I formed the strongest swordsman group.

Chapter 1189 Ogata Itsuki and reinforcements have arrived!

Otsu Castle, North Wall, somewhere—

Because the city walls here were the most thoroughly destroyed, they suffered the most intense attacks!
A messenger braved the hail of artillery fire, traversing layers of fire lines, and finally found Qingdeng.

"Lord Niou! Captain Okita has been taken to the rear due to exhaustion!"

Upon hearing this, Qing Deng's expression changed slightly, and he unconsciously tightened his grip on the knife.

"……I see."

After responding with this expressionless indifference, he quickly composed himself, suppressed the distracting thoughts in his mind, and then, without turning around, called out to Ozeki Masajiro behind him:
"Masajiro! Stay close to me!"

"Yes!"

After shouting, Masajiro Ozeki forcefully raised the military flag in his hand, and the huge character "诚" (chéng, meaning sincerity) fluttered in the wind.

Because of his great strength, good physique, and good looks, Masajiro Ozeki has always served as the standard-bearer of the Shinsengumi and has never been replaced.

To boost morale, Aoto specially transferred Ozeki Masajiro to carry the Honesty Flag and keep him by his side at all times.

In this way, the soldiers can see the fluttering banner of sincerity as soon as they look up, and then they can see the benevolent king leading the way!

In the blink of an eye, Qing Deng charged forward, unleashing streaks of dark purple sword light that emanated from him and spread outwards.

In the blink of an eye, more than a dozen enemy soldiers collapsed, spitting blood.

However... his bloody battles only gave him an advantage in the battles around him.

The situation in other positions remains far from optimistic!

The thing Qingdeng feared most still happened—no matter how powerful he was, he couldn't possibly cover every battlefield!
The reason this battle was so difficult was largely due to the British army's significant advantage in firearms.

Even Qingdeng often found it difficult to defend against sniper shots and artillery fire, let alone others.

The bravery and tenacity of the city's defenders are a perfect example of the word "unyielding".

But... they really reached their limit.

The battle lines retreated again and again, and they were about to give up the area around the city walls.

If we retreat any further, we'll have to retreat into the main castle!

Qingdeng alone was simply not enough to fundamentally change the course of the war.

The phrase "pressing down one gourd only to have another pop up" perfectly describes Qing Deng's valiant struggle—he had already calculated that even if he used his trump card, "the state of no self," he wouldn't be able to repel all the enemy forces from all directions before exhausting his strength.

He had already deployed his cavalry, his trump card, and had no reserves left.

With no reserves, the enemy was still advancing and the front line was still retreating... For Qingdeng and the defenders in the city, the moment of life and death had arrived!

At that moment, Harada Sanosuke, carrying his blood-dripping spear, hurriedly ran towards Aoto:
"Mr. Tachibana! A-Yi's situation isn't good! Please let me go help!"

Qingdeng nodded vigorously without hesitation:
"Okay, it's up to you!"

Harada Sanosuke grinned:
"Leave it to me!"

After hastily gathering more than ten soldiers, he rushed off to support Saito Hajime.

Suddenly—

boom!
A bullet was fired from a tricky angle, hitting Harada Sanosuke precisely in the abdomen and exiting through his back!

"Captain Harada!"

The soldiers around Harada Sanosuke gasped in unison.

Qing Deng hurriedly looked in the direction of the sound—and at the very end of his line of sight, he saw Harada Sanosuke lying on the ground.

"Sanosuke!"

As if by reflex, Qing Deng strode forward and arrived at Harada Sanosuke's side in the blink of an eye, helping him up.

Although only a moment had passed, Harada Sanosuke's face had already lost all color.

He mustered his strength, raised his hand to cover the gushing blood from his wound, grinned, and displayed a fearless and composed expression:
"Hehe... Mr. Ju... don't worry... this little injury won't do anything to me..."

"I'm... someone who can survive even seppuku... an 'immortal'..."

"Back in the day... before I became a ronin who had left his domain... when I was still an official in the Matsuyama Domain of Iyo... there was this annoying fellow who slandered me as a 'petty clerk who didn't even know how to commit seppuku'..."

Before he could finish speaking, he was too weak to continue.

Qingdeng looked up and shouted to the surrounding team members:
"Quickly take Sanosuke to the rear! Let Mr. Nanjo (Nanjo Akizaburo) treat him!"

The soldiers didn't dare to delay. They first did a simple hemostasis for Harada Sanosuke to slow down the bleeding, and then they hurriedly carried him to the rear.

Qing Deng didn't even have time to watch Harada Sanosuke leave... He frowned deeply, looking serious.

With Harada Sanosuke's injury and withdrawal from the battle, the already dire situation became even worse!

Souji is exhausted, Harada Sanosuke is injured, Yamanami Keisuke is elsewhere, Saito Hajime is in a tough battle... There are almost no people left around him who can be entrusted with important tasks!
After a brief moment of deep thought, Qingdeng lowered his eyelids, and a strange light gradually appeared in his eyes.

Just as he was preparing to enter a state of "selflessness" and make a desperate gamble—

"You're members of the Sixth Division, right? What's with your limp movements? I don't remember my subordinates being this weak!"

A familiar voice reached Qingdeng's ears.

Qingdeng was startled, turned his head, and stared in astonishment at the familiar figure.

"Uncle Yuan?"

Inoue Genzaburo forced a smile at Aoto while leaning on his cane.

"Tachibana-kun, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting."

The familiar figures that came into Qing Deng's view were not limited to Inoue Genzaburo.

Kondo Isami, Todo Heisuke, Serizawa Kamo... all the soldiers who should have been resting in the rear due to their injuries appeared before him!

They were still wrapped in thick burlap, their faces were extremely pale, and they walked as if floating.

Even so, they still held their weapons tightly!
"What are you doing here? Go back! Look at you all..."

Before Qing Deng could finish speaking, Kondo Isami chuckled a few times and interrupted:
"At a point like this, who cares about anything else?"

Heisuke Todo followed immediately:

"Although we are not fully recovered, we are more than capable of wielding our swords and killing the enemy!"

Serizawa Kamo pouted:
"After lying in bed for so many days, my body is practically rusted!"

In a short while, the surrounding soldiers noticed their captains returning, and were both surprised and invigorated.

Seeing Kondo Isami and the others displaying a willingness to die, Aoto pursed his lips, the strange light in his eyes gradually fading, replaced by a strong determination.

"...Masajiro, give me the Honesty Flag!"

Upon hearing this, Masajiro Ozeki, though confused, obediently handed the military flag in his hand to Aoto.

Qingdeng reached out and took it, then forcefully shoved it into the ground.

"Listen up, everyone wearing a light blue haori!"

Upon hearing this, all the Shinsengumi soldiers present perked up their ears.

The enemy soldiers were also drawn by the sudden shout.

"As you can see, the current situation is far from optimistic!"

"But this suits me perfectly!"

"The Shinsengumi, which I built from scratch, is a formidable force that grows stronger with each setback!"

"The more difficult the battle, the more we can demonstrate our abilities!"

"Today's battle is the enemy's last counterattack!"

"The enemy has poured everything into this battle today! Winning today's battle will be our victory!"

"From this moment forward! No one, no matter who they are, is allowed to abandon this flag!"

"What you need to do next is very simple! Charge forward! Kill every enemy you encounter! Kill every enemy within your line of sight!"

"To die is an honor, to live is a disgrace!"

"If anyone is out of strength, step aside! Leave the honor of 'breaking through enemy lines and capturing the flag' and 'turning the tide' to us!"

With the added advantage of being a "failed art student" with a talent bonus, the short speech produced an immediate effect.

Looking up, every Shinsengumi member wearing a light blue haori was full of spirit and had a fighting spirit in their eyes.

Aoto turned to look at Kondo and the others:
"Yo, Genji, Heisuke, Serizawa, each of you lead your teams and break through the enemy lines!"

Kondo Isami and the others raised their heads with eager expressions and drew their swords.

Qingdeng raised Vairocana, stepped forward, and his light blue haori fluttered open.

"Shinsengumi! Follow me!"

……

……

The Northern Expeditionary Army and the British Army's camp—

The Yamata no Orochi sat cross-legged on the ground, with Ōtakemaru, Tamamo-no-Mae, Ōtakemaru's sister O-Rin, and a weathered middle-aged man standing by his side.

"Itsumade, thank you for your hard work. It must have been very difficult for you to come all this way to participate in the war, right?"

Itsumade... that is, the middle-aged man, shook his head.

"Lord Orochi, you are too kind. On the contrary, we should express our sincere gratitude to you."

"Thank you for giving us the opportunity to repay the kindness of the law-punishing party and to avenge ourselves against the shogunate."

"It is our long-cherished wish to personally slay the shogunate's lackeys."

Just from his name, one can tell that he is one of the few remaining cadres of the Fazhu Party. This person is specifically responsible for managing and training the "suicide squad".

[Note: Itsumade: A creature with a human face, snake body, and bird wings, whose cry sounds like "When will it be?" It often appears during plagues, representing the resentment of those who starve to death.]

To ensure their loyalty and fighting spirit, the assassins of the Fazhu Party, scattered among the people, all harbored a deep-seated hatred for the Edo Shogunate.

This is why they displayed such strong cohesion and fearlessness when attacking the important stronghold of the shogunate (Otsu Castle).

Itsumade gazed at the distant Otsu Castle and sighed deeply.

"...This group of suicide soldiers is the last armed force of our Fazhu Party...If they are all wiped out, all our efforts over the past ten years will have been in vain..."

The eight-headed serpent smiled calmly, remaining silent. Tamamo-no-Mae frowned.
"So much time has passed, and Otsu Castle still stands... Has the battle not yet been decided...?"

Both the Northern Expeditionary Army and the British Army mobilized all their forces today, without holding back anything.

It is worth mentioning that although the Fazhu Party dispatched a "suicide squad", it retained its strongest "trump card" - namely, Ōtakemaru.

Naturally, some people expressed their confusion and demanded an explanation from Orochi.

At that moment, the eight-headed serpent shrugged:

"To be honest, I have repeatedly advised him not to worry about me and to go to the front lines to help fight, but he simply won't listen to me."

Immediately afterwards, with Aliya acting as translator, Ōtakemaru gave a reason that shocked everyone—the Yamata no Orochi didn't have much time left, and he wanted to stay by its side until the very end.

Considering that Ootengu was born deaf and mute and had a way of thinking that was completely different from ordinary people, coupled with his terrifying strength that was beyond the norm, no one dared to mess with him, so the matter was left unresolved.

In conclusion, excluding Ōtakemaru who was unwilling to fight for special reasons, the "Northern Expeditionary Army," the British Army, and the French Extermination Party had truly exhausted all their strength and could no longer send out a single soldier.

But as a result... the battle raged on until the sun was almost high in the sky, yet victory was still not in sight, and the fierce siege continued!
"..."

Suddenly, Ōtakemaru narrowed his eyes and stared intently at Ōtsu Castle.

A moment later, he made a few strange hand gestures to Ah Ling.

Only Orochi and Rin can understand Ōtakemaru's eyes and sign language.

A-Ling glanced at Ōtakemaru's hand gesture, then turned to Tamamo-no-Mae and Itsumade to translate:
He said the city had become a bloody battlefield.

……

……

hum!
Due to the excessively fast cutting speed, the blade produced a slight vibration.

call out!
The sweeping slash not only severed the air but also cut through the bodies of several enemy soldiers.

Wailing, screams, roars, hissing... all sorts of sounds mingled together.

Slashing, stabbing, shooting, grappling... a continuous barrage of attacks could be seen everywhere.

Led by Aoto, the Shinsengumi launched a fierce and overwhelming attack on the enemy! They trampled over layers upon layers of corpses, their bodies and clothes covered in blood!
It was both an inspiration from Qingdeng and a release of the pressure that had accumulated over the past few days.

Those with muskets, fire!

Those with swords or knives slashed.

Those who had no weapons raised their fists and used the most primitive weapons to kill the enemy!
"We are the invincible Shinsengumi! You bunch of losers think you can fight us?!"

"Is this all the people you have?! Get out of the city and call for reinforcements! This small number isn't enough for me to kill!"

"Follow Lord Niou!"

Having just escaped from the hospital, Kondo Isami and his comrades all displayed a "life or death" spirit, completely disregarding their still-healing wounds, and always charged ahead.

"Cough! Cough cough! Cough!"

After killing another enemy soldier, Kondo Isami suddenly felt his old wound flare up, his head throbbed with pain, and his legs went weak, almost causing him to kneel down. Fortunately, he managed to support Nagasone Kotetsu on the ground, which helped him maintain his balance.

"This guy's out of energy!"

"Come on!"

In the blink of an eye, several enemy soldiers attacked from multiple directions.

Kondo Isami gritted his teeth and forced a cold laugh through them:

"Out of energy...? Who do you think I am...? I am the commander of the Shinsengumi... the fourth head of the Tennen Rishin-ryu main family... Kondo Isami!"

With a sudden rise in pitch, Kondo Isami straightened up, and the Nagasone Kotetsu in his hand drew a long arc in mid-air, cutting down all the approaching enemy soldiers.

Similar scenarios also occurred with Inoue Genzaburo, Todo Heisuke, and others.

If even they are like this, then Qingdeng is even more so.

Although he had not yet entered the "state of selflessness", he suddenly unleashed a power he had never had before!

The dark purple light flashed incessantly, unleashing one slash after another, killing one enemy soldier after another.

No one can keep up with his slashing speed; no one can stop his attacks.

As long as he raises his blade, one or more enemy soldiers will surely die a horrible death!
At this moment, Qing Deng only had two things in his eyes—the knife in his hand and the enemy that had entered his slashing range!

They fought until they forgot about time, until they lost all sense of what the world was...

Suddenly, he heard Toudou Heisuke's excited shout:
"Mr. Tachibana! Mr. Tachibana! The enemy has retreated! The enemy has retreated!"

Upon hearing this sound, Qingdeng calmed down slightly and stared intently—the enemy soldiers were retreating in full force. Apart from a small rearguard, the rest of the enemy soldiers rushed out of the city and soon disappeared from Qingdeng and the others' sight.

However, Qing Deng did not show any joy.

He said in a deep voice, his face expressionless:
"...We haven't won yet. The enemy has only temporarily retreated and will attack again after a short rest."

……

……

"it hurts……"

"The doctor...the doctor hasn't come yet..."

"Come on, eat."

"No... I can't eat anything right now..."

"Eat quickly, there's a fierce battle to fight later."

"Are we going to die here...?"

"I'm so unwilling to accept this... We were so close to victory..."

"Although it was a short time, I am proud to have fought alongside you. You are all remarkable men."

"Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu"

……

More than half an hour has passed since the enemy temporarily withdrew.

As time passed, an atmosphere of panic and despair spread throughout the city like a plague...

With the battle situation having deteriorated to such a state, it was clear to anyone that both the regular army and the militia within the city had fallen into a tragic state of utter despair...

In short, the city is about to fall!

The desperate counterattack launched by Aoto just now successfully repelled the enemy, but it also completely depleted the Shinsengumi's remaining strength.

On the other hand, the enemy... clearly still has some strength left...

Once the enemy has finished resting and launched a new offensive... that will most likely be the moment when Dajin City falls!
As the atmosphere of despair in the city grew increasingly intense, Aoto, who was resting near the north wall of Otsu Castle, was surrounded by Kondo Isami and others.

Kondo Isami stepped forward and said in a deep voice:
"Mr. Orange, I'll be frank. You should leave the city now."

Leaving the city—it's a euphemism, but everyone knows its true meaning.

Qingdeng chuckled to himself:

"Hey, are you trying to brand me a 'coward'? I'd rather die on the front lines than do something so shameful. Let me make it clear beforehand, don't even think about using force against me. Although I'm exhausted right now, I can still easily subdue you all."

Todo Heisuke sighed softly:
"I told you long ago, Mr. Tachibana would never agree to this."

Inoue Genzaburo took a deep breath:

"If that's the case, then let's fight to the bitter end!"

Saito said calmly:
"Mr. Ju, if you want to fight, we'll fight you to the bitter end!"

Qingdeng calmly turned his gaze to the fearless crowd, a half-smile playing on his lips, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes.

"...Zanako, gather all the warhorses that are still usable, and all the cavalry that are still able to move!"

……

……

The cheerful atmosphere outside the city and the despairing atmosphere inside the city formed a stark contrast.

The officers of the Northern Expeditionary Army and the British Army were all beaming with joy, as if they were now standing at the very top of the main fortress of Otsu City.

"After so many days of fierce fighting, victory is finally within reach!"

"We finally won! It was so hard-won!"

"It is thanks to everyone's concerted efforts that we have achieved today's victory!"

"Victory!"

……

No wonder they were so excited.

The impregnable fortress before them was finally about to fall; the efforts and pressure of the past month were finally paying off; their hateful nemesis (Qingdeng) was finally about to be defeated... Their ecstatic joy was only to be expected.

Even Yamata no Orochi, Tamamo-no-Mae, and others couldn't help but show signs of relaxation and relief.

But... at that moment, without any warning, Ōtakemaru's expression suddenly changed.

As if sensing something, he quickly turned his head, squinted, and stared intently at the eastern horizon...

……

……

On the horizon east of Otsu Castle—

Tap tap, tap tap, tap tap, tap tap, tap tap...

The sound of horses' hooves pounding the earth rose and fell.

A large contingent of cavalry slowly emerged on the horizon like a surging tide.

Chiba Jutaro craned his neck and asked impatiently:

Have we made it in time?

Ogata smiled slightly:
"Just in time."

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