I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

Turning one's own people out of the camp and leaving them to die... No one would dare to give such an order!

Moreover, refusing to accept the remnants of the army might lead to a large-scale uprising among them.

They barely managed to evade the Shinsengumi's pursuit and escaped to the friendly forces' camp at Tenryu-ji Temple, only to be refused entry...

Heaven knows whether they might, in their grief and anger, storm the military camp, triggering a tragedy of fratricide!

Even knowing it was a raging fire, you could only hold your nose and swallow it!

Thus, the Choshu generals of Tenryu-ji Temple had no choice but to open the camp gates and let the remaining soldiers into the camp.

Sure enough, no sooner had the remnants entered the camp than rumors began to spread rapidly throughout the camp about how incredibly brave the Shinsengumi were, how cunning the Satsuma army was, and how certain our defeat was.

The soldiers in the camp all knew about the tragic outcomes on other battlefields.

In just one day, the nearly 10,000 troops in Fushimi and Yamazaki suffered a devastating blow.

Currently, the only remaining combat-capable unit is the one from Tenryuji Temple... Anyone with a brain wouldn't be optimistic about the current battle situation.

Since last night, the Changzhou camp has been filled with the feeling that "defeat is imminent".

A person groaning in pain due to injury...

A person secretly shedding tears...

A person with their head hanging low, a face full of despair...

The listless patrol team...

Those who refuse to give up, who still want to fight like cornered beasts, and who strive to boost morale...

The so-called "doomsday scenario" is nothing more than this.

Even the main camp was deathly silent.

At this moment, all the generals of the Changzhou army gathered at their main camp.

Looking up, almost all the generals were covered in dust and dirt, looking quite disheveled.

Many were injured.

Kusaka Genzui sat blankly on the stool.

His spine seemed to have been ripped out, and he slumped forward, his elbows bracing against his legs to barely support his body.

Late last night, thanks to the brave escort of those loyal retainers, Kusaka Genzui finally arrived safely at Tenryu-ji Temple without any major incidents.

For the generals of the Choshu Army, the survival of Kusaka Genzui was a stroke of good fortune amidst misfortune.

This only piece of good news brought them some comfort.

Whether it was a rekindled will to survive or something else, after arriving at Tenryuji Temple, Kusaka Genzui stopped shouting "Let me die" and instead became quite quiet... or rather, too quiet.

In the past, Kusaka Genzui, who was eloquent and skilled in public speaking, would have been the first to speak up and encourage everyone.

But this time, he remained silent and didn't say a word.

Without speaking or showing any expression... at first glance, it looked like a marionette or a person with autism.

This, on the contrary, made the generals of Changzhou very uneasy.

Even without prior notice, at dawn today, all the generals spontaneously came to the main camp to try to discuss a way to break the deadlock.

However, even after a considerable amount of time has passed, the main camp remains eerily silent.

No one spoke, no one said anything...

Such an outcome is simply a matter of course.

After all, the current state of affairs has deteriorated to the point where there is nothing that can be done...

Overwhelming numerical inferiority, low morale, and a disparity in equipment that felt like a game-changer... even if Han Xin, Bai Qi, Wei Qing, and Huo Qubing were alive, they would have no choice but to surrender in the face of such a massive disparity in combat power.

Those radicals who used to jump around the most and shout the loudest are now hanging their heads, looking down at their noses, expressionless, their dull eyes resembling those of the dead.

Now, as long as they are not completely delusional mental patients, they have gradually come to see the reality of the situation.

They set out with full confidence, only to suffer a crushing defeat in just one day... The disastrous defeat at the Fushimi battlefield, in particular, brought them an indescribable shock.

The Shinsengumi didn't even send out infantry or cavalry; they only used muskets and cannons, yet they routed them.

What the hell? Is this how you fight a war?!

Cannons are one thing, but are Western firearms really that powerful?!

Thus, it is difficult not to make these radicals who advocate idealism and talk about the "Spirit of Changzhou" have strong self-doubt: Is the concept of respecting the enemy that we have always adhered to wrong?

At this very moment, in a corner of the main camp, Katsura Kogoro, dressed in plain clothes, leaned against a tree trunk with his arms crossed. He didn't seem to be thinking or daydreaming; he was just staring straight at Hisaka Genzui not far away.

Beside him, Prajna squatted on the ground like a thug, scanning the main force with his gaze, and smacked his lips a few times:

"Tsk tsk tsk, poor thing... He lost so badly, he's almost out of money for his funeral."

Katsura Kogoro's face darkened:

"Prajna, shut up."

Prajna ignored his rebuke and continued speaking:

"Hey Katsura Kogoro, why don't you kill that Kusaka Genzui?"

"……What did you say?"

Katsura Kogoro suddenly opened his eyes wide, turned his head, and cast a sharp gaze at Hannya.

Prajna shrugged.

"Don't look at me like that, I'm not afraid of you."

"I can subdue you with just one hand; it's not much harder than pinning a woman down on the bed."

"Although I don't like you, I have to admit that you are indeed someone important."

"He is both literate and martial, and has great courage; he is destined for great things."

"No wonder Orochi values ​​you so much."

"In terms of individual skill alone, that Kusaka Genzui is indeed quite good, but his brain is already broken."

Prajna raised her hand and poked her forehead.

"Expelling all Westerners and returning the country to a state of isolation... With such unrealistic ideas running through his head, how could he not perish?"

"Instead of letting this guy keep wasting Changzhou's manpower and resources, it's better to just kill him and seize power."

"If you had done this earlier, you might have been able to avoid this disaster today."

"Look, after that kid's antics, not only did we gain nothing, but we also greatly weakened Changzhou's national strength, making the situation even more precarious."

Prajna had expected that after he finished speaking, he would be met with a fierce rebuttal.

Because he knew that Katsura Kogoro always valued their past friendship.

Unexpectedly, the scolding he had anticipated did not come.

"..."

Katsura Kogoro remained silent, his expression complex.

Prajna turned his head in surprise, looked the other person up and down a few times, and then grinned:

"Heh~~ It seems that the kid who always talks about 'fellow students' and 'classmates' has finally grown up."

Ignoring Hannya's sarcasm, Katsura Kogoro silently raised his gaze and cast a meaningful look at Kusaka Genzui not far away.

Just then, a series of hurried footsteps came from afar, getting closer and closer.

Before long, a panicked messenger burst into the view of Katsura Kogoro and the others.

"Lord Kusaka! The enemy... the enemy forces have begun their operation!"

The moment the man finished speaking, the sky was pierced by the urgent sound of a bugle.

Woo-woo-woo-woo-woo-woo-woo-woo!

Countless birds took flight in fright, rising like locusts from the Arashiyama mountains behind Tenryu-ji Temple.

The generals, including Kusaka Genzui and Katsura Kogoro, straightened up reflexively, their faces looking extremely ugly as if they had been splashed with black ink.

……

……

"Moo! Moo moo!"

After eating over 60 jin of high-quality fodder and resting well overnight, Radish regained its vitality.

With his spear in hand, Qingdeng rode his ox to the front of the battle, gazing at the distant Tianlong Temple.

Tenryu-ji Temple is located west of Arashiyama, and this is the only direction in which troops cannot be deployed.

The other three directions—north, east, and south—were all heavily fortified and surrounded.

This was a sure-win battle, and the almost free victory boosted the morale of the soldiers.

Even the regional armies wanted to get involved and volunteered for battle.

Of course, Qingdeng would never allow these useless people to steal the credit and take the credit.

He still kept the various regional armies in the rear, letting them act as atmosphere support groups.

Accompanied by the deafening sound of bugles, the soldiers of the various armies marched out of their camps one after another and lined up in neat formation.

Clover, gentian, Aizu clover, Maruju... flags of various colors and designs fluttered in the morning breeze.

Under the light of dawn, the soldiers' armor and weapons gleamed.

When Qingdeng appeared at the front of the battle, in an instant, long spears, muskets, and swords were waved in the air, and cheers rose and fell.

Once Seido gives the order, this massive army, composed of the Shinsengumi, Aizu Army, and Satsuma Army, will launch an overwhelming attack like a torrent, swallowing up Tenryuji Temple in one fell swoop!

Just as Qing Deng was observing the enemy formation from afar, Hijikata Toshizo's voice suddenly rang out behind him:

"Ju, you don't need to personally brave the arrows and stones in this battle."

As he spoke, Hijikata Toshizo spurred his horse to Aoto's side.

"We have victory in our grasp."