I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

Even Serizawa Kamo, who was at odds with Saito Hajime, couldn't voice any objections.

Saito Kazuno is widely regarded as "the man most suitable to succeed as the vice-commander of the Shinsengumi".

His emotions are not easily affected by the outside world, and he can always think calmly no matter when or where he is... His extremely steady personality is simply that of a born general!

At this moment, he stood on the roof of a longhouse, scanning the surrounding battlefield expressionlessly.

Overall, the Shinsengumi soldiers did not gain the upper hand, but they were not at a disadvantage either.

The southern soldiers encountered fierce resistance and were unable to advance or retreat.

The steadily improving battle situation eased Saito Hajime's facial expressions somewhat.

However, at this moment—

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

It was the sound of artillery fire... and it was very close!

Saito Hajime instinctively looked in the direction of the sound—at the crossroads not far away, eight cannons were lined up neatly, bombarding the various strongholds of the Shinsengumi with speed and efficiency!

Serizawa Kamo was right next to Saito Hajime.

Therefore, he also noticed the sudden appearance of the artillery position, and unconsciously cursed aloud:

"Damn it! Where did these cannons come from?!"

Moving such heavy cannons into the town... that was no easy task.

Livestock such as cattle and horses are easily startled. Unless they are warhorses that have been rigorously trained, it is impossible to get them near the chaotic battlefield, even if you break the whip.

The Southern Dynasties lacked horses and didn't even have a decent horse-breeding ground. Even if they had warhorses, they wouldn't waste them on such an enemy.

Saito thought to himself: They probably used human labor as animal power to force these cannons to be brought here.

Using cannons to fight in urban warfare... Saito Hajime had heard similar stories.

Legend has it that in faraway France, there was a legendary general of short stature who did something similar.

No matter the battlefield—whether it's open field warfare or urban warfare—artillery is an advanced weapon that should not be overlooked.

Although these cannons have only just been unveiled, they have already had a significant impact on the battle.

Saito lowered his eyelids, remaining silent and deep in thought.

A moment later, he calmly asked Serizawa Kamo beside him:

"...Serizawa, do you want to leave a mark in history books with the feat of 'two men, two swords, capturing the artillery position'?"

"Huh? What did you say... Hey! What are you doing!"

Before Serizawa Kamo could react, Saito Hajime had already drawn his sword and leaped off the roof.

In an instant, Serizawa Kamo understood his intention... After gritting his teeth, he also drew his sword from his waist and followed closely behind.

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Please vote with monthly tickets! Please vote with recommendation tickets! (Leopard crying.jpg)

P.S.: While writing this chapter, I had the music from Dynasty Warriors playing in my headphones the whole time, and it really got me into character! After years of training, the Qingdeng team members are no longer the "country bumpkin swordsmen" they used to be (Leopard High.jpg)

Chapter 1150 The Shinsengumi Cavalry Deploys! Niou's Fortification! [4800]

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

The smoke from artillery shells filled the street corner.

Heisuke Todo covered his ears and shrank back.

The next moment, accompanied by a terrifying roar and blinding flames, the powerful shockwave caused by the shell hitting the ground swept in all directions.

Heisuke Todo felt his internal organs trembling, his lower abdomen itching, and he inexplicably wanted to urinate.

The shelling came swiftly and went away just as quickly.

One second there was a cacophony of gunfire, the next there was complete silence, with only the buzzing sound deep in your ears.

The artillery on the opposite side was loading ammunition... Taking advantage of this precious gap, Toudou Heisuke drew his sword, slipped out of cover, and leaped onto the open street.

"Follow me!"

Heisuke Todo's leading the charge greatly inspired the surrounding team members.

Like ants emerging from their nest, dozens of soldiers sprang out from their various bunkers and gathered behind Todo Heisuke, their light blue haori fluttering high as they launched a fearless charge toward the artillery position opposite them!

Around the eight cannons, dozens of musketeers sharpened their beards.

Seeing that Todo Heisuke and his men were attacking, they immediately set up their muskets and unleashed a barrage of bullets.

Not to be outdone, the musketeers ran quickly while simultaneously setting up their guns to return fire.

The barrage of comments from both sides tore through the air, producing a piercing sound.

It was easy to see that the artillerymen on the other side were very elite, and their movements were quick and orderly. In the blink of an eye, they had cleared the muzzles and loaded new shells.

Seeing that the opposing artillery position had completed its firing preparations again, Todo Heisuke hurriedly shouted:

"Get out of the way!"

He leaped up as if he were pulling himself up from the ground and took cover in the nearby bunker.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

The familiar sound of cannons once again dominated my ears.

Heisuke Todo was lucky; although a few handfuls of dust flew onto him, it was just dust and not shrapnel, so he didn't even get a scratch.

However... others weren't so lucky.

A shell hit a house not far from Todo Heisuke.

In an instant, the wooden pillars snapped, the roof collapsed, and the second floor became the first... The soldiers who had been hiding there were all buried underneath...

They were all members of the Eighth Division, direct subordinates of Toudou Heisuke... Upon seeing this, Toudou Heisuke clenched his teeth, his face filled with resentment.

If this continues, I don't know how many sacrifices will be required to capture this artillery position!

—If reinforcements launch a surprise attack from the flank…

Just as Todo Heisuke was pondering this, a frantic shout suddenly came from the opposing artillery position—

"Hey! Bandits are approaching from the west!"

How many people came?

"Two, two people!"

Upon hearing this, Todo Heisuke paused for a moment, then hurriedly poked his head out from behind the cover and looked around.

At the edge of his line of sight, two figures were approaching the artillery position from the west with lightning speed!

Heisuke Todo naturally recognized the two men.

As luck would have it, at that very moment, a southern soldier opposite him called out their names in a shrill voice:

"It's Captain Saito Hajime of the Third Division and Captain Serizawa Kamo of the Fourth Division!"

Although there were only two of them, they were more intimidating to the Southern soldiers inside the artillery position than the Todo Heisuke and others in front of them!

Being approached by two captains of the Shinsengumi, and the renowned Saito Hajime and Serizawa Kamo no less... just imagining it makes my heart tremble! Cold sweat pours down my body!

"Quick! Stop them!"

The Southern soldiers inside the artillery position displayed extraordinary initiative.

Some people adjusted their guns and cannons, attempting to intercept and kill Zhai and Qin.

The scene of "reinforcements launching a surprise attack from the flank" that I had been hoping for has actually happened before my eyes... How could Todo Heisuke remain unmoved?

"Follow me! Even if it costs us our lives, we must cover Captain Saito and Captain Serizawa!"

Heisuke Todo shouted as he led by example.

Before he finished speaking, he had already run away from the cover and picked up a musket that someone had left behind.

As the captain of the 8th Division (Musketeer Squad), Toudou Heisuke naturally knew how to use a musket.

He transferred his sword to his left hand, confirmed that there was a bullet in the chamber, raised the muzzle with his right hand, and pulled the trigger forcefully with his index finger.

The bullet struck a southern soldier squarely between the eyebrows, as if by divine intervention.

"Captain Saito and Captain Serizawa are here!"

"Great! We've got this in the bag!"

"Quickly, cover the captains!"

"Follow Captain Toudou!"

The soldiers, greatly encouraged by Zhai and Qin's timely support, charged towards the artillery position with high morale once again.

Their sudden and aggressive advance threw the latter into chaos.

Throughout history, the "pincer attack" tactic has always been a tried-and-true method.

Only the most elite can remain calm when attacked from both sides.

The cannon was bulky and difficult to maneuver.

In contrast, the musketeers were much more agile.

Because they could not ignore the forces of Todo Heisuke and his men, in their panic, only a dozen or so musketeers managed to engage Saito Hajime and Serizawa Kamo.

They turned around in a panic, lined up, and raised their guns to aim—the next moment, a sparse barrage of bullets swept across the battlefield.

While Saito Hajime and Serizawa Kamo couldn't slash bullets like Aoto, they were more than capable of dodging them with their agility.

This level of barrage of comments is not enough to put them in a crisis.

The street beneath their feet was wide, providing ample space to dodge.

To onlookers, they moved with incredible agility, executing cunning maneuvers... and in the blink of an eye, the bullets were left behind, flying into the distance.

In the blink of an eye, the two were only ten meters away from the artillery position—for martial arts masters like them, this distance was practically nothing!