I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

In an instant, the tension in Goryeo reached its peak.

Although they had long anticipated this day and made the necessary mental preparations, many Ainu people were still terrified when they actually sensed the approach of war and saw the massive invasion of the Shogunate army. Their cheeks turned pale and their bodies trembled uncontrollably.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

Finally, some of the gun emplacements resumed firing.

The flickering firelight illuminated a large area stretching from Goryokaku to Hakodate Bay.

The Shinsengumi members were highly trained and elite soldiers. On their charge, they maintained distance and avoided sticking together.

Although the soldiers of the Ou-Yu Allied Forces did not have such strong self-discipline, driven by their will to survive, they consciously scattered, fearing being targeted by enemy artillery fire.

Even so, death and injury are inevitable.

People were constantly being hit by shells, turning into pitiful chunks of flesh, or being thrown high into the air by the shockwaves of the explosions.

Charging into the face of cannons... that was the obvious outcome.

Whether you live or die has absolutely nothing to do with your status or strength! It's all about luck!

Even if "Nioh" and "Tenken" were here, they wouldn't have a higher survival rate than others.

The generous reward that Qing Deng had announced before the battle played a huge role at this moment.

In order to claim the credit for being the first to scale the walls and to obtain the huge sum of three thousand taels of gold, lower and middle-ranking samurai, who were overwhelmed by the heavy pressure of reality, were willing to risk their lives!

They forgot their fatigue and marched straight ahead, eagerly and relentlessly!

Unwilling to stop, and afraid to stop... Only by taking long strides and relentlessly approaching Wulingguo could they suppress the fear in their hearts.

Finally, Nagakura Shinpachi and his men, who were at the forefront of the charge, became the first troops to reach the walls of Goryokaku Castle!

Nagakura Shinpachi waved his hand and shouted:

"Quick! Set up a ladder!"

Long ladders, prepared in advance, were raised and placed on the walls of Wulingguo.

Squads of soldiers climbed the ladders—they had become "ants" again—except this time they were no longer "ants" rushing out of their nests, but rather "ants" climbing up towering trees along "branches" to pounce on their prey!

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Chapter 1075 Once you pray to God, your hands will clasp together in prayer. [6100]

The credit for being the first to scale the walls is not something easily earned.

Being at the forefront means being the most vulnerable to concentrated enemy fire!

As the shogunate army approached the walls of Goryokaku, the Ainu allied forces launched an even fiercer counterattack.

Arrows and bullets intertwined to create a fierce barrage of fire, and the number of casualties among the Mongol army rose again. One soldier after another was shot down to the ground, wailing in agony.

"Eighth Division! Retaliate!"

At Toudou Heisuke's command, the members of the Eighth Division immediately went into battle mode, kneeling on one knee, raising their guns, and responding to the barrage of bullets!

In terms of equipment, there is no significant difference between the two sides.

However, in terms of training level, the Eighth Division is far superior to their opponents.

Furthermore, the Eighth Division has gained richer combat experience through the baptism of bloody battles such as the Summer Siege of Kyoto and the Second Battle of Sekigahara.

While it can't be said that they hit the target every time, the overall hit rate of the Eighth Division should not be underestimated!

On the city wall, Ainu people screamed in agony as they were shot.

"Aaaaaah! I've been shot!"

"It hurts! It hurts so much! Help me!"

"Hey! Don't cower! Get up and fight back!"

"But, but..."

"There are no buts! If you don't get up and fight back, you'll still die once they climb up!"

The Eighth Division's barrage severely suppressed the momentum of the "Ainu Alliance," significantly weakening its firepower.

Just then, a loud rumbling sound suddenly came from behind the shogunate's army—the eleventh division's artillery finally roared!

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

Risaburo Nomura (Lieutenant-Captain of the 11th Division): "Fire! Let the Ainu people know what real artillery fire is like!"

At this moment, many cannons had not yet been moved to their firing positions.

But the main force had already launched the attack, and Nomura Toshisaburo couldn't care less about that now. He could only let the cannons that had been transported to the position and were ready to fire first.

Shells rolled over the heads of the soldiers, eliciting cheers and shouts of abuse—it goes without saying who was cheering and who was shouting.

Just like the Eighth Division, the Eleventh Division is also a well-trained and highly experienced elite force.

After two rounds of baseline firing, the soldiers of the Eleventh Division had determined the specific parameters, fine-tuned the cannon muzzle, and began to unleash wave after wave of artillery fire on Goryokaku.

In the 19th century, artillery technology was able to easily destroy high walls, so bastions generally adopted a design of low earthen ramps and slopes, and the Wulingguo bastion was inspired by this concept.

The Wulikuo city wall is relatively low, about 5-6 meters high, but its base is 20-30 meters wide and has a gentle slope.

This design was intended to withstand artillery fire—low walls reduced the probability of being directly hit by cannonballs, while wide earthen ramparts absorbed the impact.

Therefore, although many cannonballs hit the walls of Wulingguo, they did not cause considerable damage. They only shook off some sand and gravel, and not even a crack appeared.

Such formidable defensive capabilities are truly breathtaking. The shogunate's heavy investment in constructing the Goryokaku was not in vain; it was indeed an excellent fortress.

However... while the shells couldn't penetrate the walls of the bastion, they were more than enough to break down the psychological defenses of ordinary people.

The artillery array of the 11th Division, plus the naval guns of the Kanrin Maru, Kanko Maru, and Fuji Maru... the intensity of the Shogunate's artillery fire had reached an alarming level!

More and more Ainu people were frightened by the continuous shelling and explosions, looking panicked and bewildered, much like dumbfounded lambs.

Thanks to the fire support from the 8th and 11th Divisions and the three ships, the pressure on the attacking forces was greatly reduced.

After overcoming numerous hardships, they finally withstood the counterattack of the "Ainu coalition" and successfully erected the ladders.

Next, all that is needed is to climb the ladders straight up, storm into the city, and completely wipe out all resistance forces within the Five-Tiered Walls, and the battle will be over.

It sounds simple, but... the real test is yet to come!

"Stay close to me!"

Nagakura Shinpachi continued to lead from the front.

He held the knife in his mouth and climbed the long ladder with both hands and feet, as agile as a monkey, and in the blink of an eye, he had climbed to the middle of the city wall.

It seems the honor of "first to climb" will go to him.

However, at that moment, a circular black shadow suddenly appeared above Nagakura Shinpachi's head—a fist-sized stone fell straight down! It smashed towards his head!

Nagakura Shinpachi's pupils instantly constricted to pinpoint size.

Even someone known for his thick skin and tough flesh could be seriously injured or even die if hit on the forehead by a rock!

He was clinging to the long ladder, suspended in mid-air, with nowhere to hide... At the critical moment, his body moved instinctively—he dodged to the side, narrowly avoiding the stone, which grazed his earlobe.

However, because he made the dodge hastily, he lost his balance.

After struggling unsteadily for a moment, he fell like a hawk with broken wings, crashing heavily to the ground.

"team leader!"

"Captain! Are you alright?!"

Nagakura Shinpachi lay on his back on the ground, forcing a smile that betrayed his pain, and waved his hand:

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

As he was about to land, he instinctively made a fall-over maneuver, which minimized the injury. In addition, the fall was not from a great height, only about 3 meters, so he was not injured. He only felt severe pain in his back and needed time to recover.

Nagakura Shinpachi was a highly skilled swordsman, which is why he was able to escape unharmed.

If it were someone else... they wouldn't have had such a good experience.

"Throw stones! Smash them to death!"

"Throw your stones anywhere! There are plenty!"

"Come help! Push these ladders down!"

The stones fell like raindrops... just like rain! They cascaded down with a splash!

No skill is required; just aim carefully and throw the stone in your hand, and that's it.

After you throw the stone, its hard surface and gravity will help you kill your enemies!

The manpower, resources, and time that the Ainu Alliance had invested in collecting the stones were now paying off.

At this moment, a dense rain of stones dealt a heavy blow to the Mu army!

As the rain of stones fell, cries of agony and anguish erupted outside the wall.

"Ah! My head!"

"Damn it! If I had known this would happen, I should have brought my family heirloom helmet!"

"Does anyone have a shield? Quickly, bring a shield over!"

"Watch out! That's sewage! Spread out!"

Stones, logs, molten gold... all the defensive equipment that the "Ainu Allied Forces" had prepared to defend Goryokaku was dumped outside the walls and onto the heads of the Mongol soldiers!

Under such circumstances, it would be impossible to climb the city wall.

Whenever someone climbed too high on the long ladder and became too conspicuous, they would immediately be subjected to concentrated fire, with countless stones flying from all directions, making it impossible to defend against.

Getting hit by a rock is actually quite lucky.

The worst off were those whose heads were drenched in the golden liquid!

The sudden stench gave those climbing the ladder a strong sense of foreboding.