The wind howled fiercely!
Heavy snowflakes were flying, and the sky and earth rged into one color.
Visibility was blocked by the snow, and everything around disappeared into a vast expanse of white snow curtain.
Kurosawa Chuzaburo threw away his revolver, which had run out of bullets, and drew the tachi from his waist.
"Celestial Punishnt—!" Kurosawa Chuzaburo shouted and then led the charge onto the battlefield!
"Aaaahhhh—!" Arimura Jisaburo seed to be expelling all the fear and tension accumulated in his chest in one breath. While shouting loudly, he also drew his sword, following closely behind Kurosawa Chuzaburo.
All the patriots on the left and right wings started moving.
mbers of the right wing who had been sitting around the tea stand, posing as country samurai, threw down their teacups and drew their swords from their waists, joining the battle.
"Celestial Punishnt! Celestial Punishnt!"
"Exterminate the national traitors!"
"Kill them aaaahhhh—!"
...
The owner of the tea stand and the girl working there lost all color in their faces from the terrifying change before their eyes. They didn’t bother packing up and hurriedly fled from the battlefield, which had turned into a carnage mill.
Because of the heavy snowfall, all the guards of the Ii family had tied scabbard sleeves to the hilts and covered the scabbards with oil paper sheaths, taking stringent precautions against the snow. If the ropes on the scabbard sleeves weren’t untied, the swords couldn’t be drawn.
Many were hurriedly trying to untie the scabbard sleeves and were confusedly cut down by the patriots in a flurry.
So guards, anxious, simply didn’t untie the scabbard sleeves. Instead, they drew the swords, scabbards and all, using them as clubs.
The vice captain, Kawasakizaneemon, stationed by the palanquin, was anxiously untying the sleeves of the dual swords on his waist while shouting sternly at the palanquin bearers, "Take the lord back to the residence quickly!"
Shouts and screams shook the heavens, with blood splashes and broken limbs scattering and flying.
The patriots launched a frenzied assault, slashing down all the Ii Guards standing in their way.
Koiyama Influential Person, Liantian Shigoro, and others responsible for rear support witnessed the death battle intensifying, feeling their blood boil.
Koiyama Influential Person threw away the oil paper umbrella in his hand, tore off his feathered robe, drew his sword, and joined the battle.
"Celestial Punishnt!" Koiyama Influential Person hacked the back of a guard who was tangling with his companion from behind.
However, just after he cut down an Ii Guard, his forehead was inadvertently attacked by soone beside him, resulting in a deep gash.
(Once the battle begins, just keep going forward. Head boldly in the direction of Ii Naosuke’s palanquin.)
The words Kurosawa Chuzaburo had said to him suddenly flashed in Arimura Jisaburo’s mind at this mont.
"Uwaaahhhh—!" Master of the Jigen Style, Arimura Jisaburo, let out the iconic "Monkey Call" of the Jigen Style while executing a downward slash, shattering the head of a guard blocking his way.
—Forward...
After breaking through the guard of two individuals, Arimura Jisaburo felt sothing chop at his left shoulder.
Even though he’d been hit, strangely, he felt no pain.
The tension and fear that had been troubling him seed to completely disappear once the battle began.
At this mont, there’s only one thought in his mind.
Head boldly in the direction of Ii Naosuke’s palanquin.
Forward!
Arimura Jisaburo turned back with a slash, cutting down another guard blocking his way.
—Forward...!
With the montum of a storm, he charged forward, sword flashing, killing one gauntlet! Then flashing again, killing again! Blood instantly dyed his sword and clothes red.
A splash of hot blood splashed into Arimura Jisaburo’s left eye, but he didn’t have hands free to wipe it away, continuing to fight with only his right eye.
—Forward!
A guard cut Arimura Jisaburo’s right cheek.
Feeling no pain, Arimura Jisaburo let blood gurgle down from the cut on his right cheek, flipping his sword to cut down the guard who had injured his face.
—Forward!!!
Gathering all his strength and charging forward relentlessly, Arimura Jisaburo suddenly realized: he had pushed deep into the Ii Formation sowhere.
Ii Naosuke’s palanquin... was only 3 ters away from him!
As the vice captain, Kawasakizawa Chosamon, a Dual Swordsmanship expert, stood like a door god, firmly guarding the palanquin behind him with dual swords in hand.
Most of the palanquin bearers had either been killed or fled, leaving the palanquin lying on the snowy ground.
The first to break through the defenses, attacking near the palanquin, was the right-wing’s Inada Shigetaka.
Inada Shigetaka swung his sword towards Kawasakizawa Chosamon, but his slash was parried by Kawasakizawa Chosamon’s wakizashi in his left hand. After controlling Inada Shigetaka’s sword, Kawasakizawa Chosamon swung his tachi in his right hand, striking Inada Shigetaka’s vital point.
Inada Shigetaka staggered for a few monts, then tilted backwards, falling to the ground, lifeless.
To beco the Deputy Captain of the Ii Guard Team, Kawasakizawa Chosamon’s swordsmanship was naturally exceptional.
However... the patriots did not lack experts skilled in swordsmanship.
The second to break through the defense, reaching the palanquin, was Hirooka Sonosuke.
His sword traced a fierce arc, approaching Kawasakizawa Chosamon’s neck, while Kawasakizawa Chosamon raised his sword to intercept.
At this point, Arimura Jisaburo arrived!
He seized the gap, advancing while Kawasakizawa Chosamon was entangled with Hirooka Sonosuke, aiming for Kawasakizawa Chosamon’s vital spot.
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