I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

Upon receiving this order, the members of the 7th and 10th Divisions in the woods rushed to mount their horses.

At the same time, the sounds of swords being drawn, "whoosh," "whoosh," "whoosh," startled countless birds into flight.

As times change, the role of cavalry has also evolved.

For example, during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods in China, before the invention of stirrups, the main function of cavalry was reconnaissance and relaying orders.

During the Sui and Tang dynasties, with the advent of stirrups and the rapid development of metallurgical technology, heavy cavalry began to dominate the battlefield.

Nowadays, firearms have become the absolute king on the battlefield.

In the age of firearms, cavalry no longer needed to shoulder the heavy responsibility of breaking through enemy lines; their main duties became reconnaissance and mopping up the remaining enemy forces.

Therefore, their main weapon was no longer the cumbersome spear, but the more agile sword.

According to Aoto's plan, once a stable channel for purchasing firearms is found in the future, the Shinsengumi will transform into a firearms unit.

Therefore, the cavalry should be built according to the standards of firearms units.

The weapons used by cavalry units in Western countries today are mainly of two types.

One is a riding sword, and the other is a horse saber.

In mounted combat, whether a sword or a saber is more effective has been a subject of extensive debate in the Western world.

Qing Deng's personal opinion on this is that it is like a saber.

Compared to a straight sword, a curved blade is easier to chop.

Using the momentum of a horse running, one can easily harvest life by gently waving a saber, just like cutting grass.

Coincidentally, a type of knife specifically designed for mounted warfare once existed in Japanese history.

That's a katana!

The tachi was popular during the Heian and Kamakura periods.

Even today, although the katana still exists, it has essentially become a ceremonial object.

Important figures often wear katana at their waist to show off when attending grand ceremonies.

Compared to the katana, the tachi is longer and has a greater curve, making it an excellent weapon for mounted combat.

Therefore, Qing Deng finally made the decision—to choose the katana as the main weapon of the Shinsengumi cavalry!

As one katana after another was drawn from its sheath, the gleaming silver light illuminated the forest.

Qingdeng stood tall in front, holding a long spear.

Sanako and Harada Sanosuke were positioned on his left and right sides, respectively.

Long spear, naginata, short spear—looking at these three weapons lined up in front of them, the knights of the 7th and 10th Divisions felt reassured and encouraged.

"Stay close to me!"

Qingdeng kicked the cow's belly, and with a series of loud "moo moo moo" sounds, a strong headwind pressed towards him in an instant!

Three commanders, two squads, and more than five hundred cavalrymen rushed out of the woods, their view suddenly opening up.

During the high-speed journey, the riders switched positions in an orderly manner.

Some people sped up and moved forward.

Some people slowed down and fell behind.

In no time, a huge wedge was formed.

Aoto, Sanako, and Harada Sanosuke naturally occupy the wedge tip.

Five hundred cavalrymen charging at the same time... Looking back on Japanese history, this country has not seen such a magnificent scene for a long time!

The sound of horses' (oxen's) hooves, like a sudden rain, rushed straight towards the routed village militia with overwhelming force!

The villagers were all terrified at the sight of the cavalry that had suddenly appeared.

The appearance of Qing Deng and others was like the last straw that broke the camel's back.

At this point, the already demoralized villagers completely lost their will to resist.

They fled in panic, fearing they would fall behind, and a few even lost their weapons.

However... it's obvious that a two-legged person could not outrun a four-hoofed horse (or cow).

Because their front and left/right sides were blocked by other Shinsengumi units, the only escape route the villagers could choose was behind them.

Their escape route was singular and their speed was slow, so Qingdeng and the others easily caught up with them.

In an instant, the two sides clashed!

As soon as the cavalry charged into the dense enemy ranks, they immediately cut out a dark red arc!

Blood and flesh flew everywhere, and cries of agony filled the air.

Qing Deng swung the long spear in his hand, and the long, sharp spear tip drew an arc in mid-air, sweeping down 5 people in one go.

As he swung his sword again, another pile of mangled pieces of flesh appeared on the ground.

Immediately afterwards, Qing Deng secretly channeled his energy, using his waist and abdomen to exert force—his talent "Elephant Core +9" activated—using his waist strength to drive the long spear.

In the blink of an eye, the long spear rippled out an incredible curve.

Wherever the curve passes, no one is spared.

Aoto's skillful and adept wielding of the long spear caused even Sanako beside him to show a look of astonishment, and she couldn't help but ask:

"Tachibana-kun, have you been practicing spear techniques lately?"

Qingdeng smiled slightly and replied without turning his head:

"Well, it is."

When he sparred with Shintaro Toujou a while ago, with the help of his talents "Gun Master" and "Demon Heart +5", Aoto secretly learned a lot of gun techniques from him.

As a result, his gun-wielding skills improved significantly.

Both his skill in wielding the long spear and the strength in swinging it were much more impressive than before.

It's no longer like before, where they just swung it around with brute force.

This not only improves attack efficiency but also saves more stamina.

Although they cannot be compared to Aoto, Sanako and Harada Sanosuke's fierceness and bravery are equally terrifying to their enemies.

With a single sweep of the naginata, a large number of people fell.

A single thrust with a short spear is sure to result in death or injury.

The two weapons, swirling up and down, fiercely defended Qing Deng's left and right sides, protecting his blind spots.

It's no exaggeration to say that the combined strength of Aoto, Sanako, and Harada Sanosuke alone was enough to inflict heavy casualties on the village army!

Some of them had their heads cut off by a naginata; some had their abdomens pierced by a short spear; and some suffered even more tragic fates, ending up "torn to pieces" because they forced their way to meet Qing Deng's long spear.

With these three gentlemen setting an example, the cavalry's attack became even more unstoppable!

The villagers screamed in terror, pushing and shoving each other.

Let alone fight against it, there's no time to even dodge!

Pursuing the defeated enemy... there is probably no battle in the world easier than this.

Countless people were knocked away by warhorses (oxen), and upon landing, they were trampled into a bloody pulp by the hooves of the horses (oxen) or the feet of their fleeing comrades.

Many more died by the katana.

Because the Shinsengumi's cavalry unit had only been established for a short time and had not been trained for long, the knights of the 7th and 10th Divisions made quite a few fools of themselves.

For example, after slashing the enemy with his katana, he was unable to retract the sword in time, and due to inertia, he fell off his horse along with the sword.

For example, if the angle of the strike is poor, the katana becomes a disposable weapon. After the strike is delivered, there is no time to retract the blade, and the blade remains inside the enemy's body.

Cavalry was the most technologically advanced military force in ancient societies.

How to accurately fire and retrieve a weapon while a horse is galloping at high speed... this is an extremely difficult technical skill.

However, no matter what, using cavalry to fight infantry, or a strong army with high morale to fight a weak and fleeing army, even if some minor problems arise, it won't be a big deal.

Under Qingdeng's command, the cavalry was invincible, sometimes turning left, sometimes right, sometimes breaking out of the enemy ranks, and sometimes breaking back in.

They beat the defeated soldiers at will, just like herding sheep.

They would go wherever there were many people.

Charge wherever there is resistance!

Just then, Qingdeng suddenly heard a commotion not far away.

Looking up, one could see a small group of villagers still putting up a stubborn resistance.

The commander of this group of survivors and resisters was none other than Hori Tameyuuki, the leader of the local militia.

"Don't be afraid! Follow me! Charge with me!"

He rallied the villagers who still had the strength to fight and desperately tried to break out of the encirclement.

Even someone as confident as him dared not say "defeat the Shinsengumi" again in the face of the current dire situation.

At this moment, he no longer possessed the heroic spirit he had shown before when he roared "Kill!" and personally led the local militia to charge straight into the Shinsengumi's formation.

At this moment, his face was filled with deep panic, and only one thought remained in his mind: escape! Survive!

Qing Deng stared intently at Yu Hori—with just one glance, he was certain that this man was the leader of the village militia.

In an instant, he pulled hard on the reins, turned the bull around, and charged straight at Hori!

Clatter, clatter, clatter, clatter... Hearing the approaching hoofbeats, Hori looked up in alarm—and met Aoto's gaze.

Besides Qingdeng's icy gaze, what also caught his eye was the long spear raised high...

"Aa ...

Hori let out a terrified, courageous scream and instinctively raised his knife to block.

As a result, his knife was only halfway raised when a spear flashed across his neck, leaving a straight silver line.

With a sizzle—sounding exactly like a cloth bag being torn apart—a perfectly healthy human head flew into the air.

Qingdeng deftly flipped his right wrist to control the lever.