I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

"Captain Harada! Another wave of enemy troops is coming!"

Harada Sanosuke wiped the sweat from his face and turned to look—more than twenty young samurai charged into the battlefield with howls, and upon seeing the person wearing a light blue haori, they raised their swords to strike.

Seeing this, Harada Sanosuke gritted his teeth and cursed:

"Damn it... these bastards are good for nothing but ruining things...!"

Countless direct reports flowed continuously from all directions to Akasaka Mikado, much like trickles of water flowing into the ocean.

These guys don't understand formations or discipline; they only have brute strength and can hardly be called excellent soldiers.

However, their participation in the war did provide considerable assistance to the "Death Legion".

This is a very simple principle: those who dare to take the initiative are definitely not the kind of useless people who drift aimlessly every day and can't even hold a knife properly.

Such a good-for-nothing would never dare to go to war. He'd have already hidden somewhere far away.

Knowing full well that this is a battlefield where flesh and blood fly, those who still dare to venture in must be ruthless people who are full of confidence in their skills and dare to fight to the death!

Therefore, the direct-commission members gathered outside Akasaka-Mikado are not the walking corpses that the public imagines, but rather the few elite members of the direct-commission who are capable and willing to fight!

In just a short while, Aoto, Harada Sanosuke, and the others had already noticed several direct subordinates whose strength should not be underestimated.

The Hitotsubashi Army's strength is constantly increasing, and its total number has exceeded three thousand! And this number is still rising!

The balance of power on the battlefield, which had already tilted in favor of the Shinsengumi, has now shifted.

Harada Sanosuke quickly scanned the battlefield, and while doing so, he loudly encouraged everyone:

"The rebels have come to reinforce us! Good! I was just worried that there weren't enough enemies to kill! Look! They're bringing us our spoils of war without hesitation, how can we not take them? 'Winning with fewer troops' is the Shinsengumi's specialty! Defeat the rebels!"

After shouting, he turned to the squad member beside him and said:

"You lot! Come with me!"

Immediately afterwards, he picked up the spear in his hand and headed straight for the most intense battleground.

Matsubara Tadashi and Nakazawa Kotoya each led troops, rushing back and forth on the battlefield like "firefighters".

Although the Shinsengumi's fighting strength is already beyond doubt, the current clash between the two armies undoubtedly provides powerful proof of the Shinsengumi's formidable combat power!

Thanks to Harada Sanosuke's encouragement, the Shinsengumi members regained their confidence.

The glorious past of repeated victories made every member of the Shinsengumi extremely proud: how could these rabble possibly be our match!

Amidst the flashing blades and spears, the light blue haori danced gracefully.

"You lowly clerk! Go back to drinking and womanizing!"

"Hmph! Just as I expected! Your movements are too rigid! Your swords are all 'dojo swords'!"

"Let me show you young masters the 'Battlefield Sword'!"

"You are all parasites of the shogunate! I've disliked you for a long time! Die!"

The fact that their usually arrogant and domineering advisors were not only standing right in front of them, but also that they had the opportunity to kill them... In a sense, this greatly boosted the morale of the Shinsengumi.

The Shinsengumi members brandished their weapons, driven by a desire for revenge, and launched a fierce offensive against the sons of the Direct Staff.

A dulled blade.

A broken spear.

Exposed bones.

Scattered fragments of limbs.

A massive amount of blood turned the earth into a quagmire.

The feet trampled this "muddy pool" beyond recognition.

Blades were constantly being swung.

Pebbles, arrows, and bullets kept flying through the air.

People kept falling, and then new people quickly filled the gaps left by the dead, continuing the battle with the other side.

Flocks of crows flew in from afar, circling above the battlefield and cawing incessantly, ready to swoop down and feast as soon as the battle was over.

With their strong fighting spirit and iron discipline, the Shinsengumi managed to keep the battle at a draw!

Hitotsubashi's army was unable to break through Akasaka Mikado's defenses.

The Shinsengumi were also unable to defeat the Hitotsubashi Army.

Neither side could gain the upper hand... The battle reached a stalemate.

Shimada Kai, who was behind him, was already regretting his earlier "premature champagne pop."

He carefully turned his head to observe Qingdeng's facial expression, hoping that Qingdeng could issue a winning order at this critical juncture and reverse the situation in one fell swoop.

But Qing Deng remained expressionless and silent for a long time.

Because he was afraid of disturbing Aoto, Shimada Kai didn't dare to speak and even softened his breathing.

But... the saying "misfortunes never come singly" does indeed have a certain mystical quality.

Just then, a messenger came running from afar, panting, bringing Qingdeng and the others new, terrible news:

"My lord! The Mito army is here! The Mito army has appeared in the northern suburbs of Edo! More than three thousand soldiers! They are heading straight for this place!"

In that instant, Shimada Kai was unable to control his facial expression, his eyes widening in shock.

In contrast, Qingdeng was much calmer, without even raising an eyebrow.

However... rather than being "calm," he was more like "having anticipated this beforehand and thus preparing himself mentally in advance."

He remained silent for only a moment, then tugged at the corners of his mouth, revealing a cold smile that was half sentimental and half self-deprecating:

"The scale of this battle is getting bigger and bigger."

……

……

Edo, northern suburbs—

The flags embroidered with "Mito Mitsuba" stood tall in the wind, fluttering in the breeze.

The leading general turned his head, looked at the soldiers behind him, and shouted in a majestic voice:

"Quick! Run! The battle has begun! Defeat the Shinsengumi! Slay the Tachibana rebels! Reclaim Edo Castle! Eh—eh—"

The soldiers of the Mito army shouted in unison:

"Ooo ...

……

……

The Mito Domain was located north of Edo, very close to it, practically within arm's reach.

Because of their proximity, the lord of the Mito Domain frequently traveled between the two places.

For this reason, the lord of the Mito Domain was often jokingly referred to as the "Vice-Shogun of the Realm".

The Mito Domain's overall strength was undoubtedly among the top tier of all the domains!

In terms of political status, it is one of the "Three Royal Families".

In terms of economic level, it possesses a fief of 35 shi (a unit of dry measure), and all the land within its territory is good and fertile land in the Kanto Plain.

In terms of military strength, it was on par with the Aizu Domain and was a renowned military powerhouse.

Among the many close relatives of the shogunate, there was no shortage of traitors who outwardly obeyed but inwardly defied the shogunate.

Among this group of traitors, the Mito Domain was definitely the most erratic.

The "Great History of Japan," compiled under the supervision of Tokugawa Mitsukuni, the second lord of the Mito Domain, became the starting point for the formation of Mito studies.

Mito Manabu advocated "respecting the emperor and serving the emperor," and all the successive lords of the Mito Domain were deeply influenced by Mito Manabu.

Thus, a bizarre situation arose: the Mito Domain, despite being a close vassal of the shogunate, always held the imperial family in high esteem and preferred to side with the imperial court rather than the shogunate.

It is no exaggeration to say that the Mito Domain's traitorous behavior has a long history.

Tokugawa Iemochi was both opposing Hitotsubashi Yoshinobu and intending to suppress the imperial court—the Mito Domain had no reason not to assist the Hitotsubashi army!

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Chapter 979 "I will defeat a mere three thousand soldiers!" [4200]

Shiny muskets, menacing cannons, spears slung across shoulders, clanging armor... three thousand well-equipped Mito men swaggered through the streets of Edo.

The troops were in perfect formation, their shouts were loud and clear, and their momentum was overwhelming!

……

……

Edo, Imado-cho, the main camp of the Hitotsubashi Army—

"What? Mito's reinforcements have arrived?"

"Hahaha! They've finally arrived!"

"Great! We've finally got Mito's reinforcements!"

"We will definitely win!"

Upon receiving the news that "three thousand reinforcements from the Mito Domain have arrived," cheers erupted throughout the room.

Gao Lao and the others all showed expressions of relief.

Seated upright in his seat, Yoshiki Ichihashi also let out a long sigh of relief, and the previously tense lines on his face gradually relaxed.

The Mito Domain was adjacent to Edo, and it was a loyal ally of the Hitotsubashi faction—one of the biggest reasons why Hitotsubashi Yoshinobu and others dared to launch a coup.

Besides their shared interest in opposing Tokugawa Iemochi, the Hitotsubashi faction also had a close blood relationship with the Mito Domain—the current lord of the Mito Domain, Tokugawa Yoshitsu, was the older brother of Hitotsubashi Yoshinobu.

In conclusion, the foundation for cooperation between the two parties is extremely solid.