"Ogata-kun...fortunately...you weren't here just now...it's really...lucky among the misfortunes...our Sakakibara Itto-ryu can still have...a successor...this school will not...just be cut off."
…”
"Quiet!" Xuan An scolded Mikami, "Stop talking and wasting your energy!"
Although he was scolding Mikami, Xuan'an's hand that was bandaging Mikami's wound did not stop.
"Doctor... thank you for your kindness and treatment... but... I must be hopeless...?"
Mikami's words made all the doctors headed by Xuan An speechless... They didn't know how to respond to Mikami's words.
"How is my body... I know it myself... My blood is almost drained... Even if Hua Tuo of Tang Dynasty reincarnates, it is impossible to save me..."
"While I can still speak...let me say a little more..."
After all, Mikami informed Ogata, Kuronaga and others in simple sentences of the causes and consequences that led to the current tragic situation of the sword hall.
After learning that the instigator of tonight's tragedy at the Sakakihara Kenkan was actually Gennai Matsudaira, the expressions of Kuronaga and Tobiru changed.
…
…
"How?" Although he already knew what the answer was, Kurunaga still held a glimmer of hope and asked Xuan'an, "Can he... be saved?"
Xuan An and others did not answer.
He just shook his head silently.
"Ogata-kun...are you there...? I can't see clearly..."
"I'm here."
Xuan An and others wisely picked up their medicine boxes and walked away from Mikami, leaving space in front of Mikami.
Ogata also walked slowly towards Mikami, and then crouched in front of Mikami.
"Ogata... I'm sorry to the master and the brothers... I'm waiting for Huangquan... What should I say to the master... and the brothers...?"
"Senior Mikami...what nonsense are you talking about? How can you ever be sorry to your master and fellow apprentices?"
"...When I learned that...that foolish king actually planned to use us as toys...and make us kill each other...I was very angry..."
"If...we really kill each other as...that Hunjun said...at least half of our brothers...will leave me..."
"I would rather die standing... than live on my knees..."
"So...with blood welling up in my throat...I swung my sword to kill that faint king..."
"It wasn't until... I heard the sound of master and brothers falling down one after another... that I... regretted it..."
"It's all because... I intended to assassinate that faint king... that's why everyone died..."
"As long as we all obey...that foolish king's order to kill each other...maybe...half of us can survive..."
"Trying to assassinate Hun Jun...but he was chopped down by Hun Jun's guards instead..."
"Not only did we fail to assassinate Hun Jun... but we also got everyone implicated..."
"Finally...died in such a miserable state..."
"I feel guilty from the bottom of my heart..."
"Waiting for Huang Quan... I don't know what kind of expression I should use to face everyone..."
…
…
"...Mikami-senpai." Ogata raised his finger and wiped away the tears rolling down from Mikami's eyes, "Don't apologize...and don't feel guilty."
"You did nothing wrong."
"The one who should apologize and feel guilty is that fool."
"When you get out of hell, you just need to face everyone with a normal expression."
"I believe Master, Makino and the others will not blame you."
"They might even pat you on the shoulder and say to you - Mikami, you did a good job and didn't let our Sakakibara Kenkan lose our integrity and blood."
…
…
"Ogata-kun...thank you..."
"You're welcome...what's my relationship with you? There's no need to say thank you or anything like that."
…
…
"Ogata-kun...are you there? I can't...see anything anymore..."
"I'm here, I'm always next to you. Can you feel my hand?"
"Yes...Ogata-kun, I'm sorry...my hands are full of blood now...it made your hands dirty..."
"It's just a small thing, I don't care."
…
…
"Ogata-kun..."
"I'm here, what's wrong?"
"I feel... getting cold... Is there anything you can bring to cover me... At the last moment... I want to... sleep in a warm environment as much as possible..."
"I see...how do you feel? Do you feel a little warmer?"
"Ogata-kun...are you holding me...?
"Um."
"……Thank you……"
"We've already talked about our relationship, so there's no need to thank you."
…
…
"..."
"Mikami-senpai? Is there anything else you want to say?"
"..."
"Mikami-senpai, are you asleep?"
"..."
"Mikami-senpai... If you want to continue to thank me, go ahead... You can do anything, just tell me something..."
"..."
"Senior Mikami..."
"..."
…
…
After Ogata crouched behind Mikami, Kuranaga knew the current situation very well and asked Xuan An and others to leave, and told Xuan An and others: Don't spread the news about what happened tonight.
In the dojo filled with dead bodies, only Kuranagi, Tobiru, Ogata, and...in Ogata's arms, Mikami, who had just lost his life...
Even though Mikami was no longer alive, Ogata still held Mikami in his arms.
Because Ogata's back was turned to them, both Kuronaga and Tobiru couldn't see clearly what kind of expression Ogata had now.
"That is to say..." Kuranagi whispered to Tobiru at a volume that only he and Tobiru could hear clearly, "The Sakakibara Kenshu Hall... was wiped out... Only Ogata-kun is left alive...
…”
"Yes..." Tobiru nodded with a sullen face, "My lord, tonight to celebrate Ogata-kun's recovery and Ogata-kun receiving the title of Ogata-kun, all the masters and disciples of the Sakakibara Sword Hall have gathered together.
We are preparing to hold a banquet here..."
"So...we were all caught in one fell swoop...except for Ogata-kun, no one survived..."
Kuronaga has a lot to say.
But these words that he almost wanted to spit out were stuck in Kurunaga's throat.
In the end, it just turned into a long sigh.
While letting out a long sigh, Kuronaga looked at Ogata who was still holding the deceased Mikami with complicated eyes...
…
…
A few hours later——
Hirose Domain, Genshinji Temple.
"Master Kong Qing, I really appreciate your help."
"My lord, wherever possible, helping the deceased to achieve salvation is what monks like us should do."
Kurunaga bowed respectfully to an old monk in monk's robes in front of him.
Kuranaga used his connections to mobilize a large number of people to move the deceased masters and disciples of the Sakakihara Kenkan to their most famous Buddhist temple in Hirose Domain, Genshinji Temple.
While burying the masters and apprentices of the Sakakibara Kenkan in Xuanzhenji Temple, Kuranaga also invited the abbot of Xuanzhenji, Master Kong Qing, to recite sutras for the masters and disciples of the Sakakibara Kenkan.
At that time, there were still some corpses of Matsudaira Gennai's guards in the dojo.
In order to take care of Ogata's emotions, although Kuranagi buried the bodies of these people in Xuanzhen Temple, he did not ask Master Kongqing to recite sutras for their salvation.
After working for several hours, from night until the sky was bright, Kuranaga successfully completed the burial of all the victims of last night's tragedy.
After bidding farewell to Master Kong Qing, Cang Yong slowly left Xuanzhen Temple along the stone brick staircase.
When he was halfway down the stone brick staircase, Kuranaga suddenly saw Ogata holding a knife and sitting on the first step not far ahead.