I formed the strongest swordsman group.

Chapter 1186 Okita Souji is indeed the main heroine of this book.
The officers of both the Northern Army and the British Army were stunned by the sudden appearance of a large reinforcement force.

In an instant, their shock turned into unparalleled joy.

"Yamata no Orochi, well done!"

"I knew you had a backup plan!"

"In this way, we're guaranteed to win!"

The cheers that rose and fell swept away the previous dejection.

At this point in the battle, both sides are at their last gasp. They can no longer launch a rapid attack, and the opposing side is also on the verge of collapse.

At this critical juncture where we are "just one breath away from victory," the addition of a fresh force will surely bring about a dramatic change in the battle!
Like an extremely heavy weight, it instantly tipped the scales of the battlefield!

Suicide squads—Tokugawa Yoshinobu was no stranger to this.

Back in the day, the "One Bridge Faction" had a number of assassins scattered among the people.

Unfortunately, this group of invaluable assassins were all lost in Edo (the Second Battle of Jianghu).

Given their ability to punish those who oppose the Party, secretly raising thousands of assassins would not be difficult for them.

After Orochi loudly proposed "the decisive battle tomorrow," everyone turned to look at him, casting gazes with varying emotions.

Howell frowned, pondered for a moment, and then said in a deep voice:
"...You're right, we can't drag this out any longer, we must decide the winner immediately!"

Howell was the first to express his support for "Tomorrow's Showdown," which startled everyone.

Immediately afterwards, several other officers chimed in with their agreement.

"Tomorrow is our last chance! If we still can't capture Dajin City by tomorrow, then we're doomed!"

"Use the last bullets and shells for tomorrow! It's all or nothing!"

"We have just received reinforcements, and the enemy is in dire straits. There is absolutely no reason for us to be defeated!"

The principle of achieving victory in one decisive battle before ammunition is completely exhausted and before the troops still have the will to fight is clear to everyone.

Therefore, although some people showed hesitation, no voices of opposition emerged.

Howell was the de facto commander-in-chief of the entire army, and since he had personally approved of Orochi, no one dared to oppose him.

Although Tokugawa Yoshinobu remained silent, his stern expression clearly indicated that he also agreed with the Yamata no Orochi's claims.

Seeing that no one objected, Yamata no Orochi took a deep breath and immediately put on a serious face—he, who usually appeared with a "half-smile," now surprisingly showed a solemn expression:

"If that's the case, then it's decided!"

His voice clearly reached the ears of everyone present. Despite being a frail body about to be buried, he uttered a loud and resonant declaration.

"Our fate, and indeed the fate of Japan, will be decided tomorrow!"

……

……

Several hours later—

Otsu Castle, north wall——

Qingdeng, supporting himself with the Vairocana amulet at his waist, gazed at the enemy camp in the distance.

Suddenly, he heard light footsteps approaching from behind.

Without even turning his head, Qing Deng accurately called out the person's name.

"Xiao Si, what brings you here?"

The commander-in-chief was already used to the fact that "Qingdeng could identify people by their footsteps".

"I couldn't sleep, so I came out for a walk to clear my head."

She took two quick steps to stand beside Qingdeng.

"There's still some time before dawn..."

Before Qing Deng could finish speaking, the commander-in-chief guessed what he wanted to say and interrupted him:

"Don't worry, I slept for an hour or two. I feel great right now, not sleepy at all, and I will definitely not doze off during the battle."

After she finished speaking, she met Qingdeng's gaze and smiled.

Looking at her signature bright smile, Qing Deng sighed helplessly and had no choice but to let Souji stay by his side.

With the city walls no longer obstructing them, a cool breeze lifted the hems of their haori.

After nearly a month of fierce fighting, the eastern and northern walls of Otsu City were completely reduced to ruins.

Looking up, there were no gaps left, because gaps were everywhere.

Without the protection of the city walls, the defenders in the city had no choice but to use their bare hands to hold off the enemy's offensive.

However, these ruins also served as excellent cover, allowing the city's defenders to deploy layers of defenses based on them.

Qing Deng suddenly asked again:

"Commander, why can't you sleep? The war has reached this point, how can you still be unable to sleep because of tension?"

The commander pursed his lips, hesitated for a moment, and then said softly:

"For some reason, I feel uneasy... I have a feeling that today's battle will be exceptionally fierce..."

Qing Deng Wan Er:

"That's quite a coincidence, I feel the same way."

"You think so too?"

"Yes, warriors like us who have been through countless battles always have some strange intuitions. My intuition tells me: today is the most important day of my life."

"'The most important day'... Could today be the day of the final battle?"

"Maybe."

"...In that case, I'd better work twice as hard today!"

Souji lightly patted the Kikuichimonji Norimune at his waist a few times, his smile unchanged, but now with a touch more heroic air.

"No matter how many offensives the enemy launches, I will repel them one by one!"

"While it's good to forge ahead bravely, you must know your limits and never push yourself too hard."

Aoto stared intently at Souji, his expression serious and his tone firm and unwavering.

The commander chuckled.

"Don't worry, I went through a lot of hardships to finally recover my health, and I will never ruin it easily."

At this point, she seemed to remember something, paused, and then said in a cheerful tone:

"Qingdeng, after this battle is over, let's go on our honeymoon together! Me, you, Miss Mai, Miss Sanako... oh, right, and Prince Tenshōin!"

The word, which clearly does not exist in contemporary Japan, startled Aoto.

"Xiao Si, where did you hear about 'honeymoon'?"

The headmaster truthfully informed:

“Yesterday, when I was getting my abrasions on my left leg bandaged at a hospital in the rear, a beautiful woman told me this.”

There were no women in the medical unit, so this beautiful woman was clearly one of the many civilians tasked with assisting the medical unit.

She said it was a Western custom for couples to travel together after marriage to strengthen their relationship.

She also said that she and her husband spent their honeymoon in Kirishima, Kagoshima, for several days.

"I think this custom is fantastic and worth emulating!"

Upon hearing this, Qing Deng became somewhat curious about the beautiful woman that the commander had mentioned.

"Not only do they know about 'honeymoon,' but they've actually experienced it firsthand... That's really rare."

The commander nodded slightly, picking up where he left off, his tone tinged with regret.

"Unfortunately... she said her husband had been killed by the 'Southern Dynasty'."

"She also said that she was willing to pay any price to avenge the Southern Dynasty—that's why she stayed behind to help in the war."

The Southern Dynasties committed far too many atrocities to count.

There are countless people like this woman whose families have been broken up by the "Southern Dynasty," so Qingdeng doesn't care about it.

At that moment, Qing Deng, a beat late, noticed the expectant look that Souji was giving him, his eyes sparkling with starlight.

Upon seeing this, Qing Deng couldn't help but smile.

"Thinking about it carefully, we've been married for so long, and it seems like we've never actually traveled anywhere."

"Okay, let's go on our honeymoon together after this war is over."

"However, even after the war ends, there is still a lot of cleanup work waiting for me to handle."

"Our honeymoon will definitely be delayed for a long time."

Souji chuckled lightly:

"It's alright! Once we win this battle, you'll be the de facto 'king of Japan'! We'll have plenty of time then!"

Qing Deng was speechless, his expression becoming complicated.

“‘All people under heaven’… If it were 6 years ago, I would never have imagined that this title would fall on my head.”

"Tenkajin" is a very significant title in Japanese history. Literally, it means "the one who controls the world," referring to the supreme ruler who unified Japan, ended the chaotic era, and seized control of the entire nation's government.
In the blink of an eye, he had transmigrated to this world six years ago.

As he just said, six years ago he could never have imagined that he would build such an amazing empire! He is only one step away from becoming the "king of Japan"!
Before they knew it, the two suddenly noticed that the surrounding light was getting brighter.

The eastern sky was already beginning to lighten. Soon, countless rays of light would dispel the darkness.

Looking at the increasingly bright sky, Souji murmured to himself:

"Its daybreak……"

Qing Deng glanced eastward, then looked away, focusing his gaze back on the commander-in-chief, and said solemnly, word by word:
"Xiao Si, it's a deal then—we must win this battle, and then go together to make up for the peaceful life we ​​never had time to enjoy before." With that, Qing Deng drew the Vairocana sword from his waist, scabbard and all, and handed the hilt of the Vairocana sword to the Souji... or rather, the guard of the Vairocana sword.

Upon seeing this, the commander immediately understood his intention. He smiled and drew the Kikuichimonji Norimune sword from his waist, sheath and all, and reached out.

"understand!"

The next moment, the hilts of the two swords gently clashed, a clear clang echoing in all directions, fulfilling their vow of striking metal.

……

……

Day 25 of the Battle of Otsu – The Battle Begins!
As dawn broke, enemy artillery shells streaked across the sky like locusts, raining down on Otsu City!

Anyone could see that the enemy's artillery fire today was exceptionally fierce, far surpassing any previous offensive!
Hidden in his bunker, Yamanami Keisuke immediately noticed the enemy's unusual behavior and murmured in a low voice:

"Are they trying to settle this today...!"

Before I could think further, the sentry's warning came:

"The enemy is coming!"

As if by reflex, Yamanami Keisuke immediately rushed out of the bunker and looked out of the city.

Because the city walls were completely destroyed, the view outside the city could be clearly seen from any direction.

At this very moment, outside the city, thousands of enemy soldiers were charging in.

After scanning the area, Yamanami Keisuke immediately noticed that among the enemy forces attacking today, in addition to the familiar British troops and the "Northern Shogunate Army," there was a new unit he had never seen before!

The soldiers of this new unit were full of energy and showed no signs of fatigue from battle... Clearly, they were reinforcements from the enemy!

In an instant, Yamanami Keisuke's pupils contracted, and his face turned extremely ugly.

Almost simultaneously, a teammate nearby relayed this somber truth to Keisuke Yamanami:
"Damn it! It's enemy reinforcements!"

These words struck the soldiers present as if they had been struck by lightning.

For so many days, they held on to the belief that "the enemy is also about to collapse," and gritted their teeth and held on until now... They never expected that the other side would be able to send out a fresh force!

For the defenders in the city, this was undoubtedly a bolt from the blue!
Seeing that his own morale was on the verge of collapse, Yamanami Keisuke gritted his teeth and shouted loudly:
"Gentlemen! We've made it this far, how can we give up so easily?"

Shouting orders at the top of his lungs has become his daily routine lately, to the point that his voice is already overburdened.

He endured the intense pain in his throat and the feeling that his vocal cords might break at any moment, so that every word he uttered could be clear and loud.

"The enemy has reached its limit! Even if we deploy this fresh force, it won't have a decisive impact on the current battle situation!"

"If they can hold out until today, they will have no strength left to attack Otsu!"

"Today is the decisive battle!"

"Today is the last day of this battle!"

"How can we hand over the fruits of victory to the enemy when we are about to seize them?!"

Yamanami Keisuke's words of encouragement stabilized the wavering morale of the troops, and many soldiers once again showed their resolute expressions of shared hatred for the enemy.

In the blink of an eye, the enemy army was upon them! Their狰狞 (zhengning, meaning ferocious or hideous) faces were now clearly visible!

"Follow me!"

Yamanami Keisuke gripped his sword tightly and charged forward without hesitation.

In a split second, the soldiers from both sides collided heavily, blood and limbs flying everywhere!

The battle had barely begun when the city's defenders were already at a disadvantage.

Although most of the enemy reinforcements used cold weapons such as swords and spears, and only a very few were armed with firearms, it was enough to put great pressure on the city's defenders!
The intense fighting has severely depleted the city's ammunition reserves, forcing many musketeers to switch to close combat.

Insufficient fire support naturally makes the battle exceptionally difficult.

Moreover... everyone was exhausted and had almost no energy left.

Even the Shinsengumi soldiers, who were well-versed in warfare, were already overwhelmed... no, it should be said that the Shinsengumi soldiers were the most exhausted.

After all, they had already experienced incredibly fierce battles in Toba and Fushimi before returning to reinforce Otsu.

To engage in labor in contrast to leisure... the consequences are predictable.

To compensate for his inferior combat strength, Yamanami Keisuke had to push himself to maintain a fierce offensive, cutting down enemy soldiers one by one, hoping to exert the effect of a hundred or a thousand men on his own.

However... as one of the "firefighters," unimaginable fatigue accumulated within him.

There is no other word to describe his physical and mental state except "terrible"!
Suddenly, a skilled enemy soldier slid his foot and pounced on Yamanami Keisuke, raising his sword to strike!

Driven by his "fighting instincts," Yamanami Keisuke swiftly raised his sword to parry.

However, the fatigue of the brain, the fatigue of the nerves, the fatigue of the muscles... all these fatigues combined slowed his movements slightly—it was these slight differences that caused his parrying posture to falter!
clang!
As the two swords clashed, Yamanami Keisuke felt a tremendous force strike him, forcing him to retreat several steps.

Although he managed to steady himself and avoid falling to the ground, a strong tingling and numb sensation spread through both of his arms, and the knife in his hand almost slipped from his grasp.

The opponent was not only skilled in movement, but also had excellent combat awareness—he did not let go of this rare opportunity, quickly took a step, closed the distance again, and slashed again.

Yamanami Keisuke tried to swing his sword to deflect the attack, but his arms were too heavy to swing at the speed he wanted!

"Damn it...! My arm won't obey me...!"

As the blade rapidly approached, a ruthless glint flashed in Keisuke Yamanami's eyes.

Just as he hardened his heart and prepared to trade injury for life—

clang!
A swift slash came from the side, blocking the opponent's blade for Yamanami Keisuke.

Immediately afterwards, the "slash" spun like a snake, sweeping towards the opponent's neck and easily taking his life.

Yamanami Keisuke was stunned for a moment, then turned to look at the female swordsman standing gracefully beside him.

"General..."

The commander shook his sword forcefully, wiping away the remaining bloodstains on the blade.

"Mr. Shannan, are you alright?"

"I'm fine, it's just... I don't have the strength to hold the knife anymore..."

As he spoke, Keisuke Yamanami gripped his right wrist tightly with his left hand—his right wrist was trembling uncontrollably.

The commander glanced at his right wrist, his expression turned serious, and without saying another word, he turned and threw himself into the battle.

She strode forward and headed straight for the area with the most enemies.

Taking advantage of the moment she shifted her position, she secretly adjusted her breathing, and then quickly swung her hand to strike the Kikuichimonji Norimune in her palm.

Flying Swallow Sword, Tiger Mouth Sword, Wheel Sword... She skillfully used various sword techniques from the Natural Rishin-ryu school, splashing blood and bringing death!

This should be one of the enemy's main attack directions. Thanks to the commander's assistance, we were finally able to stop their invasion.

Suddenly, a messenger came running:

"Chief of the Yamanami Corps! Please come to our aid immediately!"

"Misfortunes never come singly"—this saying is truly a universal truth. No sooner had the messenger finished speaking than two other messengers ran up and shouted in unison to Yamanami Keisuke:

"Chief of the Yamanami Corps, requesting support!"

"Chief of the Yamanami! We need assistance here too!"

The situation on all battlefields is critical... which perfectly matches Yamanami Keisuke's judgment that "the enemy is preparing to decide the outcome today."

Seeing the messengers rushing to ask for help, Yamanami Keisuke's face turned extremely ugly.

Just holding this place is already difficult enough, so where would we find extra combat power to support other places?
The commander glanced sideways at Yamanami Keisuke, pondered for a moment, and then said in a deep voice, enunciating each word clearly:
"...Mr. Shannan, take all the soldiers here with you! Leave this place to me!"

Yamanami Keisuke was taken aback, and immediately retorted without hesitation:

"Shogun, are you insane?! Do you think you can guard this place all by yourself?!"

Souji grinned, revealing his signature bright smile:

"Don't worry, these shrimp soldiers and crab generals can't do anything to me!"

"Mr. Shannan, stop talking nonsense and hurry up and support the other battlefields! What's the point of us holding this place if other places fall?"

"I am the mighty 'Heavenly Sword,' who commands respect throughout the land. I alone can hold off all the enemy soldiers here! Trust me!"

In an instant, Keisuke Yamanami's facial expression was dominated by intense inner turmoil.

In the face of a severe shortage of combat power, the best strategy is to use as few troops as possible to hold off as many enemies as possible.

But... but...

"..."

After a moment of silence, Keisuke Yamanami took a deep breath.

"...Souji, I'm leaving this place in your care!"

Souji smiled:

"Don't worry, I've got this covered!"

Having made up his mind, Yamanami Keisuke no longer hesitated and shouted with his head held high:

"Everyone! Follow me! We're going to support other battlefields!"

Although some people disagreed with the order, they still obeyed it.

Soon, Yamanami Keisuke led all the soldiers away, leaving only Souji behind.

Seeing that only one opponent remained, the enemy soldiers, like cats drawn by the scent of blood, impatiently swarmed forward to kill him.

Looking at the enemies who were as numerous as weeds, Souji quietly held his sword in front of him.

"Alright, now that no one's bothering us, let's have a proper fight... You bunch of scum, bring it on!"

*******
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PS: A kind reader helped to count the number of scenes for each female lead in the book, and suddenly discovered that the number of times Souji's name appears is the sum of the number of times the other female leads' names appear. She is definitely the number one female lead!