I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

He was truly risking his life, personally taking to the front lines and disregarding his own safety.

His bravery inspired many. The decisive sound of swords being drawn and the mournful roars rang out one after another.

To escape successfully, the only option is to drop the conspicuous commander's flag.

However, this would also deal a devastating blow to the morale of the entire army.

In other words, given the current situation where "Qing Deng cannot be stopped," it's a dead end no matter what!

Shinpachi Murata saw through this... feeling both grief and despair.

His decision to go into battle was nothing more than a self-destructive act after his heart had died.

Suddenly, his vision went dark—a huge bull's head burst into his field of vision.

Shinpachi Murata subconsciously looked up.

For a fleeting moment, his eyes met Qingdeng's.

Without a second thought, Murata Shinpachi instinctively raised his sword overhead, using the momentum of his charge to slash at Aoto—

clang!

The desperate slash was steadily stopped by the slender naginata.

The next moment, a dark purple blade of light filled his vision—

A fine head flew into the sky.

The headless body took a few steps forward due to inertia, then collapsed to the ground...

With lightning speed, Sanako used her naginata to decapitate Murata Shinpachi, then, facing the vast battlefield, let out a powerful and spirited shout:

"Your commander has been defeated by us!"

……

……

Toba, South Palace of the City—

A messenger, clutching his aching chest and succumbing to exhaustion, raced against time to reach Saigo Kinosuke.

Finally... he met Saigo Kinosuke, who was sitting upright on a stool.

"Lord Saigo!"

He hurriedly knelt down in front of him.

All eyes were on him.

Expectant faces, nervous faces... all sorts of faces filled the surroundings.

They were eager to know the latest developments in the battle.

However... the Mandarin that the other party spoke next made them involuntarily gasp several times.

"The western army has been ambushed by Tachibana Aoto! Lord Murata has been killed in action! The entire army has been routed! Casualties are heavy!"

Upon hearing this, the entire room fell silent.

Katsura Kogoro was dumbfounded.

Goto Shōjirō was speechless.

The others all had similar expressions.

A moment later, Goto Shojiro, having regained his senses, gritted his teeth:

"What exactly happened? Tell me in detail!"

The messenger swallowed hard and then told everything he knew.

The Shinsengumi's cavalry appeared suddenly, like divine soldiers descending from the heavens...

A rapid, unstoppable advance...

The invincible Tachibana Aoto...

Murata Shinpachi, who died on the spot...

After their commander's death, the army completely collapsed due to a loss of morale...

After the messenger finished speaking, a deathly silence, like that of the deep sea, enveloped the entire area.

Whether the "Western Route Army" can successfully capture Fushimi will determine the outcome of today's battle.

Therefore, anyone with a modicum of common sense knows exactly what the fact that the "Western Route Army" has been defeated means...

In an instant, as if by reflex, they made a synchronized movement—turning their heads to look at Saigo Kinosuke.

Humans will always instinctively seek help from the stronger, which is why all kings were born, and then all gods were born.

Saigo Kinosuke pursed his lips, his reaction...surprisingly calm.

He showed neither grief nor anger.

It was as if this defeat was insignificant.

Then, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

The next moment, he slowly opened his eyes, then squeezed out a hoarse voice from his throat:

"...Retreat. The entire army shall withdraw from Fushimi."

……

……

Fushimi, south side—

Saito Hajime leaned against the earthen wall behind him, trying to catch his breath as quickly as possible.

The intense battle had left him with an astonishing amount of fatigue.

Therefore, he dared not rest for too long.

If you rest for too long, the relaxed muscles will completely "stop working".

At that time, he might not even be able to walk steadily.

As he straightened up, preparing to return to the front lines, he was startled to see an unusual movement on the distant battlefield—the Southern soldiers were retreating.

The sudden change in the situation startled him.

A moment later, Toudou Heisuke suddenly appeared from the side, running straight towards him while shouting excitedly:

"Saito-kun, the enemy has retreated!"

……

……

The southern troops from both north and south of Fushimi retreated slowly, like the receding tide...

Such an opportunity to kick a man when he's down is naturally not going to be missed.

Kondo Isami immediately issued the order to "pursue and annihilate" the enemy, but specifically requested that "the enemy be driven out of Fushimi."

Inoue Genzaburo, sword in hand, stared blankly at the receding enemy army.

Suddenly, a large hand reached out from behind and patted his shoulder.

"Uncle Yuan, what's wrong? Why do you look like that?"

Kondo Isami smiled and strode forward, standing shoulder to shoulder with Inoue Genzaburo.

Inoue Genzaburo gave a wry smile.

"I'm just... a little surprised. The enemy has already retreated, even though they were fighting fiercely just a moment ago..."

Kondo Isamu Kanji:

"Based on my personal experience, it's most likely that Tachibana-kun did something somewhere."

"He's very good at this kind of thing."

At this point, he let out a long breath and patted Inoue Genzaburo on the shoulder again.

"Uncle Yuan, cheer up! After all... today's battle is our victory!"

Inoue Genzaburo grinned, a hint of joy slowly creeping onto his cheeks.

……

……

Fushimi, west side—

After the death of its commander (Shinpachi Murata), the Western Route Army immediately began to collapse rapidly, like a domino effect.

Some fought to the death, while others scattered like birds and beasts... undoubtedly, the latter outnumbered the former.

Under Qingdeng's orders, the cavalrymen who were still able to move chased and killed the remaining enemy like sheep, leaving behind a large number of corpses.

At this point, the outcome of the battle was decided.

The Western Route Army has been defeated, and no matter how capable Saigo Kichinosuke is, it is impossible for him to regroup it in a short period of time.

Without the offensive of the "Western Route Army," the capture of Fushimi would have been an impossible task.

In other words, Saigo Kichinosuke's plan has been completely thwarted!

Today's battle is a complete victory for the Shinsengumi!

Just then, Aoto and Sanako, leading Radish, walked towards Harada Sanosuke.

Big Black Bull really went all out today.

Carrying Aoto—and also carrying Sanako along the way—they finished the entire match.

Because it fought so hard, when the battle ended, its four hooves trembled like a newborn lamb.

Without Qingdeng and Zonazi's guidance, it wouldn't even be able to walk in a straight line.

To express his gratitude for Radish's hard work, Qingdeng decided to treat it to a big meal tonight—a large amount of its favorite corn and a small amount of Radish.

"Zanosuke, thank you for your hard work, you've done a great job."