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

As Cassius returned fire with his pistol, he turned to Hitis and shouted:

"Warrant Lieutenant Hitis, based on our initial assessment of the firepower density, while the enemy outnumbers us, they don't have an overwhelming advantage. If we organize crossfire support, we are confident we can take the high ground, even if there are casualties."

Before he could finish speaking, his tone suddenly turned serious, and he abruptly changed the subject:

"But my concern is that the troops on the high slope may only be the vanguard of the Holy Kingdom's army, with their main force following behind."

"If we rush in rashly and are defeated, or if the disparity in troop strength is far greater than expected, we may not have a chance to retreat."

War is not child's play; a wrong decision can cost the lives of the entire army.

Cassius currently holds the same rank as Hitis, but Hitis has more seniority than him.

Conventionally, officers of the same rank with higher seniority have more say.

With Zod absent, Cassius could only explain the situation to Hitis.

As for the final decision, faced with such a dilemma, he could not make the decision alone.

"If we don't charge in and finish off this enemy force, we can't just stay in this stalemate, can we?"

Hitis frowned, her gaze sweeping over the flashing gunfire in the darkness: "Or should we retreat directly and detour towards Saalrom to rejoin the main force?"

After listening to Cassius's analysis, Hitis fell into confusion.

She harbored an even deeper worry.

If the opposing commander also possesses the strength of a lieutenant, then in the entire team, apart from Zod, probably no one can contend with him.

Even Cassius, who has only just begun to master the abilities of the "Hakuja," probably wouldn't be able to do it.

At that point, rushing in would be suicide.

She was also undecided whether she should risk the lives of all her soldiers and charge up the high ground to fight the Holy Kingdom's army to the death.

But what if a decision is wrong...

With Zod absent, she had no authority to decide the fate of the unit on her own.

Cassius frowned, remained silent for a moment, and then said in a deep voice, "If we retreat, someone must stay behind to cover our retreat, otherwise those Holy Kingdom troops will bite us like mad dogs, and none of us will escape."

"I'll hold them off." Hitis leaned out from behind cover and calmly pulled the trigger, and a figure on the other side fell to the ground.

After retreating into cover, she turned to Cassius, her eyes resolute: "Take the rest of the troops and retreat towards Saallom. We must complete the mission left behind by Lieutenant Zod."

Zod ordered them to rejoin the main force.

In any case, Hitis could not allow the troops to remain here, much less lose all of them.

She would never allow Zod's glory to be tarnished in the slightest.

Under Zod's leadership, this unit won battle after battle.

She hoped that when Zod returned, he would still be handed over a fully-organized army.

"No--"

Cassius steeled his resolve, his eyes suddenly turning as sharp as blades.

He took a deep breath, suppressing all his doubts:

"Warrant Lieutenant Hitis, I've heard you're a sharpshooter for a long time."

"Please cover me, I'm leading a small team to attack the high ground."

"Once we reach the top of the hill, I will signal you based on the enemy situation."

"If the number of enemy troops on the hilltop is within our control, you should lead the remaining soldiers up to support us in annihilating the enemy."

"If the enemy's numbers far exceed our capabilities, then we will hold them off while you lead your troops to retreat to the city of Sarlom."

Perhaps inspired by Zod, Cassius recalled the scenes of the past few days: Clock Tower Town, Tono Village, Zod repeatedly leading the charge, winning against overwhelming odds, and killing the Holy Kingdom's lieutenant one after another.

That man never backed down when facing a formidable foe.

Anyway, someone has to stay behind to cover the retreat.

If I were to run away without doing anything, what would have been the point of all my hard work and training?

Once Zod is gone, all he knows is to run away. When Zod catches up, how will he face him?

Instead, we should be prepared to die and launch a charge against the Holy Kingdom's army.

Even if he was defeated due to the overwhelming disparity in troop strength, at least he fought with all his might.

If he hides behind Zod whenever something happens, he will never grow up.

"No, I disagree."

Hitis rejected his proposal almost the instant he finished speaking, leaving no room for negotiation.

She stared intently in Cassius's direction, her voice cutting through the gunshot:

"If Lieutenant Zod were here, he would never have abandoned anyone. His orders were for us all to rendezvous in Saallom, not for any of us to die here!"

There was one more thing she wanted to say but didn't:

If she retreats with her troops now, leaving Cassius and his squad to die on the high ground, how will she explain herself when Zod returns and asks? How can she face that man?

Before the words were finished—

A strange commotion suddenly arose on the high slope.

Gunfire continued incessantly, but mixed in with it an unusual commotion: screams, the clashing of weapons, and the short, drawn-out screams of soldiers caught off guard by a sudden attack…

Hitis's heart tightened, and she subconsciously looked up at the top of the hill.

……

……

At the same moment, on the high slope.

A figure darted out from behind the Holy Kingdom's army at a speed almost imperceptible to the naked eye.

He was wearing an Imperial Army uniform, and the rank of second lieutenant on his shoulder insignia flashed in the firelight of his gun.

No one noticed how he got around to the back, and no one had time to warn him.

"Crescent Moon Slash—"

His deep voice rang out clearly amidst the clamor of the battlefield.

A silvery-white arc of light shot out from the sword, sweeping across several Holy Kingdom soldiers who were lying prone on the slope firing downhill.

"Ugh—" Accompanied by a painful and short howl, the soldiers didn't even have time to turn around before their bodies were struck by the slash, and they tumbled down the slope.

"There are enemies behind us."

"It's the Imperial dogs that have come up here!"

"Don't panic, he's all alone."

"How did someone get behind us? Where did he come from?"

Many Holy Kingdom soldiers were caught off guard by the sudden appearance of the Imperial lieutenant, and cries of surprise arose from all sides.

Some hurriedly turned their guns around, while others drew their knives and turned back, instantly plunging the once orderly firing formation into chaos.

The Holy Kingdom soldiers closest to Zod drew their swords and charged forward with howls.

At the same time, the soldiers in the back row quickly raised their rifles, all pointing their muzzles at him, and unleashed a barrage of fire in an instant.

Zod sidestepped the first thrusting sword, simultaneously raising his Imperial longsword to precisely deflect two bullets aimed at his face.

Sparks flew off the blade, but his wrist did not tremble in the slightest.

In that split second, he casually raised his left hand, lightly rubbing his thumb and middle finger together: "Flying Tooth—"

"Snap." A crisp snap of fingers sounded particularly abrupt amidst the hail of bullets.

The 'potential' gathered at the fingertips instantly transformed into a 'bullet' that was almost invisible to the naked eye and shot out.

It struck the Holy Kingdom soldier at the very front squarely in the chest.

The soldier's forward momentum came to an abrupt halt, letting out a muffled wail.

His body went limp as if all his strength had been drained, and he collapsed halfway through the charge.

However, as soon as one person fell, several others immediately took their place.

The Holy Kingdom's soldiers, their eyes bloodshot, surged in from all directions, their swords gleaming coldly in the night.