I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

……

3 days later—

Wenjiu three years (1863), January 11th——

After Aoto personally went to the front line and caused a ruckus outside the enemy camp, an eerie silence descended upon the Ueno Basin.

Recently, the basin has been eerily quiet... No birds or wild animals dare to approach this place. The silence is so profound that it gives one goosebumps, while at the same time, it exudes a tense atmosphere that makes one gasp for breath.

The rebel army quietly repaired their camp and prepared for battle.

The newly formed group continued to fortify their defenses by building palisades, digging trenches, and constructing fortifications.

Aside from sending scouts to gather intelligence, neither side took any major action.

The two armies faced each other, yet remained silent... an indescribable bizarre situation.

At this very moment, in the Shinsengumi's position, two members of the Ninth Division stood on a watchtower made of thick earth, craning their necks and widening their eyes, diligently carrying out their mission of "guarding the surroundings and observing the enemy camp."

Suddenly, one of them frowned and uttered a "Hmm?" before narrowing his eyes, leaning forward, and staring intently at the enemy camp in the distance.

Immediately afterwards, as if he had seen something horrifying, his face instantly filled with panic.

The next moment, he turned to his companion and shouted:

"Report this to headquarters immediately! The enemy is making a major move!"

……

……

Today is an exceptionally bright and sunny morning.

The brilliant sunlight flowed across the earth, enveloping everything in its golden-red radiance.

Under the azure sky, the basin and the verdant hillsides, bathed in warm sunlight, appear as if they are standing as beautiful golden screens.

However... this beautiful scene gradually shattered with the appearance of the "Black Tide"...

"The enemy army is making a big move"—as soon as this intelligence reached the main camp, Qing Deng immediately and decisively issued the order "Everyone to your positions".

In the blink of an eye, everyone and every unit rushed to their respective posts as quickly as possible.

East, West, South, North, Main Camp... Except for the North, where "one person guards one place," every front was teeming with people.

Then... all the Shinsengumi and Aizu soldiers on the mountain saw the scene below that was the very embodiment of the word "creepy"!

Countless enemies kept emerging from their camp, crowding out every available space in the basin!

Among the vast, chaotic figures, some were short and stout, some tall and strong; some young, some old; some dressed in dirty cloth, some clad in armor and helmets; some wielded cheap bamboo spears, some held sharp swords and lances…

Despite their differences in physique, clothing, and weaponry, they all shared one thing in common—a greedy glint in their eyes.

It must have been Shibasaki Renjuro who promised them a great reward for whoever was the first to reach the summit.

This black tide, mixed with intense greed, rises and falls repeatedly, churning and surging... sweeping and surging!

Soon, a massive, dark army, as black as spilled ink, spread out endlessly across the vast basin!

Looking out, it resembles a long, vibrant, and colorful scroll painting... It is truly magnificent and awe-inspiring, yet also terrifying!

The enemy troops have all assembled and are just waiting for the commander's order to launch a full-scale attack on the Shinsengumi's positions on the mountain!

……

……

Shinsengumi's position, Eastern Front (the position of the Fourth and Sixth Divisions) —

Serizawa Kamo shook his leg impatiently, muttering to himself:

"What are you doing! Stop dawdling! Hurry up and attack! I can't wait any longer!"

……

……

Shinsengumi's position, Western Front (5th and 10th Divisions' position) —

"Delicious! Delicious! These wild berries are so sweet! Shinmi-kun, would you like some?"

"Ah... I don't need to... I can't eat anything right now..."

"Oh... That's a pity. It's rare to find such delicious wild fruit... I'll save a few for you! You can eat them after today's battle!"

After saying that, Harada Sanosuke continued to calmly and leisurely munch on the fresh wild fruit he had just picked from the forest.

……

……

Shinsengumi's position, Southern Front (Seventh and Eighth Divisions' position) —

"Hiss...! Hiss...! Hiss...! Hiss...! Hiss...!"

With a pale face, Todo Heisuke used gasps to replace breathing, trying to calm his tense emotions.

At the same time, he would occasionally wipe his palms on his clothes, trying to wipe away the sweat from his palms.

However, no matter how much he wiped or rubbed, the sweat on his palms not only did not disappear, but seemed to increase.

Sanako, who was in charge of the entire southern front, stood tall and straight like a pine tree in front of him.

At first glance, Sanako appeared calm and composed.

However, upon closer inspection, one can detect a faint hint of tension lingering between her spirited brows…

……

……

Shinsengumi's base, main camp—

To facilitate communication with other fronts and to allow himself to observe the battle situation firsthand, Qingdeng removed the command tent and deployed his main force directly in an open field.

Qingdeng, supporting himself with the Vairocana pendant at his waist, sat silently on the stool.

Behind him stood the "Honesty Flag," fluttering high in the wind.

Masajiro Ozeki, who was in charge of carrying the flag, knelt to one side, ready to obey orders at any time.

The first, second, and third squads, serving as the general reserve force, were lined up not far away.

The "heroic units" who also served as the general reserve team... namely, Hijikata Toshizo, Kondo Isami, Yamanami Keisuke, Kiyokawa Hachiro, Nagakura Shinpachi, and Saito Hajime, all six of whom sat facing each other in front of Aoto.

The atmosphere inside and outside the main camp was so solemn that even onlookers dared not breathe.

……

……

The rebel army did not keep the Shinsengumi soldiers waiting for long.

About 20 minutes after the entire army had assembled, a series of urgent bugle calls suddenly erupted in the center of the enemy army.

The next instant, the soldiers' earth-shaking battle shouts, the fluttering of banners, and the clashing of swords, spears, and bows all rolled toward the Shinsengumi's position!

The wind howled across the battlefield; clouds suddenly gathered and enveloped the battlefield.

As the situation shifted, the basin, the mountainside... everywhere in sight was crowded with charging figures, spraying air everywhere! They climbed straight up the mountain, attacking the Shinsengumi's position!

……

……

Wenjiu three years (1863), April 11.

The Shinsengumi against the Shibasaki clan rebels.

Battle of Iga

Go to war!

*******

*******

While writing this chapter, images of "a vibrant scene of life and everything flourishing" and "80 against 60, the advantage is mine" kept lingering in my mind...

The battle has finally begun! Finally, we've arrived at my forte: the plot! Although I haven't written in a long time, I should still be quite adept at writing "war scenes" (Leopard excited.jpg). I'm quite satisfied with the "pre-battle atmosphere" in this chapter (Leopard super excited.jpg).

Chapter 649 The results of the army's special training are evident! A brutal beating of the enemy army! [4200]

"Follow me!"

"Kill! Kill! Kill!"

"Don't be afraid! Keep going! Wealth and glory are just around the corner!"

……

From the horizon to right before your eyes, the enemy soldiers, unwilling to lag behind, are scattered all over the mountains and fields, like a dense, overwhelming swarm of locusts, enough to make one's scalp tingle at a glance.

Intertwined bamboo spears, gleaming swords, fluttering flags, and ferocious faces... it's like unfolding a dense, icy forest.

Judging solely from the momentum of their charge, this bandit army already possessed a formidable and overwhelming force.

However... before long, many of them gradually widened their eyes, opened their mouths, and showed signs of panic. Before the battle even began, their momentum had already dissipated by half.

The reason is simple—the Shinsengumi's base wasn't set up on flat ground, but rather atop a green mountain.

Although it is just an unnamed hill, only about twenty meters high, the slopes on the other sides are very gentle, except for the north side which is adjacent to the cliff, and it is not difficult to climb.

But... no matter what, it's still a mountain.

Just looking up at the mountain peaks is enough to make one feel discouraged.

For these "original farmers" who have been deprived of good food for years and are extremely thin, simply climbing mountains and reaching the front lines can take away at least half of their strength.

Of course, the real suffering was yet to come.

When they finally reached the summit after a long and arduous climb, and saw the true face of the Shinsengumi's position, they were all stunned.

The deep, dark forests on both sides provided excellent cover for the Shinsengumi's position.

The ethereal mist lingering in the forest, and the continuous clouds pressing down above it, added to the mystery and majesty of the Shinsengumi's position.