I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

Saigo Kinosuke had already looked at the Fushimi map thousands of times, reaching the point where he "had the map in his mind".

Even with his eyes closed, he could clearly remember every area and every street in Fushimi.

Hiromachi, located in Fushimi, is not exactly in the suburbs, but it is certainly not in the heart of the area either.

After deploying three thousand troops and fighting for so long, all we've achieved is this little bit of result... It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say we've gained absolutely nothing! We've been completely blocked outside Fushimi!

Everyone present, led by Saigo Kinosuke, frowned.

Shojiro Goto, unable to contain himself, questioned:

"Why is the advance so slow? Even if the Shinsengumi is the strongest army in the world, it shouldn't be this slow!"

The 3,000-strong vanguard was composed of elite troops selected from the "Southern Army"—it's easy to imagine that any unit that could serve as the vanguard was certainly not a weak force.

Elite troops against elite troops, and this is how it turned out...

Yesterday's attack went very smoothly, and we took Toba in one fell swoop.

This stark contrast was unacceptable to many, including Shojiro Goto.

The messenger swallowed hard and stammered, "..."

"It is reported that the captains of the Shinsengumi, along with 'Niou' Tachibana Aoto... have been deployed!"

Instantly, an eerie silence fell over the scene.

Goto Shōjirō's face turned pale and he shut his mouth tightly.

Kichinosuke Saigo's expression grew increasingly serious.

The others were either surprised or frightened.

Niou and the captains of the Shinsengumi have gone into battle—the thing they feared most has finally happened!

……

……

Fushimi, north side, Hiromachi —

This location is a transportation hub in Fushimi and has great strategic value.

Therefore, the Southern Army committed a large force—more than 500 men, accounting for one-sixth of the vanguard—to launch an attack on Hiro-cho.

The troops stationed here are a combined force of the Third Division and the Twelfth Division.

The fierce battle between the two sides has been going on for a long time, with no clear victor.

The defenses here were breached, and the strongholds there were destroyed.

Gunshots, clangs, roars... all sorts of sounds rang out in one continuous chorus.

Amidst the chaos, on the outskirts of the unassuming Hiromachi, two samurai clad in light blue haori walked side by side toward the battlefield.

"...I never imagined that I would one day fight alongside you."

Saito Hajime, unusually, adopted a tone of reflection.

Serizawa Kamo said coldly:

"me too."

Saito Hajime slowly drew the sword from his waist:

"Don't you dare hold me back."

Serizawa Kamo also drew his sword, a forced smile on his face.

I'll return those words to you exactly as they were.

Despite not communicating beforehand, the two of them quickened their pace simultaneously with perfect understanding.

First it was a brisk walk, then a jog... and in a matter of seconds it turned into a sprint!

They were like two sharp arrows, piercing into the enemy ranks from the left and right.

Fifteen minutes later, the southern soldiers attacking Hiromachi were repelled.

……

……

Fushimi, west side, Minamoto-cho —

"Aa ...

A southern soldier—judging from his attire, it would be more appropriate to call him a "southern general"—wielded his greatsword wildly.

The powerful yet swift series of strikes forced the surrounding Shinsengumi members to stay away.

Just when they were at their wits' end, a male voice drifted over.

"...You all move aside."

Kondo Isami stretched his shoulders as he walked straight toward the "Southern General".

Upon seeing that it was the bureau chief, the team members consciously parted to the left and right to make way.

"Southern General" was already in a killing frenzy. Seeing someone recklessly approaching, he immediately roared and pounced on Kondo Isami.

Kondo Isami shifted his feet and nimbly dodged to the left, the two passing each other—in that instant, Nagasone Kotetsu suddenly appeared in his right palm, the blade stained with specks of blood.

Then look at this "Southern General"... his eyes rolled back, and he collapsed to the ground with a thud, the gushing blood instantly staining the ground beneath him black.

……

……

Similar scenes occurred throughout Fushimi.

Aoto and the captains of the Shinsengumi acted like "firefighters," constantly moving around Fushimi.

They appeared wherever the fighting was intense.

Wherever they appear, no matter how bad the previous battle situation was, it will be reversed instantly!

Thanks to their formidable fighting prowess, the Shinsengumi's casualties were kept to a minimum.

Without much sacrifice, the three thousand vanguard troops of the "Southern Army" were brought to the brink of collapse!

……

……

Toba, South Palace of the City—

Saigo Kinosuke frowned, deep in thought.

Katsura Kogoro, Goto Shojiro, and the others present were all staring intently at him.

Saigo Kichinosuke is the supreme commander of the "Southern Army". Faced with the impenetrable wall built by Niou and the captains of the Shinsengumi, how to make the next move is entirely up to him.

After a moment, under the intense gaze of the crowd, Saigo Kinosuke said in a deep voice:

"Summon the reserve forces and commit all available troops!"

*******

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Chapter 1148 "Today, let's settle this score with the Shinsengumi!" [4500]

As if echoing each other, no sooner had Saigo Kinosuke finished speaking than Goto Shojiro voiced a strong objection:

"Deploy all our forces? Saigo-kun, isn't that a bit too aggressive?"

It wasn't just Goto Shojiro who had this question.

Like Goto Shojiro, many people at the scene cast confused and apprehensive glances at Saigo Kinosuke.

All forces are being poured into the Fushimi battlefield... in other words, it's an all-in approach! There will be no second chances! The outcome of the war, one's own destiny, the fate of the world, the course of history... all of these will be decided today!

Just imagining it makes one break out in a cold sweat, feeling like an ox carrying a heavy load!

Such immense pressure is not something everyone can bear.

Saigo Kichinosuke seemed to have anticipated the questions raised by Goto Shojiro and the others, remaining calm and composed as he calmly replied:

"Fushimi is the hub of the capital region."

"We cannot win this battle unless we defeat Fushimi."

“I dare say that today is the best opportunity to ‘capture Fushimi’.”

"Thanks to yesterday's great victory, the morale of the entire army is high—such high morale is not common."

"If we miss this opportunity, we may never have another chance like it."

After hearing this, everyone looked at each other, their hesitant gazes lingering in the air.

They understood what Saigo Kinosuke was saying.

But... but... such a momentous decision is truly difficult to make up one's mind!

Although Saigo Kichinosuke was the supreme commander of the "Southern Army," the "Southern Army" was essentially a cobbled-together coalition.

Even if the leaders of the Choshu and Hizen domains—such as Katsura Kogoro and Goto Shojiro—opposed Saigo Kichinosuke, they could still sway his decision.

In the midst of this silence, suddenly, a deep voice rang out:

"...I agree with Mr. Saigo's position."

The crowd turned to look at the source of the voice—it was none other than the strategist of the Choshu army: Ōmura Masujirō.

Although he was a military strategist who came to the field later in life, he shone brightly in last year's "Second Battle of Sekigahara" and the Choshu Civil War (when Katsura Kogoro seized power in Choshu) thanks to his extraordinary talent.

Saigo Kinosuke greatly admired him, especially his ruthless style of "swift and decisive".

After the formation of the "Southern Army", under the strong promotion of Saigo Kinosuke, he and the military strategist of the Satsuma Army (Ijichi Ryuemon) became the two major strategists of the "Southern Army".

The "renowned strategist" spoke, and all eyes turned to him.

Ōmura Masujirō said calmly and forcefully, with a serious expression: