Everyone fought until their mouths were dry. After the initial intrusion of the company captains, it seemed as if the formation would collapse uncontrollably, but everyone held their positions. They pushed back the living field that slithered forward at every opportunity and fought on clean ground.

Finally, the tide turned.

"The monsters are retreating!"

"Ooooooh!"

Faced with such stiff resistance, Legion Commander Selegma finally pulled the monsters back. The surroundings were littered with enough corpses to form mountains. Of course, given the fluid nature of taves monsters, they would eventually melt like liquid and sink into the ground, so they wouldn't literally pile up.

"This is F-4! Seven out of ten plants destroyed!"

I believed we had overcome a major hurdle. Three plants left, five centurion commanders down, and countless company captains. The Legion Commander? Sure, it would be tricky, but I didn't think for a second that I, Hong Yeon, or Samia couldn't take it down. The chances of Tanzania winning were now higher.

The battle wasn't over, but everyone's faces had brightened noticeably, especially those of the Tanzanian regular army. They were on the verge of defeating the infamous Legion Commander that had tormented them for so long.

The only unsettling thing was…

'Chzzt!'

"This is S-1! Repeating contact with Mtwara HQ, but no confirmation."

"This is the comms team, we'll check on it."

…that contact with Mtwara HQ had been lost. Why would communications suddenly be cut? No matter how insane the evolutionary speed of the taves monsters was, it wasn't at a level where a variant capable of paralyzing human communications would appear. But with everyone intoxicated by the feeling of victory, it seemed no one was thinking too deeply about it.

"Good work with the command, sunbae," Hong Yeon said, approaching me while panting for breath.

"It's still too early for that. This is just the beginning."

She gave a faint smile. "You never let your guard down."

"Let's take a short break, just enough to catch our breath, then go in to get the legion commander before the soldiers are completely exhausted."

"Th-th-this is Q-17!" a sudden radio call crackled. Q-17 was the rearmost guard unit.

Hong Yeon answered it herself. "Report, Q-17."

"E-Emergency! A massive number of taves monsters are approaching from the rear! They're swarming toward Karusha!"

"…What did you say?"

The expressions of everyone who heard the transmission hardened in an instant. Hong Yeon looked at me, her hands trembling. I took the call.

"This is Captain Kim. What are the enemy's numbers?"

"Tens of thousands at a rough estimate! Too many to count!"

It was definitely not Selegma's forces. If it had that many available troops, it would have surrounded us long ago.It had to be another group of taves monsters. Which meant…

"It looks like a legion commander from another region has come down to help Selegma. That's the only explanation."

"…Ah!" Hong Yeon gasped.

This was an unprecedented phenomenon. I knew there were legion commanders in other countries besides Tanzania, but I had heard they were so sensitive about their territory that they had no interaction with each other.

'Chzzt!'

"This is Q-17! L-L-Legion Commander Colossus is—Gaaaaaaaah!"

The transmission from Q-17 cut off. My guess was correct. Colossus. That one controlled the area around Uganda.

"Colossus? Did he just say Colossus?"

"What the hell is going on?"

The soldiers who heard the transmission began to murmur in confusion. As if waiting for this exact moment, Selegma's monsters, which had retreated, began to slowly creep forward again, as if to surround us. What's more, Q-17 was not far from here. If we had known they were coming sooner, we would have headed south instead of advancing. In other words…

"That explains why we can't reach HQ," I said grimly.

"What?"

"Someone occupied the base while we were away from Mtwara. They blocked all reports coming from the sentries, leading us, who were cut off from communications, to face two legion commanders at once. It all fits perfectly, doesn't it?"

"B-but who would do such a thing?"

"Who do you think?" I replied, my eyes finding Hakan.

He was the only person who could occupy the now-empty Mtwara, a person with the official authority to control it, who had left some of his troops stationed there.

At my gaze, everyone's head turned toward him. Leaning against a vehicle, Hakan just laughed and waved his hand when all eyes fell on him.

"Surely you don't suspect me?"

There was no sign of being startled, no flustered expression, no surprise. Hakan simply denied it with a smile.

"If so, I think your speculation is going a bit too far," he said in a slick tone.

I just bit my lip, not refuting him further. There was no evidence to pin him down yet. Ea was scraping for information now. I had to wait.

"Let's not be like this," Hakan continued smoothly. "Trying to frame an innocent person just because we can't get a signal. No matter how important achievements are, that's not right. Isn't this a time when we all need to work together?"

'Could I knock him out with a surprise attack? No. He's a certified rank-3, same as us. Could I corner him? No. Insufficient evidence.'

Now was not the time. If I attacked him here with half-baked logic, a war would break out between the regular army and the dispatched forces. That had to be prevented at all costs.

I turned my back. "I feel the same way, Hakan."

"Pardon?"

"I'm not sure what you're thinking, but we are in the same boat now. I hope you won't forget that."

Hakan just shrugged with an unconcerned expression.

Just then, Hong Yeon's expression hardened. I hadn't yet told her the basis for my suspicion, but it seemed she had caught the scent. Her hand momentarily went to the hilt of her sword.

"Hong Yeon." I placed my hand over hers as it gripped the hilt. "Strawberry jam on toast for breakfast. Remember?"

She looked at my face, then sighed and nodded. Hakan, oblivious to the fact that his life had just been on the line, was chatting and laughing with a nearby officer.

"Sunbae," Hong Yeon asked, "what do we do now?"

Not only Hong Yeon, but the other hunters and staff officers around us were also staring at me intently. Seriously, these people… It wasn't like I was some walking bag of ideas.

"Alright, everyone, look at this map."

…Still, I had a job to do.

When I took out the operational map and spread it on the ground, the others gathered. We were in the middle of a pass in a mountainous region, blocked by rocky mountains on both sides.

"If we stay here, we'll be hit with a pincer attack by Selegma's legion from the front and Colossus's legion from the back. Our position is terrible. If we get pincered, it will be hard to avoid annihilation." I lifted my head and met everyone's eyes. "So, let's move to a position where we only have to fight on one front, so they can't leverage their numerical superiority."

"How is that possible?" a hunter asked.

I pointed to the map, indicating the direction our forces should move. "Right now, we break through Selegma's forces in front of us and head this way." I pointed to a valley blocked on three sides by cliffs. "We enter this valley, fortify our defenses, and shift to a long-term, defensive stance."

A few hunters let out a dry laugh. Scorpion spoke up. "Your tactics are always high risk, high return, Kim Yusin."

"I don't prefer extreme strategies," I countered. "But the situation forces me to make unavoidable choices. Rather than get pincered like this, it's better to push through the exhausted Selegma legion and establish a new position."

The tactic for dealing with a pincer attack was similar anyway. If the defending force isn't superior in numbers, breaking through one side is the right move. In that case, it was better to do it now. Our forces were tired, but Selegma's monsters were tired too. And above all, we had a secret weapon.

"Any other opinions?"

Wayne, who had been fiddling with his prosthetic arm, spoke up. "Bro. How about this? Instead of breaking through them and going into the valley, what if we just hit Selegma's encampment directly?"

"That's actually the most ideal tactic," I admitted. "But it doesn't end with just breaking through; we'd have to keep those forces on our tail. Our rear guard would be whittled away the entire way. If we're going to hit their camp, it's better to just kill them all first."

This time, Marta, with a snake wrapped around her neck, spoke. "How about breaking through Colossus's side instead of Selegma's?"

"I think it would be too difficult to force our way through tens of thousands of fresh troops led by a legion commander. By the time we were halfway through, our mobility would drop, and we'd end up surrounded. The only side we can break through is Selegma's legion, which has lost most of its centurion and company captains and is left with only small fry."

Everyone nodded in agreement. Hong Yeon stood up.

"We'll proceed with the commander's strategy. We'll move out immediately, so please prepare."

At her command, everyone quickly dispersed.

"Hong Yeon."

"Yes."

"How much stamina do you have left? On a scale of one to one hundred percent."

She put her index finger to her lips, thinking. It would be nice if she had at least fifty percent left…

"About ninety-seven percent?"

'What? What kind of creature is she?'

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

"…It's nothing." At this point, I wasn't sure which one of us was the monster. "I'm going to have to push you a bit this time. You okay with that?"

She smiled brightly. "I'm fine. Please, use me whenever and however you wish, sunbae."

"Thanks." I patted her on the back and explained the plan.

"Understood."

She drew her sword.

"See you on the other side," I said.

"See you."

She walked forward, her pace steady. Even after leaving our formation, she didn't stop. She was walking alone toward the countless monsters.

"C-Commander?" Karim called out, bewildered. The others looked just as stunned.

Hong Yeon continued to advance and activated her earpiece.

'Chzzt!'

"From this moment, all forces will break through the Selegma legion and move to a new point. I will take the lead."

"W-wait a minute, Commander! Going alone is too reckless! Besides, you could get caught in friendly fire!"

"I will not be harmed by the bombardment, so attack without concern. That is an order."

With that, she ended the transmission and charged out alone, sword in hand.

"…Is she really going alone?"

"Quickly, move! We're moving out! Protect the Commander!"

The entire force anxiously prepared to advance.

'Do your best,' I thought, watching her.

Red mana swirled around Hong Yeon's body as she ran at top speed. She became a crimson pillar, hurtling in a straight line toward the black wave of monsters. The moment the red pillar and the black wave collided…

'BOOM!'

Like a scene from a comic book, a corner of the wave collapsed, and the bodies of monsters were sent flying in every direction. In an instant, she broke through the center of the battlefield and plunged deep inside. The monsters filled the space she had passed through. Her body was nowhere to be seen, and the black sea grew calm.

"Wh-what happened?"

"No way…"

And then, much farther away than before, a red pillar shot up into the sky like a beacon. The monsters' bodies were pushed back as if swept by a current.

"Raaaah!" she let out a battle cry, cutting through the horde.

'Bang! Bang!' The sounds echoed across the black sea as ripples spread. A single individual was creating massive, successive ripples in this vast wave. Everyone watched, mouths agape at the overwhelming firepower.

Hong Yeon was born with the qualities of a hero. Everyone who had fought alongside her had been captivated by her, and this time would be no different. I activated my earpiece.

"This is the Captain. All forces, advance at maximum speed."

The moment my order was given, the entire force began to run toward the battlefield where Hong Yeon was fighting. I took in the sight of her, then looked at the soldiers. Their faces held shock and bewilderment at such overwhelming power, as well as envy and admiration. I let out a deep sigh.

"How pathetic," I said, my voice broadcast to all.

At my sigh-laced words, everyone's gaze suddenly turned to me. Karim, next to me, looked at me with wide eyes and gestured that my earpiece was on.

"The great hero's little sister? A being blessed by the world? You think this is natural for her? Don't be ridiculous. She's human, just like us. She gets scared of cockroaches, finds happiness in sharing shaved ice with children, and comes running over like an innocent kid to brag when the residents wave at her. She's just an ordinary rookie in her twenties, just like us."

I didn't possess her natural charisma.

"She fights for us, people she has no connection to. So what can we do for her? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. She is strong, and therefore, she is lonely."

Nor did I have the kind of leadership that could sway people.

"But isn't it ridiculous? The fact that we can't survive without her struggle."

So this was the best I could do.

"If you have even a shred of conscience left—if you don't think it's natural to be protected by a hunter, if you feel even a little bit of resentment at the fact that you're being protected by a kid like that…"

I do what I can.

"Don't fall behind."

The envy and fear in the eyes watching Hong Yeon were now tinged with grit and determination.

"If you can't help her, at the very least, don't drag your commander down."

"Raaaaah!"

"We are entering the enemy line. Anyone who falls behind will be left behind. Our army will not have a single straggler. We will give our all to grasp the commander's coattails."

"Aaaaaaaaaaah!"

The entire force let out a deafening roar and crashed into the black wave, following Hong Yeon. The bodies of tanks crushed monsters as they advanced. The soldiers swung their bladed weapons with grim determination, snuffing out the monsters' lives.

Right in front, a mountain-sized slash erupted, splitting the taves monsters' formation in two. The soldiers roared, chanting her name.

"Hong Yeon!"

"Hong Yeon!"

"Hong Yeon!"

It was a battlefield for everyone, but they fought as one.

"Follow the commander!"

"Don't fall behind!"

The entire army, in a trance-like ecstasy, swung their weapons and matched their steps with grim resolve. There were no stragglers. No one uttered a word of weakness. The monsters, on the other hand, seemed to flinch, intimidated by their ferocity. Those vicious monsters were feeling threatened by frail, bipedal animals.

"Move forward!"

"Move forward!"

It was a scene of madness. I had lit the fire, and now they were rampaging so wildly that even I couldn't stop them. Hong Yeon, still on a solo rampage, not only met everyone's expectations but displayed an overflowing amount of firepower. Numerous sword strikes tore the monster formation to shreds. Each time, the soldiers roared in praise as if worshiping a god.

"For the Commander!" a Western soldier from the dispatched forces shouted, caught up in the passion. In that moment, nationality, skin color, language, and ideology meant nothing. Everyone around him echoed his words.

"For the Commander!"

The plan was a success. I turned my head to look at the rotting face of one man. 'How do you like that, Hakan? Your dispatched forces are gone. Now, there is only Hong Yeon's legion.'

"I can see the outside!"

Our forces broke through the Selegma legion with unbelievable ease. The hunters who came out to the front ran back to the rear to support the other soldiers. Now it was my turn. If she was the one to break through, then cleaning up was my job.

'Let's go, Ea.'

-Yes, sir!

<Fire Cannon> x100

Countless dazzling ripples appeared in the sky, and a rain of fire poured down. The monsters stopped in their tracks, terrified.

"Krieeee!"

<Fire Gate> x10

I supported the rear unit by laying down third-order Fire Gates behind them. A continuous stream of flames prevented the monsters from approaching. But of course, the target wasn't the monsters, but the living field. The rear unit created space by continuously burning the filth to their flanks and rear as they fled. The monsters stopped at the exposed bare ground, and in that gap, even the very last person safely escaped the foul-smelling black sea. I continued to clear the living field, forming a path of retreat.

"W-we're alive!"

"I don't even know how we got this far!"

"Hahahaha!"

The soldiers, having shared an unbelievable experience, smiled brightly, savoring the thrill.

"Good work, everyone," came Hong Yeon's voice. "Now, let's move to the new point."

The moment her voice was heard, a thunderous cheer that could shake the heavens and the earth erupted from the soldiers. Hong Yeon, who was on the radio, jumped in surprise. Then she looked at me from a distance.

"Sunbae," she asked on our exclusive channel, her voice bewildered. "What did you say earlier?"

I chuckled. "I didn't say anything. It was just the miracle you created."

* * *

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