The blue sky was stained with black dots. By the time the forces of Azoff, who had been idly filling their ships with liquor and food while rolling around in beds, realized something was amiss, it was already too late.
“What, what is this?! Where did these bastards come from─.”
Bang!
A single gunshot sent a bulky figure crashing to the ground. It was incredibly easy to distinguish between the enemy and innocent locals held captive.
As if to prove they weren’t from the island, their hair was heavily salt-streaked.
In an instant, the cries of mourning from the residents of the port were drowned out by gunfire. The Azoff thugs who were loading their loot onto their ships were powerless against the overwhelming assault raining down from the sky.
Enemies are falling from the sky. And what on earth is that ship floating behind them?
Or rather, is it even a ship? After all, how could a ship possibly navigate the skies?
No one who could survive the relentless barrage of bullets pelting down like rain existed.
“Attack, it’s an attack! Cough!?!”
“Demons! Black-winged demons have arrived!! From the sky!!”
“Save me, save meee─!!!”
Chaos reigned. Imagine seeing flying soldiers for the first time, and then realizing those soldiers are seizing the sky and firing guns.
The scene looked like the black-winged demons worshipped in Azoff’s local folk religion. With that image firmly planted, the Azoff forces that had so arrogantly taken control of the port began throwing away their weapons and fleeing.
And naturally, those fleeing troops became excellent targets for the subsequent platoon descending from the sky.
Lieutenant Eugene Gilbert, commanding the 4th Platoon, calmly shouldered his rifle and pulled the trigger.
Bang!
A jet of fire spewed from the muzzle of the latest infantry weapon of the Breton Allied Kingdoms, the Anphil M1 light rifle, and the fleeing man toppled over instantly.
By now, killing people was something Eugene had become sickeningly familiar with. This wasn’t true just for Eugene as platoon leader but for everyone else as well.
A total of fifty men. The members of the 4th Platoon skillfully exchanged glances and communicated through gestures, landing safely at Maniopol’s port. A swift introduction followed, and they joined up with Claude’s 3rd Platoon, which had already secured the area.
“Commander Claude!”
“The road leading from the port is secured. Please maintain the harbor defense line with the 4th Platoon.”
“What are your plans for the 3rd Platoon?”
“We’ll push deep into their territory. To keep them guessing about our size.”
Even with the 8th Aerial Mage Infantry Combat Unit, they were clearly at a disadvantage compared to a regiment-level force.
At least two thousand strong. On their side, only three hundred men in total.
Raids and surprise attacks must overwhelm the enemy before they can even gather their wits. That way, their judgment becomes clouded, and the enemy grows increasingly anxious, making mistakes.
Similarly, the success or failure of this operation hinges on causing the enemy to “misjudge.” Enok Revendale designated Claude’s 3rd Platoon as the spearhead unit responsible for breaking through.
– Penetrate deep into the enemy’s core and apply pressure according to your own judgment. I’ll take full responsibility for all decisions.
– You’d better stick to that.
Moreover, this was Azoff. A decade-long string of terrible grudges. To settle that score, Claude had every reason to be the first to cut their throats and tear more Azoff men apart.
Enok and Josef knew full well that Claude had become fanatically obsessed with hunting down Azoff. Whether this consideration they gave him could truly be called care was debatable, but from Claude’s perspective, it certainly felt that way.
If you receive consideration, you ought to meet those expectations.
“3rd Platoon, advance to the 1200 mark. Sweep away every Azoff soldier you see.”
“3rd Platoon! Charge!!!”
“Charge─!!!”
With battle cries ringing out.
The sharpest blade of the 8th Aerial Mage Infantry Combat Unit began its charge.
*
Meanwhile.
Just as the one-sided retreat of Azoff continued at Maniopol’s port, reconnaissance teams confirmed the arrival of the main force and commenced full-scale operations.
“Miss Arwen, please gather as many citizens as possible and lead them to the eastern side of the city. If you join up with our main force, you will be much safer.”
“A-Alright…!”
Though they had only met a few hours earlier, Arwen Lezanchef had come to fully trust the soldier before her.
After all, they had landed right in the heart of enemy territory, with barely ten men. Yet they showed no signs of anxiety or unease.
Calmly assessing the situation, conducting reconnaissance, and guiding the gathered citizens to safety.
Her initial impression was that they were officers due to their calm and flexible decision-making. But when she learned Rick Hanson was actually a non-commissioned officer (NCO), Arwen couldn’t help but be doubly surprised.
An NCO? Weren’t the NCOs she’d seen in her father’s unit all pot-bellied and utterly lacking in intelligence?
That made her trust them even more.
If these individuals were so different from ordinary soldiers, surely they could save the city from this hellish situation.
“Captain Rick, the artillery sounds are getting closer. We’ve also identified signals indicating the operation is ongoing.”
“This is the perfect timing.”
Rick nodded to Arwen. They had managed to secure over fifty civilians. Though they needed to join the main force, leaving these people behind was not an option.
“Let’s move.”
However, there was one fact that the nearly flawless Rick, acting as a pathfinder, failed to foresee.
“What, what the hell are these guys?! Where did they suddenly appear from!?”
The city was in near-complete chaos. Completely caught off guard, the Azoff forces were impossible to properly control.
Although the battalion commander ordered a rally at the town hall, in a situation where those orders couldn’t be heard, they were essentially meaningless.
Thus, the Azoff forces were scattered throughout the city in confusion. Even the most seasoned reconnaissance team couldn’t possibly know about every single soldier hiding indoors.
“Here! There are enemies here!!”
Bang!! Bang!! Bang!!
Rick Hanson’s g*n quickly spat fire, and the other reconnaissance team members began firing almost simultaneously.
“Kghh!!”
“Aaah!”
Unfortunately, two Azoff soldiers became casualties immediately, but the sound of gunfire reverberating through the entire street was beyond anyone’s control.
“There’s gunfire over there!”
“Enemies!”
d*mn.
We’ve been spotted.
“Quickly inside the building! Odell, Anette, get the people to take cover inside! Brooks, give them a taste of your ice magic!”
“Okay!!”
After Rick swiftly made his decision, a stream of blue mana flowed from Brooks’ hand, the sole mage of the reconnaissance team.
The basic blue magic, Freeze Blade.
When the sharp ice pierced the abdomen of one of the soldiers crawling like an ant into the alleyway, the others retreated hastily as if they’d seen a ghost.
“A mage! These bastards have a mage!”
“We need to call our own sorcerers!”
Thanks to this, they managed to buy some time, but the dire situation remained unchanged. Unfortunately, the house they entered for concealment wasn’t large enough, and worst of all, it lacked a back door.
Having rushed inside without securing proper escape routes left them in a precarious position.
“Brooks, can you break through the back wall?”
“Nope. The support structure is too weak. If we mess it up, the whole building might collapse.”
“Captain, the enemy is circling around from multiple directions!”
Despite setting up defensive positions at windows, doors, and broken boards, it was clear they were vastly outnumbered. They had too few defenders for too many people to protect.
It’s impossible for all fifty to escape quickly.
But if it were just the ten reconnaissance team members… they might be able to break through the flimsy encirclement. Including Arwen, the key person, they might just barely manage to escape.
…
Rick glanced at the civilians with this thought in mind.
“Waaah, Mom! I’m scared!!”
“It’s okay, dear… brave soldiers will protect us…”
Elderly people, women, children.
Would Azoff leave such pure innocents unharmed? And even if they managed to escape, would abandoning them truly be the right choice?
Rick Hanson bit his lip hard. There was no room for hesitation. He couldn’t abandon innocent civilians, even at the cost of his own life.
What difference would that make from being one of the Azoff bastards?
‘There’s no telling how many enemies there are… but we can’t keep fighting forever.’
Ultimately, the chosen method was absolute defense.
“All units, draw your swords! Starting now, use furniture to build barriers to protect the civilians! We’re holding our ground here!”
Determination flashed in the eyes of the reconnaissance team. Their role as pathfinders had been successfully completed. So be it. Now their remaining mission was to fully protect the suffering citizens of Maniopol.
Upon hearing Rick’s words, both civilians and reconnaissance team members began dragging furniture. They tipped over wardrobes to create barriers, stacking chairs and dining tables on top.
Jewelry and trinkets spilled out as drawers were emptied, but no one paid them any attention. In a situation where lives hung in the balance, how could such trivial things catch anyone’s eye?
Just as the makeshift defenses were somewhat prepared,
“k*ll them!! They’re rats trapped in a cage!!”
Bang!!!
Before they could prepare, the enemy’s assault began. A b*llet narrowly grazed past Rick Hanson’s ear, sending shivers down his spine.
Bang, Bang!! Bang!!
Still, they didn’t stop retaliating. Guns were almost hoisted against the windows as triggers were pulled repeatedly. The sound of air tearing filled the ears incessantly.
“Reload!!”
“Captain, cover me!! Hurry!!”
As one soldier hiding behind cover stood up to provide cover,
Bang!
A chilling gunshot filled the building with a horrific scream.
“Ghhhaaaaak!! My arm!! My arm!!!”
“Leon!!”
“You bastards!!”
Bang! Bang!!
There was no telling if they were hitting their targets accurately. Every time someone peeked outside to check, countless bullets embedded themselves into the rear walls.
How many enemies have surrounded us?
“Rick! Cover me while I cast a spell!!”
“Coveringgggggghhhh!!!”
Rick roared and raised his head. Clang!! A sharp metallic breaking sound accompanied a reversal of his vision.
What is this?
Thud, Rick’s head lolled helplessly. A whistling sound echoed in his ears as an immense shock rattled his brain.
What is this?
Instinctively turning his gaze, he saw the black steel helmet he had definitely been wearing rolling across the floor. The distinct trace of a b*llet grazing past. A near miss. The feeling of his entire brain vibrating, as if struck by a field shovel, proved Rick Hanson was still alive.
“sh*t, sh*t!!”
Though his mind went blank with the realization that he could have died, Rick didn’t drop his g*n. He pressed his body tightly against the wall and resumed firing.
Tick tick, tick tick.
For how long did the battle continue?
The cries of pain from wounded subordinates and the frightened sobs of children were concealed beneath the gunfire, which suddenly ceased. The reconnaissance team members shooting returned looks of despair towards Rick alone.
He realized immediately.
‘We’re out of ammunition.’
From the start, they were a reconnaissance team. They hadn’t heavily armed themselves and hadn’t carried much ammunition for quick and agile deployment.
Direct combat like this wasn’t anticipated, so running out of bullets so quickly was, in a way, inevitable.
Rick turned his head to look at Brooks. The fellow NCO who had advanced alongside him bore a pained expression as he clutched his shoulder.
Bright red bl**d streamed down his right arm. Despite being able to heal his wound, Brooks was casting a spell tinged with red.
He intended to k*ll as many enemies as possible. Rather than using mana for healing, he planned to unleash an explosion to delay the enemy’s advance.
Rick was no different. He brandished his bayonet high. It was time to prepare for the final battle. With resolute determination, he locked eyes with each of his team members.
“These bastards are out of ammo!! Break in and k*ll them!!!”
“All units—prepare for the charge—!!!”
Just as Rick was about to issue his final order to the advancing enemies,
“Solar Prominence.”
BOOM!!!
An overwhelmingly dazzling flame erupted.
“Arrrrgh!! My body’s on fire!!”
“It’s hot!! Too hot!!”
The inferno incinerated everything, literally roasting the Azoff soldiers who had approached without caution. The screams within the flames faded after just a few seconds.
This wasn’t Brooks’ magic.
Even from a distance, the heat was intense enough to cause burns. Only two people in the unit could wield magic of this magnitude.
“The recon team! Finally found you!!”
One was the silver-haired officer standing before them.
Lumina Blue.
And the other person was…
“Great work, Corporal Rick!”
“Enok… Captain.”
With the explosion, golden hair appeared, and Rick let out a relieved laugh as he collapsed onto the spot. Now, finally, all worries could be set aside.
Enok Revendale, Captain.
The de facto leader of the 8th Aerial Mage Infantry Combat Unit and the embodiment of war destined to lead them to certain victory, had finally arrived on the battlefield.
