บท 294: March

When dawn came, the army was ready for battle. An army armed with nought but rifles and swords – they no longer had need of spears. Any cavalry charge would be disrupted adequately by their barrage of bullets.

It was a cloudless sky that greeted them that day. The air was dry and warm. It would be a sweat ridden battle.

Morale was high as the men shared jests, falling into formation. For a number of them, it was their first battle, but the self assured aura of the veteran men and the generals that led them had a calming effect and their nervousness did not win out.

A horse came galloping in as the last of their tents were felled. Gengyo noted the scout and trailed off in his conversation with Jikouji, waiting for the man to pull up and speak his part.

"They are only beginning to stir now, my Lord. Their morale is low and Kenshin is nowhere to be seen," the scout told him.