I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

Xilika's face darkened:

"Since it's such a dangerous medicine, why give it to me?"

Mael smiled slightly:

"Danger is danger, but in a critical moment, it can save your life and even reverse a battle that was originally destined to be lost. Compared to death and defeat, this side effect is really insignificant, isn't it?"

Cialis pursed her lips and remained silent.

Taking advantage of his silence, Mael continued:

"The Rhino Card, 'Essence of the Berserker,' is incredibly precious."

"My alchemists spent countless hours and used countless herbs to finally concoct this dose."

"Just consider it a gift from me."

"The Mu army is about to attack. Having a bottle of this 'potion' on hand can't hurt. It might just come in handy at some point!"

Cialis raised her eyes and gave Mael a deep look, then gripped the medicine bottle tightly in her hand, her expression becoming complicated and indescribable.

……

……

The next day, early morning—

Aomori, the main camp of the punitive expedition—

"Run! Everyone run!"

"Hold on tight! The boat is about to depart!"

"Remember! If you feel seasick and want to vomit, remember to vomit into the sea! Don't vomit on other people!"

As the pale white light of the sky lifted the veil of night, the Aomori expeditionary camp became incredibly noisy.

Shouts and footsteps filled the air.

Squads of soldiers rushed out of the camp and headed straight for the ships moored on the shore.

Besides the three main warships, Kanrin Maru, Kanko Maru, and Fuji Maru, there were also a considerable number of Japanese ships.

Among them were 36 ships, including both "stock" of the shogunate navy and old ships sent by the domains of Oshu as support.

Although they were all old sailboats, they were still capable of transporting supplies and troop landings.

Guns, cannons and other weapons had already been loaded onto the ships, just waiting for the soldiers to board and for Qingdang to issue the order to "advance"!

According to the plan, the Hamrin Maru, Kanko Maru, and Fuji Maru will act as escorts to block enemy ships and escort this large-scale "beach landing force" to land in Hakodate!

At this very moment, on the Xianlin Maru, Qingdeng stood at the bow.

Senior officers cannot be on the same ship; otherwise, if the ship sinks, there is a risk of the entire leadership being wiped out.

Therefore, Aoto and Katsura Rintaro traveled on different warships, the former on the Kanrin Maru and the latter on the Kanko Maru.

Aoto turned his head and looked at the Guanguang Maru not far away, where he could see Katsura Rintarou directing the crew to prepare for departure on the deck.

Katsurin Taro sensed Aoto's gaze and turned to look... their eyes met slightly.

Katsurin Taro nodded with a smile, gestured to Aoto, and then looked away, continuing with his own business as if nothing had happened.

Upon seeing Katsura Rintarou, Aoto couldn't help but recall the "secret conversation" he had last night.

The two most powerful retainers of the Southern Shogunate were seriously discussing the fate of the Edo Shogunate and the Kyoto Imperial Court... If this were to get out, who knows what kind of terrifying uproar it would cause.

To eliminate the Wu and usher in a "new era"... To be honest, Qing Deng had considered this issue.

He used to be willing but unable to do so.

And now, he already possesses the ability to change the world!

Regardless of whether he is creating a "new era," with the power he currently possesses, he is more than capable of ending the history of the Edo Shogunate and establishing an "Otsu Shogunate"!

However, due to various reasons such as being surrounded by enemies and having concerns about Tokugawa Iemochi, he rarely delved into this issue and did not confront this "ambition".

Until last night... Katsura Rintarou's sharp words were like an axe striking him hard on the head! They exposed his deep-seated "ambition," making it impossible to ignore him any longer!

Qing Deng lowered his eyelids, his eyes filled with a thoughtful light.

He raised his head, gazed at the sky, and let his mind drift to the unseen distance, where countless thoughts floated, swirled, and intertwined in his mind.

At that moment, Johann Manjiro, who was walking briskly towards him, interrupted his thoughts:

"General Tachibana, everything is ready!"

Qingdeng composed himself and nodded slightly to indicate, "I understand."

Let's talk about the "new era" and such later.

Now, let's focus our efforts on recapturing Wulingguo!

Qingdeng took a deep breath and shouted in a strong and clear voice:

"set off!"

A brief order, like the wind, spread throughout the entire ship and the entire fleet!

In a short while...

Waaaaahh ...

The whistles of the Hamrin Maru, Kanko Maru, and Fuji Maru all sounded simultaneously.

Thick black smoke then billowed out.

Immediately afterwards, the old ships unfurled their sails.

The massive fleet was like a giant tortoise awakening, slowly moving its limbs, preparing to cross the strait and climb onto the opposite side of Hakodate!

In the first year of Keio (1865), the Battle of Hakodate began!

……

……

Hakodate, Goryokaku —

"The enemy is attacking! The enemy is attacking!"

"Quickly! Get to the city wall! Quickly get to the city wall! Prepare to meet the enemy!"

"Where is He Ren?"

The sudden alarm filled the air in Wulingguo with tension.

Countless Ainu people followed orders and quickly scaled the southern city wall.

When they looked out to sea, their faces showed horror, and they couldn't help but gasp.

On the vast, boundless sea, the usual gentleness was replaced by a ferocious display! Where the sea met the sky, warships pushed through the water, creating waves!

Before the fleet even arrived, a chilling aura of killing intent swept over the sky!

The Ainu people in Wulingguo—especially those "volunteers" who came to help the battle inspired by Xilika—were all natives who had just come out of the deep mountains and forests. They had only ever seen simple dugout canoes and had never seen a fleet of this scale before.

In an instant, fear spread across their faces like ink splashed on a canvas.

Those guys who had been shouting "Repel the He people!" and "Kill all the He people!" all shut their mouths now, not daring to utter another word.

Suddenly, Cialis arrived.

Carrying his red-scabbard katana, he led his trusted confidant, Hepoyi, and jogged up the south side of the city wall.

When the view of the sea came into view, his expression darkened slightly.

The size of the Mu army fleet was much larger than he had anticipated!

He Poyi, standing to the side, asked impatiently:

"Sylica, should we fire back?"

Without hesitation, Cialis shook his head:

"No, they're too far away; they can't hit them. Let's wait until the Shogunate fleet gets closer..."

Before he could finish speaking, he was interrupted by a series of steam horn blasts:

Waaaaaahh ...

The sudden sound of the ship's horn did not come from the Mongol fleet, but from Hakodate Bay, which was not far away.

Mael's two ironclad warships still capable of naval operations—the "Napoleon" and the "Joan of Arc"—slowly sailed away from the port, belching black smoke.

Seeing this, Xilika slightly curled the corners of his mouth, revealing a faint smile.

The enemy army had barely arrived when Mael immediately commanded his warships to intercept them... This bravery and proactiveness moved even the usually stern-faced Cyril.

He had never liked Mael as much as he did now.

To boost morale, he immediately proclaimed:

"Everyone! Do not panic!"

As he shouted, he pointed to the "Napoleon" and "Joan of Arc" in Hakodate Bay.

"Look! Those two armored warships are our allies! They're preparing to set sail and engage the Japanese!"

"Our allied forces' ships are the most advanced ironclad warships in the world today! While the enemy's warships are all simple, old ships! They have a lot of ships, but they are actually no match for us!"

"Open your eyes and look carefully!"

"Our allies will sink each and every one of the enemy's ships!"

"These poor people are bound to become food for the fish!"

The encouragement from Cialis had an immediate effect.

The Ainu people on the south city wall were all inspired, and the fear on their faces gradually faded.

They don't understand naval warfare or ships, but they have eyes.

The warships of the Mongol army were all made of wood, while the warships of the allied forces were covered with thick iron plates. Even with the naked eye, one could intuitively feel the huge difference between the two!

The fighting spirit and morale that had just faded have returned.

Taking advantage of the situation, Xilika gave the order: