I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

"I will do everything I can to provide treatment and do my best to keep it a secret for you."

"As for what will happen next... that's entirely up to your fate."

Seeing this, Souji smiled gratefully and nodded vigorously:

"Yes! I'm very grateful!"

……

……

Tenmayama, main camp, Aoto's tent—

"My lord! The medical leader, Mr. Nanjo, requests an audience!"

Upon hearing this, Qing Deng immediately said:

"Let him in!"

"Yes!"

The guards outside the tent lifted the curtain, and Nanjo Akizaburo slipped inside in a few quick steps.

Before the other party could even bow and greet him, Qingdeng impatiently asked:

"Mr. Nanjo, how is Tsukasa's illness?"

Meeting Aoto's gaze, Nanjo Akizaburo bowed slightly—seemingly as a gesture of respect, but actually to avoid Aoto's stare—and said to his toes:

"Captain Okita suffers from a common throat disease."

"This disease is very stubborn, but fortunately it is not difficult to treat."

"I have already prescribed some medicine for Captain Okita."

"As long as she takes her medicine on time every day and persists for a period of time, she will recover."

"However, it will take a long time and won't get better so quickly."

Upon learning that the commander was unharmed, Qing Deng breathed a sigh of relief.

"I see, that's good. Mr. Nanjo, you've really had a hard night."

Nanjo Akizaburo shook his head:

“These are things I should do.”

"Mr. Nanjo, if there's nothing else, you may go and rest."

"..."

"Hmm? Mr. Nanjo, what's wrong?"

Aoto cast a questioning look at Nanjo Akizaburo, who remained rooted to the spot.

"No, it's nothing. My lord, I shall take my leave now."

With that, Nanjo Akizaburo turned and left—the shadow cast by the backlighting subtly concealed a hint of darkness in his eyes.

After watching Nanjo Akizaburo leave, Aoto buried himself in his desk again, reading the blood-stained letter in his hand.

His eyes quickly scanned each line of the letter.

The more he read, the more his brow furrowed.

Today marks the first day of the "Second Battle of Sekigahara"—although it is only one day long, it has already lasted longer than the "First Battle of Sekigahara," which was decided in just half a day.

The battle at Sekigahara officially began today.

But on the Eighth Prince's side, the fighting had already turned into a bloody mess several days ago!

For ease of reference, Qingdeng privately referred to this army, which combined the Fazhu Party and the Qibing Team, as the "Faqi Allied Army".

Hijikata Toshizo, Elodie, and Shimada Kai led a thousand men in a united attack against the Fács-led coalition, whose main fighting force was the "Slavic Legion"...

In terms of both troop strength and individual soldier quality, the former is at a significant disadvantage...

This is an incredibly difficult battle, but one that must be fought.

Qing Deng was constantly concerned about the battle situation of the Eighth Prince.

Finally, just now, he received the battle report sent back by Hijikata Toshizo, which is the blood-stained letter he is now reading.

The letter contained very little information.

In short, the general meaning is: a thousand men fought bravely and unitedly, and although they successfully delayed the enemy's attack, they suffered heavy casualties!

……

……

A few days ago—

Kanto, Hachioji—

Looking down from above, black lines stretch across the vast, boundless plains.

Upon closer inspection, one can see that these black lines are trenches.

The thousands of soldiers, united as one, crouched in these trenches, their eyes fixed on the front, their expressions dominated by intense tension and unease.

Hijikata Toshizo, carrying Izumi no Kami Kanesada, stood at the front of the battle, his face expressionless as he stared straight ahead at the western horizon.

Elodie stood beside him, the two of them side by side.

She tied the sleeves of her light blue haori with a sash, held Yamato no Kami Yasusada in her hand, and her pale golden hair was tied back into a neat high ponytail.

A gentle breeze blew, lifting the strands of hair hanging down her temples and the tips of her braids.

Compared to Hijikata Toshizo, Elodie was not so calm.

Her facial features were tense, her lips were tightly pursed, and her tension was clearly visible.

Suddenly, Hijikata Toshizo spoke up:

"Elodie, you don't have to force yourself."

“You are different from me; you are not a samurai who ‘lives with a sword and dies for a sword.’”

"Moreover, you are a woman."

Even if you retreat to the rear, no one will blame you...

Before the other person could finish speaking, Elodie interrupted bluntly:

“Mr. Hijikata, things have come to this point, and even though I am terrified, I cannot back down.”

“You are the vice-commander of the Shinsengumi, and I am the section chief of the Shinsengumi. As fellow members of the Shinsengumi, how can I desert my post in the face of battle?”

"If I run away with my tail between my legs, it will damage the reputation of the Shinsengumi."

"Furthermore, I have already declared to the thousand of you who are of one mind that I will fight alongside you to the very end."

"I don't want to be a woman who breaks her promise."

At this point, she raised the Yamato no Kami Yasusada, a figure that seemed disproportionate to her petite frame, and a confident smile curved her lips.

"Don't underestimate me."

"No matter what, I am the disciple of 'Niou' Tachibana Aoto!"

"With me here, we can at least boost morale a little."

The vice-commander and chief of the Shinsengumi were both stationed in Hachioji... This was indeed something that would excite the soldiers who were united in purpose.

Seeing Elodie's unwavering resolve, unmoved by his persuasion, Hijikata Toshizo couldn't help but chuckle.

"Alright, I was being rude just now, please forgive me."

Just then, Shimada Kai's shout came from afar:

"Vice Commander!"

Hijikata Toshizo looked in the direction of the sound and saw Shimada Kai leading several cavalrymen—elite knights who had been ordered to serve as Elodie's guards—rushing rapidly toward him.

To protect Elodie's safety, Qing Deng not only dispatched Shimada Kai, but also selected a group of elite soldiers from the cavalry to serve as Elodie's personal bodyguards.

His unintentional act actually did Hijikata Toshizo a huge favor.

This cavalry unit, led by Shimada Kai, became an extremely valuable mobile force under his command!

If used properly, it could become a decisive force on the battlefield!

Throughout history, reconnaissance soldiers have always been a branch of the military that only the most elite soldiers can fulfill.

Putting everything else aside, the ability to "distinguish directions in the open field" alone is enough to eliminate more than 90% of the soldiers.

The soldiers, though united in purpose, had rather limited training; few of them knew how to ride horses.

Therefore, sending them to scout out enemy positions is pure nonsense.

Therefore, Hijikata Toshizo had no choice but to entrust this important task to Shimada Kai.

Shimada Kai rode a flying horse to Hijikata Toshizo and said quickly:

"The enemy army has advanced to within two miles to the west!"

[Note: In the Edo period, 1 ri was equal to 3.924 kilometers, and 2 ri was equal to 7.848 kilometers.]

7.848 kilometers... such a distance is almost "within arm's reach"!

Upon hearing this, Hijikata Toshizo muttered to himself:

"It's finally here..."

After speaking, he slowly turned around and faced the thousands of soldiers who were united in the trenches behind him.

Looking up, every single one of them wore a look of panic.

There were countless people whose cheeks had turned completely bloodless and whose legs were trembling.

Although the "Thousand People United" group has the title of "Thousand People", their total strength is more than one thousand.

When Qingdeng took over the position of leader of the Thousand-Man Unity Army, the Thousand-Man Unity Army had 2000 able-bodied young men of suitable age, which is equivalent to 2000 soldiers.

Recently, Hijikata Toshizo has been trying to gather intelligence on the enemy through various channels.

Lacking skilled intelligence agents, he sought help from the Edo authorities.