On the walls of Red Moon Fortress, due to Chanup's arrangements and dispatches, the number of sentries doubled.
The "flame" that Chanup ignited in his speech three days ago is still burning in the hearts of many tribesmen.
Many people were filled with indignation.
Many people are ready to try.
Many people are determined to defend their homes.
Almost all the tribesmen standing guard on the city wall had their eyes wide open, staring at the shogunate army outside the city, afraid of missing any movement in the military camp outside the city.
At this moment, a young man with better eyesight suddenly raised his hand and pointed south, then shouted loudly:
"Look! There's movement!"
His loud shout immediately drew the attention of everyone around him to the south.
The movement was not from the military camp that was blocking the only way out of their Red Moon Fortress.
It's the southern skyline.
All the tribesmen standing guard on the city wall saw a nightmare-like scene outside the city: black "streams" kept emerging from the southern skyline - these were countless Japanese soldiers.
They were like a black wave, constantly splashing from the horizon, and merged with the army that completed the siege of their Red Moon Fortress three days ago.
"It's Kazuto's...new unit..." Someone was whispering, with obvious nervousness and a hint of fear in his tone.
…
…
About half an hour later——
Shogunate Army, Commander-in-Chief's Camp——
"...I understand the details." Inamori's tone was neither sad nor happy. "Katsura, in other words, that Ogata Ittosai escaped?"
"Yes..." Gui Yizheng lowered his head in shame, "Lord Inamori, please punish me for my incompetence..."
Inside the commander-in-chief's tent, the generals of the First Army and the generals of the Second Army gathered together again.
At this moment, it was just like that moment: the generals of the two armies met again, just like the last time they met, the generals of the First Army all lowered their heads, and the generals of the Second Army cast strange looks at the generals of the First Army.
This time, the generals of the First Army buried their heads even lower than last time.
Inamori closed his eyes and let out a long breath:
"We and Ogata Ittosai...are really destined to be together..."
On the night of the 3rd, Katsura Yoshimasa was dumbfounded after being suddenly attacked by Ogata and allowing Ogata to successfully break out of the blockade of their First Army.
No, to be more precise, all the generals of the First Army were dumbfounded.
They were dumbfounded as to why Ogata came again.
They were dumbfounded that Ogata actually rushed out of their camp.
They were dumbfounded by Ogata's skills...
After the war, when Gui Yizheng was counting and listening to the battle situation, he was dumbfounded.
Listening to the reports of the generals who tried to intercept Ogata but failed - especially when listening to Kuroda's report, Katsura Yoshimasa had only one thought: Is this the "legend" who is still alive...
Ogata's attack this time, like the last time, did not cause much trauma to the First Army, but it further increased the psychological shadow area in the hearts of the generals and soldiers...
After the battle, while counting the casualties, Katsura Yoshimasa sent a fast horse to pass the news to Inamori, who was leading the Second Army behind them and had not yet arrived at the Red Moon Fortress.
The fast horses arrived at Inamori's camp late at night the day before.
After completing the meeting with the First Army this morning, Inamori immediately and aggressively asked the generals of the First Army headed by Katsura Yoshimasa to come to the commander-in-chief's tent to discuss matters. He wanted to ask in detail about the details of "Ogata coming again".
The narration of Gui Yizheng and others lasted for nearly half an hour - it finally ended just now.
"Lord Inamori! Please punish me!" Katsura Yoshimasa loudly repeated what he had just said.
Many generals of the Second Army looked at Gui Yizheng with gloating expressions at this time.
"...We'll discuss the punishment later." Inamori said in a deep voice, "Rather than punishing you, it's better to use this time to think carefully about why Ogata Ittosai came to your First Army again."
"Could it be..." At this time, a general sitting opposite to Keiyoshi asked, "Did you do something again... to anger Ogata Ittosai?"
It is basically certain that Ogata Ittosai's last attack on the First Army was because Mogami Yoshihisa injured one of Ogata Ittosai's female companions.
This time, Ogata Ittosai once again approached the First Army... It is hard not to wonder whether Katsura Yoshimasa and others have done something to offend Ogata Ittosai again.
"No! Absolutely not!" Gui Yizhen immediately shouted.
After shouting loudly, Katsura Yoshimasa turned his attention back to Inamori.
"Lord Inamori! We suspect that Ogata Ittosai is most likely just trying to escape!"
"When Ogata Ittosai attacked our military camp, the gate of the Red Moon Fortress was opened."
"After that, Ogata Ittosai broke into our camp and rushed southwards."
"We suspect that Ogata Ittosai just wanted to escape."
"He stayed in Red Moon Fortress for some reason."
"After seeing the shogunate's army, he thought that staying in the Red Moon Fortress would lead to his death, so he fled in a hurry."
As Gui Yizheng finished speaking, many generals and soldiers in the tent nodded slightly in agreement.
But at this moment, a very calm voice suddenly sounded:
"But it could also be that he was going to get help."
Everyone in the tent turned their heads to look at the owner of the voice—Matsudaira Sadanobu who was sitting next to Inamori.
"Call for help..." Gui Yizheng hesitated.
"Is there such a possibility?" Matsudaira Sadanobu said calmly, "Ogata Ittosai needs to fight alongside the barbarians of the Red Moon Fortress for some reason. The reason why he rushed all the way south three days ago was to get reinforcements from outside."
"What reinforcements can Ogata Ittosai bring?" a certain general asked, "Is there anyone willing and capable of rescuing the barbarians in the Red Moon Fortress?"
"I don't know about that." Matsudaira Sadanobu said frankly, "I'm just stating a possibility."
“But I think this possibility cannot be ignored.”
"…Master Rochu is right." Inamori, who had been silent from the beginning, said in a deep voice, "No matter why Ogata Ittosai attacked the First Army, he should have a connection with the Red Moon Fortress."
“No matter what kind of connection Ogata Ittosai has with the Red Moon Fortress, and no matter why Ogata Ittosai attacked the First Army camp, what we have to do remains unchanged - take down the Red Moon Fortress as quickly as possible!”
"As long as we take over the Red Moon Fortress as quickly as possible, we won't be afraid even if Ogata Ittosai goes to get reinforcements!"
Inamori's last shout changed the atmosphere in the commander's tent. The generals of the First Army, who had been keeping their heads down, now raised their heads one after another.
"Let's put aside the matter of Ogata Ittosai for now."
"Now—let's get down to business."
Inamori gently shook the military uniform in his hand.
"In the past three days, those barbarians have not opened their cities to surrender, so their attitude is very clear." Daosen looked around at the generals around him, "Since these barbarians are stubborn and unyielding, let's make them face reality."
"Katsura." Inamori turned his gaze to Katsura Yoshimasa who was standing beside him.
Gui Yizheng, who was suddenly called, shuddered and hurriedly responded, "Yes."
"I will give you, the First Army, a chance to atone for your sins."
"Half an hour later, I decided to launch a tentative attack on the Red Moon Fortress."
"This exploratory attack is the responsibility of your First Army."
"Fight a good battle and prove to me that your First Army is not in a constant state of defeat."
After hearing what Inamori said, Katsuragi was stunned for a moment, then shouted loudly with ecstasy on his face:
"yes!"
…
…
Red Moon Fortress, on the outer wall——
"It's really astonishing..." Looking at the Japanese army outside the city, Reitannoe's face darkened uncontrollably, "It's boundless... How many people are there..."
"...According to my estimation, it should be more than 7,000 and less than 10,000." Chanup on the side responded softly.
Reitannoe: "So... most of the Kazuto troops are here..."
When the tribesmen standing guard on the city wall discovered that new Japanese troops had appeared outside the city, they immediately reported the news to Chanup.
While Chanup was rushing to the city wall to check the situation, he quickly gave an order: everyone should be prepared for battle.
Accompanying Chanup to climb the city wall to check the situation was the second-in-command of their Red Moon Fortress, Retannoe.
After the two men climbed onto the city wall, their faces darkened, as if they had rehearsed the action in advance.
Not to mention the Ainu people who basically lived a peaceful life, even the Japanese had never seen such a large army of nearly 10,000 people in this peaceful era.
However - although Chanup and Retannoe's faces both sank, there was no trace of fear on their faces.
"The Japanese army is basically all here," Retannoy said slowly, "It wouldn't be surprising if they launch an attack at any time."
Having said this, Reitannoe paused as if he remembered something.
Then, with a helpless expression, he asked Chanup in a half-joking tone:
"Chanoup, since you once lived in the 'Heren Land' for a period of time when you were young, did you really not learn some fighting methods during that time?"
"At that time, I focused all my energy on broadening my horizons." Chanup gave a faint bitter smile, "I didn't learn how to fight with others."
"...Tsk." Reitannoe curled his lips, "It's really annoying... The only thing we lack now is someone who knows how to defend a fortress like this..."
In the past three days, everyone led by Chanup has been preparing for the battle intensively.
During the preparation process, they also discovered their biggest shortcoming.
That is - they lack people who know how to fight this kind of "city defense battle".
The Ainu people had previously been living a life of fishing and hunting and had no idea what city walls were.
When it comes to field combat, they have some experience.
But when faced with the "city defense war", they were completely blind...
Therefore - although Chanup and his men quickly discovered their shortcomings, their timely discovery was of no use. After all, they could not conjure up a person who knew how to fight a "city defense battle" out of thin air.
"...We have done everything we can." Chanup said softly, "Next - we will just leave it to fate."
Boom boom boom…
As if it was hit on the spot.
As soon as Chanup's voice fell, a strange sound suddenly rang out outside the city. The sound was like the muffled sound of thunder - it was the sound of the Shogunate army starting to move.
Outside the city, countless shogunate soldiers filed out of the military camp and gathered in the open space between the Red Moon Fortress and the military camp.
The sound they made as they marched out of the camp made Chanup and Retannoe, who were standing on the city wall, feel the ground tremble slightly.
"…Retannoy."
Chanup said in a calm tone.
"Help me inform everyone - prepare for battle."
…
…
First Army, Main Camp——
The First Army had already formed up in the open space between the Red Moon Fortress and the military camp, with its main formation located in the center of the formation.
Inside the main camp, Gui Yi rode on his warhorse, holding a military uniform, and looked at the Red Moon Fortress in the distance.
As he was looking at the Red Moon Fortress from afar, he regained his confidence and high spirits as he had not been since the "second attack" by Ogata.
For the past three days, Gui Yizheng has been feeling uneasy - he is worried about how Inamori will punish them for having lost face again after they meet up with him.
Because he had been feeling uneasy, when he learned that Inamori was willing to give them a chance to atone for their crimes, and that the way to do so was to let their First Army take the lead in the attack, Katsura Yoshimasa's mood... could be said to be so excited that it was difficult to describe in words.
"Lord Gui."
At this moment, Kuroda's voice suddenly sounded from behind Katsura Yoshimasa.
Kuroda walked quickly towards Katsura Yoshimasa and continued to shout to him loudly:
"All the generals are here."
"Okay." Gui Yizhen nodded, then turned over and got off the horse, looking behind him.
Behind Gui Yizheng, all the senior generals of the First Army had gathered together and formed a small square formation - Qiuyue, who had been recuperating from his injuries and had recovered a lot, was also among them.
"Everyone." Gui Yizheng moved his eyes, letting his gaze slide across the faces of the generals in front of him one by one, "You should know what this battle means to us without me explaining it in detail."
All the generals had serious expressions on their faces, and they looked as if they were united in their hatred of the enemy.
"This battle will save our reputation!"
Gui Yizheng suddenly raised his voice volume and pitch.
"This battle is the one that can restore our honor!"
"Let the rest of the soldiers see what we are capable of!"
"Let the barbarians in the fortress see how foolish they are to try to resist. Let them see how powerful our warriors are!"
Gui Yizheng raised the military uniform in his hand high: "Hey——! Hey——!"
"Oh——!" All the generals, including Kuroda, shouted in unison.
Katsura Yizheng: “Eh——! Eh——!”
Generals: “Oh——!”
Originally, the generals just said "Oh!" after Katsura Yoshimasa shouted "Eh! Eh!"
But this cry was like a highly contagious virus and spread quickly.
First, the soldiers near the main camp began to shout along.
Then, soldiers from further away began to follow closely.
Finally - all the officers and soldiers of the 1st Army shouted in unison.
Katsura Yizheng: “Eh——! Eh——!”
All the generals and soldiers: "Oh——!!"
Katsura Yizheng: “Eh——! Eh——!”
All the generals and soldiers: "Oh——!!"
…
The sound waves created by their shouts in unison pressed towards the Red Moon Fortress with overwhelming force.
Faced with wave after wave of noise, although everyone was trying their best to suppress it, fear and panic still appeared on most people's faces involuntarily.
After Gui Yizheng kept shouting until his throat became hoarse, he turned towards the Red Moon Fortress and swung the military equipment in his hand downwards.
"Blow the conch shell!"
"attack!!"
…
…
Woo! Woo! Woo! Woo!
The conch horns were blown one after another, resounding through the sky.
The soldiers of the First Army, who were arranged in a tight formation, split into dozens of "streams" and rushed towards the Red Moon Fortress after the conch horn sounded.
The sound of people swallowing saliva due to nervousness and panic could be heard one after another on the inner and outer walls of the Red Moon Fortress.
But at this moment——
"For thousands of years, we, the Ainu, have been defeated in battle after battle!"
Chanup's voice suddenly rang out on the inner city wall.
Everyone focused their attention on the tall figure.
"If anyone wants any of our land, they can take it!"
"If others take one step forward, we can only take one step back! We keep losing land!"
"I can't remember how many hundreds of years ago it was that we, the Ainu, last managed to keep our land from the Japanese!"
"but--"
Chanup shouted with all his strength.
"Even if we have been defeated for a thousand years, we will never lose the courage to face a strong enemy!"
"If we win this battle, it will be the first time in hundreds of years that we, the Ainu, have successfully stopped the Japanese army! We must defend our land!"
"This small piece of land under our feet is insignificant compared to the vast land that has been taken away from us by the Japanese for thousands of years!"
"But this will also be our brilliant blow!!"
As Chanup’s shout fell, some of the tribesmen closest to Chanup shouted loudly: “Ohh ...
Then, the same "infection" as the First Army just now appeared.
More and more people followed suit and shouted.
The shouts of the Ainu people on the city wall were no less than those of the First Army just now.
Amid the wave of cheers, Chanup raised the spear in his hand and pointed it at the jackals that were rushing towards them outside the city.
"Attack!"
…
…
The third year of Kansei.
Edo Shogunate vs. Red Moon Fortress.
Or rather: Japanese vs. Ainu
The battle for Red Moon Fortress - Begin!