I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

Aoto cast an admiring glance at Harada Sanosuke standing in front of him.

Harada Sanosuke dismounted, chuckling a few times.

"I dare not accept such praise. I acted on my own initiative and left the battle without permission, so I dare not claim any credit."

Qingdeng chuckled to himself:

"You've been studying really hard lately; your speech is becoming more and more refined."

"You acted decisively and adopted the most correct strategy in a timely manner, which greatly reduced the losses of our army."

"If this isn't a great achievement, what is it?"

Because they had successfully defeated the enemy and reversed the tide of battle, causing a significant shift in the balance of power, Qing Deng and the others now showed expressions of relief.

A pleasant and relaxed atmosphere surrounded them.

Suddenly... came the sound of anxious hooves from behind Qingdeng.

A messenger from the Ninth Division rode up on horseback.

Upon seeing Qingdeng, before the horse had even come to a complete stop, he impatiently leaped off, suffering a severe fall that contorted his face in pain.

"My lord..."

He endured the pain and exhaustion, and spoke quickly and solemnly, though in a flustered manner.

"The Aizu army on the northern front has been routed! Countless enemy troops are rushing towards Ōtsu!"

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PS: The "Otsu Bastion" that many readers are interested in comes in handy here.

The Battle of Toba-Fushimi is still a long one, after all, it's the final battle of the book, how could it end after just two or three battles?

Chapter 1154 The Commander-in-Chief is acting strangely! The decisive battle against Toba! Return to Ōtsu!

At dusk —

Osaka, the headquarters of the Gourd House, a certain courtyard—

Ogata sat cross-legged on the east-west facing veranda, his chin slightly raised, gazing into the distance as if lost in thought, or perhaps pondering something.

As the sun was about to sink below the horizon, it cast its fiery red afterglow, filling the world with the colors of sunset.

Suddenly, accompanied by approaching footsteps, Kiryu's voice drifted over from afar:

"Ogata-kun, you're here."

He quickened his pace slightly, appeared from the east corner of the corridor, and stood next to Ogata.

What are you doing here?

Ogata answered softly:

"I didn't do anything, just enjoyed the breeze and the scenery."

The Kiryu boss chuckled to himself:

"Such refined pursuits are not quite in line with your personality."

As he spoke, he raised his gaze, following Ogata's eyes.

"...That's the direction of Toba and Fushimi. Ogata-kun, are you concerned about the outcome of this battle?"

Ogata Kanji:

"It would be strange if you didn't care about this, wouldn't it?"

"This is a once-in-a-century battle."

"I can't go to Europe with peace of mind if I don't know the outcome of this match as soon as possible."

Upon hearing this, Mr. Kiryu gave a bitter smile, and a faint look of worry appeared in his eyes.

Ogata noticed the change in his expression and joked:

"Judging from your expression, you're the one who's most concerned about the outcome of this match."

Mr. Kiryu shrugged noncommittally.

"This battle is very dangerous..."

As he spoke, he lowered his body and sat down next to Ogata.

“'Southern Court' is no pushover; Saigo Kinosuke, Katsura Kogoro, and others are all outstanding talents.”

"Moreover, there's also the threat of the Party's persecution."

Upon hearing this, Ogata couldn't help but ask in return:

"Now that it's confirmed that the Fazhu Party has formed an alliance with the 'Southern Dynasty,' Miss Lin, aren't you going to do anything about it?"

"Miss Lin hates the Fazhu Party so much, I thought she would be eager to cause trouble for them."

The Kiryu boss gave a wry smile:

"My lord does indeed intend to participate in the war."

"However... Gourd House is ultimately just a trading company, not a warlord, and its combat strength is limited."

“The Party’s punishment of the law is always elusive and unpredictable, always appearing in unexpected places, especially adept at surprise attacks, making it impossible to guard against… We have suffered many losses in this regard.”

"Therefore, before truly determining the specific moves of the Fazhu Party, the lord does not want to act rashly and wants to observe for a while longer."

"Of course, she didn't do nothing."

"She has been actively gathering intelligence recently."

"Unfortunately... the results were minimal."

Suddenly, a series of hurried footsteps interrupted their conversation.

Thump thump thump thump thump thump...!

The hallway floor made a thumping sound as people walked on it.

For Ogata, it was a familiar sound of footsteps—it was Atachi's footsteps.

Sure enough, the next moment, Atachi rushed out from the west corner of the corridor.

Upon seeing Ogata, she said quickly, her face flushed with anxiety:

"Ayi, come quick! The commander's condition is not good!"

The combination of "commander-in-chief" and "the situation is not good" caused a sudden change in the atmosphere at the scene.

Ogata and Kiryu both frowned.

They jumped up as if by unspoken agreement, and led by Atachi, they hurried to Souji's bedroom one after the other.

Kinoshita Rin treated Aoto's family with the highest level of care.

In particular, the unconscious Souji and Tokugawa Iemochi were given "imperial-level" care.

Before long, they crowded into the well-located, spotless bedroom—Souji was sleeping on the tatami mat in the very center of the room.

At this moment, her pretty face was covered in sweat, her features were constantly scrunched up, and she was repeatedly moaning in pain, "Ugh... ugh... ugh..."

Judging from her appearance, it was clear at a glance that she was enduring immense pain!

Ogata strode forward, sat down on the edge of her bed, and touched her forehead... It was alarmingly hot, at least 40 degrees Celsius!

Mr. Kiryu sat down right next to Ogata:

"Ogata-kun, what's going on?"

Ogata pondered for a moment.

"...It's most likely that the 'immortal power' within her is making its last struggle."

The Kiryu boss looked puzzled and gestured to him with his eyes to "explain in detail".

Ogata silently continued the conversation:

"I had similar symptoms back then."

"I was already feeling unwell, and suddenly it got even worse."

"At that time, I almost fainted."

"Thinking back on it now still terrifies me."

"Fortunately, after overcoming this difficulty, I was reborn."

“I think Souji is going through the same process right now.”

Having said that, Ogata addressed Kiryu in an unquestionable tone:

"Jiulang, go get some ice and give her an ice pack."

Although ice is precious, it is nothing to the wealthy and powerful Gourd House.

After hearing this, the Kiryu boss couldn't help but ask in return:

Will this work?

Ogata answered without hesitation:

"It's no use, but it makes her feel a little better."

"Using ice to cool her body down is the only thing we can do for her right now."

"Whether she 'passes away from this world' or 'rises from the ashes'... that depends on her fate."

At this point, Ogata raised his head and glanced at the darkening sky outside the window.

"...We will know the result as soon as tonight or as late as tomorrow morning."

After hearing this, Mr. Kiryu remained silent, staring intently at Souji, before quickly turning to find some ice.

Atachi remained silent, crawling forward on her knees without making a sound. She took out a clean handkerchief from her bosom and carefully wiped away the sweat from Souji's brows.