Chapter 952 'Are you willing to follow me to death?'【4400】
"Mr. Otani, you..."
While Tenzouin stabilized Tokugawa Iemo's body, he looked at the male Tan Seiichiro in surprise.
Male Tan Seiichiro said calmly.
"The enemy's general has appeared, and there is no better opportunity than this."
When Tianzhangyuan heard this, he immediately understood what the other party meant, and his expression became solemn and solemn.
"In that case, I will hand over all my guards to you..."
Before she finished speaking, she was interrupted by the male Tan Seiichiro:
"No need."
"The enemy is very numerous, and our soldiers are in urgent need of rest and recuperation."
"Even if you hand over all the soldiers present to me, you can only play a 'better than nothing' role."
"It's better to let them retreat to Edo Castle with you."
"Furthermore...if the comrades around me cannot keep up with my movements, they will become an obstacle to me."
Speaking of this, Tan Seiichiro stopped for a moment.
After a while, he spoke again - with a hint of smile in his tone.
"This is something that only my boyfriend, Seiichiro Tanani, has the opportunity to do."
"I've had enough of the thieves' arrogance and...the weakness of the sword."
"So, Your Highness, please let me go out into battle."
After saying that, he clenched the sword in his hand.
The sharp blade reflects a chilling light.
"..."
Tianzhangyuan said nothing and looked at each other with complicated eyes.
Admiration, regret, sadness... countless emotions flowed in his eyes.
It wasn't until a while later that she slowly withdrew her gaze and whispered:
"……I see."
She put one of Tokugawa Iemo's arms on her shoulders and turned back.
"Mr. Otani, I wish you good luck in martial arts."
Male Tan Seiichiro curved his lips:
"Your Highness, I hope the eight million gods will look down on you."
On the other side, Elodie put Kondo Shusuke's left arm on her body.
"Mr. Kondo, please come with me!"
She took a deep breath, gathered strength in her waist, and stood up with all her strength.
Although Kondo Shusuke is an old man, he is not light at all.
Moreover, Elodie is too petite, a full head shorter than Shusuke Kondo.
Even if she managed to stand upright, she could not completely lift the old man up, and his legs would always be dragged to the ground.
In this way, it's not like supporting an old man, but more like dragging him.
However, the current situation is urgent and there is no need to worry about so much.
She gritted her teeth and prepared to lead Shusuke Kondo to retreat to the rear.
Unexpectedly, she had just taken a few steps when Kondo Shusuke threw her arm away, got rid of her support, and then staggered to his feet.
"Elodie...no need..."
He grinned and showed a magnanimous smile.
"My back hurts... my internal organs feel like they are burning... I can't walk..."
"Elody... please leave quickly with His Highness Tianzhangyuan..."
"I... want to stay."
At the end of his words, his tone suddenly became firm and full of unquestionable meaning.
Elodie was stunned, her eyes were wide open, her expression was dominated by strong shock and confusion, her lips were trembling uncontrollably, and her words became stammered.
"Mr. Kondo, what are you talking about..."
Before Elodie could finish speaking, Kondo Shusuke made a gesture to signal her to be quiet.
"Elodie, there are only two things that people can pursue in life."
"The first is to live comfortably."
"The second is to die well."
"As early as when I married Abi as my wife and adopted Yong as my adopted son, I had already achieved the former."
"Only the latter...the 'moment' that made me feel like it was it, never came."
"And now, I feel...this 'moment' has arrived."
"So, Elodie, now that things have come to this, there is no need to persuade me to take away what I want in my life."
"Let us say goodbye gracefully."
"This is more in line with my style."
"There is no need for too many words between swordsmen."
After finishing speaking, Kondo Shusuke stood up straight again and held the Erwang Seishi tightly in his palm.
In an instant, that awe-inspiring look climbed onto his cheek again, as if all the pain had left him.
After hearing what he said, Elodie's cheeks were filled with unpretentious sadness.
She opened her mouth, as if she wanted to say something to stop Kondo Shusuke.
However, there was a force driving her to press her lips together.
She is considered a swordsman, so she knows very well that the power that silences her is called "the dignity of a swordsman".
She is the head of the Shinsengumi and lives in an environment surrounded by swordsmen.
Under the influence of her ears and eyes, she understood a truth: for swordsmen who "live by the sword and die by the sword", death is not a terrible thing.
In the end...just like Tenzouin and Tan Seiichiro just now, Elodie said nothing.
She turned around silently and crossed arms with Shusuke Kondo.
After changing her body, she slowly stopped her steps, as if hiding her face, and asked without looking back:
"...Mr. Kondo, is there anything you want me to bring?"
Kondo Shusuke smiled slightly:
"Please help me tell A Bi: 'It is because of your company that I am what I am today.'"
"Tell Yong again: 'Always remember your original intention and always hold the sword in your hand.'"
"Finally... tell Qingdeng, Xiaosi, Suisan, and Shinpachi, 'I have always regarded you as my children. I love you.'"
Elodie nodded stiffly.
"I see……"
After saying this, she stopped staying and just let her feet that were stuck to the ground leave the ground and caught up with Tianzhang Courtyard.
The damage to the Watura Gate was even worse than that of the Koryomon Gate, and the Akasaka Gate Gate was reduced to a dilapidated ruin.
There is no doubt that this place is a dead place that cannot be stayed for long.
Under such circumstances, Tenjoin and Elodie could only lead the remaining soldiers to retreat to the last line of defense-Edo Castle!
"Quick! Everyone move!"
"Bring all the wounded!"
"Huh? Why don't Mr. Kondo leave?"
"Don't ask any more questions! Follow me quickly!"
The soldiers moved to the rear in an orderly manner and retreated into Edo Castle.
Soon, there were only three old men left at the scene - Seiichiro Tanani, Shusuke Kondo and Kiyone Kubota who stayed behind voluntarily.
Kubota Kiyone's right leg was broken by a stone and he lost the ability to move.
Having said that, if he wanted to, he could have let the soldiers carry him away.
In fact, Tianzhang Academy did send several guards and ordered them to support Kubota Qingyin.
However, he declined Tianzhang Academy's kindness.
"Don't worry about me, just go away and let me stay here."
In this way, Kubota Kiyone became the third person after the male Seiichiro Tanani and Kondo Shusuke to voluntarily stay at the rear.
The footsteps of Elodie and others slowly faded away.
The footsteps of enemy soldiers gradually approached.
The enemy is facing a formidable enemy, but the expressions of the three old men are very relaxed.
It seemed as if what they faced next was not a bloody battle to the death, but a pleasant picnic.
Kubota let out a long breath with a clear sound, then spread his arms, lying in a "big" shape, and looked at the sky.
"'His thigh was broken by a stone, and he collapsed on the ground like a dead dog'... I really don't want future generations of history secretaries to have such a bad experience..."
The male Tan Seiichiro turned his head and looked at Kubota Kiyone with a puzzled look on his face.
"Qingyin, why don't you leave?"
Kubota Qingyin raised the corners of his mouth, half-smiling but not smiling:
"Seiichiro, since the 'Black Ship Incident', I have been very tired every day."
"Big ships and big guns make all my life's learning a joke."
"I'm not as enlightened as Yakuro Saito."
"Because I don't want to admit that the martial arts and military arts I have mastered are all obsolete, so I have been trying my best to avoid contact with advanced Western knowledge."
"At this point, my 'self-deception' has reached its limit..."
"The explosion just now made me more aware of the changes of the times."
"A few bombs can make us swordsmen disgraced."
"I'm tired, that's it."
"There is no place for me in the new era."
"At this difficult time, I feel that my body and mind have no ability to serve."
"Instead of living in a corpse position, how about taking advantage of the three inches of energy under the nose to make some useful contribution as much as possible."
After saying that, he put his hands on the ground, struggled to support his upper body, and then reached out to grab the bow beside him.
"Seiichiro, let me help you."
After listening to this, the male Tan Seiichiro burst into laughter.
The two old partners looked at each other, then turned their heads at the same time in perfect agreement, looking at the approaching enemy group ahead.
Kiyone Kubota asked while wiping the bow in his hand:
"The enemy is almost here, Seiichiro, do you have any clever ideas?"
Male Tan Seiichiro smiled:
"Do you know the allusion of 'Sanada Nobunshige seeks Tokugawa Ieyasu'?"
Sanada Nobushige - the famous "Japan's number one soldier" Sanada Yukimura.
In the 20th year of Keicho (1615), Tokugawa Ieyasu launched the Osaka Summer Formation and personally led his army in a final decisive battle with the Toyotomi Army.
The Toyotomi army did not lack famous generals.
The "Osaka Seven Generals" headed by Sanada Yukimura frightened the Tokugawa Army.
However, no matter how brave the generals of the Toyotomi army fought, it was difficult to overcome the disparity in national power.
In order to save the building from collapse, Sanada Yukimura decided to make a last-ditch effort - charge straight to the Tokugawa army's main line! Behead Tokugawa Ieyasu!
He personally risked the target and took the lead. After a bloody battle, he finally broke into the Tokugawa army's main line.
However, Tokugawa Ieyasu is a cunning old tanuki.
Seeing that Sanada Yukimura was about to kill him, he lowered his flag and retreated 12 kilometers.
When Sanada Yukimura couldn't find Tokugawa Ieyasu, he broke into the Tokugawa army's main formation as many as seven times. He lost almost all his troops and was seriously injured himself. Finally, he had to retreat to the nearby Anju Shrine.
The enemy army surrounded the Anju Shrine. The enemy general Nishio Munekei entered the shrine and cut off the head of Sanada Yukimura. A famous general died in the battle.
Although Sanada Yukimura's last attempt failed, his feat of charging straight into the enemy's main line was undoubtedly the most shining scene in this battle!
According to legend, after learning that Sanada Yukimura was about to break into the main formation, Tokugawa Ieyasu was so frightened that he urinated and ran away. At one point, he pulled out a knife and wanted to commit seppuku.
Of course, this is probably made up by people who hate Tokugawa Ieyasu.
Tokugawa Ieyasu was a battle-hardened veteran who was used to seeing strong winds and waves, and being near death was just a common occurrence. How could he be so frightened that he committed seppuku over such a trivial matter?
In short, no matter what, Sanada Yukimura's bravery shocked both the enemy and us! Therefore, he won the exclusive title that has been passed down to this day: "Japan's No. 1 Soldier"!
Kubota Kiyone raised her eyebrows and put on a helpless tone:
"So, what you're saying is that you don't have any tricks up your sleeve, and you just want to imitate Nobushige Sanada back then and charge the enemy head-on?"
"Yes, that's exactly it."
After saying that, the male Tan Seiichiro moved his neck and shoulders vigorously, making a tooth-breaking sound of "click", "click".
Then, he turned to look at Shusuke Kondo beside him.
"I'm sorry, I haven't asked your name yet. I am Naoshikageru, Otani Seiichiro."
Kondo Shusuke smiled calmly:
"I am the third generation head of the Rishin-ryu clan, Shusuke Kondo."
Otani Seiichiro looked surprised:
"So you are Shusuke Kondo, a name I have admired for a long time."
"No, I have admired his name for a long time. Mr. Otani, you were also one of my idols when I was young. I didn't expect that I would be able to fight side by side with the famous 'Sword Master'. I am truly lucky."
"Mr. Kondo, you are serious. Now that things have happened, don't talk about this kind of status. At this moment, there is no 'Sword Master' here, and there is no distinction between top and bottom. There are only two people who want to use the sword in their palms to its final power.
Swordsman of light and heat."
After finishing speaking, the male Tan Seiichiro raised his gaze and looked at the dense enemy group ahead.
"Mr. Kondo, are you willing to follow me to death?"
He said throwing away the scabbard at his waist.
Kondo Shusuke took half a step forward and stood next to the male Tan Seiichiro. The two stood side by side, and then he also threw away the scabbard on his waist.
"I'm so happy!"
The male Tan Seiichiro held his head high and his chest high, his eyes as bright as a torch.
"Okay! Then hold on to your knife and let's go!"
The next moment, the two old men stepped forward at the same time and rushed out.
Suddenly, wisps of breeze blew from behind them. The breeze picked up sparks and light spots, giving the wind a shape, like a swimming dragon!
…
…
At this moment, everyone in the French-Child Alliance—including Shuten Doji—all felt relaxed.
They all feel that the overall situation has been decided.
The batch of bombs they had just used to blow up the Watura Gate were their only remaining stocks.
The cost of making these bombs is not cheap.
The power is enough to blow down the city gate... you can imagine how much gunpowder is stuffed inside.
Although the cost is staggering, judging from the results, such a price is not unacceptable.
Akasaka Gate was completely captured, and the defenders had to retreat to Edo Castle.
A large hole was torn out in the "Sansokumitsuke", and the last obstacle to the attack on Edo Castle was completely removed - this remarkable result made Shuten Doji breathe a sigh of relief and smile.
It would be great if Tokugawa Iemo could die in the explosion just now.
Just when Shuten-douji was leading the remaining troops at hand, marching boldly towards the collapsed Akasaka Imperial Gate...he suddenly saw two figures.
The two old men climbed over the ruins of Akasaka Gate and passed through the dust and smoke that had not yet dissipated. They were like two sharp arrows... No! Like two cannonballs, they shot straight towards them!
Immediately afterwards, the two old men exuded an invisible aura, rolling like waves, and then swept the entire audience instantly!
Katsura Kogoro's expression suddenly changed.
The expressions of Su Nuo, Master Haibo and others were also not good-looking.
Even Shuten Doji couldn't help but frown.
After a brief shock, Katsura Kogoro murmured to himself:
"What a strong 'power'...!"
Shuten Dozi recognized one of them and said in a deep voice:
"I'm really afraid of what's going to happen... cheer me up! The 'Sword Master' is out! The Musketeers are coming forward!"
His instructions were passed on quickly.
A musketeer trotted forward and lined up in two neat rows, one row kneeling and the other standing.
Shuten Doji waved his big hand:
"Fire!"
With a sound like exploding beans, the barrage roared out and crashed into the two old men.
Otani Seiichiro raised the blade of the sword, and Kondo Shusuke raised the tip of the sword - a "silver net" composed of countless sword lights tightly covered them, blocking all approaching bullets and knocking them down!
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PS: Leopard is weak... Today's Leopard is very weak... It's an old problem again, poor sleep state... I really can't write... (Leopard's head in tears.jpg)