I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

Before they could think further, they saw boiling brown water pouring down from the city wall, drenching them like a waterfall!

In an instant, the high temperature of the boiling water tore their skin open, and excrement flowed into their bodies through the wounds. The nauseating stench filled their nostrils, and their will was instantly destroyed!

No one could withstand the "biological attack" of the golden juice... Anyone who was drenched in the golden juice screamed and fell down the long ladder, writhing on the ground in pain, suffering both physical and psychological torment.

Those who witnessed this were all terrified.

From a certain perspective, molten gold is more intimidating than cannonballs!

For a moment, no one dared to approach the ladder again, even the battle-hardened soldiers of the Shinsengumi were frightened... Heaven knows if there were still jars of molten gold waiting for them on the top of the city wall!

They would rather be smashed on the head with stones than be scalded to death by boiling excrement.

But that's not even the most difficult or disgusting part.

The most difficult, disgusting, and deadly aspect is undoubtedly the structure of this fortress.

This is the most advanced five-pointed star-shaped bastion at present, with five protruding corners that can provide crossfire defense and eliminate blind spots.

No matter which direction the attacking side strikes, the defending side can launch a pincer attack from at least two directions, inflicting maximum damage!

The position that the Mu army is currently attacking is the area between the two protruding corners on the south side of the Goryokaku.

The city wall there is very wide, allowing for the erection of a large number of long ladders to transport a large number of troops.

However, this place is quite dangerous – the two protruding corners of the pentagram are on the left and right sides!

The Ainu Allied Forces only need to deploy troops at these two protruding corners to easily attack the left and right flanks of the Baku army!

In fact, the Ainu Alliance did exactly that.

They deployed weaker troops, mostly "volunteers" who had recently joined the "Ainu Alliance," on the main walls of the shogunate.

Their task was quite simple: throw stones, logs, and pour molten gold. It required no skill whatsoever; their only objective was to stop the shogunate army from scaling the walls.

The skilled archers were positioned on the two protruding corners on the left and right sides of the shogunate army, and they attacked the shogunate army's flanks with arrows and bullets!

Being attacked from three sides... it's not hard to imagine how immense the pressure and casualties the Mongol army suffered.

"No way! There's no way to climb up there!"

"Enemies are everywhere—in front, to the left, and to the right! How am I supposed to fight them?"

"What is the Eighth Division doing? Hurry up and take down those bastards on the city wall!"

Complaints abound, and everyone is on tenterhooks... But even now, not a single person has successfully scaled the wall.

Although the walls of Goryokaku were only 5 or 6 meters high, which would normally be easy to scale over, for the current shogunate army, this not-so-high wall was like an insurmountable chasm! No matter what they tried, they could not cross it!

The stalled offensive and the constant deaths of comrades around them caused the morale of the Shogunate army to begin to wane.

The newly formed group continues to hold out due to its strict discipline.

The Ou-Yu alliance, on the other hand, was struggling to stay afloat thanks to Qing Deng's promise of "a reward of three thousand taels of gold for the first to reach the summit."

We can still maintain order for now, but if we don't try to salvage the situation, it's only a matter of time before morale collapses and the entire army retreats!

……

……

Hakodate Bay —

Qing Deng did not participate in the attack.

After Nagakura Shinpachi and Todo Heisuke led their troops to attack, he remained alone in place, observing the battle situation expressionlessly, seemingly with no intention of joining the fight.

Suddenly, a familiar female voice came from behind him:

"Master, aren't you going to participate in the attack?"

Qing Deng raised an eyebrow and turned to look at the newcomer with a surprised expression:

"Elodie, what brings you here?"

Elodie, supporting Yamato no Kami Yasusada at her waist, waded through the shallow bay waters, one step at a time, and strode towards Aoto.

Her haori sleeves were tied up with sashes, and her long, light-gold hair was tied into a neat high ponytail, giving her the air of someone "ready to go into battle at any time".

"Master, that's what I wanted to ask you too. What are you doing here?"

After Qing Deng finished explaining his reasons, Elodie smiled:

“My reasoning is the same as yours. The enemy ships have fled, and there’s nothing I can do but stand idly by in Fuji Bay. I might as well go back to land. Maybe I’ll be of use when we attack Goryokaku.”

After saying that, she turned to the side and pointed behind her—on the sea behind her, there was a small boat moored.

She must have rowed her small boat from Fuji Maru to Hakodate Bay.

Under Aoto's arrangement, each of the three main warships of the Shogunate was commanded by a high-ranking figure.

Aoto himself was in charge of the Hamrinmaru, Katsu Rintarou was in charge of the Kankomaru, and Elodie was in charge of the Fujiyamamaru.

In terms of rank alone, these three are the highest-ranking commanders in this battle! Qing Deng is in the first position, while Sheng Lin Taro and Ai Luo Di are in the second and third positions respectively.

Although Elodie didn't understand military affairs, she was Aoto's apprentice and the head of the Shinsengumi, someone who was on par with Hijikata Toshizo, Yamanami Keisuke, and Kondo Isami.

At crucial moments, her lofty position can subdue petty people and win over the hearts of the people.

Now, no one dares to call Elodie a "pretty face who only knows how to do accounting."

The reason why Aoto, Katsura Rintaro, and Elodie travel on different ships is still due to the principle of "not putting all your eggs in one basket".

In the event of an accident involving any of the ships, the entire fleet will not be wiped out.

If anything happens to the three of them, then Nagakura Shinpachi and Todo Heisuke on land will take over command.

Before each battle, Qingdeng would clearly arrange the order of command transfer to prevent a "power vacuum" from occurring.

Holding up the two hakama corners, Elodie finally waded across the shallow bay and moved to Qingdeng's side.

"Master, the battle isn't going too well..."

As she spoke, she slightly furrowed her brows and cast a worried glance at Wulingguo not far away.

Although she couldn't see clearly, with her excellent eyesight, she could vaguely make out that the Mu army was being held back outside the city walls.

To get a clearer view, she took out her binoculars and opened the telescope.

If I hadn't looked, I would have been fine, but once I did, her expression became even uglier.

Dense rain of stones, large swathes of logs being smashed with each strike, splashes of molten gold, a three-pronged attack by the enemy, and insurmountable high walls... the current situation of the Shogunate army is visibly dire!

To support the troops attempting to scale the walls, the members of the Eighth Division did not slacken their efforts and did their best to snipe enemy soldiers on the walls, but their efforts were ultimately insufficient.

The enemy soldiers on the city wall had recovered from their initial panic.

They had already realized that the barrage from the Mongol army was not dense or precise enough to kill anyone who showed their face.

As long as you cleverly conceal your body and don't foolishly stick most of your body out of the city wall, you won't easily be shot!

Realizing this, the enemy's bullet-dodging skills became much more refined—this group of "natives" who had just left the mountains were gradually adapting to city defense warfare.

As a result, the effectiveness of the Eighth Division's barrage suppression was greatly reduced.

Putting aside the fact that their firearms couldn't support their "absolute accuracy" shooting, the enemy soldiers had the walls for protection. Hitting a body that was only slightly exposed through the thick walls was no easy task.

Elodie put down her binoculars, bit her lip, and pretended to be deep in thought.

After a moment, she turned her head and looked at Qingdeng with a serious expression:

"master……"

She said nothing, only softly calling out to Qingdeng.

But her eyes already revealed her thoughts—Master, with you in the battle, we can definitely turn the tide of the war!

In Elodie's eyes, Qingdeng was no different from a god.

No matter how powerful the enemy, he can defeat them; no matter how perilous the situation, he can turn the tables!

This trust stemmed from Qingdeng's numerous glorious achievements.

This trust came from... some kind of indescribable, genuine emotion.

She was absolutely certain that everything would be alright as long as "Niou" drew his sword.

However... faced with Elodie's earnest gaze, Qingdeng did not draw his sword as she wished.

"...Elodie, no rush, let's wait a bit longer."

Elodie was startled.

"Wait? Master, what are we waiting for? The situation at the front is... not optimistic."

She didn't want to use harsh words, so she carefully chose the milder "not optimistic".

In fact, the battle situation below the city walls was far more than just "not optimistic"; it was as precarious as "a pile of eggs"!

Because she was anxious, Elodie unconsciously stood on tiptoe to get closer to Qingdeng, as if doing so would allow her suggestions to be implanted into Qingdeng's mind.

"The Shinsengumi these days relies on me too much."

As Qingdeng spoke, a helpless smile appeared on his lips.

The unexpected reply startled Elodie.

Qingdeng continued the conversation unhurriedly:

"I noticed this when we were fighting the Special Forces at Sekigahara."

"It's just a few setbacks, but the soldiers of each squad have lost their composure. In the end, it will still be up to me to turn the tide."

"Everyone says I am a huge pillar, supporting both the Edo Shogunate and the Shinsengumi... This is not a good evaluation."

"The other meaning of this statement is, 'If I, this pillar, collapse, then the Edo Shogunate and the Shinsengumi will collapse!'"

"The Shinsengumi can't fight without me... This is not the Shinsengumi I want."

"I have reflected deeply on this matter."

"I always charged ahead and shouldered the heaviest burdens alone, to the point that the team members became dependent on me."

"After encountering danger, they were unwilling to fight and prayed with all their hearts, 'Please come quickly, King Niou!'"

At this point, Qingdeng turned his head and glanced at Elodie with a smile in his eyes.

Elodie's face flushed red, her cheeks filled with embarrassment.