"Mamiya..." Asai, who had just been bandaged by Lin, pressed his wound and walked towards Mamiya with a surprised look on his face. "Could that be... the 'selfless state'? Have you also reached the state of being able to enter the 'selfless state' at any time like Master Genichi?"
"How is that possible..." Mamiya said unhappily, "It took Master Genichi 30 years to reach that level."
"It has only been four years since I learned the Source Breathing."
"How is it possible to reach that level?"
“There is a transitional stage from not being able to freely enter the ‘selfless state’ to being able to freely enter the ‘selfless state’.”
"During this transitional stage, if you maintain the state of Source Breathing for less than a quarter of an hour, you will automatically enter the 'selfless state'."
"I just...barely made it to this stage."
"Now, I can't always successfully enter the 'selfless state'."
“Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t.”
"Probably one out of three times you will fail."
“So I was very lucky just now.”
Mamiya smiled.
"If I failed to enter the 'selfless state' just now, it would be troublesome. Apart from Miss Atachi's short gun, there should be no other way to defeat Shintaro... cough cough! cough cough cough!"
Before Mamiya could finish his words, he began to cough violently.
"Hey, are you okay?" Asai squatted down and gently patted Mamiya's back. "You look very uncomfortable."
"The 'selfless state' will rapidly consume physical strength..." Mamiya smiled bitterly, "Unfortunately, physical strength is my weak point."
"So I can't maintain the 'selfless state' for too long. After I release the 'selfless state', I will be very tired..."
"Okay, let's stop chatting." Lin, who was now helping A-Machi with his wounds, said, "Nanabe, help Kuro with his wounds."
"Yes." Asai nodded.
"Shintaro has been killed..." Makimura's wound had just been bandaged by Lin. He stood up while covering his wound and continued, "I wonder if Brother Ogata has successfully defeated Shuntaro..."
"Once Shuntaro loses, this battle will be our complete victory..."
…
…
Time goes back to when Ogata and Omachi found the key to remove the shackles of "Gu"——
"A-Ming, go rescue the 'Gu's, and then go support Miss Lin and the others."
Ogata suddenly said this while handing the big box in his hand to Atachi.
"And by the way, tell Miss Lin and the others that I have held Shuntaro back, so let them focus on dealing with Shintaro."
Hearing what Ogata said, Atachi was stunned.
"...Yeah." A-Machi looked at Ogata for a while with a somewhat complicated look in her eyes, then nodded , "I understand. I wish you good luck in martial arts."
A-Ming hugged the big box tightly in his arms and ran towards the depths of "Gu Village".
After Atachi left, Ogata turned his head and looked at Shuntaro not far away.
"Let's go somewhere else." Ogata said to Shuntaro, "It seems a bit narrow here."
"...Come with me." Shuntaro said, "I know a good place."
Shuntaro, who was leading the way, led Ogata in the direction away from "Kusan Village".
Shuntaro stopped only when he reached a place where he could no longer see the shadow of "Kumura".
Ogata looked around - it was extremely spacious, with nothing around, no trees or grass, only thick soil under his feet.
——It’s indeed a good place.
Ogata thought to himself.
——A good place to chat with people and... fight.
Shuntaro stood about 10 steps away from Ogata.
He once again looked Ogata up and down with a look full of mixed emotions, and then -
"Should I call you Majima Goro... or should I call you Ogata Issei?"
No matter how many times Shuntaro looked at it, the sword on Ogata's waist was Goro Majima's sword.
And he had just heard Ogata and Atachi talking - no matter how he listened to it, it was Goro Majima's voice.
"It doesn't matter what you call me." Ogata said, "But for me, I still prefer people to call me Ogata Yisei. After all, Majima Goro is just my alias."
Having said this, Ogata paused.
Then he asked Shuntaro back.
"I have a similar question for you."
"Should I call you Shuntaro or Goroku?"
As soon as Ogata finished speaking, a bitter smile appeared on Shuntaro's face.
"…When did you know that 'Goroku' was 'Shuntaro'?"
"Last night, I tore the cloth covering your face and saw half of your face."
In just over two hours last night, Ogata and Shuntaro fought two consecutive games.
The first scene was when Uncle Qing was just rescued.
The second scene is when Ogata tries to save Taifu.
In the first duel, Ogata luckily used a knife to cut through the black cloth covering Shuntaro's face and saw half of his face.
Although he only saw half of the man's face, Ogata recognized him immediately.
It was the same person who had met him on the banks of the Rashomon Gate in Yoshiwara, and who had watched the “Gozen Test” martial arts test with him for two days afterwards…
At that time, when letting Genichi carry Uncle Qing on his back, Uncle Qing told Ogata that Shuntaro, the leader of the "Four Heavenly Kings" of Shiranui, was nearby, and asked Ogata to be careful.
When competing with Wuliu, the powerful strength Wuliu displayed made Ogata begin to doubt Wuliu's true identity.
It was not until just now in "Kugu Village" that Atachi shouted the name "Shuntaro" to Goroku, and all the speculations about Goroku's identity were finally settled.
"…Call me 'Five-Roku'," said Shuntaro. "'Shuntaro' is just a code name I got after joining the Shiranui."
"And 'Five Six' was my real name until I joined Ignorant Vitality."
"I never thought... that Majima Goro, who I met by chance on the Rashomon Riverbank and watched the 'Gozen Test' together for two days, was actually the famous 'Executioner Ittosai'..."
"Same here." Ogata said softly, "I never thought that the friend I met by chance would be the leader of the 'Four Heavenly Kings' in Shiranui."
"What's wrong with your face?" Shuntaro poked his face, "What did you do to turn your face into Majima Goro's face?"
Ogata: "I just wore something called a human skin mask."
"Human skin mask? It turns out that this kind of mask that can change a person's appearance really exists..."
Shuntaro smiled and put his hands on his hips.
After letting out a soft sigh, he continued:
"Mashima...ah, no, Ogata Ittosai. I've always felt like we're very compatible."
"By chance, Yu Jiyuan saw you fighting with the man who used the Hozoin spearmanship."
"I am impressed by your name, which sounds very similar to my real name, 'Five Six', and your superb skill of 'breaking the gun with a sword'."
The pronunciation of "Gorō" in Majima Goro is very similar to the pronunciation of "Goroku".
"Afterwards, also by chance, I went to visit my hometown on the Rashomon Riverbank where I was born, and then I ran into and got to know you, who happened to be patrolling on the Rashomon Riverbank at the time."
"If possible, I don't want to fight with you, who is very close to me."
"But..."
Having said this, Shuntaro did not continue speaking.
After a moment of silence, he stretched his right hand behind him and slowly pulled out one of the two swords on his back.
Looking at Shuntaro drawing his sword, Ogata's expression did not change at all, he just asked softly:
"So you're the type who's loyal to Shiranui?"
"No." Shuntaro said without hesitation, "To be honest - I don't have any feelings for Shiranui."
"I don't care whether Hikaru lives or dies."
"I don't even have the desire to understand why you suddenly attacked Shiranui."
"It's just... I was caught with some evidence, and now I have no choice..."
As soon as Shuntaro finished speaking, Ogata suddenly heard a rustling sound in the bushes far behind Shuntaro.
Ogata and Shuntaro looked in the direction of the voice.
I saw a young man walking out of the bushes holding a beautiful woman hostage.
When he first saw the young man, Ogata felt that he looked familiar.
After looking at him carefully, Ogata recognized that this young man was the ninja who always followed Gokutaro and went in and out of Yoshiwara with Gokutaro.
Ogata had to look at the young man for a while before he could recognize his identity.
And Ogata recognized the woman he was holding hostage at first sight.
“Taifu…!” Ogata frowned and murmured.
"Keitaro...!" Shuntaro gritted his teeth and squeezed out the name.
The ninja that emerged from the bushes was Keitaro.
The woman being held hostage by Keitaro was none other than Furin-no-Tayu who had disappeared last night.
At this time, the woman's hands were tied tightly behind her back with hemp ropes, and her mouth was tied with thick cloth, so she could not speak.
After being held hostage by Keitaro and walking out of the bushes and seeing Shuntaro, Taifu's face showed complex emotions, mainly apology.
Keitaro, who was walking behind the Taifu, put a sword against the Taifu's neck.
After coming out of the bushes, Keitaro said coldly to Shuntaro:
"Shuntaro-sama, Shintaro-sama asked me to supervise you to make sure you don't work too hard."
"Please do your best to kill the executioner Ittosai."
Keitaro didn't say a single threatening word.
But both the movements of his hands and the tone of his voice were full of threats.
Shuntaro did not respond to Keitaro's words. He just slowly clenched his hands that were hanging naturally, with a gloomy face, staring at Keitaro who was holding the lady hostage.
Ogata is not some stupid person with a bad brain.
Just by looking at the hostage-taking lady and listening to their conversation, Ogata had a vague idea of ​​what had happened.
"Five or six."
Ogata said to Shuntaro.
"Are you friends with Taifu?"
"...Yes. I used to be... the child of a prostitute on the Yoshiwara Rashomon River. I used to play with Achang... or Kazutayu on the Rashomon River."
"Is that what they call childhood sweethearts..." Ogata said softly.
Ogata had heard from Ueo before about Furin-Tayu, the daughter of a prostitute on the Rashomon River. She was chosen by the owner of Kenumeya and adopted. After more than a decade of hard training, she finally became the oiran of Yoshiwara - Taiyu.
But Shuntaro was actually friends with Furin Taifu - this was something Ogata had never thought of.
Ogata glanced at where Keitaro and Furin-no-Taio were standing.
Keitaro is very cunning.
He was standing far away from Ogata and Shuntaro.
Whether Shuntaro intended to rush over to snatch the person directly, or to throw shuriken to shoot Keitaro down, this distance gave Keitaro plenty of time to kill Taifu.
In addition, Keitaro hid his entire body behind the lady.
Keitaro was not a very strong man, and his height was about the same as that of the Taifu, so when he hid behind the Taifu, almost his entire body was blocked by the Taifu.
The part of the body that was not covered by the tyrant was only half of the head.
Looking at Keitaro who hid almost his entire body behind the lady, Ogata couldn't help but frown.
Just now, the idea of ​​"using Kasumagami's gun to kill Keitaro and rescue Taifu" emerged in Ogata's mind.
But as soon as this idea came to mind, Ogata dismissed it himself.
At such a long distance, only half of Keitaro's head was hit that was not blocked by the tayu's body - let alone Ogata, an amateur who had basically never practiced shooting, even Atachi was not 100% sure that he could use Suzaku to hit such a small target at such a long distance.
After going through all the possible methods in his mind and realizing that there was currently no way to save Taifu, Ogata let out a low sigh.
All the clues have been connected and all the doubts have been resolved.
"I finally understand why you pulled your sword on me. It turns out that the Taifu was taken hostage."
"…I'm sorry. I can't help myself right now. I can't just watch Chang die in front of me."
"You don't need to apologize to me."
As Ogata spoke, he placed his hands on the hilts of the Daishikuten and Daishizai swords on his left waist, and then slowly pulled out the two swords.
Clank, clank, clank…
The blade slowly came out of the sheath, making a crisp sound.
The current time is around 13:00.
Although it is just after noon, the sunlight today is not very strong.
It was autumn now.
The sky was clear and blue, and the sunlight was gentle. Under the sunlight, the Great Indra and the Great Self-sacrifice shone with clear blue light.
After Ogata drew his sword, a dazzling light appeared in Shuntaro's sight.
"Five Six, the order they gave you seems to be to kill me."
"I don't want to see anything happen to her either."
"so--"
Ogata slowly assumed the stance of the Muga Nito-ryu.
"Come on."
Shuntaro cast a complicated look at Ogata.
There was surprise and astonishment in his eyes.
In the end, Shuntaro turned these complicated emotions into a smile on the slightly upturned corners of his mouth.
"It would be disrespectful of you if I didn't go all out against Ogata Ittosai."
After saying that, Shuntaro quickly reached into his arms with his empty left hand, took out a black pill, put it into his mouth, chewed it twice, and swallowed it.
No matter when, fighting your opponent with all your strength is the greatest respect for your opponent.
As soon as Shintaro swallowed the black pill, Oba saw that his skin began to turn red, the blue veins under his skin began to bulge, and a faint, steam-like heat came out from under Shintaro's skin.
Looking at Shuntaro who had entered the "Yaksha Realm" so quickly, Ogata raised his eyebrows:
"So your 'Yaksha Pills' can take effect so quickly? I thought you would need to digest it for a while before entering the 'Yaksha Realm'."
Shuntaro was not surprised that Ogata knew about "Yashammaru" and "Yashā Realm".
After all, Kotaro, who was also one of the "Four Heavenly Kings", was defeated by Ogata, so Shuntaro guessed that Ogata was very likely to have seen "Yakshamaru" and the "Yaksha Realm" from Kotaro.
"People with different body types absorb Yasha Pills at different speeds."
Shuntaro said softly.
"The person who absorbs the slowest is Kotaro. He needs to spend an incense stick of time."
"And I am the one who absorbs it the fastest."
"I see." Ogata smiled.
"Please give it your all, Ittosai." Shuntaro raised his left hand and pulled out the other sword from his back. "Let me see... how strong Ittosai, the executioner known as 'Shura', is."
Hearing what Shuntaro said, Ogata curled the corners of his mouth and smiled.
"I'll give you the same thing. Let me see... how capable the man who has always been called the leader of the 'Four Heavenly Kings' in Shiranui is."
After saying that, Ogata's chest began to rise and fall in a peculiar rhythm.
After switching his breathing to "Original Breathing", Ogata began to feel that the vision in front of him began to change.
I feel like my vision is gradually expanding.
My heart, which was still full of chaotic thoughts, gradually calmed down.
Just like the originally turbulent sea slowly turned into a calm lake.
[Ding! The host enters the state of selflessness! ]
As this system sound rang out, a series of prompt sounds of increased body functions and increased sword skill levels flashed through Ogata's mind one by one.
Shuntaro, who was standing opposite Ogata, clearly felt that Ogata's temperament had changed drastically, as there seemed to be a strange light flashing in his eyes.
To give a more vivid example...it's like a person suddenly turns into a thousand-year-old tree with its trunk deeply rooted in the ground.
Although it is unclear what Ogata did to cause his temperament to change drastically, the fighting instinct accumulated from years of fighting tells Shuntaro that Ogata is now in danger.
Not daring to be careless at all, Shuntaro prepared the two pitch-black ninja swords in his hands and got ready.
Ogata also lifted Daijizai and performed the upper part, and extended Daishikten forward and performed the middle part - he was ready for the Muga Nito-ryu.
Neither Ogata nor Shuntaro moved.
The two of them just stood there, facing each other, motionless.
If an outsider were present, they might wonder why neither of them moved.
But those who know the matter can see at a glance that the battle between the two has already begun.
Both Ogata and Shuntaro kept their eyes on each other, looking for the best time to attack.
The wind blows randomly.
A leaf was blown by the wind and slowly floated above Ogata's head, and then slowly fell on Ogata's head.
Just as the leaf was about to fall on Ogata's hair...
Bang!
Bang!
Two sounds of kicking the ground were heard.
As if they had agreed in advance, the two of them shot out together and rushed towards each other.
The strong wind created by Ogata's rush forward blew the fallen leaf that was about to fall on his head straight back into the blue sky.
After both sides entered each other's attack range, Shuntaro took the lead in launching an attack.
The ninja sword in Shuntaro's right hand turned into a black stream of light and rushed towards Ogata's chest.
Ogata used Dragon Tail: Dodge to dodge Shuntaro's straight attack, then swung Daishakuten and slashed at Shuntaro.
Even with only one arm, the dragon tail that Ogata is using now can easily break human bones.
clang!
Shuntaro used the ninja sword in his left hand to block Ogata's Dragon Tail Dodge.
Ogata did not expect his attack to be effective.
After his Dragon Tail Flash was caught, Ogata immediately gave chase.
Sakakibara Ittoryu: Water Falls!
The Great Freedom in Ogata's left hand fell towards Shuntaro's head like a waterfall pouring down from top to bottom.
clang!
Shuntaro raised the ninja sword in his right hand and took the blow head-on.
After Dajizai was lifted up by the recoil force, Ogata used special techniques to leverage and exert force with his left arm and the five fingers of his left hand, turning the recoil force into his own strength.
Water falls, second consecutive!
Daijizai struck at Shuntaro's head once again.
Although Shintaro successfully blocked the attack again this time, the force that was transmitted along the blade to his arm was much stronger than before, and he couldn't help but let out a dull cry of pain.
He took two steps back, creating some distance between himself and Ogata.
After quickly regrouping, he pounced on Ogata again.
Ogata and Shuntaro's swords collided and separated, then collided and separated again.
Although he had just fought with the ninjas who were responsible for guarding the "Ku Village", Ogata's physical strength was not consumed too much.
Although he experienced a lot of things last night, including fighting with Gokutaro and looking for Taifu, Ogata, with his "vitality" as high as 23 points, had a good sleep and recovered both physically and mentally.
The improvement of "vitality" not only makes Ogata's body healthier and less prone to illness, but also makes Ogata's wound recovery speed and physical strength recovery speed much faster than ordinary people.
There is no doubt that Ogata is now in peak physical and mental condition.
The same thing happened to Shuntaro on the opposite side.
Although Shuntaro also experienced a lot of things last night, after a good night's sleep, all the physical and mental fatigue was eliminated.
The two men, both in peak condition, took or dodged every attack from each other without giving in, and launched fierce counterattacks against each other.
This is the third battle between Ogata and Shuntaro.
Although the first two battles were stopped before the fighting was intense due to various external forces.
But these two battles still made Ogata realize very deeply that Shuntaro was very strong.
Now, after engaging in a life-and-death battle with Shuntaro who had entered the "Yaksha Realm" without anyone disturbing him, Ogata's realization became even more profound.
In terms of strength, Shuntaro is far superior to Gokutaro, Kotaro and others.
Whether in terms of strength, speed, or skill, Shuntaro is far superior to Gokutaro, Kotaro and others.
The best proof is that when Ogata entered the "selfless state", he could easily suppress Gokutaro who entered the "Yaksha state", but he was evenly matched with Shuntaro who also entered the "Yaksha state".
After entering the "selfless state", in addition to a sharp increase in strength, your state of mind will also change.
You will become extremely calm and it is difficult for you to have any emotional fluctuations.
But at this moment, when it was difficult for him to have any emotional fluctuations because he had entered the "state of no self", a hint of excitement welled up in Ogata's heart.
Since coming to the Edo period, Ogata has fought four duels in which he almost died.
The battle between Hirose Domain and Toyama in the "God Worship Contest".
The battle with Nanahara when killing Matsudaira Gennai.
The battle with the "evil monk" on Butterfly Island.
The battle with Kotaro in Kyoto.
In these four death battles, the "evil monk" and Kotaro used the naginata and the kusarigama respectively.
Only Toyama and Nanahara used swords.
But as for Toyama and Nanahara, Ogata fought them with hatred.
This is the first time that Ogata fights someone who also uses a sword as a weapon and has no personal grudge against him.
Moreover, this person, like him, is an expert in dual swordsmanship.
When he thought of this, Ogata couldn't help but feel a little excited.
Want to win.
Want to defeat Shuntaro.
I want to see who is stronger between me and Shuntaro.
clang!
After using Daijizai to perform the blade reversal to once again deflect Shuntaro's sword, Ogata pointed the tip of Daishikuten's sword at Shuntaro.
Sakakibara Ittoryu·Toribashi!
With the blessing of the state of "selflessness", Bird Thorn's level was temporarily upgraded to "Grandmaster level".
The speed and power of the "grandmaster-level" bird thorn can only be described as terrifying.
Shuntaro's pupils shrank slightly, and he quickly turned his head, barely avoiding the streak of light.
But the light still brushed past Shintaro's left cheek, leaving a huge cut on it, and half of Shintaro's face was immediately covered with blood.
But almost at the same moment when his face was injured, Shuntaro fought back.
He clenched the ninja sword in his right hand, and then swung the ninja sword in his right hand from bottom to top towards Ogata.
The tip of the ninja sword that was aimed at Ogata took away some flesh from Ogata's left thigh.
Ogata didn't even look at his left thigh. He just clenched the Dajizai in his left hand and used the Dragon Tail on Shuntaro who was close at hand.
This time, Shuntaro did not take it head-on, but retreated quickly to avoid Ogata's dragon tail.
Ogata did not immediately rush over to chase Shuntaro.
Instead, he lowered his head and glanced at the Great Freedom in his hand.
——Too slow…
If the dragon tail move just now had been faster, it might have been able to cut Shuntaro.
Ogata recalled the state of his body when he had just used the Dragon Tail move, and thought about how he should have chopped it so that the knife would be faster.
--is that so?
Ogata used Daishakuten to cast Dragon Tail on the air in front of him.
call!
A sharp sound of breaking wind was heard.
Ogata vaguely felt that he seemed to have grasped a way to make the dragon's tail faster and more powerful.
After using Dragon Tail on the air in front of him, Ogata discovered that Shuntaro not far away was also swinging his sword at the air in front of him, looking like he was thinking about something.
——Are you also thinking about how to improve your skills?
For some reason, Ogata felt as if a smile appeared on his face.
After keeping in mind the inspiration he had just gained that seemed to increase the speed of the dragon's tail, Ogata rushed towards Shuntaro.
He wanted to experiment with the inspiration that had suddenly occurred to him.
The sounds of metal hitting each other rang out again.
Dragon Tail·Dodge!
Ogata seized the opportunity and used Dragon Tail: Dodge.
While spinning his body to dodge Shintaro's downward strike, he swung Daishakuten and slashed horizontally at Shintaro.
This time, Ogata incorporated the inspiration he had just gained into this move.
clang!
Shuntaro raised the two swords in his hands and successfully blocked the attack.
Although the attack failed, Ogata did not feel frustrated at all.
On the contrary - there was a hint of joy on his face.
Ogata quickly jumped back a few steps, distanced himself from Shuntaro, and whispered:
"I see……"
After incorporating the inspiration he suddenly realized into the dragon tail strike just now, Ogata clearly felt that the strength and speed had increased a little.
Ogata recalled the feeling of swinging the sword just now.
Recalling how my muscles moved just now.
——It should be like this…like this…and then…like this!
Ogata swung the Daishakuten and slashed horizontally at the air in front of him.
call--!
A much sharper sound of breaking wind was heard than before.
[Ding! Because you have mastered the use of Sakakibara Ittoryu Martial Arts·Ryubi, Sakakibara Ittoryu Martial Arts·Ryubi has been upgraded to an "Advanced" skill! ]
This type of system sound rang in my mind for the first time in a long time - the system sound that improves the level of martial arts due to the increase in proficiency.
"I have improved a technique..." Ogata said calmly, with a hint of joy in his tone.
The reason why Shuntaro did not take advantage of the moment when Ogata was digesting the combat experience to attack Ogata was because - he was also digesting the combat experience.
When Ogata turned his gaze to Shuntaro, he saw that Shuntaro was also swinging his sword at the air in front of him like before.
Both the force and speed of the sword swing were faster than before.
"Have you improved your skills as well..." Ogata murmured as he looked at Shuntaro.
After witnessing that Shuntaro also evolved in battle like him and improved his techniques in battle, Ogata somehow did not feel annoyed or frustrated.
I just felt that my will to defeat Shuntaro became stronger.
After confirming his improved skills, Shuntaro smiled at Ogata, then raised his sword and rushed towards Ogata again .
And Ogata faced the attack without fear.
This was a battle in which both sides had equal weapons and combat power, and there was no personal hatred involved.
In the past, duels either involved personal hatred or an unequal weapon, with the opponent using strange weapons instead of knives.
Without the interference of the emotion of "hatred", Ogata was able to fully feel the changes in his body in this battle where both sides had equal strength and weapons, and to gain insights into ways to improve his techniques.
Although only the Dragon Tail of Sakakibara Ittoryu had a system prompt sound, indicating that it had been upgraded, Ogata could clearly feel that all of his techniques were actually being improved.
From all the sword skills of Sakakibara Ittoryu, to all the sword skills of Muga Nitoryu, and finally to combat experience, everything is improving.
During the battle with Shintaro, he kept discovering his shortcomings, some unnecessary movements in his body, and the best ways to exert force in certain specific situations.
The same thing happened to Shuntaro on the opposite side.
Shuntaro also continued to improve his skills in battle.
The progress gained in these fierce battles where one might actually die is not necessarily achieved by swinging a wooden sword at the air a thousand times in the dojo or by having a thousand friendly sparring sessions with friends.
Now Ogata can't remember how many times he and Shuntaro have exchanged offense and defense.
All he knew now was that his physical strength had declined drastically.
The "state of no self" is a state that consumes physical energy rapidly.
At this moment, Ogata had reached a state where he could no longer maintain his oxygen supply without opening his mouth and breathing deeply.
The same is true for Shuntaro.
Although Ogata didn't know much about the "Yaksha Realm", this kind of medicine that could greatly enhance the body's functions in a short period of time could not be without any side effects or defects.
Shuntaro on the opposite side was also now panting, and the faint white smoke like steam floating out from under his skin had become much thinner.
Because of his intense concentration, Ogata did not look at the condition of his body.
I could only judge based on the burning sensation coming from all over my body - I had quite a few injuries on my body.
But Ogata now has no energy or spare capacity to take care of the injuries on his body.
Shuntaro is the strongest opponent that Ogata has encountered since he came to the Edo period. His strength is equal to Ogata's, and a moment of carelessness may lead to his defeat.
Every nerve in Ogata's body had already been stretched to the extreme, his eyes fixed on Shuntaro opposite him, looking for Shuntaro's flaws.
And Ogata’s body… no.
It should be said that Ogata's body and mind were quietly changing in this evenly matched battle.
…
——Hmm? What’s going on…?
…
There was a flash of surprise in Ogata's eyes.
At a certain moment just now, Ogata suddenly felt that his vision became very strange.
Just now, Ogata seemed to vaguely see... the muscles under Shuntaro's skin.
Although it was only a brief moment, Ogata could still clearly see the shape of each muscle in Shuntaro's body and how they were moving.
——Am I dazzled?
This question couldn't help but emerge in Ogata's mind.
Before Ogata had time to think about what was going on with the vision that seemed to be able to see through Shuntaro, Shuntaro, as if he had figured out how to deal with Ogata, pounced on him.
clang!
clang!
clang!
…
There were several more sounds of metal clashing.
Just as he used Great Freedom to block another attack from Shuntaro, Ogata's pupils suddenly shrank.
Because——the strange vision just now appeared again.
You can see what the muscles look like under Shuntaro's skin.
You can see how the muscles under Shuntaro's skin move.
This time, the strange vision lasted a little longer than before.
Because it lasted longer, Ogata could clearly see how the muscles in Shuntaro's right arm were moving and how he was about to move.
Ogata had never studied medicine. Normally, even if he saw how the muscles in the other person's arm were moving, Ogata would not be able to know what the other person was planning to do.
But after seeing the changes in the muscles of Shuntaro's right arm, Ogata felt as if a voice sounded in his mind.
And the voice was telling him: Shuntaro was going to use a straight stab, aiming at my right chest.
…
…
After his previous slash was blocked by Ogata, Shuntaro immediately turned the ninja sword in his right hand and pointed the tip of the sword at Ogata.
Then——a scene appeared that made Shuntaro's eyes widen in shock.
He had just thrust out the ninja sword in his right hand when Ogata dodged it with a quick step.
The movement was so fast that it was as if he had predicted how he would attack...
Ogata used a step to dodge to the side of Shuntaro, and raised the two swords in his hands high -
…
…
As soon as he dodged Shuntaro's thrust with a step, the strange vision disappeared again.
Thanks to the strange vision just now, Ogata predicted in advance what Shuntaro's move would be and dodged Shuntaro's move at an extremely fast speed.
Ogata's dodging speed this time was so fast that Shuntaro couldn't react in time.
So much so that even after Ogata flashed to Shuntaro's side, Shuntaro didn't have time to get into a defensive or evasive position.
Ogata naturally would not miss this great opportunity to attack.
Ogata raised the Daishakuten and Daijizai in his hands and used his unique skill of Muga Nissō-ryu - Cicada Rain.
Since unlocking this 7-hit combo technique, Ogata has never used it on anyone.
Daishiten and Daishizai transformed into two rays of light so fast that only afterimages were left and swept towards Shuntaro.
Shuntaro barely managed to prepare for defense before Ogata's knife fell on him.
After connecting the first three sword strikes of Chanyu, Shuntaro discovered that the rhythm of Ogata's consecutive slashes was chaotic.
So Shuntaro did not dare to be careless and concentrated all his energy and attention on defense.
Ding! Ding!
Then, Shuntaro took two more blows.
When Ogata was about to swing the sword for the sixth time, the vision in front of his eyes changed - the strange vision just now appeared again.
This time the strange vision lasted longer and was clearer.
Based on the changes in Shintaro's muscles, Ogata clearly saw how every muscle in Shintaro's body was changing.
Which knife would he want to use for defense next.
And how much force the knife he used for defense had.
——What’s going on?
It was not until then that Ogata realized: this time it was not just the field of vision that changed.
Even the control over my own body has changed.
Ogata felt as if he had free control over every muscle in his body.
If you want to use 100 points of force, you will never use 101 points of force.
This feeling of being able to freely control every muscle in the body... is the first time Ogata has experienced it.
This time, Shuntaro failed to catch Ogata's sixth sword.
Ogata had predicted how Shuntaro was going to defend based on his muscles.
Then, relying on his miraculous state of being able to freely control every muscle in his body, he easily swung the knife that had been chopped from mid-air, bypassed Shintaro's defense, and chopped Shintaro.
The blade cut from Shuntaro's left shoulder to his right armpit.
At this moment, Shuntaro's eyes were full of surprise.
He instinctively felt that Ogata's temperament had changed suddenly, even if it was only for a brief moment.
If we say that after Ogata entered the "state of no self", the feeling he gave to Shuntaro was that of a human being transformed into a thousand-year-old tree.
At that moment just now, Xu Fang seemed to have transformed from a thousand-year-old tree into a vast and boundless universe!
So huge, so vast, so unfathomable!