I formed the strongest swordsman group.

Chapter 1143 The "Southern Army" Suffers Heavy Losses; Two Armies with Victories and Defeats [4600]

"Toba Defense Line," under Toba—

"Watch out! It's Captain Serizawa Kamo from the Fourth Division!"

The timely warnings did not work.

Although the four enemy soldiers facing Serizawa Kamo were on high alert, they were still no match for Serizawa Kamo's superb swordsmanship.

Serizawa Kamo swept his sword across the battlefield, instantly taking the lives of two enemy soldiers.

Immediately afterwards, he swung his knife in the opposite direction, cutting down the remaining two men as well.

Not far away, Niimi Nishiki, known as the "Lion of Mito," also bravely took the lead, charging back and forth among the enemy ranks.

Even enemy soldiers who had taken "Decisive Battle Elixir" would find it difficult to match the captains of the Shinsengumi.

Taking advantage of the brief respite, Serizawa Kamo raised his head and surveyed the battlefield.

Thanks to the timely arrival of the Fifth Division, Shimotoriba, which was originally in dire straits, has been stabilized and is no longer in danger of falling.

It's worth mentioning that the 12th Division in the back has finally become somewhat presentable.

This battle marks the first time Soma Kazue (captain of the 12th Division) has participated in a battle as the "commander of a division".

After the initial tension and chaos, he finally adjusted his state and began to command the members of the Twelfth Division to carry out orderly support in a methodical manner.

At this moment, Nishiki Shinmi escaped from the chaos of battle and returned to Serizawa Kamo's side.

"Serizawa, the enemy is no longer able to attack and will likely be defeated soon. Should we pursue them?"

Serizawa Kamo shook his head without hesitation:

"No need, just drive them away."

Suddenly, they heard the sound of rapid hoofbeats from behind—a messenger from the Ninth Division was riding a fast horse straight towards them.

Upon seeing Serizawa Kamo and Niimi Nishiki, he hurriedly tightened the reins in his hands and then shouted succinctly:

"Captain Serizawa! Captain Niimi! Retreat! Retreat!"

The unexpected order startled both of them.

A moment later, Shinji Nishiki, looking completely bewildered, quickly retorted:

"Why are we retreating? What happened?"

The messenger's expression was grave:
"Koeda Bridge has fallen! The vice-commander has ordered the abandonment of the 'Toba Line'! Retreat to Fushimi!"

Upon hearing this, Shinji Nishiki's face turned pale and then red.

Anyone with even a little military knowledge knows the importance of Koji Bridge to the Toba Line.

Losing the small bridge is tantamount to cutting the "Toba Defense Line" in half! The enemy can launch a pincer attack on both Toba and Shimotoba from the south and north at any time!
In other words, Serizawa Kamo, Niimi Nishiki, and others are currently in a very unfavorable situation!

Shinji Nishiki gritted his teeth and turned to glare resentfully at the direction of the small bridge.

"What are Nagakura and Inoue doing! They've made such a huge mistake less than half a day into the war! Could it be that they've been careless and underestimated their enemy?"

Unlike Nishiki Nishiki, Serizawa Kamo was not excited; instead, she remained very calm.

Although he is rough and gives the impression of being "thoughtless", Serizawa Kamo is actually a person who is shrewd despite his rough exterior.

After only a moment's thought, he retorted in a deep voice:

"...No, it's definitely not because Nagakura and Mr. Inoue were careless or underestimated their opponents; they wouldn't make such a basic mistake."

"It's most likely that the 'Southern Army' deployed their top elite troops to seize Xiaozhi Bridge while the Second and Sixth Divisions were exhausted."

Shinji Nishiki frowned deeply:
"Even so, we shouldn't have lost so quickly! There's no reason for us to lose to the mere 'Southern Army'!"

As he spoke, he forcefully tugged at the hem of his light blue haori robe.

Serizawa Kamo gave him a cold glare.

"Jin, don't be so arrogant. Your kind of thinking is dangerous."

"We are not invincible."

"The Southern Army is not an easy target either."

"Leaving aside the severely weakened Choshu and the slow-developing Tosa, both the Satsuma and Hijikata domains began to promote reforms and train new armies before the 'Black Ships Incident' (1853) broke out."

"Therefore, it is not surprising that they possess no matter how elite their troops are."

After saying that, Serizawa Kamo forcefully shook the knife, wiping away the remaining bloodstains on the blade.

"Now that Xiaozhi Bridge has fallen, the enemy could come from the north to encircle us at any time."

"So, let's chat later."

"I'll cover the rear; you organize the retreat."

"We need to act quickly; every second counts right now."

Shinji Nishiki, who had just been scolded, looked somber.

"...I understand. Serizawa, be careful in everything you do."

The rear guard position was a difficult and extremely dangerous task... Nishiki Shinmi couldn't help but cast a worried glance at Serizawa Kamo.

Serizawa Kamo twitched the corners of his mouth, revealing a calm smile:

"Who do you take me for? Saying I'm 'covering the rear' is no different from what I've always done—just kill all the enemy soldiers who dare to approach me!"

……

……

"Toba Defense Line", Koji Bridge —

"Vice Captain Nakajima! Are you even able to stand still?"

A teammate reacted quickly and caught Nakajima Noboru, who was about to fall.

Nakajima Noboru gave a wry smile:
"I'm sorry... I made you laugh..."

After saying that, he took a deep breath and tensed the muscles in his legs to regain his balance—his legs were shaking uncontrollably from overexertion.

After Inoue Genzaburo resolutely issued the order to "abandon Koshibashi and retreat with the entire army", Nakajima Noboru took the initiative to shoulder the heavy responsibility of "covering the rear".

He selected 50 members from the Second Division who still had plenty of energy.

In addition, Inoue Genzaburo transferred 100 skilled archers from the Sixth Division to Nakajima Noboru's command.

The rearguard force of 150 men—Nakajima Noboru—led this small squad in a retreat, fighting as they went.

The 100 archers that Inoue Genzaburo lent him proved invaluable during the retreat.

When the distance is far, use a musket to repel them; when the distance is close, use a melee weapon to force them to retreat.

In this way, the enemy's attack was successfully delayed, buying precious time for the main force to retreat.

The attacking enemy force numbered over two thousand, the vast majority of whom were skilled musketeers, while a small number—about five hundred—were pure swordsmen.

Although the number of these swordsmen was small, their combat power was absolutely terrifying.

The reason is simple... In the recent melee, the Second Division, known for its swordsmanship, was actually suppressed by them!
After a brief observation, Nakajima Noboru was shocked to discover that all the swordsmen used the same swordsmanship—without exception, they were all Jigen-ryu!

For this reason, the sharp, distinctive scream kept going on and on.

One manifestation-style swordsman is noisy enough.

More than five hundred Manifestation Style swordsmen gathered together... Just imagining it makes my eardrums and head ache!

Even if you were surrounded by ducks, it wouldn't be any different.

Since they are all Jigenryu swordsmen, it is obvious that this powerful "swordsman group" is the army of the Satsuma Domain!

Looking at the ferocious Satsuma swordsmen before him, whom he couldn't completely repel, Nakajima Noboru kept muttering to himself:
"The fierceness of 'Satsuma Hayato' is truly well-deserved..."

[Note: Satsuma Hayato: a colloquial term for men from Satsuma.]

Since the Kamakura period, the Satsuma people have been known for their barbarity and belligerence.

This is because, besides the local customs, another major reason is that Satsuma is too poor.

Satsuma was a powerful domain with a staggering 77 koku of grain—yet this did not diminish its poverty.

Due to various reasons, such as the extremely high proportion of samurai in the total population (about 20%-25%, while other domains usually have 5%-10%), Satsuma's finances were on the verge of collapse for a long time, and at one point it owed a huge debt of 500 million ryo.

It wasn't until reforms were implemented by outstanding figures such as Hiroto Tsushiro and Nariaki Shimazu that Satsuma's finances were finally somewhat alleviated.

Because they were so poor, the lower and middle-ranking samurai and commoners of the Satsuma Domain had no choice but to risk their lives to get ahead!
In terms of results, Nakajima Noboru's rearguard action was outstanding.

The enemy's offensives came wave after wave, but they were unable to cross the line. However, the enemy's fierce fighting prowess had pushed Nakajima and his men to their limits.

Now, all the soldiers in the rearguard are wounded and covered in blood, and they are holding on by sheer willpower.

Nakajima Noboru secretly calculated that the time they had gained so far was far from enough, as the main force led by Inoue Genzaburo had not yet retreated to a safe area.

Therefore, it's not time to relax yet!
While he was pondering, a new wave of enemy soldiers had already attacked him!

"Ya ya ya ya ya ya ah ...

"Ah ...

"Wa ...

Strange screams rose and fell, filling the air.

Nakajima gripped the knife tightly in his hand, his face contorted with impatience as he hissed:

"Damn it, shut up! I'm going to chop off every single one of your heads! So you'll never scream again!"

Once you get used to the shouts of the demonic stream, the other person's shouts will no longer intimidate you; they will only make you feel extremely annoyed.

At the same time that Nakajima Noboru assumed a fighting stance, the remaining members of the Second Division around him also drew their swords, displaying expressions of shared hatred for the enemy.

The 6th Division's marksmen were busy reloading and didn't have time to unleash a barrage of bullets... They had no choice but to engage in hand-to-hand combat with these enemy soldiers!
In the blink of an eye, the two sides were about to engage in battle.

—If only reinforcements could arrive...

Strangely enough, it was as if Heaven had answered Nakajima Noboru's wish, and the very next moment the thought crossed his mind—

boom! boom! boom! boom! boom! boom! boom! boom!
A barrage of gunfire, like popping beans, suddenly erupted behind Nakajima Noboru!
In a matter of seconds, the attacking enemy soldiers were routed, falling to their deaths and screaming in agony.

Nakajima Noboru paused for a moment, then quickly turned his head to look behind him, and immediately saw two squads of musketeers wearing light blue haori.

They were lined up in two neat rows. The first row of gunmen, crouching on the ground, were busy loading new ammunition into their still-smoky gun barrels, while the second row of gunmen, standing, had their right index fingers on the triggers.

The young samurai standing to the side forcefully swung his sword down:

"Second column, move it!"

The second gunner pulled the trigger forcefully—

boom! boom! boom! boom! boom! boom! boom! boom!
Another round of bullets flew out.

Many more enemy soldiers were shot and fell to the ground.

The enemy troops, who had been so aggressive, had their morale and momentum dampened and were forced to retreat temporarily to regroup.

Nakajima Noboru recognized the identity of this group of reinforcements—the musketeers of the 13th Division.

Then, he recognized the young warrior who was commanding the archers and shouted excitedly:
"Captain Yoshimura!"

The other party was none other than Yoshimura Kanichiro, the captain of the 13th Division!
Yoshimura Kanichiro nodded to Nakajima Toru.

"Vice Captain Nakajima, I have come to assist you on the orders of the Vice Commander!"

Nakajima Noboru's excitement deepened even further:

"Captain Yoshimura, I am extremely grateful! You have been a great help!"

Yoshimura Kanichiro brought a full four hundred musketeers.

This force is far from enough to launch a counterattack, but it is more than enough to cover the retreat of the main force!

With the pressure greatly reduced, Nakajima Noboru handled the enemy's subsequent offensive with ease.

Although the enemy successfully defeated the Second and Sixth Divisions, the cost was not small, and they were clearly at their last gasp.

Already unable to pursue further, they were even less able to advance after the arrival of the 13th Division.

Faced with the "musketeer formation" personally set up by Yoshimura Kanichiro, they couldn't break through no matter what they did. They could only send their musketeers forward and the two sides would exchange fire—this slow and methodical fighting tactic could not determine a winner in a short time.

They could only watch helplessly as time passed and Nakajima Noboru, Yoshimura Kanichiro, and the others, having completed their rearguard mission, calmly fled into the distance.

……

……

Because Hijikata Toshizo promptly issued the order for a "complete retreat," he managed to preserve his forces to the greatest extent possible.

Although the enemy immediately dispatched troops to attack Kamitoriba and Shimotoba from both sides, by the time they arrived, they could only see the footprints left by the retreating army, and there was not a single person left.

The only units that suffered significant damage were the Second and Sixth Divisions, which were defeated head-on—but even they weren't crippled.

When the last garrison of the "Toba Line" successfully retreated to Fushimi, the setting sun was almost sinking below the horizon.

And so, the first day of the Battle of Toba-Fushimi came to an end.

……

……

That night--

Toba Street, South Palace—

This place was originally the main camp of the Shinsengumi's "Toba Line".

Now, it has become the front line of the "Southern Army".

After the Shinsengumi abandoned the Toba Line, the Southern Army advanced eastward and occupied Toba before nightfall.

At this moment, cheers could be heard everywhere in Toba, which was under the control of the "Southern Army".

On the very first day of the war, the successful capture of the Shinsengumi's "Toba Line" was undoubtedly an exhilarating victory for the soldiers of the "Southern Army"!

That night, they were incredibly excited.

Even though the war was not over, they were as excited as if the outcome had already been decided.

Many people optimistically thought: if the "Toba Line" is captured on the first day, then capturing Fushimi on the second day and killing Tachibana Aoto on the third day does not seem like an unattainable dream!
However... it is worth mentioning that not all soldiers of the "Southern Army" were satisfied with today's results.

Instead of celebrating today's "great victory," the high-ranking officials, led by Saigo Kinosuke and Katsura Kogoro, all wore serious expressions...

……

……

Toba Street, Autumn Mountain, on the mountaintop—

Saigo Kinosuke sat imposingly on a small stool, gazing expressionlessly at Fushimi, 3 kilometers away.

The twinkling lights dotted the area inside and outside Fushimi... The main force of the Shinsengumi was there.

If he could simply cross this short 3-kilometer distance and extinguish these lights, then the world would be in Saigo Kichinosuke's pocket.

What a pity... this 3-kilometer distance is not so easy to cross, and these lights are not so easy to extinguish.

Suddenly, Katsura Kogoro appeared from behind him, moved to his side, and reported expressionlessly:

"A total of 1145 soldiers were bedridden due to the side effects of the decisive battle."

"215 people have mild symptoms and, barring any unforeseen circumstances, should be able to recover by tomorrow."

"As for when the others will recover, that remains to be seen."

He paused here, then adopted a serious tone:
"I put in so much effort today, but I couldn't rebuild the Shinsengumi... Honestly, it's not worth it."

"To call it a 'victory' would be a gross exaggeration."

As soon as he finished speaking, Saigo Kinosuke echoed him without any emotion:

"...I underestimated the Shinsengumi, and I also underestimated the 'Demon Vice-Commander'."

"I didn't expect him to be so decisive, immediately ordering a retreat after noticing something was wrong."

"He would rather abandon the 'Toba Line' than lose precious troops... To be honest, even I couldn't be as decisive as him."

As he spoke, he raised his gaze again, staring intently at Fushimi in front of him.

“Now, the main force of the Shinsengumi has gathered in Fushimi… Mr. Katsura, we must be mentally prepared.”

Upon hearing this, Katsura Kogoro's face darkened.

He naturally knew what Saigo Kinosuke meant by "appropriate mental preparation"—the attack on Fushimi tomorrow would likely come at an incredibly heavy price.

"I know without you reminding me..."

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