I only wanted to retire, but I ended up becoming an extremely popular character.

Chapter 127 Forward!

After breaking away from the battle with Curtis, Zod led his troops alone to try to breach the defenses of Segner and destroy the artillery positions set up in the town to reduce casualties when reinforcements arrived.

However, Segner's battle was far more difficult than any he had ever faced before.

Although the town of Segna is not large, the streets are lined with buildings, and the alleys are crisscrossed, limiting the view.

In addition, the Holy Kingdom's army was well-prepared this time, and they had long anticipated that the Empire would return to retake the town of Segna.

Their forces are far more numerous than Zod's, and soldiers or snipers from the Holy Kingdom could be lying in ambush at almost every street corner, every window, and every rooftop.

Zod's forces were already limited, making it impossible for him to divide his troops to eliminate enemy strongpoints one alleyway at a time and building at a time.

He could only concentrate his limited resources to seize a few key transportation routes.

Forcefully tear open a passage within the town of Segner to allow the Imperial army to reach Goldberg, and hold those key firing points to prevent them from being divided and surrounded by the Holy Kingdom's army.

Zod led the way, pushing his troops deeper into the town of Segner.

Under the fierce offensive of the imperial army, the Holy Kingdom's army in front was in retreat. Every time Zod Kipin's sword flashed, an enemy fell down with a scream.

However, the commander of the Holy Kingdom was no mediocre man.

They quickly realized that they would not gain any advantage by fighting Zod head-on, so they quickly adjusted their tactics.

As Zod advanced through the streets, the Holy Kingdom's army began to set up tiered defensive lines. One line was breached, but a second and a third followed.

Meanwhile, snipers and firing positions were quietly set up inside buildings and on rooftops on both sides of the street.

Their strategy was simple: to continuously deplete the empire's manpower.

The Holy Kingdom's forces already far outnumbered Zod's, and with each additional soldier the Empire lost, the balance tipped in their favor.

Even though Zod drew most of the fire in front, the soldiers behind him continued to fall one after another.

Every time they advanced a certain distance, someone would be hit by a bullet that came from an unknown direction.

Some people groaned and collapsed to the ground, while others fell into pools of blood before they could even utter a sound.

On the streets, the number of corpses and wounded increased, and the survivors could only continue forward by stepping over the bloodstains of their comrades.

Even Zod himself was not spared.

He was focused on dealing with the ever-surging enemies ahead. His sword had just cut down a Holy Kingdom soldier when he deflected a bullet aimed at his chest.

But at that very moment, from the windows of several buildings on both sides of the street, dark gun barrels emerged from different directions.

The gunfire from the sneak attack was mixed in with the gunfire on the main battlefield, making it difficult to accurately pinpoint the location of the gunfire.

Zod caught a glimpse of the firelight in the window to his left out of the corner of his eye. He jerked to the side, narrowly avoiding the bullet aimed at his temple.

But he didn't have time to dodge the two on the right and in front.

A bullet grazed his arm, tearing his uniform open and drawing blood instantly.

Another bullet struck him hard in the side.

Even though he hardened that skin with "Iron Defense" at the last second, the bullet still embedded itself in his flesh, as if he had been bitten hard by something.

Zod grunted, gritted his teeth, and inserted two fingers into the wound, forcefully digging out the bullet.

Blood gushed out and dripped onto the ground from the back of his hand, but he merely frowned and casually tossed the bullet to the ground.

I heard hurried footsteps behind me.

Hitis ran up from the side and behind, her gaze falling on the blood-soaked patch of his uniform at the waist, and her expression changed drastically.

Lieutenant Zod

"It's just a minor injury, nothing serious." Zod quickly raised his hand to shield her, his voice low but undeniable: "Hitis, you have a more important mission."

"I'll draw their fire, and you'll be responsible for sniping those Holy Kingdom scum hiding in the shadows and taking sniper shots."

"Leave the enemies on the front lines to me and Cassius."

Even with his strength, Zod would find it difficult to cover every aspect of such urban warfare.

He already had enough enemies to deal with; he couldn't possibly run into every building to eliminate those snipers hiding in the shadows.

Those snipers were too well hidden, and he needed a sharper eye.

Next up is Hitis's show.

He didn't want Hitis to run to the front and become the target of those snipers.

"I understand." Hitis didn't say anything more, just nodded heavily.

Following behind Zod, her gaze shifted from the front lines of the battlefield to scan the dark windows and the edges of the rooftop on either side.

After making a brief deployment, Zod continued to lead his troops forward.

On the main battlefield, the Holy Kingdom's firepower remained fierce, with bullets swarming like locusts.

Meanwhile, the snipers from both sides never stopped firing.

Bullets kept flying out from unseen corners, some hitting Zod, which he parried with his sword or withstood.

More bullets were fired at the soldiers behind him; with each shot, an Imperial soldier could fall with a muffled groan.

Hitis, on the other hand, completely abandoned the frontal battlefield.

Her attention was entirely focused on the two wings and the surrounding buildings.

She had already memorized those good vantage points suitable for setting up snipers.

Her eyes were as sharp as a hawk's, scanning back and forth between windows, rooftops, and wall openings, not missing a single suspicious shadow.

The moment a Holy Kingdom soldier showed even half a head, Hitis raised her gun and fired, then quickly cocked it.

The gunshot rang out crisply and cleanly. A Holy Kingdom sniper, who was about to pull the trigger at the third-floor window to the right, fell to the ground. His rifle fell out of the window and hit the street with a thud.

Reload, aim, fire.

Her movements were fluid and graceful; each shot precisely took down a Holy Kingdom soldier.

Under Hitis's precise firepower suppression, the frequency of sniping from the surrounding areas of the battlefield dropped sharply.

Those Holy Kingdom archers hiding behind windows, on the edge of rooftops, and deep in wall holes were targeted one by one by her bullets.

Gunshots no longer rang out simultaneously from all directions, and the occasional sniper shots became scattered and hurried.

Those Holy Kingdom soldiers who fired sniper shots and Warrant Officer Hitis seemed rather inexperienced in marksmanship.

Hitis's effective fire support not only reduced Imperial casualties and losses, but also allowed the entire force to focus its attention on the front lines.

The soldiers no longer needed to be constantly on guard against the shadows on both sides, their steps became noticeably more firm, and they dared to point their guns steadily forward.

Under Zod's leadership, the Imperial army is steadily advancing.

Every line of defense was torn apart, every firing point was eliminated, and the road leading to the depths of Segnar Town was extending forward inch by inch.

However, the Holy Kingdom would clearly not stand idly by and watch the Imperial army's offensive proceed smoothly.

As Zod led his troops in a steady advance, troop movements were beginning to take place on other defensive lines in the town of Segner.

Troops began to be withdrawn from the relatively calm north and south, with small teams quietly leaving their original positions and converging on the western defense line.

Zod led his troops to a crossroads.

The street branches off in three directions here, with buildings on both sides becoming more densely packed than before. The windows and rooftops offer excellent views, making it an ideal place for an ambush.

Just as he stepped into the very center of the intersection.

A shell came hurtling in.

The shriek grew louder as it approached, trailing a piercing echo, and hurtled straight toward Zod's location.

Zod had anticipated this; the Holy Kingdom couldn't possibly be undefended at such a crucial crossroads.

The instant the shell fell, he leaped backward, his entire body snapping back like a taut bowstring, avoiding the center of the explosion.

"boom!"

A burst of fire erupted in front of him, sending rubble and dust flying into the air, while scalding shrapnel whistled past his ears.

Before the smoke of battle had even cleared, it was torn apart by a sharp whooshing sound.

A dark figure plummeted from the sky, its military boots slamming heavily onto the gravel-strewn road, sending dust flying everywhere.

The newcomer slowly straightened up, his gaze passing over the drifting dust, and precisely locked onto Zod's location.

A faint, enigmatic smile played on his lips, his voice carrying the composure and certainty of a hunter finally trapping his prey: "Zod, the 'Empire's Eagle,' you've finally come!"