Su Shuang's world is collapsing [Comprehensive]

"We pursue the beliefs we should maintain, and have nothing to do with others. Maybe one day in the future people will say that there is nothing to regret even if the old era of Shinsengumi is over, and it is a pity that Shinsengumi chose the wrong direction... But one day, people will say, ah, the Shinsengumi's attitude of fighting to the end for their own beliefs and Shido is the truly admirable samurai."

"One day people will no longer care about who is right and who is wrong. At that time, only the belief and spirit will be handed down forever... At that time, the shining of the Shinsengumi will be remembered forever."

The earthwork stared at her in surprise.

After a long time, he suddenly laughed out slowly.

A silent smile spread across his also haggard face, softening the lines that had been sternly taut since the beginning of the war.

"You're always saying things like that."

he whispered softly.

"Until now, when my life is almost at the end... I still say such tenacious words."

"Obviously even my own strength has disappeared, but I still struggled desperately to get up, wanting to follow me forward. Wanting to push me to continue working hard..."

"I don't want to lose you like this, no matter what."

He caressed her face covered with dust and blood, and was rubbed with bloodstains by the gravel and gravel on the ground when she fell from the horse.His touch was gentle and melancholy.

"Probably... I really fell in love with you."

"So, you will always be by my side from now on.... Give me such a resolution!"

Liu Quan felt a sharp stabbing pain in his heart for a moment.

No, that's not the pain that comes with an injury.

It was the pain of extreme, unbelievable, ecstasy that reminded her of what a long, arduous, dark journey she had come to get here, reminded her of this All sacrifices are not worthless; the goal she pursued has finally obtained the highest reward at this moment.

Even though Kiyohara Yukiha was seriously injured and almost died, even if the cruel and tragic historical facts almost repeated, even if he had to give up being a human being as a price and become a Rakshasa in exchange for his existence——

You too, still win.

Finally won.

Big tears poured out of her eyes unknowingly, running wantonly on her face.

"Mr. Hijikata..." Her voice was so trembling that it was hard to hear.

"Ah." He replied softly, carefully took her into his arms, found a tree, sat down with his back against the tree trunk and hugged her like that, letting her rest in his arms.

I don't know how long it took, Liu Quan's body became very weak and exhausted under the double torture of losing a lot of blood and turning into a Rakshasa after drinking water, and when she was about to fall asleep, she seemed to hear in a trance The earthwork whispered to himself softly.

"Kondo-kun... did you let me leave the Kaneko mansion and escape alone because you wanted me to survive?"

"...You also entrusted me to her to take care of me at that time because you wanted me to survive—and you did so willingly...?"

"Yeah, it's useless even if I break into Bentendaiba by myself now... The team members who came together must be scattered everywhere now..."

He seemed to be convincing himself, or just talking to himself, expressing his suppressed mood since the Battle of Toba Fushimi.

"We... have finally come to this day."

"Kondo-kun... the Shinsengumi you and I have worked so hard to build will disappear soon."

"Thinking back now, everything before was like a dream...whether it was the test hall or Mibu village...at that time life was very poor, and not many people recognized us, but everyone was there, and everyone Believe that our common goal will be achieved, and the rogue group we formed will definitely become a signpost that true warriors admire and believe in—”

"Then, everyone gradually separated along the way... Gensou, Sannan-kun, Hirasuke, Soji, Shinpachi, Harada, Saito, and you..."

There was a faint hoarseness in his tired voice.

When he uttered those warm, memorable and caring names one by one, he seemed to be immersed in their youthful era again for a moment.

At this moment, it seems that he is not sitting in the woods leading to the Bentendaiba where the cannons are roaring, but sitting on the old and mottled corridor of the test guard hall, looking at the chief executive, Hirasuke and others who are fighting in the yard. Shinpachi; looking at Harada, who was sitting leisurely on the steps and watching with a smile on his face; looking at Harada standing beside him with a serious face holding his sword, occasionally commenting something like "Hirasuke, you are not steady on your feet, be careful!" Or "Sousei, your move is too risky!" Saito... Gen-san is busy in the kitchen, Shannan is sitting in the hall doing calculations, and Kondo will laugh all the way from the direction of the gate He walked in eagerly, walked over to him excitedly and put down a big oil paper bag, and greeted everyone, "Hey, today I brought back dumplings for everyone! Come and eat!"——

On the road of chasing dreams and becoming samurai, when did everyone slowly disappear from their side?

The setting sun tried hard to emit the last dazzling light, and the evening wind blew through the treetops and made a soft whirring sound; amidst the swaying branches and leaves, a beam of orange-red light suddenly shone through the gaps in the leaves and cast it on Tufang's face, forcing him to Had to squint his eyes.

In a trance, he seemed to be in the corner house of Shimahara at night, sitting on the porch, listening to everyone's laughter from the room behind him-Shinpachi shouting "Come on, Zuozhi, come and perform that, Belly button dance!", and Hirasuke shouted, "Sister, get your pen and ink! Without this, it's not like drinking with Zuozhi!", the chief executive clapped his hands and laughed, only Saito could keep calm and steady attitude, calmly drinking slowly—and she was sitting beside him, saying in a gentle and earnest tone, "When you are alive, you must earnestly and earnestly strive for what you want most , so that even if you die tomorrow, you won’t have any regrets.”

Hijikata raised his face slightly, closed his eyes, felt the burning sensation brought by the setting sun on his face, and exhaled a long breath.

"...Maybe, I've been having a long and happy dream." He said softly as if talking to himself.

It has only been two years since everyone went to Shimabara for a drink that night to celebrate the success of the juban team led by Harada in protecting the shoji erected next to the Sanjo Bridge.

But it has been as long as a lifetime.

The people who laughed with him and drank the expensive wine with him that night in Shimabara, but today, she is the only one left, still staying by his side.

Everyone left one by one, disappeared one by one...

Finally, it was his own turn.

If she hadn't come here pretending to be him, then the person who was forced to drink water to survive today would be himself.

After being abandoned, plotted, and sacrificed time and time again by the general and the high-ranking figures of the shogunate, now it's his turn again, this new country he built with his own hands...

This new country will also abandon him and sacrifice him, right?

In this turbulent and irrational world, is there any place where I can stand upright as a samurai...

No, there is no place like that anymore.

He slowly opened his eyes, and then supported her body, and the two stood up slowly together.

Even with the power to change like water, she still staggered a little when she stood up, looking at him inexplicably, the coat that was exactly the same as his was covered with dust and blood.

He finally made up his mind, and with a wave of his hand, he brushed off her coat, which was already so dirty that it was beyond appearance, to the ground, and then took off his own coat with one hand, and put it on her body.

"...That's it." He said in a deep voice.

"Leave this coat here...and leave those interested to wonder if they've gotten what they wanted..."

Every word he uttered was difficult and laborious, and his face was dark.

"Goryokaku is not safe anymore...then where should we go next?"

He said this with a little bit of bitterness and self-mockery.

"...I still want to witness the end of everyone's dreams."

He whispered to himself softly.

"The me who took everyone's footsteps to the end... the road under my feet, it seems that I can only go here..."

He raised his head slightly, facing the direction of a sunset in the western sky.For a moment, that awe-inspiring but lonely figure seemed to coincide with Liu Quan's memory of him standing on a small hillside in the outskirts of Liushan.

"Kondo-kun, I have really tried my best..." He sighed and said in the direction of the setting sun.

"Have I continued your beliefs, inherited your ambitions, and passed on everyone's dreams—"

"Even if we will definitely be framed as thieves by those who control the imperial court, will someone affirm Shinsengumi's beliefs and morals, affirm our dreams, and regard us as truly respectable warriors?"

"...The answers to these questions, I also want to witness. I always feel that I should get a definite answer before I can go to see you in a dignified way."

His arms wrapped around her shoulders, and then slightly supported her body, as if he had finally reached the final conclusion.

"Let's go, Xue Ye."

"Come to the end with me and witness how far the Shinsengumi's faith can go."

The author has something to say:

February 6:

Although this explanation feels a bit weak. . .But the author has really tried his best.

Tomorrow I will go to Nissan [heavy fog

After that, you can enter the next volume [Huh]