I formed the strongest swordsman group.

Chapter 1162 "Selflessness" Unleashed! The Southern Army Retreats! Bird Feather Reclaimed!
The banner is so important that it naturally needs to be escorted by elite troops.

Kuroda Kiyotaka—a close confidant of Saigo Kinosuke—personally led over three hundred elite soldiers to firmly guard the banner.

Although Aoto and Souji's offensive was extremely swift, Saigo Kinosuke's order to retreat was so decisive and timely that they had ample time to take the banner with them.

Logically, that's how it should be.

However... however...

That figure that suddenly attacked broke the rules once again!
Kiyotaka Kuroda was at a loss for words to describe the scene he was witnessing.

A young samurai, clad in a light blue haori and wielding a black sword, suddenly appeared, moving with incredible speed, leaving a straight, truly bloody trail behind him!
Anyone who blocks his path, or who unfortunately falls within his attack range, will be cut down by his blade!
He is like a merciless natural disaster, destroying everything in his path and repeatedly demonstrating his overwhelming destructive power!

The only samurai who could appear here and possess such strength is that man.

Before Kuroda Kiyotaka and the others could react, he rushed to the banner and swiftly slashed at the strongman carrying it with his robe, as well as the banner itself.

This scene caused Kuroda Kiyotaka's eyes to widen in horror.

In an instant, my mind was filled with countless "whys".

Why is he here?

He should still be quite a distance from the summit, right?

Even if he is an unparalleled martial arts genius, isn't this attack speed a bit too fast?
What are the people on the front lines doing? Can't they even delay for a moment?
What exactly did he just do? I don't think I blinked, so why couldn't I see his footsteps or the way he swung his knife?
My mind was filled with incomprehension and resentment, to the point that my thinking almost came to a standstill.

Nevertheless, he fulfilled his responsibilities immediately.

"Quickly raise the banner! Don't let it fall to the ground!"

After roaring, he drew his sword and charged forward without hesitation.

Although he knew it might be a futile effort, the heavy burden he bore and the deep-seated dignity within him did not allow him to falter.

The "flag guards" under his command were all top-notch soldiers rigorously selected from the Satsuma army.

Even the most elite soldiers are still mortals with blood and tears, and who feel fear.

Seeing the blood-stained black knife, most people either stood there dumbfounded or ran away as fast as they could.

Only a very few people mustered the courage to follow Kiyotaka Kuroda in the attack.

Kiyotaka Kuroda slowed down a beat and fell behind. He saw a large number of his subordinates rushing forward from all directions, like dense weeds, burying the enemy in them.

However, in just a moment, the pile of "weeds" was blown away.

The encirclement broke open instantly, and one after another, mangled bodies flew into the air like blooming flowers, scattering in all directions.

Without the "weeds" obscuring his view, the other person's figure reappeared before Kuroda Kiyotaka's eyes.

Only now could he finally see the other person's face clearly.

Unlike the martial arts masters he knew, the other party did not exude an intimidating aura.

The other party lacked all the characteristics he imagined a peerless master should possess.

His face was expressionless, his eyes were devoid of light... everything was "nothingness".

It is clearly "nothingness," yet it possesses a unique and soul-stirring power!

For some reason, a strong sense of powerlessness suddenly rose in Kiyotaka Kuroda's chest.

He suddenly recalled his childhood dream of trying to climb Sakurajima volcano.

At that moment, he stood at the foot of the mountain, looking up at the towering peaks that reached into the clouds. He stood there for a long time, feeling an indescribable shock and a sense of insignificance. His state of mind at that moment was just like it is now!
Suddenly, their eyes met.

In a split second, Kiyotaka Kuroda's heart began to pound as he sensed danger, sounding a fierce alarm bell.

Before his very eyes, the "strongest swordsman of the era" displayed a fleeting divine power—one moment he was several steps away, the next he was right in front of him, the distance perfect, and he raised his sword.

Kiyotaka Kuroda instinctively swung his sword in retaliation.

"Ya ya ya ya aa ...

His shout had barely begun when the swiftly descending black blade swept across his body.

The fierce wind generated by the swing of the knife spread out, blowing away droplets of blood and clumps of dust around it.

……

……

"Haa...haa...haa...haa..."

Hijikata Toshizo wiped the sweat from his face, took deep breaths of air through his parched throat, and tasted the iron with every sip of saliva.

Kondo Isami, standing to the side, quipped:

"Ah Sui, your strength has decreased a lot since you were shot in the stomach."

He was referring to an incident from a year ago—when Hijikata Toshizo led a thousand men from Hachioji to block the Faki coalition, he was hit in the stomach by a stray bullet and narrowly escaped death.

Although he survived, such severe injuries will naturally cause considerable damage to his physical strength, and it will take several years to recover.

As he spoke, Kondo Isami shifted his feet, standing closer to Hijikata Toshizo so that he could protect him at all times.

"I will go to Shimabara less often in the future and try to recover my health as soon as possible."

After responding in this half-joking manner, Hijikata Toshizo asked:
Where are we?

Without hesitation, Kondo Isami said:

"I don't know. Anyway, it's still quite a distance from the summit."

Hijikata Toshizo first glanced at the mountaintop—still over a hundred meters away as the crow flies—then looked up at the sky, or more precisely, at the sun overhead.

The sun is now setting in the west, and judging from its position, it is about 2 p.m.

It's springtime now, and the sun sets around 6 p.m., and it gets completely dark by 7 p.m.

No matter how brave and skilled the Shinsengumi members were, they could not continue fighting in the pitch-black mountains.

In other words, the Shinsengumi only had less than 4 hours left to launch their attack...

Upon realizing this, Hijikata Toshizo's face fell, and he looked grave.

They had just seen the "Southern Army" banner that had been moved backward.

They were well aware of the importance of the banner, so they fought desperately to reach the summit as soon as possible and intercept it.

Unfortunately... the closer they got to the summit, the more difficult and tenacious the resistance they encountered became.

Even with the combined efforts of Hijikata Toshizo and Kondo Isami, they were unable to reach the summit in time and could only helplessly watch the "Southern Army" banner disappear before their eyes.

It's unclear whether this banner has been moved to the western slope of Qiuzhi Mountain or somewhere else.

Time passed second by second... More than half a day had gone by, yet they still hadn't managed to capture the summit of Autumn Mountain.

If things continue like this, neither "recapturing Toba" nor "severely damaging the Southern Army" may be achieved today.

After quickly reviewing the current battle situation, Hijikata Toshizo calmly said to Kondo Isami beside him:
"Ah Sheng, time is running out, we need to step up our game..."

Just then, before Hijikata Toshizo could finish speaking, a messenger from the Ninth Division came running from the direction of the mountaintop.

Upon seeing Hijikata Toshizo and Kondo Isami, he couldn't contain his excitement and exclaimed quickly:
"Vice Commander Hijikata! Director Kondo! Our lord has successfully captured the summit of Mount Aki! And severed the 'Southern Army's' banner!"

To ensure that every team member could hear him, he repeated it three times in one breath before stopping.

An atmosphere of excitement immediately filled the air.

Kondo Isami's face was flushed, and he couldn't help but clench his fists.

In contrast, Hijikata Toshizo's reaction was relatively calm, with no major changes in his facial expression, but the joy in his eyes was no less than anyone else's.

As for the others, they were either relieved or overjoyed.

After a short while, Hijikata Toshizo was the first to recover.

"Tachibana... well done...!"

After muttering to himself, he hurriedly turned to look at a messenger behind him.

As the vice-commander of the Shinsengumi, he is always followed by a large number of messengers from the Ninth Division, so that he can receive and relay orders at any time.

"Send the order to the 11th Division in the rear! Bring the cannons over as quickly as possible! Even if it kills the slow horses pulling the cannons!"

Then he looked at the other messengers:
"Immediately send word to the entire army! To the enemy! To every corner of the battlefield that the 'Southern Army' banner has been cut down and that we have successfully recaptured Autumn Mountain! Run! Everyone, run!"

The messengers, their morale soaring, responded in unison and then scattered to different parts of the battlefield.

Hijikata Toshizo's words hadn't stopped.

"Ah Sheng, don't be careless! The battle isn't over yet! In fact, what follows is the most important part!"

He patted Kondo Isami on the shoulder, then scanned the group of soldiers present.

"With the mountaintop lost and the banner broken, the morale of the 'Southern Army' will surely suffer a severe blow!"

"Now is the crucial moment to severely cripple the 'Southern Army' and render them incapable of fighting us again!"

"Launch a general offensive against the 'Southern Army'! Spare no effort! Kill any enemy you encounter! No one is allowed to stop the attack until a halt is given!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a spirited roar erupted from Kondo Isami, spreading in all directions.

……

……

Hijikata Toshizo's decisive action allowed the news of victory to spread across the entire battlefield and throughout the entire Akiyama region at top speed.

On the north slope of Autumn Mountain, a messenger, enduring aching legs and rapid breathing, eagerly relayed the news of victory to Sanako. Sanako, her beautiful almond-shaped eyes open, appeared calm on the surface, but inwardly, a raging storm was brewing within her.

The soldiers around her all heard the messenger's report.

They don't have that kind of self-control.

The cheers grew louder and louder, deafeningly loud.

A-Mai threw herself into Sanako's arms, hugging her left waist, her cheeks flushed and her eyes slightly moist.

"Miss Sanako! That's wonderful! That's wonderful! That's wonderful!"

Overwhelmed with emotion, she became incoherent, only able to repeatedly say "That's wonderful."

The same goes for Elodie.

Although she didn't say anything, she showed her feelings through her actions—she also rushed into Sanako's arms and hugged her right waist.

Today's battle is of utmost importance, and Qingdeng has mobilized all available forces.

Therefore, highly skilled individuals from various units and organizations, such as the Censorate, the Ninth Division, the Cavalry (Seventh and Tenth Divisions), and others—such as Sanako, Amai, and Elodie—were conscripted to participate in today's battle.

Looking at the entire Shinsengumi, excluding Aoto and Souji, the only person who is familiar with Mai and Elodie and can cooperate with them is Sanako... Considering the above reasons, Aoto specially put the three of them together as a team.

If he had a choice, he would very much like to bring them with him.

The important person is right beside you... As long as this thought stays in your heart, you can unleash boundless power!
Unfortunately, they couldn't keep up with Qingdeng's attack speed, so they had to give up.

As it turned out, having the three of them act together was indeed the right decision.

Sanako wields her naginata; Elodie swings her katana; Omai holds her wakizashi. They possess long, medium, and short attack ranges, making them virtually invincible.

They often formed a triangular formation, with Zanako leading the way, and Ama and Elodie protecting her left and right flanks, allowing her to advance boldly.

The three women's seamless teamwork was both a bright spot on the battlefield and a bloody sight—the former in the eyes of the Shinsengumi members, and the latter in the eyes of the Southern soldiers.

At that moment, seeing A-Mai and Elodie tightly hugging her on either side, Sanako slowly opened her arms and embraced them tightly:

"Yes, that's wonderful...!"

If one focuses on the battles fought by Qing Deng, Kondo Isami, and others, one might think that today's battle was nothing special. The Southern soldiers were routed and forced to retreat again and again.

But in reality, today's battle was far from easy!
So far, only a few scattered units led by Qing Deng, Kondo Isami, and others have performed well, breaking through the Southern Army's layers of defenses and steadily advancing towards the summit.

In contrast, the battles of the other units... were either progressing slowly or were unremarkable.

Given that there was no technological gap in equipment and the opposing side had the advantage of terrain, numbers, and combat strength (in the decisive battle of Dian), it was already quite an achievement to have achieved this result.

Sanako and her group are now stuck on the north slope of Autumn Mountain. Although they have killed many southern soldiers, they are unable to advance or retreat.

With their own side locked in a stalemate, receiving such exhilarating news... it's easy to imagine how excited Sanako, Mai, and the others must have been.

After composing herself, Sanako took a deep breath and then shouted to the soldiers around her in a clear and melodious voice:
"Did you all hear that? The summit of Autumn Mountain has been breached! Victory is in our grasp! Suppress the enemy and push back in one fell swoop!"

……

……

Qingdeng bent down to pick up the "Southern Army" banner, used it to wipe the blade of the Vairocana sword clean, and then discarded it like a rag.

Just then, he heard footsteps approaching rapidly behind him—Sōji, carrying Kikuichimonji Norimune, arrived late.

The area was unusually quiet because Qingdeng was the only living person left.

The rest either fled or died. The "flag bearers," led by Kiyotaka Kuroda, lay scattered on the ground, their blood flowing like a river, a truly spectacular sight.

Upon seeing this, the commander couldn't help but click his tongue. After scanning the scene, his gaze locked onto the crumpled, blood-stained banner.

"Finally, we managed to tear this tattered flag down... By the way, what kind of flag is this anyway? And why is it embroidered with a chrysanthemum?"

"This is a banner. As for its origin and purpose, I will explain it to you later."

As Qingdeng spoke, he released the "state of no-self," and the strange light in his eyes gradually faded.

He suddenly felt an overwhelming fatigue throughout his body... Of course, for him, this level of fatigue was nothing to worry about.

Feeling the changes in his body, Qingdeng unconsciously frowned slightly.

It is obvious that even though he is now the "strongest creature on earth" with superhuman physical abilities, he cannot ignore the burden caused by the "state of selflessness".

Therefore, he does indeed need to use the "state of selflessness" prudently and not recklessly use this trump card.

For a moment, the commander stared intently at Qing Deng and sighed silently.

"'The state of no-self'... No matter how many times I read it, it still seems incredible to me."

Just moments before, the instant Aoto said to Yamanami Keisuke, "Souji and I will be temporarily leaving the team," his already exaggerated speed suddenly increased dramatically! In the blink of an eye, he left her behind!

If even the commander-in-chief was like this, then it goes without saying that Yamanami Keisuke was left far behind, not even a shadow of him remained.

To keep up with Aoto, Souji really went all out.

Known for her speed, she tensed her leg muscles and raced at full speed, but still couldn't keep up with Qingdeng... She almost thought she was racing a horse.

In fact, it wouldn't matter even if she didn't follow or assist us.

The current situation is the best proof—Qingdeng single-handedly managed to reach the banner and cut it down!
Thinking about this, Souji couldn't help but feel a sense of frustration.

Upon discovering her greatly increased strength, she felt as if she had climbed a new peak. However, a fog obscured her view, preventing her from seeing the surrounding scenery.

Before she could be happy for long, the mist before her eyes slowly dissipated... and then, she was shocked to see a taller and larger mountain standing before her! And Qingdeng was sitting peacefully at the very top of this mountain!

"The state of 'no-self'..."

She lowered her head, looking at the kimono Ichimonji Norimune in her hand, lost in thought, seemingly pondering something.

At this moment, Keisuke Yamanami and his men arrived.

Every single one of them was covered in sweat and panting heavily.

To keep up with Qingdeng, they also suffered a lot, having to not only keep up with Qingdeng but also wipe out the remaining enemy forces.

With the blessing of the "Selfless Realm", Qingdeng climbed to the top in one go... This distance was not short! There were also quite a few remaining enemies who managed to escape his crushing attack!

Looking at Yamanami Keisuke and the others, who were so exhausted they could barely stand up straight, Aoto said to them apologetically:
"Jingzhu, thank you for your hard work. But it's not time to rest yet. Opportunities are fleeting, and we must seize every second to expand our gains."

Having said that, he turned his gaze to the western slope of Mount Aki, and then to the Toba Street west of Mount Aki—where countless flags of the "Southern Army" fluttered in the wind.

"Xiao Si, do you still have the strength to swing your knife?"

The chief smiled gently:
"Of course!"

Although Yamanami Keisuke's expression was bitter, he nodded firmly:

"Just keep going forward, we'll always be right behind you!"

……

……

Autumn Mountain, at the western foot of the mountain —

Compared to bulky, conspicuous banners, transferring personnel is undoubtedly much easier.

Saigo Kinosuke, Katsura Kogoro, and the others, with a spirit of "not daring to lag behind," arrived safely at the nameless forest on the west side of Aki no Yamazaki.

They had barely settled in when they received the devastating news that "the banner had been cut down by Prince Ren"...

No one made a sound... It was eerily quiet...

Influenced by their subconscious, they avoid eye contact, keeping their heads down or their eyes closed—because they don't want to see fear or despair.

Ultimately, they succumbed to their biological instinct to admire the strong, turning their heads to look at Saigo Kinosuke and asking for help from the "strongest" among them.

Saigo Kinosuke pursed his lips, his face was grim, and he remained silent for a long time. The dark cloud on his cheeks was so thick that it seemed as if ink was about to drip from them.

Finally… to everyone's anticipation, he spoke:

"...Order the entire army to retreat immediately. Retreat to the positions before the battle and minimize casualties."

No sooner had he finished speaking than Goto Shojiro immediately voiced his objection:

"Retreat to the position before the war? Saigo-kun, are you abandoning Toba?"

"We went through a lot of trouble the other day to finally get the bird feathers."

"How can we possibly return these precious spoils of war?!"

Saigo Kinosuke raised his gaze and calmly looked at him.

"Goto-kun, do you have some brilliant plan?"

"..."

Goto Shojiro fell silent, his face filled with resentment and indignation as he lowered his head.

Saigo Kichinosuke ignored him and instead scanned the other people present.

"Retreat! Retreat immediately! Retreat as many as you can!"

After restating the order in an unquestionable tone, he took a deep breath—

"The war is not over yet! As long as the 'Northern Expeditionary Army' can break through Ōtsu and cut off the Shinsengumi's retreat, we still have a chance to turn the tide!"

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