[When you see Makimura and Junroku getting ready to fight, it is recommended that you open NetEase Cloud Music or QQ Music and play "Two Dragons" written by "Eidetoku Shoji" (the author displayed on QQ Music is "Japanese Various Stars").

While watching, you will gain another dimension of viewing experience]

*******

Although it has been 2 years since they were away, Shunliu's face has not changed much.

"Ah Ba, I knew you would come here." Shunliu said with a gentle smile on his face.

"...Because I remember the habits of the two of us." Makimura said softly, "This place is our 'secret stronghold'. We used to practice sword practice and drink together here... Now that I know you are also in Kyoto

Then, I knew—Shunliu, you would definitely come here too."

"Time flies so fast..." Shunliu said to Makimura in a casual tone, as if he were chatting with others, "The fire at dawn... and the separation of the two of us were already two years ago."

"Yeah..." Makimura pursed his lips, "The scenes that happened on the day we parted ways... I still remember it fresh..."

…

…

2 years ago - more than a month after the Tianming Fire.

April 29, Tianming 8th year (1788 AD).

"Makimura...Kunieda...I'm here...to see you."

It's the sound of the sacred mountain.

Makimura, who was closing his eyes to recuperate, slowly opened his eyes and looked forward after hearing the sound from the sacred mountain.

Shenshan was standing behind the wooden fence, looking at him and Shunliu with complicated eyes.

At this time, both Makimura and Junroku were imprisoned in the prison in the north of the city.

Because both of them were special criminals, they received special care: the entire cell only housed them two, and no one else was allowed into their cells to keep them company.

"Me too...it took a lot of effort to get the two of you who committed the 'crime of disobedience' to be pardoned..." Shenshan said softly, "After seven days, you can come out."

The reason why Makimura and Junroku were imprisoned was naturally the crime of disobedience.

When Tadahiro Toda, the acting governor of Kyoto, ordered to protect Nijo Castle, they were the only two who disobeyed the order and ran to evacuate the civilians.

When the fire finally subsided in the morning because there was nothing left to burn, the two of them were sent to prison without any surprise.

"Cheer up, everyone."

Shenshan looked at Mucun, who was leaning against the wall, and then at Shunliu, who was lying on his side with his back turned.

Although Shunliu's face could not be seen, Shenshan could tell that Shunliu was not sleeping, he was awake.

Shenshan tried his best to speak to the two of them in a relaxed and calm tone.

"The way you are now, you won't be able to do anything after you are released from prison."

Makimura, Junroku: "..."

It's a pity... no one responded to Shenshan's words.

After seeing that the two of them were still unmoved by what he just said, Shenshan let out a long sigh again.

"...Shunliu." Shenshan cast complicated eyes on Shunliu, "I'm very sorry about Adian's matter..."

Adian, Shunliu's wife who had just married half a year ago, died in the Tianming fire a month ago.

He wasn't burned to death by fire.

Nor was he killed by smoke.

Instead, he was trampled to death by the fleeing crowd...

In the Tianming Fire a month ago, most people were not burned to death by the fire or smoke.

Instead, he was trampled to death by the people around him in a chaotic environment.

After hearing these words from Shenshan, Shunliu finally had some reaction - his whole body trembled.

"...Lord Kamiyama." At this moment, Makimura, who had been silent since just now, said to Kamiyama in a calm and terrifying tone, "Shunroku and I had already decided when we were imprisoned - we

We will never be together in Kyoto again."

"What?!" Kamiyama, who was not expecting Makimura's words, screamed, "Why?!"

"...Lord Kamiyama, I... used to think that 'warrior' symbolized 'glory'."

Makimura said slowly.

"In my mind, 'samurai' is synonymous with 'hoeing the strong and supporting the weak'."

"This is why I have always longed to become a samurai."

"But...it wasn't until I became a samurai that I discovered that there was such a huge difference between the real samurai and the samurai in my mind..."

"Real warriors...turn out to be so miserable..."

"After working in Kyoto for so many years, I realized that what Abe Leili told us before was right!"

"The duty of warriors... is really just to protect the powerful and be their dogs...!"

There was a cry in Makimura's tone.

"The various things that happened in front of me made me disappointed in the Samurai again and again..."

"The Tianming fire a month ago finally made me feel desperate."

"Compared to the lives of ordinary people, protecting the so-called authority of the shogunate was given priority."

"Nijo Castle was protected, but countless people died!"

"If all the officials who were used to protect Nijo Castle were transferred to help the people evacuate, I don't know how many people would survive!"

"Lord Shenshan..."

Clear tears welled up from Makimura's eyes.

"I'm really disappointed with Samurai now!"

"I already... don't want to be a samurai anymore, and I don't want to be a force in Kyoto anymore...!"

"As long as Junroku and I are still in power in Kyoto, sooner or later we will encounter this kind of bad mission where we must prioritize protecting the powerful!"

"We... don't want to be the dogs of the powerful anymore!"

Makimura's tone was sonorous and forceful.

Revealing firmness like a rock.

"...I understand." After a long moment of silence, Shenshan sighed heavily, "I will...will cancel the establishment of the two of you in our Kyoto Prefecture..."

Makimura wiped the tears from his face.

"Lord Shenshan, let's go our separate ways."

Makimura continued.

"To be honest, I don't want to see you again, Master Shenshan, for the rest of my life."

"I will try my best not to return to Kyoto again."

"Seeing you... will make my time in Kyoto painful. If you meet me somewhere in the future, please pretend you haven't seen me."

"I know..." Shenshan smiled bitterly, "I can understand... I promise you - if I meet you two somewhere in the future, I will pretend not to see you..."

After Shenshan left, Makimura rubbed his face vigorously, steeled himself and said to Shunliu beside him:

"Junroku, when you get out of prison and leave Kyoto, what are your plans?"

"I plan to blow up Kyoto."

As soon as Makimura finished speaking, Shunliu said this without thinking.

"The first place I want to blow up is the 'white ground' where we used to practice swordsmanship."

Junliu's words made Makimura stunned.

"Junroku..." Makimura looked surprised and slightly panicked, "What...are you talking about?"

Junroku did not immediately respond to Makimura's question.

But after being silent for a while, he suddenly turned around and said to Makimura with a smile on his face:

"I was just joking."

After saying that, Shunliu turned his head back.

"Okay, I'm going to bed, don't talk to me anymore."

…

…

The second year of Kanzheng (1790).

Kyoto, in a nameless open space.
To be continued...