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

Although the task assigned to him by old man Olgat was to coordinate with Mars to ensure the successful capture of Segna town.

But the instructions didn't say "Don't kill Mars" or "Don't harm a single hair on his head."

Since there is no explicit prohibition, it means that as long as the town of Segner is captured in the end, even if Mars is disposed of incidentally or dies in an accident, it will not be considered a violation of orders.

Curtis was demoted from major to captain last time because he disobeyed orders and had an "unpleasant argument" with Lieutenant Colonel Nathaniel in his office.

Lieutenant Colonel Nathaniel originally had the opportunity to be promoted to colonel, and Curtis himself was also expected to go further and be promoted to lieutenant colonel.

Although Brigadier General Olgat intervened afterward to suppress the whole incident and prevent it from escalating further.

However, the consequences of that argument were irreversible, and both of their promotions were put on hold.

Curtis was demoted from major to captain for disobeying direct orders from his superiors.

He has always held a grudge about this matter.

So this time, he will learn from his mistakes.

Within the command framework of the "Black Sheep Holy Chief" division, do as much as possible—do whatever you want.

"Damn it! What a madman!" Mars glanced at Curtis's serious face and his heart skipped a beat. He immediately realized that the other man was not joking.

Curtis was genuinely intent on killing, and he made no attempt to hide it.

Without thinking twice, he turned and sprinted away from Curtis.

Returning to the Empire was definitely out of the question; all that awaited him there was a military court and the gallows.

The only way out now is to find Brigadier General Olgat and get an explanation from that old fox.

However, Mars did not believe he would die easily at Curtis's hands.

He was also a captain in the "Imperial Blade" legion, and his opponent was also a captain. In a real fight, even if he didn't have the advantage, he would definitely not be instantly killed.

Having come from an elite military unit, I have that much confidence.

He gritted his teeth and ran with all his might, while simultaneously activating his 'Hakuzan' ability, making his feet move like the wind and his speed suddenly increase.

The backstreets and alleys of Segner were intricate and complex. He deliberately chose to go through narrow and cramped alleys, trying to use the terrain to shake off Curtis's pursuit.

The wind howled in his ears, and the sound of his own heartbeat almost drowned out everything, but he dared not turn around, only wanting to increase the distance as much as possible.

Curtis remained standing there, as if playing a game of cat and mouse, counting down slowly and deliberately:

"Three...two...one."

The moment he finished speaking, his figure vanished from the spot as if he had never existed.

Mars ran through the alleyways, making several turns, for several hundred meters, until he could no longer sense any pursuers behind him.

He slowed his pace slightly, panting heavily, preparing to plan his next escape route: whether to continue running out of town or find a secluded place to hide...

However, just as he was about to breathe a sigh of relief—

A strange, eerie figure silently pressed against his back.

There were no footsteps, no breathing, not a single sign.

Mars was completely unaware of anything amiss until a strong killing intent, like ice water, splashed over his back, causing him to freeze abruptly, his hair standing on end.

He turned his head hastily—

Curtis's familiar face was almost right in front of him, a mocking smile on his lips, but his eyes were as cold as knives.

The aura of death was already upon us, there was no escaping it.

"Iron Curtain—"

A chill ran down Mars's spine; the premonition of death washed over him like a tidal wave.

At the critical moment, he poured all his "potential" into his back, forming an iron-like barrier.

However, it was of no use.

Curtis's hand easily pierced his chest, as if it were through a thin sheet of paper.

Those slender fingers pierced in from behind and emerged from the front of the chest.

Mars' pupils contracted sharply and then dilated instantly.

He lowered his head, staring blankly at the hand that had pierced through his body, seemingly still not understanding what had happened.

Blood gushed down Curtis's arm, leaving dark stains on his sleeve, and dripped onto the stone slabs, blooming into tiny blood flowers.

Curtis withdrew his arm expressionlessly.

Without hesitation, without pity, and without even glancing at Mars.

That once proud body fell softly to the ground like a discarded rag doll, raising a small cloud of dust.

Mars' eyes were still open, but his pupils had lost focus, staring blankly at the gray sky.

Curtis looked down at the corpse, his tone as indifferent as if he were commenting on an insignificant object:

"Hmph, so-called Imperial Captain—nothing special."

He kicked Mars in the shoulder, but the corpse didn't react.

"Too weak, it can't even give me the slightest enjoyment."

He took a handkerchief out of his pocket and slowly wiped the blood off his hands.

Each finger was carefully wiped, and the bloodstains remaining between the fingers were also wiped away one by one.

After wiping his hands, he casually tossed the blood-stained handkerchief next to Mars's body; the white handkerchief was quickly soaked with blood.

Then he straightened up and straightened his tie.

He looked at his reflection in a broken window by the roadside, adjusted his bow tie slightly, as if it had just been an ordinary walk, not the taking of a life.

In the distance, the gunfire continued.

The battle for Segner is not over yet.

……

……

Lieutenant Colonel Horton gritted his teeth, suppressing the sharp pain in his abdomen, and staggered toward the southeast corner of the command post.

There was a hidden emergency communication point there.

He had to promptly inform Colonel Xavier of the upheaval in Segna and the Empire: Segna had been attacked and Mars had betrayed them.

His vitality is fading away with the passage of time.

Horton knew that the town of Segner was likely doomed.

Had he not been seriously injured, the outcome of this battle would have been uncertain.

His experience, his plans, the defenses he built—none of it should have collapsed so easily.

But at this moment, he could clearly feel the cold breath of death getting closer and closer, each step bringing that breath closer to his neck.

He had to prepare for the worst.

At the very least, the situation in Segna needs to be communicated.

So that Colonel Xavier of Sallom could make preparations in advance!

Just as he was about ten meters away from the emergency communication point, a figure slowly emerged from the shadows to the side and blocked his way.

That's Captain Curtis!

Dark bloodstains were faintly visible on his face and uniform, appearing particularly shocking in the dim light.

"No need to waste your energy, Lieutenant Colonel Horton." Curtis's voice was extremely calm; killing Mars hadn't caused the slightest ripple in his heartbeat or breathing. "The soldiers at that emergency communications point have all been 'cleaned up' by your Mars."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over Horton's suddenly constricted pupils, and continued, "Not only that, he also destroyed all the Winged Messengers in Segner Town one by one."

"You should know better than me how easy it is to kill that thing."