I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

"...Ohmae-kun, you are also a member of our Extermination Group, so you should be very clear about our Extermination Group's rules, right?"

"Why are so many barbarians able to set foot on this country's land so openly? Why has this country fallen to such a state?"

"It's because the warriors who were supposed to protect this country have all fallen."

"The samurai has lost the appearance of a samurai, and the samurai has lost the spirit of a samurai."

"We, these patriots, have come together to form this Extermination Group in order to expel all the barbarians, revive the spirit of the warriors, and ensure that the barbarians will never dare to offend us again."

"In order to set an example for the world, our Extermination Group made a vow when it was first established: never to do anything that violates the spirit of the samurai."

"Even if it means committing seppuku, we must uphold the spirit of a samurai."

"Therefore, we clearly stipulate that when committing seppuku, one can only request a second person to act as a second person after completing the 'one-slice' (seppuku)."

"Ohmae-kun, please take that pleading look out of your eyes."

“I won’t make a cut until you’ve finished the ‘single-slice’.”

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[Japanese History Mini-Lesson Begins!]

Many readers may have a misconception—that the short swords samurai carried at their waists, called wakizashi, were specifically used for seppuku (ritual suicide).

Actually, no. The wakizashi was a secondary weapon of the samurai, specifically designed to be drawn and used in confined spaces.

A knife specifically used for seppuku (ritual suicide by disembowelment) is a short sword without a handle, consisting only of a hilt.

The author couldn't find a suitable picture, so unfortunately, I couldn't show everyone what this short sword looks like.

Samurai even came up with various ways to perform seppuku.

"Ichimonji-giri" – to cut a "I" shape on the stomach.

"Cross cut" - make a horizontal cut across the abdomen, then make a vertical cut at the stomach area.

"Three-character cut" - making three horizontal cuts on the stomach.

There are other cutting methods, but I won't go into detail here.

Chapter 59: Fujisawa killed Anthony and Elodie!

The dwarf's pale lips trembled even more violently after Shinno finished speaking.

He once again cast a pleading look at his companions, who were sitting on either side of the cave.

But a scene strikingly similar to the one just now could happen again.

Faced with the dwarf's pleading gaze once again, these people either ignored him or remained indifferent.

The dwarf seemed to feel despair.

With an air of determination as if he were about to grind his teeth to pieces, he straightened his upper body and used his arms to pull the short knife little by little from his left abdomen to his right abdomen.

At first, the dwarf was able to barely keep his composure and prevent himself from making a sound.

But when the blade reached his navel, he could no longer bear it and let out a howl that was neither human nor ghost, his upper body falling forward again.

The rocky ground beneath him was stained an eerie dark red by the blood flowing from his abdomen.

His body leaned forward again, and his entire face fell into a pool of blood formed from the blood on his body.

Some of the dwarfs sitting on either side of the cave couldn't bear to look at the tragic scene any longer, so they hung their heads and closed their eyes.

Some remained indifferent and unmoved.

Some... watched the dwarf in agony with great interest, muttering, "Hmm... beautifully cut... it would be even more perfect if he didn't scream."

Feeling powerless to continue, the dwarf had no choice but to turn his head once more and cast a pleading look at Jinno, who was standing to his side and behind him.

He is no longer able to speak.

The intense pain and delirium have left him only able to utter meaningless howls and groans like "ho" and "ah" when he opens his mouth.

The dwarf's pleading gaze was like a moth drawn to a raging fire.

Looking at Jinno's unwavering and indifferent gaze, the dwarf could only slowly withdraw his gaze, which had almost lost all its luster, as if he had lost his soul.

"Ho...ho...! Ho ho...!"

The knife inside the dwarf's belly started moving again.

And so... in extreme pain, he finally managed to pull the dagger to his right side...

After looking at the complete "one-line cut" on the short man's belly, Jinno nodded slightly and then drew his katana from his waist.

A flash of white blade.

The dwarf's head was severed by Jinno's sword.

The kaishaku (second) used by Kamino was the most standard: taikumi (holding head).

There are also rules for giving a second: the head of the person committing seppuku cannot be completely cut off; the knife must be inserted from the back of the neck, cutting until only a small piece of skin at the throat remains connecting the head to the body.

This method of beheading would cause the head of the person committing seppuku to fall into their arms, with only a thin layer of skin connecting it to their body; hence the name: "embracing the head."

A single slash cannot completely sever the head of the person committing seppuku; it must leave only a thin piece of skin connecting the head to the body—this is extremely difficult, and only those with exceptional swordsmanship can perfectly achieve this "head-holding" technique.

Therefore, not just anyone can become a second.

The cave fell completely silent as Kamino raised and lowered his knife.

Jinno took out a piece of paper, wiped the bloodstains from the blade of his sword, and then raised his head to address the crowd, proclaiming loudly:

"I hope everyone can take Ohmae-kun's experience as a warning!"

"Did we dedicate ourselves to the cause of expelling the barbarians just for fun?"

"We formed this Extermination Group to exterminate all barbarians who set foot on this land, as well as all the scoundrels who aided them, and to restore the spirit of the samurai! Isn't that right?!"

"I hope that from now on, there will never be another person who does not follow the Bushido code."

After saying that, Kamino sheathed the sword in his hand.

"...Mr. Kamino." At this moment, a middle-aged man with an extremely ugly appearance, who was sitting next to Kamino, asked in a deep voice, "The third assassination attempt on Tachibana Aoto has failed... What should we do next?"

Kanno pondered for a moment:

"...Let's leave that Tachibana Aoto aside for now."

"Let this shameless traitor who once worked for the Americans enjoy his freedom for a while longer."

"We will now continue according to the original plan."

A series of cold glints burst forth from Shenye's eyes.

"The main force continues towards Fujisawa-juku to intercept and kill Anthony de Angoulême and his granddaughter Elodie de Angoulême!"

Jinno tilted his head and looked at a burly man sitting not far from him. Although he was only 1.5 meters tall, he was extremely strong.

"Suehiro-kun, I'm counting on you for this battle."

"This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to find these two barbarians alone; we must take their heads!"

"Yes!" Suehiro's voice was so loud that it seemed to shake the dust above the cave down. "Mr. Kanno, please leave this battle to me!"

Just then, a weak voice sounded from behind Shinno:

"Um... Mr. Jinno, are we really... going to kill Anthony de Angoulême and Elodie de Angoulême?"

As soon as the question was asked, Jinye paused, then frowned and looked behind him in the direction of the voice.

The person asking the question was a young man who looked to be less than 20 years old.

Jinno's gaze pressed down on the young man's head like a boulder, causing his head to droop uncontrollably.

But the young man still mustered his courage and continued:

“Mr. Jinno… that Anthony… didn’t do anything heinous in our country…”

"He buys our Japanese specialties and then resells them back to Europe; he's just doing normal business with us..."

"As for Elodie... she's only a 12-year-old child..."

"Are we really going to kill both of them?"

"...Hirota-kun, when did you come up with such an absurd idea?"

call……

A gentle breeze blew into the cave at that moment, causing the oil lamps on the rock wall to sway slightly.

The shadow of Kamino also flickered due to the swaying of the oil lamp.

Kamino's fleeting, swaying shadow pressed down on Hirota like a mountain.

Hirota, whose forehead, cheeks, and back were beginning to bead with cold sweat, shrank even smaller.

"They entered this country and set foot on its soil—that alone is enough to tear them all to pieces."

"Hirota-kun, I don't want to hear similar words again."

"Yes Yes……"

After giving Hirota a few more meaningful glances, Kanno finally looked away.

"Suehiro-kun, how's the musket mobilization going?"

"Mr. Kanno, it has already been transported to Fujisawa-suke's place!"

"Hmm, very good." A satisfied smile appeared on Jinno's lips. "We must handle this batch of muskets with care. I went to great lengths to purchase these high-quality muskets from that Rakshasa."

"Yes!"

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