After the sixth blow, the strange vision disappeared again.
After successfully injuring Shuntaro with the sixth blow of Chanyu, Ogata held up Daishakuten, ready to strike with the final blow of Chanyu.
The knife he just received had a great impact on Shuntaro.
Looking at the Daishakuten held high in Ogata's hand, Shuntaro realized that - because of the previous blow, he had no time to take Ogata's seventh blow.
So Shuntaro gritted his teeth and gave up defense.
Instead of defending against Ogata's seventh attack, he pointed the tip of the ninja sword in his hand at Ogata and stabbed straight forward.
Both of their knives hit each other.
Shuntaro's knife pierced Ogata's right chest.
Ogata's sword slashed from Shuntaro's left shoulder to his right abdomen.
Blood splattered from the two men's bodies almost at the same time.
After pulling their swords out of each other's bodies, Ogata and Shuntaro each took a few steps back.
“Cough… cough cough cough…”
Warm blood poured into Ogata's throat and dripped down the corners of his mouth.
A feeling of dizziness began to surge in my mind.
Ogata's chest had begun to rise and fall at a very high frequency like a blower.
Even if he breathed deeply, the efficiency of oxygen supply could not keep up with Ogata's consumption.
It’s almost reached the limit - all the reactions of the body tell Ogata this fact.
Once you enter the "selfless state", your physical strength will be lost at a rapid rate, just like the water in a bathtub with the drain open.
Ogata estimated that his "state of no self" could only last for a few more minutes.
Shuntaro's current condition is even worse than Ogata's.
His panting was even more intense than Ogata's.
The steam-like white mist emanating from the skin became lighter than before.
But overall, Shuntaro is in worse condition now because his injury is more serious than Ogata's.
The sixth and seventh strikes of Ogata's "Cicada Rain" just now left deep wounds on Shuntaro.
After being stabbed twice so hard, a person with weaker willpower would have probably fainted.
After seeing that Shuntaro had not fallen down, Ogata did not feel annoyed or helpless.
I just felt extremely respectful of Shuntaro, and this admiration turned into a smile on Ogata's face.
…
…
Not far away, Keitaro, who was holding Furin no Taifu hostage and using Furin no Taifu as a threat to "supervise" Shuntaro, had a look of astonishment on his face since the fight between Ogata and Shuntaro began. He didn't even realize that his mouth was unconsciously wide open in astonishment.
It was the first time he had seen a duel of this level.
Keitaro couldn't even see some of the moves that Ogata and Shuntaro had just made.
This was also the first time that he truly realized the weight of the title "Chief of the Four Heavenly Kings."
Before this, he had never seen what Shuntaro looked like when he was trying his best.
He only knew that Shuntaro was very strong, but he had no idea how strong he was.
Until this moment, after seeing Shuntaro at full speed, Keitaro was extremely grateful - Furin no Taifu was in their hands, and they could use this to threaten Shuntaro not to do anything rash.
If he were to fight Shuntaro one-on-one, Keitaro felt that he would not be able to withstand even five moves from Shuntaro who had entered the "Yaksha Realm".
What shocked Keitaro even more was that these two people had not fallen down yet.
Both of them were now covered in wounds and blood, with blood constantly sliding and dripping, dyeing the originally brown soil black.
Both of them were obviously covered in blood, but neither Ogata nor Shuntaro fell down, and they continued to stare at each other.
The lady who was being held hostage by Keitaro was now also filled with astonishment.
However, she was not just surprised by Ogata and Shuntaro's strength, and the fact that they had not fallen yet.
She was also surprised that she finally remembered where she had heard Ogata's voice.
Keitaro had just said to Shuntaro, "Kill the executioner Ittosai," so Taifu knew that the person who was now competing against Shuntaro was the famous living legend - Ogata Ittosai.
Before the battle began, Taifu heard the conversation between Ogata and Shuntaro.
When Taifu first heard Ogata's voice, he felt it was very familiar.
But for a moment I couldn't remember where I had heard this sound.
It was not until he noticed the Daishakuten and Daijizai in Ogata's hands that Taifu suddenly remembered that this seemed to be the sword of Majima Goro.
As an oiran in Yoshiwara, due to the needs of her job, the tayu was able to easily memorize the clothing features, behavioral habits, and language habits of the people she met early on.
Although he didn't communicate much with Goro Majima, Taifu still remembered the two swords of Majima.
Swords with blue and gold handles and scabbards are very rare, so Taifu has a deep memory of these two very beautiful swords.
The two swords that Ogata is holding in his hands now are those two beautiful swords.
It was after noticing that the sword used by Ogata was exactly the sword that Goro Majima was equipped with that Taifu suddenly remembered why he felt that he seemed to have heard Ogata's voice somewhere before.
Because Ogata's voice is exactly the voice of Majima Goro...
And whether it is height or body shape, Ogata also matches Mashima perfectly...
——No way…?
An astonishing guess involuntarily emerged in Taifu's mind.
In addition to surprise, there are some more complicated emotions on Taifu's face.
She hoped that Shuntaro, who was now covered in bruises, would stop fighting.
You can run for your life or surrender directly. As long as you can stop fighting, it will be fine.
But Taifu, who had known Shuntaro since childhood, knew that her idea was absolutely impossible to achieve.
Although she couldn't see his expression clearly because he had his back to her, Taifu dared to conclude that he must be happy.
…
…
"...Can you still stand?" Ogata asked, "Can you fight again?"
"Of course!" Shuntaro grinned, "What about you? Can you fight again? Ittosai!"
Ogata smiled.
No answer.
He just raised the Daishakuten in his right hand and pointed the tip of the knife at Shuntaro.
Looking at Ogata who responded to him with his actions, the smile on Shuntaro's face became even more intense.
“…Shuntaro!”
Just then, Shuntaro heard a voice calling him from behind.
It was Keitaro's voice.
Keitaro, who had been pursing his lips since a while ago and was not sure what he was thinking, suddenly called out Shuntaro's name and continued shouting.
"Next!"
Keitaro untied a small gourd from his waist and threw it hard at Shuntaro.
When Shuntaro turned around to look at him, he saw the gourd falling towards him in a beautiful parabola.
Although he didn't know what Keitaro was going to do, Shuntaro still raised his hand and steadily caught the gourd, which was the size of a palm of a child not even yet grown.
"Hurry up and drink the potion in the gourd!"
Keitaro said urgently to Shuntaro.
"The potion in the gourd can temporarily relieve pain and restore some strength!"
The potion in the gourd is made using a magical recipe passed down from generation to generation in Keitaro's family.
The effect of this potion is that it can temporarily relieve the pain of the user and restore some physical strength.
Of course - this potion still has side effects.
It has two side effects. The first side effect is that after the effect of the drug wears off, you will have no appetite and will not be able to eat for a few hours.
The second side effect is that you can’t drink too much in a short period of time.
If you drink too much in a short period of time, it will cause diarrhea and vomiting until bile comes out.
Now both Ogata and Shuntaro have reached their limit.
Now it just depends on who can't hold on first.
So in order to quickly eliminate the big threat of the executioner Ittosai, Keitaro decided to lend the precious potion he carried with him to Shuntaro to drink.
As long as you drink this potion, the pain in your body will be slightly relieved and your physical strength will be restored a little.
——Shuntaro, drink it quickly!
A smile with a hint of pride and excitement appeared on Keitaro's face.
——As long as you drink it, you will definitely win!
At this critical moment, it depends on who will collapse first. If Shuntaro's physical strength can be restored, he will undoubtedly gain the absolute upper hand in this battle in an instant.
However... the scene that appeared in front of Keitaro next made the smile on Keitaro's face freeze.
Shuntaro glanced at the gourd in his hand.
Then he simply loosened his hand, letting the gourd fall at his feet, and then he raised his foot and stomped on the gourd to pieces.
The potion in the gourd splashed out, staining the brown soil underneath black.
Seeing what Shuntaro did, the smile on Keitaro's face froze, and then his eyes widened and his mouth opened in shock at a speed visible to the naked eye.
A hint of surprise also appeared on Ogata's face.
Only the wife's expression remained unchanged.
The lady seemed to have expected this to happen.
After being stunned for a long time due to excessive shock, Keitaro finally came to his senses.
"What are you doing?!"
After coming to his senses, Keitaro immediately started cursing at Shuntaro in frustration.
"Are you stupid?! Or do you think I'm lying to you?!"
"Just drink the potion in the gourd to restore your strength! You can defeat Ittosai in no time!"
After crushing the gourd that contained the potion that could restore his strength, there was no trace of regret on Shuntaro's face.
After Keitaro finished his abuse, he said calmly without turning his head:
"My duel with Ogata Ittosai does not require your boring assistance."
"Now... I just want to know who is stronger, me or the person with the title of 'Shura'!"
"Don't bother me!"
After saying that, Shuntaro turned his head and glared at Keitaro who was behind him.
This look is not sharp.
But when Shuntaro's eyes fell on Keitaro, Keitaro instantly felt as if he was being stared at by a tiger. His neck shrank involuntarily and a little cold sweat appeared on his forehead.
But Keitaro still suppressed his inner fear and argued with Shuntaro:
"What's wrong with your brain?! As a ninja, you're still using the samurai's pedantic etiquette?!"
"...After hearing what you just said, I remembered it."
"Remember why I became a ninja in the first place."
Shuntaro spoke calmly.
"As for me... the reason I entered the world of ninjas is so that I can more easily meet strong people and challenge them."
"Don't lump me in with your bunch."
Shuntaro withdrew his gaze from Keitaro.
When he turned his gaze back to Ogata in front of him, Shuntaro suddenly caught a glimpse of a magnificent building.
"…I just realized now that I can see Edo Castle from here."
Ogata followed Shuntaro's line of sight.
In the distance, a towering castle stood. Standing in the very center of Edo.
The vast and majestic castle is dominated by bright blue and white colors, solemn and dignified.
This castle is the power center of the entire Japan, the residence of the shogun, and the place where the officials of the shogunate gather to discuss matters - Edo Castle.
"...Now that I think about it, the 'Gozen Trial' being held outside Edo is nothing more than playing house."
"The participants are all guys with low standards."
"The trial method is also boring and stops at the right time."
Shuntaro withdrew his gaze from Edo Castle, looked at Ogata, and grinned with a happy smile.
"Ogata Ittosai, the fight between you and me is the real 'Edo Castle Test Match'!"
Ogata smiled and turned his gaze away from the Edo Castle in the distance. "Don't you think it's a pity? If you had drunk the contents of the gourd just now, you might have been able to defeat me right away."
"After all, my physical strength is almost exhausted now. If your physical strength is restored, I may not be your opponent."
"What I desire is to challenge the strong, not to defeat the strong." Shuntaro answered without hesitation.
Although his body was covered with wounds and he was covered in blood, Shuntaro's eyes were still bright and lively, as if there was a flame burning in the depths of his pupils.
"The only thing I have to defeat you is my sword."
Ogata smiled.
I don't know why, but I feel a smile constantly appearing on my cheeks.
"Someone will always defeat me." Ogata's eyes were shining brightly at this moment, "But that person will not be today, and that person will not be you."
Shuntaro also smiled more happily.
He raised his two-handed ninja sword and readied it: "We both probably don't have much time left, let's decide the winner!"
Ogata: “Come on!”
Bang!
There was a sound of kicking the ground.
Shuntaro rushed straight towards Ogata.
Ogata set up Daishakuten and Daishizai.
Bang!
Ogata kicked with his hind legs.
He also rushed straight towards Shuntaro.
The two of them rushed towards each other almost at the same time.
Although both of them were covered in wounds, their posture and fighting spirit were higher than before.
That strange vision appeared again.
Ogata could see clearly how Shuntaro's leg muscles were exerting force as he ran towards him, and how the muscles in his arms were gathering strength.
The moment he saw the muscles in Shuntaro's arms, Ogata understood what Shuntaro was going to do - he was going to defeat Ogata with the next move.
Shuntaro's injuries were much more serious than Ogata's, so he no longer had the strength to engage in a long .
Therefore, he planned to put all his strength into the next strike, to decide the outcome with just one strike.
After seeing Shuntaro's intention, Ogata had no intention of dodging or defending.
Since Shuntaro planned to end the battle with a fatal blow, Ogata decided to respond with a fatal blow as well.
The victory or defeat depends on the next blow!
Ogata raised the Daishakuten in his hand high up.
Shuntaro lowered the ninja sword in his right hand, with the blade facing Ogata, and the tip of the blade was so low that it was almost touching the ground.
At the moment when the two were about to pass each other——
Ogata chopped Daishakuten from top to bottom.
Shuntaro swung the ninja sword from bottom to top.
…
The two passed each other.
…
After passing each other, the two slowly slowed down their speed until they stopped.
Ogata stood where Shuntaro had just stood.
And Shuntaro stood where Ogata had just stood.
The two of them stood back to back, and neither of them immediately turned back to see if their attack had been effective.
Because - the moment they were about to pass each other and swing their swords at each other, the two of them already knew the outcome.
A cloud of blood mist rose from Shuntaro's body.
“Cough… cough cough…”
Spat out mouthfuls of blood, Shuntaro staggered, trying to keep his balance.
But in the end, the body fell forward heavily.
He fell to the ground, stirring up a cloud of dust.
Only after Shuntaro fell to the ground did Ogata slowly turn around and look at Shuntaro who was already lying on the ground but still breathing.
Shuntaro is not dead yet.
At the moment when Ogata's sword was about to hit him, he subconsciously blocked it with the ninja sword in his other hand.
Although he failed to block Ogata's sword, he succeeded in making the sword slightly deviate from its original path, so that he was not hit in the vital parts.
Just now, when the two of them launched a fatal attack on each other at the same time, Ogata used his strange vision to see through Shuntaro's sword path.
Ogata could see clearly how the sword would move and how much force would be used.
After seeing through the direction and strength of Shintaro's attack, Ogata dodged Shintaro's attack and left a big gash in Shintaro's chest.
Seeing through Shintaro's sword movement, dodging Shintaro's attack and injuring him with one blow - all these things were done at the same time when they passed by Shintaro.
Originally, even if he had entered the "selfless state", Ogata did not have the ability to complete all these things at the same time in an instant.
But the strange state that Ogata has entered now allows him to easily accomplish things that he could not do in the "state of no self".
This strange state not only allows Ogata to see the muscles beneath Shuntaro's skin, but also allows Ogata to easily mobilize every muscle in his body, allowing him to exert force and use his strength more easily.
At this moment, this strange state has not disappeared.
Ogata can still see the muscles beneath Shuntaro's skin.
Still able to freely mobilize every muscle in your body.
All my energy just now was focused on the duel with Shuntaro, and I didn't have time to carefully feel and experience this strange state.
Now that Shuntaro has fallen, Ogata finally has the opportunity and energy to experience this new state that is completely different from the "state of no self".
After looking at Shintaro who had fallen to the ground, and then at the flowers, plants and trees not far away, Ogata realized that he could not only see how Shintaro's muscles moved.
Ogata could see Shuntaro's internal organs, bones, meridians... all of these things.
And the reason why he could see these things was not because he suddenly had the ability to see through things.
To be more precise, these things were not what Ogata "saw".
But it is sensed.
He could clearly sense how the muscles, bones, and internal organs beneath Shuntaro's skin were working.
The feeling was so clear that Ogata had the illusion that he could see through Shuntaro's skin.
The reason why Ogata can easily mobilize every muscle in his body and make his body burst out with greater power is also thanks to this powerful perception - even his own body, Ogata can clearly sense its condition.
Ogata knows exactly which muscle of his is more tired and which muscle is injured.
He could clearly sense himself and could easily mobilize the power in every corner of his body.
Not only that, Ogata can sense much more than that.
Even though I didn't go to see it, I could clearly feel the flowers and plants around me swaying in the wind...
The leaves of several trees are beginning to fall...
Where does the wind blow from...
Where are the ants crawling...
…
Ogata can sense everything about the surrounding objects.
So much information poured into Ogata's mind, but he didn't feel that his brain was overloaded at all.
Sensing everything around him, Ogata had an illusion - he felt as if he was merging with this world.
This powerful sensing ability allowed Ogata to sense that a shuriken was flying straight towards him.
Ogata didn't even look at the shuriken flying towards him. He just turned his body to the side with his powerful sensing ability and dodged the shuriken flying straight towards him.
"I didn't expect you to be able to dodge my shuriken..."
Ogata looked in the direction the shuriken had just flown from.
He saw Keitaro holding his pistol and walking towards him with a sullen face.
"…That idiot Shuntaro, I have to trouble you to do it myself."
Ogata glanced at the place where Keitaro had just been standing—the lady had been laid horizontally on the ground.
The woman struggled to get up, but because she was tied up and her mouth was tied with a cloth, she couldn't stand up. She could only twist on the ground, making some "humming" sounds.
"Is it your turn to be my opponent?" Ogata's tone was calm.
"That's right! Come and die!" Keitaro sneered, "Although Shuntaro couldn't kill you, he succeeded in taking away half of your life!"
"You are very strong indeed!"
"But no matter how strong you are, you have reached your limit now, right?"
Keitaro is very confident now.
He was confident that he could kill the executioner Ittosai.
The executioner Ittosai had just fought a battle with that monster Shuntaro, and now he was covered in blood and gasping for breath. He should have very little strength left.
No matter how hard Keitaro thought, he couldn't figure out why he lost.
Ittosai probably didn't even have the strength to dodge now, and Keitaro felt that he could win with just a random stab.
Looking at Keitaro who ran out to pick up the head, Ogata's face was calm and his expression did not change at all.
He swung the Great Jizai downward heavily to shake off the blood on the blade, then sheathed it.
What Keitaro said just now was not wrong.
Ogata is indeed reaching his limit now, and the "selfless state" can probably only be maintained for less than a minute.
He now didn't even have the strength to use two swords, so he put Da Zi Zai back into the scabbard and continued to hold Da Shi Tian.
"Come on." Ogata said softly, "Since you think you have the ability to take my life now, then come on."
"But I'll be frank with you."
“I feel like I’m in great shape right now.”
After saying that, Ogata just stood there.
Without putting on any posture, he just stood there naturally, holding the Great Shi Tian.
——What’s going on …? !
Keitaro looked at Ogata, who was just standing there normally, with a look of astonishment.
He was obviously covered with bruises.
There's clearly no intention of putting on any show.
But Keitaro could feel that Ogata in front of him had no flaws at all.
It's like facing a mountain - wanting to use a pistol to stab down the mountain, but having no idea where to start.
Cold sweat began to appear on Keitaro's forehead.
——What on earth is going on?!
Keitaro screamed in fear in his heart.
——He should be out of strength now, why does he still feel so oppressive? !
Keitaro was hesitant... no, it should be said that he was afraid to pick up the gun and take Ogata's life.
I dare neither advance nor retreat.
"Aren't you coming over?"
Ogata asked.
"If you don't come, then I will."
As soon as Ogata finished speaking, Keitaro felt dizzy.
Ogata, who was originally standing a few steps away, now appeared before him.
laugh!
The sound of a blade cutting through flesh could be heard.
Keitaro's waist was cut in half.
Ogata's sword strokes covered Keitaro's waist with extreme precision.
The direction is unbiased.
Not too much, not too little force.
Ogata sensed it clearly.
I can sense when Keitaro's spirit will slacken.
After sensing that Keitaro had relaxed for a moment, Ogata seized this flaw that only lasted for a moment, mobilized the strength in every corner of his body, burst out with the same strength as in his full prime, flashed in front of Keitaro, and then cut half of his waist with one knife - this is what Ogata had just done.