I formed the strongest swordsman group.

Chapter 1152 Sanako in Danger! Sanako Falls from Horse! [5200]

With the replacement of the middle formation, the attack speed, which had just slowed down, picked up again.

"The enemy's main force is almost upon us!"

Even the strong wind blowing in their faces couldn't dispel Qingdeng's shouts.

"Cut down that obstructive flag!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a chorus of shouts and responses erupted.

The team members who were just on the front lines stole the show and made great contributions.

Now it was finally their turn to be the "arrow of the attack," and the soldiers in the center were all full of vigor, wielding their katanas with great force.

In an instant, a large number of Southern soldiers fell before their horses and under their swords, and the "blood trail" covered with severed limbs stretched for a considerable distance.

Murata Shinpachi stared intently at Aoto, who was getting closer and closer, his face grim.

A moment later, he suddenly raised his voice and gave the order:

"Now! Begin the encirclement and slaughter!"

In the blink of an eye, the order reached all sides.

Before long, countless Southern soldiers were seen running around, changing positions, and adjusting formations... The atmosphere in the air subtly changed, and the grim atmosphere became even heavier!
Looking at the Shinsengumi's past achievements, it is not difficult to see that their cavalry is a formidable force that cannot be ignored.

They always take on the crucial tasks of launching surprise attacks, pursuing and annihilating enemies, and reaping the rewards at the most critical moments.

If we ignore it, we will inevitably suffer a great loss on the battlefield.

Therefore, Saigo Kichinosuke held a special "tactical lecture" to teach the generals of the Satsuma army how to "counter the Shinsengumi cavalry".

According to Saigo Kichinosuke, if the Shinsengumi's cavalry had any weakness, it was the lackluster quality of their warhorses.

The warhorses it used were Kiso horses, native to the region.

Although the Kiso horse, with its well-proportioned structure and intelligence, is the most suitable for combat compared to other native horse breeds, to put it bluntly, it's simply a case of choosing the best of a bad bunch.

Japanese native horses are all short (110-135 cm), and the Kiso horse is no exception. They cannot be compared with the "large Western horses" bred through selective breeding in the West.

To put it bluntly, native Japanese horses are not suitable for use as warhorses.

To adapt to Japan's mountainous terrain with few plains, the Kiso horse is very agile and can move and run on complex terrain, but its speed and stamina are not particularly impressive.

There are essentially two ways to counter cavalry.

One is to offset the impact.

Secondly, it restricts mobility.

In summary, Saigo Kinosuke's proposed method for "countering the Shinsengumi cavalry" can be roughly summarized as follows:

The best strategy is naturally to "defend against the enemy outside the battle lines".

When the Shinsengumi cavalry attacked, they were prevented from getting close by using "musket formations" and "hedgehog formations".

If we fail to stop them and allow them to break into our formation, then we must grit our teeth and hold on to the bitter end!

Given Kiso's weak stamina, it won't be long before he's forced to slow down due to exhaustion.

When its power begins to wane, that will be the moment to launch a counterattack!

Because times have changed, cavalry no longer need to charge in formation, thrusting their lances at the enemy's face, breaking through enemy lines—this heavy responsibility is now undertaken by musketeers and artillerymen—so under Qingdeng's planning, the Shinsengumi cavalrymen did not know what a "wall charge" was, only "riding and slashing."

Kichinosuke Saigo saw this opportunity and even made a meticulous plan on "how to effectively attack the Shinsengumi cavalry".

Since the Shinsengumi cavalry used "slashing" as their main attack method, there must have been considerable gaps between the cavalrymen.

The reason is simple—if they get too close, they will only hinder each other, and they won't even be able to swing their swords properly.

Taking advantage of the moment when their horses begin to slow down, bravely slip into the gaps between them, divide and surround them, disrupt their formation and restrict their movement.

Without the speed advantage, cavalry is less lethal than infantry.

As for the specific attack methods, Saigo Kichinosuke also made strict provisions.

It is well known that the average height of Japanese people is terrible, and the short-statured are even shorter.

For the vast majority of Japanese people, reaching out to attack someone on horseback is a thankless and exhausting task, and they might not even be able to touch the other person.

Therefore, there is no need to attack the person on horseback; just attack the horse. When the horse falls, the person will also fall, which is both effortless and efficient.

The above is a detailed battle plan meticulously devised by Saigo Kinosuke to "counter the Shinsengumi cavalry".

It sounds simple, but it actually tests the soldiers' courage!

When cavalry charge head-on, humans instinctively feel fear upon sensing danger.

In such a situation, they would be terrified, let alone trying to slip through the gaps between the cavalry.

This kind of high-difficulty tactic, which requires both skill and courage, can only be accomplished by Satsuma soldiers who have received the corresponding training!

At this very moment, those Southern soldiers who were running and changing formations rapidly in the chaos of battle were Satsuma soldiers who had received "anti-Shinsengumi cavalry training"!

While other units were already terrified, they went against the tide and prepared to launch a counterattack!

The first to be attacked were the front-line soldiers who had moved to the rear and were resting.

The fierce and bloody battle they had just fought had left them exhausted, and almost all of their horses were foaming at the mouth, effectively disengaging from the fight.

Suddenly, louder and louder voices of Samoan dialect erupted around them:

"They've slowed down!"

"Quick! Charge forward! Don't be afraid!"

"Do it the way you did it in training, do it now!"

"But...but we used cows for training before..."

"Stop talking nonsense! Cows and horses are pretty much the same!"

In the blink of an eye, countless Satsuma soldiers surged out from all directions! They slipped into the gaps between the cavalry like eels!
Before the latter could react, they had already swung their blades, stabbing the horse's belly, slashing its legs, and splitting its head.

"Magnificent, magnificent, magnificent, magnificent—!"

“Ooo ...

The mournful neighing of horses continued incessantly.

One by one, the warhorses collapsed to the ground, and the riders fell off their backs like dumplings being dropped into a pot.

Those who were unlucky were pinned down by the horse and unable to move. The surrounding Satsuma soldiers immediately pounced on them, and they died without even putting up a proper resistance.

Those who are lucky enough to jump away before the horse falls are merely prolonging their lives.

After losing the advantage of "horseback combat", these people who landed safely were quickly surrounded and killed by a hail of knives in just a few rounds.

Soon, similar scenes began to unfold in the middle and rear of the formation.

Countless Satsuma soldiers bravely charged forward, seizing every opportunity to engage the Shinsengumi cavalry in close combat, achieving immediate results.

Just as Saigo Kinosuke had predicted, as the warhorses slowed down, even infantrymen could easily weave through the gaps between the cavalry.

The number of cavalry casualties began to rise, which also significantly affected the momentum of the charge.

Qingdeng quickly noticed the abnormality, immediately turned his head to the side, and scanned the battle situation behind him with a heavy eyelid.

Then, he clicked his tongue and muttered:

"There's still a way to launch a counterattack...?"

At the same time, Sanako's face also darkened.

She frowned, pondering a countermeasure.

If things continue like this, even if we successfully defeat the "Western Route Army," our side will suffer considerable losses.

Cavalrymen are difficult to train, and every soldier in the 7th and 10th Divisions is precious and should never be discarded like worn-out shoes.

Just as she was racking her brains for a solution, Nakazawa Koto suddenly issued an anxious warning:

"Miss Chiba! Watch out!"

Upon hearing this sound, Sanako was a beat slow to notice that a short Satsuma soldier was crouching to her side.

Because he was so short, the tall and slender Sanako didn't notice him at all.

In the blink of an eye, he swung his katana horizontally like a woodcutter, slashing at the right foreleg of Sanako's warhorse.

The next moment, a horse's leg with a smooth cut flew out.

"Magnificent, magnificent, magnificent, magnificent, magnificent—!"

With a piercing scream, Sanako's vision suddenly slid downwards!

Imagine the terrifying force of a warhorse suddenly coming to a stop while charging at full speed.

Due to inertia, Sanako's body leaned forward, and she was about to be thrown out.

Fortunately, at this critical moment, Sanako nimbly pulled her feet out of the stirrups and landed steadily on the saddle—activating her innate "Cat Turn"—using this momentum, she then leaped up like a spring, jumping in a direction contrary to inertia.

Qing Deng discovered that Sanako had fallen from her horse immediately.

What a pity... Radish is very fast; in the blink of an eye, Sanako was thrown far away...

Koto Nakazawa, who was standing to the side, was the same.

As Sanako's number one fan, she was naturally anxious to see her idol fall from grace and wished she could rush to her rescue immediately.

But a warhorse galloping at full speed cannot be stopped at will.

So, like Qing Deng, she could only watch helplessly as Sanako drifted further and further away from them...

Before falling to the ground, Sanako adjusted her body posture in time, using her superb recovery skills to minimize the damage she suffered.

Even so, it still hurts a lot.

The moment he landed, intense pain shot through his entire body.

She gritted her teeth and pursed her red lips, forcing back the cry of pain that welled up in her throat. Because she carried multiple identities such as "a descendant of the Chiba family" and "the wife of the King of Ni", Sanako often felt that she had a heavy responsibility, and thus had long since developed the habit of "never showing weakness in front of others".

Her vision was blurry and her back was aching... Sanako wished she could just stretch out her limbs, lie flat on the ground, and rest for a while, at least until the pain in her back lessened a bit before getting up.

However, her heart was already sounding a fierce alarm... She had to use her naginata to support herself on the ground and forcefully stand up.

If she doesn't quickly prepare for battle, she's doomed... What follows is a brutal fight to the death!

"Hey! This person is Chiba Sanako, the captain of the 7th Division of the Shinsengumi!"

"Idiot, she changed her name to 'Tachibana Sanako' a long time ago!"

"Great! She fell off her horse!"

"Quick! Kill her! She's Ju Qingdeng's woman! Her head must be worth a fortune!"

The southern soldiers around Sanako were suddenly energized, all eagerly casting greedy, wolf-like glances at her.

Under normal circumstances, Sanako's beauty would have bewitched these people, making them reluctant to kill her and only wanting to capture her alive.

But the current battle is so fierce that both sides are blinded by rage and neither has the time to think about those trivial matters in their crotches.

"kill!"

It's unclear who started it, but more than thirty southern soldiers swarmed forward! The "encirclement" surrounding Sanako instantly shrank!
Seeing the enemies rushing in from all directions, Sanako remained calm and skillfully assumed a fighting stance, firmly planted her feet, lowered her center of gravity, and gripped her naginata tightly with both hands.

The willow-leaf-shaped naginata blade flashed with a blinding, cold light.

Although she had fallen quite hard, her limbs were unharmed, and the naginata in her hand remained firmly in her grasp.

That's enough!

In an instant, her smooth, high ponytail drew a clean arc in mid-air—and drawing an arc in mid-air at the same time was her slender naginata!

She first swept forward, slicing open the chests of the three people in front of her.

Then, using her right foot as a pivot, she spun around like a top, turning backwards along with her sword, using the momentum of the spin to cut down the four people behind her.

Since meeting Aoto, Sanako has frequently been embroiled in various disputes and has nearly lost her life several times.

Thanks to this, she is one of the most combat-experienced members of the Shinsengumi!

Every time he wields his naginata, several enemies inevitably fall.

The slender naginata moved with remarkable agility in her hand, stabbing, sweeping, blocking, and deflecting as if it were an extension of her arm.

The Southern soldiers, who had mistakenly believed that she would be unable to fight after falling from her horse, all changed their expressions.

He wanted to turn and run away, but it was too late.

Sanako's slash had already struck them first.

In just a few seconds, the Southern soldiers, who had been charging around like wolves, were almost all killed or wounded.

However... although she successfully averted the current crisis, Sanako's expression turned grim.

"Ha...ha...ha...ha...ha...ha..."

She had to put the naginata back on the ground, bend down, and lean most of her weight on the sword.

Perhaps it aggravated her wound, because she now feels a sharp pain in her back, so painful that she gasps for breath.

This scene was clearly reflected in the eyes of the Southern soldiers not far away.

"Look! She's injured! I knew it, falling from such a fast horse! There's no way she could be unharmed!"

"Strike while the iron is hot and kill her!"

Sanako endured the pain, raised her eyes, and looked around... even more southern soldiers were rushing in than before.

In my current state, can I withstand this invasion?

Thinking about the answer to this question, her heart sank.

Just as she was preparing to fight to the death, she suddenly heard the familiar sound of hooves...

Without any hesitation—she reflexively turned 180 degrees! And opened her arms wide as if embracing the sky!

The next instant, a strong arm stretched out horizontally and grabbed at her.

A moment later, the arm steadily embraced her, lifted her into the air, and then carried her onto the broad back of the ox.

Qing Deng held Sanako tightly with his right hand and wielded the large spear with his left.

With a series of sweeping slashes, he killed all the southern soldiers who were blocking his way and had intended to ambush Sanako, carving a bloody path through them in an instant.

Qingdeng lightly tapped the radish's belly with his right heel.

The radish understood perfectly and turned back along the way it came.

Only Aoto came to rescue Sanako.

Firstly, there's no need to bring too many people.

Secondly, the offensive against the enemy cannot be stopped.

Therefore, Aoto ordered Nakazawa Koto to lead the central army to continue advancing towards the main camp of the "Western Route Army," while he himself rushed back to rescue Sanako.

At this moment, Qing Deng and Sanako embraced each other tightly, their chests touching.

Like a koala, Sanako wrapped her left arm around Aoto's right armpit and hugged his back, while her right hand, still holding the naginata, held Aoto's nape with her elbow, her delicate chin resting on Aoto's left shoulder.

Even through the hard breastplate and the two thick mounds of fat, Qing Deng could feel Sanako's heart pounding wildly because she had survived the ordeal.

Qing Deng lowered his head and cast a helpless glance at Sanako in his arms.

"Really... don't scare me. When I saw you fall off your horse just now, my blood ran cold."

Sanako looked apologetic.

"I'm sorry to make you laugh."

Qingdeng gave him a look that said, "No need to apologize."

Do you still have the strength to fight?

"If you're sitting on the back of a radish, there's no problem."

"Alright. Then let's ride together!"

Sanako nodded solemnly, then adjusted her body orientation to face the direction of the charge, with her back to Aoto.

Aoto is much taller than Sanako, so if she sits behind him, her view will be blocked. Therefore, it is most appropriate for her to sit in front of him.

Looking at the back of Sanako's head, Aoto seemed to recall some amusing anecdote, and couldn't help but smile.

"'Black Bull Princess' has reappeared in the world after a long time."

"Don't call me by that nickname."

Sanako glared fiercely at Aoto.

Then, she looked away and gently patted the radish's big head with her left hand.

"Sorry, Radish, you'll have to work hard from now on."

Not only did they have to continue charging forward, but they also had an extra "passenger" on their backs... This was undoubtedly a huge burden for Luo Bo.

However, instead of becoming discouraged, it showed even more vitality!
Compared to Aoto, Radish prefers the gentle and much lighter Sanako... This fact saddens Aoto considerably.

With both the male owner and his favorite female owner on his back, Radish was overjoyed by the double happiness!
"Moo moo moo moo!"

It let out a low growl and ran even faster and more joyfully.

On the way back to the front line, Sanako turned her head to look at Aoto behind her with a worried expression.

"Qingdeng, the enemy has launched a counterattack. Shouldn't we try to deal with it?"

Qingdeng chuckled a few times.

"I don't need to do anything special."

"I just need to keep pushing forward."

"As for the counterattack from the other side... Sanako, have you forgotten? He's here."

"Even without my specific instructions, he will rely on his intuition to make the right choice."

……

……

"Kill them!"

"They are already on their own and cannot hold on for much longer!"

"Go together!"

Four Shinsengumi cavalrymen—whose mounts had been killed and who had become horseless "infantry"—stood back to back, struggling to protect themselves.

A dozen or so Satsuma soldiers surrounded them, baring their teeth and brandishing their claws, acting extremely arrogantly.

The overwhelming numerical disadvantage... there is no hope of turning the tide.

Of course, with the help of "external forces", this "dead game" can be turned around in an instant!

Just at this critical moment, an "external force" arrived—

A long spear thrust out from the side, taking two lives with a single blow.

Almost simultaneously, more than ten cavalrymen charged forward with overwhelming force!

This group of Satsuma soldiers was just like a soft sand dune that had been hit by a flood; it collapsed in the blink of an eye!
Before the four rescued men could recover, a cavalryman stood before them, shouting imposingly:
"I am Harada Sanosuke, Captain of the 10th Division! From this moment on, you will all obey my orders! Follow me! We're going to rescue the others!"

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P.S.: Many readers are concerned about Souji's current situation... Don't worry, she will definitely wake up. Leopard has laid so much groundwork, it would be strange if she didn't wake up (Leopard silly.jpg)