I formed the strongest swordsman group.

Chapter 950: Tokugawa Iemochi and Tenshoin at the Front Line! [5300]

This earth-shattering roar was heard not only in Edo Castle, but also in Yotsuya Gate, which was very close to Akasaka Gate, and Kohinata Gate, which was a little further away.

……

Yotsuya Gate——

"Ok?"

At the moment of the explosion, Seiichiro Otani stood there in a daze, then frowned and turned his head to look to the southeast, where the Akasaka Gomon was located.

Looking at the thick black smoke rising up and surging into the sky, his brows furrowed even more tightly, as if he was deep in thought.

……

At the same time, Kohinata Gomon——

Due to the long distance, when the sound of the explosion spread from Akasaka Gate to Kohinata Gate, only a dull noise was left.

Chiba Michisaburo, Chiba Shigetaro and others were concentrating on the battle in front of them and did not pay attention to the sudden sound. They just thought that the artillery formation somewhere had started to fire again.

Only Chiba Eijiro and Chiba Sadakichi noticed something.

Chiba Eijiro stopped the sword in his hand and looked towards the distant Akasaka Palace, which was beyond his sight.

Chiba Sadakichi, who was not far away, made the same move.

Suddenly, Chiba Eijiro turned his head and looked at his old uncle:
"Uncle, can you allow us to 'dump' you here?"

……

Akasaka Gate——

“…Uwu…! Cough, cough, cough! Cough, cough, cough!”

After coughing out a large amount of smoke and dust that she accidentally inhaled, Elodie opened her eyes with difficulty.

A blurry scene came into his sight.

As her vision gradually returned, she saw the drifting black smoke and the gloomy sky.

The gloomy sky was exactly like her mood at the moment.

Only at this moment did she realize, belatedly, that she was lying on her back on a pile of ruins.

The broken bricks and tiles under her back hurt her.

——Did I... faint...?
How did she faint? What exactly happened? Elodie had no idea about any of this.

She didn't even have a clear idea of how long she had been unconscious.

She felt like she was in a coma for a second, and then she felt like she was in a coma for a whole year.

"Well……!"

She blinked again, mobilizing all the nerves in her brain, trying to squeeze out her memories and figure out the current situation.

However, the recurring headache made it difficult for her to concentrate.

She had never experienced such a severe headache in her life!

It was like several strong men were hitting her head with huge hammers hundreds of times.

Not only did it give her a headache, it also caused tinnitus.

There was a constant buzzing sound deep in its ears, as if there was an entire beehive living inside.

Elodie had to endure the severe pain and tinnitus to sort out the mess in her mind.

Finally... I don't know if it was because he regained consciousness or what, but in any case, fragments of memory finally emerged from the depths of his mind -

Weird trolley...

A large wooden barrel that smells like gunpowder...

Rockets are flying...

The fire was so bright that it almost blinded people's eyes...

Elodie's eyes suddenly widened when she remembered everything.

——Now is not the time to lie on the ground and sleep...!
The strong sense of crisis lifted his spirits.

She subconsciously moved her limbs... Her limbs were still there and there were no fractures.

She faithfully fulfilled the obligations of a swordsman - no matter what the situation or crisis, she would never easily drop the sword in her hand.

She always kept Yamato-mori Yasudasa firmly in her hands.

She moved the five fingers of her right hand slightly and immediately felt the presence of Yamato-kami Yasutsu.

The thick touch of the handle brought her some comfort and slightly eased the uneasiness in her heart.

She struggled to sit up, using her knife to support herself, and then gave her entire body a cursory examination.

The light green haori was dyed gray and the original base color could no longer be seen.

Except for a little scrape on her forehead and some bleeding, no parts of her body were missing.

Not only did I survive such a horrific explosion, but I only suffered minor injuries... I am so lucky!
After checking her own condition, she raised her eyes and began to scan her surroundings.

Although she had made the corresponding mental preparations, the scene before her still made her gasp.

In a nutshell - the Koryomon Gate of Akasaka Palace is now in ruins!
The scene was devastated... The towering city gate had disappeared, replaced by broken walls and ruins.

Seeing this scene, Elodie was stunned, her eyes blank with shock.

Her emotions have not yet accepted this tragic situation, and the emotion called "fear" is still attacking her mind, but her rationality has caught up with reality.

She knew very well that now was not the time to be fussy!
So, she forced herself to calm down and shouted anxiously:
"Mr. Kondo! Mr. Shimada! Where are you?! Is anyone still alive?!"

No one responded...

She felt her heart sink and asked again quickly.

At this moment, she finally heard the response she wanted:
"I... I'm here..."

Crash... Somewhere not far from Elodie, Kondo Shusuke struggled to raise his upper body, and the dust, mud and stones covering his body fell to the ground, making a soft "crash" sound.

"Elody...are you okay?"

"I'm fine! Mr. Kondo, are you okay?"

Elodie quickly ran to the other person's side and helped him up.

Kondo Shusuke grinned.

"My waist hurts so much... Fortunately, I can still move."

Elodie looked him over nervously.

She breathed a sigh of relief only after confirming that the other person was not seriously injured, was not only conscious but also able to stand safely.

At this moment, as if a chain reaction had started, the survivors at the scene woke up one by one, and all kinds of noises were heard:

“Ouch… my head hurts…!”

"Hey! Come and help! There's someone trapped under the rocks!"

“Damn it…! How could this happen…!”

"What tricks did the enemy use? Why did the imperial gate collapse?!"

"Is it a cannon?"

"No, it's impossible! A cannon wouldn't have such a terrifying killing power!"

……

Groaning, wailing, screaming, calling for help... the scene was filled with an air of fear.

The sudden collapse of the Goryeo Gate left them in shock.

On this basis, they felt even more terrified and uneasy because they did not know what means the enemy used.

Before the big explosion happened, Elodie was standing at the edge of the imperial gate, so she saw it very clearly.

Instead of using artillery, the enemy used a more primitive weapon: bombs!
Those barrels are all big bombs! They will explode as long as they are touched by flames!
Elodie didn't understand military technology, but she had heard that making bombs was not difficult.

As long as there are raw materials such as gunpowder and sugar, even a child can make a large-yield bomb.

She was very surprised when she learned that the white sugar she often eats can be used to make bombs - because of this, she has a deep impression of the weapon "bomb".

Stuffed with enough bombs to fill eight large wheelbarrows... God knows how much gunpowder and sugar this would take.

In order to blow up the Akasaka Gate, the enemy army risked a lot.

Fortunately, this was not a huge explosion that blew the entire city gate into the sky - if it was an explosion of this level, Elodie and the others would have been wiped out long ago.

The explosion just now only destroyed the foundation of Goryeo Gate.

As the saying goes, "A thousand-mile dike is destroyed by an ant hole."

A huge hole was blown in the crucial foundation, and the organizational structure of the Goryeo Clan could no longer be sustained, so it disintegrated, collapsed, and collapsed...

Because it collapsed gradually, there was a buffer, which allowed Elodie and the others to survive.

At this moment, a cry of surprise attracted Elodie's attention:
"Mr. Shimada! Mr. Shimada! Please wake up!"

Upon hearing this, a mixed expression of joy and sorrow immediately appeared on Elodie's cheeks.

What made her happy was that she found Shimada Kai.

What she was worried about was...from the exclamation just now, Shimada Kai's current situation was not optimistic...

She ran towards the sound and immediately saw her comrades lying in the rubble.

Shimada Kai had his eyes closed and his face was covered in blood.

No matter how the soldiers around him called out to him, he remained motionless and showed no signs of waking up.

Only his slightly rising and falling chest could prove that the fire of his life had not yet been extinguished.

After a brief moment of anxiety, Elodie made a prompt decision:
"Find all the wounded! Send them to the rear for treatment!" Her voice was filled with impatience.

The Goryeo Gate of Akasaka Palace was blown down and the defenders suffered serious damage... It is easy to imagine what Elodie and the others will face next!
All Elodie hoped now was that the enemy's attack would slow down a bit, giving them some breathing space.

What a pity...the thing she feared the most finally happened -

"Kill! Kill!" (Russian)

"The city gates they rely on are gone! If not now, when? Follow me! Defeat the shogunate's lackeys!"

Rapid footsteps, excited shouts... a large group of enemy soldiers, a mixture of Russian soldiers and special forces soldiers, rushed towards them!
Now that Goryeo Gate no longer exists, it would be a very bad idea to fight the enemy on the ruins.

Kondo Shusuke immediately ordered:

"Quick! Retreat! Retreat to the ferry gate!"

Under the orderly command of Kondo Shusuke and Elodie, the surviving defenders retreated in a hurry, taking all the wounded they could find, and retreated to the second gate of Akasaka Gate before the enemy arrived.

Although they retreated to Dulumen in time, but... the real nightmare was still to come!

The familiar long ladder, the familiar enemy troops attacking up the ladder like a swarm of ants, the familiar fierce and bloody battle!
All the soldiers, including Kondo Shusuke and Elodie, have not yet recovered from the explosion, and even the most basic organizational order has not been restored.

Their condition was extremely bad...but the enemy had already attacked, and even though they were unable to resist, they could only fight back hastily.

Elodie bit the tip of her tongue, trying to drive away the pain with pain.

Her head still hurt and was very swollen, and the "buzzing" deep in her ears did not stop. She felt like she had no strength in her whole body, and it was difficult to concentrate. Her strength had declined significantly.

The battle had just begun when she was cut on the left shoulder by the enemy because she was a little slow in dodging.

She and Kondo Shusuke are both martial arts masters, so they can still hold on.

On the other hand, other soldiers...

"Hey! Why are you vomiting blood?"

"Damn it... I think the explosion just now caused me to suffer internal injuries..."

"The shogunate's lackey! Heaven's punishment!"

"If it weren't for my inability to exert my strength, how could it be... Gu!"

"Hahahahaha! They're already vulnerable!"

A difficult battle...a one-sided situation!

Elodie still underestimated the impact of the explosion.

The troops were damaged, the morale was shaken... facing the fierce offensive of the enemy, their resistance gradually became stretched.

After a while, their defense began to waver, and loopholes appeared in more and more places.

No matter how bravely Kondo Shusuke and Elodie fought, they could not reverse this downward trend.

Seeing this, Elodie couldn't help but grit her teeth, feeling secretly anxious.

She desperately wanted to do something to save the situation, but... but...

At the moment when despair began to spread in her heart——

Whoosh!
With a sharp sound of breaking through the air, an arrow cut across her field of vision.

Before she could react, the arrow accurately hit the neck of an enemy soldier, saving a soldier who was almost killed.

This arrow is just the beginning.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Arrows flew out one after another, knocking enemy soldiers to the ground!

Elodie turned her head in a daze and looked behind following the trajectory of the arrow - the person drawing the bow and shooting the arrow was a beautiful woman wearing green armor.

She held a red bow in her hand, her posture both graceful and heroic, as if Tomoe Gozen had been reborn!
Elodie was very familiar with this majestic female general - after all, she had just met her in the Ohiroma of Edo Castle a few days ago.

She looked at him in disbelief and whispered his name unconsciously:

"Tianzhangyuan...Your Highness?"

Tian Zhangyuan gave Elodi a gentle smile, then put on a stern face again, constantly pulling the bowstring in his hand, killing every enemy soldier that appeared in his sight.

She did not come alone.

"Everyone! Please keep your heads up! The battle is not over yet!"

The clear male voice spread throughout the entire Dulu Gate.

A fully armed young man holding a katana stood proudly on the ferry gate, right next to Elodie and others.

A young face, a noble air, "three-leaf sunflower" engraved on his feather robe and sword... With such distinctive features, the identity of this person is obvious.

Someone recognized the young man's identity, his face turned pale with extreme shock, and after swallowing hard, he stammered and shouted:

"General, Your Highness!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the atmosphere at the scene changed suddenly!

To be honest, at this moment, Elodie couldn't believe her eyes.

But the scene before her made the facts clear: the Shogun Tokugawa Iemochi and the Odaiko Tenshoin had arrived at the front line in person!

After learning that Akasaka Gomon's situation was not good, the courageous mother and son made the same decision: Go to the front in person! Support the front line!

They don't understand military affairs and don't know how to deploy troops.

The only thing they know is to lead by example!

Not only did the mother and son go to the front line in person, they also brought their personal guards.

Tokugawa Iemochi raised the sword in his hand above his head, then swung it down with force, with the tip of the sword pointing straight ahead:
"Go! Drive the enemy back to the ground!"

Instantly, the guards surrounding him rushed forward and joined the battle.

He and the personal guards of Tianzhangyuan are naturally no scum, they are all carefully selected elite warriors.

Their participation in the battle immediately restored stability to the precarious defense line.

Of course, compared to the fresh troops brought by the mother and son, the morale boost brought by "the Shogun and Omidori personally going to the front line of the battlefield and fighting side by side with the soldiers" can play a more important role in the battle situation!

In the Summer Campaign of Osaka (1615), the first shogun, Tokugawa Ieyasu, personally commanded the army and completely destroyed the Toyotomi clan.

Since then, it has been 250 years since the Shogun personally went to the front line of the battlefield!
Throughout history, it has always been exciting for a superior to lead an army in person.

What’s more, the superior who personally braved the arrows and stones was Tokugawa Iemochi, who was well-known for his virtue and enjoyed a very high reputation among the people?
Looking at the heroic Tokugawa Iemochi and Tenshoin fighting bravely against the enemy, the soldiers' mental outlook was completely renewed.

They cheered loudly, gripped their weapons tightly, and swung them hard at the enemy soldiers in front of them!
At this moment, suddenly, two old male voices came into everyone's ears.

"Have you caught up..."

"No, Seiichiro, we are too late. The General and Omidori have stolen the spotlight."

Tokugawa Iemochi cheered up and looked at the two panting old men with joy.

"Otani-kun! Kubota-kun!"

Seiichiro Otani smiled slightly:
"Shogun, the scoundrels who dared to attack Yotsuya-gomon have been repelled. We heard a terrifying explosion and rushed to reinforce."

Kubota Kiyone took over the conversation:

"However, it seems that we have come here in vain. With the two princes here, our reinforcements are no longer needed."

Tianzhangyuan smiled:
"What are you talking about? Who would complain about having too many helpers? Come and support us!"

Seiichirō Otani drew the sword from his waist, and Kiyon Kubota took the bow and arrow from her back.

The two shouted in unison:
"Follow the order!"

……

"What? Tokugawa Iemochi and Tenshoin Atsuhime appeared at Akasaka Palace?"

Shuten-doji, who usually appears calm, lost his composure at this moment.

His eyes widened with disbelief.

He is not alone.

Everyone around him, including Katsura Kogoro, Sukuna, Umibozu and others, were now all stunned where they were, greatly shocked.

The messenger's voice continued:

"It is reported that those who came to reinforce Akasaka Gomon include not only the Shogun and the Omidaisho, but also the 'Sword Saint' Otani Seiichiro and Kubota Kiyone!"

After hearing this, the gloom on Shuten-doji's face grew even darker:

“Damn it…everything goes wrong…!”

According to their prior judgment, the outcome would be decided after blowing up the Goryeo Gate of Akasaka Palace.

I didn’t expect… that even at this critical juncture, there would still be unexpected twists and turns!

At this time, Sukuna came forward and said to Shuten-doji excitedly:

"Master Shuten-doji! This is a great opportunity to kill Tokugawa Iemochi!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Umibozu excitedly took over the conversation:
"Yes! This guy showed up on his own initiative, which saved us a lot of effort! Master Shuten-doji, let's just launch a general attack! Kill Tokugawa Iemochi!"

After saying that, he couldn't wait to draw the wild sword on his back.

Shuten-doji was not affected by their excitement. He said coldly:
"Be patient. If it's just Tokugawa Iemochi and Tenshoin, we should launch a general attack."

"But didn't you hear? At this moment, on the Akasaka Gate, there are not only the Shogun and the Great Imperial Palace, but also the 'Sword Saint'!"

Umibozu was anxious:

"What are you afraid of? Seiichiro Otani is already in his twilight years! What is there to be afraid of?"

Shuten-doji gave him a vicious look:
"Don't underestimate the 'Sword Master'."

"Why do you think he is called the 'Sword Master'? We cannot afford to look down on the 'Sword Master'."

Sukuna pursed his lips and gradually regained his composure.

"So... Master Shuten-doji, what should we do now?"

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