I Formed the Strongest Swordsman Group-Chapter 15: The Thorny Demon Child - Hijikata Toshizo

A muscular man gazing at you with such tender eyes—Aoto couldn't help but shudder slightly.
"K-Kondo-san, is something wrong?"
"Tachibana-kun." Kondo reached out and patted Aoto's shoulder. When Kondo extended his hand, Aoto nearly instinctively pulled his shoulder back to avoid contact.
"Have you studied swordsmanship anywhere before? Do you frequently use a sword in your daily life?"
"No, I only learned a move or two from my late father. In my official duties, I usually fight bare-handed or use a jutte."
"That match just now was truly astonishing!" Kondo exclaimed excitedly. "While your swordsmanship still needs improvement, your natural talent is extraordinary! When I saw how quickly you adjusted your movements, I could hardly believe my eyes!"
Kondo praised Aoto bluntly and without reservation.
"Kondo-san, you flatter me too much." Aoto modestly replied with polite humility.
Outwardly, Aoto maintained a calm smile.
But at this moment, his inner emotions were swirling like a violent whirlpool.
If Aoto had to describe his newly acquired talent in one phrase, it would be: "So awesome it's unbelievable!"
If even bystanders could see Aoto's rapid improvement during the fight, how much more obvious must it have been to Aoto himself?
When he realized how much sharper his movements and sword techniques had become, Aoto almost cried out in surprise.
It was only at that moment that Aoto truly understood what the phrase "extraordinary talent" meant.
Extraordinary talent meant achieving with 1% effort what ordinary people could only accomplish with 99% effort.
During the fight, Aoto had barely done anything, yet he was able to make beautiful self-corrections to his movements. This was a feeling he had never experienced, neither in his previous life nor this one.
Meanwhile, Kondo's praise continued:
"To make such remarkable progress in swordsmanship in such a short time—I've only seen such an astonishing sight once before, with Souji!"
Aoto: "Souji?"
"Ah, I haven't mentioned him to you yet." Kondo's lips curled into a proud smile. "Souji is the pride of our Shieikan!"
"At a young age, he displayed incredible swordsmanship talent."
"When he first started learning swordsmanship, he was just like you—no one taught him what to do, yet he could refine his techniques and adjust his posture to better suit sword handling on his own."
"Kondo-nii." Okita interjected with slight displeasure, "Why do you keep giving me more and more grandiose titles? Calling me the pride of Shieikan is too much for me to live up to."
"I'm just stating facts." Kondo shrugged.
As Kondo and Okita bickered, Aoto silently mused to himself:
—Of course he's like me, because our swordsmanship talents are now at the same level...
—The pride of Shieikan, huh... No wonder he has that exaggerated "Sword Prodigy" talent.
—Hmm? That's right...
—Now I remember...
—It was at Sannan's place... where I first heard the name "Okita Souji"...
Aoto suddenly realized why Okita's name had sounded familiar when he introduced himself earlier—he had just heard it from his friend Sannan Keisuke.
Sannan had previously mentioned that Okita Souji of Shieikan possessed remarkable skills, so impressive that even the master of Kobushis Chiba dojo had extended him an invitation.
—No wonder Sannan specifically praised his abilities... With such swordsmanship talent, it would be strange if he weren't strong...
With this thought, Aoto couldn't help but glance sideways, secretly studying Okita again several times.
If he hadn't copied the "Sword Prodigy" talent from him, Aoto would have found it hard to believe that this slender, beautiful youth possessed such extraordinary talent and skill with the sword.
"Aoto, your swordsmanship talent is excellent! You're promising material!" Kondo's booming voice brought Aoto back to reality. "With diligent training, achieving great things in swordsmanship won't be difficult at all!"
"I don't expect to reach great heights in swordsmanship." Aoto half-joked. "I just want today's me to be better than yesterday's me."
Aoto had borrowed this line from a gym buddy in his previous life.
That friend often repeated this phrase—probably copied from somewhere on the internet—"My goal is to make today's me better than yesterday's me."
His friend looked cool saying it—though he would have looked even cooler if he spent more time actually working out rather than posing in front of mirrors and posting on social media.
"Ooh!" Kondo's eyes lit up at Aoto's words. "That's an excellent saying!"
"Alright! Enough small talk." Kondo crossed his arms. "I've got a good grasp of your current level and potential now."
"Your current skills are still basic, so we'll start with the most fundamental sword stances."
"What do you say? Ready to begin training now?"
"Absolutely!" Aoto answered without hesitation.
"Great!" Kondo grinned. "Then—"
"Young Master! Young Master Kondo! Is Young Master Kondo here?"
Just as Kondo was getting excited, urgent shouts suddenly came from the dojo entrance—from a brawny man dressed as a commoner.
"Rokuro?" Kondo looked at the man in surprise. "What brings you here?"
"Young Master Kondo." The man called Rokuro by Kondo smiled bitterly. "Your Hijikata Toshizo is in trouble."
At these words, both Kondo and Okita's expressions changed immediately.
"What happened to Aki?" Kondo asked urgently.
"Didn't Hijikata return to his hometown in Tama to visit family a few days ago?" Rokuro explained. "You know how Hijikata can't sit still, so soon after returning, to pass the time, he went back to his old trade—selling his Ishida powder medicine around Tama."
"Then yesterday afternoon, trouble came. Some people came looking for Hijikata."
"The man claimed to be a former customer who bought Hijikata's medicine but found it completely ineffective, so he gathered a group to demand an explanation."
"That group came aggressively—more than twenty people strong."
"You know what kind of temper that 'Thorny Demon Child' has. He fought them directly."
"One against twenty-plus—it was a fierce battle."
"Hijikata won, but not without serious injuries. He's now recuperating at his family home in Tama."
"Though Hijikata told his family not to inform you about his injuries, his brother-in-law Sato sent me to tell you."
"Where is Hijikata-san injured?" Okita quickly asked as soon as Rokuro finished speaking.
"His leg and forehead." Rokuro answered. "The leg injury seems quite severe—he'll probably be bedridden for several days."
"Souji!" Kondo immediately declared loudly to Okita, "You stay here. I'm going to Tama to check on Aki."
"I'm going too!" Okita responded just as quickly. "How can I stay calmly in Edo knowing Hijikata-san is injured?"
"No. If you come with me to see Hijikata, who will oversee Shieikan?"
Kondo and Okita began arguing loudly about visiting Hijikata.
Aoto, who didn't know this Hijikata at all, quietly moved closer to Suzuki and asked:
"Um... who is this Hijikata?"
"Hijikata Toshizo. One of Shieikan's members." Suzuki whispered to Aoto. "As a newcomer, you probably don't know about our 'Five Pillars' of Shieikan yet."
Aoto: "I really don't."
"Now that you're part of Shieikan, you should learn about the five figures we call the 'Five Pillars.'"
Suzuki cleared his throat and began explaining:
"The first is our dojo master—Kondo Shusuke-sensei."
"Though sensei is already 68 years old, he remains remarkably healthy. He usually appears gentle and kind, but becomes extremely strict regarding swordsmanship matters."
"Remember never to disrespect swordsmanship in front of sensei—like deliberately dirtying bamboo swords. He particularly hates those who show disrespect to swords and swordsmanship."
"The second is the young master... that is, Kondo Isami-sensei."
"As Kondo Isami-sensei is both our acting instructor and the dojo's young master, we usually call him young master."
"Because sensei is advanced in years, he's largely entrusted both dojo management and swordsmanship instruction to the young master."
"It won't be long before the young master inherits Shieikan and officially becomes the fourth headmaster of Tennen Rishin-ryu."
"The third is Okita Souji-kun."
"The Okita and Kondo families are extremely close—almost like one family."
"The young master and Okita-kun's relationship is practically brotherly."
"Okita-kun also has deep roots at Shieikan—he became sensei's live-in disciple at age nine to study Tennen Rishin-ryu."
"If I remember correctly... Okita-kun is now 16, meaning this is his seventh year at Shieikan."
"Currently, there are hardly any apprentices at Shieikan with more seniority than Okita-kun."
"If both sensei and the young master happen to be absent, Shieikan is directly entrusted to Okita-kun's care."
"The young master often has Okita-kun assist with dojo operations and swordsmanship instruction."
"Okita-kun's position at Shieikan is second only to the young master."
"Close as brothers..." Aoto recalled how Kondo had playfully teased Okita when his hands were bound by Aoto's rope capture technique. "No wonder they seem so close."
Suzuki continued his explanation of the "Five Pillars":
"And the fourth... is Hijikata Toshizo."
At this point, Suzuki's mouth twitched.
"Hijikata Toshizo is the second most troublesome person at Shieikan."
"If you encounter him in the future, be very careful."
"How is he troublesome?" Aoto pressed.
"He's one of our dojo members."
"He and the young master are from the same hometown—both born in Tama, not far from Edo."
"The young master, Hijikata-kun, and Okita-kun are extremely close—like sworn brothers from different parents, like Liu Bei, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei in Romance of the Three Kingdoms."
"Hijikata-kun has a terrible temper and a sharp tongue, often causing trouble outside. Fighting is commonplace for him, hence his nickname 'Thorny Demon Child.'"
Here, Suzuki glanced at the still-arguing Kondo and Okita.
"Hijikata-kun returned to his family in Tama some days ago."
"Sigh... even going home he can't stay out of trouble... this Thorny Demon Child, really..."
Suzuki shook his head with a wry smile.
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