"We have caught up." As the vanguard of the Shibata family and the entire Hokuriku Army, Sakuma Morimasa, Shibata Katsuie's nephew, is also the most powerful general in the entire Hokuriku Province after Shibata Katsuie. At this moment, he is
He led his own banner to the front and led the troops towards the Hojo Army's defense line at the foot of the mountain, as if he would be late to catch up.
"The Western Kingdom is certain. This battle to pacify the Eastern Kingdom will probably be the last battle." Sakuma Morimasa murmured his thoughts while holding the horse's belly harder, "If we fail in this last battle,
It would be a huge regret to have made great achievements here."
"Dismount and follow me!" After seeing the Hojo army ashigaru in front standing on the fence and holding back their horses with their spears raised in defense, Sakuma Morimasa dismounted without hesitation and pushed the horse to the side of the road.
Bush, drew his katana and rushed upward. The Hatamoto guards behind him also followed suit, and followed their brave Oni Xuanfan to charge into the battle in person.
After seeing a castle lord-level samurai rushing up in person, the ashigaru and samurai guarding the Hojo family were shocked. However, Sakuma Morimasa's posture was not at all sloppy, but was as fierce as those wild samurai who roamed the mountains.
He rushed forward quickly, using the katana in his hand to block the incoming arrows. After closing the distance, he suddenly bent down and sprinted, dodging multiple incoming arrows.
, and swung his knife to cut off two spears that were stabbing him. Then, he pounced forward, rolled forward to avoid the spears, and then jumped up suddenly, knocking over the fence with his shoulders.
He passed by. The bannermen who followed him immediately swarmed up and defeated the Hojo family's defense line at the foot of the mountain in an instant.
"Morimasa is as brave as ever. If you keep fighting like this, something will happen sooner or later." At this moment, Fuwa Koji in the Chinese army was pointing at Sakuma Morimasa who was charging on the front line and said to Shibata Katsuie, "Your Highness, you have
It's time to persuade him. As a city lord, I have to shoulder more responsibilities, and I can't charge forward like this anymore."
"That is the way of survival of a samurai. Live here and die here." Shibata Katsuie obviously did not pay attention to Fuha Koji's suggestion.
"Your Highness, what Fuwa-sama said makes sense." Seeing that the offensive on the front line was progressing smoothly, Maeda Toshiie had the time to say a few more words, "I would like to say something that you may not like to hear. You should be more careful sometimes."
"The outcome has been determined since Yuanfu became a samurai. There is no need to deliberately avoid it like a submissive coward." Shibata Katsuie shook his head unmoved, and looked up at the scale pattern of the Hojo family on the mountain top of his wife and daughter's mountain.
Military Flag, "They should also be ready to wake up."
"Surround the mountain and don't let anyone go." Shibata Katsuie touched the foothills of Tsumeyama with his thick arm and ordered to Maeda Toshiie, Sasana Narimasa and Fuwa Koji.
The troops of the Hokurikudo Army deployed at the foot of Mount Tsumame and quickly surrounded Mount Tsumame, and then launched a general attack from all directions. In order to make the combat power on the frontal battlefield stronger, Hojo Tsunaka had previously sent all the elite of the main force
He was handed over to Hojo Tsunari to be taken away. What was left in his hands were some mediocre recruits or old veterans, who were no match for the wolf-like Hokuriku Army. But even so, the soldiers of the Hojo Army were still
Encouraged by Hojo Tsunadaka, they resisted vigorously. However, the crushing force of their weak strength was huge. The battle at Tsumeyama did not last long, and each line of defense was broken down one after another. Soon after, the Hokurikudo army reached the top of the mountain.
The horse seals of Hojo Tsunadaka were surrounded, and in the end the only ones who persisted in resisting were the Hatamotos who had followed Hojo Tsunadaka in his many years of military expeditions in the north and south.
"Surrender! It's meaningless!" The troops of the Oda family kept shouting around Hojo Tsunadaka's horse seal, but Hojo Tsunadaka remained unmoved and sat silently on the maza in the shogunate.
On the top, I heard the shouts of killing outside the shogunate gradually approaching. After the last guard's flag fell outside the shogunate, the soldiers of the Oda family finally swarmed in. I saw an old man with half-length hair sitting on the mat.
, holding a samurai sword in both hands, stuck upside down on the soil in front of him. He was wearing a simple set of earth-yellow uniforms, with a horse print of Hojo scales flying on his back, which was the symbol of the Hojo family.
Seeing the enemy troops coming in, Hojo Tsunagami slowly stood up with his sword in his hand, picked up the pocket on the side and put it on, covering his gray hair, and then slowly drew the sword out of its sheath.
, pointed at the incoming Oda army.
"I am Hojo Tsunadaka, the son of Hojo Sakyo. Who dares to challenge me on horseback?" Hojo Tsunadaka took a deep breath and tried his best to shout loudly with his old throat. The soldiers of the Oda family looked at this man who was almost too different from themselves.
An old man of Grandpa's age didn't know how to deal with it for a moment. The opponent's high-level samurai made a request of "one ride". If he didn't accept it, he would become a laughing stock in the world. But with such an old man in a duel,
No matter how you look at it, it's a little strange.
"There is no time to waste here, we have to hurry up to support Hongye's frontal battlefield." Maeda Toshiie, who rode into the camp, took a look at the situation in the shogunate, immediately got off his horse and said forward, "I will deal with him.
The rest of you line up immediately and prepare to go down the mountain."
"Maeda Gunsuke?" Hojo Tsuna raised his eyes and looked at the attire of the Toshida family in front of him and the family crest on the back, and recognized his identity, "He is a good samurai, but it is a pity that you are not good enough to be my opponent in the last battle."
Ge, go and ask your ghost Shibata to come out."
"The war situation is changing rapidly. His Highness Shibata is busy with military affairs and has no time to come here." Maeda Toshiie smiled at Hojo Tsunako and took out his katana from his waist, "Your Highness Hojo, please stop being picky.
.”
"You're not qualified yet." However, Hojo Tsunaka just shook his head and slowly put the knife back into the scabbard, not intending to challenge. The two were in a stalemate for a long time, but Hojo Tsunaka still couldn't get enough of it.
"You are trying to delay time." Maeda Toshiie also had no intention of compromise and strode forward, "Old man, if you don't draw your sword, I will be defeated."
At this moment, the sound of horse hoofbeats came from behind. Maeda Toshiie looked back and realized that someone had gone to report the information and called Shibata Katsuie over. The latter, with a small team of guards, came very ably.
He rode his horse into the shogunate, got off his horse and walked to Maeda Toshiie's side.
"Your Highness, what are you doing?"
"I have temporarily handed over the troops to Asura. He has already taken people to Kawanaka Island." Shibata Katsuie adjusted the helmet on his head and tidied up his appearance. "I heard that the general of the Hojo family
If you ask for a ride, I should be the one to answer the challenge."
"Your Highness, why do you need to personally take risks in this kind of thing? Hojo Tsunadaka is just a city lord. He has already achieved a certain status by handling it. Why bother you?" Maeda Toshiie looked at Shibata Katsuie hesitantly and wanted to extend his hand.
I went to stop him but felt that this was inappropriate, so I stopped and said, "Besides, you are already old enough to listen."
"A-Inu, you also know that I am already sixty?" Shibata Katsuie sighed in his mechanical voice, which sounded a little hoarse and weathered. Without further explanation to Maeda Toshiie, he passed him and walked towards Hojo Tsunayaka.
Young people will not understand. An old warrior who is almost octogenarian and has fought for his family all his life wants to choose a decent opponent in the final battle and give himself a decent ending. Young people can still understand this mood for the time being.
No. But after understanding this realization, I decided to use martial arts to end him.
"Thank you." Hojo Tsunadaka saw Shibata Katsuie walking up to him, and gave a half-bow with great gratitude, and then slowly pulled out his katana from the scabbard.
"Please advise." Shibata Katsuie also quickly pulled out the sword from the scabbard, nodded slightly, and rushed forward with large strides. Hojo Tsunako saw that the 60-year-old Shibata Katsuie could still be so fast and fierce.
After taking action, there was a look of surprise on his face. But at the age of 76, he was destined to be unable to shout for a fierce battle like he did in the Kokutai War. Hojo Tsunako dragged his heavy steps and reluctantly made the move
He struck with a horizontal blow, but Shibata Katsuie used his backhand to directly lift the saber away. The huge impact made Hojo Tsunadaka's old hands so painful that it was difficult to move. Then without giving Hojo Tsunaka time to react, Shibata Katsuie stabbed him with the sword.
into the latter's belly.
If he were ten years younger, Hojo Tsunadaka might still shout out his last words on his deathbed. But now, he has no strength at all and can only watch the little old life he has left slowly drain away.
.
Shibata Katsuie didn't hold anything back at all, and he tried his best to win over Hojo Tsunaka. In the eyes of Maeda Toshiie and other onlookers, this cruel method seemed to be meant to bully the old and weak, and was slightly inhumane.
But only Shibata Katsuie and Hojo Tsunadaka, the pair who witnessed it, understood that this was Shibata Katsuie sending Hojo Tsunaka off in the most gentle way.
Even if you are old and no longer as brave as you once were, still treating you as a powerful enemy with all your strength is the greatest respect for a samurai.
Pulling the sword out of Hojo Tsunadaka's abdomen, the blood brought out was not as much as expected, as if it was a dry well. This samurai, in his more than 60 years of service, may have given everything to the Hojo family.
of blood.
"He died before the collapse of the Kwantung Allied Forces. He might still have some thoughts." Maeda Toshiie looked at Shibata Katsuie and waved his hand to the guards to collect the body of Hojo Tsunaka, and said with emotion, "If he sees it,
The ending of the Kwantung Allied Forces will only be more depressing."
"Perhaps he wanted to be the last Hojo samurai to die in battle." Shibata Katsuie shook his head and said.
Chapter completed!