"How's the situation."
As time passed, Zane's body gradually adapted to the pain brought by the Retroact Rain. At this moment, aside from the unhealthy paleness still on his face, his movements were basically unaffected.
The doctor looked at Zane and Rover and shook her head.
"As long as the Retroact Rain doesn't stop, the Tacet Discord tide could erupt at any moment. The patrol guards can't relax their vigilance for even a second."
Just then, a short, sharp whistle cut through the air from the watchtower.
"The second wave is here."
As the whistle sounded, a series of urgent loading and bolt-pulling noises rang out. The patrol guards quickly took their already assigned combat positions.
Looking at the Tacet Discords, now several times more numerous than before, a black mass surged forward like a roaring mountain flood, howling as it rushed toward the defensive line.
Behind the line, the patrol guards' hands gripping their rifles trembled slightly.
Unlike humans, these Tacet Discords felt no pain, knew no fatigue, and had no fear. Their very purpose was destruction.
To destroy everything they could see in front of them.
"Zane…"
Hearing the doctor's voice, Zane pulled his gaze back from the patrol guards.
"We're thinking the same thing."
Zane smiled silently. A swift blade suddenly appeared in his hand. With a light push of his foot, he leaped gracefully out of the trench under everyone's astonished gaze.
"Hey, look over there."
A young patrol guard raised his head, facing the pouring rain, and looked at the figure stepping forward at the very front of the line, walking straight toward the Tacet Discord tide.
"Who is that?"
A slightly older guard stood up, poked his head out of the trench, and raised his gun toward the tide.
"You don't even know him? He's said to be the Magistrate's younger brother."
"A big shot like that actually came to the battlefield?"
"More than that." The older guard lowered the brim of his hat to keep the rain from affecting his vision while explaining to the younger ones.
"This man is just like us. He's not a Resonator."
"What!?"
Quite a few young guards stiffened, staring at the figure standing in the rain. Their grip on their rifles tightened unconsciously.
'He's like us. He's fighting and dying alongside us...'
That thought slowly echoed in their minds.
At that moment, Zane's clear yet killing-tinged voice carried an indescribable power, passing through the rain and reaching the guards' ears clearly.
"Comrades, the time has come for our country and our people to need us!"
"Right now, in front of us, is an endless tide of Tacet Discords."
"We can be afraid, we can hesitate, we can even run. But… what about the people of Jinzhou? Can they escape? Can they survive this tide?"
"Their lives are in my hands, and in every one of your hands."
"At this very moment, behind us are our parents, our wives and children, and the countless lights of Jinzhou's homes."
"Soldiers, draw your blades!"
As Zane's words fell, Rover also stepped out of the trench, holding her swift blade and standing shoulder to shoulder with him.
After a brief moment of stillness, more and more Resonators stepped out from the defensive line, facing the surging Tacet Discords head-on.
"Long time no see, Sister Taoqi."
Hearing Zane's voice, the curvy girl with short pink hair pulled her gaze away from the figure at the very front and shook her head with a helpless smile.
"Don't rush too far ahead later. If you feel unwell, hide behind me. Big sister will protect you."
"Then I'll be counting on you, Sister Taoqi."
Zane chuckled, then turned to another familiar face.
"Yo, hello there, Snow Leopard."
"My name isn't Snow Leopard, it's Lingyang!"
"Hiss..." Zane sucked in a breath of cold air like it was from '82. "You're clearly a snow leopard…"
Before he could finish, Zane received a strike from Rover's anti–Zane weapon.
The originally tense atmosphere gradually turned cheerful under Zane's joking, and quite a few patrol guards couldn't help but cover their mouths and laugh softly.
At the same time, among the guards, a red-haired figure with a high ponytail raised her head. Her beautiful eyes looked at the figure at the very front, lost in thought.
Feeling the rising morale around him, Zane nodded in satisfaction and pulled out a grenade from his pants… no, from his backpack, and hurled it hard toward the Tacet Discord tide.
The black grenade traced a graceful arc in the air before landing among the enemies.
A few seconds later, a crimson flower made of flames and shrapnel bloomed at the center of the tide.
This firework blooming among the Tacet Discords completely ignited the battlefield.
If the timing were better, Zane would've really wanted to shout, "Avengers, assemble."
With his swift blade drawn, Zane flashed forward and leaped straight into the tide. At that moment, a Havoc Warrior that had long been waiting raised its blade-hand and slashed at this human who dared to charge in alone.
In an instant, the blade left its sheath like a glowing leaf. The Havoc Warrior's remaining frequency only managed to record a flash of emerald light before its frequency vanished completely.
His slender figure shone under the glow of artillery fire. This dazzling light caused Rover, who followed closely behind, to lose focus for a moment.
She became more certain that she had seen this scene somewhere before.
During Rover's moment of distraction, Zane instantly killed two more low-class Tacet Discords, then quickly turned and cut down a third.
A Flautist raised its flute and played a series of harsh, jarring notes like a funeral dirge.
Zane lifted his head. Waves of cursed sound closed in. He leaped high and swung his blade rapidly. The swift edge cut through the air and severed the deadly melody played by the musician.
In an instant, the Tacet Discords he came into contact with seemed to evaporate.
At that moment, a Chasm Guardian blocked his path, trying to stop his charge with its powerful, hardened body.
As long as it could stall Zane for even a brief moment, the Giant Elite-class Flautists lying in wait around them would tear this human to pieces.
But it had chosen the wrong opponent.
Zane stomped down with his right foot, slamming into the massive body of the Chasm Guardian like a heavy cannon. Its rock-hard exterior split open like tofu under the impact.
The towering two-meter body was sent flying, breaking apart midair before disappearing entirely.
What happens when a triple-red assassin reaches a fragile ranged unit... those Giant Elite-class Flautists understood this deeply.
Compared to Zane's direct and overwhelming force, Rover's swordsmanship was like a dance. Every swing felt like an invitation to a waltz of blood.
Of course, elegance didn't mean weakness. With just one hand glowing with refractive light, she could easily blast a helpless Chasm Guardian to death.
Inspired by the two fighting bravely, the second wave of the Tacet Discord tide was quickly suppressed.