I formed the strongest swordsman group.

Chapter 946: The Shogunate vs. the Fauci Alliance! A life-and-death street fight! [Leopard Update 6K6]

Somewhere west of Edo——

Cannons pointed obliquely toward the sky.

Flames spewed out of the black muzzle.

The shell that shot out of the barrel drew a beautiful parabola in the air and then fell heavily into Edo Town.

In an instant, the sound of explosions one after another spread throughout Edo and beyond.

For the Fachi coalition, this is truly the last battle.

The surprise attack on Nagoya, the destruction of Sunpu, the attack and defense of Hachioji... After this series of bloody battles, the current Edo siege is undoubtedly the last battle of the "Amano Spear"!
For this battle, Choshu endured humiliation and bore heavy burdens.

The Fazhu Party had been preparing for this battle for a long time.

All this hard work, all this sacrifice... is all for this battle!
At this point, there is no need to save ammunition.

Therefore, Shuten-doji specifically sent an order to the artillery team: Fire as hard as you can! Use up all the shells!
……

……

The main camp of the Faqi coalition——

Shuten-doji put his hands behind his back, looked ahead expressionlessly, and stared at the devastated Edo.

Katsura Kogoro stood beside him, holding up the telescope in his hand, carefully looking at every street and every corner of Edo.

After a moment, he put down the telescope and said slowly:

“Edo has completely changed.”

"The streets were widened, and densely packed houses were demolished... It was a really drastic transformation."

"In this way, even if a fire breaks out somewhere, it will be difficult for the fire to spread."

"I'm afraid we can't count on Zhurong's power."

How to capture Edo - Regarding this issue, the generals of the Faqi coalition held countless meetings and discussed a large number of tactics together.

Of course, most of them are delusions and extravagant fantasies that can only exist in the mind and mouth and can never be realized.

However, there are some tactics that have gained widespread recognition - one of which is fire attack!
They planned to take advantage of the Edo people's fear of fire and launch a fire attack with the help of intensive artillery rain.

In this way, they could destroy most of the Edo defenders without losing a single soldier.

However... judging from the current situation, their plan has failed.

Although time was tight, under the personal command of Katsurintaro, the major renovation of the entire Edo town was finally completed before the war!
The reason why the renovation was completed so quickly was largely due to the "ease of dismantling" of Edo buildings.

Because they are all wooden buildings, it is very easy to dismantle.

A few swings of the hammer will break the pillar.

Hang a few ropes on the wall and pull it down with force.

During this period, the soldiers of Edo's town fire brigade...also known as the "fire brigade" provided great help.

When it comes to demolishing houses, they are professionals!

Just like that, thanks to Katsurintaro's "Great Edo Renovation", Edo's fire resistance increased greatly!
It was obvious that the fire attack by the French and Qi coalition forces could no longer be carried out.

At this moment, Katsura Kogoro suddenly discovered that Shuten-doji beside him had a half-smile on his face, as if he was thinking about something.

When facing Shuten-doji, Katsura Kogoro never behaves in a "polite", "tactful" or "subtle" manner.

He asked directly:

"Shuten-doji, what's wrong? Why do you have such an intriguing expression?"

Shuten-doji shrugged.

"Nothing. I just...feel a little emotional."

He took a deep breath, and a look of pride appeared on his face.

"Katsura-kun, look! Edo is right in front of us!"

"This castle town is not only the base of the Edo Shogunate, but also the symbol of the Tokugawa family!"

"And now, our artillery is ravaging this town!"

"In a few moments, our soldiers will charge and start the battle to 'destroy the shogunate.'"

"The Toyotomi family, Amakusa Shiro, Oshio Heihachiro... countless forces and heroes could not achieve their goals, but we have achieved them."

"I can't help being excited just thinking about this!"

"Whether this battle succeeds or fails, it is destined to go down in history!"

At the end of his words, a flush of excitement filled his cheeks and his eyes sparkled.

Compared to him, Katsura Kogoro's reaction was much calmer.

He has no such romantic sentiment.

He has no interest in the so-called "recording in history".

Even after listening to Shuten-doji's impassioned speech, he did not express anything and remained expressionless.

At this moment, he had only one thought: defeat the shogunate and save Choshu! Then he could realize his dream of respecting the emperor and expelling the barbarians!

Just then, a series of deafening noises interrupted their conversation.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

It was the sound of artillery shells exploding.

However, these shells did not fall towards Edo, but fell beside them!

The powerful shock wave stirred up the dust and hit Shuten Douji and Katsura Kogoro like a huge wave.

The two reacted quickly and crouched down.

Soon, the shock wave dissipated and the dust fell back to the ground.

"Kui-kun, are you hurt?"

"What did you say?!"

"Are you hurt?!"

"I'm fine! My ears just hurt!"

Although the two were not injured, the loud noise of the exploding shells caused pain in their ears, and a buzzing sound like the hum of a mosquito was produced deep in the ear holes.

There is no way their hearing will recover in the short term.

They had to shout at the top of their lungs to barely hear each other's voices.

Katsura Kogoro wiped his face to remove the stains, raised his eyes, stared straight at Edo in the distance, and muttered:
"They fought back...!"

……

……

Edo, a certain fort——

"Hurry up and bring the shells!"

"Don't panic! Don't be nervous!"

"Do what you normally do in training now!"

Young and agile figures moved between the guns, operating the cannons skillfully.

Cleaning the gun barrel, loading gunpowder, compacting the shells... every action and every process is so skillful.

"Saito of Power" Saito Yakuro ran back and forth among his disciples, supervising whether their movements and processes were standard, and speaking out to boost morale.

"Fire! Fire!"

"Don't be stingy with the shells! There are plenty of them!"

"Let the enemy army see the power of our 'Saito-style artillery'!"

In a short while, all the guns completed reloading and were ready - the second round of shelling began!

boom! boom! boom! boom! boom! boom! boom! boom! boom! boom!
One shell after another rose high into the air.

The blinding flames from the gun's muzzle briefly replaced the sun's brightness.

Saito Yajiro raised his head, his eyes wide open, staring blankly at the rain of artillery fire flying over Edo, falling into the distance, and crashing into the enemy's camp. Countless emotions flowed in his eyes.

He himself did not realize that at this moment, his mouth was grinning, and all the wrinkles and folds on his face were squeezed into a ball, making him look extremely happy.

At this time, his eldest son, the second-generation master of the training hall, Saito Shintaro, walked forward, stood side by side with his father, and looked up at the sky together.

"Father, that's great. The artillery team you worked so hard to train finally has a place to use its skills."

Saito Yakuro did not reply, but just nodded vigorously, his expression becoming more and more emotional.

Among all the swordsmen in Edo, Saito Yakuro definitely deserves the description of "alternative".

After the outbreak of the "Black Ship Incident", any person with lofty ideals could realize that the world had changed and that it was no longer an age of swords.

However, not every swordsman could accept this sudden change.

Either they are unwilling to admit the backwardness of swords, or they do not have the energy to try out new things.

The only exception is Saito Yakuro.

Now 66 years old, he is considered one of the oldest swordsmen in Edo.

Logically speaking, as the "Saito of Power" who was feared in Edo, his dedication and love for swordsmanship would never be inferior to anyone else.

However, the "Black Ship Incident" made him realize that cannons were the best weapon on the battlefield.

So he immediately gave up swordsmanship and without hesitation handed over the training hall he had painstakingly built to his eldest son Saito Shintaro. He then purchased 3000 tsubo of land in Yoyogi, where he practiced building artillery with his disciples, devoted himself to studying artillery, and enthusiastically started a new business.

Although he is already quite old, his thinking is not rigid. He dares to embrace new things and resolutely gives up the skills he has practiced for decades...

This vision and decisiveness are truly admirable.

What is even more commendable is that Saito Yakuro’s research on artillery was not just for fun, but he really made some achievements!
When the shogunate built a battery for the defense of Edo Bay in Odaiba, Shinagawa, it specially hired Yataro Saito to carry out the surveying and supervision tasks.

Today, he is called upon again to repel the Fauqui coalition.

This time, it was no longer just him who was recruited, but the entire "Saito Artillery Team" that he had trained!
Saito Yakuro did not hesitate at all. He immediately nodded in agreement and led all his disciples to join the battle!
This was the first time he and his artillery team participated in actual combat.

Watching the shells firing out of the gun and falling onto the enemy positions, his heart was filled with a strong sense of pride and satisfaction.

For industrialists like him, nothing can make them more excited than achieving results and having their careers recognized!
The father and son stood side by side and quietly watched this memorable scene.

At this moment, Saito Shintaro seemed to remember something and his expression changed slightly.

Then he turned his head, lowered his voice, and spoke to Saito Yakuro with a complicated expression.

"...Father, I heard that Guijun...Guijun is just across the street..."

As he finished speaking, a strange look suddenly appeared on Saito Yakuro's face.

Katsura-kun... that is, Katsura Kogoro, he was originally a disciple of the training hall.

In other words, he is a disciple of Saito Yakuro.

Saito Yakuro highly values ​​him because of his excellent talent in swordsmanship and outstanding strength.

Not only did he train him vigorously, he even made him serve as the teacher's representative at the military training hall.

It is obvious how much he values ​​Katsura Kogoro.

The former master and disciple are now fighting each other... It is difficult to describe Saito Yakuro's current mood with specific words.

Although his emotions and demeanor became unstable, he returned to his previous calm state in the blink of an eye.

Then, he said in a tone that was neither sad nor happy:

"… Shintaro, don't have any unnecessary thoughts."

"'Renbeikan Teacher Katsura Kogoro' is no longer in existence."

"The one standing opposite us is 'Choshu Patriot Katsura Kogoro'!"

"I don't know what Guijun is feeling now."

"But I am sure that for today and for this battle, he must be fully prepared to die at any time!"

"Since he has already realized this, we must naturally respond with the same firm determination!"

“Shintaro, if you meet him next time, don’t hesitate, and don’t care about the old relationship! Just swing your sword! Swing it hard! Do your best to defeat him!”

Saito Shintaro was shocked when he heard this, and nodded vigorously with a serious expression:
"Yes...I understand!"

……

……

At this moment, in addition to Saito Yakuro's artillery, the Komu Army's artillery also fired back. "Up 2 degrees! Left 4 degrees! Fire!"

Kobukan artillery instructor Akiho Takashima gave precise instructions in an orderly manner.

Unlike Saito Yakuro who changed his career late, Takashima Akiho, who is also 66 years old, is a true master of artillery!

When he was young, he studied Dutch studies and military affairs, learned gunpowder artillery technology from the Dutch, mastered the essentials, and created Western-style high island artillery techniques. In addition, he was also proficient in the organization and tactics of infantry, cavalry, and artillery.

As far as the ability to fire cannons is concerned, no one in Japan can match him!
Under his command, artillery shells fell accurately into the enemy positions.

There was no huge gap between the two sides in terms of the density of the artillery rain or the accuracy of the artillery shells.

For a while, the artillery teams of the two armies fought back and forth, with the results being evenly matched.

The cannons were roaring, the bullets were flying... The movement in the air was extremely terrifying, as if a giant was taking big strides in the air, sometimes rushing towards Edo, sometimes rushing towards the position of the Faqi coalition.

The soldiers of the Fachi coalition are all well-trained elite soldiers.

No matter how fierce or intense the artillery rain was, it could not affect their morale in the slightest.

Not only that, they had just experienced the extremely brutal Battle of Hachioji not long ago.

In other words, those who are still alive are veterans who have seen blood and tasted the bitterness of the battlefield.

People who often fight in wars know that as long as they have experienced actual combat... even just one actual combat, the psychological quality of the soldiers will undergo earth-shaking changes.

Of course, this change often presents two polarizations - either becoming extremely fragile and preferring to die rather than go to the battlefield again; or becoming extremely strong and becoming an excellent soldier who can adapt to various battlefield environments.

No matter how the Edo defenders fired their artillery, the soldiers of the French and Qi coalition forces remained standing.

They stayed quietly in the bomb shelter, waiting for the artillery battle to pass.

In comparison, Edo is...

"Aaaaaaah! Aaaaaaah! Aaaaaaah!"

"Don't scream! Don't run!"

"It's on fire! It's on fire!"

"Don't panic! This little flame won't spread! There's nothing to be afraid of!"

"Nanny! Nanny! Where are you, Nanny?!"

"That's enough! How old are you? Do you still need a wet nurse?"

"I don't care! I want my nanny! Nanny! Where are you?!"

"I can't stand it anymore! I want to leave! Let me go!"

"Come back soon! Stop running around!"

……

Chaos.

And it's a mess that makes people laugh and cry.

Some people were like crazy, shouting and screaming non-stop.

Some people cried bitterly, repeatedly shouting "Mom", and many even called "nanny".

Some people ran around in all directions, even running into the enemy's barrage of bullets.

Facts have proved that the direct referees are indeed a pile of useless mud.

The direct soldiers also resisted Tokugawa Iemochi's order of "forced participation in the war" and tried to evade military service.

However, the basis of this order is exactly the "laws of our ancestors" that the direct advisors often mention.

According to ancestral laws, it is natural for "warriors to go to the battlefield."

It's well-reasoned and there's nothing wrong with it.

No matter how hard they tried, they could not find anything to refute.

Besides, even the shogun himself did not leave Edo. It would be unjustifiable for them, his subjects, to escape.

Since they had no choice but to fight, they decided to fight in the most handsome and majestic image possible, and never bring disgrace to their family!

Just like that, they all put on their battle feather robes, chain mail, and ancestral armor... they looked so gorgeous.

Those who do not have these equipments, or those who have already sold them, can only go to the weapons shop to purchase them.

The arms dealers in Edo took the opportunity to make a fortune.

Of course, a big part of the reason they were fully armed was to protect themselves.

Wearing one more piece of armor can increase your chances of survival a little bit.

A similar scene also occurred when the "Black Ship Incident" broke out.

At that time, word spread among the people in Edo that "the barbarians are about to attack."

In order to survive the impending "barbarian invasion", a large number of warriors - who were used to a comfortable life and some of them even sold their swords - flocked to the weapon shop to urgently purchase equipment, almost tearing down the threshold of the weapon shop.

To this day, arms dealers in Edo still reminisce about the "Black Ship Incident."

It is even more comical because the direct officials are dressed so gorgeously and majestically.

Although they were dressed properly, they looked so ugly in the hail of enemy artillery fire...

The direct officials once again proved the characteristics of human history with practical actions: no matter how powerful a military group is, once it has a stable income and lives a comfortable life, it will sooner or later become a useless waste.

……

……

About half an hour later——

Edo, Mt. Atago——

The useless guys are dressed like decent people.

Katsurintaro, who is the leading actor, is dressed very simply.

He wore no armor, only a coat of mail under his clothes.

As the deputy governor and actual commander of the Edo Siege War, the responsibility on his shoulders was far beyond the imagination of most people.

He is undoubtedly the person who feels the most pressure at this time.

In order to facilitate command, he set up his main camp on Atago Mountain, south of Edo Castle.

This is the highest point in Edo, with a wide view overlooking the entire town of Edo, which is conducive to observing the battlefield and conveying commands.

"Master Katsu! Yanagimachi is on fire!"

"Master Katsu! The fire in Denma Town has been brought under control!"

"Master Sheng! Apart from the bombardment, the enemy has not made any new moves!"

……

Messengers came and went in an endless stream.

Countless pieces of information and intelligence were gathered before the Katsurintaro case.

The artillery bombardment by the French and Qi coalition forces had lasted for a full half hour.

During this half hour, their artillery rain never stopped.

Of course, the Edo defenders’ artillery rain never stopped!
The artillery battle between the two sides turned the positions of both armies into a mess.

Let’s not discuss the position of the French and Qi coalition forces for now.

Anyway, all the major streets of Edo had been ravaged by the rain of artillery fire.

There were ruins everywhere and flames illuminated the entire town of Edo...it was a horrible sight.

Even in the West today, the staff system is just emerging.

Without the help of his staff, Katsurintaro could only analyze and process the information on his own, and then issue military orders and command troops based on this information.

At this moment, he frowned, stared at the Edo map in front of him, and his mind was working rapidly.

After a while, he turned his head suddenly and shouted to the messenger beside him:

"Let the defenders of Nihonbashi prepare! It won't be long before the real battle begins!"

Suddenly, as if in response to his cry, the outside world suddenly became quiet.

The Edo defenders were still firing, but the artillery fire from the opposite side had stopped.

This sudden change stunned Katsurintaro.

This daze was only temporary. He quickly came to his senses and muttered through gritted teeth:

“Has it started…?”

……

……

"Kill!" (Russian)

"Special Forces, follow me!"

The soldiers of the French and Qi coalition forces crawled out of the bullet shelter, advanced to the east, and launched a charge towards Edo!

The reason they stopped shelling was simple—they had run out of shells!

The artillery team faithfully carried out Shuten-doji's orders and fired all the shells, not leaving a single one.

This is the final battle that determines the success or failure of the "Amano Spear".

Therefore, there is no need for a main camp, nor is there a need for any reserve team!
The entire army, including Shuten Douji and Katsura Kogoro, all went into battle!
A real total attack!
Soon, the town at the western end of Edo - the famous Shinjuku - came into their sight.

Because it is located in Edo, merchants and travelers coming to Edo along the "Five Roads" often stayed here, which is the origin of the name "Shinjuku".

For this reason, Shinjuku was home to a large number of post stations and was one of the most densely populated areas in Edo.

Katsurintaro's "Great Edo Reconstruction" resulted in the demolition of most of the houses here and the significant widening of the streets.

It is not difficult to see that quite a number of shells fell here.

The dense artillery rain from the French and Qi coalition forces turned the huge city of Shinjuku into a sea of ​​fire.

The houses on both sides of the street either collapsed or burned, and there were only a few intact buildings.

Seeing the enemy attacking, the defenders who had been waiting here for a long time immediately raised their guns.

"put!"

boom! boom! boom! boom! boom! boom! boom! boom! boom!
The barrage of comments is whistling.

As blood rained down, the French and Qi coalition forces raised their guns and fought back despite suffering casualties.

boom! boom! boom! boom! boom! boom! boom! boom! boom! boom!
Two waves of barrages alternately tore through the air, bringing death.

After closing the distance, several figures rushed out from the Faqi coalition - they were the Fazhu Party cadres headed by Sukuna!
They leapt into the ranks of the Edo defenders, brandished their weapons, and slaughtered lives with devastating force.

In an instant, gaps appeared in the defense line of the Shinjuku defenders.

The follow-up troops followed up in time and further widened the gaps.

The resistance of the Shinjuku defenders was tenacious and their fighting will was brave.

However, they were at a disadvantage both in terms of troop size and individual soldier quality.

What's more, the Faqi coalition has top masters like Shuten Douji and Katsura Kogoro to help.

Just like that, in less than 10 minutes, Shinjuku fell!

"Don't stop! Keep moving forward! We won't be considered victorious until we completely capture Edo Castle and kill Tokugawa Iemochi!"

While Shuten-doji wiped off the remaining blood on the blade, he led the soldiers towards the towering Edo Castle!
As soon as they broke through Shinjuku, they were immediately attacked again!
Accompanied by hurried footsteps, countless Shogunate soldiers rushed out from the streets, alleys, houses and other places, blocking the way of the French and Qi coalition forces and launching a heavy offensive!

It was a grand scene when more than 2,000 soldiers of the French and Qi coalition galloped across the wilderness.

But after entering Edo, their limited military force was no longer enough.

Edo was a large area, with complex building layouts and street directions.

While walking in the criss-crossing streets and alleys, they were subjected to fierce attacks from the Shogunate army... As a result, the formation of the French and Qi coalition forces became longer and longer.

Gradually, the huge army was forced to break up into countless small teams.

The number of people in a team can be as large as hundreds or as small as a dozen.

They were scattered all over Edo, fighting freely!

There are no tactics, no strategies, and no distance between the two armies... It's just a matter of encountering the enemy, fighting, and repeating over and over again!
Find the enemy, kill him, and then find the next enemy... Either drive the Faqi coalition out of Edo, or defeat the Shogunate army and capture Edo Castle!
The brutal and fierce street fighting slowly unfolds!

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Book friends who have monthly tickets, please be sure to vote for this book! (crying leopard head.jpg) This month's leopard is really working hard! He deserves to be rewarded! Please vote for the monthly ticket! Please recommend! (crying leopard head.jpg)

PS: The various foreshadowings and hidden threads in the previous chapter are now slowly being recovered. The special mention of "Saito Yakuro is good at artillery" before was a preparation for this chapter.