I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

Instantly, the sensation of bones shattering reached his fist.

Although he didn't know the underlying principle, he knew that the chin was a major weakness of the human body.

If the chin is struck hard, even a strong, burly man will feel dizzy, or even faint.

Sure enough, after the opponent's chin was struck hard, his eyes suddenly became "clear," and the strength in his arms suddenly weakened.

Kondo Shusuke seized the opportunity, raised his knee high, kicked his opponent away, and finished him off with a stab.

Before the enemy had even fallen, he had already changed his stance and adjusted his movements, preparing to kill the next enemy!

While bravely fighting the enemy, he never forgot to keep an eye on Otani Seiichiro's position, doing his best to support him and share the burden.

However, how easy is it to keep up with the "Sword Saint's" attack speed and rhythm?

Despite his best efforts, Kondo Shusuke remained two to three body lengths behind his opponent.

If Kondo Shusuke is as fierce as a tiger, then Otani Seiichiro is as brave as a dragon!

In that instant, he held the knife to his left side and then swung it horizontally from left to right, sweeping down a large group of people.

Immediately afterwards, he adjusted the direction of the blade, held the knife to his right side, and then swung it horizontally from right to left, sweeping down another large group of people.

When slashing horizontally to the right, he uses his right arm as the main source of power, making the knife an extension of his right arm, while his left arm only assists in stabilizing the hilt.

When slashing horizontally to the left, he uses his left arm as the main source of power, making the knife an extension of his left arm, while his right arm only assists in stabilizing the hilt.

The changes in moves and the switching of points of force are incredibly smooth and fluid.

With just two strikes, a large "no man's land" was cleared.

Compared to Kondo Shusuke, he was the real "grass mower"!

As we all know, the human body has a very high density.

A swordsman who can slice a human body in half with a single stroke is already considered a highly skilled swordsman.

But under Otani Seiichiro's sword, the density of the human body seemed to disappear!

Regardless of whether the person is tall or short, fat or thin, he will chop them down without hesitation! A single stroke can sever tendons and bones, and he can cut down several human bodies in a row!

What's even more frightening is that he didn't just stab without thinking.

Every time he draws his sword, he plans ahead which enemies he will face and how he should wield it.

Thus, his speed in killing enemies far surpasses that of Kondo Shusuke.

The two swordsmen were significantly different in skill level... No matter how hard Kondo Shusuke tried, he could not bridge this huge gap.

Kondo Shusuke, who was close behind him, could only "pick up the scraps" and kill the remaining enemies who had managed to escape his blade.

Suddenly, a hoarse shout came from the side and front of Otani Seiichiro:

"go to hell!"

A ferocious-looking enemy soldier leaped out, using the momentum of his leap to forcefully bring down the sword he had raised above his head, aiming for Otani Seiichiro's head.

The attack position chosen by this person was extremely tricky, perfectly positioned in Otani Seiichiro's blind spot.

Ootani Seiichiro's eyes narrowed slightly as he pulled his sword back to his side, preparing to take the blow head-on.

Unexpectedly, his defensive action became unnecessary.

Because at that very moment, a sharp arrow shot from behind him, striking the other man squarely in the neck!

The arrow was extremely powerful and swift. After piercing the opponent's neck, it dragged the person sideways for two or three steps before stopping.

Even without looking, Otani Seiichiro knew who had shot the arrow—after all, there was no one else but him.

"Seiichiro! Forward!!"

With that shout, another arrow flew in, killing another enemy soldier who was preparing to harm Ootani Seiichiro.

"forward!!"

One arrow after another pierced the atmosphere.

One after another, enemy soldiers clutched their arrow wounds, collapsed to the ground in agony, and died.

Kubota Kiyone's precise sniping immediately attracted the attention of the enemy soldiers.

Enemy soldiers armed with muskets and bows raised their weapons and unleashed a barrage of fire at Kubota Kiyone in the distance.

however……

"Quick! Kill him!"

"No way! He's too far away! I can't hit him!"

"Who is this opponent?! How could they possess such superb archery skills!"

"I saw it! It's Kiyone Kubota, the head of the Military Academy!"

"First it was Otani Seiichiro, and now it's Kubota Kiyone...!"

The bow was very large and very long.

"Standing up straight" is the primary condition for using a bow.

Otherwise, you won't even be able to lift the bow.

However, Kubota Kiyone is currently unable to stand, and it is extremely difficult for her to even sit up.

Left with no other choice, he gritted his teeth, turned the bow horizontally, and held it horizontally!

In this way, one can wield a bow even while sitting on the ground.

However, this will inevitably increase the burden on the arms.

But now that things have come to this, he can't care about that anymore!

At this moment, Kubota Kiyone was like a large ballista, sparing no effort to provide long-range support, shooting down every enemy soldier who tried to get close to Otani Seiichiro and Kondo Shusuke.

Two swords, a bow, and three old men threw the enemy army into chaos.

Indeed, both Otani Seiichiro and Kondo Shusuke possessed unparalleled bravery.

But...but...

The enemy not only possessed an overwhelming numerical advantage, but was also equipped with a large number of firearms... Such a disparity in numbers already destined this battle to be brutal.

Whoosh!

Another bayonet was thrust at Kondo Shusuke.

He slightly twisted his body to dodge the opponent's thrust, then retaliated with a swift stroke, sending the opponent to their doom.

The next moment, he steadied himself, ready to continue forward, to continue wielding his sword, and to continue fighting.

But in that instant, he caught a glimpse of a dark gun muzzle out of the corner of his eye—not far to his left, an enemy soldier held his flintlock pistol steady and aimed it directly at him.

The other party crouched on the ground, cleverly concealing their figure.

For this reason, Kondo Shusuke was unable to detect its presence immediately.

When Kondo Shusuke found him, his finger was already wrapped around the trigger...

At this moment, Kondo Shusuke's posture no longer allowed him to dodge.

then……

boom!

The bullet that burst from the barrel struck Kondo Shusuke squarely in the abdomen!

"Well……!"

The intense pain caused his face to contort in agony.

He stumbled and nearly fell to the ground.

He felt as if his abdomen was on fire.

Blood gushed out... Along with the wound, all his strength and life force flowed out.

The bullet not only severely injured his body but also disrupted his rhythm.

He was like a wounded tiger, and the wolves surrounding him, upon smelling the blood, immediately revealed their ferocious faces, rushing forward in a frenzy, attempting to tear flesh from his body.

Bayonets and katanas attacked Kondo Shusuke from different directions.

"Shusuke?!"

A startled cry came from ahead from Otani Seiichiro.

Kondo Shusuke gritted his teeth and squeezed out the words:

"Seiichiro! Don't worry about me! Move forward!!"

Ootani Seiichiro tilted his head slightly, using the corner of his eye to check on Kondo Shusuke's current situation.

His eyes flickered slightly, and his face was filled with intense hesitation... He seemed to be making the most difficult choice in the world.

His hesitation did not last long.

One second later, he looked away, focused his gaze forward again, and fought bravely against the enemy.

In that instant, his swordsmanship lost its previous elegance and became extremely brutal.

"Kill them!" (Russian)

"This old man is dying!"

"Watch out! I recognize him! He's Kondo Shusuke, the third head of the Tennen Rishin-ryu school!"

"Who cares if he's the Third or Fourth Hokage! He's already seriously injured! If we don't take his life now, when will we?!"

"His head is mine!" (Russian)

Countless enemy soldiers joined in this "carnival".

Every single one of them thought that Kondo Shusuke was an easy target and couldn't wait to gain credit from him.

Kondo Shusuke didn't even have time to stop the bleeding from his wound. He could only let the blood continue to flow from the wound in his abdomen, gripping the hilt of his sword tightly with both hands, facing the vast enemy horde.

"You want my life? Fine, come on...!"

He unleashed a barrage of sword techniques—sweeping, slashing, chopping, thrusting—cutting down every enemy soldier who entered his blade's reach.