I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

However, no matter how hard they tried, they couldn't suppress the upward curve of their lips!

At this moment, looking at Howell and the others who were covered in dust and dirt, they felt a secret sense of satisfaction!

Their laughter, though not loud, still reached Howell's ears.

Being mocked by those who looked down on him... this made Howell even more furious.

He vented his anger on his subordinates who had embarrassed him.

"If there were city walls blocking the way, that would be fine."

"The city wall has clearly been breached, leaving such a large gap! Yet you suffered such a crushing defeat!"

"Why is this happening?! You didn't underestimate us, did you?!"

An officer hurriedly responded:

"No! How could we possibly make such a basic mistake!"

The other officers chimed in, all saying things like, "We absolutely did not underestimate the enemy," and "We gave it our all."

Howell turned his sharp gaze and glared menacingly at the officer in front of him.

"What exactly is going on with your report? What do you mean by 'a samurai blocked our attack'?"

The other person swallowed hard, then said in a panicked and serious tone:

"I... I would never lie! There really was a young samurai wielding a black sword, incredibly strong! He single-handedly interrupted our attack!"

Another officer quickly added:

"I've also encountered a warrior with extraordinary skills! However, he wields a spear, and despite being a large, obese man, he moves as nimbly as a cat!"

"Shut up! I didn't tell you to speak! Until I tell you to open your mouths, all of you shut up!"

Upon hearing this, everyone fell silent, too terrified to utter another word.

He scolded, scolded, and scolded again... Halfway through his sentence, Howell's scolding was no longer a condemnation, but simply a venting of anger.

After a long while, Howell finally stopped talking because he was tired of cursing. He put his hands on his hips and breathed heavily.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Sa Daoyi stepped forward and said in a deep voice:

“Mr. Howell, please calm down. Getting angry won’t solve anything.”

"A head filled with anger cannot think normally."

"This battle concerns the future masters of Japan, as well as the British Empire's strategic layout in the Far East."

"The higher authorities attach great importance to this. They started planning for it as early as a year ago."

"For our own future, and for the British Empire behind us, we must win this battle!"

Sadao's persuasion made Howell's expression improve somewhat.

His facial expression changed dramatically, especially after hearing the phrase "for our own future."

“…Yes, Mr. Sadao, you’re right. Nothing is more important than ‘victory’ right now.”

After saying that, he turned his head and gazed at the distant city of Dajin.

"...I have to admit that I really underestimated the enemy. Although they are uncivilized natives, they are indeed quite capable."

Sadao moved to stand next to Howell and asked:

"Mr. Howell, what do you think we should do next?"

After a moment's thought, Howell lowered his voice:

"Since they excel at close combat, let's focus on shooting! Don't give them a chance to get close!"

……

……

The following day (the 8th day of the Battle of Otsu) —

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

More continuous artillery fire followed.

The whistling of countless shells heralded the arrival of the eighth day of the Battle of Otsu.

The walls on the north and east sides of Otsu Castle were already beyond repair.

Therefore, as soon as the firecrackers started today, the northern wall of Otsu Castle collapsed just like yesterday, exposing a brand new breach!

Inoue Genzaburo immediately led his soldiers out of their bunkers and forward to meet the enemy.

Outside the city walls, hundreds of British soldiers once again marched in perfect unison, slowly approaching the breach.

Inoue Genzaburo's counterattack formation was the same as yesterday's—musketeers in front, militiamen in the middle, and swordsmen at the rear.

However, unlike yesterday, he now commands a special long-range attack force—

“扔石头！”

At Inoue Genzaburo's command, countless stones rose up like locusts, streaking through the air in clean parabolas before plummeting towards the approaching British soldiers.

Besides bamboo spears, another weapon that the militiamen practiced diligently for was slingshots.

The sling is quite powerful and easy to use; it can be learned with a few simple practices. Like the bamboo spear, it is one of the most suitable weapons for militia.

The stone rain was quite powerful, but its effect was rather limited due to the distance.

Stand still, raise your gun, aim—yesterday's defeat seemed to have had no effect on the morale of the British soldiers, whose movements remained fluid and skillful.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

There's really nothing to say about the shooting duel between the two sides; it was simply a contest of perseverance and fighting spirit to see which side would give up first.

However... the British soldiers did not launch an early attack as they had the day before, but maintained a certain distance and unleashed wave after wave of bullets.

Upon seeing this, Inoue Genzaburo immediately guessed the other party's intention, and his face darkened.

"You've already figured out a countermeasure so quickly...?"

Sozo Sagara, Shintaro Toujou, and others also saw through the other side's intentions.

The soldiers in Dajin City were least afraid of hand-to-hand combat; in fact, they even hoped that the enemy would engage them in hand-to-hand combat.

Whether it was the sword masters led by Qing Deng or the tradition of emphasizing close combat, they all gave them the confidence to fight hand-to-hand with the enemy.

However, when the enemy stops approaching them and instead adopts a "barrage suppression" strategy, their lack of muskets and their less-than-stellar musket skills and tactics will become very apparent!

Inoue Genzaburo lowered his eyelids, frowned, and pondered whether to take the initiative to attack—since the enemy was unwilling to approach, he could only create an opportunity to get close!

Just as he was pondering this in secret—

Bang!

With the sound of a sharp weapon piercing flesh, he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his left leg.

He instinctively looked down—a stray bullet had struck his left leg! Crimson blood flowed straight out from the thumb-sized hole, instantly staining his trousers red!

In an instant, he felt everything go black before his eyes, and his body fell uncontrollably to the ground...

*******

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It's the end of the month again! This is the last month-end vote for this book, so if you have any monthly passes, please be sure to vote for it! (Crying leopard head.jpg)

Please vote with monthly tickets! Please vote with recommendation tickets! (Leopard crying.jpg)

P.S.: The Battle of Otsu is finally drawing to a close, and I can finally write about the final battle between Aoto and Ōtakemaru. A duel between swordsmen is definitely more interesting! (crying emoji)

Chapter 1184 Kondo Isami and Toudou Heisuke are shelled; Serizawa Kamo is hit by a bullet.

"Captain Inoue!"

Sagara Sozo immediately noticed that Inoue Genzaburo was injured. Without thinking, he rushed over and caught him just before he fell to the ground.

"I...I'm fine..."

"With this amount of bleeding, you don't look like you're alright."

As Sagara Sozo spoke in a deep voice, he deftly pulled a roll of burlap from his pocket and tied it tightly around Inoue Genzaburo's left thigh to slow the loss of blood.

The femoral artery is located inside the thigh. A ruptured femoral artery can cause massive bleeding, which is extremely dangerous!

Judging from the amount of bleeding, it was fortunate that the bullet did not sever Inoue Genzaburo's femoral artery or break his leg bone.

In such a fierce battlefield, being hit by stray bullets is commonplace; even a strongman like Inoue Genzaburo would find it difficult to protect himself.

Although the bleeding is not yet dangerous, it should not be underestimated. Without immediate treatment, there is still a risk to her life!

Sagara Sozo turned to look at a soldier next to him:

"Quickly take Captain Inoue to the rear!"

Without daring to delay, the other party nodded solemnly and hurriedly carried Inoue Genzaburo on their backs, then turned and ran away.

"Wait... I can't leave yet..."

Inoue Genzaburo struggled on the soldier's back, wanting to stay on the front line, but the weakness caused by massive blood loss left him with no strength left to even speak loudly.

After watching Inoue Genzaburo leave, Sagara Sozo turned his gaze away, staring intently at the British soldiers still unleashing a barrage of bullets in the distance.

Suddenly, a loud shout rang out:

"Damn it! Let's fight them!"

A militiaman raised his sword high, charged out of the ranks, and pounced on the enemy lines with overwhelming momentum!

His bravery inspired the others.

"There's nothing to be afraid of!"

"The enemy's reload time is very slow! As long as you rush fast enough, you won't get hit!"

"Go on!"

In the blink of an eye, a dozen militiamen followed closely behind, shouting and running, swarming towards the British soldiers' gun barrels!