Once one reached the realm of Iron-Cutting, it was simply that overbearing. One could wield it freely, cutting or not cutting with a single thought. For Kondo, Hijikata, and even Katsura, all of whom had grasped Iron-Cutting, what difference was there between a bamboo sword and a famous blade?
Either way, it was a matter of splitting something in two with one strike. In fact... with bamboo swords, Hijikata and the others could still hold back a little. If they used real blades against an enemy, though, the enemy would probably die from a touch and drop dead from a graze. They would turn into murderers in minutes.
It was precisely because he knew that that Sogo had wondered why Hijikata had put a sword rack in his room. After probing a little, he understood. Hijikata simply cared about appearances... So the question was, were Hijikata—or rather, Sogo—humiliating Otae?
Not at all... Sogo simply could not be bothered wasting words on this matter. What was there to argue over a fruit knife for?
He had several identical ones at home. It was true that they looked cool, but they were impractical. Even Utaha had complained about how anyone could make a fruit knife look like that when it was less useful than a proper kitchen knife.
Arguing with someone over such a junk knife—one that even had chips in its blade—was beneath him. Had they not seen that even Hijikata was unwilling to use that knife for seppuku, or even to shave his head?
Toshiro Hijikata: "..." He would not be willing to use any other knife, either! Besides, forget Hijikata—the mere sight of that short dagger made him feel stifled. He had almost, so very nearly, been tricked by Sogo into shaving his head bald. If Sogo and the