"How did it go?"
Xiang Nan asked.
"Not bad… The villain Utsuro tapped into the Dragon Vein and gained an immortal body. But that 'immortality' doesn't mean he's truly indestructible—it just lets his flesh regenerate quickly. Even if his heart is destroyed it grows back; whether the brain can be regenerated was never shown in the original story.
On top of that, thanks to this power Utsuro became the strongest being in the universe, replacing the Yato clan's Umibōzu—who happens to be the heroine Kagura's father."
Beishi answered.
"The strongest in the universe?"
Orban swallowed hard, unable to hide his excitement.
"First, in this world's power system individuals can't use supernatural abilities—there's nothing like Nen or telekinesis. So even if someone has a special bloodline, their body still can't take the kind of punishment we can.
That also means the life‑force needed to heal their wounds shouldn't be that great. From the multiverse's energy‑conservation standpoint, Altana is impressive in the original series; for us it probably won't be as dramatic, but it should still raise our overall strength."
Xiang Nan raised one finger for emphasis.
"Because this resource can repair the body, it's loaded with vitality. It might directly boost the Nen we already have—maybe we can even convert it into Nen to expand our reserves. However you look at it, it's valuable."
"So the question is: this Dragon Pit—the 'Gate' you mentioned—is it easy to enter? How hard will it be to obtain the Dragon Vein's power?"
Xiang Nan fixed his gaze on Beishi.
"I did some checking before I came back. Edo is nominally run by the Shogunate, but the Tendōshū pull the strings.
The shrine maiden who guarded the Dragon Pit was driven out by the Amanto, and the Tendōshū now control all the Altana. If we want to use the Dragon Vein to change our bodies, we'll need this world's technology, and only the Tendōshū have it. In other words, even if we seize the Dragon Pit, we can't fully absorb that power without their instruments."
"Then why not kidnap the Tendōshū leader and force him at knifepoint to run the equipment for us?"
Pigeon suggested.
"That could work—just not reliably."
Beishi shook his head.
"The Tendōshū have an elite unit called Naraku. The final boss leads Naraku; he pretends to be their subordinate but actually controls the whole Tendōshū. Structurally they're like a council with many elders. If we use brute force we'll alert the entire organization—and the villain behind it."
"Meaning the five of us might end up fighting all of Edo."
"No other options?"
Hearing the explanation, Xiang Nan immediately vetoed Pigeon's idea—safety first.
"Honestly, I'm not sure we could absorb raw Altana even if we got it—technology is required in the source material. But the Dragon Vein also leaks energy crystals called Altana Crystals.
Those crystals exist on many planets and seem usable as‑is. The Tendōshū—also known as the Altana Union Association—have destroyed plenty of worlds to collect them. I'm sure they've stockpiled a lot. If we can steal those crystals, the boost may be smaller than the Dragon Vein itself, but it should still be significant."
"That's much safer… we just sneak into the Tendōshū and steal the crystals."
Xiang Nan fell silent.
They had reincarnated through many worlds; every trip was an opportunity.
And the Gintama world was especially convenient—few things here could truly threaten them.
With stakes that low, it would be a waste not to aim for the biggest haul. Earning only fifty when you could have banked a hundred would leave anyone frustrated.
But Xiang Nan wouldn't gamble: he didn't know this world well enough.
Though he was the squad leader, he couldn't act on impulse. Beishi knew the setting best; his judgment was the most reliable.
"Last question—if we do end up fighting the Tendōshū, can they actually kill us?"
Xiang Nan asked gravely.
"Yes."
Beishi thought for a moment, then nodded.
"Gintama is a comedy series, but its tech tree is… twisted, and it spans the whole universe. Take those alien warships overhead: they don't fire shells, they fire energy beams that can flatten a city or even devastate Earth. The Tendōshū command powerful fleets. If we aren't 100 percent covert and they pinpoint us, one bombardment could wipe us out."
"Understood. We'll go with Plan B—sneak into the Tendōshū and steal the Altana Crystals."
Without hesitation, Xiang Nan made the call.
"Someone's coming…"
All five sensed it at once.
Boots pounded up the stairs—many people had stormed the inn.
Seconds later bang!—the door flew open.
A squad of uniformed men in black flooded the tiny room, swords drawn, surrounding them.
"So it's you—worthless Jouishishi rebels. Where's Zura?"
"Not here?"
At the cold, flat voice, the crowd parted to reveal a handsome, brown‑haired young man.
"Shinsengumi? Okita Sōgo?"
Beishi's eyes lit up like a fan meeting his idol.
As a Nen user, he felt zero threat from ordinary humans; he stayed utterly calm.
"Edo banned swords ages ago. You relics are skulking around—what are you plotting?"
Okita glanced at Orban's katana and asked indifferently.
"Captain Okita, looks like we're late again—the Zura head got away!" grumbled a Shinsengumi trooper.
Clearly Okita had mistaken Xiang Nan's group for Katsura Kotarō's allies—Jouishishi remnants.
Orban's exposed sword in Kabukichō hadn't helped.
Be mindful, Beishi had said: even with the sword ban plenty of people still carried blades here.
Their real problem was being linked to "Zura."
"So, will you come quietly, or shall I chop off your arms and legs and drag you back?"
Okita's tone was bland, but the words were chilling.
"Well then…"
Xiang Nan smiled slightly.
The moment the word left his mouth, the Shinsengumi ring collapsed—men toppled like dominoes; one crashed through the wall and flew out sideways.
It felt as if a bomb had detonated in their ranks.
In the split‑second before, Okita had been calm; now his pupils shrank.
A violent gust blasted his face.
When he focused again, the five suspects were gone—vanished from a room not even ten square meters, boxed in moments earlier.
Only a shattered window swung open.
A chill froze Okita where he stood.
His squad had sealed every inch of the room, yet in a blink they'd all been floored and the targets escaped—so fast his eyes couldn't track it, his nerves couldn't even react.
What… are those people?
Okita Sōgo realized things were badly wrong. He'd thought they were small fry—now he saw they were terrifying.
His instincts told him they weren't Jouishishi fighters or Katsura's crew—because no one around Katsura could possibly be that strong.