I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

"There's no mistake! Even if he were reduced to ashes, I would still recognize him! A year ago, it was his sudden entry into the battle that caused Tianwang Mountain to fall instantly!"

"Is 'Nioh' out in action...!"

"Let's...let's retreat..."

"What nonsense are you talking about! If we turn around and run away, we'll die even more miserably!"

Their initially high morale visibly waned. Fear, panic, unease... all sorts of negative emotions surfaced on the faces of the Southern soldiers.

Everyone else was dressed in plain clothes, except for Qingdeng, who wore a magnificent suit of armor. He looked like a warrior who had stepped out of an ancient painting, or a seal among a group of penguins, standing out from the crowd.

And that is precisely Qingdeng's goal.

The reason he wore this armor was quite simple: to make himself conspicuous so that both his own and the enemy could see him clearly!

Whether it's to defend Fushimi or to salvage yesterday's mishap, today's battle cannot afford to fail!

Therefore, Qing Deng made up his mind: he was determined to crush the morale of the "Southern Army" today! He wanted to turn Fushimi into a graveyard where countless Southern soldiers would perish!

Qing Deng was well aware that he himself was a strategic "decisive weapon".

Wherever he appears, his presence inspires the allied forces there.

Wherever his figure appeared, the enemy soldiers there would tremble in fear.

By making good use of this characteristic, the course of the battle can be easily shaken!

Thus, we have today's full armor and helmets, so that we can become the most conspicuous presence on the battlefield.

It must be said that this group of Southern soldiers truly deserves to be called elite troops with excellent training.

Even though they were intimidated by the sudden appearance of Qingdeng, they did not scatter and flee.

They knew perfectly well that they were surrounded by Shinsengumi members, and if they turned to run, they would only be chased and beaten! In that case, not only would they not be able to escape, but they would also be humiliatingly wiped out!

In a short while, Qingdeng had moved to the very front of the battle line.

Behind him were the Shinsengumi members, and twenty paces in front of him was the enemy's tight circular formation.

At the same time, the opposing team quickly adjusted their formation.

There were many more muskets on the side facing Qingdeng.

Each loaded gun was aimed directly at Qingdeng.

Mobilizing as many muskets as possible and using the power of technology to subdue Nioh... this is the most powerful countermeasure the enemy can think of.

However... the fact that "Nioh can split bullets" is no secret.

With just these muskets, can they stand against King Nioh?

No Southern soldier could be optimistic about this kind of problem...

Looking at the countless gun barrels before him, Qing Deng remained unmoved, his calm voice, devoid of joy or sorrow, reaching the ears of everyone present:

"Heroes of the Shinsengumi, you don't need to do anything. Just watch my back and charge with me."

"With me here, there will be no obstacles in your path."

The moment he finished speaking, he vanished from his spot, his legs becoming shadows and his body becoming wind, the hem of his haori fluttering high in the air a beat later!

Seeing Qingdeng rapidly approaching, the enemy commander, already extremely tense, immediately changed his expression. His pupils contracted to pinpoints, and he reflexively shouted in a shrill voice:

"put!"

Accompanied by piercing screams, the muskets aimed at Qingdeng simultaneously spewed out smoke and bullets!

Countless bullets streaked through the air in a complex pattern of straight lines.

Although modern firearms are still quite outdated and have a low hit rate, the sheer number of hits makes up for the low probability of a hit.

With so many bullets, surely a few will hit.

A few months ago, even Qing Deng would have found it difficult to handle a barrage of comments of this scale.

But now, "things have changed, and people are no longer the same."

Now, Qingdeng is all about numbers!

Talents "Eagle Eye +35", "Precognition +26", and "Speed ​​+23" activated!

The trajectory of each bullet was clearly visible to Qing Deng.

Equally clear to him were the air ripples caused by the bullets flying through the air.

Qing Deng instantly determined which bullets were harmless and which were dangerous.

With his unparalleled strength and reaction speed, he skillfully shifted his position, dodging most of the bullets.

As for those bullets that cannot be dodged, simply wave the Vairocana in your palm and shatter them into countless fragments.

To outsiders, the carved Qing Deng was practically possessed by Hachiman Daimyojin!

Facing a massive barrage of comments, dodging or weaving, it's like taking a stroll in your own backyard... No matter how many times you watch it, you'll always find it unbelievable!

This barrage of bullets is the only chance the opposing team has to "kill Nioh"—they have no chance to fire a second volley!

In an instant, Qingdeng had plunged headlong into the enemy ranks.

call out!

With a flash of dark purple light, Vairocana swung his blade diagonally, cutting down three southern soldiers in one fell swoop.

call out!

Vairocana's dark purple blade flashed once more, then swung in the opposite direction, killing four more southern soldiers.

Qingdeng swung his sword repeatedly, cutting down wave after wave of Southern soldiers like weeds.

There are no special techniques involved; it's just ordinary horizontal and vertical slashes.

There's no need for any tricks when dealing with these small fry! It's a waste of time and energy; just hack and slash!

It is worth mentioning that the fighting spirit of these southern soldiers was truly remarkable.

Even though they were suppressed, they still retained their fighting spirit.

They either raised their muskets or drew their swords, trying to block Qing Deng's slashes.

However... their fates were all the same: their weapons were destroyed and they died.

Even if they had enough strength, their weapons were not durable enough.

Currently, it seems that only Noble Phantasms of "Good Quality" or higher can withstand Qing Deng's attacks without being damaged.

Conversely, only the incredibly tough black blade can withstand Qing Deng's current power.

If it were an ordinary weapon, it would become a "disposable" weapon in his hands.

At this moment, Shimada Kai drew his sword and shouted loudly:

"What are you all standing there for?! Hurry up and support our lord!"

After shouting, he set an example by chasing after Qingdeng and charging into the enemy ranks.

Seeing Shimada Kai suddenly attack, a certain southern soldier who had just been narrowly missed by Aoto gritted his teeth and showed resentment.

His expression seemed to say: I may not be able to beat Niou, but surely I can beat you?

He raised his knife to meet the attack, lunging at Shimada Kai as if venting his anger.

To be fair, he was really unlucky; of all people to ask, he had to go to Shimada Kai.

Judging from his footwork, he's definitely not weak. If he were to take an ordinary Shinsengumi member down with him, he might actually succeed.

To be able to serve as the "vice-captain" of the First Division and keep the proud soldiers of the First Division completely under his control... Shimada Kai's strength is beyond question.

Sidestep, dodge, counterattack—Shimada Kai executed the three movements in one fluid motion, effortlessly sending his opponent to his doom.

Led by Aoto and Shimada, the Shinsengumi members were all fired up and poured into the gap created by Aoto like a flood, dividing and surrounding the enemy formation in the blink of an eye.

What followed was, in a literal sense, a “one-sided battle.”

Only ten minutes had passed... no, less than ten minutes, and the Southern Soldiers who had been giving the Fifth Division a headache were completely wiped out!

The price paid for this was only a single-digit number of casualties!

The Fifth Division members, who had just been exhausted from a fierce battle, stared blankly at the corpses scattered on the ground, their faces filled with disbelief.

From a stalemate to the easy annihilation of the enemy... the only difference was whether Qingdeng participated in the battle or not!

This is the power of "Nioh"... Upon realizing this, the team members present unconsciously raised their eyes, their gazes burning as they stared intently at Qing Deng.

As Qingdeng habitually brandished his sword, he turned and scanned the surrounding soldiers, issuing brief instructions with a cheerful tone:

"Miki-cho is very important and must not be lost. If enemy troops attack again, we must not let them pass, even if it means annihilating them all."

The members of the Fifth Division nodded in unison and shouted:

"Yes!"

Qingdeng turned his head to look southeast—there was a commotion coming from that direction.

"...It seems like they're also locked in a fierce battle over there. Shimada Kai, are you guys still able to keep up?"

"Of course!"

Shimada Kai and the others responded loudly and energetically.

……

……

Toba, South Palace of the City—

Saigo Kinosuke sat upright on a stool, awaiting the battle report.

Katsura Kogoro, Goto Shojiro, and other high-ranking members of the "Southern Army" were all around him.

After a long wait, the first battle report finally arrived—a messenger rushed into the South Palace, knelt on one knee before Saigo Kinosuke, and then, panting heavily, quickly reported:

"Lord Saigo! Our advance has stalled! Even the troops that have advanced the deepest have only just reached Hiro-cho!"

Upon hearing this, Saigo Kinosuke immediately frowned:

"Hiromachi?"

Having a thorough understanding of maps is a fundamental skill for any commander.