I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

"...Mr. Takasugi, are you sure? You're going to use our trump card so soon?"

Shinsaku Takasugi said slowly, his face expressionless:

"To be honest, if I had a choice, I wouldn't want to touch such dangerous stuff."

"But the problem is, we don't have a choice now, do we?"

Ōmura Masujirō pursed his lips and said nothing more.

The Shinsengumi's fighting strength and speed of advance not only surprised him, the strategist, but also surprised Takasugi Shinsaku, the commander-in-chief.

Compared to Masujiro Ōmura, Shinsaku Takasugi was undoubtedly a "conservative".

He never underestimated the Shinsengumi, and his assessment of the battle situation was far less optimistic than that of Masujiro Ōmura.

Even so, the war situation deteriorated faster than expected!

Masujiro Ōmura believed that the "high wall" on the southern battlefield could hold out for at least two days—he wasn't that optimistic, but he thought the "high wall" could at least hold out for one day.

But as it turned out... the Shinsengumi broke through the "high wall" in less than two hours, leaving everyone humiliated.

Taking advantage of Ōmura Masujirō's momentary silence, Takasugi Shinsaku continued in a solemn tone:

"As you all probably know, I don't like the practice of punishing political parties."

"No matter what we think in our hearts, it doesn't change the fact that we are now allies with the Fa-Zhi Party!"

"With a formidable enemy at hand, what kind of behavior is this, fighting amongst ourselves?"

At this point, he deliberately raised his eyes and glared at the people who had just been vehemently criticizing Shuten-dōji.

"Admittedly, their progress has been slow, hampered by the united efforts of a thousand people."

"But how much better off is it on our side?"

"In just one day, the Shinsengumi are almost upon us!"

"Now is not the time to blame each other."

"At this critical juncture, how can we act on emotion?"

"Katsura and his men are fighting fiercely in the Kanto region... Whether they can capture Edo will determine the success or failure of this battle."

"To put it bluntly, as long as they can take over Edo and destroy the Edo Shogunate, it will be worth it even if we all die!"

"This is my realization."

"If I can hold off the Shinsengumi and buy enough time for Katsura and the others, I'll gladly accept it even if it means taking poison!"

Within the Special Forces, Shinsaku Takasugi's position and authority are unshakeable.

Seeing the general make such a firm statement, the eyes and expressions of everyone present gradually changed—they flashed fierce eyes like those of wolves.

Shinsaku Takasugi surveyed the scene once more, then, head held high and chest puffed out, declared in an unquestionable tone:

"Distribute the 'Decisive Battle of Dian' to all soldiers! Success or failure hinges on this!"

……

……

After the military meeting ended, the group dispersed in twos and threes.

Before long, only Takasugi Shinsaku and Ōmura Masujirō remained in the tent.

"Mr. Ōmura, it's late, you should go and get some rest too."

After saying that, Takasugi Shinsaku let out a long breath, his brows furrowed with obvious weariness and a hint of pain.

Although he had given a tactful order to leave, Ōmura Masujirō did not leave.

He turned his head to the side, looking at the other person with a complicated expression.

“…Mr. Takasugi, everyone has left. You don’t need to hold back anymore.”

As if a lie had been exposed, a flicker of panic flashed deep in Takasugi Shinsaku's eyes.

However, he quickly returned to normal.

"'Endure'? What does that mean? What have I endured?"

Faced with Takasugi Shinsaku's feigned ignorance, Ōmura Masujirō stopped beating around the bush and said directly:

"Mr. Takasugi, have you forgotten?"

"Before I abandoned my studies to join the army, I was a renowned doctor who had studied medicine since childhood."

"I noticed something was off about your breathing two weeks ago."

"So, when you weren't looking, I secretly took your pulse."

"So... I am aware of your condition."

"You don't need to pretend nothing's wrong in front of me."

After saying that, he took out a stack of papers from his pocket and handed them to the other person.

Looking at the stack of papers handed to him by Masujiro Ōmura, Shinsaku Takasugi's face flushed with a mix of emotions—surprise, sadness, and relief…

A moment later, these emotions transformed into a calm smile.

He laughed as he reached out and took the stack of papers, then used them to cover his mouth and nose.

Then--

"Cough! Cough cough cough! Cough cough cough cough!!"

Even if you muffle the cough under a piece of paper, the sound is still terrifying.

This cough lasted for a long time.

The duration and intensity were so great that one couldn't help but wonder if he might cough up both lungs.

Looking at Takasugi Shinsaku, whose shoulders were trembling from coughing, Ōmura Masujirō muttered to himself:

“People suffering from hemoptysis cough cough uncontrollably. Mr. Takasugi, it’s amazing that you can pretend to be healthy in front of others, and for so long…”

About five minutes later, Shinsaku Takasugi gradually stopped coughing and recovered.

He was panting heavily as he took out a tissue from in front of his mouth and nose—the tissue was stained with glaring blood.

Looking at the crimson bloodstains, Ōmura Masujirō was deeply saddened, his voice heavy with sorrow:

"Why did it have to be you who suffers from this disease...!"

As he spoke, he unconsciously clenched his fists, his words filled with intense regret.

As a former doctor, Masujiro Ōmura naturally understood the horror of hemoptysis.

A person suffering from hemoptysis who did not die... In all his years of medical practice, he had never seen such a case.

Intense resentment dominated Ōmura Masujirō's expression... In contrast, Takasugi Shinsaku was much calmer.

He smiled slightly and casually tossed the blood-stained paper in his palm into the fire pit beside him.

“Mr. Ōmura, there’s no need to make that face.”

"Some people never touch tobacco or alcohol, yet they die young."

"Some people smoke and drink heavily, yet they live to be a hundred years old."

"Life and death are predestined, I've come to terms with it, this is probably my 'fate'."

Even though I'm unwilling, I have no choice but to accept it.

"That's fine too."

"That makes things much easier for me."

"Once you know that your death is imminent, you can actually unload many burdens in your heart and concentrate on doing what you really want to do."

Looking at the relaxed and carefree Takasugi Shinsaku, Ōmura Masujirō frowned deeply:

"...Mr. Takasugi, you look like you're about to fall into an abyss with a boulder on your back."

Takasugi Shinsaku smiled heartily:

"While I can still move, I have to seize the time to make this boring world interesting!"

……

……

The next day, early morning—

Mount Tenma, the Shinsengumi's main camp—

Facing the rising sun in the east, Qingdeng stood leaning on his sword, gazing at Nangong Mountain shrouded in the glow of the sunset.

Last night, he issued today's operational objective to the entire army—to completely defeat the elite troops and capture Nangong Mountain within today!

Thanks to yesterday's fierce attack, the right flank has pushed forward past the halfway point of Nangong Mountain.

Leaving aside the left flank for now, the right flank has a real chance of reaching the summit today and breaching the enemy's main camp!

Therefore, Qingdeng designated the right flank as the breakthrough point for "completely defeating the enemy" and made the right flank the main direction of attack.

The left wing continued its offensive, but mainly played a diversionary role.

The right-wing command lineup remained unchanged. Apart from Yamanami Keisuke, who was recuperating from injuries in the rear, the right wing was still led by Yamanami himself, Souji, Saito Hajime, and Niimi Nishiki.

Based on this, he transferred Nagakura Shinpachi and Inoue Genzaburo from the left wing, and then transferred Harada Sanosuke, "Dual-Ability Man" Asai Moriyasu, "Hina-Dragon" Makimura Taichi, and "Thunder Slash" Shimada Kanichi from the main camp. The four of them had been stationed at the main camp yesterday, serving as reserves.

He has designated today as the "day of decisive battle." Therefore, there is no longer any need to leave Harada Sanosuke and the others behind—now is the perfect time to concentrate maximum strength and crush the enemy in one fell swoop!

As for Kiryu, he will remain at the main camp.

His injury sustained during the match against Yamada Asaemon Katsumi has not yet fully healed, making it unsuitable for him to play on the front lines.

Under Qing Deng's command, the right wing assembled most of the Shinsengumi's top combat power... Such a lineup can be described as luxurious!

Qingdeng's determination to "end this battle today" is evident!

……

……

Without any warning—