I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

Without Ōtakemaru's support, he probably wouldn't even be able to stand up.

The Yamata no Orochi calmly turned its gaze, sweeping over the faces of everyone present.

"I just wanted to let you know—the reinforcements you wanted have arrived."

Before anyone could ask further questions, a messenger came running up:

"General, a large, unidentified force has appeared to the north!"

Instantly, the entire audience was astonished.

After listening to Sadaoyi's translation, the British officers, led by Howell, were also greatly alarmed.

Tokugawa Yoshinobu instinctively jumped to his feet and asked urgently:

"How many troops? What flags are they flying?"

Orochi smiled slightly:

"Don't worry, they are my troops."

"Your troops?"

As Tokugawa Yoshinobu asked the question, he cast a look of surprise and uncertainty at the Yamata no Orochi.

"Instead of explaining slowly, let's talk as we go."

……

……

Led by Yamata no Orochi, the group left their main camp and headed north towards the main camp.

Upon arriving at their destination, they were suddenly struck by a formidable military force!

"This is……!"

Tokugawa Yoshinobu was speechless—what came into view was an army of about two thousand men!

The soldiers of this army were dressed in different colored clothes and carried various weapons of different types... They looked more like a group of civilians who had been temporarily assembled than a regular army.

The Yamata no Orochi spoke slowly and deliberately:

"These are our secret assassins, whom we have secretly trained among the people to eliminate the Party."

"It took a long time to gather them together, but thankfully we made it in time."

"With my group of loyal soldiers here, I'm sure our army will be able to launch another powerful offensive."

"General, Mr. Howell, let's stake our remaining strength and equipment on tomorrow."

"Launch a full-scale attack tomorrow, leaving no room for retreat."

"Whether it's right or wrong, success or failure, it all depends on tomorrow!"

*******

*******

It's almost the end of the month again! Readers with monthly passes, please vote for this book! This is the last time I'm asking for your votes! (Crying leopard head.jpg)

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

P.S.: For some reason, my throat hurts a bit today... I really hope I don't get sick at a time like this... (panic.jpg)

Chapter 1186 Okita Souji is indeed the main heroine of this book.

The officers of both the Northern Army and the British Army were stunned by the sudden appearance of a large reinforcement force.

In an instant, their shock turned into unparalleled joy.

"Yamata no Orochi, well done!"

"I knew you had a backup plan!"

"In this way, we're guaranteed to win!"

The cheers that rose and fell swept away the previous dejection.

At this point in the battle, both sides are at their last gasp. They can no longer launch a rapid attack, and the opposing side is also on the verge of collapse.

At this critical juncture where we are "just one breath away from victory," the addition of a fresh force will surely bring about a dramatic change in the battle!

Like an extremely heavy weight, it instantly tipped the scales of the battlefield!

Suicide squads—Tokugawa Yoshinobu was no stranger to this.

Back in the day, the "One Bridge Faction" had a number of assassins scattered among the people.

Unfortunately, this group of invaluable assassins were all lost in Edo (the Second Battle of Jianghu).

Given their ability to punish those who oppose the Party, secretly raising thousands of assassins would not be difficult for them.

After Orochi loudly proposed "the decisive battle tomorrow," everyone turned to look at him, casting gazes with varying emotions.

Howell frowned, pondered for a moment, and then said in a deep voice:

"...You're right, we can't drag this out any longer, we must decide the winner immediately!"

Howell was the first to express his support for "Tomorrow's Showdown," which startled everyone.

Immediately afterwards, several other officers chimed in with their agreement.

"Tomorrow is our last chance! If we still can't capture Dajin City by tomorrow, then we're doomed!"

"Use the last bullets and shells for tomorrow! It's all or nothing!"

"We have just received reinforcements, and the enemy is in dire straits. There is absolutely no reason for us to be defeated!"

The principle of achieving victory in one decisive battle before ammunition is completely exhausted and before the troops still have the will to fight is clear to everyone.

Therefore, although some people showed hesitation, no voices of opposition emerged.

Howell was the de facto commander-in-chief of the entire army, and since he had personally approved of Orochi, no one dared to oppose him.

Although Tokugawa Yoshinobu remained silent, his stern expression clearly indicated that he also agreed with the Yamata no Orochi's claims.

Seeing that no one objected, Yamata no Orochi took a deep breath and immediately put on a serious face—he, who usually appeared with a "half-smile," now surprisingly showed a solemn expression:

"If that's the case, then it's decided!"

His voice clearly reached the ears of everyone present. Despite being a frail body about to be buried, he uttered a loud and resonant declaration.

"Our fate, and indeed the fate of Japan, will be decided tomorrow!"

……

……

Several hours later—

Otsu Castle, north wall——

Qingdeng, supporting himself with the Vairocana amulet at his waist, gazed at the enemy camp in the distance.

Suddenly, he heard light footsteps approaching from behind.

Without even turning his head, Qing Deng accurately called out the person's name.

"Xiao Si, what brings you here?"

The commander-in-chief was already used to the fact that "Qingdeng could identify people by their footsteps".

"I couldn't sleep, so I came out for a walk to clear my head."

She took two quick steps to stand beside Qingdeng.

"There's still some time before dawn..."

Before Qing Deng could finish speaking, the commander-in-chief guessed what he wanted to say and interrupted him:

"Don't worry, I slept for an hour or two. I feel great right now, not sleepy at all, and I will definitely not doze off during the battle."

After she finished speaking, she met Qingdeng's gaze and smiled.

Looking at her signature bright smile, Qing Deng sighed helplessly and had no choice but to let Souji stay by his side.

With the city walls no longer obstructing them, a cool breeze lifted the hems of their haori.

After nearly a month of fierce fighting, the eastern and northern walls of Otsu City were completely reduced to ruins.

Looking up, there were no gaps left, because gaps were everywhere.

Without the protection of the city walls, the defenders in the city had no choice but to use their bare hands to hold off the enemy's offensive.

However, these ruins also served as excellent cover, allowing the city's defenders to deploy layers of defenses based on them.

Qing Deng suddenly asked again:

"Commander, why can't you sleep? The war has reached this point, how can you still be unable to sleep because of tension?"

The commander pursed his lips, hesitated for a moment, and then said softly:

"For some reason, I feel uneasy... I have a feeling that today's battle will be exceptionally fierce..."

Qing Deng Wan Er:

"That's quite a coincidence, I feel the same way."

"You think so too?"

"Yes, warriors like us who have been through countless battles always have some strange intuitions. My intuition tells me: today is the most important day of my life."

"'The most important day'... Could today be the day of the final battle?"

"Maybe."

"...In that case, I'd better work twice as hard today!"

Souji lightly patted the Kikuichimonji Norimune at his waist a few times, his smile unchanged, but now with a touch more heroic air.

"No matter how many offensives the enemy launches, I will repel them one by one!"

"While it's good to forge ahead bravely, you must know your limits and never push yourself too hard."

Aoto stared intently at Souji, his expression serious and his tone firm and unwavering.