I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

"But we have both favorable timing and popular support!"

Kimura raised his finger and pointed to the sky... or more precisely, to the full moon overhead.

"Tonight is a moonlit night, and all of Edo is as bright as day. Even without a lantern, one can walk on the streets as usual."

"Without the lanterns that are so conspicuous and obstructive at night, it will be less likely for the traitors of the 'One-Armed Party' to spot us."

"This is extremely beneficial for us to complete the encirclement of the 'One-Armed Party' stronghold!"

"This is the opportune moment."

"Every squad of my Fire Thieves is a highly trained and battle-hardened elite force."

"On the other hand, the 'One-Armed Party'—I have already detailed their incompetence. Any one of our squads would be enough to rout them!"

"Moreover, we also possess a series of excellent weapons such as armor, bows and arrows, and cannons."

"This is due to harmony between people."

"Besides, our operation tonight is also a surprise attack! Hmph, those traitors are probably all asleep right now! They have no idea that their doom is imminent!"

"By being prepared to strike the unprepared, with our elite army possessing the advantage of favorable timing and popular support, how could we not be certain of victory against these desperate and helpless soldiers?"

No sooner had Kimura finished speaking than Tsuchida quickly chimed in:

"That's right! Lord Kimura is absolutely right! Sending just my Seventh Division is enough to rout those traitors of the 'One-Armed Party'! There's no need to send two divisions!"

At this point, Tsuchida paused as if he had thought of something.

A moment later, he sneered and let out a mocking laugh:

"Tachibana, you suggested sending out two squads. Could it be that you're envious of the 'annihilation of the One-Armed Gang' and want a share of the spoils, or that you want to ask Lord Kimura to send your Third Squad to participate in the attack as well?"

After saying that, Tsuchida couldn't help but show a smug expression—his pride in being able to claim all the credit for defeating the "One-Armed Party" was palpable.

In essence, anyone with a discerning eye can see the true intention behind Kimura's battle plan: "The Third and Fifth Divisions will be responsible for surrounding the enemy's strongholds, while the Seventh Division will be responsible for the assault."

To put it bluntly, he was giving the opportunity to make a contribution to his lackey, Tsuchida Masayasu.

Organizing subordinates to surround a longhouse consisting of only thirty-odd rooms—such a task requires virtually no technical skill, and therefore naturally yields no merit; it's just a thankless job with no real benefits.

But storming into the enemy stronghold and annihilating the bandits is a completely different story.

The "One-Armed Party" had been a headache for the government for a long time. Otherwise, Kurosawa and Okubo wouldn't have been so eager to organize a raid on the same day after determining the location of the "One-Armed Party's" base, and would have dispatched three squads at once.

If we can wipe out the "one-armed party" cleanly and completely, then the achievement will certainly be significant.

Furthermore, the longhouse wasn't large enough to require two squads to surround it; allocating one or half a squad to participate in the attack on the "One-Armed Party" would be more than sufficient.

Therefore, Kimura's operational arrangement clearly reveals his intention to "support his lackeys and sideline Aoto".

Qing Deng indifferently tilted his eyes and glanced at Tu Tian.

When Tsuchida was caught in Qingdeng's gaze, he suddenly felt a tightness around his neck.

The scenes of Qing Deng directly drawing his sword to intimidate Kimura this morning flashed quickly before Tsuchida's eyes.

Just a moment ago, Tsuchida was arrogant and domineering, but now he was as quiet as a defeated rooster.

Although he still tried his best to put on a "I'm not afraid of you" expression as if he was not willing to admit defeat, his body was very obedient - his head was buried very low, and he did not dare to look at Qingdeng again.

"The achievement of 'suppressing the remnants of the Expeditionary Army' is not great enough for me to compete for."

When Qing Deng read the words "remnants of the party," he deliberately slowed down and emphasized his tone.

Kimura and Tsuchida's expressions immediately turned somewhat unpleasant.

How could they not understand Qingdeng's unspoken meaning—I once obtained fame and honor from the powerful Expeditionary Force during its heyday! I don't even consider the remnants of the Expeditionary Force a threat!

Aoto's words immediately put Tsuchida in an awkward position.

Tachibana Seito had repeatedly defeated the powerful Toigumi in their prime, and even the bandit leader, Kanno, was beheaded by his sword. Yet Tsuchida was smugly taking credit for annihilating the Toigumi's "remnants"... In comparison, Tsuchida looked like a clown who didn't know his place.

Kimura stood up and broke the deadlock in the argument with a firm and unequivocal statement.

"Alright, let's end this pointless discussion! In short—the plan remains unchanged! Everyone, get back to your positions!"

After saying that, Kimura turned and left without the slightest hesitation or pause.

No sooner had Kimura left than Tsuchida gave Aoto a resentful look before leaving dejectedly.

Qingdeng glanced around the main camp, where he was now all alone, and scratched his head.

—Fine, since Kimura insists on giving the opportunity to make a contribution to Tsuchida and not sharing any credit with me, then let him be.

Kimura was the "commander-in-chief at the front," and all military orders came from him. He had absolute power, and everyone else had to obey his orders unconditionally.

Kimura had already made the firm statement that "the plan will not change," so Aoto could no longer persuade him.

Moreover, given the current relationship between Aoto and Kimura, there's no way Kimura would listen to Aoto.

Moreover, from the perspective of "making the best use of people", Kimura's plan is perfectly reasonable.

Qingdeng was a newcomer who was not yet familiar with the entire operation of the Fire Thief system, so it was perfectly reasonable to assign him a simpler task, and there was no way to criticize him.

Even if Aoto appeals to higher authorities, accusing Kimura of not being impartial and favoring Tsuchida, Kurosawa and Okubo certainly won't heed Aoto's appeal.

Anyway, it's not some important task that's so significant that it can't be passed on, so let's just give it to Tsuchida.

After quickly composing himself, Qingdeng retraced his steps and rejoined his subordinates.

About 20 minutes later, Kimura stood on a makeshift platform made of wooden crates and announced the assembly of the entire army.

The three squads, totaling 180 people, plus the two squad leaders, Aoto and Tsuchida, formed a neat square formation in front of Kimura.

"Gentlemen! I'm sure you all know what we're going to do tonight!"

Kimura's pre-battle mobilization was quite inspiring.

Many people were invigorated and beaming with pride after listening to Kimura's speech.

After a brief mobilization speech, Kimura shouted "Attack!" and the three squads split into six groups, heading straight for Sumicho, the stronghold of the "One-Armed Party," along different directions and streets.

As Qing Deng led the soldiers of the Third Division out of the camp, the hands of his pocket watch pointed exactly to 10:30.

At this time of year, Edo, apart from Yoshiwara, the "city that never sleeps," was as quiet as if it had sunk into the dark depths of the sea.

Every street was a similar sight: eerily quiet, with only the occasional low whistling of the autumn wind providing any sound. The streets were bathed in a pale, frost-like moonlight.

Guided by Xiaohui, Qingdeng and the others sped along, their rapidly moving figures projected onto the ground, adding a hazy, shadowy scene to the quiet Edo.

Before long, the three squads successfully arrived at their destination.

The members of the Third and Fifth Divisions advanced from the east and west respectively, and in less than 5 minutes, they worked together to completely surround the entire longhouse.

As for the members of the Seventh Division, they gathered in front of the wagashi shop, ready to storm in at any time.

Tonight's battle will be all about speed.

With a swift and fierce attack, they caught the enemy off guard, leaving them disoriented and overwhelmed, and wiped them out in one fell swoop.

Therefore, after all the squads had taken their positions and were ready for battle, Kimura nodded slightly to Tsuchida beside him.

Understanding the unspoken message, Tsuchida nodded back to Kimura, then took a step forward and drew his sword from his waist.

He raised his sword high behind his head and swung it forward forcefully, shouting triumphantly:

"Break down the door! Charge!"

As soon as Tsuchida finished speaking, the members of the 7th Division, who had been waiting in their respective battle positions, immediately began to move.

The two soldiers closest to the wagashi shop, each wielding a katana, suddenly lunged forward, and after a short run-up, used their broad shoulders as "hammers" to fly and crash into the shop door.

The wooden shop door is quite old, and the facade is covered with mottled signs of decay.

How could such a dilapidated door, which could be easily kicked open with a single foot, withstand the "physical impact" of two adult men?

With a loud crash, the door was smashed open. The two team members who smashed the door fell into the room along with the door panel.

Meanwhile, the following soldiers stepped over their bodies and followed closely.

Six soldiers carrying life-sized wooden shields charged in first.

Immediately afterwards, musketeers carrying matchlock guns filed in.

The Seventh Division is a unit composed of the Fifth Division of the First-Hand Gunnery Group, so matchlock guns are their standard weapon.

The lit fuse, like a dreamlike firefly, flickered in the pitch-black room.

The shield bearers raised their huge shields and worked together to form a solid "spherical protective shield" that protected the musketeers inside the "sphere," ensuring their personal safety and firing space.

The musketeers, hiding behind the shield bearers, poked their arquebuses out from between the shields, their dark, cold muzzles pointing in all directions.

The two soldiers who had rammed the door had now gotten up, gripped their swords, and stood guard over the wide-open shop door, preventing any unauthorized personnel from approaching.

The wagashi shop where the "one-armed gang" hid was a typical "two-story structure".

At this moment, a commotion arose from the second floor:

"Hey! What's that noise?!"

"Go! Go and see!"

"Brothers! Wake up! Wake up! There's a strange noise downstairs!"

……

The hurried footsteps pounded on the wooden floor.

Two young samurai, dressed in white pajamas and with their hair down, appeared at the top of the stairs, carrying katana.

Upon seeing this, the musketeers hiding behind the shield formation raised their guns and fired without saying a word.

boom!boom!boom!boom!boom!

Although the matchlock muskets were inaccurate, the straight-line distance between the muskets and the two young samurai was only about 5 meters.

At this distance, the accuracy of the matchlock gun is still quite reliable.

After five gunshots, the two samurai, who had just reached the bottom of the stairs and hadn't even had a chance to see what was going on, fell into a pool of blood with two more holes in their bodies.

The soldiers, their guns emptied, loaded new ammunition with movements that were neither too skilled nor too clumsy.

To cover their comrades' reloading, their "sphere" formation temporarily halted its advance.

The remaining "spheres" behind them took their place and advanced deeper into the house.

The Seventh Division's members move and fight in units called "groups," each group being a "round hedgehog" made of shields and muskets.