the invading thieves!"

Just as they crowded into a narrow corridor... they saw two extremely tall figures standing at the end of the corridor in front of them.

"Who?!"

The patriots stopped, not daring to break out in sweat, as if facing a powerful enemy, like frightened birds.

"Captain of the Second Division of the Shinsengumi Batto Squadron, Nagakura Shinpachi."

"Captain of the 3rd Division of the Shinsengumi Batto Squadron, Saito Ichi."

The moonlight coming in from the window illuminated the corridor and illuminated the path forward of the two swordsmen.

"Saito, you attack on the left, I'll attack on the right."

After saying that, Nagakura Shinpachi drew his sword in his hand.

“Reasonable layout.”

Saito nodded slightly, raised the thumb of his right hand holding the sheath, pressed against the knife's tangent, and pushed the knife out of the sheath by more than half an inch.

"Let's go!"

They both started at the same time and stepped forward.

They tread lightly at first, and then continue to speed up!

Broken steps, small steps, long strides, quick steps - in the blink of an eye, the two figures turned into blurry phantoms!

Nagakura Shinpachi adjusted his posture while running.

He raised the Banshu-shu handle Yamashigehi above his head, and with the momentum of forward motion, the tip of the knife reflected the passing moonlight, and a cold light shot into the eyes of the enemies in front.

A silver thread splashed down.

"Puff" - a sound. It was the sound of flesh being torn apart.

Faced with Nagakura Shinpachi, who rushed towards him like a carnivorous beast, he didn't even have time to scream in agony, and the patriotic man standing at the front of the queue was torn to pieces.

Blood splattered and bones were exposed.

In the next breath, Nagakura Shinpachi and Saito Ichi followed the torn hole and charged straight towards the enemy's formation fearlessly.

There are three sword-wielding enemies in front of Nagakura Shinpachi, and two more flanking him.

The opponent was tied and used his knife to counterattack Nagakura Shinpachi.

Nagakura Shinpachi took a deep breath, his energy settled in his Dantian, and he used a strong force to push the three people in front of him away.

Ever since Nagakura Shinpachi became a member of the Imperial Guard, he has been given a widely circulated nickname: "Man Shinpachi".

The reason why he was given this nickname was not only because of his rough temperament, but also because his strength was too great and his attack style was too violent, like a bull.

In terms of physical strength alone, Nagakura Shinpachi is second only to Ayoto and Kondo Isamu.

His seemingly casual push caused the three people in front of him to stagger and were forced to retreat.

Taking advantage of the gap when the three people in front were forced back, Nagakura Shinpachi stood up with a knife, swung it like a wheel, and unleashed violence wantonly!

In an instant, just like a typhoon landing on the earth and sweeping up countless creatures, blood foam was continuously sprayed out.

Blood splattered everywhere, flesh and blood burst open, bones broke, and screams were everywhere.

The patriots fell to the left and right one by one like broken puppets. The corpses of each dead person were extremely incomplete. Either their heads flew out, their arms and legs were severed, or they were cut in half.

On the other hand, Saitoichi, who was advancing at the same pace as Nagakura Shinpachi, unleashed an equally fierce offensive.

Unlike Nagakura Shinpachi who took the "violent route", Saitoichi took the "quick route".

"Whoaaaahhhh!"

"Go to hell!"

The two patriots flanked Saito Kazuo on the left and right.

The fierce white blade coming towards him did not cause the slightest trace of panic on Saitoichi's face.

His expression remained the same - expressionless and emotionless - he stood up to face the white blade, and turned around lightly under the two swords, leaving two sword lights behind him.
To be continued...