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

As the captain of the Holy Kingdom lunged towards the artillery shell, he used his "Hakuja" ability to the fullest extent, quickly hardening his entire body to ensure that it could withstand the cluster shell.

With the defensive ability "Iron Wall" of the "Kakuja", he was confident that he could withstand the direct impact of ordinary cannonballs.

Even if there is some damage, it is mostly limited to the surface and will not cause fatal injuries.

The moment his cross-shaped sword collided violently with the cluster munition, the main body of the projectile exploded.

Dozens of small submunitions were instantly ejected from around his body by the kinetic energy of the explosion.

Immediately following was a dense roar of successive explosions of submunitions.

Smoke, flames, and countless flying fragments completely engulfed the location where the Holy Kingdom Captain was, creating a brief but scorching mini-hell.

Thanks to the captain who caught the cluster munition with his body and blocked most of the fragments that were spreading forward.

Miraculously, none of the Holy Kingdom soldiers on the ground suffered fatal injuries.

Only a few soldiers were hit by shrapnel from the bomb and suffered minor injuries.

The soldiers were filled with relief at surviving the ordeal, but on the other hand, they were worried about the safety of their commander.

However, their concerns were immediately confirmed.

A figure was seen falling from the smoke.

The body, riddled with wounds from cluster munitions, resembled a broken doll, its uniform torn and charred, its exposed skin covered in horrifying wounds and burns.

He fell heavily to the ground with a thud and stopped moving.

The Holy Kingdom soldiers had no time to grieve for their commander, or even to despair.

The next volley of grenadiers from the Sikana tribe had arrived. Cluster shells streaked across the night sky, tracing perfect parabolas before landing on the Holy Kingdom's defenses.

The next moment, an even more violent explosion and blinding flash of light engulfed the Holy Kingdom soldiers who had just lost their commander, along with the position beneath their feet.

The right flank defense line collapsed completely under the continuous and intense barrage of cluster artillery shells.

Before the smoke and dust from the explosion had even cleared, the Holy Kingdom's fortifications had been reduced to a death zone filled with corpses, weapon fragments, and scorched earth.

Few Holy Kingdom soldiers survived, and most were wounded. Their organization was broken up, and effective command and resistance were completely destroyed by the horrific area casualties.

The commander of the Imperial 39th Army Corps keenly seized this opportunity.

Almost the instant the cluster shells thrown by the Sikana grenadiers ceased.

The 39th Army Corps infantry, poised for action, launched a swift assault on the area that had just been "cleaned" by fire, like a tidal wave.

They encountered almost no significant resistance and quickly rushed through the ruins of the front lines, advancing deep into the defensive line.

A huge, irreparable gap has been torn open on the right flank, and the Empire's forces are now poised to strike at the heart of Sarlom, completely exposing the flank of the Holy Defense Line.

Just as the Holy Kingdom's right flank defenses were about to collapse completely, and the Imperial soldiers thought victory was in sight.

A new, well-organized force stood like an iron wall, blocking the 39th Army Corps' path of advance.

At the very front of the column stood a Holy Kingdom officer, the rank insignia of a lieutenant colonel faintly visible in the firelight.

He was tall and upright, with a cold and stern face. His eyes were fixed on the position in front of him. Just by standing there, he exuded a sense of oppression that made people afraid to approach.

He was Lieutenant Colonel Nathaniel Wright of the "Black Sheep Holy Head" Division.

He was not leading a defeated army, but rather the elite of the "Black Sheep Holy Head" division.

Their arrival was so timely that they blocked the 39th Army Corps' advance.

Lieutenant Colonel Nathaniel did not immediately order the firing. His gaze swept over the Imperial soldiers ahead, who looked slightly surprised and whose formation was somewhat scattered due to the high-speed advance.

Although the breach on the right wing has been opened, it is far from being beyond repair.

His mission was to break this imperial thorn that had already pierced the defenses right here.

At the very least, it should be prevented from penetrating any further.

"Hold the line." His calm voice was reassuring. "Don't panic, follow my orders!"

After a brief hesitation, the vanguard of the Imperial 39th Legion...

They were trying to break through this newly emerged line of defense in one fell swoop.

They shouted and quickened their pace in the charge.

However, as Lieutenant Colonel Nathaniel lowered his raised arm, they were met with a calm and orderly volley from the "Black Sheep Holy Head" division.

Gunshots rang out, and the Imperial soldiers at the forefront fell to the ground.

Lieutenant Colonel Nathaniel's timely arrival and effective blocking action were like a bucket of cold water poured on the high morale of the 39th Army Corps.

The rapid advance stalled, and fierce fighting broke out again along this new line of confrontation.

The most dangerous moment on the Holy Land defense line seems to have temporarily passed, but both sides understand that a more brutal war of attrition has only just begun.

The fate of the city of Sarlom remains hanging by a thread.

……

……

In the northeast of the city of Sarlöm, in addition to the two giant fortresses that have been destroyed by the Imperial army, there is a third giant fortress that is still under construction.

Although the auxiliary defensive fortifications around the fortress have not yet been fully constructed.

However, its most critical infrastructure, the dedicated railway line capable of transporting super-heavy artillery, has already been laid and put into use.

When Brigadier General Olgat returned to the city of Sallom from the Holy Land Ministry of Defense.

Accompanying him to the front lines was a newly allocated "Gustav" super-heavy railway gun.

As night fell, a powerful steam locomotive pulled the special train carrying the enormous cannon along the railway line behind them, finally arriving safely at the still unfinished fortress.

Under Olgat's orders, the Holy Kingdom's soldiers worked through the night to assemble the key components of the Gustav Cannon and to calibrate it.

Once everything was ready, a lieutenant from the Holy Kingdom immediately issued the order: "Target: the 'Arc de Triomphe' square in Triumph City..."

"Report, Lieutenant!" a gunner stepped forward, his voice filled with worry.

"Our soldiers are still in the Arc de Triomphe Square area."

"Given the destructive range of the Gustav Cannon, if the shell deviates slightly during flight due to temperature, wind speed, or wind direction, the impact point will only shift by a tiny bit..."

The gunner was worried that the shells would land on top of the Holy Kingdom's troops, causing serious friendly fire.

As a gunner, he couldn't bear such a responsibility.

This is not an imperial city, but a city of the Holy Kingdom. Triumph City still has a large number of Holy Kingdom soldiers and personnel.

Being far outside the city, they had no way of accurately grasping the specific situation inside.

The gunner's concerns were not unfounded.

However, Lieutenant Saint did not heed the gunner's objections.

He strode up to the other man and interrupted sharply, "This isn't your problem, nor is it my problem! Our task is simply to accurately deliver the shells over the Arc de Triomphe. Do you understand?"

A flicker of struggle crossed the gunner's face, and he hesitated, "But..."

"Soldier, this is a military order! I'm asking you, do you understand, or do you not understand?"

The lieutenant suddenly moved forward, his stern and fierce face almost touching the gunner's, his eyes fixed on him.

The gunner shuddered, instantly suppressing all arguments and doubts.

Disobeying military orders on the battlefield is a serious crime.

He stood with his heels together, back straight, and answered loudly, "Yes...yes, Lieutenant!"