I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

Meanwhile, the rest of the team members below the rock face climbed up and joined the battle.

These soldiers were all selected from the first and third divisions of Qing Deng.

While their close-combat abilities might not be enough to take on ten opponents at once, they could easily handle three or five.

At this point, the opponent was completely powerless to fight back.

Under the fierce attack of Qing Deng and others, most of them were annihilated, and the remaining troops lost all will to fight and fled in panic.

They successfully reached the top of the cliff with very few casualties... The team members were overjoyed at this achievement.

However, before they could express their joy, Qingdeng roared:

"It's not time to relax yet! Our battle has only just begun!"

After roaring, he picked up the still-dripping knife and ran towards the front of the "rock wall," towards the direction where Yamanami Keisuke was.

……

……

The closer you get to the "rock wall," the more intense the firepower from the other side becomes.

Keisuke Yamanami heard that the carriage in front of him was already overburdened—it now resembled a beehive, full of holes.

At that moment, one of the team members next to him shouted:

"Commander! Let's retreat! If this continues, we'll be wiped out!"

Looking up, the open space in front of the "rock wall" was a complete mess.

Everywhere there were holes from bullets piercing the ground.

Everywhere there were black marks left by the grenade explosions.

Bloodstains and corpses were everywhere.

Although Yamanami Keisuke and his men were very brave and launched fierce counterattacks with all their might, their huge disadvantage in terrain meant that they were on the defensive from beginning to end.

While the train carriage could shield them from some bullets, it had its limits and was not a panacea.

By now, they had suffered heavy casualties, with nearly a third of their soldiers either dead or wounded and incapacitated.

Therefore, it's no wonder that this person begged Yamanami Keisuke to order a retreat.

However, no sooner had he finished speaking than Yamanami Keisuke retorted without hesitation:

"No! We can't retreat yet! I have a premonition—our lord is almost here!"

As he refused, he raised his flintlock pistol again and fired at the top of the cliff.

The "lord" that Yamanami Keisuke refers to is naturally Aoto.

In fact, his claim that "I had a premonition" was pure fabrication.

The purpose was simply to boost morale and stabilize the army's morale.

Seeing that their beloved commander was still holding the line, the surviving soldiers gritted their teeth, suppressed their fear, and threw themselves back into battle.

Despite suffering more than a third of casualties, they were still able to maintain their fighting spirit and did not flee—thanks to Yamanami Keisuke's command.

It's no exaggeration to say that the army's morale is barely maintained thanks to the popularity that Yamanami Keisuke has built up over the years.

Suddenly, a commotion arose from the top of the cliff:

"Hurry! Push it over here!"

The next moment, Keisuke Yamanami saw three dark cannon muzzles.

These three cannons were not the large cannons used by the Shinsengumi that required animal power to pull, but rather small cannons that could be carried by a few adults on their hands and shoulders.

Yamanami Keisuke was unfamiliar with cannons, so he did not know the models or names of these cannons.

However, there was one thing he was very clear about regarding weapons of mass destruction like cannons—

"Lie down!"

If you see the cannon barrel pointing in your direction, immediately hide where you can, or lie down immediately if there's nowhere to hide. After that, leave the rest to fate.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Almost at the same moment that Yamanami Keisuke shouted the warning, three cannon shots rang out from the top of the cliff.

Immediately afterwards, three explosions dominated the eardrums of Yamanami Keisuke and the others.

They had to cover their eardrums tightly to make themselves feel better.

Fortunately, all the shells landed in an uninhabited area, and apart from ear pain, no one was killed or injured.

However... the sudden appearance of these three small cannons caused the soldiers' expressions to change drastically.

Looking at the three small cannons on the cliff top, Yamanami Keisuke murmured in a deep voice:

"They waited until we got close enough before they started firing the cannons...!"

Perhaps it is because the cannon is relatively small, making it easier to operate.

Soon, the enemy soldiers on the cliff top cleared the cannon muzzle and loaded the second shell.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Three more cannon shots rang out.

This time, their accuracy improved significantly.

A shell landed in the open area.

A shell hit one of the carriages, and all the soldiers hiding behind it were blown away.

A shell hit the side of a carriage—where Keisuke Yamanami was hiding.

Flames and shockwaves rolled toward Yamanami Keisuke, kicking up countless clouds of dust.

The shell landed to the left of Keisuke Yamanami, but because his body blocked the flames and shockwave, the soldiers on his right were spared.

"Commander! Commander!"

After the aftershocks of the explosion subsided, the team member hurriedly used his hand as a fan to clear away the smoke and dust obscuring his vision and check on Yamanami Keisuke's condition.

"Don't worry...I'm fine..."

A weak voice came from the smoke and dust.

Soon, the dust settled—

"Commander, you..."

Looking at Yamanami Keisuke in front of him, the team members were stunned, feeling as if they had a fishbone stuck in their throats.

All that could be seen was that the left half of Yamanami Keisuke's body was covered in blood, and fresh blood was dripping down his left arm, soon forming a pool of blood on the ground.

"Don't panic... it's just a minor injury..."

As he spoke, he turned his head to look at the top of the cliff and observe the enemy situation.

As luck would have it, just as he raised his gaze, he happened to meet the dark muzzle of a cannon.

The muzzle of a small cannon on the cliff top was pointed directly at the carriage where he was hiding.

They probably adjusted the firing parameters based on the landing point of the previous shell.

It's not hard to imagine that the next shell will hit the carriage directly!

At that time, unless he is the legendary "immortal", there is no way he will survive.

The shell had injured his body, leaving him paralyzed in his left leg and unable to move.

Therefore, he made a quick decision and said to the soldiers beside him:

"The next shell is coming... You all quickly evacuate to other carriages... Remember... You must hold on... The lord will arrive soon..."

The soldier closest to Yamanami Keisuke opened his mouth, as if he wanted to say something.

However, his long-standing habit of "obeying orders from superiors" made him swallow back the words he was about to say, and he changed his tune to:

"Yes!"

The soldiers scattered and fled into the back of the other intact carriages.

Soon, only Yamanami Keisuke remained.

At this moment, the enemy soldiers on the cliff top had already lit the fuse of their small cannons.

Even from a great distance, Yamanami Keisuke could clearly see the red glow on the fuse.

"Ah……"

Keisuke Yamanami covered the wound on his left shoulder, leaned against the carriage, and chuckled self-deprecatingly.

"What a pity... Tachibana-kun... It seems... I won't be able to accompany you to the end... I really wanted to witness... the world you created..."

Just as he half-closed his eyes, preparing to calmly face death—

Da da da da da da...

His ears twitched slightly as he suddenly heard soft footsteps—a very familiar running sound.

Suddenly, he opened his eyes wide and turned his head to look at the top of the cliff—in that instant, a figure wielding a knife and rushing forward came into his view.

It looked as if a meteorite had fallen here, leaving the cliff top in a chaotic mess.

Those who are usually calm and composed are now at a loss.

Those who were elated at this moment were now as if they had lost their parents.

The bold were stunned and speechless.

The timid trembled with fear.

All these changes occurred because everyone heard that scream:

"Nioh's Tachibana Aoto is coming!"

After breaking into the enemy lines, Qing Deng disregarded everything else, his eyes fixed on the small cannon aimed at Yamanami Keisuke, and rushed straight toward the artillery position.

Qing Deng swept his sword across the room, cutting down all the gunners around him—by then, the fuse was almost burned out, and there was no time to extinguish it or cut it off with a sword.

Upon seeing this, Qing Deng immediately raised the tip of his knife and chopped off one of the cannon's supports.