The Battle of Ergugukou ended in a resounding victory for the army led by Hijikata, but it was also the only victory won by the Ezo army.

In order to prevent the new government forces from cutting off the passage between Niguguguchi and Gorryokok and causing Hijikata to be surrounded by a lone army, Otori issued a retreat order to Hijikata. On 1 May, the Turkish side was forced to lead the army to withdraw to Gorengguo on its own initiative.

Since then, the defeat in the Hakodate War has been almost irretrievable.

On 11 May, the new government forces finally launched a general attack on Hakodate.

One by one, the bad news reached Goryokaku.

More than 700 new government troops landed in Hancheon and fought fiercely with the Shinsengumi, who were in charge of the guards......

Although the Shinsengumi fought bravely, they were outnumbered and suffered heavy casualties......

The Shinsengumi were forced to retreat to Bentendaiba to continue their defense......

The passage between Goryokaku and Bentendaiba was cut off by the occupation of the new government forces......

The situation in Bentendaiba is unknown...... The situation of Hakodate Mountain is unknown......

There was a large group of new government troops attacking from the west......

A wooden door is closed urgently......

The earthwork that stayed in the center of Wuleng Guo to dispatch and command, almost gritted his teeth and made up his mind.

“...... Go tell the big bird-kun, and the guys from the west will ask him to solve it-"

Before his words fell, he heard a crisp voice behind him say, "Mr. Hijikata, please stay here and preside over the overall situation." I'll go to Bentendaiba. ”

...... It's Kiyohara Yukiba!

Hijikata turned his head sharply and saw that Liu Quan had already walked to the corner of the wall, and neatly picked up the foot/gun leaning against the wall with one hand. She seemed to have a relaxed smile on her face, flicked the heavy rifle in her hand, and looked up at him, her gaze as calm as water.

"I'll go to Bentendaiba first. She said it again, emphasizing the word "go first."

"When the war is tense, please take care of the overall situation. The Shinsengumi have never been afraid to take on the most important tasks, and this time is no different. You can arrange other things here, and I'll go to Bentendaiba to see how it goes. If there is a need to ask you for help, I will rush back as much as possible. If you stay here, there will be hope for the Shinsengumi...... If the battle is raging over there, and you're not in Goryokaku, who is going to send reinforcements there to help the Shinsengumi?"

She spoke with great composure, and her analysis sounded reasonable.

The situation in Bentendaiba is unknown, but the Shinsengumi can be said to be one of the strongest combat forces in the Ezo Republic** team, and it must not be so easy to rout. However, if both of them had gone to Bentendaiba and had fallen into the heat of the battlefield and had no time to ask for help, it was very likely that no one would have thought of sending reinforcements to Bentendaiba in the chaos caused by the unfavorable battle reports coming from all over the place. It's too tough for the Shinsengumi to be on their own.

Hijikata clenched his teeth, so hard that even the sides of his cheeks were bruised. He glared fiercely at Willow Spring, and saw her carrying the spear, walking across the room towards him, until she stopped very close in front of him.

Then, in front of the rest of the room, she drew the sword she had at her waist.

She choked and pulled her sword out of its scabbard about half the length, with a very calm and gentle smile on her face.

"I can swear by you, Mr. Hijikata. Her voice was as crisp and melodious as usual, with a hint of lightness in her tone.

Hijikata's eyebrows furrowed deeply, and deep vertical marks were carved into his forehead. He stared at her hard, as if doing so would transfer his worry and strength into her.

A year ago, when they parted ways in Katsunuma, they made such a solemn vow, right?

He saw her gaze flash, and the smile on her face suddenly mixed with a hint of hidden sweetness, as if she were glad to see him feel so worried and troubled for her sake.

"You know, Mr. Hijikata, and I will always support you and follow you?" she leaned forward suddenly, whispering close to his ear.

"So, don't show that kind of expression, don't you say, I'm still waiting for this year's summer festival?"

Hijikata felt his face suddenly burn for a moment. He glared at her embarrassed and annoyed, still a little uncomfortable with her bold confession in front of everyone. In order to hide the sudden spurt of joy and wolf bèi in his heart, he quickly drew his saber "Izumi Shou Kansei", and intersected with the part of her long sword exposed outside the scabbard, and when it collided, it made an extremely crisp and beautiful sound of gold and iron colliding.

"We've made an appointment. Hijikata said in a low tone.

“...... You, don't die. ”

Liu Quan didn't expect that the first thing he said turned out to be this, and he was stunned for a moment.

"Huh?!"

Without her affirmative reply, Hijikata immediately frowned, and said with a stern expression: "You, don't make those stupid plans - I didn't give you an order to die!"

Liu Quan was stunned, and his mouth opened slightly, as if he couldn't believe his ears at all.

“...... Once you're there, come back as soon as you go there if there's anything wrong along the way. Hijikata said as if it was very difficult, perhaps once there was an irreconcilable contradiction between the two things of "protecting the Shinsengumi" and "not wanting to see the people he loved die", even a strong-willed and cool-headed person like him would not be able to make a choice lightly.

“...... Even though...... Even if you haven't arrived in Bentendaiba yet, it doesn't matter. If something happens, or if there's any danger...... You flee back. ”

Liu Quan felt that he must be dreaming.

The deputy chief of the Shinsengumi, Mr. Hijikata, who has always been fighting bravely with the consciousness of martyrdom, actually ...... He actually said the word "escape" to her?!And, did he mean that if there was a danger to her life on the side of the Shinsengumi, let her abandon the Shinsengumi, leave behind her companions who had been fighting side by side, and flee first?!

"I'm definitely going to survive and wait for you to come back. Therefore, you must also come back to me alive. This is the oath we have made. ”

"So, you have to believe in me and wait for me. Never die. ”

Liu Quan held his breath for a moment, and his eyes seemed to be about to burst into tears.

This is, the samurai's oath.

For him, who has always dreamed of being a samurai, this is the most sacred ceremony.

He really pinned all his hopes on this ceremony, this vow, and hoped wholeheartedly that she would come back alive and reunite with him safe and sound, right?!

It was only at this moment that she fully realized how deep his feelings were for her.

For the almost impossible main quest "Born to Die", she chased this man for six whole years, never hoping to get a response from him. Therefore, every word of his and every little bit of care or concern can be regarded as the subtle relief she has gained on the long and endless road of strategy.

Even after coming to Ezo, when he responded to her unexpectedly, she occasionally felt a slight uneasiness, and the mediocrity felt that he had responded in this way only because she had never stopped chasing her, because she had been the longest-serving member of the Shinsengumi, and that the meaning of her existence was not to make him pity him, to make him feel those genuine, deep feelings between men and women, but to make him nostalgic for the best and most glorious old days, and to be able to move on with peace of mind.

...... But now she understood.

He loved and valued the Shinsengumi. And, he loved her with the same affection and valued her.

Strong feelings and the sadness of the imminent separation filled her chest, causing her to choke up involuntarily for a moment.

She used all her strength to hold back the tears in her eyes, looked directly at his serious and stern face, and responded word by word:

"I promise, I will definitely be back. Therefore, Mr. Hijikata will also come alive to see me. ”

"You too...... Never die. ”

"This is the vow. ”

Hijikata looked at her deeply, and the hand holding the saber tightened, and he shook his head hard.

Ryuzumi gritted his teeth and ordered himself to take the lead in retracting the longsword that had struck Hijikata's saber, inserting it back into his belt, and picking up the long/spear.

"Goodbye, Mr. Hijikata. ”

She said this, glanced at him one last time, gritted her teeth and turned away, passing the other people in the room who seemed to have forgotten how to react to the scene, and strode out of the room.

She turned over her horse neatly outside Wulengguo, seemed to hesitate for a moment, and then took the reins of her horse and galloped away in the direction of a wooden gate.

After leaving Wulengguo for a long distance, Liu Quan suddenly reined in his horse.

Immediately, she looked around vigilantly and sharply, and after confirming that there was no one nearby, she actually pulled out the stalk that Shannan had left her from her waist, and slowly pulled the knife out of its sheath.

The sharp blade slashed through the inside of the scabbard, making a crisp choking sound. Liu Quan held the wedge, stared intently at its glowing blade for a moment, and suddenly freed his left hand, stretched it out to the back of his head, and grabbed his long hair in the palm of his hand.

Then, the blade of the wakicha in her right hand reached from under her own hair, slowly approaching the long hair.

With a bang, Wakicha drew a beautiful arc, and the long hair on the back of Liu Quan's head broke off and fell to the ground!

Liu Quan shook his head. When she cut off her long hair, her hair was now almost the same length as Hijikata's hair.

Liu Quan's gaze fell on the tuft of black hair that fell on the ground, and he suddenly smiled at the corner of his lips.

After that, she sheathed the knife and gave instructions to the long-unseen system bacteria without hesitation.

[Redeem for me a coat that is exactly the same as that of Hijikata-kun, can you do it?]