I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

Even without a doctor's diagnosis, anyone with eyes could see that his injuries were very serious.

The two "flesh bomb impacts" that Aoto used at the end caused Takasugi Shinsaku considerable internal injuries, and his spine almost cracked.

Last night, the doctor repeatedly warned me: You must rest! If you can sit, don't stand; if you can lie down, don't sit; and absolutely no strenuous exercise!

However... it was obvious that Takasugi Shinsaku completely ignored the doctor's orders.

In response to Masujiro Ōmura's question, he gave a slight smirk:

"I'm still alive. Since I'm still alive, I must continue fighting."

Upon hearing this, Ōmura Masujirō didn't say much. He simply gave the other person a deep look before silently looking away, without uttering any advice such as "Please go back and rest."

Takasugi Shinsaku gently turned around, shaking off Ōmura Masujirō's support, and raised his gaze to the summit of Nangong Mountain.

"Mr. Ōmura, how is it? Is there anything worth reporting? Is there any movement from the Shinsengumi?"

Ōmura Masujirō gently shook his head:

"No movement at the moment."

Takasugi Shinsaku pondered for a moment, then took out his binoculars, pulled back the lens, and gazed at the view from the mountaintop, observing the movements of the Shinsengumi.

Suddenly, a small white object spun and floated lightly into his field of vision.

Shinsaku Takasugi raised an eyebrow, put down his binoculars, and looked up at the sky.

Masujiro Ōmura, standing nearby, also raised his head, gazing at the sky, and muttered to himself:

"It's snowing..."

At first, there were scattered snowflakes, but in the blink of an eye, it turned into a heavy snowfall.

More and more snowflakes fell, swirling together in a chaotic mass, resembling a dense white net that blanketed the earth.

Looking at the swirling snow, Takasugi Shinsaku instinctively tucked his hands into his robes—a habit that experienced martial artists often have.

In cold weather, extra care must be taken to keep your hands warm to prevent them from freezing and to ensure you can draw your weapon at any time to fight.

"Fighting in the snow...that would be quite interesting. It's a pity my shamisen isn't with me, otherwise I'd love to play a tune in this snowstorm."

No sooner had Takasugi Shinsaku finished his self-deprecating remark than a strange shout suddenly came from the mountaintop.

Takasugi Shinsaku and Ōmura Masujirō immediately raised their binoculars as if by reflex and looked towards the mountaintop.

A surge of people... The Shinsengumi members, clad in light blue haori, worked together to raise a flag, which stood next to the flag bearing the character "诚" (sincerity).

The flag bore no family crest, nor any other markings; it simply bore eight large characters—

There is honor in dying, but no shame in living.

……

……

Nangong Mountain, summit, Shinsengumi headquarters—

Qingdeng stood straight on the edge of the cliff, holding a torch in his hand. He used the torch to warm his palms while gazing at the distant camp of the elite troops.

At that moment, Kondo Isami rushed to his side like lightning and said quickly:

"All squads are ready."

Qingdeng nodded slightly:

"Well, thank you for your hard work."

Having said that, he casually tossed the torch in his hand to his feet, then took the water bucket from his waist, poured it onto the torch, and extinguished the flames.

Just last night, Qingdeng summoned all the captains and vice-captains who were still able to move and briefed them on today's battle plan.

The main points of the plan can be summarized in one sentence: Attack! Attack! Attack again! Attack with all your might! No matter what happens, no matter what situation arises, we must completely take Nangong Mountain within half a day! Take Sekigahara!

At this point, there's no need to distinguish between left and right wings anymore, nor is there any need to devise any tactics.

He ordered the entire army to charge down the mountain like a torrent, destroy the enemy camp, and utterly crush the surprise attack force!

Just as Qing Deng was about to turn and leave, Souji's voice suddenly rang out from beside him:

"Qingdeng!"

Qingdeng was startled, stopped in his tracks, and looked in the direction of the sound.

Souji, wearing a light blue haori and carrying the spirit-taming talisman that Aoto had lent her in her right hand, hurriedly walked towards Aoto.

Aoto gave a clear order: Souji, Nagakura Shinpachi, and Saito, who were injured in yesterday's battle, must all retreat to the rear to recuperate, and no objections are allowed.

Before Qing Deng could say, "Sōji, what brings you here? Go back and rest," Sōji smiled and threw out the Soul-Stabilizing Totem.

"then!"

Ding Guishen spun and flew into the air, drawing a beautiful parabola before landing squarely on Qingdeng's head, where Qingdeng caught it in his hand.

The commander-in-chief, hands on his hips, said with a smile:

"You must be having a headache right now without a good knife, right?"

"If I take another nameless sword into battle, I might end up having the blade cut off by the enemy, just like yesterday, and fall into danger."

"Since I can't go to the front lines anyway, I'll return it to you!"

Upon hearing this, Qing Deng subconsciously lowered his head and stared intently at the Ghost-Stabilizing Spell in his hand.

As he gripped the knife tightly after so long, feeling the familiar touch and weight in his palm, he couldn't help but feel a strong sense of nostalgia.

With a whoosh, he suddenly pushed the knife out of its scabbard, revealing the brass latch used to hold the scabbard in place. Then he slowly pulled out the blade, making a clanging sound.

Although the sword that can ward off evil spirits is a rare treasure, even the most powerful swords are ultimately consumables.

After many bitter, fierce, and bloody battles, the blade of the sword that calms ghosts and gods is already covered in scars.

If it hadn't been sent for repairs so frequently, it would have broken long ago.

However, sharpening the blade is like peeling an onion; it becomes thinner with each sharpening.

Sharpened and sharpened again and again... Now, the blade is so thin that it is just a thin sheet of iron, and it can no longer be sharpened.

If it suffers further serious damage, then even if you hire the world's most renowned craftsmen, you will not be able to repair it.

In other words, the "dead end" for those who can control ghosts and spirits is approaching...

Qing Deng stared at the blade in his hand with mixed feelings, then forcefully sheathed it.

"Xiao Si, thank you!"

He turned his head and smiled as he thanked the commander.

"Go back and rest now. Stay here and recover from your injuries. Then wait patiently for our good news!"

Souji nodded vigorously with an "Mmm," then turned his gaze to Kondo Isami standing next to Aoto:

"Kondo-kun, you'd better fight hard!"

Kondo Isami grinned widely:

"Whoa whoa!"

After bidding farewell to the commander, the two walked down the cliff one after the other.

Suddenly, Qing Deng turned to Kondo Isami behind him and said:

"Yong, relay my order—raise that flag!"

……

……

The members of all the other divisions except for the 7th, 9th, 10th and 11th Divisions gathered in a flat open space not far from the mountaintop.

"There is honor to die, but no honor to live"—looking at the flag standing tall on the mountaintop, the team members all showed tense expressions.

On their first day joining the Shinsengumi, they learned the meaning of the flag.

After raising this flag, all soldiers must be prepared to die!

Victory or death!

Just as they were nervously awaiting the order to attack, someone shouted:

"Look! It's our lord!"

These words caused an uproar in the audience.

Everyone turned their heads and looked back—and there, on the cliff behind the gathering place, stood Qingdeng's figure.

Qing Deng, supporting the Ding Gui Shen (a magical artifact) at his waist, looked down at the various squads from his high vantage point.

He didn't do anything, he just showed his face, yet he raised the atmosphere of the scene several degrees.

The team members all stared at Qingdeng with fervor, their initial tension turning into eager anticipation.

Qingdeng calmly surveyed the entire room as he began to speak:

"Now that things have come to this, I have nothing else to say."

With the blessing of the talent "Piercing Clouds and Splitting Stones +3", his loud voice clearly reached everyone's ears.

"I only have one thing to say: Destroy the enemy! Today, let's add a footnote to history: 'The Shinsengumi achieved a complete victory in the Second Battle of Sekigahara'!"

After he finished speaking, a thunderous roar erupted!

……

……

The cheers from the Shinsengumi lasted for a long time.

Takasugi Shinsaku naturally understood what the banner of "honor to die, disgrace to live" meant.

"...Mr. Ōmura, I'm leaving the rest to you."

As he spoke, he slowly pulled out the Muramasa from his waist.

As he drew his sword, he pulled out a red pill from somewhere.

Ōmura Masujirō stared intently at the red pill… the “Decisive Battle Pill,” and sighed deeply.

"Mr. Takasugi, are you really determined to die?"