"General Zane, the Disrupter turret is just ahead."
Facing the rain, Zane raised his head, letting it beat against his slightly pale face, streaming down in rivulets.
He couldn't remember how long it had been since someone had called him "General." That one word from the deputy captain pulled him back to that day filled with blood and rain.
Only this time, he would not repeat the same mistake.
"All units, prepare for battle."
"Yes, sir!"
"Remember, do not get bogged down in combat. Our mission is to ensure the Disrupter turret remains in our hands."
"But, General…" The deputy captain hesitated for a moment, then stepped closer and asked softly, "If the turret falls, what should we do?"
Looking at the hesitation on the deputy captain's face, Zane raised his head. The worry and uncertainty on the faces of the soldiers in this unit came into his view. The cold rain struck their faces and bodies, chilling them to the bone.
Holding the turret under heavy encirclement by remnants...
"Brothers, I know what you're worried about."
Zane's voice wasn't loud, but it carried clearly into everyone's ears.
"But please, believe in your comrades, your brothers. This isn't just about each of your lives. It's about the countless people of Jinzhou."
"Believe that they will hold the turret until the very last moment. Believe that even if only one soldier remains, they will never retreat."
"Because your name is Midnight Rangers... so long as the long night has no end, we swear not to return home."
As Zane raised the swift blade in his hand high, a surging fighting spirit erupted from this squad of dozens.
"Deputy captain, raise the banner. Sound the charge."
"Yes, sir!"
The stirring horn echoed across the Disrupter turret, and the fluttering military banner snapped loudly in the Retroact Rain.
On the other side, Jiyan, who had just assembled the troops, stood before the formation and looked toward the direction of the turret. He could already hear the sounds of battle there, hear the echoes of bravery.
"He will win."
Beside him, Mortefi's projection pushed up his glasses, his eyes showing no trace of worry.
"If Zane heard you say that, he'd probably start making a fuss again."
"What do you mean?"
Jiyan clicked his tongue, shook his head lightly, and showed a helpless expression, "If Zane were here, he'd definitely say: that line would be more appropriate coming from Rover."
Mortefi frowned slightly. That did sound like something Zane would say, but…
"I didn't know you made jokes like that. In the past, wouldn't you be wearing a serious expression, assigning tasks, and then carrying them out meticulously at a time like this?"
Jiyan couldn't quite explain his own change. Maybe after dealing with Zane for so long, he had been influenced as well?
"Back to business. Lady Jinhsi has already obtained authorization from Huangdu to activate the Disrupter."
"Experts researchers and colleagues from the research institute are now setting parameters. Once control of the Disrupter is secured, we can fire."
Hearing Mortefi turn serious, Jiyan also put away his smile. His long, sharp brows tightened.
As for Rover they were talking about, she was standing on the other side of the formation, staring blankly in the direction of the Disrupter, as if recalling something.
The Doctor, meanwhile, was typing on her portable terminal, seemingly contacting someone.
[The time is almost here… what do you say?]
[Ready.]
[Me too.]
[I'll leave my dear friend to you.]
[Doctor: I know. No need for you to say more.]
After typing, the Doctor closed the terminal. Even though everything had been arranged, her heart still felt as if it were being struck repeatedly by a heavy hammer, restless and uneasy.
"I hope everything goes smoothly…"
At this moment, all she could do was pray.
Because what they were about to do was something that should have been impossible.
———
"Deputy captain, take a squad and secure the high ground to the east. Use firepower to block the route leading to the Disrupter."
"Yes, sir."
Watching the deputy captain leave, Zane took out another swift blade and shouted to the Midnight Rangers soldiers behind him: "I'll open the path."
"Vanguard units stay on both sides of the formation to prevent close-range attacks from remnants."
"Those with ranged weapons, fire to the left and right. Clear out the remnants on both sides, and prioritize those with ranged attack capabilities."
As soon as he finished speaking, Zane attacked with both hands. The two swift blades swung wide and fierce, each strike accompanied by a piercing sound as they slammed into the heads of the remnants.
Normally, dual blades should be used with one for offense and one for defense, adjusting position through agile footwork to achieve both attack and defense.
But for Zane, there was only offense.
Dodging sideways past the blade of a Judgment Warrior, Zane raised his knee and kicked it sideways, sending the creature flying.
The unfortunate Judgment Warrior carved a long trench across the ground before crashing into a nearby rock wall. After leaving a human-shaped imprint on it, it completely vanished.
And this nearly insane fighting style meant he had completely given up defending his own body.
A dart formed from fierce wind whistled through the air, leaving a glaring wound on Zane's left shoulder.
"Hiss... " The sharp pain made his face grow even paler, and the swift blade in his left hand almost slipped away.
But Zane wasn't one to take a hit like that without returning it. He reversed his grip on the blade in his right hand and raised it high above his head.
The next second, he threw it like a javelin at the patrolling hunter that had ambushed him. Naturally, the creature met the fate of having its head separated from its body.
"General, are you alright?"
The battlefield was deafening... shouts of soldiers, sharp gunfire, roaring explosions... all tangled together.
The Midnight Rangers soldier behind Zane had to shout loudly, "I'm fine! Watch out for ambushes from remnants hiding in the shadows!"
He had as many of these weapons as he wanted, so there was no need to worry about consumption.
Zane transferred the swift blade from his left hand to his right. A pistol appeared in his left hand, and he immediately fired at a Shockstir Hunter drawing its bow on the left.
The hunter fell at once. Zane spun the gun in his hand with satisfaction, unable to help but sigh at how times had changed. This thing really was useful.
A pistol truly was a cross-era weapon, showing unmatched importance in military, civilian, and commercial fields.
Especially when it came to handling neighborhood relations... just a simple triple action, and the world would become quiet.
Just like what Zane was doing to the remnants right now.
Very quickly, under Zane's leadership, the squad cleared a path to the Disrupter turret. Zane then led them into its defensive zone.
"Old Ji, I've secured control of the Disrupter. What do I do next?"
Without hesitation, Zane took out his Pangu Terminal and contacted Jiyan.
"Place that Pangu Terminal onto the Disrupter control console. Experts from Tiangong who came from Huangdu will calibrate it remotely."
Zane nodded and solemnly handed the gourd in his hand to the squad leader of the first unit.
"Take your squad and operate the Disrupter. I'll hold the route leading to it. Remember, no matter what, the Disrupter must remain in your hands."
Fully armed, the soldier took the gourd and gave Zane a firm military salute before quickly leaving.
"Hey, take a few mechanics and check if there are any defensive systems nearby that can still be activated. Use the defense turrets to bombard the remnants first and conserve the soldiers' strength as much as possible."
"Yes, sir!"
"General, there are still several wounded here."
"You, bring the medic over."
As the words fell, Zane quickly ran toward the wounded.
The continuous Retroact Rain had already washed away the bloodstains on the turret ground. But from the shattered equipment and torn defenses around him, Zane could tell how brutal the battle here had been.
"General… is that you…"
Hearing footsteps, a wounded soldier whose vision had blurred from his injuries spoke with difficulty. His weapon was still clutched in his hand.
"I'm Zane. Jiyan sent me to support you."
"General Zane… that's good…" The heavily injured soldier seemed to relax, his stiff body gradually loosening, though his hand still tightly gripped his gun.
"We knew… this cannon… is important…"
Zane raised his head and looked at the massive cannon behind the soldier, towering like a dragon. The golden Huanglong emblem on its body bore witness to the soldiers' sacrifices, shining under the rain.
"We held this place… never let the TDs take it…"
The wounded soldier's voice grew weaker. Zane glanced at the military doctor who had been treating him.
The only response was the doctor shaking his head helplessly and sorrowfully.
"Damn it…"
Watching another brother about to pass away, Zane's face showed no joy or sorrow. But his hands clenched tighter and tighter, the knuckles turning pale.
"I probably won't make it to the day of victory…"
The soldier's words suddenly became clear and smooth, but this only made the darkness in Zane's eyes deepen.
"Please… you must defeat that monster!"
Zane stood up solemnly and nodded to the soldier.
"You've worked hard. Please rest well. I promise you, we will win... "
"Even if I have to stake everything I have."
The military doctor beside him watched the soldier take his last breath, then stood up as well and gave a solemn military salute to the body.
This scene repeated itself again and again across the Disrupter turret, making something churn deep inside Zane.
"General, there were 128 soldiers defending the Disrupter turret, including 8 logistics personnel, 3 cooks, and 4 medics. Only… 5 survived… the rest all died heroically…"
Every sacrifice will be remembered.
Grief lingered in the hearts of every soldier, and what followed was endless anger and overwhelming fighting spirit.
They swore to make the Threnodian repay blood with blood.