By the time an hour had passed since the start of the battle, most of the trenches had already been penetrated by the enemy.
Austin's trench positions were being isolated from each other, and their defensive power was steadily waning.
The outnumbered Austin Army has no chance of winning if things continue this way.
Our situation is desperate; we have no choice but to either retreat or be annihilated.
"Captain Zieve, which unit should I lead?"
"Huh, oh, uh…"
"We don't have much time. Please hurry."
Among the positions, Area B17, which had the elite Great Shield unit, is being breached the deepest.
Our position will collapse like a punctured balloon if our final line is breached.
I believed I needed to take action in order to save as many of my allies as possible.
…No, that's not quite right.
"N-No, it's impossible. Major Touri doesn't know how terrifying that man is!"
"Well, I don't know how scary he is."
I'm just excited about the chance to kill the ace with my own hands.
"But, I do know someone more terrifying than him."
"What are you saying…?!"
I can't wait to sortie and challenge them.
"…"
Captain Zieve seemed flustered at my intention to go out myself.
…We don't have time for an argument in a place like this.
"This is an order from your superior officer. Lend me your troops."
"Please reconsider. With all due respect, I'm afraid Major Touri can't do anything."
"It is up to me to determine whether I can or not."
"…B-But… No, I cannot, I won't allow you to drag my precious subordinates into a suicidal charge—"
Captain Zieve wouldn't give in no matter how much I insisted.
Although this is refusing orders from his superior, he is genuinely thinking of his subordinates in his own way.
What should I do?
"…There's no other way, Lieutenant Gavel!"
"Hmm, what is it, Touri?"
To be honest, I didn't want the soldiers from Gavel Company, which has a lot of trainees, to accompany me.
But if Captain Zieve won't agree, there's no other choice.
"Lieutenant Gavel, could you lend me a skilled platoon—"
"Wait a moment, Major Touri!"
Thinking this, right after I called out to Lieutenant Gavel…
"Captain Zieve, leave it to me! Carol Platoon will volunteer to accompany you!"
"What? Y-You?"
"Yes!"
A young soldier with bright, shining eyes, came running to me with a spirited voice.
"May we accompany you to hell, Major Touri?"
"…! You are…"
I recognized the man who was smiling and saluting me.
…He is a survivor who fought alongside me in the Battle of Argalia about a year ago.
"Could it be, Carol? We survived Argalia together."
"Yes, it's been a while."
It was none other than Carol, a soldier who had once been a private in Touri Company.
He was a very thoughtful and excellent man, but…
Who would have thought that in just one year he would have been promoted to the point where he was in charge of a platoon?
"I managed to survive in these trenches for a year. It's all thanks to Major Touri's guidance."
"…!"
He must have accomplished a lot this past year.
Looking at the rank insignia around his neck, Carol was already a corporal.
Compared to last year, his body had become more robust, he had grown taller, and his face was full of confidence.
"Once again, I will show you my worth."
How reassuring it was to have a comrade I could trust to watch my back.
"I appreciate your courage, Corporal Carol. I'll rely on your platoon to accompany me."
"Understood, Major Touri."
"I'd like the other platoons to provide support. I'm counting on you, Captain Zieve."
"U-Understood."
Feeling encouraged by Carol, I pulled my helmet down low and checked the enemy's position beyond the trench.
"…I'll take down the ace."
I kicked off the wooden wall of the trench and charged into the death-scented battlefield.
***
Although I am short, one of my strengths is that my body is light.
As long as I have a foothold, I can quickly climb up to higher ground.
"Don't look back! Just follow me!"
I put my foot on the wooden wall of the trench and leaped out of the trench with force.
I drew my army knife and sprinted across the battlefield while ducking.
Toward the mysterious, writhing iron mass—the enemy ace—advancing from the Flamer position.
"It's safe behind me!"
Countless bullets were directed at me as soon as I jumped out of the trench and took the lead.
I desperately deflected the barrage of bullets with my [Shield].
"Guaah!"
"It hurts! It hurts so much!!"
At the same time, I heard the cries of several people behind me.
They must have been hit by bullets because they were outside the range of my [Shield].
"…I'm sorry."
I might be able to save them if I went back.
But I didn't even turn around.
It's normal for casualties to occur during an assault.
"Your lives won't be wasted!"
I must take down the enemy ace to ensure their deaths weren't in vain.
And to allow as many allies as possible to retreat safely.
That's my job right now.
"As expected, his movement speed is slow!"
The enemy ace, Great Shield, was slow to move.
Sure, his defenses are as strong as iron, but his movement speed is like a snail's.
"I'm going in now! Provide cover!"
"R-Roger!"
If I can take down this brute, I can reduce the casualties among our forces.
Sedol could be in danger if we retreat now.
In that case, I have no choice but to kill that enemy here.
"Haha, ha…"
A guilt-free murderous intent fills my heart.
I justified killing by using war as an excuse and felt a sense of exhilaration.
It's twisted, but this is how I have to be now.
I won't survive on the battlefield if I don't distort my mind.
"How do you plan to take down that iron mass?"
"If we can't attack him from the front or from the sides, then there's only one option."
Overcome with murderous intent, I ran straight towards the Great Shield.
The iron shield, engraved with an image of the Virgin Mary, looked down on me, laughing as it was drenched in the blood it had crushed.
"Ugh!"
"Follow Major Touri! Don't let the bullets concentrate on the Major!"
The gunfire intensified as I approached the Great Shield.
There were some close calls, with bullets skimming dangerously close to my skull.
But there was no stopping now.
"Good luck, Major Touri!"
"Arghhh!!"
Supported by the sacrifices of many, I safely reached the front of the Great Shield.
At this close range, the shield became cover, ironically making it safer.
"…Leave the rest to me."
Flamer's ace, the Great Shield, who had killed so many of my comrades.
Now, you will pay for that.
"[Shield]!!"
The iron shield is indeed formidable.
It can block bullets, deflect explosions, and even crush barbed wire.
"Major Touri! What on earth are you doing?!"
"Despite what I may look like, I'm actually quite athletic!"
However, the iron shield was slow to move.
As long as there was a foothold, I could climb it like bouldering.
"Like this, I'll climb up and from above—!"
I created a foothold with my [Shield] in front of the iron shield.
"And dunk a grenade inside the shield!"
Holding a grenade with the pin pulled, I stomped on the face of the statue of the Virgin Mary.
From atop the shield, I slammed the grenade down into the enemy ace below.
"Whoa!"
"Major Touri!"
Right after that, a tremendous explosion shook the iron shield.
I slipped off the shield and was slammed to the ground from a height of nearly two meters.
"Are you alright?!"
"It hurts… but I can manage it."
Slamming a grenade past the shield to roast the ace inside.
That was my strategy for taking down the Great Shield.
"…It's done."
From the moment I saw the Great Shield, I knew this was the only way to defeat him.
The iron shield is shaped like a semi-cone and is designed to deflect attacks from the front to the sides.
So if I dodged the enemy's bullets, climbed up the shield, and slammed the grenade down from above, it would deliver a fatal blow.
"Major! Your leg… the bone is—"
"Yes, it's broken."
However, scaling that iron shield under a hail of bullets and slamming a grenade from above is no easy task.
This was a strategy that only a soldier like me who could deflect bullets to a certain extent with a [Shield] could pull off.
That's why I took the risk and came to the front lines.
…If Austin had a proper ace, the Great Shield would have been taken down much sooner.
"…Can you walk, Major Touri?"
"I'm sorry Carol, but it's tough. Please keep an eye on the surrounding area while I treat myself."
"Understood."
As expected, Carol was still alive and continued to accompany me.
I'll let him guard me until I recover with [Heal].
"No bullets are flying our way… Ouch."
"The large iron shield is protecting us."
I straightened the broken bone, fixed it into the correct position, and activated [Heal].
I should now be able to walk─
"Look out, Major!"
"Wha—! Carol?!"
Thinking that, the moment I used [Heal] on my leg…
With a determined look on his face, Carol pushed me out from behind the iron shield.
"What the─?!"
"Please, be safe."
Immediately afterwards, Carol showed a look of relief.
He was crushed face-first by the incoming iron shield like a crushed tomato.
"────"
The last thing I saw was a smile of relief.
Carol, who had become a platoon leader, was crushed by an iron shield while protecting me and let out a short death cry in a splatter of blood.
"■■■!"
Flamer's ace, the Great Shield, was still alive.
Somehow he managed to avoid fatal injuries in the blast, although his uniform was scorched.
"You're still alive…"
"■■■!"
The man glared at me with a fierce expression and readied his gun.
He somewhat resembled Arunoma.
"…!"
I can't let the life that Carol saved go to waste.
I evaded the man's gunfire by kicking the ground with my unbroken leg.
Rolling, I tumbled into a nearby Austin trench.
"■■■■■─"
However, the trench I fell into was occupied by Flamer soldiers.
My allies were lying on the ground, none of them alive.
"Support Major Touri!"
"Fire! Shoot! Kill the Great Shield!"
There are still Flamer soldiers swarming around.
We'll be surrounded and turned into Swiss cheese if things continue like this.
I need to heal my leg quickly.
"[Heal]…"
"■■■■!"
…It takes about ten seconds to use healing magic.
In a situation surrounded by enemies, ten seconds is an unimaginable length of time.
"■■■■-!"
"■■!"
The moment I tried to activate healing magic:
Enemy soldiers swarmed into the trench to finish me off.
They glared at me eyes filled with hatred and anger.
────Ah, I'm dead.
I vaguely felt this while casting the healing magic.
You can't cast two spells simultaneously.
Since I was using [Heal], I can't instantly switch to [Shield].
I should have performed the treatment in a safer location and at a safer time.
Countless gun barrels aimed at my body.
What are the chances of getting out of this alive?
If all their bullets miss and I can survive until the healing magic is complete, there might be a chance.
In other words, there is no other way for me to survive.
I can only pray to God for such a miracle.
"…This may also be retribution."
I fought in this battle because I "found pleasure in shooting the enemy."
That makes me just another pleasure-driven killer like Bern Valou, who carried out massacres under the guise of war.
This is the fate of those who abandon their humanity, making the excuse that they had to do so in order to survive on the battlefield.
…A wicked person like me should surely die on the battlefield.
"I'm sorry, Sedol."
My name will appear in tonight's battle report.
As one of the deceased, a death notice will be delivered to Anita, signed by Verdi.
The young Sedol won't even understand the meaning of my death yet.
On the dimly lit battlefield, my body will be trampled by Flamer soldiers and left to rot in the mud.
That is my destiny.
"…Rodri. I'll come and see you."
I braced myself for death and closed my eyes.
I've done as I pleased up until now. I'm prepared to die on the battlefield and rot in the earth.
"Please wait a little longer."
I envisioned his warm smile in my heart.
And I waited for the moment of death to come.
────My legs healed.
"…?"
For some reason, there was no gunfire from the Flamer soldiers.
They only watched me with their guns pointed without firing.
"■■■■ー!"
"■■■?"
It seemed their commander stopped them from shooting.
What is going on here?
Maybe he hesitated to shoot because I look like a young girl?
"Alright."
My leg moves. I put strength into it.
With this, I can escape. I still have some magic power left.
If I can run between the trenches while being careful of enemy pursuit─
…Just after thinking that, I looked up at the sky.
With a rumble, a large iron mass fell towards me.
"Great Shield?!"
"■■■!!"
The man was furious.
He glared at me, having completed my treatment, enraged.
"I won't fall for the same trick twice!"
The iron shield still dripped with red blood.
It was likely Carol's blood.
A kind and talented comrade who survived Argalia, and who had even confessed his feelings to me.
Rage boiled over my entire body the moment I realized this.
"■■■!!"
"…Slow!"
The movements of the Great Shield were slow and easy to read.
What is feared about this man is his boundless physical strength, which allows him to swing his iron shield with ease, and his survival ability, which allows him to even withstand explosions.
When I looked, he was holding his iron shield with his bloodied shoulder in anger.
…This is far from the movement of an ace.
"■■■■!!"
The man charged straight at me to crush me.
It looks like he's trying to crush me by trapping me between the trench wall.
"How foolish."
He should have simply pointed his gun at me if he intended to kill me.
This man avoided putting himself in danger by charging forward with the shield.
"…[Shield]"
I formed a triangular [Shield] by raising the ground.
Something like this would normally be crushed by the iron shield, but…
"■■■!?"
"Of course something that big would be unbalanced."
I formed the [Shield] to collide with the right edge of the iron shield.
As planned, the right edge of the shield stumbled, causing it to lose balance and tilt.
"Moving something that big takes a lot of use."
I circled around the shifted iron shield and readied my rifle.
Inside the iron shield, a giant man was lying on the ground, staring at me dumbfounded.
"Don't come to the battlefield if you don't have the guts to shoot."
"■■■!!!"
I won. I can now kill him.
I was so excited about taking down the enemy ace that my lips twisted into a grin.
Ah, it's over. This person surely has family and friends too.
I aimed my gun at the enemy ace, wearing an ecstatic smile.
"Stop! Wait, don't kill him!"
"Googbye, Ace."
"Wait─"
I called out to the Great Shield, who was frantically reaching for his gun holster.
I shot the man squarely in the forehead with perfect accuracy.
"Haha♪"
Blood splattered and the man's eyes rolled up.
He fell to the ground lifeless, arterial blood gushing from the gunshot wound in his forehead.
I had undoubtedly taken down the ace, Great Shield.
"Ahaha─"
As I reveled in the pleasure of killing the ace, like savoring fine wine…
"────Little Platoon Leader?"
"Huh…?"
There, in front of my gaze, stunned…
In the trench, Arunoma stood staring at me in disbelief.