I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

As expected, when the Hitotsubashi faction secretly contacted the Mito Domain, explained their plan to "overthrow Tokugawa Iemochi," and requested the Mito Domain to send troops to assist in the battle, the Mito Domain lord, Tokugawa Yoshitsu, immediately gave a clear answer: he vowed to stand with the Hitotsubashi faction!

Although the Hitotsubashi faction had a staunch ally in the Fukui Domain, which possessed 32 koku of rice, the Fukui Domain was located in the distant Echizen region, and its resources were too limited to address the immediate needs of the faction.

The only domain truly capable of sending troops to assist the "Hitotsubashi faction" was Mito.

If they march at a "rapid march" speed, the Mito Domain's army can reach Edo Castle in just half a day!

Last night, the Mito Domain received a notice to "prepare for an uprising".

Therefore, starting last night, the Mito Domain has been secretly mobilizing troops.

At the crack of dawn today, the Mito Domain's three thousand-strong army lowered their flags and stopped their drums, marching swiftly towards Edo. The advance went very smoothly, and they successfully arrived in Edo within the expected timeframe!

Like Choshu, the Mito Domain has also experienced numerous changes in recent years.

After experiencing a series of upheavals, including the "Sakuradamon Incident" and the "Tengu Party Incident," the Mito Domain suffered a severe decline in national strength and lost a large number of talented individuals.

The powerful domain, renowned for its military strength, can now only muster three thousand troops.

Although the number of troops was small, these three thousand men were enough to become the decisive force in the battle!

After a brief period of ecstasy, the tall man, unable to contain his excitement, shouted:

"The battle is over! The enemy is already at their last gasp! Once Mito's reinforcements arrive, we will surely crush the Shinsengumi and capture Edo Castle!"

This statement immediately garnered a large number of supporters:

"That's right!"

"Tachibana Aoto is out of troops! He can only freely mobilize a maximum of a thousand men! Unless every soldier in the Shinsengumi has the bravery of Xiang Yu, there is absolutely no way they can stop the Mito army's attack!"

"That's right! We've got this in the bag!"

The room was filled with a cheerful atmosphere.

Amidst this festive atmosphere, Yoshiki suddenly adopted a serious and earnest tone:

"Quickly relay the order to the Mito army!"

He waved his hand dismissively and said in a spirited voice:

"Tachibana no longer has enough troops to support other battlefields! While the Shinsengumi is bogged down at Akasaka-Mikado, attack Kohinata-Mikado!"

……

……

Edo Castle, Akasaka Gate—

Shimada Kai clenched his fists and cast a worried glance at the battlefield ahead.

By now, soldiers such as Harada Sanosuke and Matsubara Tadashi have all become "sweaty people" and "bloody people".

While they were still fighting on the front lines, they were unaware that a new and formidable enemy was on its way...!

To withstand the fierce attack of the "suicide squad" and their direct subordinates, the soldiers led by Harada Sanosuke have already given their all.

Even if we exhaust all means, we can't extract any more power from them.

Without a doubt, once the Mito Domain's three thousand fresh troops arrive on the battlefield, the defense line that has been held up with great difficulty will collapse instantly!

If the Mito army attacks this place, then the situation is somewhat better.

Shimada Kai is now most afraid that the Mito army will target the other Mikado clans.

Put yourself in his shoes. If he were in command of the Mito army, he might not necessarily choose to fight the Shinsengumi at Akasaka Mimon. He might instead take advantage of the Shinsengumi being bogged down at Akasaka Mimon and launch an attack on the other Mimons of the "Thirty-six Mimons"!

They deployed only a minimal number of troops to other gates, enough for surveillance purposes only, and were incapable of fighting any real battles, let alone stopping the fierce military might of the Mito Domain.

With the "Death Legion" and elites from the direct staff in front, and the three thousand troops from the Mito Domain behind... this was essentially "adding insult to injury."

If we don't do something soon, it will all be over when the Mito Domain's reinforcements arrive!

Although Edo was large, it wasn't large enough for them to have enough time to plan and strategize.

In no more than 30 minutes, the military flag embroidered with "Mito Mitsuba" will come into their view.

Shimada Kai tried to come up with a solution, but he quickly gave up, as it was beyond his capabilities.

Therefore, he could only wait.

Wait for Qingdeng to unleash his divine power!

As one of the most senior veterans in the Shinsengumi, he witnessed time and time again how this man bearing the name "Nioh" created miracles!

Whenever this man takes action, he always manages to defeat powerful enemies and turn the tide!

However... ever since then, Qingdeng has remained as still as a clay or wooden sculpture, showing no reaction whatsoever. He neither speaks nor reveals any expression, simply staring intently at the battlefield ahead.

If Shimada Kai didn't know Aoto's character and firmly believe that he would never succumb to hardship, he would have truly thought that Aoto was terrified by the increasingly perilous battle situation!

……

……

Although the time was short, within seconds of learning of the "Mito army's attack," Aoto had already quickly devised a series of countermeasures in his mind.

Unfortunately, all the strategies he devised could not be implemented due to "insufficient troops".

Even a skilled cook can't cook without rice... He's currently lacking both soldiers and generals; the main force of the Shinsengumi isn't here, and his beloved generals like Souji and Nagakura Shinpachi aren't by his side either.

That's fine then. He's experienced the danger of having no one to rely on before.

What truly troubled him was his own injuries.

The horrifying wounds inflicted by Shuten-dōji have not yet healed.

His chest, shoulders, thighs, and other parts of his body were still aching, and he was less than 50% of his full strength.

He didn't mind fighting with his half-crippled body, but... when Beifang Ren was treating his wounds, he said to him in a very serious tone: Avoid strenuous exercise! If you can lie down, don't sit up. Once the wound reopens, even I can't save it!

Qingdeng is very confident in his physique.

However, he did not doubt Bei Fangren's medical advice.

After all, no matter how strong his body was, he was still just a mortal. If his injuries worsened, he would still die.

Without a healthy body and without companions to entrust with important tasks... this was the first time Qingdeng had ever faced such a perilous battle.

He was caught in a long period of agonizing silence... unable to make up his mind for a long time.

What should be done to stop the Mito Domain's army?

He asked himself this question in his heart.

Immediately afterwards, a jumble of thoughts raced through his mind.

How exactly can we defeat the "Hitotsubashi faction"?

What should be done to protect Edo Castle?

What should we do to... protect them?

Just as he frowned slightly, racking his brains for a way to break the deadlock—

"Sheng Qing".

A firm call came from behind him.

Qingdeng paused for a moment, then turned around with lightning speed.

"Your Highness...!"

Tenshōin, clad in armor and carrying a naginata and a bow, strode alone towards Aoden without any attendants.

Her imposing armor and sharp weapons gave her an aura of dignified heroism, yet her brows still revealed a touch of feminine grace.

Shimada Kai stared blankly at Aoto, then at Tenshōin, before consciously taking more than ten steps back to create space and hold his breath, trying to minimize his presence.

Qing Deng quickly pressed on with the question:

"Your Highness, what are you doing here? Where is Jiamo?"

"Don't worry, Iemo is safe. Sashige and Yae are taking care of him."

As she spoke, she moved to Qingdeng's side and slightly behind, raised her eyes, scanned the battlefield before her, and adopted a serious tone:

"I've just received a detailed report of the battle. The situation is dire... Sheng Qing, how do you plan to stop the Mito army?"

"..."

Qingdeng pursed his lips and remained silent.

Taking advantage of his silence, Tenshōin continued:

"Sheng Qing, if you need my help, please feel free to use me. Although my martial arts skills are mediocre, I can still be of some use."

After saying that, she smiled slightly, deliberately crouching down to show off the naginata and bow on her back.

Upon hearing this, Qingdeng opened his mouth without thinking, instinctively preparing to refute.

Don't be silly, if anything happens to you, then this battle will have been fought for nothing—that's what he wanted to say.

But just as he was about to speak, he paused, and then slowly closed his mouth.

He knew the woman in front of him all too well.

If you try to persuade her to leave the front lines and return to the safety of her home base, she will definitely ignore you.

After a short while, he said softly:

"Your Highness, I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint you. Even without your assistance, I have a way to turn the tide of the battle."

"Oh? So you have a strategy?"

"That's it."

He did not lie.

In fact, just now, he had already come up with a brilliant plan to turn the tide.

However... the success rate of this strategy is really not impressive.

For this reason, he felt that he was missing a trigger—a trigger that would allow him to make a final decision.

Just then, suddenly, he said to Tenshōin:

"...Your Highness, may I say something to you?"