Owari Yumeki Golden Day.

In the midst of a major battle, one's own side undoubtedly has a stronger and better hand. The Shimazu army has committed their resources, so our Kawamura army must also bet everything.

The crackling of cannon fire nearly drowned out the rest of Shichibei's words. Meanwhile, the messenger on the side, having received the command through lip reading, quickly rushed towards Mifune Castle.

The Shimazu army, which was attacked by arquebuses, was in turmoil. However, the front line consisted mainly of Higo soldiers and a small number of Shimazu supervisors. Shimazu Yoshihiro did not care about their lives at all and cut down anyone who dared to retreat.

Before the battle, Shimazu Yoshihiro made it clear that the mission of the Higo army was to lead the charge to the front of the Kawamura army's lines. They were to withstand the first three volleys of arquebus and arrow fire, and then escape as they pleased, leaving the hand-to-hand combat to the Shimazu and Sagara armies.

Unexpectedly, they encountered such a "killing god," and the Higo soldiers had no choice but to grit their teeth and charge forward. After all, they all had hostages in the hands of Shimazu Yoshihiro, and since it was only three rounds of firepower, they would just run away when they reached Kawamura's army.

The second volley of gunfire and arrows rang out, and compared to the first, this volley clearly caused more casualties. The once organized and relatively disciplined Higo garrison began to break apart and become disorganized.

Regardless, the Shimazu military supervisor, brandishing his sword, ordered them to continue charging, determined to clinch Kawamura's army. Once they were engaged, it would be their chance to engage in a fierce battle.

When it comes to fighting, Shimazu fears no one.

Hara Nagayori, standing before the Kawamura main force, gripped his spear tightly, loosening his joints, his eyes blazing with a thirst for battle. It felt terrible to be looked down upon by a bunch of Satsuma barbarians.

As the third volley of arquebus and bow fire concluded, the arquebusiers and bowmen retreated to their main camp to regroup. Meanwhile, the various Kawamura samurai units, now arrayed in a spear formation, appeared before the Higo troops, who were also crumbling but now mixed with the Shimazu overseer.

With a shout, the generals of the vanguard, led by Hara Nagayori, and their personal guards and warriors charged out bravely to counterattack the Shimazu vanguard.

Hara no Nagayori, Watanabe Ryo, Goto Mototsugu, Sanada Masaki, and Hiratsuka Tamehiro, each leading about a hundred men, charged straight at the Shimazu army like an arrowhead. The Shimazu vanguard, eager for battle and ready to unleash their signature sword, spear, and staff techniques, was met with a crushing defeat. Kawamura's troops, seasoned by countless battles, were valiant and fearless in combat.

Furthermore, their armor and weapons were sharp, and they used fine steel swords produced by the Hoiwa and Nanban tribes, which were even better than the swords produced by the Shimazu tribes.

With a slight smile playing on his lips, Shimazu Yoshihiro, who was about to witness Satsuma Hayato tearing open the breach in Kawamura's army with the same fervor as hot soup soaking white snow, suddenly widened his eyes in surprise.

Could these be the troops sent down by Bishamonten?

"Charge! Charge with me!" Shimazu Yoshihiro's surprise lasted less than half a minute. He immediately unleashed his innate, fearless fighting spirit and led his left and right flank troops in a charge.

It must be because the Shimazu army at the front was too small and encountered a strong enemy that they failed to display the prowess of the Satsuma Hayato. If the Satsuma Hayatos were to advance, they would surely achieve victory in one fell swoop.

Seeing this, Shichibei did not hesitate for a moment, ordering Awakawa Sadanori, Kuchiki Motonsuna, Kuwayama Kazuharu, and Ota Gyuji to the left and right flanks, as well as Shiga Chikaji, to go out and meet the enemy. The main force not only had the retreating arquebusiers and archers, but also the three squads of Takenaka, Saegusa, and Todo providing cover. Including Hachiya Yoritaka, who had not moved, they could even launch a second charge.

The two armies fought like mud, one wave surging in, another rising up, east and west clashing like waves, the crests of the tides stained with blood.

Seeing the incredible bravery of Kawamura's army, Aso Korechika, who was on the top of Mifune Castle, finally made up his mind to open the castle gates and lead 2,500 cavalrymen out of the city to attack Shimazu from both sides.

This immediately threw the Sagara army on the right flank of the Shimazu into chaos. As soon as the Aso army left the city, six cavalrymen in full crimson armor charged fiercely at the flank of Fukami Nagatomo's troops with sharp arrows.

Before Fukami Yoriyuki, the eldest son of Fukami Nagatomo, could react or even form his ranks, he was beheaded by Kawamura Naokichi with a single spear thrust. It was almost entirely silent.

The knight following behind, with a single spear thrust, severed the head, shouting that the Deepwater Mikawa no Kami (Deepwater Nagatoshi) was dead, causing the Deepwater Army on both sides to collapse in shock.

They were completely unable to discern the situation.

Kai Chikahide led three hundred men in a charge, his blood surging with power, causing the Sagara army to waver in fear. Meanwhile, Kawamura Naokichi, positioned at the front, had already penetrated into the Inudo ranks. Inudo Reiwa, now on guard, ordered his brother, Inudo Gyobu, to turn and engage Kawamura Naokichi, attempting to stabilize the battle.

Inudou Gyobu was also a brave general, and he swung his spear at Kawamura Naokichi on horseback. Kawamura Naokichi neither dodged nor yielded, and seized an opening to smash his lance.

Throwing it would have been too late. But with the rider's momentum and the horse's power amplified by the spear, the heavy lance slammed directly into Inudou Gyoubu, whose face was wide open and held high. Instantly, Inudou Gyoubu was stunned and fell backward to the ground.

He rode past Inudou Gyobu and thrust his spear straight into his face. The supposedly valiant general Inudou Gyobu died without making a sound.

Kawamura Naokichi, caught up in the thrill of the battle, took the spare gun from the rider and charged straight through the Inudou squad. He then charged into the Sagara central army, where Makino Kanya, who had replaced the head of the Sagara clan, was only responsible for carrying the Sagara head of the clan's horse emblem.

"Give me your life!"

With a roar, along with the banner of Sagara Umehachi, fell the head of Makino Kankai. The right flank of the Shimazu army, the Sagara force, collapsed under the fierce attack of only six horsemen and three hundred infantrymen.

570. Shimazu retreated and split into eight teams.

The Asu family actually has such a fierce general?

It wasn't that Shimazu Yoshihiro hadn't fought against Aso Korechika; he just found it unbelievable. If the Aso family truly had such fierce and brave warriors, they would have already distinguished themselves in the previous battles. How could they have been kept hidden until now?

There was no time to think it through. Shimazu Yoshihiro immediately ordered Kiwaki Sukemasa and Kamata Masatora to lead troops to rescue Sagara Seiji. Even if they couldn't save him in the end, they had to stop the charging Aso clan general. What if they couldn't stop him and he broke into Shimazu Yoshihiro's central army?

Even the Satsuma Hayato, when attacked from both sides, would be greatly shaken, or even suffer a major defeat. The Shimazu soldiers were brave in battle, but they were still within the realm of humans, not gods.

"Grand Master, our troops have won! We have a huge advantage!"

Todo Takatora, positioned to the side of Aso's commander, observed the battle. Although the two sides were still evenly matched on the main battlefield, the Aso army was gaining a subtle advantage on the flanks due to their attack from outside the city.

It has nothing to do with having a great advantage, but since Todo Takatora's backing is on Shichibei's side, he naturally speaks in a way that is good for Kawamura Gun, saying whatever sounds nice.

"Hmm..." Aso Yui hadn't grown up for nothing. He was already surprised that the Kawamura army was able to launch a preemptive attack on the Shimazu army. He didn't expect that even when Shimazu Yoshihiro personally took the lead, he still couldn't gain the upper hand.

"After we lead our troops to raid the Shimazu, we can easily kill all those traitors and rebels." Seeing that Aso Yuiji did not answer, Todo Takatora, being a clever man, immediately found a breakthrough.

Yes, Aso was still a little intimidated by Shimazu Yoshihiro's words. Fighting someone like Nakamura Koreyu, Aichi Chikayuki, or Nawa Akiko would be a piece of cake.

I can't beat Shimazu-tai, but I can beat you guys?

"That's exactly what I was thinking." Now that they've left the city, they've effectively sided with Kawamura's army. If they want to protect the Aso family, they'll have to offer some tokens of loyalty.

If Kai Muneun were here, he would surely support Aso Koremi's plan to cut off Shimazu Yoshihiro Toshihisa's retreat. After all, it's not difficult to do so, but the effect is significant. Cutting off the heads of a few more traitors would not only satisfy his anger but also give him an advantage over Kawamura Nagayoshi.

With a wave of his hand, the Aso army, consisting of two thousand cavalry, charged straight towards the rear of the Shimazu forces. The rear guard consisted entirely of troops driven forward by Shimazu Yoshihiro, and the Higo troops who were being forced to endure the combined fire of Kawamura's three-wheeled arquebuses and bows.

In a normal formation, they might not be afraid of Asuwei. They all come from the same system; everyone knows each other. But they've just retreated from the front lines, and the entire army is scattered, with men and horses mixed together. It's even a situation where soldiers and generals are not under each other's command, and the forces of various powerful states are intertwined.

Similarly, Takatora Todo, guarded only by a few loyal followers, became the spearhead of Aso Koremasa's attack. The only difference between him and Kawamura Naokichi was that Takatora Todo chose to ride into battle and engage the enemy on foot.

At 1.92 meters tall, it would be difficult to find a horse of comparable height in all of Japan. He might as well fight on foot; given his height, what difference would there be between him and the Attack Titans when facing a group of enemy soldiers who were only 1.5 meters tall?

"Kawamura Shidai-general Todo Toremon joins the battle!"

With a loud shout, Todo Takatora, wielding a long spear—or rather, a black spear resembling a horse-slaying sword—immediately plunged into the rear of the Shimazu ranks.

The soldiers in the rear of the Shimazu army had no idea who Todo Takatora was; all they knew was that a terrifying giant, 1.92 meters tall and over two meters tall with a helmet on, had appeared before them. Before they could react, the great spear in his hand whirled and danced, cutting through everything in its path like grass being chopped.

In the blink of an eye, what lay before Toudou Takatora was nothing short of hellish.

Lie was not only lying on the ground, but many of his parts were also scattered around. Accompanying Todo Takatora were also skilled warriors, some from his hometown, some old friends, all fighting bravely and striving to be the first, keeping pace with Todo Takatora.

Behind several men, Aso, who was urging his army to advance, exclaimed, "Such brave and fierce men actually serve Kawamura Nagayoshi, a small merchant who plays with abacus beads? It's unbelievable, unbelievable indeed!"

It seems that Kawamura Nagayoshi must possess some extraordinary abilities to have attracted so many talented and brave men to serve him. While marveling at this, he directed his troops to sweep through the forces of Higo Province.

Asuwei was also angry that he should kill a few of the countrymen. A few days ago, they held a meeting and discussed the matter. Everyone agreed to gather their troops and defend the city to the death.

As soon as he left Mifune Castle, those people betrayed him, Aso no Korechika. Anyone in his shoes would be furious and unable to contain themselves.

As a result, the Shimazu army was unable to advance in the front, and their rear was in chaos. Shimazu Yoshihiro realized that he was surrounded by Kawamura's army and had to take immediate action.

"Kiwaki Gyoubuzaemon has been captured!"

A burst of enthusiastic cheers suddenly erupted from Shimazu Yoshihiro's right hand, which was also the south side of the Shimazu army. Kiwaki Susumu, who had just been sent by Shimazu Yoshihiro to resist the Kai army, had already been killed by the Kai army general in full red armor.

The right wing completely collapsed, an uncontrollable collapse. Not only did the Sagara army, which was not yet fully organized, begin to retreat, but even Renta Masatora could not hold on and was powerless to resist the Kai army, which was becoming more and more aggressive.

"Whoever slays Shimazu Yoshiro will be rewarded with ten thousand koku of gold!" The envoy rode past Kawamura's army, shouting loudly.

The so-called Shimazu Yoshihiro, who else could it be but Shimazu Yoshihiro? Although Shichibei was not very skilled in military affairs, he clearly saw that the various armies were fighting bravely and had greatly compressed the Shimazu army's position.

The Shimazu army, which originally had a front line and a rear guard, with three lines on the left, center and right, and a complete front and rear formation, has been pushed back to only the northern corner. As their space for maneuver shrinks, the Shimazu army's room for maneuver also becomes smaller and smaller.

Without room to maneuver, even the most skilled Satsuma Hayato would be unable to utilize his abilities. More importantly, being surrounded on all sides, the soldiers would inevitably collapse and fight for their lives once they realized it.

"A reward of one hundred gold coins!"

Before Shimazu Yoshihiro could object or refute this statement, shouts erupted again from Kawamura's army. The so-called "Great Gold" refers to the Tensho Juryo Bankin, which was commissioned by Oda Nobunaga and was specifically used for rewards, gifts, offerings, and tributes.

One hundred large gold pieces, which is equivalent to one thousand taels of gold, is a price that would drive everyone present crazy. After all, ten thousand koku of koku of koku is what a samurai lord receives, while one thousand taels of gold is basically what the person who personally beheads the enemy gets.

Of course, there's also the possibility of a 50/50 split, but in any case, a portion, and most of it, will definitely fall into the hands of the person who beheads him.

The generals, already caught up in the thrill of battle, were now brimming with blood and courage. Each brandishing their swords and spears, they charged towards the Shimazu cross-shaped banner, determined to sever Shimazu Yoshihiro's head.

Normally, when Shimazu Yoshihiro charged ahead, it truly boosted the morale of the Shimazu army, inspiring them to fight bravely. But now, with Shimazu Yoshihiro charging ahead, it's going to be a death sentence.

Kawakami Tadashi, the chief retainer of Yoshihiro, urgently urged Shimazu Yoshihiro to first align himself with Shimazu Toshihisa. There were no enemy troops to the north yet; breaking through the encirclement and circling back to Satsuma wouldn't be difficult.

Needless to say, Shimazu Yoshihiro naturally refused, even though at this time the various armies were under attack.

They were surrounded, but in reality, Kawamura's army wasn't much larger than Shimazu's. Shimazu's forces in Higo Province were weak, and Kawamura's side also had a second wave of troops yet to engage in battle.

When Kawakami Tadashi saw that he couldn't persuade him otherwise, he immediately changed his approach: the enemy was too strong and would encircle us. Our army was concentrated in one place, and only two or three out of ten of our troops could engage the enemy directly. Rather than that, we should divide into five, six, seven, or eight teams and fight desperately in all directions to break through Kawakami's encirclement.

This strategy guarantees victory. After the victory, we will return to Kuizhuang Fortress to assemble and muster our troops. This is a strategy for survival in the face of death and victory amidst chaos, and it is by no means a reckless suggestion.

Upon hearing this, Yoshihiro Shimazu frowned, pondering deeply for a moment. Finally, he made up his mind to go all in and follow this strategy.

While morale was still high and the troops were relatively well-organized, they charged forward with all their might. It was a chaotic massacre; no ordinary army could withstand such indiscriminate slaughter from all sides, and they would inevitably collapse and retreat.

With the plan settled, Kawakami Tadashi and his son Tadakatsu, Arikawa Sadamasa, Iwakiri Yoshinori, and others led their troops, forming roughly eight squads, ready for a fearless and desperate battle.

On the other side, Shimazu Toshihisa also received orders to disengage and retreat to the fortified Kuma Sho. Without a rearguard, this tactic meant everyone was both a main attacker and a rearguard, relying entirely on individual courage.

Strength and luck.

"Shimazu Hyogo is here!"

"Shimazu Matashiro is here!"

"Shimazu Yoshisada is here!"

Various voices claiming to be Shimazu Yoshihiro appeared from all directions, and some even charged directly at General Aso, as if they wanted to overwhelm the Aso army.

"This..." This move stunned Shichibei. Shimazu Yoshihiro was quite something, managing to find so many scapegoats to buy him time to escape.

Actually, no, there really is a Shimazu Yoshihiro here, and it was Shimazu Yoshihiro himself who called it that. But it's completely impossible to distinguish from the many voices that are being called.

"We absolutely cannot let them escape Shimazu Hyogo." Takenaka Hanbei meant that Hachiya Yoritaka could also join the battle to block the scene.

Previously, both sides had formed large ranks of soldiers, pushing and shoving each other, engaging in repeated close combat and attacks. Now, the situation has changed, and most of the Shimazu army has split into seven or eight small groups. Each group consists of only two or three hundred men, with the smallest having just over a hundred.

These teams either retreated slowly or launched a fierce attack, truly...

Just as military tactics are ever-changing and water has no fixed shape, so too can one's movements be swift and unpredictable.

"Order Hachiya Hyōgo to advance!" Shichibei gave the order to the messenger, and the central army flag waved as the messenger rushed to Hachiya Yoritaka's unit on the flank.

Upon hearing the order to advance, Hachiya Yoritaka immediately mounted his horse, spear in hand. He didn't share Takenaka Hanbei's ambition to kill Shimazu Yoshihiro in battle. After all, with so many Shimazu Yoshihiros, he might not be able to capture them all.

But he knew that someone who could lead a squad of several hundred men and impersonate Shimazu Yoshihiro was definitely not some nobody; at the very least, he was one of Shimazu Yoshihiro's senior retainers.

Killing a senior member of the family and adding 1,000 to 500 shi of grain to his fief isn't too much, is it? He'll most likely be transferred from Hanoi to another fief later. Right now he has 100,000 shi, but after the transfer, 105,000 shi wouldn't be bad either way; it's all the same amount of meat.

The Hanoi troops on both sides had been waiting impatiently. As soon as the conch shells rang out, they roared and charged into battle. The entire battlefield immediately descended into chaos, with enemies among themselves and themselves among the enemy.

"So this is the Shimazu's battle strategy." Shichibei was genuinely seeing such tactics for the first time and was slightly surprised.

"Indeed rare." Takenaka Hanbei was also seeing it for the first time.

After all, Shichibei could manage to gather several thousand men together for a direct, face-to-face battle with the help of his retainers. However, dividing the troops into numerous small squads, ensuring that each squad could support each other, fight actively without losing courage, and advance bravely in pursuit of victory, was a much more difficult task.