I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

By this time, the Choshu army's musketeers had finished loading their bullets and were ready to fire again.

These ranged units were all elite troops in the Choshu army, not cannon fodder temporarily recruited—it's easy to imagine that those ronin and peasant soldiers would never have the opportunity to use such expensive weapons.

Therefore, they all possess a certain level of military training.

With the "click-click-click" of gunfire, the musketeers raised their weapons once more.

Immediately afterwards, another barrage of comments swept across the screen.

Amidst puffs of blood mist, several more people collapsed to the ground screaming in agony after being shot.

Upon seeing this, Kijima Matabei couldn't help but grin, revealing an excited expression.

His plan was simple: as long as he maintained his output, he could crush the enemy before they got close!

In his view, there is no army in the world that can ignore bullet screens and advance while enduring them.

The once mighty Takeda cavalry was utterly routed by Oda's arquebusiers in the Battle of Nagashino!

He could almost see the Shinsengumi musketeers gradually losing their fighting spirit and order due to the casualties and fear, and finally collapsing in a miserable manner.

However... as time went by, the smile on his face gradually froze.

At first, his expression froze, and then his joy gradually turned into disbelief.

Finally, his facial expression was dominated by intense shock!

The Shinsengumi musketeers were routed—a scene that did not unfold as he had hoped.

Under the barrage of bullets and arrows, the Sixth and Eighth Divisions did indeed suffer continuous damage, with members falling one after another.

However, no matter how many people fall, those behind will quickly step forward to fill the gaps, ensuring that the front ranks are always in perfect order.

Everyone kept their mouths shut and looked straight ahead. Even when their comrades fell, they did not glance at them or lose their composure.

Neither dodging nor retaliating.

Everyone carried out the "move forward" command in a rigid and mechanical manner, like puppets!

As a result, the ranks and formations remained intact and stable, showing no signs of disorder!

Such a scene made Kijima Matabei feel a chill run down his spine.

If even a veteran like Kijima Matabei, who had personally experienced the Shimonoseki War, felt this way, then it goes without saying that it was the same for others.

As the Shinsengumi musketeers drew ever closer, the Choshu musketeers and archers panicked, their hands and feet became clumsy, and their rate of attack noticeably decreased.

At this moment, a general who also sensed something was wrong darted forward and rushed to Kijima Matabei's side, offering his advice:

"Lord Kurushima! Have the arquebusiers and archers withdraw!"

No sooner had the man finished speaking than Kijima Matabei angrily rebuked him:

"What nonsense! Ordering a retreat will only lead to even more serious consequences!"

Anyone with even a basic understanding of military affairs knows that an army must never retreat arbitrarily during combat.

"Retreating while attacking" is a high-level tactic that is difficult to implement in practice.

Fu Jian, who mobilized a million-strong army but suffered an epic defeat at the Battle of Fei River, is well-positioned to speak on this matter.

Back then, Fu Jian listened to the suggestion, "If we retreat slightly and let the soldiers maneuver, then you and I can watch from a distance. Wouldn't that be wonderful?" He ordered his army to retreat along the banks of the Fei River. This triggered a series of chain reactions. The rear guard thought the front guard had been defeated and fled in panic, creating chaos. Soldiers couldn't find their generals, and generals couldn't find their soldiers. In the end, they suffered a crushing defeat. Fu Jian lost so badly that he lost even his underwear, and his dream of unifying the world vanished.

Knowing when to advance and when to retreat—these simple four words are something that many commanders dream of but many armies cannot achieve!

Apart from the guerrillas, Kijima Matabei did not believe that the other units under his command had the organizational ability to "retreat slowly" or "fight while retreating"!

He was certain that if the order to "retreat" was given to the musketeers and archers, it would most likely cause suspicion among the rear guard and lead to chaos!

At that time, the Battle of Fei River might be repeated!

Therefore, we must not allow them to retreat! We must hold our ground! Fight to the last moment!

"Don't panic! Keep firing! Don't stop attacking! The enemy is about to collapse!"

To appease his troops, Kijima Matabei had to fabricate the lie that "the enemy is about to collapse."

In hindsight, his words did have some effect.

The musketeers and archers on the front lines calmed down a bit. Driven by their will to survive, they fought desperately, eager to load their guns full of bullets and draw their bowstrings to create sparks, all in an effort to defeat the approaching enemy.

Anyone with a brain knows what the consequences would be if the Shinsengumi's musketeers got close!

It must be said that their performance was commendable.

However, their valiant struggle failed to change the situation.

The Sixth and Eighth Divisions keep moving forward!

It didn't even manage to slow their advance by the slightest, let alone cause them to break apart.

Finally... they stopped.

Stop when the two sides are less than 60 meters apart!

They were so close that they could see the changes in the other person's expression clearly.

Inoue Genzaburo raised his sword and shouted:

"Raise your gun!"

Click! Click! Click! Click! Click! Click! Click! Click! Click!

Upon receiving this order, countless muskets were raised high.

"aim!"

Then came a series of clicking sounds from the machinery.

The gun was laid flat, its dark muzzle pointing directly at the enemy opposite!

Although no shots were fired, the scene alone terrified the other side!

At such close range, it's no different from having a gun pointed at your head!

Inoue Genzaburo's choice of attack timing was ingenious and brilliant.

They happened to choose the window of opportunity when the other side had just fired a round of shots and was busy reloading.

The archers also had a way to retaliate with arrows.

But the musketeers, still reloading, were truly powerless! They could only watch helplessly as the dark muzzles of guns were pointed at them!

What's meant to come will come eventually.

"put!"

Inoue Genzaburo shouted and slashed down with the sword he had raised above his head.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

Both the sound and the density of the projectiles far surpassed the terrifying barrage of the Choshu army, tearing through the atmosphere!

Countless bullets transformed into a continuous rain curtain, whistling as they poured out!

Because of the close proximity, and because the members of the Sixth and Eighth Divisions were using the most advanced firearms available at the time, their accuracy was quite impressive.

A single volley of fire brought down more than half of the enemy! Their formation was completely thrown into chaos!

It is no exaggeration to say that such horrific casualties have essentially rendered them incapable of fighting!

It should be noted that the musketeers and archers of the Changzhou army had only managed to shoot down 3 or 40 people after working for half a day – in fact, this level of lethality was already quite good.

If it were any other unit, being bombarded by bullets and arrows, with so many men falling, they would probably have been thrown into chaos long ago.

The Shinsengumi were simply too insane! Even with heavy casualties, they fought to the death and refused to retreat!

"Ah ah ah ah ah ah ah!"

"I'm not fighting anymore! I'm not fighting anymore!"

"Save me! Save me!"

"Don't leave me!"

……

An unyielding legion; a terrifying barrage of bullets; the visual impact of leaving few survivors after a single volley... all of this directly shattered the morale of the Choshu army's ranged units... no, correction. The morale of the remaining Choshu army's ranged units!

They dropped their muskets and bows and arrows, and scrambled to turn and flee for their lives.

Although a few people are still holding their ground, they can no longer cause any trouble.

The Shinsengumi's musketeers were not only highly organized and had terrifying accuracy, but their reloading speed was also astonishing.

In no more than 20 seconds, they had completed the preparations for firing again.

Inoue Genzaburo: "Release!"

After the second barrage of bullets swept across... there were no survivors left on the Changzhou army's position.

They either fled for their lives or collapsed to the ground, screaming in agony from being shot, writhing in pain.

"..."

Kitashima Matabei was stunned.

His mouth was agape, his jaw agape as if it might drop to the ground at any moment.

His long-range troops... his long-range troops of more than two hundred men were wiped out after only two rounds of fire!

Before long, Kitashima Matabei regained his senses, and his consciousness once again took control of his body.

However, the reason he came to his senses was not because of his strong willpower, but because he saw the Shinsengumi's musketeers move!

They put away their muskets, reverting to the posture of slinging them over their shoulders, and then proceeded slowly forward as before, heading straight for this place... the main camp of the Choshu army!

Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump!

The sound of war drums following the Sixth and Eighth Divisions beat one after another, pounding on Kijima Matabei's heart, growing heavier and closer!

A visible change was observed in Kijima Matabei's complexion—it became increasingly pale.

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