Not enough Japanese devils to kill? 1.4 billion people volunteer for the Battle of Shanghai.

Katayama Riichiro roared at the infantry of the Japanese 5th Infantry Brigade like a dying beast:

"Those who retreat—behead—!!!"

「じんをみだすもの——きる——!!!」

「しきをくじくもの——きる——!!!」

The Japanese major general roared out "kiru" three times in a row.

Each sound carried a frenzied killing intent.

Each sound made the soldiers who wanted to escape stop in their tracks.

The Japanese infantry halted.

They looked at Katayama Riichiro.

Looking at the blood-dripping military knife in his hand.

Look at his contorted face.

Looking into his eyes, I saw the madness that was on the verge of collapse.

"Brigade Commander..."

A Japanese soldier spoke, his voice trembling, like a leaf falling in the wind:

"That thing...that's sorcery..."

"We can't win...we can't win..."

Katayama suddenly turned his head to look at the soldier who had spoken.

The soldier was so frightened that his legs went weak and he almost knelt down.

Katayama stared at him.

Staring at his deathly pale face.

Staring into his empty eyes.

Then he spoke.

His voice was hoarse, like sandpaper grinding iron.

"So what if it's sorcery?"

He walked step by step toward the soldier.

Every step he took was on corpses.

Stepping on a pool of blood.

They trampled on the fear of their own soldiers.

"Imperial soldiers—"

He roared, his voice exploding:

"How can we be scared away by sorcery?!"

He raised his saber.

Facing the direction of the north bank of Luodian.

Facing the direction of those three Qilin tanks.

"Our Fifth Brigade!"

"Fight from Manchuria to Shanghai!"

"Never lost—!!!"

His voice echoed across the battlefield.

"today!"

We cannot lose!

He turned abruptly and looked at the terrified soldiers.

Raise your saber:

"Who will take another step back—"

"Court-martial—!!!"

The Japanese soldiers remained silent and returned to their positions.

Holding a gun.

Look straight ahead.

But in their eyes—

It was filled with fear.

That fear was like a nail driven into their hearts.

It can't be pulled out.

Katayama Riichiro looked at them.

Looking at those pale faces.

Look at those trembling hands.

Looking into those empty eyes.

Suddenly realized something—

His brigade.

It's over.

It wasn't because of equipment that we lost.

It wasn't a tactical failure.

The defeat was due to low morale.

Those iron turtles.

Those dark figures.

Those cannonballs that can breathe fire.

These soldiers' courage has been completely shattered—

It's all gone.

Katayama closed his eyes.

I took a deep breath.

That breath carried the smell of gunpowder, blood, and rotting corpses.

Katayama Riichiro raised his military sword.

Towards the north bank of Luodian.

Heading towards those three Qilin tanks.

Take it one step at a time.

"Brigade Commander—!"

The staff officer rushed up, grabbed his arm, and his voice trembled:

"You can't go! It's too dangerous!"

Katayama shook him off.

"Why can't I go?"

He spoke each word clearly:

"I can't back out."

"Even if we quit, we'll still die."

"A military tribunal also means death."

"If I die in a military court, it will also implicate my family in Nagasaki."

Katayama began to walk forward in despair.

The Japanese soldiers of the Fifth Brigade stared at him blankly.

Looking at that tan-colored figure from behind.

Some people wanted to follow.

But my legs wouldn't obey me.

It felt like it was filled with lead.

It's like it's taken root.

Someone knelt down.

Hands clasped together.

He started muttering something under his breath.

"May Amaterasu protect you..."

"Bless the brigade commander..."

Inside the Qilin 102 car.

The embroiderer saw the person walking alone through thermal imaging.

"what?"

She froze for a moment.

The image has been enlarged.

"Someone... walked over alone."

The sound of an anvil came from behind: "Who goes there?"

"Judging from the posture..." the embroiderer observed carefully, "it looks like a military officer. He has a knife in his hand."

The door-breaking man's cold laugh rang out: "Trying to die."

"etc."

The embroiderer zooms in on the image.

I saw that face clearly.

That face, twisted by war and madness.

"It's the brigade commander."

Her voice was calm:

"Riichiro Katayama."

There was a moment of silence on the communication channel.

Then the anvil said:

"What is he trying to do? Slash at a tank with a military knife?"

"no."

The embroiderer's voice remained calm.

"He's here to die."

"He knew he had lost, and going back would only mean facing a military court-martial. Rather than be executed, he preferred to die on the battlefield."

The closer we got to Katayama, the more we walked.

500 meters.

Four hundred meters.

Three hundred meters.

He could now make out the outlines of the tanks.

Dark gray.

Low-lying.

Like a three-headed giant beast lying on the ground.

He raised his saber.

Facing the direction of those tanks.

A roar.

"Come on—!!!"

"Come and kill me—!!!"

His voice was exceptionally clear during the brief lull in the gunfire.

It was exceptionally tragic.

The Qilin tank did not fire its cannon.

The black armor did not appear either.

Only silence.

Katayama continued walking forward.

Two hundred meters.

One hundred meters.

Fifty meters——

He can now read the serial numbers on the tank turret.

102.

Just then—

A shadowy blue figure.

They emerged from behind the tank.

Katayama Riichiro hadn't reacted yet.

The shadow of the azure has arrived.

Then, a hand covered in black armor grabbed his neck and lifted him up.

"You're the brigade commander?"

The voice of a female soldier.

The voice was calm, but it was filled with murderous intent.

Katayama Riichiro opened his mouth.

What do you want to say?

But it felt like my throat was being choked.

He couldn't utter a single word.

The next second—

That hand was already pressed against his chest.

"Your name is Katayama Riichiro?"

The voice asked again.

Katayama Riichiro nodded.

His body was trembling.

His legs were shaking.

His heart was trembling.

But he nodded.

"Do you know why you died?"

Katayama Riichiro shook his head.

"Because you brought men to kill our people."

The voice paused.

"Because of the land beneath your feet—"

"This is not a place for you."

Katayama Ichiro wanted to say something.

But that hand had already begun to exert force.

He felt his ribs—

It's bending.

It is broken.

He stabbed himself in the internal organs.

pain.

Heart-piercing pain.

He opened his mouth, as if to scream.

But it couldn't make a sound.

Only blood flowed from the corner of his mouth.

He saw that young face, and those eyes remained calm as still water.

It was as calm as killing a chicken.

It was as calm as crushing an ant.

Then--

dark.

Fu Hao released her grip.

Katayama Riichiro's body lay limply on the ground.

Like a puddle of mud.

Like a pile of garbage.

His eyes were still open.

Staring at the gray sky.

Fu Hao lowered her head and looked at the fifty-three-year-old Japanese soldier.

Then, she turned around.

We walked back to the Kirin tank's defensive line.

far away.

On the eastern horizon, the first light of dawn began to appear.

Dawn is coming.

The light was faint.

But steadfast.

Little by little, tearing through the darkness.

Illuminate this land soaked in blood.

Inside the Qilin 102 car.

The embroiderer looked at the Japanese soldiers standing motionless in the distance.

Looking at those earthen-yellow figures, they stood rooted to the spot like stone statues.

She said softly:

"They won't rush in."

The anvil asked, "Why?"

The embroiderer's lips curled up slightly.

It curves into a very faint, yet cold arc.

"because--"

she says:

"Their courage is shattered."