Chapter 941 The "Last" Of "Demon's Vice-Captain" Hijikata Toshizo [Leopard Update 7K2]

Hijikata Toshisan's words were not finished yet:

"In Tama Hino, there is a man named 'Hikoro Sato'. He is my brother-in-law and he is very famous in the local area. You can find his address by asking around."

"This is a difficult task, please."

Ichimura Tetsunosuke stared blankly at the photo and hair Hijikata Toizo handed over.

"Mr. Hijikata, you, you are..."

He stammered and couldn't calm down for a long time.

While he was still in a daze, Hijikata Toizan smiled slightly - he rarely showed such a gentle smile.

"Tetsunosuke, thank you for always helping me. Choosing you as my nickname was indeed the right choice. Thank you for your hard work."

Since being adopted as a nickname by Hijikata Toizan, Tetsunosuke Ichimura's intelligence and ability have been obvious to all.

He managed Toshizo Hijikata's daily life in an orderly manner, allowing Toshizo Hijikata to focus on official duties.

After following Hijikata Toizo to Hachioji, his performance still did not disappoint anyone.

Because he was too young, Hijikata Toshizo was not allowed to go to the front line.

So, he did everything he could in the rear.

Heating hot water, carrying the wounded, delivering weapons and ammunition... Even the pickiest and most ruthless person cannot deny his diligence and contribution.

At this moment, Tetsunosuke Ichimura finally reacted:

"Mr. Hijikata! Please take back your order!"

He said, kneeling on the ground with a sincere look on his face.

"I won't leave! Please let me stay! I want to fight with you until the last moment!"

The front is unsustainable... Everyone knows that today is the "last day".

Obviously, Hijikata Toshizo's move was to give Ichimura Tetsunosuke a way out.

You say you are asking him to deliver something, but you are actually asking him to escape from the battlefield.

"Don't be stupid, you won't do anything if you stay here."

"Even so, I want to stay and fight! I can swing a sword! I can fight!"

Hijikata Toshizo's tone gradually became colder:

"Article 1 of the Shinsengumi Code: All actions must be followed as directed. Those who disobey orders will be executed."

After saying that, he raised his left hand and pressed the sheath of Izumi Mamoru Kanesada on his left waist. He pushed his thumb forward against the blade, and a "click" sound revealed the red copper tenon holding the scabbard.

Looking at the unsheathed Izumi Mamoru Kanesada, a flash of fear flashed in Tetsunosuke Ichimura's eyes.

But despite this, he still refused to give in:

"Mr. Hijikata, please... let me stay. As a noble samurai, how can I run away..."

"This is not an escape, you are just following my orders."

"But...but..."

"Tetsunosuke, you have more tasks than just delivering things to me."

Hearing this, Ichimura Tetsunosuke subconsciously raised his confused gaze.

Hijikata Toshizo continued in a calm tone:

"In order to save the folks in Edo, we stood here for five full days and nights, intimidating the enemy and ourselves."

"We cannot let this tragic battle be buried."

"How a Thousand People Unite to Fight in Hachioji."

"How did Hijikata Touzo, the 'Deputy Chief of Demons', Shimada Kui, the First Division Vice Captain, Elodie Angouleme, the Shinsengumi Chief, and the rest of them, gallop on the battlefield?"

"I hope you can spread these stories and make them known to the world."

"With such an important responsibility, who else can I entrust to you besides you?"

Hijikata Toshizo's tone was sonorous and powerful, full of unquestionable meaning.

Ichimura Tetsunosuke's eyes gradually became moist.

He opened his mouth and seemed to have something to say.

But facing Hijikata Toshizo's firm gaze, he couldn't say anything.

In the end... he bit his lips, lowered his head, and nodded vigorously while choking.

"Yes...I...I understand..."

Looking at Tetsunosuke Ichimura who finally nodded in agreement, that gentle smile once again hung on Hijikata Toshizo's cheek.

"Let's set out quickly before the bandits attack."

He said and handed over the photo and hair in his hand again.

Ichimura Tetsunosuke wiped away his tears, stretched out his hands, took it respectfully, then stood up and bowed solemnly to Hijikata Toshizo.

When he turned around and left the bullet shelter and walked to the entrance of the cave, he suddenly stopped, turned his head, and looked at Hijikata Toshizo reluctantly.

Hijikata Toshizo nodded at him:

"Tie Zhizhi, have a safe journey."

He bit his lip again and pretended to be free and easy:

"Mr. Hijikata, I wish you good luck in martial arts."

After saying that, he bowed deeply again... After doing all this, he turned back his gaze, lifted his feet that were stuck to the ground, and left quickly.

Hijikata Toshizo silently watched Ichimura Tetsunosuke's back.

It wasn't until the sound of his footsteps faded away that he slowly looked back.

"..."

He stared straight into the void in front of him and remained silent, not knowing what he was thinking.

After a moment, he chuckled lightly, the corners of his mouth raised slightly, and there was a hint of relief in his smile.

At this time, Kui Shimada shouted from outside the cave:

"Deputy Chief! Vice Chief!"

After a while, Shimada Kui rushed into the cave, followed closely by Elodie.

Just like Hijikata Toshizo, the fierce battles for days left them looking very embarrassed and covered in blood.

Even the luster of Elodie's beautiful blond hair had become much duller.

However, one thing about them has never changed: the fighting spirit in their eyes has never faded!

Kuiyan Shimada summarizes the report in a concise and comprehensive manner:

"Deputy Commander! The thieves are attacking!"

Hijikata Toshizo nodded lightly:

"Well, I understand."

He said and stood up calmly.

At this time, he seemed to remember something and turned to look at Elodie aside.

"Elody, although it would be too unwise to ask this question now, I still want to confirm with you: Do you really want to fight with us to the end?"

Elodie tilted her head and smiled:

"If I escape from the battlefield, I will bring shame on my status as 'Nioh's disciple'."

After saying that, she specially raised the Yamato Shou'an in her hand.

Seeing this, Hijikata Shizo looked at him with respect and conviction.

The next moment, with a "choking" sound, he suddenly pulled out the Izumi Mamoru Kanesada from his waist and shook off the long windbreaker on his body:

"Let's go and engrave our bravery in the history books of the future!"

…

…

The French-Qich coalition, our formation——

Shuten Doji stood with his hands behind his hands, looking at the distant position where thousands of people were united.

Abruptly, he murmured:

"It's amazing that they were able to block us for five days... I admire them, I admire them. I underestimated them."

Regarding Thousands of People Together, although the generals of the French and French coalition forces cannot be said to look down upon them, they do not feel that they are a major threat.

It is true that Toshizo Hijikata is a talented person with great influence in the world, but what can he achieve by himself?

Everyone, including Shuten Doji and Katsura Kogoro, all judged optimistically: It only takes three days at most to break through the defense line of thousands of people! Take down the Eighth Prince!

Unexpectedly...Hijikata Toshizo and the thousands of soldiers with the same heart actually used their iron will to hold them off for five days!

For such achievements, for the tenacious will of thousands of people working together, and for Hijikata Tobizo's excellent command, even if he is as proud as a drunken boy, he has to give extremely high praise.

As soon as Shuten Doji finished speaking, Katsura Kogoro standing next to him said calmly:

"It's really admirable that Hijikata Tobizo is united with thousands of people. What a pity...that's the end of it."

Shuten Doji nodded slightly in agreement:

"Yeah, that's it."

In front of their sight, they saw a huge number of soldiers rushing towards the position of a thousand people like a tide.

The "last day" of the Hachioji offensive and defensive battle begins!

…

…

"Ula! Kill them all!" (Russian)

"Fight them!"

"They can't hold it anymore! Come on! Come on!" (Russian)

"No matter what, you're going to die! Get a few more people to back you up!"

…

Along with the roars and screams, colorful blood splashed and fell repeatedly.

The blade cuts through flesh and blood.

Bullets penetrate life.

The opponent of thousands of people with one heart is not only the French and Qi coalition forces in front of them, but also the fatigue accumulated in the body.

Their blades are full of gaps.

Their clothes were in tatters and tatters.

Their legs were as heavy as lead.

Their spirits are close to their limits.

Their bodies are scarred.

But despite this, they still refused to give in even half a step and allowed the brutal decisive battle to continue!

The soldiers here chopped off the heads of the Russian soldiers.

The Russian soldiers there shot through the bodies of the soldiers.

The soldiers here pulled the triggers in unison, disrupting the formation of the surprise team.

The team of surprise troops there worked together to trap the soldiers in action and pierce their bodies with bayonets.

The so-called "tragic" is nothing less than that.

Now, for the thousands of soldiers with one heart and one mind, the battle before them is no longer limited to "abide by the agreement made by our ancestors to guard the Eighth Prince from generation to generation."

Thousands of soldiers working together are all villagers who live in the same village and are related to each other.

In other words, they are basically "father and son soldiers", "brother soldiers" and "brother-in-law soldiers".

In the past five days, too many of their relatives and friends have been killed by the enemy.

In order to avenge their relatives and friends, and to fight for a breath, they voluntarily transformed into Shura!

Never mind Edo, never mind the ancestral agreement! Let’s kill him first and then talk about it!

However... spiritual strength cannot make up for material weakness.

The five-day fierce battle caused the strength of both sides to wax and wane.

The huge gap in training level caused thousands of people to be exhausted, but the French-Qi coalition forces were still able to handle it with ease.

Under the pressure of the French and Qi coalition forces, the soldiers of thousands of people retreated steadily.

The current war situation has become irreversible...

At this moment, amidst the deafening shouts of killing, in a corner of the battlefield, an eye-catching scene happened.

A young man who was only in his early twenties at most faced a group attack of more than twenty members of the Rangers alone.

All his companions died in the battle, and he could only face the enemy alone.

He held the knife tightly in his palm, with a look of fear on his face, and his hands shook violently, as if he were holding a live fish, but he still held the knife very hard.

The enemy soldiers on the opposite side, that is, the soldiers of the surprise team, slowly narrowed the encirclement circle, with a comfortable gait, not paying attention to the young man at all, as if they were a cat playing with a mouse.

"Go! Kill him!"

Following the commander's order, the enemy soldiers swarmed forward, preparing to take the young man's life.

The young man gritted his teeth, a fierce look flashed in his eyes, his hands stopped shaking, and he was determined to find someone to support him.

Suddenly, a tall figure burst into this place from the thorn!

He stood in front of the young man, stretched out his arms, and waved the sharp blade in his hand.

One flash, another flash, and three flashes.

The white blade flashed three times in the air, and every time it flashed, one or more enemy soldiers were chopped to the ground.

In a blink of an eye, this rough encirclement was immediately opened! Those who were lucky enough not to be swept by the cold light retreated quickly, opened up their distance, and looked at the black-clothed man who suddenly killed them with fear on their faces.

While shaking off the blood stains on the blade, Hijikata Toshizo said to the young man behind him without looking back:

"You go to support other places, leave this to me."

Looking at Hijikata Toshizo's back, looking at the man who saved him from danger, the young man's expression was dominated by strong excitement and excitement.

He did not disobey Hijikata Toshizo's order, but nodded obediently and turned away.

At this moment, the enemy soldiers in front of him spontaneously formed a fan-shaped formation and confronted him as if they were facing a great enemy.

Hijikata Toshizo rolled his eyes, and his wolf-like eyes swept around, calculating the position of each enemy soldier.

Wherever his sight swept, the enemy soldiers felt as if they were falling into an ice cave, and a strong sense of uneasiness rose in their hearts.

The commander stared at Hijikata Toshizo with a panic, and hurriedly pulled out the sword at his waist and held it in front of him, as if this would give him enough sense of security.

He stammered:

"Who are you?!"

Hijikata Toshizo slowly raised Izumi no Kami Kanesada in his hand and said calmly:

"Vice-captain of the Shinsengumi, Hijikata Toshizo."

As soon as these words came out, the atmosphere on the scene suddenly changed.

The enemy soldiers all changed their faces and subconsciously stepped back a few steps. The fan-shaped formation became messy and unstable.

A correct version in 16-9-1 book-1 bar!

Hijikata Toshizo seized this opportunity and leaped out like a tiger! Leaped into the middle of the enemy group!

He slashed the first person's chest with a diagonal knife, then slid forward and broke into the deeper part of the enemy group, further disrupting the enemy formation.

At the same time, two flashes of sword light were left behind him, and the bodies of the second and third people shook a few times before falling to the ground with a bang.

He pulled the sword back to his hand, and this "retracting the blade" action was also an attack move, sweeping across the neck of the fourth person, and a terrifying column of blood spurted out of the wound.

Izumi no Kami Kanesada is worthy of being a great master! He can cut iron like mud!

Those who are swept by his sharp blade will either die or be injured!

In a few seconds, the feet of Hijikata Toshizo were full of dead bodies.

After he cut down the 11th person, the morale and order of the enemy soldiers completely collapsed.

The survivors did not dare to challenge this man with the name of "ghost" again, and they fled in fear, fearing that they would fall behind others, and only blamed their parents for not giving them an extra pair of wings.

Hijikata Toshizo did not chase them, but let them escape - he wanted to save the little physical strength he had left to support various battlefields.

"Hoo...! Hoo...! Hoo...! Hoo...!"

He panted heavily, greedily swallowed oxygen, adjusted his breath, and wiped his sweaty face.

Since the Fachi coalition launched the general attack, he has been playing the role of "fire captain", running back and forth on the huge battlefield.

Where there are many enemies and where reinforcements are urgently needed, he will go there to help.

Even if he knows that he will lose, he is unwilling to give up.

All he can do now is to try his best, which is likely to delay the process of defeat.

He raised his eyes and looked around.

There are enemy soldiers everywhere, death everywhere, and the defeat in urgent need of support everywhere...These scenes are despairing just by looking at them.

Even if Hijikata Toshizo is divided into ten parts, he can't save him.

It is worth mentioning that Shimada Kai and Elodie are not far away.

Like Hijikata Toshizo, the two of them are also wielding their blades indomitably and fighting the enemy without hesitation!

Shimada Kai is a veteran, a master of swordsmanship, and the vice-captain of the first squad. Apart from Hijikata Toshizo, he has killed the most enemies.

As for Elodie, her performance in the past few days is amazing, and she doesn't look like a rookie on the battlefield at all.

Brave, decisive... people can't help but praise her: she is worthy of being the apprentice of Tachibana Aoto!

Whenever she takes up her sword and goes into battle, whenever her heroic figure appears in the eyes of the soldiers, it will greatly inspire the morale of the soldiers: even this half-grown girl is fighting in the battlefield, what reason do we have to retreat?

Although his own breath has not yet completely stabilized, the current situation is urgent, so he has no choice but to rest slowly.

Just as Hijikata Toshizo was about to hold Izumi-no-kami Kanesada in his hand again and prepare to continue fighting, a loud shout rang out from in front of him:

"Found it! It's Hijikata Toshizo, the vice-chief of the Shinsengumi!"

"Quick! Kill him! Mr. Katsura said that whoever takes his head will be rewarded with 5,000 taels!"

"It's this guy in the black trench coat! The boss said that if you kill him, you can get a reward that you can't spend in your lifetime!" (Russian)

"Hurrah! He's mine!" (Russian)

"Get out of the way! This reward belongs to me!" (Russian)

A large group of enemy soldiers - about 20 or 30 people - rushed towards Hijikata Toshizo.

A huge reward will always bring brave men... A huge amount of money is enough to turn humans into greedy and fearless beasts.

Hijikata Toshizo didn't understand Russian.

However, he heard the word "5,000 taels of gold" clearly.

In the Edo period, 5,000 taels of gold was an absolute huge sum of money!

As long as they don't squander it, this money can support a family to live a carefree life.

Looking at this group of aggressive enemy soldiers, Hijikata Toshizo pulled the corner of his mouth and mocked mercilessly:

"Five thousand taels of gold? Isn't that too much of an insult to Hijikata Toshizo?"

After saying that, he fearlessly raised the Izumi-no-kami Kanesada in his hand and got ready.

If he was in his prime and the enemy was only equipped with cold weapons, then he would not be afraid of just 20 or 30 people.

However... at this moment, after a series of fierce battles, his physical strength has reached the bottom, his lungs are slightly swollen, and the muscles of his limbs are groaning.

In this state, to fight against the enemy group with a mixture of cold and hot weapons... it is not difficult to imagine how difficult this battle is.

Hijikata Toshizo no longer has time to think so much.

In a flash, nearly ten musketeers stepped forward and squatted, holding their flintlocks steady, and aimed at Hijikata Toshizo in unison.

Hijikata Toshizo saw this and rolled to the left.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

All the bullets hit the place where he was standing just now.

While the musketeers had run out of bullets and had not yet had time to reload, Hijikata Toshizo took the initiative and rushed towards the enemy group.

"Be careful! He's going to your side!"

"Stop him! Stop him!"

"Uh ah ah ah ah ah!"

Hijikata Toshizo launched a storm-like attack, and the knife in his palm cut out cold silver light in the air, and the enemies fell to the left and right one by one.

He knocked down ten enemy soldiers effortlessly.

I don't know if the eleventh person is good at hand-to-hand combat or what, but he threw away the katana in his hand, opened his arms like a bear, and rushed forward.

Hijikata Toshizo would not give this guy a chance to get close.

He took a half step back calmly, slightly opened the distance, and the knife in his hand hit the opponent's neck like lightning.

The feeling of the cut was very strong.

The opponent's head and body were only connected to half of the neck.

With such a serious injury, the remaining life of this person can only be measured in seconds.

Unexpectedly... he actually relied on his last breath, and the momentum of the forward rush did not decrease. He threw himself on Hijikata Toshizo, wrapped his arms around his waist, and hung on Hijikata Toshizo's waist like a koala - after doing all this, he died completely.

His desperate "hug" really played an extraordinary role.

With a big living person hanging on the waist, no one can move freely.

The twelfth, thirteenth, and fourteenth people keenly saw this opportunity and attacked Hijikata Toshizo from different directions.

Facts have proved that they underestimated Hijikata Toshizo after all.

The "Demon's Deputy Chief" is definitely not something these little pawns can easily deal with!

He swung Izumi no Kami Kanesada in his hand like a windmill, and bounced off all the attacking katana and bayonets.

The next moment, he pulled Izumi no Kami Kanesada back to his hand and chopped down all three of them.

Then, he raised his knee and knocked the guy hanging on his waist away, and resolved the crisis without any danger.

However, just as he calmed down, he was shocked again.

Crack...

Suddenly, he heard the unique metallic sound of holding a musket.

Just behind him, a Russian soldier squatted on the ground, holding up the flintlock in his hand with an experienced movement, and aimed the black muzzle directly at his body.

As luck would have it, at this moment, all kinds of "accidents" befell Hijikata Toshizo.

It happened that his physical strength was exhausted and his reaction speed slowed down.

It happened that his current posture was not conducive to dodging.

It happened that when he knocked the enemy on his waist away, his old strength was exhausted and his new strength had not yet been generated.

It was precisely these many accidents that created the current horror!

Bang!

Puff!

The bullet flew out in response, and then there was the sound of the bullet entering the body.

This scorching bullet cut through the atmosphere and hit Hijikata Toshizo squarely in the waist and abdomen!

Instantly, Hijikata Toshizo felt a heart-wrenching pain centered on this wound, which instantly spread throughout his body.

The pain penetrated his bones but he could not scream, and all the strength in his body seemed to leak out through this wound.

After shaking a few times, he fell on his back, and the vast sky filled his vision.

Looking at the blue sky and the dazzling red sun, he suddenly recalled the strange dream he had a while ago: he stayed in the same place, and his friends left him. He tried his best to chase them, but he couldn't catch up.

Then, he thought of many people.

Familiar faces flashed before his eyes.

He thought of his honest and reliable brother Kondo Isami.

He thought of his cute and lively sister Okita Souji.

He thought of his brother-in-law Sato Hikogoro who always took good care of him.

He thought of Kondo Shusuke who treated him like a son.

Finally... he thought of Aoto.

Compared with others, his relationship with Aoto was the most complicated.

To him, Aoto was not only his close friend, but also his lord who he trusted with all his heart; not only his brother-in-law who lived in harmony with him, but also his comrade-in-arms who shared his heart and soul with him.

Recalling these faces, Hijikata Toshizo's face was not afraid of death at all, and a calm smile floated on his cheeks.

"Is this my... 'last'..."

It seemed as if a long time had passed when he described Hijikata Toshizo's heart in such detail.

In fact, everything happened in a matter of seconds.

Seeing Hijikata Toshizo fall, the enemies around him immediately burst into excited shouts.

They couldn't wait to run towards Hijikata Toshizo, fearing that they would fall behind others by half a step.

In their eyes, Hijikata Toshizo was no longer a formidable opponent at this time, but a piece of fat meat, a lamb to be slaughtered, and a huge military achievement that symbolized glory and wealth!

Hijikata Toshizo subconsciously wanted to stand up and resist, but he could no longer control his body and could only watch as enemies approached from all directions.

Regarding this situation and this ending, he showed no sign of unwillingness or resentment, and slowly closed his eyes with an expressionless face.

The moment before he closed his eyes, the emotion called "regret" loomed in his eyes...

…

…

The French-Qich coalition, our formation——

Even without a telescope, you can see that thousands of people are retreating together.

The current battle can no longer be regarded as a "battle", it can only be called "chasing the remaining enemies."

Looking at the entire battlefield, there are only a few scattered places where thousands of soldiers are still resisting.

Katsura Kogoro looked around the battlefield within sight expressionlessly:

"The fight was so difficult..."

Shuten Doji nodded gently without hesitation:

"We have to hurry up."

"According to currently known intelligence, Navy President Katsu Rintaro is solely responsible for the defense of Edo."

"Among the shogunates of the abandoned Ying Dynasty, Sheng Lintaro is a rare capable person."

"It was delayed for five days by the concerted efforts of thousands of people. During this period, Katsurin Taro must have raced against time to strengthen Edo's city defense and increase the strength of the defenders."

"There is no doubt that Edo's current defense capabilities will far exceed our prior expectations."

"Oh, what a surprise. Our good luck only lasted until we captured Sunfu Castle, and everything went wrong after that."

Like Takasugi Shinsaku, Katsura Kogoro doesn't like to punish the party.

In the past, after hearing Shuten-douji say such self-deprecating words, Katsura Kogoro would probably chime in with a few words in a bitter tone.

But now, he remained silent and did not mock Shuten Doji out loud.

Still the same sentence - Changzhou and the Fazhu Party are already grasshoppers on the same rope, both prosper and lose!

At this critical juncture, we must remain united! Advance and retreat together!

Shuten Doji's words were not finished yet:

"If we want to personally destroy the Edo Shogunate, this is our only chance."

"If you miss it, you will have to give up the opportunity to 'annihilate the shogunate' to other forces."

When he mentioned the term "other forces", Shuten Doji somehow emphasized his tone.

Having said this, he shook off his feathery fabric in a smart manner, turned back, and commanded majestically:

"Organize the army and head east! Capture Edo! Destroy the shogunate!"

Another seven thousand leopards today! Seeing how hard Leopard has worked, please be sure to vote for this book! (Crying leopard head.jpg)

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PS: In historical facts, Shimada Kui accompanies Hijikata Toshizo to fight until the moment - for this reason, I specially arranged for Shimada Kui to come to the Eighth Prince and guard the Eighth Prince with Hijikata Toshizo.