I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

After Qingdeng and others worked diligently for several days, they finally managed to completely change the topography of the mountain.

All that could be seen inside and outside the Shinsengumi's position was no natural scenery, only endless stretches of earthwork!

In addition to the north, there were more than four trenches dug in the other three directions!

Each trench was both deep and wide, more like an abyss than a ditch.

Without excellent leg strength, it's absolutely impossible to jump over it.

Even if you fall into a ditch, you need strong legs to get out.

The gaps between the trenches were filled with fences.

These fences were not the kind of wooden stakes used to pen livestock, but rather wooden spears that were driven diagonally into the ground, sharpened at the tip, and pointed directly at the enemy soldiers!

It can be understood as a "barricade used against people".

If you accidentally bump into it, you'll definitely end up with a "piercing" hole!

Furthermore, they are not the kind of junk that you can just stretch out your leg and step over.

The total height of each row of fences is around 1.2 meters—a formidable barrier for the Japanese, who are generally short due to genetic defects.

The best way to eliminate the threat of these civil engineering operations is naturally to deploy engineers to remove the wooden fences and fill in the trenches.

However... the soil shoveled up during the digging was all used to build watchtowers (shooting platforms).

If the rebel army wanted to fill these trenches, they would have to transport soil from afar.

If we "use local materials," it will create the awkward situation of "filling up the old ditch only to have a new one appear."

As for the fences, they were all buried deep in the ground and could only be pulled out using specialized tools such as shovels and hoes.

Whether it's filling trenches or removing fences, a certain level of organization is required—at least to the point of "being able to carry out operations calmly and methodically even in the midst of a chaotic battlefield."

Clearly, the bandit army lacked such a level of organization.

All they could do was fight their own battles and rely on their own skills to overcome obstacles and hurdles.

This played right into the hands of Qing Deng, who was a strong advocate for building the city.

……

……

Shinsengumi's position, the southern front (the area under the jurisdiction of the 7th and 8th Divisions) —

Sanako held a huge Japanese bow in her hand, her eyes fixed intently on the front.

The approaching enemy horde gradually filled her field of vision.

Her wide sleeves were tied tightly with sashes, and the naginata, Chishoujo, was stuck diagonally into the ground beside her.

Standing behind her, Toudou Heisuke swallowed hard and then suggested:

"Miss Chiba, is it time to release the arrows?"

No sooner had he finished speaking than Sanako asserted without hesitation:

"No, wait a little longer."

The "Kuroshio" continues to surge.

In the blink of an eye, that ferocious figure and that intense killing intent had already pressed in front of Sanako and the others!

People with good eyesight can even see the enemy's facial features and expression!

Seeing this, Todo Heisuke hurriedly offered another suggestion:

"Miss Chiba, it will be too late if you don't release the arrows now!"

A look of hesitation appeared on Sanako's face.

After hesitating for a moment, she gently bit her lip:

"Wait a minute! The enemy army hasn't reached the 'attackable' area that Tachibana-kun indicated yet!"

Finally... after an incredibly long, yet actually very short, wait, the enemy's advance had penetrated into the trenches and fenced-out defense zone!

In an instant, the sky above the mountaintop, which had previously been filled only with battle cries, was suddenly filled with screams and wails.

"Hey! These ditches are deep! Be careful not to fall in!"

"Wa ...

"Hmph! Hmph! Hmph ahhhhhh! My leg! My leg is broken!"

"Quick! Pull me out!"

"Don't push! Don't push! You mustn't touch these fences!"

……

To avoid the dangers posed by trenches and palisades, the rebel soldiers employed a variety of ingenious methods.

Some people, relying on their height and long legs, simply jump over obstacles.

Some people simply took a detour, going in a big circle to avoid ditches and fences.

Regardless of the method they used, as Qingdeng had predicted, their originally tight formation gradually stretched out and became loose as they crossed the trenches and fences.

This scene was clearly reflected in Sanako's eyes—a sharp light immediately flashed deep within her beautiful eyes!

"put!"

At the same instant she shouted, she swiftly drew an arrow from the quiver at her waist, nocked it, and drew her bow—

Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!

She and the Aizu archers behind her released their bows one after the other.

The arrows whistled mournfully, summoning a wind of death!

Although she can't compare to Aoto, Sanako's archery skills still deserve the evaluation of "outstanding"!

The arrow he drew struck someone squarely in the chest.

The red blood, steaming hot, gushed from the wound into the sky.

As the art of war says, "Attack when they are halfway across the river, and you will achieve twice the result with half the effort."

As the enemy forces traverse the vast defensive zone crisscrossed by trenches and palisades, their pace will inevitably slow uncontrollably, much like crossing a raging river—and this is the perfect opportunity to deliver a crushing blow!

Aoto divided the 20 archers borrowed from Matsudaira Katamori equally.

The southern front received 6 people, the western front received 6 people, and the eastern front, which faced the greatest pressure, received 8 people.

As for the arquebusiers, they were regarded as an important trump card by Qing Deng and "held back" in the main camp.

Including Sanako, there are a total of 7 archers on the southern front.

The crossbow was to the ancient battlefield what the heavy machine gun was to the modern battlefield.

Its goal is not to kill the enemy, but to suppress the enemy, and to put immense psychological pressure on the enemy while covering its teammates!

Even random firing can intimidate the enemy.

Just hearing the whistling sound of wind cutting through the air, just seeing your comrades being shot down beside you, is enough to drive a normal person crazy.

Thus, despite having only seven men, the barrage of fire they unleashed was far from dense, hardly a "swarm of locusts," but rather like the occasional "fleas," yet it still caused chaos among the enemy ranks.

To avoid the arrows, the bandits stopped in their tracks, swaying left and right, hastily dodging, their movements so chaotic that they resembled cats that had accidentally jumped onto a stove.

The trenches and fences surrounding them became obstacles under their feet.

Many people were so focused on dodging arrows that they completely forgot the threat beneath their feet. One careless person fell into the ditch, and some broke their arms and legs, while others broke their necks and died instantly.

Before the two armies even met, the rebel army had already suffered many "unnatural deaths".

At that moment, several arrows suddenly shot out from the enemy ranks and flew towards the Shinsengumi's position—the enemy had launched a counterattack!

The bows they used were hunting bows commonly used by hunters.

This bow, capable of sniping wild boars, possesses considerable power, but no matter how powerful a weapon is, if it falls into the hands of a weak person, it will only produce the comical effect of "using a sharpened chip as the tip of a spear."

The skill level required to use a bow is exceptionally high!

To shoot an arrow both far and with great force... this is something only those with sufficient strength can accomplish.

An ordinary person with no experience in archery and average physical strength might only be able to shoot a few arrows before they can no longer draw the bow.

Needless to say, Sanako is a gifted and talented female warrior.

The Aizu archers who came to assist the battle as guest troops were all elite warriors carefully selected.

Neither their shooting accuracy nor their stamina for continuous firing were things that untrained bandits could easily provoke.

As expected, in just a short while, the enemy's arrows became increasingly sparse and weak... like a patient's fist, limp and powerless.

Archers from both sides exchanged arrows, and in the meantime, the rebel soldiers continued their advance.

Seeing that the time was almost right, Sanako threw away the bow and arrow in her hand, untied the quiver from her waist, and pulled out the naginata stuck in the ground next to her.

"Seventh Division! Eighth Division! Follow me!"

Upon receiving this order, with a whoosh, Toudou Heisuke, who had been eagerly awaiting the order, immediately drew his Kazusa no Sukeshige from his waist.

Immediately afterwards, the members of the Seventh and Eighth Divisions rushed out of the shallow ditch where they were hiding, and then launched a counterattack against the bandit army with the momentum of a pack of tigers descending the mountain!

Under Qing Deng's instructions, Sanako deliberately let the enemy troops get close before attacking.

For this reason, they ran straight into the enemy army as soon as they set out!

Sanako took the lead, using the momentum of her charge to swing the naginata in her hand and strike the bandit in front of her with a single blow to the head—just as a watermelon split open, this man's head was shattered.

Although the naginata used by Sanako is a "woman's naginata" with a blade as thin as a willow leaf, it is still considered a heavy weapon compared to swords.

The leverage effect created by that length alone could easily tear a human body apart!

Therefore, very few people who fight against Sanako (in her naginata form) manage to survive with their bodies intact!

In the blink of an eye, the blue-handled naginata once again drew a bright arc in the air.

Where the arc of light passed, blood splattered and severed limbs fell to the ground.

In the blink of an eye, the slender, sharp blade had already severed five heads—all in one swift motion!

As he swung his sword again, the limbs of four more people flew out horizontally.