I formed the strongest swordsman group.

Chapter 1148 "Today, let's settle this score with the Shinsengumi!" [4500]

As if echoing each other, no sooner had Saigo Kinosuke finished speaking than Goto Shojiro voiced a strong objection:

"Deploy all our forces? Saigo-kun, isn't that a bit too aggressive?"

It wasn't just Goto Shojiro who had this question.

Like Goto Shojiro, many people at the scene cast confused and apprehensive glances at Saigo Kinosuke.

All forces are being poured into the Fushimi battlefield... in other words, it's an all-in approach! There will be no second chances! The outcome of the war, one's own destiny, the fate of the world, the course of history... all of these will be decided today!
Just imagining it makes one break out in a cold sweat, feeling like an ox carrying a heavy load!

Such immense pressure is not something everyone can bear.

Saigo Kichinosuke seemed to have anticipated the questions raised by Goto Shojiro and the others, remaining calm and composed as he calmly replied:
"Fushimi is the hub of the capital region."

"We cannot win this battle unless we defeat Fushimi."

“I dare say that today is the best opportunity to ‘capture Fushimi’.”

"Thanks to yesterday's great victory, the morale of the entire army is high—such high morale is not common."

"If we miss this opportunity, we may never have another chance like it."

After hearing this, everyone looked at each other, their hesitant gazes lingering in the air.

They understood what Saigo Kinosuke was saying.

But... but... such a momentous decision is truly difficult to make up one's mind!

Although Saigo Kichinosuke was the supreme commander of the "Southern Army," the "Southern Army" was essentially a cobbled-together coalition.

Even if the leaders of the Choshu and Hizen domains—such as Katsura Kogoro and Goto Shojiro—opposed Saigo Kichinosuke, they could still sway his decision.

In the midst of this silence, suddenly, a deep voice rang out:

"...I agree with Mr. Saigo's position."

The crowd turned to look at the source of the voice—it was none other than the strategist of the Choshu army: Ōmura Masujirō.

Although he was a military strategist who came to the field later in life, he shone brightly in last year's "Second Battle of Sekigahara" and the Choshu Civil War (when Katsura Kogoro seized power in Choshu) thanks to his extraordinary talent.

Saigo Kinosuke greatly admired him, especially his ruthless style of "swift and decisive".

After the formation of the "Southern Army", under the strong promotion of Saigo Kinosuke, he and the military strategist of the Satsuma Army (Ijichi Ryuemon) became the two major strategists of the "Southern Army".

The "renowned strategist" spoke, and all eyes turned to him.

Ōmura Masujirō said calmly and forcefully, with a serious expression:
"The principle of 'one effort is the first, the second is weak, and the third is exhausted' remains an unchanging truth."

"An army is meant to be used, not preserved."

"When the opportunity to fight comes, we should act without hesitation! How can we be stingy like misers?"

"Besides, our military rations are not sufficient to wage a protracted war of attrition against the 'Northern Army'."

At this point, Masujiro Ōmura paused for a moment.

After a short while, he continued in a cautionary tone:
“Once we decided to rise up against the Ju family, there was no turning back.”

"Victory or utter destruction!"

"If you don't want to be a loser, then fight to the death!"

Masujiro Ōmura's words enlightened many people present.

That's right... This war is a war where everything is at stake! Only the victor is remembered! There's no room for hesitation!
Some of the people who were initially hesitant began to put on serious faces, their confusion gradually dissipating and their expressions becoming resolute.

However, Goto Shōjirō and a group of others remained calm and deep in thought.

A moment later, Goto Shōjirō raised his eyes and stared intently at Saigo Kichinosuke, his gaze sharp.

“…Mr. Saigo, although I do not understand military affairs, I know that war is a matter of great importance to the nation and cannot be ignored.”

"I have no intention of contradicting you."

"As long as we can win, I am willing to assist you wholeheartedly."

"However, I hope you can come up with a battle plan that will convince us."

"How exactly do we defeat the Shinsengumi and capture Fushimi?"

"If you don't even have a proper battle plan, and you're just like a gambler who's lost everything, recklessly betting all your forces to launch a chaotic attack on Fushimi... then I'm sorry, but I absolutely cannot agree with that."

Saigo Kinosuke nodded slightly:
"That's natural. That's exactly what I was thinking."

Then, he turned to his attendant and called out:

"Bring me the map!"

A short while later, four attendants hurriedly carried in a long table and spread out Fushimi's map on the flat surface.

"Everyone, please take a look."

Saigo Kinosuke stood up, placed his hands on the table, and leaned over to look at the map.

People at the scene naturally moved closer, and their large faces appeared at the top of the map.

"The biggest weakness of the Shinsengumi is its insufficient manpower."

"Excluding the clerical staff and the Ninth Division which does not undertake combat missions, the Shinsengumi's total strength is only about eight thousand."

"Once the battle lines are stretched out, this weakness becomes particularly apparent."

"Our forces outnumber the Shinsengumi three to one—if we make good use of this, we have a chance to defeat the Shinsengumi!"

"First, we used our superior troop strength to intensify our offensive on the north and south sides, forcing King Ni to disperse his forces."

As he spoke, Saigo Kinosuke took two wakizashi from the attendant beside him and placed them on the south and north sides of the map, with the tips of the blades pointing towards Fushimi.

“The Shinsengumi’s manpower is extremely valuable; if we send more here, we will lack some there.”

"Once King Ren is forced to send reinforcements to the south and north..."

Saigo Kichinosuke raised his two fists as he spoke.

"It's like throwing two punches; you successfully block the opponent's attack, but you expose your vulnerable chest!"

"At that time, we can send out our remaining forces to launch an attack from the west! With a lightning-fast and fierce strike, we can hit them squarely in the chest!"

With a "whoosh," Saigo Kinosuke suddenly drew his sword from his waist, placed it on the table, and pointed the tip of the sword directly at Fushimi from east to west!

"This force will strike the Shinsengumi headquarters like a cannonball, piercing through Fushimi!"

"After capturing the Shinsengumi's main camp, they were able to divide Fushimi into two separate northern and southern halves, effectively isolating and surrounding the Shinsengumi."

"The rest is quite simple."

"The King of Benevolence is indeed powerful, but no matter how great his abilities are, he is still just one person with two hands, two legs, and one sword."

"When the vast battlefield is ablaze everywhere, with fierce fighting breaking out everywhere, and his support is needed everywhere, he will inevitably be overwhelmed."

"Once the main force of the Shinsengumi is wiped out, Niou will be no threat."

“We can slowly wear him down, just like Xiang Yu was trapped at Gaixia back then.”

"No matter how capable or brave he is, can he really defeat an army of tens of thousands?"

After finishing his explanation, Saigo Kinosuke raised his head, looked around at everyone present, and spoke in a calm yet powerful tone:
"This is a very large-scale operation plan, and the best strategy I can think of at the moment requires the joint efforts of the entire army."

"As I just said, whether or not we can capture Fushimi will determine the outcome of this battle."

"I have made up my mind—tonight, I will definitely hold a victory celebration banquet at the Fushimi Magistrate's Office!"

“I want to beat Tachibana Aoto more than anyone else here.”

"No matter what, I don't want to lose!"

"So... everyone, please lend me your help!"

Saigo Kinosuke's eyes shone with sincerity and earnestness.

His battle plan was not complicated; it was nothing more than the classic strategy of "luring the tiger away from the mountain" and "avoiding the strong and attacking the weak."

However, this is actually the best approach.

Throughout history, the simpler the tactics, the more practical they are. Ideally, they should be "one-shot deals," otherwise, they are prone to going wrong.

Complex, interconnected schemes are typically only found in vernacular novels.

For a coalition force like the "Southern Army," which was cobbled together, simple and straightforward tactics were even more necessary; otherwise, they simply couldn't be implemented.

Although the plan is somewhat rough, it is indeed feasible!
Thinking about it carefully, there might actually be a chance to defeat the Shinsengumi!

As a result, almost everyone was persuaded by Saigo Kichinosuke.

Only Goto Shojiro was still hesitating.

However, his hesitation didn't last long. A moment later, he closed his eyes, looked up at the sky, and took a deep breath.

"……I see."

As he muttered softly, he suddenly opened his eyes, all hesitation vanishing from them.

"Today, let's face the Shinsengumi in a decisive battle!"

……

……

Fushimi, west side, a certain alley—

With a swift stroke, he sliced ​​open the chests of three men; with a backhand stroke, he cut open the bellies of four others… The men opposite him, fleeing in fear of Qingdeng, huddled together at the alley entrance.

This actually benefits Qingdeng – a large portion of it was cut off, and it was cleared out in the blink of an eye!
"Hmph! Hmph! Hmph ahh ...

The southern soldier possessed an exceptionally strong will. Despite his chest being "opened" like a seashell, he gritted his teeth and mustered all his remaining strength to raise his knife and slash at Qingdeng.

Faced with this person's desperate counterattack, Qingdeng neither defended nor dodged, letting the other party come and attack.

Because he could tell at a glance that this weak slash could not hurt him at all.

As expected, after the opponent's blade struck his chest, it didn't even leave a scratch, let alone injure Qingdeng.

This armor is indeed heavy, but its protective performance is truly excellent, worthy of being a precious suit of armor gifted by Tokugawa Iemochi.

Qing Deng raised his hand and delivered a fatal blow to his tenacious opponent.

After completely eliminating all the Southern soldiers in front of him, Qing Deng looked around and was surprised to find that there were no Southern soldiers around, only light blue haori passing by.

As he wiped the blood off his face, Shimada Kai excitedly moved to Aoto's side.

"My lord, the enemy forces here have been wiped out!"

Qingdeng nodded slightly:

"Yes, thank you for your hard work. Let's go, it's time to move on to the next place."

So far, how many places have they moved to? Six? Eight? It's impossible to count.

They went wherever the fighting was intense and wherever the commotion was greatest.

In this way, they supported wave after wave of friendly forces like a "fire brigade," defeating one enemy force after another, achieving astonishing results.

The effort they put in was considerable, and the team members, including Shimada Kai, were showing obvious signs of fatigue, having covered almost the entirety of Fushimi.

Of course, Qingdeng didn't feel tired at all.

With the support of talents such as "Iron Lungs +20" and "Primordial Yang +20", he barely broke a sweat.

Even if you feel a little tired, the talent "Strengthen Essence +20" will activate in time to quickly replenish your stamina.

Qingdeng is now a physical monster with "extremely high stamina limit" and "instant stamina recovery"! Unless in some extreme situation, his stamina will never run out!

He wouldn't feel tired even if the intensity of the battle lasted for a whole day and night.

Although Shimada Kai and the others were exhausted, they were enjoying themselves and remained in high spirits.

As long as you follow Qingdeng, you can experience the thrill of winning every battle... Such exhilarating battles are irresistible!
After a brief rest, Qingdeng and the others were ready to set off.

Just as they were preparing to head to the next battlefield—

Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump!

Suddenly, a rapid hoofbeat came from the diagonal rear.

A messenger from the Ninth Division rode straight up on a fast horse.

A messenger arrived on horseback... This only means one thing: the battle situation has changed!
Qingdeng immediately stopped and took the initiative to meet the other party.

Before the horse had even stopped, the other party hurriedly said:
"Lord Renwang! The enemy is intensifying its offensive from both the north and south! They have reinforced their northern flank with 8,000 more enemy troops and their southern flank with 10,000 more!"

Upon hearing this astonishing number, Shimada Kai's eyes widened in disbelief:
"Eight thousand...! Ten thousand...!"

After muttering to himself, he gasped.

Qing Deng frowned slightly, a thoughtful look appearing on his face.

Before the battle of Fushimi began, the scouts sent out by Aoto estimated that the vanguard of the opposing force numbered around three thousand men.

Including this, the "Southern Army" has successively dispatched more than 20,000 troops... This accounts for more than half of the "Southern Army's" total strength!

Shimada Kai muttered softly:
"The rebels have quite the ambition... they actually intend to capture Fushimi today..."

Since the enemy has sent an additional 18,000 troops to attack, it is necessary to make major adjustments to the current defenses.

Those reserve troops left behind at home must also be sent up, otherwise we will absolutely not be able to stop the enemy's large-scale attack.

A difference in troop strength of several times... even with the advantage of terrain, it's not so easy to make up for.

How to adjust the defense line is naturally up to Qing Deng.

Therefore, he could only look at Qingdeng and wait for his instructions.

Since then, Qingdeng has remained silent, deep in thought, seemingly pondering something.

After a moment, he narrowed his eyes and said softly to Shimada Kai:
"...Shimada-kun, give the order to Sanako and Sanosuke: summon the 7th and 10th Divisions."

……

……

Fushimi, north side—

Whoosh who ...

The sound of hurried footsteps could be heard from afar.

Saito Hajime and Serizawa Kamo, stationed north of Fushimi—their light blue haori stained with blood—stepped forward to greet the two captains who had come to their aid.

Saito Hajime solemnly stated:
"Todo-kun, Yoshimura-kun, thank you for your help."

Todo Heisuke grinned:
"The enemy has reinforced their troops, so we have to show our true strength."

Yoshimura Kanichiro nodded slightly:
"It is an honor for us to fight alongside Captain Saito and Captain Serizawa."

Serizawa Kamo suddenly chimed in:
"Alright, enough talk, get to your positions, the enemy is about to attack."

……

……

Fushimi, south side—

Soldiers from different squads arrived at this place from all directions.

Soon, the various squads that should have been there completed their assembly.

Five squads—one, two, five, six, and twelve—have gathered here!

Inoue Genzaburo looked at Kondo Isami in front of him with surprise.

"Young master, aren't you guarding the west side? What are you doing here?"

Kondo Isami gave a wry smile:
"King Tachibana transferred me here. He said there are the most enemies in the south, and he needs me to be there to hold the line."

Second Division Vice-Captain Nakajima Noboru—Nagakura Shinpachi is still recovering from his injuries, so Nakajima Noboru is temporarily leading the Second Division—revealed an excited smile and exclaimed joyfully:

"With Chief Kondo here, we're not afraid of any number of enemy soldiers!"

……

……

On the desolate land north of Fushimi, eight thousand southern soldiers assembled in formation.

On the desolate land south of Fushimi, ten thousand southern soldiers have completed their preparations for attack!

Faced with the enemy's massive reinforcement, Qing Deng dispatched a fast horse to order each squad to make the following adjustments to Fushimi's defenses—

Saito Hajime led the 3rd, 4th, 8th, and 13th Divisions to guard the north side.

Kondo Isami led the 1st, 2nd, 5th, 6th, and 12th Divisions to guard the south side.

Hijikata Toshizo led the "Zero", "Nine", and training teams to defend their position.

The second act of the Battle of Fushimi has begun!

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P.S.: What is Qing Deng planning to do by summoning the 7th and 10th Divisions? (Laughing emoji)