I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

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P.S.: The educational section in this chapter is a bit long, but that's unavoidable. If we don't explain the special nature and ritualistic significance of the battle at Sekigahara, the later plot won't be able to unfold properly.

Chapter 911 [The Decisive Battle of Yokoyama] and the Deployment of the "Demon Vice-Commander"! [5400]

Ichimura Tetsunosuke - Hijikata Toshizo's nickname.

His eye-catching actions during the previous "Great Conscription" caught the attention of Hijikata Toshizo, and he was later taken in as a page by Hijikata Toshizo by a twist of fate.

Of course, his relationship with Hijikata Toshizo was very pure, unlike the relationships between Oda Nobunaga and Mori Ranmaru, or Takeda Shingen and Kosaka Masanobu, which leave much to the imagination.

……

……

Suruga Province, Choshu Army Camp—

"Takasugi-kun!"

Hearing someone call his name, Takasugi Shinsaku stopped and turned around to look—he saw Katsura Kogoro rushing towards him, his face filled with a complicated expression.

"Gui, what's wrong?"

"Don't tell me you're going to be all sentimental and fussy when you see me off."

"Don't give me that, I can't stand those scenes that give me goosebumps."

Katsura Kogoro ignored Takasugi Shinsaku's request.

Upon reaching the other person, he took several deep breaths to regulate his breathing, then spoke solemnly and deliberately:

"...Takasugi-kun, you really have to be careful."

"Even with the advantage of location, it is still extremely dangerous to face the Shinsengumi with a mere 1500 people!"

"Remember to protect yourself!"

"As long as people are still alive, there is still hope."

"When a person dies, everything ends!"

Takasugi Shinsaku looked at Katsura Kogoro with a helpless expression.

"Katsura, why do you sound just like Professor Matsuoka?"

The "Shoin-sensei" he mentioned naturally refers to Yoshida Shoin, the common mentor of him, Katsura Kogoro, and Kusaka Genzui.

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing. I haven't lived enough yet."

"When it's time to fight, I will fight with all my might."

"When it's time to retreat, I will retreat without hesitation."

"When the time is right, or when the battle can no longer be sustained, I will naturally retreat... cough, cough cough cough cough!"

Suddenly, Shinsaku Takasugi started coughing.

He turned his head away from Katsura Kogoro, covered his mouth tightly with his palm, coughed until his back bent and his shoulders hunched.

Upon seeing this, Katsura Kogoro immediately frowned, his face showing worry:

"Hmm? Takasugi-kun, what's wrong? Did you catch a cold?"

After coughing several more times, Shinsaku Takasugi gradually recovered.

He smiled as he turned back to face Katsura Kogoro:

"Yes, I did catch a cold. My throat is always itchy. It's just a minor illness, nothing to worry about."

Upon hearing this, Katsura Kogoro carefully examined the other party with a mixture of belief and doubt.

Seeing that the other person appeared normal and showed no signs of illness, they did not press the matter further.

"Gui, you should think more about yourself than me."

As he spoke, Shinsaku Takasugi turned his eyes left and right, scanning the surroundings.

After confirming that no one was around, he took a half step forward, leaned forward, put one hand on Katsura Kogoro's shoulder, and lowered his voice:

"You should know very well why I didn't take the entire elite force with me, but deliberately left 500 men here."

"..."

Katsura Kogoro silently pursed his lips, his expression becoming solemn and serious.

Just now, after a brief discussion, the generals of the "Chōshū faction" finally finalized the detailed division of forces—Takasugi Shinsaku would lead 1500 men of the Kiheitai to meet the Shinsengumi, while the remaining 500 men would be led by Katsura Kogoro to continue the advance on Edo with Shuten-dōji.

Takasugi Shinsaku lowered his voice even further, so that only the two of them could hear him clearly:

"Although I just said something very nice at the main camp, like 'we're all in the same boat,' the Fazhu Party is still an outsider to us."

"I have never trusted those lunatics."

"When it's time to cooperate with them, we shouldn't hesitate."

"But we should not hesitate to be cautious where we need to be."

"The 500 people I'm leaving you are both a 'hidden mole' to monitor the execution of the party and a 'seedling' to ensure the survival of my Changzhou."

“If the ‘Heavenly Swamp Spear’ fails, and something happens to me and my 1500 men… then you and your 500 men will be the last ‘seedlings’.”

"As you just said, there is hope as long as there are people; if people are gone, everything is over!"

"You told me to always protect myself, and now I'm telling you the same thing: always protect yourself!"

Even if the world scorns him as 'Kogoro the Runaway,' he will resolutely become 'Kogoro who excels at preserving his power!'

Katsura Kogoro, who usually loves to preach and can't stand heavy words like "sacrifice" and "extinction," was unusually silent at this moment and did not refute the other party.

After a long while, he nodded vigorously and with utmost solemnity:

"...Yes, I understand!"

Seeing that Katsura Kogoro readily agreed to his request, Takasugi Shinsaku patted him on the shoulder with a mixture of surprise and relief.

Just then, a cheerful voice suddenly came from not far away:

"Oh! Takasugi-kun, you're here!"

Katsura and Takasugi were both startled, then turned their heads at the same time to look at the owner of the voice—Shuten-dōji, who was walking towards them with his hands behind his back.

He did not come alone; a demon was following closely beside him.

The bull demon was carrying a large box, but it was unknown what was inside.

When facing Shuten-dōji, Takasugi Shinsaku was not so enthusiastic.

He said expressionlessly and in a cold tone:

"Shuten-dōji, are you here to see me off too?"

"Well, I guess so. But I mainly came to deliver something to you. You little devil!"

Upon hearing Shuten-dōji's call, Gyūki immediately took half a step forward and handed over the large box in his hand to Takasugi Shinsaku.

Looking at the large box in front of him, Shinsaku Takasugi couldn't help but frown.

"Shuten-dōji, who is this?"

Shuten-dōji smiled, a smile that held a profound meaning.

"This is the 'Battle of Dian' that I mentioned to you before."

The decisive battle at the lake—upon hearing this phrase, neither Takasugi Shinsaku nor Katsura Kogoro could change their expressions.

Shock, disgust, fear, bewilderment... a variety of emotions flowed across their faces.

Ignoring their changing expressions, Shuten-dōji continued speaking to himself:

"Takasugi-kun, please accept this. This box of 'Decisive Battle Essence' will definitely play a big role in the upcoming battle."

"...What? Are you going to give me this box of 'Decisive Battle Starch'?"

"That's right, exactly!"

"Is this really a good idea? Didn't you say that this 'Decisive Battle Lake' is extremely precious and should not be used casually unless absolutely necessary?"

Shuten-dōji nodded slightly and began to speak in a gentle and detailed manner:

"That's right, that's exactly it!"

"'The Battle of Dian' was extremely expensive to build; it's a treasure that even I find painful to part with."

“I was quite hesitant about whether to allocate a portion of the ‘Decisive Battle Salt’ for you to use.”

"But now, I've figured it out!"

"Wasn't the purpose of creating something this powerful to overthrow the shogunate?"

"In that case, we can't be too petty!"

"If you can't hold off the Shinsengumi, I'll be the one who suffers in the end!"

At this point, Shuten-dōji paused, tilted his head, and continued with a kind expression:

"Takasugi-kun, please accept this! Don't be shy!"

“I remember I explained the pros and cons of ‘Decisive Battle of Dian’ to you in detail before.”

“You are an excellent leader. When to use ‘Decisive Battle’ and whether to use it at all is entirely up to you. I will not interfere.”

Takasugi Shinsaku lowered his eyelids and gaze, staring intently at the large box in Ushioni's hand, his expression shifting several times, his thoughts unreadable.

Katsura Kogoro, standing beside him, looked similar, his face filled with a complex expression.

After a moment, Takasugi Shinsaku said coldly, without any emotion:

"...In that case, I shall respectfully comply."

After saying that, he snatched the large box, then turned and left with it in his arms.