I formed the strongest swordsman group.

Chapter 949: Akasaka Gate is destroyed! Elodie is in danger! [5600]

Akasaka Gate is located to the west of Edo Castle, not far from Yotsuya Gate.

The Faqi coalition forces came from the west, and Akasaka Gomon was located in such a position... it could be said that they had directly run into the enemy's front!
It is no exaggeration to say that Akasaka Gomon is one of the important locations with the greatest defensive pressure and the most intense fighting among the "Thirty-six Mitsuke"!

For such an important position, it is natural to send a powerful and trustworthy force to guard it.

At this moment, this unit is fighting bravely! Drive every enemy soldier out of Akasaka Gate!
……

……

Edo, Akasaka Gate——

The two armies engaged in a fierce tug of war over the Koryo Gate (the first city gate) of Akasaka Palace.

On one side is a group of fierce and powerful troops that are determined to break through the Akasaka Gate.

The other side steadfastly steadied themselves at the city gate, refusing to give in even a little.

The city gates were littered with broken corpses.

A huge amount of blood flowed onto the ground, staining the ground and making it lose its original color.

The pungent smell of blood filled the air, making it difficult to breathe.

Such a scene, such a situation, silently announced the intensity of the battle.

In a split second, another wave of enemy soldiers rushed up aggressively.

With the help of "The Decisive Battle of Dian", the enemy's morale has been in a rather strange state.

Even if they suffer extremely heavy casualties, they will not retreat easily.

Even if they are temporarily defeated, they will quickly regroup and attack again.

Facing this vast horde of enemies, an old male voice suddenly rang out from the Korean gate of the Akasaka Imperial Gate:

"Elodie! Let's go!"

The girl responded loudly:

"Yes!"

The next moment, an old man and a woman slid forward and collided head-on with the enemy soldiers!

Thanks to Kondo Shusuke's careful grinding, Yamato-kami Yasunari's blade returned to its excellent condition of being able to cut through iron like mud, and the captivating cold light shot into the eyes of the enemy soldiers.

Elodie makes the most of her advantages: her small stature, nimble feet and agility.

Before the enemy soldiers could react, the golden ponytail appeared in their sight.

Yamato-no-kami held the blade steady in midair, and for a moment it remained still—the next moment, it swept out like a hurricane! In one breath, it cut out a fan-shaped arc of blood!
Before the arc of blood completely dissipated, Elodi immediately slashed out with the second knife, and another arc of blood shot out.

Two arcs of blood formed a fleeting "X" shape.

Drops of blood fell on her cheeks, making her skin look even whiter.

To be honest, even today, she still feels worried and afraid when she steps onto the battlefield.

But after holding Yamato-mori tightly and facing the vast enemy horde, all these negative emotions disappeared.

What replaces it is a strong sense of responsibility and mission!

With this thought, her eyes became more determined and her strikes became more decisive.

Her current level of strength is far from being called a swordsman, at best she can only be called a "sword master".

In comparison, the swordsmanship displayed by Kondo Shusuke beside her is the skill of a true swordsman!

The old man was seen tightly grasping the Er Wang Qing Shi in his palm, his slender eyes opened a slit, and rays of brilliance shot out from them.

"Old friend... please lend me a hand...!"

After muttering this, he held up the Er Wang Qingshi in his hand and assumed a Qingyan stance.

Then--

Puff! Puff! Puff! Puff!
Four cutting sounds were heard almost simultaneously.

The old man passed through the gap between four enemy soldiers, leaving four streaks of sword light behind him.

The knife light has not yet faded, but blood has already splattered.

He continued to swing his sword with great momentum, and pounced on the next enemy soldier like a mountain falling on his head.

The current Kondo Shusuke seemed like a different person.

On weekdays, he always appears to be "lazy" and "injured".

If it weren't explained, people who didn't know him would never guess that he was a swordsman.

In fact, it is easy to imagine that a swordsman who can become the head of a school that pursues actual combat cannot be a soft persimmon.
Although he was an old man over 70 years old, his life for the first 60 years was so uneventful and comfortable that there is almost nothing to describe.

Before the outbreak of the "Black Ship Incident", Japan under the rule of the shogunate was not a prosperous era of peace and prosperity, but fortunately no major wars occurred.

Without war, there would naturally be no opportunity for swordsmen to show their skills.

No matter how good your swordsmanship is, there is no place to use it. You can only wield the bamboo sword in the sword hall and teach your skills to disciples.

Therefore, in terms of practical experience alone, Kondo Shusuke, who has lived in peace for most of his life, does not have much.

To be honest, today was actually his first time on the battlefield.

But from his current performance, he doesn't look like a newcomer at all, but more like a veteran who has been through many battles!

He was able to kill the enemy with ease as soon as he entered the battlefield, and his fighting methods were very diverse and not limited to a single move.

When there was no time to adjust the blade, he would directly use the thick blade to hit the enemy's head and smash his skull.

Seeing an enemy soldier raising a musket with the black muzzle pointed directly at him, he grabbed the corpse at his feet to use as a human shield.

He would even pick up a musket that others had not had time to pull the trigger of, and shoot down an enemy soldier in the distance with one shot.

After witnessing Kondo Shusuke's various performances, Elodie felt her horizons broadened, but at the same time, she couldn't help but have doubts: Could it be that the old man's usual frail appearance was all pretend?
Just as the old man and the young man were bravely leading the way, Shimada Kui shouted fiercely from behind:
"Go! The time for revenge has come! Drive those bandits away!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a roar louder than the last was heard:

"Kill it, ahhhhhh!"

"I want to avenge my father!"

"Thieves, go to hell!"

"Hachioji's battle isn't over yet!"

Shimada Kui, sword in hand, led a large group of soldiers forward and joined the battle.

The addition of fresh troops began to tilt the balance of the war in favor of the Shogunate.

Most of the soldiers who came to help were injured. They were wrapped in linen bandages and received simple treatment before going into battle.

It is worth mentioning that when they looked at the enemy soldiers in front of them, their eyes were burning with rage, as if they couldn't wait to pounce on them and bite off some pieces of flesh from these guys.

Yes, the soldiers stationed at Akasaka Gate were none other than Kondo Shusuke, Elodie, Shimada Kai, and the remnants of a thousand united troops!

The Edo defenders were always in a state of severe shortage of troops, with no more than 3,000 soldiers capable of fighting.

Soldiers had to be stationed at each of the "Thirty-six Mitsuke" gates.

After all, God knows where the enemy will launch its main attack.

If the entire defense line is not filled up, the safety of Edo Castle cannot be guaranteed.

In this way, the already limited military forces will be spread over a large defense line.

Although Katsurintaro tried his best and deployed the troops to the limit, barely filling up the defense line and ensuring that each gate of the "Thirty-six Mitsuke" was guarded by a certain number of troops, but each place was very weak!
It is no exaggeration to call it "walking on a tightrope."

Even the garrison at Yotsuya Gate, which was located in the western part of Edo Castle and was most vulnerable to heavy attacks, had only 300 elite soldiers... It can be seen how stretched the Edo garrison was.

Under such circumstances, any combatants that can be mobilized must be fought for at all costs - the remnants of a thousand united troops who have just retreated from the front line are a good target!

However, under the clear instructions of Tokugawa Iemochi, Katsurintaro did not force the remnant troops of thousands of united men to join the war.

They had just experienced a bloody battle in Hachioji not long ago, and before they had time to rest for a moment, they turned around and sent others to an even more intense battlefield... Even in the feudal era full of oppression and exploitation, such behavior was too outrageous...

Therefore, Katsurintaro adopted the "voluntary principle" for the remnants of thousands of people who were united.

Those who are willing to take part will be rewarded handsomely.

Those who are unwilling to fight will not suffer any punishment.

Everything depends on personal will and is never forced.

At first, both Tokugawa Iemochi and Katsurintaro believed that there would not be many people among the thousand who were willing to go to the battlefield again.

The brutality of the enemy and the horror of the battlefield have been deeply imprinted in their minds.

To retreat because of fear is a common sense in the world and there is no doubt about it.

Besides, they have done enough.

The contributions and sacrifices they made in Hachioji deserve to be remembered forever by the shogunate and the people of Edo.

Even if they retreated to a safe place far away from the battlefield, no one could say anything.

However, it was later proved that both Tokugawa Iemochi and Katsurintaro underestimated the enthusiasm of thousands of people to join the war!
The number of soldiers who volunteered to join the war far exceeded their initial estimates!

The reason is not complicated.

The Battle of Eight Princes, which lasted for five full days, resulted in heavy casualties among thousands of people and the loss of countless fellow villagers.

The dead can no longer speak.

But those who are still alive still have ways to avenge them!
The brazen invasion of the Faqi coalition caused so many deaths among them... The hatred was so strong that it was enough to make them forget the fatigue, pain and fear.

In this way, the remnant troops of thousands of people, who were united in purpose, enthusiastically signed up to join the war, and many of them were injured.

It is worth mentioning that they made a request: let Elodie and Shimada Kai command them!
The stunning performance of Elodie and Shimada Kai in the Battle of Hachioji completely won the hearts of the thousands of soldiers who were united in purpose.

Before this, Qianren Tongxin had always regarded them as "Western women who came to check the accounts" and "guards with little presence."

"Comradeship" is indeed a very wonderful emotion.

As long as you have fought side by side, even enemies who were once very hostile to each other will become much more pleasing to the eye.

At this point, to the thousands of soldiers who are united, Elodie and Shimada Kai are no longer insignificant little characters, but leaders that they are convinced of!

As a result, the remnant of the thousand-strong army strongly demanded that Elodie and Shimada Kai continue to command them, and refused to accept any other commanders except the two of them. This request was not difficult to do, and Katsurintaro readily agreed.

He organized Elodie, Shimada Kai, the remnants of the Thousand-Man Army, and Kondo Shusuke who volunteered to join the battle into a temporary army, and deployed it at the crucial Akasaka Gate.

Just like that, following Hachioji, thousands of people united to start a new bloody battle with the Fauchi coalition at Akasaka Palace!
In the eyes of Elodie and others, this is undoubtedly the follow-up to the Eight Princes' attack and defense!

……

……

Edo, Yotsuya Tenryuji Temple, Bell of Time——

The clock of time is a clock tower used to tell time.

Starting with the establishment of a bell tower at Nihonbashi Motoishi 1626-chome in , bell towers were built in more than a dozen places, including Kanei-ji Temple, Sensō-ji Temple, Ichigaya Hachiman, and Yotsuya Tenryu-ji Temple.

Most of these bell towers were built in temples and were among the tallest buildings in Edo Town.

At this moment, Shuten-doji stood on the Bell of Time in Yotsuya Tenryuji Temple, raised the telescope in his hand, carefully looked at the entire town of Edo, and his eyes swept across the battlefields.

Although most of the direct participants are good-for-nothings, there will always be some exceptions given the large population base.

Some of the direct participants who still had some ambition did not lose their courage.

They gripped their weapons tightly and spontaneously formed into mobile armies, wandering around Edo Town, harassing and hunting down lone enemy soldiers.

From east to west, from south to north, the sounds of fierce fighting could be heard everywhere, and blood was spilled all over the streets and alleys of Edo.

Shuten-doji didn't care about these troublesome guerrillas...or rather, he didn't care about other areas in Edo Town except the "Thirty-six Mitsuke".

The current battle situation is very clear: whichever side possesses the "Thirty-six See-attached" will win!
Therefore, other places in Edo Town were no longer important.

Shuten-doji put all his heart and soul into the "Sanyuroku-kenfu" where there was constant shouting and fighting.

After a while, he slowly put down the telescope in his hand.

Katsura Kogoro, who was waiting beside him, saw this and immediately asked:
"Shuten-doji, what do you think? Which gate should we attack?"

Shuten-doji curled up the corners of his mouth, but did not give a direct response. He only said quietly:
"Come with me."

……

……

Edo, Akasaka-mitsuke——

If Qing Deng were here, he would probably be very surprised after seeing Elodie's heroic appearance at that moment.

It's only been a while since we last met, but her swordsmanship has improved by leaps and bounds!
In the past, she was a typical "dojo swordsman". Every movement and every move she made revealed the aura of "she had never been in actual combat".

The path of martial arts is the path of Shura.

Only by experiencing the tension of life hanging by a thread and struggling desperately on the boundary between life and death can you go one step further!
The fierce battlefield where things change rapidly and it's a life-or-death situation makes Elodie grow rapidly without realizing it.

The steps are becoming more and more flexible.

The sword skills were gradually improved and unnecessary movements were eliminated.

Facing various attacks from the enemy, she gradually accumulated more and more experience in dealing with them.

At the same time, she began to develop the "combat intuition" that every martial arts master possesses.

Even without looking closely with her eyes, she could subconsciously predict which attacks needed to be dodged, which attacks needed to be defended, and which attacks needed to be ignored.

This is the kind of growth that you will never achieve even if you swing the bamboo sword tens of thousands of times in a clean and tidy dojo!

Of course, Elodie is just a woman after all, and she has inherent and irreparable deficiencies in physical fitness.

By now, she was feeling pain in both lungs and her limbs... no, the muscles all over her body were aching, expressing her silent protest.

She silently moved to a safe area, wiped the sweat from her face, regulated her breathing, and rested for a while.

——Hmm? Weird…

At this time, she was surprised to find that the enemy had retreated.

The enemy soldiers who had been so brave until just now are now slowly retreating!
No one climbed up the long ladder to the Goryeo Gate anymore. They left at a brisk pace and soon disappeared in the surrounding streets and alleys.

Looking at the rapidly retreating enemy, the soldiers had no doubts and thought that the enemy could not hold on any longer, so they cheered and celebrated their brief victory.

The enemy retreated...On the surface, this is certainly a good thing.

But... somehow, Elodie felt a tightness in her chest, and a bad premonition loomed in her heart...

Suddenly, out of the corner of her eye, she noticed an unusual sight—at the end of the street opposite the Imperial Gate, eight large carts were speeding towards them.

Dozens of enemy soldiers pushed the vehicles hard, and the wheels turned rapidly.

It was obvious that every cart was loaded to the brim.

However, they were all covered with straw mats, so it was impossible to see what was hidden inside.

Elodie didn't know what was on the carts, nor did she know why the enemy soldiers were pushing them towards the imperial gate.

But at this moment, her heart was beating hard, sending a strong warning signal: These carts must not be allowed to approach the imperial gate!
Without thinking, she shouted:
"Archers and musketeers, move forward! Shoot down those pushing the carts!"

Her voice immediately attracted the attention of Kondo Shusuke, Shimada Kai and others.

They followed Elodie's gaze and looked at the strange "convoy" outside the imperial gate, and then they all felt, like Elodie, that these carts were very unusual!
Shimada Kai opened his voice:

"Quick! Stop them!"

Blah blah blah...

Accompanied by hurried footsteps, archers and musketeers quickly moved forward, and barrages and rain of arrows flew out immediately.

However...shooting has always been a very difficult skill.

It’s already difficult to hit a fixed target, let alone shooting a moving target?

Obviously, no one among the defenders of Akasaka Gate possessed such superb shooting skills.

Most of the bullets and arrows hit the ground, hitting only a few people.

This level of interception is simply not enough to stop the convoy from approaching...

Although they were extremely anxious, Elodi and the others could only watch the convoy approaching.

The enemy soldiers placed the carts right under the Koryo Gate of the Akasaka Palace Gate and fled.

Suddenly, a light breeze blew and blew away the loose straw mat on a cart.

At this moment, Elodie and others finally saw what these carts were loaded with - large wooden barrels.

Faintly, Elodie smelled a familiar smell...it was the stench of gunpowder!
At this moment, on the roof of a house diagonally opposite the Akasaka Gate, Shuten-doji raised the bow and arrow in his hand.

He slowly drew the bow, tightening the string while aiming at the barrels.

The arrows he used were not ordinary arrows, but rockets with flaming tips.

After pulling the bowstring to a full moon, he curled up his lips with anticipation, and softly recited the cheering slogan that the Japanese often shouted when watching fireworks:

"TAMAYA"

The next moment, he released the bowstring—the rocket shot out into the air! It drew a red afterimage in the air and hit a wooden barrel on a cart.

Then--

Boom! ! !

The terrifying, earth-shattering noise took away the hearing of everyone present!
At the moment when the rocket and the barrel touched each other, a terrifying explosion and a surging wave of flames hit the entire city gate.

The Koryo Gate of Akasaka Palace collapsed with a bang after shaking a few times!

Bricks, stones, and tiles fell down... Countless dust rose up...

……

……

Edo, Edo Castle, Ōhiroma——

Tokugawa Iemochi and Tenshoin sat side by side on the main seat, looking straight ahead expressionlessly while listening to the sounds coming from various battlefields including the "Sanjuroku Mitsuke".

They knew nothing about military affairs and didn't know where to start even if they wanted to help.

Therefore, the only thing they can do now is to wait here, listen to the latest battle situation on various battlefields at all times, pray to the gods for victory, and wish the soldiers good luck in military affairs.

at this time--

Boom! ! !

The sudden explosion was so shocking that even the mother and son in the Ohiro of Edo Castle could hear it and vaguely feel the tatami under their feet shaking slightly.

Tokugawa Iemochi's expression suddenly changed:

"what happened?"

Soon, the guards brought him accurate information:
"Your Highness! The enemy has destroyed the Koryo Gate at the Akasaka Palace!"

Upon hearing this, the mother and son's pupils suddenly shrank into pinholes.

Tokugawa Iemochi asked:
"Where are the guards of Akasaka-gomon? Are they okay?"

"still not clear!"

"..."

Tokugawa Iemochi clenched his teeth, and a dark cloud called "solemnity" gathered between his cheeks.

"... Jiamo."

Tenshoin suddenly turned his head and cast a firm look at Tokugawa Iemochi.

Although she said nothing, Tokugawa Iemochi understood the meaning of her eyes.

"..."

Tokugawa Iemochi closed his eyes and remained silent.

After a while, he clenched his fists that were hanging naturally, and then opened his eyes forcefully - a bright light flashed in his eyes, as if he had made up his mind.

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(End of this chapter)