I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

……

……

"Quick! Cut the hook rope! Don't let them climb up!"

"Don't panic! The two ships are a full 3 meters apart! They won't be able to climb up so easily!"

"Get the gunners ready to fire! Sink the enemy ship!"

It is not difficult to see that the enemy's training level is by no means bad.

Upon hearing the alarm that "the Mu army is attacking," they immediately reacted, rushed to their battle posts, and were ready to meet the enemy in the blink of an eye.

This is not the kind of order that a mob can produce.

The reason the Shogunate Navy was able to successfully approach Hakodate Bay was simply because they were too careless, and Aoto and his men were too lucky.

The two ships were 3 meters apart, and the soldiers of the Shogunate had to climb over this 3-meter difference to get onto the deck of the enemy ship.

3 meters... almost the height of a floor, even under normal circumstances, this height is not easy to climb.

What's more, they also have to endure harassment and attacks from the enemy... Just thinking about it makes one feel suffocated.

Even if you are very lucky enough to board the enemy ship, you will soon be shot to death by enemy soldiers who are already prepared.

This has clearly become a bloody siege! One side is attacking to the death! The other side is defending desperately!

The bravery of the Shinsengumi members is beyond question.

However, the "critique of the spirit" ultimately cannot overcome the "critique of the material."

No matter how brave and fearless the Shinsengumi members were, they could not overcome the "storm" created by countless bullets.

Unless a top-tier expert steps forward and forcibly opens up a safe "landing ground" for everyone, the Mongol army will absolutely be unable to capture the enemy ships' hulls and decks.

Seeing the enemy army being routed, with soldiers screaming and falling into the sea, the enemy soldiers all showed joyful and triumphant smiles.

Just as they were secretly pleased with themselves, fully believing that the Mu army was easily defeated and that the advantage was in their hands—

call out!

All the enemy soldiers on the deck could hear the crisp, whistling sound of the wind breaking through the air.

That was the sound of a blade cutting through the air!

A samurai stood at the bow of the ship, his light blue haori fluttering high like a battle flag!

With just one swing of his sword, he cut down four enemy soldiers in one go, instantly clearing a "vacuum zone"!

"Watch out! Someone's climbing up here!"

"What are you waiting for! Shoot! Kill him!"

"Quickly! Make way! Everyone make way!"

Three gunmen squeezed forward, crouched down, and pointed their dark gun barrels directly at the samurai—

boom! boom! boom!

Whether the gunmen were closing in or pulling the trigger, the samurai made no attempt to dodge.

At the exact moment the gunshot rang out, the katana in his right arm and right hand vanished... no, it didn't vanish! It became an afterimage that was almost invisible to the naked eye!

The next instant, the bullets that should have pierced his body three times turned into fragments! The samurai stood unharmed!

There's a saying, "Ignorance is bliss"—although this saying is generally considered negative, it can sometimes have a positive meaning.

It was precisely because the enemy soldiers were unaware of this samurai's background that they were able to be so brave.

If it were a group of patriots who knew the other side well, they would probably have turned pale and trembled with fear, not daring to step forward.

Because the swordsman who boarded the bow of the ship was none other than the invincible "Niou" Tachibana Aoto!

The bizarre scene of "bullets disappearing" shocked all the enemy soldiers present.

However, some people still don't believe in superstition.

Another gunman stepped forward and raised his gun, aiming it at Qingdeng.

Seeing this, Qing Deng silently held the knife to his chest.

boom!

The bullet pierced the barrel... and then disappeared again.

The gunman was very confident in his skills and was absolutely certain that he would hit his target at this distance.

However, his bullets had vanished, and Qing Deng remained unharmed, unscathed... He shouted angrily:

"Damn it! What did he do? Is he a magician? Why can't I hit him!" (French)

Qing Deng replied calmly in French:

“I did nothing, I just held the knife to my side, that’s all.”

If there had been a high-speed camera, it could have accurately recorded every scene that just happened—the bullet struck the tip of Vairocana's sword precisely, and then, like an egg hitting a stone, shattered into a pitiful pile of fragments!

Qingdeng didn't have the time to chat with the enemy.

Therefore, the instant he opened his mouth to respond, he had already vanished from his spot.

Against the backdrop of the darkness, his swift, wind-like figure was truly like a ghost!

Seeing the rapidly approaching Qingdeng, the enemy soldiers were on high alert. Without any command from others, they spontaneously raised their guns to meet the attack.

"Fire! Fire!"

A barrage of projectiles blocked Qingdeng's front, back, left, and right.

Qingdeng didn't even try to dodge; he went straight ahead.

The blade flashed again and again, and every bullet that came near him was shattered without exception!

Even if other swordsmen possessed the same ability to "rely on this Heavenly Gang Sword and smile as they face the foreign gun corps," they would never dare to slash bullets so recklessly.

The potential energy of a bullet is not to be underestimated; a samurai sword with its delicate blade would be ruined after cutting through only a few bullets.

However, "Black Knife" can do whatever he wants!

Bullets are simply not enough to damage the blade of the "black knife"!

Qing Deng unleashed a purplish-black blade of light with unbridled abandon, preventing enemy bullets from getting close.

In the blink of an eye, he had already broken into the enemy ranks.

Looking at the countless enemy soldiers so close at hand, Qing Deng gripped the hilt of his sword tightly and exhaled a breath of stale air.

Talent "Lone Wolf +3", activated!

In the blink of an eye, Qing Deng's single sword seemed to multiply into seven or eight swords, slashing in different directions!

In the blink of an eye, the area centered on Qingdeng resembled a lotus flower—Qingdeng was the "stamen," and the enemy soldiers around him were the "petals."

The "buds" opened, the "stamens" remained still, and the "petals" bloomed—enemy soldiers were slashed and sent flying in all directions, just like mature, blooming "lotuses"!

Horizontal slash, vertical cut, diagonal slash, forward thrust... every time the purplish-black blade light flashes, an enemy soldier is sure to be cut down to the ground!

The once orderly enemy formation was instantly thrown into chaos by him.

With just himself and his sword, he threw the enemy ranks into chaos, shattering their composure!

And this is just the beginning.

The enemy forces will face more than just Qingdeng.

John Manjiro, aboard the Hamrin Maru, glanced at Aoto, who was displaying great prowess on the enemy ship's deck, and immediately shouted:

"General Tachibana... Niou has already gone up! He's buying us time. If we dawdle and let Niou's hard work go to waste, we won't have the face to call ourselves members of the Shinsengumi!"

Upon hearing this, the calorie content of Xianlin Pills immediately soared!

Aoto's prestige in the Shinsengumi has always been proven, and there are quite a few members who regard him as a god.

Seeing their beloved leader charging ahead once again, the soldiers on the Xianlin Maru were all filled with excitement.

Qing Deng was absolutely right—as long as the King of Benevolence appeared on the front lines, his thousands of troops would naturally follow him with all their might!

"Charge! Follow our lord!"

"Second Division, move out!"

"If we don't achieve outstanding military exploits, we'll be ridiculed by the other squads in the future!"

Of all the divisions in the Shinsengumi, only the Second Division, the Eighth Division, and half of the Eleventh Division received the honor of "Northern Expedition," making countless people envious.

If they fail to achieve any significant military exploits, they will likely be unable to hold their heads high when facing their comrades from other squads in the future.

Morale surged! Loud battle cries echoed across the deck of the Hamrin Maru!

One by one, pale blue haori fluttered like butterflies, these "butterflies" rushing towards the enemy ships! Like raging waves!

In a matter of seconds, the enemy ship's outer armor was covered with the figures of samurai, so densely packed that just looking at them gave one goosebumps.

Upon seeing this, every single enemy soldier on the deck turned pale with fright.

"Hey! These guys are about to climb up! Stop them!"

"No way! I can't free my hands!"

Because the vast majority of enemy soldiers were tied down by Qingdeng... ah, no, suppressed, the team members' ascent became much smoother.

More and more soldiers boarded the deck and joined the melee, the deck filled with a fierce wind of swirling blades!

The saying "What kind of leader you have determines what kind of team you have" may be a somewhat arbitrary statement, but it is not without merit.

Captain Shinpachi Nagakura and Vice Captain Noboru Nakajima both highly value "strength" and "muscle," and advocate a combat style of "charging straight through enemy lines."

Therefore, under the example of Shinpachi Nagakura and Noboru Nakajima, the Second Division adopts a "macho style," and each member is fearless in battle!

"Kill! Kill!"

"Cut them down!"

"Let these Western barbarians taste the power of swords!"

The two collided heavily, becoming indistinguishable.

In this chaotic battle, once the enemy soldiers fired a bullet, they had absolutely no time to reload a second one, and could only use the guns in their hands and bayonets to fight off the Shinsengumi.