I formed the strongest swordsman group.

Chapter 1153 Aizu is defeated! Otsu is in danger!
A sizable force had gathered around Harada Sanosuke.

Following Harada Sanosuke's instructions, they slaughtered the southern soldiers, sending them fleeing in terror.

Soon, a bright light green dominated the area.

At that moment, Matsubara Tadashi (the vice-captain of the 10th Division) rode up on horseback and shouted quickly:

"Captain Harada, more than ten team members are trapped to the southwest!"

Harada Sanosuke turned his horse around without hesitation:
"follow me!"

The four rescued men shared a horse with their comrades. It was a bit cramped and heavy, but fortunately the horses could handle it.

Matsubara Tadashi lowered his body slightly, increased his horse speed, caught up with Harada Sanosuke, and the two rode side by side.

"Captain Harada, are we really giving up the assault?"

He asked the question while looking worried.

Just now, Harada Sanosuke suddenly said in a deep voice:
"...You all come with me."

Then, he led the rear guard to disperse and hunt down the "anti-cavalry units" painstakingly trained by the Satsuma army, and rescue his trapped comrades—mainly to support the front lines, which were the most severely damaged.

This was entirely Harada Sanosuke's own decision; Aoto did not issue any related orders to him.

Because he led the central force to rescue the front line without authorization, only the central force, commanded by Aoto and Sanako, is still advancing...

Captain Harada's unilateral decision has greatly weakened the assault force. Will this really not hinder the battle?
Thinking of this, Matsubara Tadashi couldn't help but feel a sinking feeling in his heart.

Before he could finish speaking, Harada Sanosuke, without turning his head, said seriously:

"The enemy has launched a counterattack, and we must find a way to deal with it."

"Otherwise, our casualties will be very heavy."

"If we start the operation as soon as possible, we can rescue more comrades. We don't have time to wait for Mr. Tachibana's instructions."

"Let Mr. Tachibana and Ms. Sanako handle the assault on the enemy's main camp."

"We are focused on rescuing our comrades."

"This is my own decision. If anything goes wrong or Mr. Tachibana blames me, I will take full responsibility."

During their conversation, they arrived at their destination—not far ahead, more than ten team members were trapped in a tight encirclement and in grave danger.

Harada Sanosuke flipped his right wrist, adjusting the direction of the spear in his hand, the gleaming spear tip pointing directly at the enemies in front of him.

"Tadashi, the battle is about to begin, concentrate!"

Tadashi Matsubara nodded vigorously:

"understand!"

……

……

Harada Sanosuke, who has transformed into a "firefighter," rushes back and forth across the battlefield.

Wherever his comrades were trapped, he would lead his team to that place, rescue them, and then rush to the next location to rescue even more people.

Comrades were rescued one by one, and enemy soldiers were killed one by one.

Gradually, more and more soldiers gathered around him, and their fighting spirit, which had been weakened by the enemy's counterattack, rose again!

Conversely, the Satsuma army's "anti-cavalry units" are dwindling in number, and they are struggling to cope with Harada Sanosuke's targeted large-scale hunts.

In such a situation, let alone continuing to fight back, even self-preservation is difficult!

Shinpachi Murata kept a close eye on the battle situation.

Seeing that the previously favorable counterattack situation had suddenly taken a turn for the worse, his face darkened again... no, to be more precise, his face became even more grim than before!
Although he was reluctant to admit it, the cold and cruel truth was right in front of him: his hoped-for counterattack was on the verge of failure!
Soon after, he received accurate intelligence that it was Harada Sanosuke's courageous act that caused his counterattack plan to fail.

"Harada Sanosuke...!"

Murata Shinpachi murmured, his eyes wide open, filled with resentment and disbelief.

If it were just Aoto, that would be one thing, but the person who changed the course of the battle was merely the captain of the Shinsengumi! And he was the captain of the 10th Division, whose reputation and strength were both quite average!
Murata Shinpachi had heard about Harada Sanosuke's deeds and knew that he was a brainless brute, so he looked down on him from the bottom of his heart.

He never imagined that he would be defeated by this brute he looked down upon...!
This fact was unacceptable to him!
However, he couldn't afford to be upset right now.

Because... the cavalry unit (middle formation) very close to him has regrouped and is charging forward again!
……

……

Before rushing to rescue Sanako, Qing Deng asked the soldiers in the middle formation to slow down their horses temporarily.

This was both to facilitate his and Sanako's arrival later and to give the soldiers in the center a precious chance to catch their breath and prepare for the "final sprint".

Thanks to Radish's hard work, Aoto and Sanako quickly caught up with Nakazawa Koto and returned to the front of the center line.

Seeing that Sanako was unharmed, Nakazawa Koto could not contain her excitement:
"Miss Sanako, thank goodness! You're safe and sound!"

"Sorry for making you worry."

While the two women were talking, Qing Deng raised his gaze, stared ahead, and looked at the enemy's main camp that was already very close.

The prominent banner of the commander is still in the same place, unmoved.

Qingdeng took a deep breath.

The next moment, a loud voice rang out:
"Follow me!"

There was no impassioned tone, no fancy words, just a simple "Stay close to me"... For the Shinsengumi members, that was enough!
Qing Deng and Sanako both returned to the front lines, bringing the central formation's charging speed back to its peak! Once again, swords flashed and blood was shed!
The Southern soldiers... especially the "anti-cavalry force," did try to stop Qingdeng.

However, their bravery only led to a tragic end.

Aoto alone is already unstoppable, let alone adding Sanako?
A katana, a large spear, and a naginata... On the broad back of the bull, three weapons complement each other!

Although there was no prior agreement, the couple had already tacitly divided the tasks: Aoto would focus on the front and right sides, while Sanako would focus on the left and back sides.

Sanako's back was still aching, so she leaned back against Aoto's broad chest for support and focused intently on wielding her naginata.

The injury to her back did not slow down her sword speed; her strikes remained swift and powerful!
Any Southern soldier who dared to approach them was either slashed to the ground by a naginata, swept away by a large spear, or cleaved in two by a katana... all met gruesome ends, leaving no complete corpses behind! This deterred any newcomers from daring to approach rashly!

As the distance between the two sides continued to close, Murata Shinpachi and the others could see the "God of Killing" covered in blood... He was expressionless, meticulously reaping lives and sowing fear.

A certain officer could no longer contain himself and anxiously shouted to Murata Shinpachi:
"Mr. Murata, let's retreat quickly!"

Murata Shinpachi clenched his fists, a look of struggle appearing on his cheeks.

Saigo Kinosuke entrusted him with the heavy responsibility of "capturing Fushimi," but he not only suffered a crushing defeat, but also fled with his tail between his legs...

His strong sense of self-esteem surged suddenly... He couldn't do something so shameful!

Even the will to survive couldn't suppress this pride!

With his mind made up, the "struggle" on his face was replaced by the "will to die".

"Retreating now will only lead to being chased and attacked! In the end, we'll still die! Only by fighting to the death can we find a way out!"

After roaring, he drew his sword and lunged forward.

He was truly risking his life, personally taking to the front lines and disregarding his own safety.

His bravery inspired many. The decisive sound of swords being drawn and the mournful roars rang out one after another.

To escape successfully, the only option is to drop the conspicuous commander's flag.

However, this would also deal a devastating blow to the morale of the entire army.

In other words, given the current situation where "Qing Deng cannot be stopped," it's a dead end no matter what!

Shinpachi Murata saw through this... feeling both grief and despair.

His decision to go into battle was nothing more than a self-destructive act after his heart had died.

Suddenly, his vision went dark—a huge bull's head burst into his field of vision.

Shinpachi Murata subconsciously looked up.

For a fleeting moment, his eyes met Qingdeng's.

Without a second thought, Murata Shinpachi instinctively raised his sword overhead, using the momentum of his charge to slash at Aoto—

clang!
The desperate slash was steadily stopped by the slender naginata.

The next moment, a dark purple blade of light filled his vision—

A fine head flew into the sky.

The headless body took a few steps forward due to inertia, then collapsed to the ground...

With lightning speed, Sanako used her naginata to decapitate Murata Shinpachi, then, facing the vast battlefield, let out a powerful and spirited shout:
"Your commander has been defeated by us!"

……

……

Toba, South Palace of the City—

A messenger, clutching his aching chest and succumbing to exhaustion, raced against time to reach Saigo Kinosuke.

Finally... he met Saigo Kinosuke, who was sitting upright on a stool.

"Lord Saigo!"

He hurriedly knelt down before him. All eyes of the people present focused on him.

Expectant faces, nervous faces... all sorts of faces filled the surroundings.

They were eager to know the latest developments in the battle.

However... the Mandarin that the other party spoke next made them involuntarily gasp several times.

"The western army has been ambushed by Tachibana Aoto! Lord Murata has been killed in action! The entire army has been routed! Casualties are heavy!"

Upon hearing this, the entire room fell silent.

Katsura Kogoro was dumbfounded.

Goto Shōjirō was speechless.

The others all had similar expressions.

A moment later, Goto Shojiro, having regained his senses, gritted his teeth:
"What exactly happened? Tell me in detail!"

The messenger swallowed hard and then told everything he knew.

The Shinsengumi's cavalry appeared suddenly, like divine soldiers descending from the heavens...

A rapid, unstoppable advance...

The invincible Tachibana Aoto...

Murata Shinpachi, who died on the spot...

After their commander's death, the army completely collapsed due to a loss of morale...

After the messenger finished speaking, a deathly silence, like that of the deep sea, enveloped the entire area.

Whether the "Western Route Army" can successfully capture Fushimi will determine the outcome of today's battle.

Therefore, anyone with a modicum of common sense knows exactly what the fact that the "Western Route Army" has been defeated means...

In an instant, as if by reflex, they made a synchronized movement—turning their heads to look at Saigo Kinosuke.

Humans will always instinctively seek help from the stronger, which is why all kings were born, and then all gods were born.

Saigo Kinosuke pursed his lips, his reaction...surprisingly calm.

He showed neither grief nor anger.

It was as if this defeat was insignificant.

Then, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

The next moment, he slowly opened his eyes, then squeezed out a hoarse voice from his throat:
"...Retreat. The entire army shall withdraw from Fushimi."

……

……

Fushimi, south side—

Saito Hajime leaned against the earthen wall behind him, trying to catch his breath as quickly as possible.

The intense battle had left him with an astonishing amount of fatigue.

Therefore, he dared not rest for too long.

If you rest for too long, the relaxed muscles will completely "stop working".

At that time, he might not even be able to walk steadily.

As he straightened up, preparing to return to the front lines, he was startled to see an unusual movement on the distant battlefield—the Southern soldiers were retreating.

The sudden change in the situation startled him.

A moment later, Toudou Heisuke suddenly appeared from the side, running straight towards him while shouting excitedly:
"Saito-kun, the enemy has retreated!"

……

……

The southern troops from both north and south of Fushimi retreated slowly, like the receding tide...

Such an opportunity to kick a man when he's down is naturally not going to be missed.

Kondo Isami immediately issued the order to "pursue and annihilate" the enemy, but specifically requested that "the enemy be driven out of Fushimi."

Inoue Genzaburo, sword in hand, stared blankly at the receding enemy army.

Suddenly, a large hand reached out from behind and patted his shoulder.

"Uncle Yuan, what's wrong? Why do you look like that?"

Kondo Isami smiled and strode forward, standing shoulder to shoulder with Inoue Genzaburo.

Inoue Genzaburo gave a wry smile.

"I'm just... a little surprised. The enemy has already retreated, even though they were fighting fiercely just a moment ago..."

Kondo Isamu Kanji:
"Based on my personal experience, it's most likely that Tachibana-kun did something somewhere."

"He's very good at this kind of thing."

At this point, he let out a long breath and patted Inoue Genzaburo on the shoulder again.

"Uncle Yuan, cheer up! After all... today's battle is our victory!"

Inoue Genzaburo grinned, a hint of joy slowly creeping onto his cheeks.

……

……

Fushimi, west side—

After the death of its commander (Shinpachi Murata), the Western Route Army immediately began to collapse rapidly, like a domino effect.

Some fought to the death, while others scattered like birds and beasts... undoubtedly, the latter outnumbered the former.

Under Qingdeng's orders, the cavalrymen who were still able to move chased and killed the remaining enemy like sheep, leaving behind a large number of corpses.

At this point, the outcome of the battle was decided.

The Western Route Army has been defeated, and no matter how capable Saigo Kichinosuke is, it is impossible for him to regroup it in a short period of time.

Without the offensive of the "Western Route Army," the capture of Fushimi would have been an impossible task.

In other words, Saigo Kichinosuke's plan has been completely thwarted!
Today's battle is a complete victory for the Shinsengumi!
Just then, Aoto and Sanako, leading Radish, walked towards Harada Sanosuke.

Big Black Bull really went all out today.

Carrying Aoto—and also carrying Sanako along the way—they finished the entire match.

Because it fought so hard, when the battle ended, its four hooves trembled like a newborn lamb.

Without Qingdeng and Zonazi's guidance, it wouldn't even be able to walk in a straight line.

To express his gratitude for Radish's hard work, Qingdeng decided to treat it to a big meal tonight—a large amount of its favorite corn and a small amount of Radish.

"Zanosuke, thank you for your hard work, you've done a great job."

Aoto cast an admiring glance at Harada Sanosuke standing in front of him.

Harada Sanosuke dismounted, chuckling a few times.

"I dare not accept such praise. I acted on my own initiative and left the battle without permission, so I dare not claim any credit."

Qingdeng chuckled to himself:

"You've been studying really hard lately; your speech is becoming more and more refined."

"You acted decisively and adopted the most correct strategy in a timely manner, which greatly reduced the losses of our army."

"If this isn't a great achievement, what is it?"

Because they had successfully defeated the enemy and reversed the tide of battle, causing a significant shift in the balance of power, Qing Deng and the others now showed expressions of relief.

A pleasant and relaxed atmosphere surrounded them.

Suddenly... came the sound of anxious hooves from behind Qingdeng.

A messenger from the Ninth Division rode up on horseback.

Upon seeing Qingdeng, before the horse had even come to a complete stop, he impatiently leaped off, suffering a severe fall that contorted his face in pain.

"My lord..."

He endured the pain and exhaustion, and spoke quickly and solemnly, though in a flustered manner.

"The Aizu army on the northern front has been routed! Countless enemy troops are rushing towards Ōtsu!"

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PS: The "Otsu Bastion" that many readers are interested in comes in handy here.

The Battle of Toba-Fushimi is still a long one, after all, it's the final battle of the book, how could it end after just two or three battles?