Chapter 432: Chapter 156: Copying "Eternal Talent": [Eightfold Banner of No Regrets]!

When Aoto suddenly grasped his side where his sword was and dashed toward the riverbank, Mukiwa, though completely unaware of what was happening, chose to quickly follow.

Just as Mukiwa prepared to step forward to pursue Aoto, a gust of night wind swept a delicate sakura blossom from the tree branch right into her face.

The small, pale pink sakura blossom was exquisitely beautiful, with vibrant colors and a delicate allure.

Staring at the sakura brought to her by the night wind, Mukiwa hesitated for an instant, then reflexively reached out, seized it, and tucked it into her embrace.

Following Aoto into the dark alley behind them, Mukiwa naturally laid eyes on the mysterious figure cloaked in brown, and her expression instantly shifted.

The mysterious figure, slightly shorter than Aoto, wore a brown cloak reminiscent of Western styles, with a large hood for protection against the wind.

Since the nation’s gates were opened by the "Black Ship Incident," many Western goods had entered, and things previously rare from the Western World gradually became common.

The loose cloak, reaching down to the heels, completely concealed the mysterious figure’s form.

With the hood drawn up, the mysterious figure’s face was also obscured, making it impossible to discern any features.

There was a strange protrusion on the back of the cloak... a small cylindrical object extended upward from the mysterious figure’s right shoulder.

Seeing this protruding shape... Aoto felt that this mysterious figure might be carrying a sword, with the cylindrical object being the sword hilt sticking out from behind his shoulder, completely hidden by the cloak.

The mysterious figure moved quickly, and as soon as Aoto and Mukiwa spotted him, he almost disappeared from their view, darting out of the alley.

In the dead of night, on streets barren of even stray dogs, donning a Western-style cloak that concealed his appearance and form, hiding in the alley behind Aoto and Mukiwa, fleeing immediately upon seeing them, coupled with the fact that Aoto and Mukiwa had just dismantled a suspicious site storing a large amount of fuel oil... So many suspicious elements combined, there was no need for any verbal or visual exchange — Aoto and Mukiwa instinctively pursued the mysterious figure!

The two chased the mysterious figure’s silhouette onto a broad street, discovering that he was escaping toward the eastern end of the street, prompting them to collectively turn east.

Aoto caught a glimpse out of the corner of his eye; the houses on both sides of the street seemed to speedily retreat behind him like phantoms.

The headwind from their swift chase hit Aoto’s body; amidst the warming weather, this "facing the wind" sensation was quite pleasant, yet Aoto had no time to savor the strong gusts.

The mysterious figure was truly fast, and despite Aoto and Mukiwa giving it their all to chase him, they struggled to close the distance.

Noticing the difficulty in catching this mysterious figure, Mukiwa’s expression grew more serious.

At this moment, she suddenly spotted a small road on their front right.

Having patrolled Edo’s areas almost every night, there’s practically no district in all of Edo unfamiliar to Mukiwa.

Mukiwa swiftly glanced at the small road, considered briefly, and then turned to Aoto, speaking quickly in a low voice:

"You keep pursuing him. I’ll take him on a detour."

Just as Mukiwa finished speaking, they had just passed by the entrance of the small road.

Without waiting for Aoto to respond, Mukiwa decisively turned her body and entered the dim small road.

Taking the side road to intercept the mysterious figure... this task was indeed suited for Mukiwa who is familiar with the streets of Edo.

Dividing tasks for teamwork was also beneficial in capturing the mysterious figure.

Thus, there was not a hint of objection from Aoto regarding Mukiwa’s volunteering; he slyly glanced into the shadowed alley where Mukiwa had disappeared, and with a trustful gaze, he continued unrelenting pursuit of the mysterious figure.

Relying on the robust night vision granted by "Cat’s Eye," Aoto saw the head of the mysterious figure tilt backward... seemingly checking on Aoto who was still chasing him.

Seizing this brief moment as the mysterious figure turned, Aoto focused his mind, attempting to make out the face beneath the hood.

However... Aoto still couldn’t see anything clearly.

The hood was simply too large, completely shadowing his face, and unless it was directly lifted, seeing his face was out of the question.

The mysterious figure turned to look several times at Aoto who persisted in chasing him, then turned his gaze away.

Suddenly, the mysterious figure shifted direction, dashing toward a nearby shop; just before hitting it, he leapt onto the rooftop.

The shop had a diamond-shaped roof with an inclination of about 30 degrees.

Yet with such a steep incline of the roof, the mysterious figure stood firmly as if on flat ground.

This district happened to be a densely packed area, buildings squeezed together closely; each was a "handshake building." Without the need to jump, a small step forward got him easily onto the next rooftop.