Time flew, and soon, the day of the all-out war arrived. The Tanzanian Front's regular army and the Alliance's dispatched forces gathered in Iringa, the core region Hong Yeon's army had occupied. Twenty thousand regular troops and twenty thousand dispatched troops—a total of forty thousand soldiers. Considering Tanzania's situation, this was on an incredible scale. It was clear they had scraped together every available soldier, leaving only a skeleton crew to defend the south. The fate of Tanzania, and indeed the entire African continent, rested on this single blow. If we failed here, the Alliance would seriously consider abandoning Africa, playing right into the hands of the abandonment advocates.

Our route was simple. We would depart from Iringa, occupy the former capital of Dodoma, and then advance directly to Karusha, the region where Legion Commander Selegma was stationed.

"Move it, move it!"

"Hurry up!"

Watching the soldiers scramble with their gear, I glanced behind me.

'It's still an incredible sight.'

Countless soldiers and tanks were arrayed in perfect formation. Our ranks had been bolstered by tanks captured from the rebels, as well as new models from the dispatched forces equipped with mana engines. The numbers alone hadn't conveyed the scale, but seeing it in person was jaw-dropping. The display of power was so majestic it would be stranger if we lost.

"Accepting the Alliance's proposal was an excellent choice," Karim, my assigned aide, said as she approached.

"I told you, didn't I? We had nothing to lose."

"Hehe. We never lose when we listen to you. Here is the supply list you requested."

"Thank you."

As we were discussing logistics, a man approached from a distance.

"There you are, Hunter Kim Yusin!"

He had the typical appearance of a European, with large eyes and fair skin, but his mustache and cheekbones hinted at Arabic heritage. Dressed in an Alliance military uniform with a mana suit layered over it, he had a polished, professional air about him.

"Please check the dispatched forces' supply list as well."

"Ah, thank you."

This was Hakan Abdullah, the leader of the dispatched forces and a certified rank-3 hunter. He handed me a file and smiled brightly.

"This is a glorious day for the Alliance! Let's give them a fight to remember! We will defeat Selegma and take the first step toward the liberation of Africa!"

"Of course."

After a brief exchange, Hakan left to attend to other matters. He seemed enthusiastic and outgoing, but something about him was unsettling. He had insisted on splitting the command structure between the regular army and the dispatched forces.

"These are orders from above. We will share all information and execute the same strategy toward the same goal, but we will operate under an independent command structure."

Hakan's forces weren't being incorporated into the Tanzanian Front; they were operating as an independent unit. For me and Hong Yeon, this was a problem. A unified command was far more efficient. Why divide our strength?

There were several possible reasons. While not a seasoned veteran, Hakan had a fair amount of experience. Taking orders from a rank-3 junior with far less time in the field might have wounded his pride. In fact, upon his arrival, Hakan had demanded command of the Tanzanian Front, a request Hong Yeon had coolly refused. That was where their friction began.

Another reason was the matter of military honors. If he joined the Tanzanian Front, Hong Yeon would be the commander-in-chief. All the credit and the spotlight would be hers, while Hakan would be just another subordinate. He likely preferred to operate as a corps commander on equal footing rather than in such an ambiguous position.

But that was all just my speculation. The important thing was that we were now operating as two separate corps.

"That's not it…"

'Hm?'

After speaking with me, Hakan had gone to Hong Yeon. Once again, he was nitpicking about supplies.

"If it weren't for our support, you all would have starved. After sharing four months' worth of supplies with the Tanzanian Front, our reserves have been cut by more than half. A long-term battle is now impossible!"

"…We are part of the same Alliance, and I was told these were supplies for local procurement. Is there a problem?"

"You've got some nerve, taking another unit's supplies without a second thought."

Hakan was friendly enough with me, but he was particularly difficult with Hong Yeon. Seeing her hesitate, I walked over and put my arm around her shoulder.

"Ah, sunbae."

She looked back at me, surprised.

"Let's not be so petty about our supplies," I said, looking at Hakan. "We're not another unit; we're all part of the same Tanzanian Front, aren't we?"

Hakan's expression hardened, clearly upset that I had taken Hong Yeon's side. He cleared his throat. "Ahem, this is not a matter for Hunter Kim Yusin to interfere in…"

'Chzzzt!'

Just then, a voice came over the comms, "This is HQ! The potion relief supplies have just arrived!"

I turned to see a convoy of vehicles loaded with potions entering Iringa. The supply unit moved swiftly, guiding them into position. The soldiers' eyes went wide with amazement.

"Wow, they really came!"

"I heard one bottle costs almost two hundred dollars…"

"What kind of obscenely rich person sponsored this?"

Murmurs rippled through the ranks as a seemingly endless stream of vehicles entered the formation. I smiled and activated my earpiece.

"This is the commander. Distribute the potions provided by Alchemia according to the official guidelines I submitted." Then, looking straight at Hakan, I added, "Fairly, without discriminating between the regular and dispatched forces."

"Copy that."

"Understood."

Hakan's expression crumpled beautifully, and Hong Yeon's eyes were wide with shock. I gave her shoulder a light pat and returned to Karim, who was looking at me with newfound respect.

"…Hunter Kim Yusin. You're unbelievably wealthy."

"Haha."

Just then, a mana signature flared beside me. I knew only one person who could cause such a phenomenon.

"Hunter Kim Yusin."

It was Samia.

"On behalf of the Tanzanian royal family, I express my sincere gratitude for your help. I never imagined you would provide potions for free out of your own pocket…"

"It's an important battle. We have to help each other in times of need."

"I will surely repay this debt someday."

Time passed quickly as we managed the influx of supplies. The rest of the dispatched forces arrived, and the potion distribution was completed. With the tedious speeches and departure ceremonies already done, all that remained was to march.

"Well then."

Commander-in-Chief Hong Yeon stepped forward. I saw the familiar faces of the rank-4 hunters: Samia, Scorpion, Marta, Zhang Wei, Charlie, and Wayne. Karim and I joined them at the front.

"Let's move out."

And so, the combined might of the Tanzanian army and the Alliance forces began its march, a single massive column aimed at the heart of the legion commander's territory.

* * *

We finally crossed the safe southern border and entered the northern territory. Monsters that had been roaming sparsely began to flock toward us, drawn by the roar of the tanks. They snarled and bared their teeth at the edge of the living field, a truly menacing sight. I watched from the command vehicle.

"We'll push through with force," Hong Yeon said, her hand on her earpiece. "Commence bombardment."

Hakan spoke through his earpiece, "This is Hakan. Dispatched forces will also commence bombardment."

Cannons from both corps roared to life, spewing fire. The concussive blasts tore the monsters to shreds, and the vanguard tank unit advanced, crushing their corpses under its treads. The main force followed close behind.

"They don't explode from gunpowder or blades! Set them on fire or use chemical agents!"

"Yes, sir!"

As the vanguard and main forces passed, the rear guard cleared the living field, securing our retreat path and preventing encirclement.

"Monster spotted at 17:00!"

"Target confirmed."

The scattered monsters were no match for us; the vanguard's firepower alone was more than enough.

"This is a core area of the central region, but there are far too few monsters," Samia muttered from the passenger seat.

"It seems Selegma heard about our assembly," Hong Yeon replied. "They've likely gathered their forces at a specific point to intercept our army."

"That certainly seems to be the case."

We advanced easily, relying solely on the firepower of our armored vanguard. A few monsters tried to hit the flanks of our rear guard, but they were small groups, easily dealt with by artillery or mana rifles. The hunters, including myself and Hong Yeon, conserved our strength.

Eventually, we reached our objective for the day: Dodoma. The ground was corrupted by the living field, but the city's buildings were still standing. The infantry occupied key structures for cover while the rear guard cleared the living field and set up barbed wire. Search parties scoured the city.

"This is A-17. All nearby markets have been looted by monsters."

"This is A-18. The grain silo is intact! It wasn't flesh, so they left it alone!"

We would secure what supplies we could and rest here for the night. Tomorrow, we would attack Karusha, where Selegma was stationed. Though we had recaptured Tanzania's long-lost capital, no one was smiling. It had been too easy. Every soldier knew, without a word being said, that this was merely the calm before the storm.

We entered an empty building. Though we hadn't fought, commanding the troops from inside a tense vehicle all day had left us deeply fatigued.

"Command staff, please have your meal!" an officer announced, bringing us food. It was warm corn soup and bread.

"Oh, this is pretty good."

It was surprisingly decent. Hong Yeon, sitting beside me, was sipping her soup quietly. Our eyes met.

"Good work today," she said.

"You too."

"Tomorrow's the decisive battle, I suppose."

"Yeah."

As we ate in silence, Samia and Karim appeared with their own bowls of soup.

"May we join you?"

"By all means."

We ate together, making small talk.

"Ugh, being in Dodoma makes me anxious. You don't think the monsters will launch a night raid, do you?" Karim asked.

"There's a high probability of that," Samia replied.

None of them—not Hong Yeon, Samia, or Karim—had removed their hunter suits. They were ready to spring into action at a moment's notice.

"Ah, just a moment."

I excused myself and stood up, switching the channel on my earpiece.

"Go ahead."

"This is 4-F! Situation resolved! Just sent the results to Ea!"

"Good work."

Instantly, Ea projected a screen into my Deva's Eye. It showed a massive pile of burnt monster corpses. Beside it, Na Daeyong and the other members of the team were striking a pose. A smile escaped my lips.

I heard through my earpiece, "We've taken care of all the monsters trying to infiltrate Dodoma, so rest easy!"

"Nice. You did really well."

"You can count on us!"

I ended the communication and returned to my seat.

"Alright, everyone, take off your suits and get some proper sleep."

Cocooned in her sleeping bag with only her face peeking out, Hong Yeon blinked at me.

'She's unexpectedly cute.' When she fought, she went berserk and a whirlwind of steel and fury. But when she was sleepy, she became this quiet and subdued.

"sunbae, we could be called to action at any moment. There will surely be a night raid…"

"The soldiers will alert us if that happens. We can move out then."

I shucked off my suit, tossing it aside. Dressed in just a shirt and shorts, I slid into my own sleeping bag.

"Night."

"Sunbae…"

"Get some rest. Honestly, even if monsters do show up, it's strategically better for you to sleep through it and let the others handle them. You need to be in peak condition to take down the legion commander tomorrow."

Samia and Karim nodded in agreement.

"If there's a raid, I'll teleport over, so don't worry, Commander," Samia said.

"That's right! We'll stop them," Karim added.

Finally, Hong Yeon relented. She removed her armor, settled into her sleeping bag, and fell asleep.

Of course, there was no night raid.

* * *

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