I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

Seeing that Qing Deng had taken the initiative to fight, Matsumiya Sagara grinned and quickened his pace, raising his katana high to block out the sunlight.

"Tachibana Aoto! Die!!"

With the force of his roar, the power accumulated in his waist surged into his arms! The katana raised above his head came crashing down!

The sharp blade flashed brightly in mid-air, pressing down on Qingdeng with overwhelming force!

Qingdeng kept his eyes fixed on the other person.

Only when his opponent swung his sword, the slash about to strike his head in the blink of an eye, did he slowly and deliberately make his move!

He swung his sword from the lower right, slashing towards the upper left! His attack, though delayed, was faster than Matsumiya Sagara's! The two swords clashed heavily in mid-air!

The clash of the two blades lasted only a moment—for in that instant, Matsumiya Sagara's sword flew backward violently! Severing the webs between his hands! After leaving his grasp, the heavy back of the blade struck his face squarely! Embedding into his facial bones!

All of this was because he was powerless to resist Qing Deng's slash!

The two men's sword fight was like a high-speed train colliding with a bicycle—it was only natural that the bicycle would be sent flying backwards.

That's not all!

The embedding of the blade into his facial bone was just the beginning.

The surging force of the slash had not yet completely dissipated!

With this tremendous force, Matsumiya Sagara's body was propelled high into the air like a baseball ball! He shot into the sky like a rocket, reaching a height of 4 or 5 meters before crashing down!

Amidst the colorful rain of blood, Qing Deng coldly said in a low voice:

"Matsumiya Sagara... I've never even heard of you. I don't have time to remember the names of you scoundrels."

The loud clang of clashing swords and the twisted corpse flying through the air instantly drew the attention of everyone present.

The battlefield, which was originally extremely noisy and filled with shouts of battle, suddenly became unusually quiet.

Whether they were members of the Shinsengumi or the Kiheitai, they all stopped what they were doing and turned their heads in unison, staring blankly at the corpse of Matsumiya Sagara, which was still flying in mid-air...!

With a single slash, he embedded his opponent's weapon in their face and sent them flying into the air... What terrifying power!

Aoto's swift and deadly strike that killed Matsumiya Sagara not only shocked the enemy but also his own men!

"...It's just that the enemy has become a little stronger, yet you've been caught off guard. I'm truly disappointed."

Qingdeng's emotionless voice broke the silence of the scene.

Because it was so quiet you could hear a pin drop, his voice was clearly audible to everyone present.

As he struck the pose of a broken heart, he turned to look at Souji, Nagakura Shinpachi, and Saito Hajime behind him.

"Souji, Shinpachi, Aichi, it seems that the only ones who haven't lost their fighting spirit are the four of us."

"In that case, let the four of us turn the tide!"

"Let the other side see, and let our own people see—see how Niou and the 'Shinsen Three Heroes' can take on a thousand men single-handedly!"

Upon hearing this, the three commanders all showed solemn expressions.

They didn't say a word, silently stepped forward, and stood side by side with Qingdeng.

The four stood in a line, facing the vast enemy force before them!

Although there were only four of them, the expressions of the enemy soldiers around them all changed drastically! They gripped their weapons tightly! As if they were facing a million-strong army!

Qingdeng glanced at the enemy forces ahead, then at the distant mountaintop, before steadying the Bizen longship in his hand, assuming a fighting stance, and loudly announcing his arrival:

"Shinsengumi Commander-in-Chief, Tennen Rishin-ryu, Tachibana Aoto!"

Following closely behind were Souji, Nagakura Shinpachi, and Saito Hajime:

"Captain of the First Division of the Shinsengumi, Tennen Rishin-ryu, Okita Souji!"

"Shinpachi Nagakura, Captain of the Second Division of the Shinsengumi!"

"Shinsengumi Third Division Captain, no outsiders, Saito Hajime!"

The next moment, the four of them shouted together:

"Charge!"

*******

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Please vote with monthly tickets! Please vote with recommendation tickets! (Leopard crying.jpg)

P.S.: It seems Leopard ate something wrong again... He's been to the toilet so many times today... I'm considering whether to take him to the vet...

Chapter 934 The Increasingly Bloodthirsty and Mad Qingdeng [4600 words]

Nangong Mountain, summit, main camp—

A messenger rushed towards Takasugi Shinsaku, knelt on one knee before him, and said loudly, word by word:

"Lord Takasugi! Our army has gained the upper hand on the northern front!"

"However... due to insufficient troops, the troops on the northern front can only suppress the enemy, and cannot completely drive them back to the foot of the mountain!"

After listening, Shinsaku Takasugi nodded slightly.

"very good!"

"Send orders to the troops on the northern front: Maintain the current positive momentum and never let your guard down!"

"It doesn't matter if we can't repel the enemy."

"As long as we hold them back, we will have achieved our goal."

"Kondo Isami and Serizawa Kamo were both brave and skilled warriors."

"Any carelessness in making enemies of them could lead to irreparable and severe consequences!"

"Go and relay the order!"

The messenger responded loudly with a "Yes, sir!" and then strode away, rushing off to the northern front to relay the order.

The messenger had barely left when Ōmura Masujirō, standing next to Takasugi Shinsaku, said calmly:

"As expected, Tachibana Seiden has focused his offensive efforts on the southern front."

The Shinsengumi's main offensive direction—this is not difficult to predict.

From any angle or perspective, Qingdeng has no reason not to make the southern route the main attack direction!

Therefore, in order to stop the Shinsengumi's offensive, Takasugi Shinsaku deployed the vast majority of his troops on the southern front.

As for the northern front, he retained only the bare minimum of troops.

He had no other desires for the troops guarding the northern front.

As long as they can hold off the enemy, preventing them from approaching their own lines or supporting the southern front, their mission will be accomplished.

Now it seems they haven't disappointed him!

Despite their small force, with the support of the "Decisive Battle of Dian," they not only successfully halted the enemy's offensive but also gained a considerable advantage, suppressing the enemy!

There's no need to worry about the northern route for now.

Now that the pressure has eased a bit, Takasugi Shinsaku can finally focus all his attention on the southern front.

Compared to the northern route, the southern route is of paramount importance...

Based on current intelligence, Aoto has placed the vast majority of the Shinsengumi's high-end combat power on the southern front.

Takasugi Shinsaku had no doubt about the effectiveness of "Decisive Battle Salt".

However, he was unsure whether this "external force" alone could stop the swordsmen led by Niou.

He sat silently and stiffly on the stool, anxiously awaiting the messenger's report.

An overly anxious state of mind makes one's sense of time seem strange.

He frequently looked down at his pocket watch.

It felt like a long time had passed, but the minute hand had only moved a few notches.

Only in front of Katsura Kogoro and Ōmura Masujirō did he dare to show his negative side so unreservedly.

Finally... a messenger covered in blood stumbled and staggered into Takasugi Shinsaku's field of vision.

"Lord Takasugi! Lord Takasugi!"

Takasugi Shinsaku immediately perked up, disregarding everything else, and hurriedly asked:

"How's the southern front going?"

The messenger fell to his knees, panting heavily as he hurriedly said:

"Southern front...southern front...enemy forces on the southern front have been suppressed!"

"Under our army's fierce attack, the enemy was routed and on the verge of collapse!"

Upon hearing this, Takasugi Shinsaku and Ōmura Masujirō both breathed a sigh of relief, their cheeks beaming with joy.

However, before they could even smile...

"It's just..."

The messenger suddenly added something.

Seeing the other party suddenly change the subject, Takasugi Shinsaku was taken aback for a moment, then eagerly pressed for an answer:

"Just what?"

The messenger's face showed a look of near-tearful horror:

"There are four monsters, and we can't stop them no matter what!"

……

……

"Those four are almost here! Get the men in the back!"

"The fifth musket squadron is ready!"

"Fifth Gun Squad! Follow me!"