Chapter 938 There is the glory of death, but no shame of life! 【5300】
The next day, early morning——
Nangong Mountain, East Foot, Qibing Team’s Main Formation——
The sky has just turned white, and the pale yellow morning sun rises slowly from behind the mountains in the east, casting a faint light with difficulty.
The clouds were low and thick, casting dark shadows.
Since last night, the temperature in Sekigahara has plummeted, and translucent fog can be exhaled with just a breath.
Even the dawn of the morning sun could not dispel the oppressive chill.
If nothing else happens, it will probably snow today.
What is striking is that the current bad weather matches the atmosphere of the Rangers' camp quite well.
Inside and outside the camp, it was eerily quiet...
From the officers to the ordinary soldiers, they all had stiff expressions and looked numb.
Standing sentry, patrolling, wiping weapons... No one said anything, everyone was mechanically doing the work at hand.
If you look carefully, you can see that many of them have extremely ugly faces.
They are all people who took "Decisive Battle" yesterday.
Facts have proved that as amazing as the effectiveness of this pill is, its side effects are so terrifying!
There is no fixed number for the duration of the effect of "Decisive Battle Lake". Whether it is long or short depends entirely on personal physique.
No matter how long it lasts, after the effect of the medicine ends, all users, without exception, will feel extremely painful!
The first is muscle soreness, as if the limbs are filled with lead, and the pain is excruciating if you move even a little.
The next thing is dizziness and mental fatigue, as if I haven't slept for several days in a row.
In a word, there is no part of my body that is not uncomfortable. Even if I rest all night, I will not feel better.
Before distributing "Decisive Battle of Yodo", Takasugi Shinsaku did not conceal its side effects, and explained the truth to all the soldiers in the army without missing a beat. He also made it clear that whether to swallow this medicine in battle was entirely based on one's own will and would never be forced.
Knowing that this will cost a lot of money, there are still many people who resolutely swallow the "Decisive Battle of Yodo"! They vow to fight the Shinsengumi to the end!
The coup on August 18, the Ikedaya Incident, the Summer Battle of Kyoto... After experiencing so many battles, the conflict between the Shinsengumi and the Choshu clan has long since reached a point where it will never end.
There are many members of the Raid Team who have either direct or indirect hatred towards the Shinsengumi.
As long as they can gain the strength to fight the Shinsengumi, they are willing to take even poison... It is with this kind of consciousness that they swallow the "Decisive Battle" without hesitation!
…
…
Omura Masujiro stood with his hands behind his hands, staring expressionlessly at the top of Nangong Mountain in the distance - more precisely, at the sincere flag planted on the top of the mountain.
With the help of "Decisive Battle", they finally survived yesterday.
This is certainly gratifying, but... what about today?
They used the trump card of "Decisive Battle against Yodo" yesterday, but they failed to completely defeat the Shinsengumi and only slowed down their attack speed.
Under the fierce attack of the Shinsengumi, they were forced to abandon the top of the mountain and retreat to the eastern foothills.
Looking back at yesterday's battle, it is not difficult to find that yesterday was the same as the day before! Both were originally good battles, but fell short because of someone's bravery!
The crucial "high wall" was lost the day before yesterday.
We even lost our formation yesterday!
The guys who captured these two places are the same person!
Thinking of this, Masujiro Omura couldn't help but lower his face, clenched his fists, and yelled in his heart full of resentment:
——Tachibana Aoden...you monster...!
As a newcomer who had just joined the Raiders, Masujiro Omura knew all about Aoto through word of mouth.
Before the war, he thought that "I already think highly of him" and simply classified Qingdeng as "a person who needs to be wary of".
It was only now, after intuitively feeling Qingdeng's terrifying combat power, that he realized belatedly that he was terribly wrong.
Tachibana Aoden is not "an object that needs to be guarded against", but "an object that requires the mobilization of a thousand or more troops to barely block him"!
To describe Qingdeng using terms such as "one horse can equal a thousand" and "bravely championing three armies" seems to be too light and inappropriate.
This kind of swordsman who can turn the tide of a battle on his own... is probably only rivaled by the "Eternal Sword Master" Ogata Ittosai from 70 years ago!
At this thought, Masujiro Omura unconsciously felt heavy in his heart.
Although he was frustrated, he quickly adjusted himself, took several deep breaths, managed to calm down, and continued to think about tactics and strategies.
In fact, the current battle situation is quite clear.
To put it bluntly: There is no way to retreat! The only option is to fight with your back against the enemy!
Without the west foothills, there is still the top of the mountain; without the top of the mountain, there is still the east foothills; but without the east foothills... then there is nothing!
If even the eastern foothills were lost, they would no longer have the dangerous terrain to rely on, and the huge Sekigahara would be completely owned by the Shinsengumi.
By then, the Shinsengumi's road to the east to aid Edo will no longer be blocked!
Either defend the eastern foothills or be completely defeated... In other words, today is the day of the real decisive battle!
The soldiers who took "Decisive Battle of Yodo" yesterday were unable to fight anymore due to the side effects today.
At most they could barely pick up their weapons, and some couldn't even stand up.
There is a serious shortage of troops...the only card left on hand is the geographical advantage that is better than nothing...
A clever woman cannot make a meal without rice. No matter how resourceful Omura Masujiro is, there is nothing he can do without soldiers and generals.
——Is this the end...
Just when Omura Masujiro was thinking secretly, an anxious shout suddenly came from behind him:
"Master Takasugi! Why are you up? Please go back to bed and rest!"
"Stop being so verbose and get out of the way."
Omura Masujiro turned around and happened to meet Takasugi Shinsaku's eyes.
Omura Masujiro was stunned on the spot as he saw Takasugi Shinsaku walking towards him with a staggering step.
"Mr. Takasugi, why are you here?"
After regaining consciousness, he stepped forward to meet him, and stretched out his hands to support Takasugi Shinsaku's shoulders.
I saw that his body was covered with linen, his face was as pale as paper, and his face was blue and red.
A duel with Niou without dying on the spot... very few people in the world have achieved such an achievement.
To be honest, after bidding farewell to Takasugi Shinsaku yesterday, Omura Masujiro was mentally prepared to "never see Takasugi Shinsaku again for the rest of his life."
Unexpectedly, the comrade who was thought to be dead actually came back alive... This was really an unexpected surprise.
At this time, Omura Masujiro was so shocked that his jaw almost dropped to the ground.
However, although he was not dead, the injuries he suffered were not light.
Even without a doctor's diagnosis, anyone with eyesight could see that his injuries were serious.
The last two "meat bomb strikes" Aoto used caused Takasugi Shinsaku to suffer considerable internal injuries, and his spine almost cracked.
Last night, the doctor repeatedly warned: You must rest! Don’t stand if you can sit, don’t sit if you can lie down, and never do strenuous exercise!
However... it was obvious that Takasugi Shinsaku completely turned a deaf ear to the doctor's advice.
Faced with Omura Masujiro's inquiry, he twitched his lips:
"I'm still alive. Since I'm still alive, I naturally have to continue fighting."
Hearing this, Omura Masujiro didn't say much. He only looked at the other party deeply and then silently looked away without saying a word. He did not utter any advice such as "Please go back and rest quickly".
Takasugi Shinsaku twisted slightly, shook off Omura Masujiro's support, raised his gaze, and looked at the top of Nangong Mountain.
"Mr. Omura, how are you? Has anything happened that deserves reporting? Is there any movement in the Shinsengumi?"
Omura Masujiro shook his head gently:
"No movement yet."
Takasugi Shinsaku pondered, and while thinking, he took out his telescope, opened the barrel, looked at the scenery on the top of the mountain, and observed the movements of the Shinsengumi.
Suddenly, a small piece of white matter whirled and fell lightly into his field of vision.
Takasugi Shinsaku raised his eyebrows, put down the telescope in his hand, and looked up at the sky.
Masujiro Omura on the side also raised his head, looked at the sky, and murmured:
"It's snowing..."
There were scattered snowflakes at first, and then they turned into heavy snowflakes in a blink of an eye.
There are more and more snowflakes, and they are rolled up into a mess, like a dense white net, covering the earth directly.
Looking at the snow and wind in the sky, Takasugi Shinsaku subconsciously put his hands into his arms - this is a habit that experienced martial artists have.
In cold weather, you need to pay special attention to keeping your palms warm to ensure that your palms will not freeze and you can draw your weapon at any time.
"Fighting in the snow... is quite interesting. It's a pity that I don't have my shamisen at hand, otherwise I really want to play a song in this wind and snow."
As soon as Takasugi Shinsaku's self-deprecating sigh came to an end, a strange shout suddenly came from the top of the mountain.
Shinsaku Takasugi and Masujiro Omura immediately raised their telescopes like a conditioned reflex and looked towards the top of the mountain.
Figures of people surged... The Shinsengumi team members wearing light green feathers worked together to erect a flag, which was erected next to the Chengji flag.
There is no family crest on this flag, and there is no other content. It only has eight characters -
There is the glory of death, but no shame of life.
…
…
Nangong Mountain, the top of the mountain, the Shinsengumi main formation——
Qingdeng stood upright on the edge of the cliff, holding a torch in his hand. While heating his palms with the torch, he looked at the Qi Corps camp in the distance.
At this time, Kondo rushed to his side and said quickly:
"All teams are ready."
Qingdeng nodded lightly:
"Well, thank you for your hard work."
After that, he threw the torch in his palm to his feet, then took off the water bottle from his waist, poured it on the torch, and extinguished the flames.
Just last night, Qingdeng summoned all captains and deputy captains who were still able to move and informed them of today's battle plan.
The main content of the plan can be summarized in one sentence: Attack! Attack! Attack again! Attack with all your strength! No matter what happens, no matter what situation arises, Nangong Mountain must be completely captured within half a day! Sekigahara must be captured
!
At this point, there is no need to distinguish between left and right, and there is no need to engage in any tactics.
Directly order the entire army to rush down like a mountain torrent and destroy the enemy camp! Completely defeat the surprise team!
Just when Qingteng was about to turn around and leave, the commander-in-chief's voice suddenly came from beside him:
"Qingden!"
Qingdeng was stunned, stopped, and followed the sound.
She saw the general secretary wearing a light green haori, holding the Jingguishen that Qingneng lent her in her right hand, and hurriedly walked towards Qingnian.
Ainoto had a clear order: the general, Shinpachi Nagakura, and Ichi Saito, who were injured in yesterday's battle, should all retreat to the rear to recuperate, and no objections would be allowed.
Before Qingteng could say, "Soji, why are you here? Go back and rest quickly." Souji smiled and threw the Dingguishen in his hand.
"then!"
Ding Guishen spun and flew into the air, drew a beautiful parabola, and landed impartially on Qingdeng's head, and was caught by Qingdeng in his hand.
The director-general put his hands on his hips and said with a smile:
"You must have a headache now that you don't have a good knife, right?"
"If you take an unmarked sword into battle again, the enemy may cut off the blade like yesterday and you may be in danger."
"Anyway, I can't go to the front line now, so I'll just give it back to you!"
After Qingdeng heard this, he lowered his head subconsciously and looked straight at the Dingguishen in his hand.
Holding the knife tightly for a long time, he felt the familiar touch and weight in his palm, and he couldn't help but feel a strong sense of nostalgia.
With a "clop" sound, he suddenly pushed the knife out of the scabbard, revealing the red copper tenon used to clamp the scabbard, and then pulled out the blade little by little, making a clanging sound.
Although the Ding Gui Shen is a unique sword, no matter how powerful the sword is, it is still a consumable.
After many hard battles, fierce battles, and bloody battles, the blade of Dingguishen has long been scarred.
If it hadn't been sent for repair regularly, it would have broken long ago.
It's just that grinding the blade is like peeling an onion, it gets thinner every time you sharpen it.
Sharpened again and again, sharpened again... Now, the blade is so thin that there is only a layer of iron left, and it cannot be further sharpened.
If it is seriously damaged again, even if you hire famous craftsmen from all over the world, you will not be able to repair it.
In other words, the "deadline" for determining ghosts and gods is approaching...
Qingden stared at the blade in his hand with mixed emotions, and then put it back into the sheath with force.
"Xiao Si, thank you!"
He turned his head and thanked the director with a smile.
"Go back and rest quickly. Recuperate in the rear and wait quietly for our news!"
Souji nodded vigorously "Yes", then turned his eyes and looked at Isamu Kondo next to Aoto:
"Brother Kondo, you have to fight hard!"
Isamu Kondo grinned:
"Whoa whoa!"
After bidding farewell to the general manager, the two of them walked down the cliff one after another.
Abruptly, Qingden said to Isamu Kondo behind him:
"Yong, give me the order - put up that flag!"
…
…
Except for the 7th, 9th, 10th, and 11th divisions, the soldiers of the other divisions all gathered in a flat open space not far from the top of the mountain.
There is glory in death, but there is no glory in life - looking at the flag standing on the top of the mountain, the soldiers all showed nervous expressions.
On the first day they joined the Shinsengumi, they learned the meaning of this flag.
After raising this flag, all soldiers in the army must be determined to die!
Either win or die!
Just when they were nervously waiting for the order to attack, someone shouted:
"Look! It's the lord!"
As soon as this statement came out, the whole place was in an uproar.
Everyone turned their heads and looked back - Qingdeng's figure suddenly appeared on the cliff behind the assembly area.
Qingden held the Dingguishen on his waist and looked down at each squadron.
Obviously he didn't do anything, he just showed his face, but it raised the atmosphere of the scene several degrees.
The team members all looked at Qingdeng with fanatical expressions, and their original nervousness turned into eagerness to try.
Qingdeng calmly looked around the audience and said:
"At this point, I have nothing else to say."
With the blessing of the talent "Cloud-Cracking Stone +3", his sonorous voice clearly reached everyone's ears.
"The only thing I want to say is: Defeat the enemy! Today, I will add the footnote to the history books that 'The Shinsengumi achieved complete victory in the Second Sekigahara Battle'!"
After finishing speaking, the mountains roared with thunder!
…
…
The cheers of the Shinsengumi continued for a long time.
Takasugi Shinsaku naturally knew what the banner "Glory in death, disgrace in life" meant.
"...Mr. Omura, I'll leave the rest to you."
As he spoke, he slowly pulled out Muramasa from his waist.
While drawing the knife, he took out a red pill from nowhere.
Omura Masujiro stared straight at this red pill...that is, "The Decisive Battle of Yodo", and sighed:
"Mr. Takasugi, do you really have to die?"
"Based on your current state, if you take another pill of 'Decisive Lake', you will definitely die!"
Takasugi Shinsaku smiled calmly:
"I am the only person in our army who can hope to hold back Tachibana Aoden."
"So, I have to go!"
"I am a patient suffering from a bloody cough."
"You have to die anyway, why not die in a more meaningful and valuable place."
"When I raised troops to garrison Guanyuan, I was already prepared to 'bury my bones in a foreign country and die in battle at Guanyuan.'"
"Just let me get what I want!"
Having said this, he paused and then changed into a serious and solemn tone:
"Omura-kun, after this battle, you should go to Katsura Kogoro and assist him wholeheartedly!"
"Although I'm a little reluctant, I have to admit that Guijun's talents are far better than mine."
"He is well versed in the 'art of communication' and the 'art of compromise.'"
"When it comes to running a country, he is far better than me."
Omura Masujiro listened quietly and nodded gently:
"...Yes, I understand."
Takasugi Shinsaku turned his head to the side, looked at Omura Masujiro, looked at each other, and smiled:
"Omura-kun, although we have not been together for a long time, I have really worked hard on you during these days."
Omura Masujiro said slowly:
"Both and each other. Mr. Takasugi, I enjoy assisting you during this time."
After leaving a brief farewell, Takasugi Shinsaku said no more, retracted his gaze, held Muramasa tightly in his palm, and strode forward.
Suddenly, Omura Masujiro behind him called to him:
"Mr. Takasugi!"
Takasugi Shinsaku stopped and turned to look at him.
"I wish you good luck in martial arts."
He said this word for word.
Takasugi Shinsaku responded with a calm smile and shook his fist at him.
Under the direct gaze of Omura Masujiro, Takasugi Shinsaku withdrew his eyes and clenched fists, continued to move forward, and disappeared in the snow in the blink of an eye.
…
…
"Kill ah ah ah ah!"
"Thieves! Go to hell!"
"The damned are dead!"
"Don't stop! No matter what, we must decide the winner today!"
…
Cries of death similar to this could be heard endlessly.
A bloody battle...a bloody battle in the true sense!
For both sides, today's battle is a decisive battle that neither retreats nor fails!
For this reason, the soldiers of the Shinsengumi and the Raid Team burst out with amazing power! Fearlessly, move forward bravely!
Qingden, as always, took the lead.
Holding his accustomed sword, he was able to maximize his strength!
Wherever the blade passes, everyone is invincible!
At this moment, Qingdeng's sight suddenly caught a familiar figure.
Pasha, pasha, pasha, pasha...
Takasugi Shinsaku stepped on the snow and appeared in front of him.
*******
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