My Gang of Swordsmen

Chapter 558: Chapter 183: Final Showdown! Aoto vs Shinno [9000]

Yesterday’s monthly vote goal was successfully reached, and the author should have posted another ten-thousand-word Chapter today. However, due to some urgent matters that needed immediate attention in real life yesterday, the author managed to write only 9000 words (crying leopard.jpg).

I’ll make up for the ten-thousand-word Chapter tomorrow. (collapsed leopard.jpg)

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”Miss Kinoshita! Retreat quickly!”

Upon discovering the sudden appearance of these black-clothed people, Aoto’s face immediately showed a mix of surprise and other emotions.

With quick eyes and hands, he instructed Mukiwa to move back quickly, away from Shinno and others, to a point beyond the shooting range of the black-clothed people.

Clad in all black, each holding a matchlock gun... this distinctive attire made it abundantly clear who they were.

The blood in the veins of Shinno and others froze at that moment, and they could no longer focus on Aoto and Mukiwa in front of them.

However, in the next instant, a shout brought their consciousness back into control of their bodies, causing their blood to flow once more.

”No one move!”

From the east side of the street, the captain of the Arson and Theft Magistrate Fourth Squad, Shimizu Renzaburo, continued in an indisputable stern voice towards Shinno and others... no, it was as if he was announcing to them:

”Drop all your weapons! Lie on the ground!”

Shimizu Renzaburo’s voice was firm and powerful, like heavy hammers striking the hearts of Shinno and others.

As if by reflex, the members of the Anti-foreigner Group focused their gaze on Shinno.

Bearing the gaze of everyone as if seeking help, Shinno’s teeth unconsciously ground together, making a creaking sound.

——Damn! Damn it! Beast!

In his mind, Shinno spat out all the curses he knew in Japanese.

The Arson and Theft Magistrate have arrived... the situation Shinno least wanted to see had occurred.

Shinno recognized the face of Shimizu Renzaburo, so upon seeing him now emerging at the eastern street entrance, he knew it was the Arson and Theft Magistrate’s Fourth Squad.

Excluding the captain, each squad of the Arson and Theft Magistrate consists of 10 Yōriki, 50 Dōshin, totaling 60 people.

At present, these 60 members of the Fourth Squad were evenly stationed at the eastern and western street corners, aiming their already lit matchlock guns at them... all it would take was a single command from Shimizu Renzaburo, and a dense rain of bullets could pour upon them instantly...

What to do——this question filled every corner of Shinno’s mind.

This was actually a thought that required no excessive pondering.

Even if everyone was in peak condition, Shinno always wanted to avoid a direct confrontation with the formidable combat power of the Arson and Theft Magistrate as much as possible.

In the current scenario where Aoto and Mukiwa had already killed or injured many, engaging in a direct conflict with the Arson and Theft Magistrate... no matter how you looked at it, it wasn’t a wise move.

Retreat.

A quick retreat was necessary!

However... just as the word ’retreat’ surfaced in his consciousness, a strong sense of unwillingness surged, taking control of Shinno’s emotions.

After such heavy casualties, such significant sacrifices... yet he still failed to kill the traitor, Tachibana Aoto!

The reason he was determined to kill Aoto tonight was also because of Aoto’s growth pace... which had frightened him.

Just two months ago, during the ”Battle of the Foreign Language Research Institute,” when he first met and fought with Aoto, he could still gain some slight advantage in a duel with Aoto.

And now, in just two short months, this young man, not even 20 years old, could now simultaneously face him and his subordinates and hold his own in the fight.

Even with himself personally in the fight, he still couldn’t take down this traitor... although Kinoshita’s strong support was invaluable to Aoto’s resistance, Shinno truly felt that Aoto’s current strength was no longer what it used to be.

This rate of growth... though he didn’t want to admit it, Shinno indeed found it somewhat terrifying.

If given more time, to what extent could this person grow?

Shinno dared not think further.

If they retreated now, all their efforts and sacrifices tonight would be wasted...

And missing tonight, they wouldn’t know when they might have such a good chance to assassinate Aoto again.

Despite the unwillingness burning in his eyes almost like fire... reason soon overcame emotion.

If they didn’t retreat now, and kept insisting on killing Aoto, they might all be finished here tonight.

Shinno unclenched his teeth that were close to being ground to bits.

”Retreat! Retreat!”

After a fierce battle with Aoto and Mukiwa, only slightly over thirty people in Shinno’s group still had the capability to move and escape.

For those lying on the ground unable to move, or those injured to the point of being unable to run fast... Shinno was genuinely helpless.

Quickly issuing commands, he entrusted a reliable confidant to lead a small group of those with still some fighting spirit to cover the main force as a rear guard, all the while Shinno took the lead, sprinting straight north.

Due to the urgent timing, there wasn’t enough time to organize more manpower, so the ”encirclement net” woven by the Arson and Theft Magistrate Fourth Squad wasn’t impenetrable, with a few paths to the north leading to the outside.

Seeing Shinno and his group without any intention of surrendering obediently, Shimizu Renzaburo, the Captain of the Arson and Theft Magistrate Fourth Squad, hesitated not for a second at this sight—