I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

Such a fierce offensive, such a rapid attack, can truly be described as "the autumn wind sweeping away fallen leaves"!

To be honest, the way things went was far beyond what Yoshimura Torataro and the others had expected.

Yoshimura Torataro smiled, his chin slightly raised, his face filled with undisguised pride and smugness.

The overwhelming success of his campaigns led him to fantasize that he would sweep across the land like Minamoto no Yoshitsune! He would be victorious in every battle and conquer every city, annihilating the shogunate with overwhelming force! He would become a great hero who would rebuild the nation and be revered by future generations!

Just thinking about this made his lips curl up to his ears.

Just as he was secretly fantasizing and indulging in his fantasies... suddenly, a fast horse galloped straight towards him!

"Lord Yoshimura! Lord Yoshimura!"

No sooner had Yoshimura Torataro looked over than the messenger arrived right in front of him.

The messenger, panting, handed over the letter in his hand—which was really just a thin piece of paper, about three inches square and rolled into a tube.

Yoshimura Torataro frowned slightly, casually took it, and slowly unfolded it—with just one glance, the smile on his lips froze, his expression changed drastically, and his pupils shrank to the size of pinholes.

Seeing this, Matsumoto Keido couldn't help but ask:

"Mr. Yoshimura, what's wrong?"

Yoshimura Torataro's face darkened, and he forced out the words through clenched teeth:

"Something's happened...!"

……

……

That night--

Takatori Castle, Castle Keep—

"What?! The Emperor has declared us rebels?!"

"What's going on?!"

Why did we become rebels?!

Shouts and roars, growing louder and louder, filled the castle tower, both inside and out.

All the prominent figures in the Heavenly Punishment Group are here.

Looking around, everyone wore expressions of utter astonishment.

The Heavenly Punishment Group was ultimately just a hastily assembled team.

They had neither a stable base nor reliable intelligence gathering channels.

Thus, the following situation arose: two days had passed since the "August 2th coup," and they only learned of the fundamental and drastic changes in the political situation in Kyoto today, after Yoshimura Torataro received that small note!

Suddenly, someone shrieked:

"What should we do now?!"

His scream perfectly captured the feelings of everyone present.

Everyone present, including Yoshimura Torataro, kept their heads down and remained silent... or rather, they didn't know how to speak.

The sudden and shocking change caught them completely off guard.

They originally intended to be at the forefront of the movement to honor the emperor.

Unexpectedly... the Emperor declared them rebels as soon as they raised an army!

They revered the Emperor, but their "master" gave them a big surprise in return!

They've even been stripped of the legitimacy to send troops, so what's the point of fighting?

The vast castle tower was deathly silent, and the sound of burning candles became like thunder.

"……wrong."

Suddenly, a low murmur drew everyone's attention.

Everyone raised their eyes to look at the owner of the murmur—Yoshimura Torataro, who was sitting in the main seat.

"wrong!"

He suddenly raised his voice, his expression gradually becoming ferocious.

"This is absolutely a conspiracy by the Shogunate!"

"His Majesty has always despised the Shogunate!"

"He deeply abhorred the shogunate's outrageous actions!"

"How could His Majesty possibly declare us rebels!"

"The real traitors are Aizu! They are Satsuma! They are the Shogunate!"

"They are the truly treacherous rebels!"

"They kidnapped the Emperor and then issued a false edict! In order to suppress patriots throughout the land!"

Yoshimura Torataro's words are just like gasoline.

After being poured into the fire, the previously weak flames, which were barely alive, suddenly swelled up and burst into flames!

The atmosphere at the scene changed abruptly.

"Yes! That's right! This must be a forged imperial edict!"

"We will absolutely not obey the imperial edict!"

"Damn the Shogunate! How dare they take His Majesty hostage!"

……

They chatted back and forth, veins bulging, faces red and necks thick, creating a lively scene.

It was as if they couldn't demonstrate their loyalty to the Emperor without taking the opportunity to say a few words.

However, from the perspective of a rational third party, this group of people does not seem like spirited warriors, but rather more like a group of "those seeking help".

From a certain perspective, they are indeed those who have "finally grasped at a straw" and are seeking help.

Yoshimura Torataro slowly stood up, his gaze deep and thoughtful.

"Now that the Emperor has been taken hostage... our next move is clear!"

"Head north immediately! Suppress the rebels! Rescue His Majesty!"

……

……

3 days later—

July 23th, early morning—

Kyoto region, Nara, Yakushi-ji Temple, pagoda —

With his hand on the Vairocana pendant at his waist, Qingdeng slowly ascended to the top floor of the pagoda.

To facilitate the overall command of the troops, Qingdeng set up the temporary headquarters of the Shinsengumi at Yakushiji Temple, which had a large area and a high point (a pagoda).

The monks of Yakushiji Temple naturally had strong opinions about Qingdeng's decision to deploy his army in a quiet, ancient temple.

While the group of bald monks' fierce protests cannot be said to be entirely fruitless, they can certainly be described as a waste of effort.

"Okay, okay, I'll be more careful next time." — With that, Qing Dengji dismissed them perfunctorily and continued to use Yakushiji as his own home.

With the cool morning breeze in hand, Qingdeng's gaze passed over the old railings and went straight to the distant horizon.

The rising sun painted the sky red and illuminated the earth.

As night falls, the Nara deer can be vaguely seen strolling leisurely in the distance.

"Ju, everything is ready."

Suddenly, Hijikata Toshizo appeared silently behind Aoto.

"The supply train is ready to go."

"The soldiers were eager to fight."

"The entire army is ready to go into battle at any time!"

Under Aoto's almost obsessive insistence, the Shinsengumi stayed in Nara for exactly five days, patiently waiting for the supplies to arrive.

Currently, they have gathered enough supplies for the entire army to use for at least a month!

After listening to Hijikata Toshizo's report, Aoto nodded slightly:

"The 7th Division leads the way, the 10th Division brings up the rear, and the 5th and 8th Divisions protect the supplies."

"Gather all the troops."

"All troops—move into battle!"

……

……

A large character for "sincerity" fluttered in the sky above Nara.

The Shinsengumi, arranged in four long lines, slowly drove out of Nara and headed straight south.

From above, the thousands of light blue haori (feathered robes) resembled a continuous stretch of auspicious clouds.

For a time, Nara was so crowded that the streets were deserted.

The people of Nara flocked to the streets, eager to catch a glimpse of the Shinsengumi.

The people of Nara still have a very good impression of this disciplined army.

Therefore, the air in Nara is filled with an atmosphere of excitement, curiosity, and respect.

The monks of Yakushiji Temple, in particular, were almost moved to tears of joy when they saw that the group of old men had finally left.

The Shinsengumi deployed the following forces in this battle:

There were 3000 soldiers in charge of the combat.

The logistics personnel responsible for transporting supplies, rescuing the wounded, and building fortifications... also known as auxiliary soldiers, numbered approximately 4000.