Beneath the trenches lies a complex route of tunnels, with wherever they go often leading to rooms such as armories, sleeping rooms, and ration storages.
Kazuto would often take glimpses of the rooms, perplex and curious as he never seen such rooms in his life, while the thought of running in an endless maze felt imminent the longer they stay.
However, his confusions was overtaken by fear and horror as he could see the light in the distance, as the screams of men and the bombs of artillery becoming louder.
"Um... You know. I never get the chance to know your name? So if you don't mind me asking, what's your name?" Kazuto asked the man in front of him, huffing as they are both running in haste.
"Haven't you read my name in my uniform already!?" the man replied, irritated.
"I did, but it wasn't clear enough." Kazuto timidly replied.
For the man, it was a horrible excuse to start small talk. However, the genuinity in Kazuto's eyes could not be mistaken as an excuse to begin with.
"Tsk.. I can't believe you're asking in a situation like this, but fine! It's Winston, Winston Heinrich, but you can call me Winston if you want!" Winston replied.
Kazuto gaze with furrowed eyebrowed and nodded, remembering the name.
It didn't take long however, and soon they were out of tunnels and are now in the damp cold trenches of war.
The plains were nothing more but dirt and mud, as ponds of rain water and blood had plagued the environment, with no signs of lush trees nor ambudant verdant grasses growing anywhere.
It was only full of houses and structures falling into ruins, and the barbed wire were almost planted everywhere as far the human eye can see. It was as if it was no man's land.
While the thick, dark fog had left covering the area, making it harder to see a glimpse of the approaching enemy, or even your own comrades.
Artillery shells were also raining down like a storm, with each strike leaving a shatter-like earthquake that instill fear and chaos as chunks of dirt and particles of dust splattered in every direction.
Men wearing the same uniform as he were also gathered in the trenches in every direction he look, some looked horrified, while others looked detached and lifeless as if this was their daily routine. Their rifles often peak above the trench, shooting at whoever was in the distant fog.
Some of the men who were killed by the artillery or shot by the approaching enemy were gradually flooding the trenches, as their bodies stack in the sewage, tightening up the little space the trenches could give.
While the men who were wounded grunted in pain. While others who survived the strikes of the artillery screamed in agony, their body parts severed and blood coursing out of their flesh with the insides throbbing.
Kazuto couldn't help but watch in fear as he stood petrified. His eyes widened and quivered watching death one after another.
'This is hell!!' he thought
All of sudden, out of all the chaos and bloodshed, he heard a timid voice calling for him.
"Help me... please help me," A dying voice whispered.
Kazuto's eyes drift beneath him trying to get a glimpse of the man, as sees a soldier in his thirties. His chest had been damped by his own blood, and his breathing vague and heavy, while his lip had been left to dry.
Kazuto clenched his fists, gulping as he approaches the man. With each step, he could feel his legs trembling as if they were about to fall.
As he kneeled down in front of the pale man, he looked at his eyes as the glimmer of life gradually fades away.
"Uh... wh-what should I!?" Kazuto panicked.
"Bandage..." The man says timidly, his eyes becoming heavy.
"Bandage? Ah, right! Bandage!" Kazuto realizes.
In haste, he searched for bandages near him, even checking the man's pockets if there were any. In his luck, he could feel a soft fabric hidden deep in the man's uniform.
He swiftly pulled it out and saw a white bandage, untainted by debris nor damped by blood.
He soon opened the man's chest, seeing the deep cut of the wound as it looked infected. Nevertheless, Kazuto wrapped the bandage around the man's chest, applying pressure to stop the blood. At least with this, it would help stop the bleeding.
As he was about to be done, the man's eyes closed with his body becoming heavier.
"Hey! Look at me in the eyes!! Everything's going to be alright, okay? Just... Just keep on fighting!" Kazuto tried to motivate the man, but the man just shook his head.
"I-I think, I can't do it anymore..," The man whispered, his voice becoming faint.
"No! You're not dying here! Not now!" Kazuto yelled as he looked at the man in dismay.
Kazuto kept on wrapping the bandages around the man's chests, continuing to apply pressure as he goes. However, before he could even finish, he was interrupted.
"Kazuto! Come over here now!" Winston yelled for him in the distance.
"Gah! Just keep on wrapping your body with this!! I'll be back!!" Kazuto promised the man with a determined expression.
He patted the man's shoulder as he grabbed his rifle lying on the ground, hurriedly standing up and looking away as he ran towards Winston.
Kazuto bit his lip in regret not even daring to look back. While the dying man could only do is watch as his life was still slowly being taken away by death.
"What do want me to do!?" Kazuto anxiously asked, his hands trembling not knowing what to do anymore.
"Cover me while I set this machine gun!" Winston ordered him, his hands already busy assembling the weapon of death.
"Cover you!? They're not even firing back! All their doing is raining artillery shells against us! There's not even a single threat of bullets hailing against our sight—" Kazuto objected.
As he was about to finish his sentence, a bullet hurtles itself from the distance, hitting one of the men on Kazuto's far left, with his helmet and skull pierced completely.
Soon his body fell down to the sewage, lying coldly as his life was taken from him. Both of them saw it with their own eyes, as they watched in fear.
"Just don't complain and do it!" Winston yelled, his fear boiled into anger as he swiftly tries to assemble the machine gun.
Kazuto quickly aimed his rifle at the thick fog ahead of him, his hands trembling as he couldn't even focus his eyes on the iron sight with no thought of where to shoot.
"What should I do now!?" Kazuto asked loudly.
"Son of a—" Winston muttered, annoyed and irritated.
"Just shoot anywhere! As long as you're sure you hit the enemy!" Winston yelled, all his attention just trying to set the machine gun.
With sheer mental pressure, Kazuto pulled the trigger as he could feel the butt of the rifle sliding from the side of his shoulder, with his skin peeling off in the process.
"Ahh!" Kazuto groaned in pain.
"Do you even know how to use that thing!?" Winston asked.
"Of course, I know how to use it, I was just a little bit rusty you know!" Kazuto bluffed.
He then aimed his rifle back into the thick fog, this time he could feel his shoulder throbbing from the pain, constantly reminding him of the consequences of his mistakes.
His hands were shaking even stronger, the thought of being killed poisoning his mind. Even though his shoulder is hurting and fear surging around his body, he did not hesitate any longer and pulled the trigger once more.
He could feel the recoil pushing him back, as the bullet flew as quick as sound.
After a successful shot using the rifle, he hastily pulled the handle bolt and pushed it back as he fired another bullet, which was then followed by two more.
'Is this what it feels like fighting on the battlefield!? Fun... Is the feeling always been fun!?' Kazuto thought to himself, aiming his rifle at the abyss.
His horrified and fearful expression gradually turned away like dust, with what is left is an uncanny feeling of joy and dread, with his face slightly smiling like a creep in the alleyways of night.
"Kazuto! Bring the ammunition box over here!" Winston ordered him as the machine was completely set and ready for use.
Kazuto stopped shooting his rifle and gazed around his surroundings as he searched for an ammunition box. His eyes soon saw a black plastic box beneath him, as it was filled with bullets attached to one another with the use of some kind of belt, like a strip.
He hastily grabbed it, hoping it was the right box, and gave it to Winston.
"Here you go!" Kazuto answered, his uncanny smile left written on his face.
Winston was creeped out, yet he never gave it a thought. He hastily attached the ammo strip and mounted it into the machine gun, as hurriedly aimed at the dark fog.
However, before he could even fire a single bullet, a moment of silence occurred. The men in the trenches were left confused about gush of winds, as they lower their heads beneath the trenches as they gazed one another.
Enemy artillery fire had completely stopped, and the dark fog that had covered the area was starting to decay.
"Is it all over?" Kazuto asked in concern, his smile faded as quickly as it came.
"I don't think so," Winston replied.
With the end of Winston's reply, a large yell of morale was heard in the distance. Screams of pride, dread, and even fear mix together to create a dangerous force as the enemy run towards them like there was no tomorrow.
They were wearing a dark blue uniform, unlike Kazuto's which was grey. While they were carrying rifles that were somewhat darker than their wood type compared to theirs.
However, what made their rifles truly unique to the eyes was its illuminating sapphire color embedded in the gun itself.
"Fire everything you have towards them. I want them to taste the bitter sweetness of hell!" The sergeant ordered his men as loud as he can, yelling from the top of his lungs.
The men in the trenches peaked their rifles and started shooting, while mounted machineguns were burning like fuel in the bunkers behind them and so are those that were planted in the trenches.
"Hold the belt carefully! Make sure it won't tangle!!" Winston gave him some advice.
Kazuto responded with a firm nod.
Winston then pulled the trigger of the machine gun with 8 rounds of bullets firing every second. Killing four to six approaching enemy men in his position, and the rest of the bullets missing their shots.
Despite the numbers of who have already died from their advances, the belligerents were still not stopping. Their advance did not consider halting, instead, they seemed to be willing to die to the bitter end.
"Don't even think about stopping for a mere second! Keep on firing!" The Sergeant yelled angrily as he started using his own rifle as well.
However, with a never-ending advance, only time could really tell how long they could last.
Soon the left trench came to a breach as enemies were now jumping down the trenches and shooting anyone that wasn't them.
"Kazuto! Grab your rifle! I can operate the machine gun myself!!" Winston yelled in desperation with each bullet hurtling itself at the enemies.
Kazuto nodded and released his hands from the belt of bullets. He crouched and grabbed his rifle from the ground and put a clip full of bullets in the rifle, aiming at his left.
However, before he could pull the trigger, his eyes were mostly focused on the enemies' ears. He couldn't help but notice they were long, sharp, and pointy.
'Elves?... our enemies are Elves!?' Kazuto yelled, bewildered as he couldn't make himself pull the trigger.
"What are you doing!? Shoot them!!" Winston alarmed Kazuto.
Kazuto was startled and accidentally pulled the trigger, hitting one of the Elves.
"Sorry! I was just—" Kazuto tried to apologize, however, he was instantly interrupted by Winston.
"I don't want to hear excuses!! Just do what I just told you to do!!"
Kazuto then pulled the handle bolt and started shooting again, and with the help of his comrades, the breached left trench was recovered almost instantly when it was captured.
The tide of battle is now shifting. The enemies were no longer given another chance to take over another trench as resistance became much tougher the longer the battle continues.
The battle lasted for about another hour until the battle came to a complete halt.
The craters were dumped with corpses. Wherever you would gaze a corpse would always be there lying dead in the mud, at least now the never-ending advance had stopped.