I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

That person's reaction speed was completely unlike what an ordinary soldier could achieve...

At this thought, influenced by an ominous premonition, he quickly raised his eyes and looked around, only to find that all the enemy soldiers were in a strange state of excitement.

After a brief moment of confusion, Nagakura Shinpachi immediately understood and burst into curses:

"Damn it! It's 'Battle of Dian' again!"

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Chapter 1141 The Fall of Xiaozhi Bridge! The Collapse of the "Toba Defense Line"! [4200]

Unafraid of pain, in a strangely excited state of mind...

This situation instantly reminded Nagakura Shinpachi of the fierce battles he had personally experienced a year ago during the "Second Battle of Sekigahara".

It's that troublesome secret medicine again... Nagakura Shinpachi unconsciously frowned and gritted his teeth.

Under the influence of the "Decisive Battle of Dian", the soldiers of the "Southern Army" were all brave and took the lead!

Even if they face mountains of knives and seas of fire, they will charge straight in without hesitation!

Furthermore, due to their heightened emotions and intense concentration, their physical potential is greatly stimulated... Simply put, it's like they've been given a stimulant.

In this way, even when fighting the "invincible in close combat" Shinsengumi in melee combat, they would not be at a disadvantage!

Not only were their long-range firepower suppressed, but they also couldn't gain an advantage in close combat...

Shinpachi Nagakura had considered the possibility of an unfavorable start, but he never expected that the battle would deteriorate to this extent so soon after it had just begun!

Upon realizing this, he couldn't help but click his tongue:

"This is troublesome..."

He had already anticipated what would happen next.

As expected, when the Southern Army soldiers rushed forward and launched wave after wave of attacks with a death-defying spirit, the Shinsengumi soldiers immediately showed their weakness and cowardice.

The veterans were a bit better, but the new recruits' performance was really lackluster.

Seeing this, Nagakura Shinpachi sighed with a mixture of helplessness and resentment:

"The Shinsengumi's problem of being afraid of tough battles still exists..."

Around the time the Southern Dynasty was first established, a saying circulated widely among the common people—especially within the Southern Dynasty—that the Shinsengumi was a cowardly army that dared not fight hard battles.

There is certainly an element of "the Southern Court deliberately smearing the Shinsengumi" involved.

However, from a certain perspective, this statement is not wrong.

Since its founding, the Shinsengumi has been a unit that has been highly dependent on Aoto—a characteristic that remains unchanged to this day.

Relying on Qingdeng's invincibility and the fact that the enemies he had faced in the past were indeed very weak, he became accustomed to winning battles with the wind at his back and to one-sided reaping. As a result, he developed a "spoiled" habit and would show fear when he encountered a slightly stronger enemy.

Simply put, the Shinsengumi is very lacking in experience.

This flaw was fully demonstrated in the previous "Second Battle of Sekigahara".

Therefore, since this battle, Aoto has been trying to enhance the morale, fighting spirit, and cohesion of the Shinsengumi.

Although Qingdeng's efforts have improved this problem considerably, it has only "improved" and is far from being "cured".

To transform the Shinsengumi into a truly iron-blooded army, mere verbal instructions are far from sufficient—what it currently lacks is blood and fire! It needs arduous training!

Seeing that his own defenses seemed to be "loosening", Nagakura Shinpachi made a decisive move, took a step forward, and his figure became a shadow as he rushed into the enemy ranks!

With a sharp whooshing sound, the treasured sword in his hand sprayed out clouds of blood mist in mid-air, and corpses fell limply to the ground.

In the blink of an eye, he unleashed seven strikes, each one a fatal blow! Single-handedly, he carved out a small salient on the long battlefront!

His brave and fearless demeanor instantly attracted the attention of soldiers on both sides, bringing a moment of silence to the fierce battlefield.

"What's wrong? Are they all shrinking back?!"

As he shouted, Nagakura Shinpachi swung his sword forcefully, shaking off the remaining bloodstains.

"The enemy is only slightly troublesome, yet they're already acting like cowards!"

"If that's the case! All you cowards who are afraid of death, get out of here!"

"Give up your battle positions! Give up your opportunities to make a name for yourself!"

"I will use this battle to become a legendary swordsman!"

"Whether you choose to be a coward or seek fame and fortune in times of crisis is entirely up to you! Just don't get in my way! Don't block my path to wealth and power!"

A very crude method of provocation.

But it is very effective.

Most of the Shinsengumi soldiers didn't have any lofty ideals; they were simply driven by the utilitarian belief that "following Niou will lead to a bright future."

If you are timid and afraid to fight the enemy, then all the rigorous training and suffering you have endured since joining the Shinsengumi will have been in vain.

Upon hearing Shinpachi Nagakura's admonition, countless soldiers' eyes instantly regained their clarity—their eyes burning with a desire for money, power, and upward mobility!

Second Division Vice-Captain Nakajima Noboru shouted at the opportune moment:

"Charge! Today is the day to make our mark!"

"Oh oh oh oh oh!"

A burst of fighting spirit followed immediately!

Nagakura Shinpachi once again wielded his blade, personally taking the lead in the attack. His light blue haori fluttered up and down and swayed left and right, gradually becoming stained with glaring blood!

The members of the Second Division broke through the "gap" opened by Shinpachi Masakura and charged through the enemy ranks like a flood.

At the same time, not far away, Inoue Genzaburo also gave a passionate speech to boost the morale of the Sixth Division.

"Did you all hear that? This battle is unprecedented! If you can achieve merit in this battle, your wife and children will be rewarded!"

After shouting, he personally picked up a freshly loaded musket and aimed it at the countless enemy soldiers in front of him:

"Raise your guns! Cover the Second Division!"

A new round of shootings erupted, the sound deafening.

The lingering smoke of battle filled the battlefield.

With the combined efforts of the Second and Sixth Divisions, the Southern Army's offensive was halted, but they did not retreat. Instead, they continued to clash with the Shinsengumi, fighting for every inch of land!

Close up, there was hand-to-hand combat; further away, the roar of muskets could be heard, and cannonballs rained down from time to time... The fierce battle around the small branch bridge gradually became intense!

……

……

South Palace (the main camp of the "Toba Defense Line") —

Looking up, one could see the figures of the Ninth Division's soldiers (messengers) everywhere in the South City Palace.

They could either relay orders to the front lines or report the latest battle situation to Hijikata Toshizo.

"Lieutenant Commander! Captain Yongcang has held the bridge!"

"Very good! Tell Shinpachi! Just hold off the enemy! Even if they retreat, do not pursue them rashly!"

"Yes!"

"Lieutenant Commander, the horses carrying the artillery shells have spooked! They're in complete disarray! The Eleventh Division's artillery fire may be affected!"

Before Hijikata Toshizo could respond, a new messenger brought a new report:

"Lieutenant Commander! Akiyama has been shelled! Several artillery pieces have been destroyed!"

"Lieutenant Commander! The enemy has made a new move! A new force is attacking Xiaozhi Bridge! Their strength exceeds two thousand!"

"Vice Commander! Vice Commander! Vice Commander!"

The repeated calls of "Vice Commander" made Hijikata Toshizo dizzy.

After the war began, he was undoubtedly the busiest person in the "Toba Line," without exception.

From the front lines to the rear, unexpected situations occur everywhere.

Just processing this massive amount of information is a considerable challenge for the human brain.

For an ordinary person, it would probably take long before their brain overloaded and crashed.

For a moment, his brows were furrowed tightly, and the dark cloud gathered on his cheeks did not dissipate for a long time.

The current battle situation... can be summed up in one sentence: it's far from optimistic!

In comparison, Nagakura Shinpachi and Inoue Genzaburo performed admirably, successfully defending Koshibashi Bridge and preventing the enemy from crossing even half a step.

In contrast, other battlefields... are all in a worrying predicament!

The Southern Army's long-range firepower surpasses that of the Shinsengumi—something that Aoto, Hijikata Toshizo, and others had anticipated long ago.

The Satsuma and Hizen domains had been running military industries for over a decade, far surpassing the Hatatsu domain, which was just starting out.

It would be illogical if the "Southern Army" did not have an astonishingly large firearms force.

However... despite being mentally prepared, the density of the "Southern Army's" artillery barrage still surprised Hijikata Toshizo.

In both artillery duels and musket fire exchanges, the enemy held the upper hand… Just as Hijikata Toshizo was contemplating whether to deploy his precious reserve forces to send reinforcements to the front lines, a truly piercing cry drifted from afar:

"Vice Commander! Vice Commander!"

Hijikata Toshizo instinctively looked in the direction of the sound—a pale-faced messenger stumbled towards him.

Hearing the hurried footsteps and seeing the panicked expression on his face, Hijikata Toshizo immediately frowned, a sense of foreboding rising in his heart.

Soon, his ominous premonition came true.

"Shimotoba is in dire need of help! Shimotoba is in dire need of help! Captain Serizawa is about to be overwhelmed by the enemy!"

……

……