There are only three days left before the public execution of Kondo and Matsudaira.
Black Rope Island.
A huge island in the sea is also a prison for prisoners who have committed the most heinous crimes from ancient times to the present.
Gui, who was escorted into a certain cell by the jailer, didn't say a word the whole time with his back on his back.
"Are you new here?" In the opposite cell, Kondo, who was sitting on the floor with his back to Katsura and leaning on the iron fence, asked, "To be imprisoned in a place like this, it seems that you have also committed a heinous crime. What have you done? ?”
"Who knows?" Gui sighed, and sat down against the iron fence like Kondo, "I don't remember what bad things I did. If I insist on doing it, I should have done the right thing for the country."
"Well, I'm just the opposite. I used to protect the country, but unknowingly I became like this. It's really fate. We were enemies when we went out, but now we are inmates in the same prison. , we won’t get along for too long anyway, let the past go, let’s get along well.”
"You're right." Gui said slowly, holding his hands and lowering his head. "Now, outside is the same as here. Everyone is a prisoner imprisoned in this prison called the country. If you forget If we and the enemy work together and fight side by side, then it will be this country's turn to go to the execution ground and be executed. From the current situation, there is no way to save the day just by relying on the patriots who resist the foreigners. That's why I come to ask you, Director of the True Selection Team— Isao Kondo…”
As he said that, Gui turned around with a smile and looked at Kondo, who also looked back with a shocked expression, "In order to protect this country, please help me."
…
On the other side, the top floor of the Edo Police Department.
"Kasura?" Nobuhime, who was standing behind Sasaki, asked.
Sasaki, who turned his back and looked out the window, slowly said: "Yes, it is this leader of the anti-barbarian patriots who has several nicknames. I thought he was some kind of number one figure, but I didn't expect that his ending was unexpectedly bleak. .”
"He didn't come here to kill Mr. Xixi... Could it be that he came to save that man (Gintoki)?"
Sasaki turned around and glanced at Nobumu lightly, and then continued: "No matter what his purpose is, we have caught an unexpectedly big fish with small feed. Although I originally wanted to catch another big fish, but with The new general who wanted to demonstrate to everyone got a little reward for his nonsense. Fortunately, he also lost his memory, and he didn't seem to remember that we let Mr. Sakata and his team go. All responsibilities will be borne by the old people. Bar."
With that said, Sasaki slowly came to his boss's chair and sat down.
"Matsudaira Katakuritora, Kondo Isao, and Katsura Kotaro, can collect the heads of all the people with the color of the old era at once, wouldn't it just be the beginning of the new era?"
The letter girl asked: "Then what does this so-called new era require of us? On top of a pair of wreckage without companions or enemies, just sit back and watch and then disappear?"
Sasaki, who had his hands folded like an old man, replied calmly: "This place is quite comfortable to sit in. Do you want to come and feel the commander's seat?"
Nobume slowly turned around and glanced back at Sasaki one last time before leaving.
"Instead of sitting in that place, it's better to crawl on the ground..."
Looking at Nobumu who was slowly leaving with a long sword in her hand, Sasaki whispered to himself: "Ah, ah, ah, she is such an impatient little girl. I have never forgotten that, both I... and you were born. If it is on the ground, then the place you return to is also the same, it is on the ground...
Then, I don’t seem to understand the simple truth.
On the ruins and carrion, new shoots will grow.
But the biggest fish... was not caught after all... "
…
Yoshihara, although Jiang Cheng is missing, is still as noisy as ever.
In the tea shop on the street, Gintoki, who was wearing a bamboo hat and changing his clothes, glanced up at the sky where dark clouds were gradually gathering with dead eyes.
Beside them were Kagura with his head lowered and a complicated expression, Yue Yong who was leaning against the wall smoking a cigarette, and Nichirin who was sitting in a wheelchair with a smile on his face.
Nilun smiled and said: "Jiang Chengsang really doesn't know the common sense that you need to say hello a month in advance when you leave early. It's really not easy to find someone to take over at this time. Leaving without saying anything... "
Gintoki said in a relaxed tone: "How can an OTAKU who is separated from society know the common sense of society? But there is probably no need to worry. His life is very tough. He can probably survive if he is thrown into space. .”
"I... have an uneasy premonition Aru..." Kagura lowered her head and murmured, "I have a premonition that I will lose something very important. Perhaps, what my uncle said is right. No matter how hard I try, I can't stop it. The loss of something, the teenager is...and the gorilla is too..."
Seeing Kagura's appearance, Gintoki casually wiped the booger from his little finger on his head and rubbed Kagura's hair.
Gintoki said: "Maybe, there are many things in this world that no matter how hard you try, you can't do anything about it, and may even cause other important things to be taken away. Human beings are inherently contradictory creatures. If you don't work hard, you will feel that your heart is broken. I didn’t accept it, but when I tried hard, I found that I had lost more and more, and I felt regretful.
How to do it correctly, no one knows. No one can tell what is right or wrong. If you don't participate, you may be able to save something important, but if you participate, you will lose more. Find your own answer, he should also hope so. "
"Will he come back? Will that idiot uncle, Aru, come back?"
"Perhaps I have never left..." As he spoke, Gintoki glanced at the familiar umbrella placed against the wall, and then stood up slowly, "Kagura will leave it to you for the time being."
"Yinjiang..."
"Don't worry, the lackeys of the shogunate can't get in here yet." Yue Yong said calmly.
"Ah, then I'm relieved. The confused little devil should stay at home. As I said, Kagura, going to the battlefield with confusion is the most dangerous thing. It's okay to be impulsive, but don't forget the important people behind you. . You still have a lot of things that you must protect, so don’t forget it. Your sick mother and so on... you still have time."
"Gin-chan..." Kagura stared blankly at Gintoki's back and murmured.
But Gintoki didn't say anything. After nodding at Yue Yong, he turned around and stepped into the drizzle.
…
Black Rope Island, inside the prison.
Kondo stood up and looked at Gui in the opposite cell with a look of disbelief.
"You...why are you here?"
"I want to save this country, but for this purpose, I need your strength, Kondo. And for you to get out of this predicament, you also need the strength of my little Taro who is running away."
"you…"
"Kondo," Katsura said with serious eyes, "I want to save you from here. So let's save this country together."
After that, Gui took out two small blue pills from his arms and threw one into the opposite cage.
Kondo bent down to pick up the small pill that was thrown at his feet, took it in his hand and looked at it, "This is..."
"As soon as I give you the signal, take that pill. If you don't wait until the execution in three days, you will die immediately. Even so, it is just a state of suspended animation. As long as you successfully deceive the guards, Even if the door of Yama Palace cannot be opened, the prison door will still be opened."
"Wait...wait a minute!" Kondo, who had just reacted, hurriedly said, "What on earth do you want to do? Are you, an anti-Japanese patriot, deliberately caught for helping the director of the old enemy's true selection team escape from prison? !”
Gui crossed his hands and said disapprovingly: "Don't worry, to me, prison is like a small restaurant near home, it's just a place to eat for free."
"No! How can a small restaurant let you eat for free? Have you always eaten the King's meal?!"
"So, my behavior should be characterized as putting an orangutan eating in a small restaurant back into the zoo's cage."
"In the end, the orangutan was returned to the cage!" After complaining, Kondo continued: "I don't know what you want to do, but I can't let you cause commotion anymore, otherwise it will cause trouble to the Fourteeners and others outside. Causing trouble!"
"You don't have to worry about this. Your companions have joined Elizabeth now and should be ready to rescue us."
"You should just listen to what others are saying!" Kondo complained loudly, but then he suddenly reacted and widened his eyes: "Wait a minute... what does rendezvous mean? You can't even them... if they do the same thing , everyone will be beheaded! Even if we succeed, who will protect Edo in the future!"
"If you continue like this, you won't be able to protect anything." Gui shook his head gently, "You can't even protect a woman you like."
Kondo, who heard Gui's words, shouted excitedly: "Miss A Miao, what happened to her!"
Edo, Hendokan.
A Miao in the room couldn't hide her self-blame: "I'm sorry, after the Zhensengumi, even the Wanshiwuwu was implicated. If only I wasn't so impulsive... I'm really sorry..."
"It's not my sister's fault," Xin Bajia, who was kneeling down opposite A Miao, comforted, "If you want to blame it, blame it..."
"It's all the fault of us policemen who can't do anything." Sitting on the eaves with his back on his back, Shi Shi took over Xin Bajie's words.
Looking at Shi Shi's lonely back, A Miao murmured: "Hijikata-san..."
"Nothing can be done," said Fourteen, taking out his police card from his arms and looking at it in his hand, "Kondo-san risked his life to deliver this to us. But if this continues, we will If we continue to work as police officers, let alone Edo, we won’t even be able to protect Mr. Kondo.”
"Then how about throwing away that police manual and training with anti-foreign patriots to fight against this country?"
Kagura said casually as she stepped through the door holding an umbrella.
(End of chapter)