I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

"Okay, then just go for it."

……

……

Murata Shinpachi stared solemnly at the approaching cavalry.

At this moment, all the officers around him panicked:

Someone anxiously questioned:

"Mr. Murata, what should we do now?"

After a moment of silence, Murata Shinpachi let out a few cold laughs.

"...No need to worry. Mr. Saigo once taught us how to deal with the Shinsengumi's cavalry!"

*******

*******

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

P.S.: Some readers asked me if this book will really be finished this month? Well... it seems unlikely.

Leopard has misjudged the amount of plot to come. At the current pace, this book will likely not be finished until the end of next month (Leopard is silly.jpg)

Chapter 1152 Sanako in Danger! Sanako Falls from Horse! [5200]

With the replacement of the middle formation, the attack speed, which had just slowed down, picked up again.

"The enemy's main force is almost upon us!"

Even the strong wind blowing in their faces couldn't dispel Qingdeng's shouts.

"Cut down that obstructive flag!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a chorus of shouts and responses erupted.

The team members who were just on the front lines stole the show and made great contributions.

Now it was finally their turn to be the "arrow of the attack," and the soldiers in the center were all full of vigor, wielding their katanas with great force.

In an instant, a large number of Southern soldiers fell before their horses and under their swords, and the "blood trail" covered with severed limbs stretched for a considerable distance.

Murata Shinpachi stared intently at Aoto, who was getting closer and closer, his face grim.

A moment later, he suddenly raised his voice and gave the order:

"Now! Begin the encirclement and slaughter!"

In the blink of an eye, the order reached all sides.

Before long, countless Southern soldiers were seen running around, changing positions, and adjusting formations... The atmosphere in the air subtly changed, and the grim atmosphere became even heavier!

Looking at the Shinsengumi's past achievements, it is not difficult to see that their cavalry is a formidable force that cannot be ignored.

They always take on the crucial tasks of launching surprise attacks, pursuing and annihilating enemies, and reaping the rewards at the most critical moments.

If we ignore it, we will inevitably suffer a great loss on the battlefield.

Therefore, Saigo Kichinosuke held a special "tactical lecture" to teach the generals of the Satsuma army how to "counter the Shinsengumi cavalry".

According to Saigo Kichinosuke, if the Shinsengumi's cavalry had any weakness, it was the lackluster quality of their warhorses.

The warhorses it used were Kiso horses, native to the region.

Although the Kiso horse, with its well-proportioned structure and intelligence, is the most suitable for combat compared to other native horse breeds, to put it bluntly, it's simply a case of choosing the best of a bad bunch.

Japanese native horses are all short (110-135 cm), and the Kiso horse is no exception. They cannot be compared with the "large Western horses" bred through selective breeding in the West.

To put it bluntly, native Japanese horses are not suitable for use as warhorses.

To adapt to Japan's mountainous terrain with few plains, the Kiso horse is very agile and can move and run on complex terrain, but its speed and stamina are not particularly impressive.

There are essentially two ways to counter cavalry.

One is to offset the impact.

Secondly, it restricts mobility.

In summary, Saigo Kinosuke's proposed method for "countering the Shinsengumi cavalry" can be roughly summarized as follows:

The best strategy is naturally to "defend against the enemy outside the battle lines".

When the Shinsengumi cavalry attacked, they were prevented from getting close by using "musket formations" and "hedgehog formations".

If we fail to stop them and allow them to break into our formation, then we must grit our teeth and hold on to the bitter end!

Given Kiso's weak stamina, it won't be long before he's forced to slow down due to exhaustion.

When its power begins to wane, that will be the moment to launch a counterattack!

Because times have changed, cavalry no longer need to charge in formation, thrusting their lances at the enemy's face, breaking through enemy lines—this heavy responsibility is now undertaken by musketeers and artillerymen—so under Qingdeng's planning, the Shinsengumi cavalrymen did not know what a "wall charge" was, only "riding and slashing."

Kichinosuke Saigo saw this opportunity and even made a meticulous plan on "how to effectively attack the Shinsengumi cavalry".

Since the Shinsengumi cavalry used "slashing" as their main attack method, there must have been considerable gaps between the cavalrymen.

The reason is simple—if they get too close, they will only hinder each other, and they won't even be able to swing their swords properly.

Taking advantage of the moment when their horses begin to slow down, bravely slip into the gaps between them, divide and surround them, disrupt their formation and restrict their movement.

Without the speed advantage, cavalry is less lethal than infantry.

As for the specific attack methods, Saigo Kichinosuke also made strict provisions.

It is well known that the average height of Japanese people is terrible, and the short-statured are even shorter.

For the vast majority of Japanese people, reaching out to attack someone on horseback is a thankless and exhausting task, and they might not even be able to touch the other person.

Therefore, there is no need to attack the person on horseback; just attack the horse. When the horse falls, the person will also fall, which is both effortless and efficient.

The above is a detailed battle plan meticulously devised by Saigo Kinosuke to "counter the Shinsengumi cavalry".

It sounds simple, but it actually tests the soldiers' courage!

When cavalry charge head-on, humans instinctively feel fear upon sensing danger.

In such a situation, they would be terrified, let alone trying to slip through the gaps between the cavalry.

This kind of high-difficulty tactic, which requires both skill and courage, can only be accomplished by Satsuma soldiers who have received the corresponding training!

At this very moment, those Southern soldiers who were running and changing formations rapidly in the chaos of battle were Satsuma soldiers who had received "anti-Shinsengumi cavalry training"!

While other units were already terrified, they went against the tide and prepared to launch a counterattack!

The first to be attacked were the front-line soldiers who had moved to the rear and were resting.

The fierce and bloody battle they had just fought had left them exhausted, and almost all of their horses were foaming at the mouth, effectively disengaging from the fight.

Suddenly, louder and louder voices of Samoan dialect erupted around them:

"They've slowed down!"

"Quick! Charge forward! Don't be afraid!"

"Do it the way you did it in training, do it now!"

"But...but we used cows for training before..."

"Stop talking nonsense! Cows and horses are pretty much the same!"

In the blink of an eye, countless Satsuma soldiers surged out from all directions! They slipped into the gaps between the cavalry like eels!

Before the latter could react, they had already swung their blades, stabbing the horse's belly, slashing its legs, and splitting its head.

"Magnificent, magnificent, magnificent, magnificent—!"

“呜呜呜呜呜呜呜呜——！”

The mournful neighing of horses continued incessantly.

One by one, the warhorses collapsed to the ground, and the riders fell off their backs like dumplings being dropped into a pot.

Those who were unlucky were pinned down by the horse and unable to move. The surrounding Satsuma soldiers immediately pounced on them, and they died without even putting up a proper resistance.

Those who are lucky enough to jump away before the horse falls are merely prolonging their lives.

After losing the advantage of "horseback combat", these people who landed safely were quickly surrounded and killed by a hail of knives in just a few rounds.

Soon, similar scenes began to unfold in the middle and rear of the formation.

Countless Satsuma soldiers bravely charged forward, seizing every opportunity to engage the Shinsengumi cavalry in close combat, achieving immediate results.

Just as Saigo Kinosuke had predicted, as the warhorses slowed down, even infantrymen could easily weave through the gaps between the cavalry.

The number of cavalry casualties began to rise, which also significantly affected the momentum of the charge.

Qingdeng quickly noticed the abnormality, immediately turned his head to the side, and scanned the battle situation behind him with a heavy eyelid.

Then, he clicked his tongue and muttered:

"There's still a way to launch a counterattack...?"

At the same time, Sanako's face also darkened.

She frowned, pondering a countermeasure.

If things continue like this, even if we successfully defeat the "Western Route Army," our side will suffer considerable losses.

Cavalrymen are difficult to train, and every soldier in the 7th and 10th Divisions is precious and should never be discarded like worn-out shoes.

Just as she was racking her brains for a solution, Nakazawa Koto suddenly issued an anxious warning:

"Miss Chiba! Watch out!"

Upon hearing this sound, Sanako was a beat slow to notice that a short Satsuma soldier was crouching to her side.

Because he was so short, the tall and slender Sanako didn't notice him at all.

In the blink of an eye, he swung his katana horizontally like a woodcutter, slashing at the right foreleg of Sanako's warhorse.

The next moment, a horse's leg with a smooth cut flew out.

“恢恢恢恢恢恢恢恢恢恢——！”