I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

"But we don't need to defeat them!"

"Gentlemen, there is one thing I can assure you."

"At this very moment, Master... General Tachibana must be leading his troops at full speed to our aid!"

"May I ask you all, if General Tachibana were here, would you still fear this enemy army before you?"

"As long as General Ju arrives, the mere Changzhou is nothing but a chicken and a dog!"

"Therefore, we just need to hold out until General Tachibana arrives!"

"If you've got the guts, pick up your weapons and fight alongside me!"

"If you think you're not even as good as a Western girl, then please do as you please!"

Elodie finished speaking.

Her speech, though not particularly rousing, was powerful in its every word.

Especially the last sentence, "If you think you're not even as good as a Western girl, then please do as you please," made many people in the audience turn pale.

Because they are descendants of a thousand people united in heart, the local villagers have always considered themselves "half a warrior".

A Westerner... and a Western girl at that, is not afraid of war and death. If I back down, am I even human?

Shortly after Elodie finished speaking, someone suddenly stood up and shouted:

"Damn it! What are you all hesitating for? This girl is right! We are descendants of a thousand people united in heart! Anyone else can escape, but we cannot!"

This sentence is like a spark that has fallen into a gasoline drum.

Instantly, the entire venue erupted in cheers!

"Let's fight the Changzhou people!"

"Let the people of Changzhou witness the loyalty and bravery of a thousand people united as one!"

"Our ancestors made a pact with Tosho Daigen to protect Kanto! Now, it's our turn to fulfill that promise!"

[Note: Tosho Daigongen: The divine title of Tokugawa Ieyasu.]

The number of respondents is increasing.

The atmosphere in the air has undergone a fundamental change, with excitement and exhilaration completely replacing the depression and gloom.

Those who were bewildered and lost were now all influenced by this atmosphere, and one by one they stood up, clenched their fists, and vowed to join the fight.

Shimada Kai blinked, staring blankly at everything, his eyes flashing with astonishment.

Although he wasn't a skilled orator, he noticed another strength in Elodie's speech—she clearly articulated the current task at hand.

Just hold out until reinforcements arrive from Qingdeng!

Although everyone found the task difficult, they did not think it was impossible.

With a clear and achievable goal, rather than a broad "fight against the enemy," it is naturally easier to unite people's hearts!

"Shimada-kun".

The sudden call startled Shimada Kai.

The next moment, he hurriedly replied:

"I'm here!"

Elodie turned her head to meet his gaze and said solemnly:

"Shimada-kun, you are the only one among us with extensive combat experience."

"So, I'll have to rely on you to put in the effort from now on."

"please!"

Seeing Elodie's sincere expression, Shimada Kai only hesitated for a moment before excitedly shouting:

"Chief, you flatter me! I am also a member of the Shinsengumi! I will do my duty as well!"

……

……

Let's go back to the present—

After traversing the vast, nameless forest, Hijikata Toshizo suddenly felt a sense of enlightenment.

Before me stretched an endless plain, covered in lush green grass.

"Deputy Commander! There! Our main force is over there!"

Hijikata Toshizo looked in the direction of the sound and was shocked to see many figures moving on the horizon diagonally opposite.

He immediately turned his horse around and rode straight there.

As he closed the distance, he gradually saw what the figures were doing—they were digging trenches.

Hoes were raised high and swung down heavily.

The sounds of digging, "clang clang" and "scratching," rose and fell.

Among the people diligently digging trenches, Hijikata Toshizo spotted two familiar faces—the section chief Elodie and the first division vice-captain Shimada Kai!

Then Shimada Kai took off his shirt, revealing his muscular upper body, and personally demonstrated to everyone the correct way to dig a trench.

"Listen up! A trench is a passageway used in combat to cover your own forces, slow down the enemy's advance, and facilitate troop movement! It's both a 'wall' and a 'corridor'! Remember that! It's not just about digging a ditch and calling it a day!"

His appearance was just like Tokugawa Ieyasu under Osaka Castle back then.

Legend has it that when Tokugawa Ieyasu launched the Siege of Osaka in 1614, intending to destroy the Toyotomi family in one fell swoop, 14 years had passed since the last major battle, the Battle of Sekigahara (1600). The veterans had either retired or died, so the army was left with only some greenhorns who didn't even know how to dig trenches.

Seeing this, Tokugawa Ieyasu felt utterly helpless.

Despite his declining health, this over seventy-year-old man picked up a shovel and personally demonstrated the correct way to dig trenches to the new recruits, which became a well-known story.

Shimada Kai was promoted to vice-captain of the First Division not solely because of his bravery.

As a veteran who followed Aoto through many battles, including the Battle of Iga (to quell the Ise Uprising), the Battle of Yamato (to destroy the Tenchugu group), and the Siege of Kyoto, he had seen pigs run even if he had never eaten pork.

During every battle, Shimada Kai observed how Qing Deng dug trenches, built fortifications, and set up camps, and he remembered it all.

He wouldn't dare call himself a "tactical master," but he was more than capable of teaching these guys who had never experienced war how to dig trenches.

Elodie stood beside Shimada Kai, meticulously swinging her hoe to loosen the soil.

To make it easier to move around, she tied her sleeves with a cufflink and then tied her long hair with a thin rope, making a high ponytail at the back of her head.

It's easy to tell from her movements that she probably had little experience with hoes before.

However, she managed to swing the hoe with great force, relying on her extraordinary physical strength and arm strength.

In terms of efficiency, she was in no way inferior to those around her who had spent their entire lives wielding hoes.

The high ponytail at the back of her head swayed back and forth with her movements.

Before long, the sound of rapid hoofbeats reached their ears.

They all put down what they were doing and looked up—against the blue sky and green fields, the "Sincerity" flag in Hijikata Toshizo's hand looked particularly dazzling.

Shimada Kai's eyes widened instantly, his face filled with disbelief.

After confirming that he wasn't seeing things, he couldn't contain his excitement and shouted:

"Hey, dorm leader! Look who's here!"

He was so happy he almost jumped up.

A moment later, Hijikata Toshizo tightened the reins, bringing the horse to a stop in front of Elodie and the others.

Most of the people at the scene did not recognize Hijikata Toshizo.

However, looking at his strange attire (suit, leather boots, long overcoat) and his heroic demeanor while holding the "Sincerity" flag, they instinctively felt that this man was an important figure.

Mustering his courage, someone stepped forward and asked:

"Who goes there?"

Hijikata Toshizo smiled, head held high and chest puffed out:

"The vice-commander of the Shinsengumi, Hijikata Toshizo!"

"I'm sorry, I'm late."

"Although I'm late, I made it to meet up!"

……

……

Nobi Plain, Sekigahara —

"Caw! Caw! Caw! Caw! Caw! Caw!"

A crow cawed as it flew across the sky, traversing several hills before soaring over an inconspicuous plain.

This plain is by no means vast.

Standing anywhere on this plain, in any direction, the view is blocked by towering mountains.

This basin, which stretches 4 kilometers east to west and 2 kilometers north to south and is surrounded by Mount Ibuki to the north, Mount Sasao and Mount Tenma to the west, Mount Matsuo to the southwest, and Mount Nangu to the southeast, is the key that divides Japan in two—Sekigahara!

"Moo moo moo moo...!"

Radish was pawing the soil with its hooves while making engine-like noises, and it seemed to be in high spirits.

"..."

Qingdeng sat silently on its back, gazing at the distant Nangong Mountain.

At this moment, a man and an ox stand atop Tianman Mountain, letting the mountain wind blow as they do so.

Although Qing Deng ordered Harada Sanosuke to lead his cavalry to Sekigahara as quickly as possible to seize advantageous terrain.

But... unfortunately, this Changzhou army that is cooperating with the Fazhu Party is indeed not easy to deal with!

When Harada Sanosuke led his troops to Sekigahara, the Ichimonji-Sansei flag representing the Choshu Mori clan had already been planted on the summit of Nangu Mountain to the east!

Fortunately, the Sasao and Tenma mountains to the west, as well as the Matsuo mountain to the southwest, are still "unclaimed land".

Harada Sanosuke immediately occupied the three mountains, managing to prevent the battle from turning into the worst possible situation before it even began.