Kyoto, Sanjo Bridge (west of Kamogawa River), Ikedaya——
"Back to back! Back to back! Where are you?!"
"Boss, I'm here!"
"Tainosuke, put aside the kitchen work for now. The stairs are dirty. Go wipe them quickly!"
"Yes, I'll go right away!"
As he spoke, Yamazaki Hao took off his kappo, stepped out of the kitchen in three steps and ran towards the stairs.
[Note·Kappo: A smock specially used for cooking in the Edo period]
On the surface, Yamazaki Hao still looks submissive and obedient.
But in fact, he had already cursed in his heart.
——Damn it...! There is no chance at all...!
After discovering that the meeting place of Miyabe Daizo, Katsura Kogoro and others was Ikedaya, Yamazaki Hao has been looking for opportunities to pass on this important information.
However... the endless heavy work made him completely unable to escape, and he couldn't find any chance to go out.
The Shinsengumi's long-hunted Miyabe Daizo, Katsura Kogoro and others are now right in front of them.
As long as the camp is notified, these guys can be caught in one fell swoop.
But in the end, he was trapped in this shabby hotel, and the air defense information could not be transmitted...
This indescribable feeling of suffocation made Yamazaki Hao impatient.
——Just give it a try!
——Don’t worry about the bird’s work! Just leave Ikeda House and rush back to the camp to deliver the message!
As soon as this thought arose, he immediately rejected it.
——No, no... I almost made a fool of myself...
——The hotel is busy right now. If I leave directly, the boss and others will find out immediately and become suspicious.
——Behavior like this is no different from openly announcing "I am a spy of the Samu Sect".
——If this happens, it will undoubtedly stir up trouble and make those guys on the second floor afraid to stay here anymore.
——They fled before our large force arrived.
——I must not leave this place without permission, I must think of a foolproof plan...
——Damn it! It would be great if a member of the Shinsengumi happened to be passing by outside the store right now!
Yamazaki Hao held a rag and bucket in his hand and walked towards the stairs while trying to think of a way to break the situation.
When passing by a shoji, from the corner of his eye, he suddenly caught a glimpse of a light green color shaking outside the store...
——Huh? That’s...!
At this moment, as if he was struck by lightning, he suddenly stopped, turned his head, and looked outside the store along the gap in the barrier - to be precise, he looked at the few people who were striding this way.
A familiar figure came - eyes straightened, first surprised and then happy.
…
…
Outside Ikeda's house——
"Brother Kondo, we are here."
The Souji stepped forward, glanced at the thick door plaque with the words "Ikedaya" written on it, and then turned to Isamu Kondo and nodded.
Inoue Genzaburo held the sword at his waist, moved to the side of the general manager, and murmured:
"Ikedaya... I remember that not long ago, the store's business suddenly became booming."
"In order to find out the truth, Mr. Tachibana specially ordered Vice Captain Yamazaki to lurk here."
"Thinking about it this way, this is probably the meeting place for Miyabe Daizo, Katsura Kogoro and others..."
As soon as Genzaburo Inoue finished speaking, Nagakura Shinpachi on the side smiled helplessly:
"The hotels and izakayas frequented by patriots have gone to sea. Uncle Yuan, I think you'd better not have too high expectations, lest you be disappointed again later."
Isamu Kondo took over the conversation:
"No matter what, don't be careless."
As he said that, he took a big step and was about to push open the door of Ikeda House——
"Director Kondo, wait!"
A quick voice sounded suddenly.
Immediately afterwards, a nimble figure emerged from the dark alley next to Ikeda House like a loach, and quickly ran to Kondo Isamu.
Isamu Kondo stared at this man's face, and then showed a look of realization:
"Oh, it turns out to be Yamazaki-kun."
Before Kondo Isamu could ask him about his purpose, Yamazaki Hao said quickly and impatiently:
"Director Kondo, 35 people including Miyabe Daizo and Katsura Kogoro are all in the innermost room on the second floor of Ikeda House!"
As soon as these words came out, the atmosphere at the scene changed instantly!
Everyone, including Kondo Isamu, was stunned, then looked at each other in confusion - they all found strong expressions of excitement on each other's faces.
Found it!
We found the meeting place!
After a brief period of excitement, Kondo Isamu licked his lips, suppressed his surging heart, and asked in a deep voice:
"Yamazaki-kun, are you sure?"
Yamazaki Hao nodded vigorously:
"I'm sure! I took advantage of the opportunity to serve wine and observed their faces up close. I'm sure - the person sitting on the main seat is indeed Katsura Kogoro himself! In addition, I have firmly remembered Miyabe
Kanazou’s appearance!”
After hearing this, Isamu Kondo closed his eyes and let out a long breath. After exhaling the last breath, he suddenly opened his eyes, with sharp light bursting out of them.
"Yamazaki-kun...well done! You have made a great contribution!"
Yamazaki Hao’s report continues:
"I just quietly opened the back door. If necessary, I can lead you to the back door."
Nakazawa Qin swallowed hard and asked Kondo Isamu in a nervous tone:
"Director Kondo, how should we act now?"
"Are you going to attack directly?"
"Should we send someone to inform the lord and them first, and then attack them together after the two sides meet up?"
As soon as Nakazawa Qin finished speaking, Kondo Isamu replied without thinking:
"Do you still need to ask? Of course we will attack directly!"
"Those who respect people with lofty ideals have no other skills, but their escape skills are top-notch."
"If we dilly-dally, we will probably end up with complications."
"The enemy is so close, why not take action immediately?"
"Junior Jun must be notified."
"But before we wait for them to arrive, let's go make a fuss first!"
After saying that, he turned to look at Yamazaki Hao:
"Yamazaki-kun, Tachibana-kun and the others are searching along Nawate-dori east of Kamogawa. Go and notify them immediately!"
As a first-class ninja, Yamazaki Hao has the fastest feet among everyone present, and he is not a combatant. Even if he is allowed to join the attack, he will not be of much use.
Therefore, it is undoubtedly the most appropriate to choose him to inform Qingdeng and others.
Yamazaki Hao was about to nod in agreement - suddenly, a calm voice cut in:
"Director Kondo, please wait a moment."
The person who spoke was the deputy captain of the Sixth Division, Chief Accountant Souma.
Because of his calm personality and the demeanor of a general, he is currently being trained by Qingteng as a "future deputy commander".
Chief Sangma said slowly:
"None of us recognize Miyabe Daizo's appearance."
"When the fighting breaks out and Miyabe Daizo burrows into the crowd, we won't be able to find him."
"If Vice Captain Yamazaki leaves, who will lead us to identify Miyabe Daizo?"
"I think Captain Yamazaki must follow us in the attack."
After hearing this, Kondo Isamu nodded.
"Yeah, that's true."
After thinking for a moment, he turned to look at Yamazaki Hao again.
"Then let's do this, Yamazaki-kun. After you identify Miyabe Daizo, you leave immediately and rush to Nawate Street to find Tachibana-kun and the others!"
Yamazaki Hao nodded vigorously:
"I see!"
After arranging Yamazaki Hao, Kondo Isamu turned to look at the others and gave precise instructions one by one.
"Sōma-kun, Yoshimura-kun, guard the front door."
Chief Souma and Kanichiro Yoshimura both nodded.
"Heisuke, Miss Nakazawa, guard the back door."
Heisuke Toudo and Kotosai Nakazawa claim "yes".
Then, Kondo Isamu turned to look at the general manager, Nagakura Shinpachi and Inoue Genzaburo.
"Xiaoji, Shinpachi, Uncle Gen, you follow me. Yamazaki-kun, how wide are the stairs in Ikeda House?"
Yamazaki Hao immediately replied:
"About two feet wide (60cm)."
"Two feet... is very narrow..."
After thinking for a moment, Isamu Kondo turned his eyes and locked his gaze on Souji.
"Xiao Si, after we break in later, you and I will be the vanguard and rush to the second floor in one go! Attack the enemy group!"
"Shinpachi and Uncle Gen will be responsible for the second wave of offensive. They will launch the attack immediately after us and not give the enemy a chance to breathe!"
“The stairs are very narrow, so be careful where you step and avoid congestion.”
After hearing this, the general manager couldn't help but ask:
"Are you and me the only ones responsible for fighting the vanguard?"
"There are a total of 35 people on the opposite side. There must be many strong martial arts masters among them, and 'Swordsman Kogoro' is among them."
"With only two vanguards...wouldn't it be too risky?"
Isamu Kondo curled up his lips and asked half-jokingly:
"What? Xiao Si, do you not trust my strength, or do you lack confidence in your own skills?"
Souji was stunned for a moment, then smiled confidently - although she didn't respond, her expression said everything.
"The fourth generation head of the natural Rishin-ryu clan and the 'Tianjian' - this combination is enough!"
Isamu Kondo said with his mouth wide open and his spirits up.
"It's been a long time since we two brothers and sisters fought side by side."
"Let's take this opportunity tonight to regain the tacit understanding of 'brother and sister work together'."
"With the power of you and me, brother and sister, we will turn it upside down!"
There are 8 people on our side and 35 on the enemy side.
Although it was a battle with huge disparity in numbers, no one showed timidity.
I saw them spreading out and getting ready to go!
Chief Souma and Kanichiro Yoshimura team up.
Heisuke Toudo and Qin Nakazawa.
The general managers, Nagakura Shinpachi and Inoue Genzaburo, stood behind Kondo Isamu in the shape of "pin".
Isamu Kondo raised his eyes and stared at the "Ikeda House" door plaque above his head and the vast night sky.
"Tonight Hu Che is very hungry for blood!"
Before he finished speaking, he slowly pulled out the Nagasone Kotetsu from his waist.
Chonk lang lang lang lang lang lang lang...!
As the blade was pulled out inch by inch, his aura increased steadily!
The others also pulled out the blades from their waists.
Nagasone Kotetsu, Kaga Kiyomitsu, Banshu's resident Yamaji Shige, Oshu Shirakawa's resident Kanejō, Kamisosuke Kanezaki...the moment these famous swords were taken off their sheaths, they erupted with clanking sword sounds, as if they couldn't wait to join tonight's bloody battle.
!
The clanging of swords drawn one after another, and the sword energy scattered in all directions, instantly dispelled the heat wave of the summer night and dimmed the moonlight!
"Remember, shoot to death! Don't let anyone go!"
Isamu Kondo opened the door like a lion, inserted Kotetsu into the crack of the door, used the knife as a bar, pushed gently to the right, and pushed the door open silently.
After opening the door to the width of one person, Kondo Isamu took the lead, followed by the general manager, Nagakura Shinpachi, Inoue Genzaburo and Yamazaki Hao, and filed in.
Chief Souma and Kanichiro Yoshimura stood still, guarding the door.
Toudo Heisuke and Nakazawa Qin detoured to the rear and blocked the back door.
Entering the store, the dim light of candles fills the view.
Kondo Isamu and his team of five people lowered their body weight, their nerves were tense, and their whole body senses were raised to the limit. They moved silently towards the stairs with their exquisite footwork with their feet sticking to the ground.
At this time, the boss of Ikedaya appeared.
The boss walked out of the room with an abacus in his hand.
A second ago, he was beaming with joy because he made a big deal tonight, but this second he turned to stone.
He looked at this group of uninvited guests wearing light green feathers with a dull expression, like clay and wood sculptures.
The next moment, he opened his mouth wide and screamed - at this critical moment, Kondo Yuu rushed forward with quick eyes and hands, and hit the side of his neck hard with the bottom of the knife handle.
His eyes rolled and his limbs went limp - the boss didn't even have time to utter a groan before he collapsed to the ground and passed out.
At the same time that the boss fell to the ground, by coincidence, a female assistant walked down from the second floor holding a wine tray.
When she saw her boss lying on the ground, Kondo Isamu and others wearing a light green haori, her eyes suddenly widened and her expression was dominated by intense horror.
After snapping her fingers, she turned around and ran back to the second floor, shouting at the top of her voice:
"Run away! The Shinsengumi is coming!!"
…
…
Ikeda House, second floor, innermost room——
Even though a long time has passed, Katsura Kogoro, Miyabe Daizo and others are still arguing over the right and wrong of "burning Kyoto and kidnapping the emperor".
Prajna lowered his head due to boredom early on, lowered his hat, used the brim of the hat to block the light, and dozed off.
At this moment, everyone in the room, who had been quarreling with each other just now, blushed and had thick necks, all changed their expressions.
In an instant, the noisy room became silent, and you could hear a pin drop.
At this moment, everyone in the room vividly interpreted what "all living beings have one hundred appearances".
Gongbe Dingzang's cheeks were full of surprise and disbelief.
Katsura Kogoro's face was filled with clouds, as if he had been splashed with ink.
Most people have expressions of timidity, fear, and panic.
Prajna opened his eyes immediately, straightened the western hat on his head with one hand, and grabbed the knife in his arms with the other hand. The corners of his mouth were slightly raised, and the light of excitement jumped out of his eyes.
Because everyone heard this cry:
"Run away! The Shinsengumi is coming!!"
…
…
Seeing that their whereabouts had been exposed, Kondo Isamu and others changed their expressions, but they did not panic.
Although there was no prior discussion, Kondo Isamu and Souji started to cooperate brilliantly.
Yutora Kondo jumped out, grabbed the female Teyo by the back collar, dragged her down the stairs, and punched her so hard that she fell asleep temporarily.
At the moment when the light was flowing, the general manager held Kaga Kiyomitsu in front of him, picked up the cloud formation, pointed the tip of the knife straight ahead, rushed to the stairs, climbed up the steps, and stepped on the steps, making a "thumping" sound, like a war drum!
Suddenly, a strong man appeared at the top of the stairs, blocking the Chief's way.
"Who?!"
He asked loudly and pressed the knife with his hand.
Seeing that the enemy had appeared, the commander-in-chief lowered his eyelids, exhaled secretly, and accelerated suddenly!
There was a "Pfft" sound. The Souji used the momentum of his sprint to insert the knife into the strong man's body.
After her knife penetrated the strong man's chest, it penetrated the back in one breath, from the tip of the knife to the butt. Only the Souji's fist, the butt and the handle of the sword were left outside the strong man's chest.
In the next breath, Souji twisted the blade with a skilled move, parrying the muscles that clamped the blade, and smoothly pulled the knife back to his hand. Then without looking at the strong man who had expired and fell at his feet, he rushed forward like lightning.
On the second floor, go straight to the innermost room.
After Isamu Kondo knocked out the female hand, he caught up with Souji in the blink of an eye.
The two of them crossed the tens of meters long corridor in just a blink of an eye.
The chief general waved his hand violently, first with a neat cassock slash, and then with a reverse cassock slash, splitting the innermost door into four pieces.
When the shattered door panel fell to the ground, their sight suddenly became clear——
I saw a crowd of people in the room, and the turbid hot air hit my face.
"Light green Haori...is the Shinsengumi! It's really the Shinsengumi!"
"Why are the Shinsengumi here?!"
"Wait a minute, I remember that little face... Damn it! The person who came is none other than Souji Okita, the 'Sword of Heaven'!"
Panic, fear, hatred... eyes with different emotions locked tightly on the figures of Isamu Kondo and Souji.
Isamu Kondo raised his head without fear, looked at the audience, and shouted loudly:
"We are under the command of the governor of Gyeonggi Province, the Shinsengumi!"
As he spoke, he raised his sword and raised his stance in the middle.
The Souji wiped away the remaining blood on the sword with an expressionless expression, and then slowly assumed a blue-eyed stance.
"Tongan Rizhen Flow, captain of the Shinsengumi 1st Team, Okita Souji!"
Some people panicked.
Someone is calm enough to fight!
Katsura Kogoro, Matsuda Shigesuke and others stood up quietly and drew their swords from their sheaths!
Choke! Choke! Choke! Choke! Choke!
The brief but intensive sound of drawing a sword suddenly changed the atmosphere of the whole place at this moment!
The dim room suddenly became filled with murderous aura.
That’s it for now, no need to say more!
Kondo Isamu and Souji, Katsura Kogoro, Matsuda Jusuke and others, both sides are only concentrating on one thing at the moment - concentrating on the enemy in front of them!
A pair of sharp blades complement each other.
A bunch of wolf-like gazes, confronting and colliding in mid-air!
Now there is a tension that makes people gasp. No, it is a tingling tension that makes goosebumps all over the body.
At this time, a firefly with a faint green light flew in from the window, bringing a flickering light to the dark room.
Katsura Kogoro, Miyabe Daizo, Kondo Isamu, Souji... Fireflies flew precariously in the air, lighting up everyone's faces, and finally stopped on Souji's blade.
At the moment when the tense atmosphere reached its limit, a beast-like shout came from a corner of the venue:
"Come on!!"
Before the roar ended, several lofty ideals rushed forward!
Almost at the same moment, Souji put aside the fluorescent light and stood up to fight!
Flashes of light pierced the atmosphere! Swords clashed!
This square inch is filled with the hot breath caused by the collision of swords!
In an instant - the patriot closest to the General Secretary had just taken a step, and only a small part of his upper and lower body was connected with flesh and blood. His head and hands hung down feebly, and his feet supported the lifeless body, swaying.
He staggered forward a few steps before suddenly falling down.
The next moment——Souji's body was like the wind, and he flashed to a place 1 meter away from the door.
Just as she dodged, another person staggered to the ground before he even had time to scream.
In the blink of an eye, the commander-in-chief has entered the enemy group and takes the lead!
Although Kondo Isamu's attack was half a minute slower, he was not behind his sister.
He waved his sword to push away several cold blades coming towards him, and shouted loudly:
"Yamazaki-kun! Which one is Miyabe Daizo?!"
In an instant, Yamazaki Hao rushed up and lay on Kondo Isamu's back like a koala, with his head sticking out from his right shoulder.
He quickly glanced around and then pointed at a middle-aged man standing in the corner with a knife in his hand, his face as sinking as water.
"That's that person! That person is Miyabe Daizo!"
Kondo Isamu's wolf-like eyes looked in the direction pointed by Yamazaki Hao, staring at Miyabe Daizo's face and remembering it deeply in his mind.
"Okay! Remember! Yamazaki-kun, go to Nawate Street to find Tachibana-kun!"
"clear!"
After shouting, Yamazaki Hao jumped off Kondo Isamu's back, and with a flourish, he left the battlefield in the blink of an eye and returned to the first floor.
At the entrance, the female hand Dai Akan was so frightened by the sudden chaos that she collapsed to the ground, while looking at Yamazaki Hao with trepidation, who seemed to have changed.
"Retreat, retreat with help...?"
"I am not a retreat! I am the vice-captain of the Shinsengumi Division 9, Yamazaki Hao!"
After saying that, Yamazaki Hao pulled off the kabob on his body and took off the Sojuro turban on his head, with a look of pride and confidence on his face.
After being an undercover agent for so long and feeling aggrieved for so long, he can finally show his true colors!
He is not afraid to reveal his identity.
Anyway, after a while, the other person will forget his appearance.
Yamazaki Hao and the female hand Dai Ajan passed by each other and came to the outside of the store.
After confirming the direction of the rope, he lifted up the hem of his hakama, tucked it into his belt, and ran at full speed! He disappeared around the corner of the street in a flash!
…
…
"Protect Miyabe-sensei!"
"Teacher Miyabe, Mr. Katsura, you run away!"
"What are you afraid of? There are only two opponents! Kill them!"
Facing enemies coming from all directions, Kondo Isamu raised the blade from the lower part without any panic, and Nagaso Nekoteru emitted light into the sky.
"Come here! My Kotetsu is thirsty for blood!"
At this moment, his talent - "Lonely Daring" - activated!
Isamu Kondo swung his sword like a windmill, and violent winds suddenly blew up.
When he calmed down, several people around him were like folding fans opening, and they all retreated backwards, either dead or injured.
The general manager on the other side is even more brave!
She held Kaga Kiyomitsu tightly, put on the Kasumi Dan stance that was suitable for indoor fighting, and unexpectedly jumped towards a certain corner of the room!
While gliding in mid-air, in the flash of lightning, someone was stabbed in the shoulder and lost most of his combat power.
When her feet landed on the ground, she used a forehand knife to push back the enemy in front of her, and then a backhand knife to cut down the enemy behind her who was trying to sneak attack. In an instant, the blood splattered out, drawing a beautiful rainbow.
The blood splashed red on her feather fabric and her white face.
Even though her face was stained with blood and the stench hit her nostrils, her demeanor did not change at all - her face was expressionless, her eyes were as cold as ice, and her usual cheerfulness and brightness were gone! She was like a ghost!
*******
*******
The "Ikedaya Incident" has finally begun! Considering the quality of this chapter, please be sure to vote for this book! (Leopard Head Crying.jpg) Please vote for the month! Please vote for recommendation! (Leopard Head Crying.jpg)
PS: Historically, the first people to break into the second floor of Ikeda House were Kondo Isamu and Okita Souji. Kondo Isamu's talent of "lonely courage" was created based on his heroic deeds of defeating many enemies with fewer enemies.
