The alert Maori warrior suddenly hugged the surprised Hojo Takahiro and threw him backwards. The fall almost knocked him unconscious. When he got up with a curse, he found that the samurai who threw him had died, and a bow arrow
I don't know when his armor was pierced into the back of his neck. If you look carefully, even the throat chakra in front was pierced. Yin Hong's blood flowed to his body along the shining cast iron arrow, staining the fabric of the array.
A piece of blood red.
"So much strength, such a strong bow and arrow!" How could Hojo Takahiro not be frightened by such a bow skill? Thinking back carefully about the short moment, he seemed to remember that he just saw a black dot flying towards him at a high speed, but he didn't pay attention to this small detail at the time.
, only now that I think about it, I feel the true horror.
The death-like soul-chasing arrow seemed to be replaying in his mind like a nightmare, as if the sharp arrow had penetrated into his head and taken away his life. The blood in his body seemed to be flowing still, unconsciously.
My middle and back were soaked with sweat.
"This is what I'm afraid of! I'm so scared that I'm shaking all over. This is the first time!" He took a deep breath to relieve his overly nervous mood. This was not the first time that he had experienced fighting on the battlefield. He had also been in several deadly battles.
He used the method of dying together to kill several enemies, and he was always the one who won in the end. Every time he fought hard, he won with slight injuries, and he has never failed until now.
But this time, he suddenly felt that his tried-and-tested courage and luck seemed to be a bit unworkable. The panic was followed by endless shame and anger. Hojo Takahiro jumped up and yelled crazily: "Fight back! Definitely."
We need to repel Kira's army! Don't just stay there and shoot!"
"Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu..." The shrill conch sounded, which was the horn from Yamashita Kira's army charging. The military drum also sounded, and the rhythmic drums seemed to urge the samurai to go into battle. The Kira family's cavalry relied on their strong bows.
The excellent advantage of armor is that he can stand outside the range of the arrow and shoot the Maori warriors who dare to show up.
The civilian husbands who had no sense of protection were immediately dealt a devastating blow. Dozens of unlucky people were killed in an instant. There were still a few civilian husbands who were lucky or unlucky and were not shot to death. They covered their chests and screamed for help: "I
I’m hit by an arrow! Come and save me! I think I can use some more treatment! Don’t give up on me!”
"Asshole!" Hojo Takahiro finally remembered his duty, recovered from the shock, and immediately gave the order: "Let the civilians withdraw, don't waste time! Throw the injured directly!"
"Yes!" After receiving the order from the family governor, these warriors no longer hesitated and kicked down the acquaintance who had been joking just now. The screams, beatings and curses were heard endlessly, and they watched their injured companions jump from the high arrow sculls.
He fell down and stopped moving after a few struggles, causing a commotion among the civilians who had fled to the city.
"Fight back!" With an order, hundreds of arrows shot out. Compared with the Kira army's upward attack, they had the advantage of height difference. Even if the bamboo and wooden bows were not powerful and the arrows did not have tail feathers to stabilize their flight paths, they could still make the arrows fly.
They accurately flew to the red-armored cavalry under the city.
"Ding ding ding..." The horseback warriors carrying two Ashikaga flags and two flags laughed loudly. After listening carefully, they realized that it was the sound of the collision of armor and arrows. When the Maori warriors on the city did not react,
, with a whistle, all the knights on horseback dispersed and left in different directions.
The three warriors standing on the arrow scull were stunned for a moment. One of the young warriors wondered: "How did they escape?"
Another older warrior sighed: "Stop talking! Look at what is right in front of you, and you will understand it all."
At this time, groups of black-armored warriors had arrived at the city. They did not rush to attack, but spread out to partially surround Hojo Castle. Seeing this formation, even Hojo Takahiro began to feel frightened. The Kira family
His siege did not follow a routine at all, and no one knew what move he would make next. This fear of the unknown made him feel very powerless.
Soon he also noticed the fearful and uneasy expressions of his subordinate samurai, so he quickly changed his expression and shouted: "What are you afraid of? Don't forget that Hojo Castle has never been attacked in a hundred years! Cheer up!"
!”
"Lord! You should go back first! It's too dangerous here!" Hojo Takahiro did not continue to insist. The main crank still had his family members, so he hurriedly left after explaining a few words.
At this time, Nanjo Castle was also attacked at the same time. Nagao Kage Company led 800 Ashigaru and 200 cavalry as the main branch of this branch city with only 300 people. He knew that his duty was to contain it. Of course, Hojo Yoshihiro in the city must also
Like him, neither side has a strong will to attack. They simply test a few waves and then stop to confront each other. Before the winner is determined on the main battlefield, it is meaningless no matter how fierce they fight.
In the Kira army's main formation at the foot of the mountain, Kira Yoshiki repelled the retainers who were trying to put down the formation, waved the military equipment in his hands, and shouted: "Now, the whole army attacks! Break Hojo Castle!"
Takigawa Masushige led 500 iron cannon ashigaru and strode forward. They stopped 30 yards away from Hojo Castle and took out the rifles they were carrying. The defensive power of this kind of wooden board must be worse than the Fujiki shield.
It's an order of magnitude more, but the advantage is that it can be made very large. It can be made into a simple bunker by matching it with the groove on the rifle and using one or two wooden sticks to support it. It is the best defense method against archery teams without iron cannons.
Ashigaru Banto Nomura Naotaka stood at the forefront. He was the first samurai to install the lead bullet primer. His team was also the fastest team in the iron cannon competition. One shot in 20 seconds ranked first among the ten.
When he, the last iron cannon in the squad, raised the iron cannon in his hand, there was only two seconds left before he aimed at the arrows on both sides of the Otemon gate, and shouted loudly: "Target arrows, shoot!
"
"Bang bang bang..."
The crackling iron cannons brought up billowing white gunpowder smoke, which shook the Maori samurai on the top of the city. This kind of fire stick-like thing had never been seen in the remote areas of Echigo, and there was a sudden explosion.
The smoke made them think it was some new type of firecracker.
The next moment they paid a heavy price for their stupidity and ignorance. A hundred rounds of lead bullets locked onto two small arrow sculls, covering them with an unimaginable round of firepower from a distance of fifty meters.
All the wooden planks were shattered, broken wood splinters were flying everywhere, and the entire building was under fire from nearly fifty rounds of bullets.
This group of Maori samurai, who had never seen an iron cannon, expected to survive the Kira family's attack by hiding in arrows and oars. They did not realize how terrifyingly powerful this iron cannon was, and they fell to the ground before they had time to react.
Death, a group of warriors hiding under the arrow oars could only watch helplessly as their companions were beaten into tattered bloody gourds.
Some unlucky souls had their heads blown off, and blood sprayed high all over their bodies. Their tattered corpses fell from a high altitude, and within a short time of hitting the ground, a pool of dark red blood stained with flesh and blood was formed.
"Victory!" The iron artillery team in front burst into enthusiastic cheers. This round of volley killed more than a dozen warriors and also damaged two important arrows and oars. Such a brilliant record also greatly boosted morale.
.
"The iron artillery team is on standby, and the archery team is responsible for suppressing the Maori army on the mountain!" Orders were quickly issued. The person in charge of writing was Matsui Nobuyuki. His arithmetic and calligraphy talents were very good, and he also participated in the Kira family's rituals.
It is reasonable for Yoshihiro Kira to be responsible for writing in the future.
On Hojo Castle, another group of unwilling warriors got into the arrow oars, and then the iron cannons that had been waiting for a long time exploded. A burst of smoke dissipated, and the arrow oars had become a Shura field with blood flowing everywhere.
Qing hurriedly fired arrows to fight back, but the distance was too far and he couldn't reach the iron artillery team.
Not to mention that there were infantry blocks in front of them that were completely blocked. The archery teams standing on both sides of the iron artillery team also showed their power and called out the ashigaru who dared to show their heads. In less than two rounds, dozens of people were killed or injured.
The person on the other side was also pressed so hard that he couldn't even lift his head.
"Have you prepared those things?"
"Everything is ready!" Honda said in a low voice.
"Then use it. It's a quick victory. There's still a tail to clean up behind."
"Yes!" Several people who were standing nearby got on their horses and told his generals.
After a while, a group of ashigaru wearing black armor rushed out of the formation pushing a flatbed truck. The flatbed truck was covered with a layer of straw mats. The defenders on the top of the city were confused about what they were doing, but they still hurriedly ordered an immediate counterattack.
, for a moment the arrows splashed down as if they were free, falling on the pair of ashigaru armors, the vine shields and the straw mat.
Of course, the Kira family was not unprepared. The 500 Iron Cannon Team and the 500 Heavy Fuji Bow Team were each divided into five teams to take turns shooting. None of the Maori soldiers who dared to take the lead could survive. The soil on both sides was full of bullet holes.
And arrows, in this less than half an hour of confrontation alone, more than fifty Maori samurai died on the front line, and hundreds of Ashigaru were killed and injured. For the entire Maori Hojo family, it was equivalent to one-third of the death in battle.
As a retainer, this loss is not insignificant.
The two arrow oars standing on both sides of the Otome Gate have become a veritable place of death. Anyone who dares to climb up will be killed without exception. The wooden poles in front of the arrow oars are completely smashed into pieces by the fierce firepower, and even
The baffle behind the arrow oar was also beaten to pieces, and the other side can be seen from outside the city.
The Maori samurai in Hojo Castle did not expect that the Kira army would have such powerful firepower. They were all shocked, including Takahiro Hojo. Hojo Takamasa stammered: "It is said that the Nanman people brought them to Tanegashima
One is called an iron cannon. Is this the iron cannon of the Southern Barbarians? It’s really terrifying.”
"If you use this kind of weapon, you will be despised by gods and Buddhas! It's so cruel!" Hojo Gaoding couldn't help it anymore. Seeing that his relatives and friends were killed one by one by iron cannons, and the death was miserable,
Red and yellow splattered everywhere. Such a barbaric weapon was more terrifying than beheading. No wonder he cursed randomly.
"What should we do? Can we hold on if we continue to fight like this?" Everyone looked at Hojo Takahiro, but he was still silent at this time. Hojo Takamasa anxiously pulled his brother, "If we continue to fight like this, the samurai will not be able to withstand it.
, the Ashigaru will also hide, and their morale is completely gone! You should think of a solution quickly!"
"wait!"
"Wait?" Everyone was stunned when they heard this.
"Yes! Just wait! Wait for the reinforcements from Odagiri Damasa! That's all! The rest is up to you!" Hojo Takahiro had lost the courage to rush out of Otemon and fight to the death, and left the evaluation room after leaving a few words in a hurry.
His negative stance immediately aroused a burst of dissatisfied complaints: "We had promised to join forces to fight against the Nagatail, and then jointly send troops to carve up the entire Echigo, but how did it end up like this! Those who promised to
Where are the rebel allies? Didn’t Usami Sadamitsu promise well? Why is there no sound?"
The more he talked, the more angry he became. Another samurai said angrily: "Why did so many of us die? The main hall is not kind to our Maori family, so why should we rebel? Wasn't it good before?"
"Stop talking! Our Maori family has already collected two hundred taels of gold from the Takeda family, and there is no way out for everyone!" Hojo Gaodada gritted his teeth and said: "There is only one battle! The army that can survive Odagiri Tansei will come to save us.
!”
A knight with tattered armor stumbled in. When he saw everyone, he shouted for help: "It's not good! Otemon is burning! It's such a big fire, we can't put it out at all!"
"What?" More than a dozen warriors all jumped up at the same time and rushed out anxiously. They saw a thick smoke billowing in the direction of Otemon, and red flames jumping high. The fire not only burned the Otemon, but also burned the two gates.
The arrow oars on the side and nearby wooden structures were all ignited. Hundreds of ashigaru people did not care about defending the city and hurriedly carried wooden buckets to the well to fetch water to put out the fire.
But their actions are destined to be of no use. The pile of dry firewood stained with rosin, grease, sulfur, and saltpeter outside the gate has already turned into a rolling flame. Before the flame is extinguished, any effort to put out the fire will be useless.
It's a useless effort, even a small bucket can't put out such a huge fire.
"Oops, if Otemon is burned down, won't we have no chance to defend it?" The tiger's mouth in front of the main turning wheel of Hojo Castle can't stop the fierce attack of Kira's army. According to this method of attack, it only takes a few rounds of iron cannons to defeat it.
Get the door and smash it into pieces, so that they don't have to stay up till nightfall before they all die here.
"The morale of the military has been messed up! What should we do?"
"Yes! What should we do?" Hojo Couture and Hojo Takamasa looked at each other and said with a bitter smile: "I can only go to my brother to make a decision."
At the same time, Kira Jun has clearly seen all these changes. Honda Toki said in a very relaxed tone: "The samurai can't suppress the Ashigaru. They themselves have begun to be in chaos. It won't take long.
Is it time for Kaicheng to surrender?"
"Report!" An Iga ninja in charge of sentinel hurried to the front of the formation, bowed and saluted: "Master! Two-quarters of an hour ago, an army of more than 500 people appeared in the northeast.
Two miles away, we are currently heading towards Hojo Castle, and we expect to arrive within a quarter of an hour. It looks like the flag mark is not from Echigo."
"Oh? Coming so fast?" Kira Yoshihi smiled slightly, and after a little estimation of the time, marching speed, and marching route, he ordered: "Let them hurry up and don't let the cavalry take the lead in the end! Let Jinglian
The palace will transfer two hundred cavalry to assist our cavalry in attacking."
"Yes!" Iga Ninja quietly retreated. (To be continued.)
