Dialla and his troops reached the entrance of the city hall, where they spotted a few of Raynolds's men standing in formation. It was evident that they had been anticipating Dialla's arrival. Raynolds, stern and menacing, stood atop the gate, his gaze locked with Dialla's. A heavy silence enveloped them.
Behind the two opposing forces lay the remains of the city hall, reduced to rubble. At the entrance, two lifeless bodies lay beneath white shrouds. The first corpse was dressed in a high-end formal attire with a crimson tie, while the second wore a military uniform adorned with a five-star general's badge. Dialla's eyes drifted to the covered faces, and a sinister smile crept across his lips as he broke the silence.
"Captain, what a pleasant surprise! We were getting worried we wouldn't find you," Dialla remarked, his tone dripping with sarcasm.
"Really? I thought you'd be disappointed to see me still breathing," Raynolds shot back sharply.
"Oh, my dear hero of Kothern, why would you say such a thing? Despite our differences, we're still comrades, aren't we?"
"Comrades? Take a look around and at my men, standing right before you. Each of them bears the scars you've inflicted. Some are fortunate enough to stand with me, unlike these two unfortunate souls," Raynolds replied, nodding toward the covered corpses.
"Don't point fingers at me, Captain. By the way, are these two corpses the President and General of Nisaeria?"
"Yes..."
"Did you kill them?"
"No, my men discovered their lifeless bodies inside the city hall."
"Then can we declare victory and send this wonderful news back to Kothern?"
"Yeah, but before we do that, there's one more thing we must handle, right, LIEUTENANT DIALLA!!!" Raynolds raised his voice, jumping down from the gate.
"You are right! I need you and your men to line up beside these two corpses!"
"Dialla, you're a disgrace to Kothern! We won't let you return alive! Eat this!" One of Raynolds's men berated Dialla.
Raynolds and his men brandished their weapons, their fury evident as they aimed at Dialla and his troops. In response, Dialla ordered his troops and tanks to lock their targets as well.
"Have you all lost your minds? Look at our numbers compared to yours! I have tanks and artillery on my side! Do you intend to challenge us with just rifles? Pathetic! Ahahahahaha!" Dialla taunted Raynolds and his men with a sinister laugh.
"Soldiers, this is our final mission before declaring victory. Eliminate these Kothern traitors! Fire!" Raynolds gave the order to attack, even though they knew victory was unlikely.
"Yes, Captain! Fire!"
"What a group of fools desperate for death... Soldiers, we must follow our brave captain's lead! Eliminate them all, but leave Captain Raynolds alive! Capture him!" Dialla commanded.
"Yes, Sir!"
"No, Sir…" A faint response came from one of Dialla's soldiers, unnoticed by the rest.
The two factions of Kothern's soldiers, clad in identical uniforms and wielding similar weapons, clashed fiercely. Dialla had only heard stories of Raynolds's battlefield heroics from his comrades; this was his first time witnessing Raynolds's unmatched combat prowess.
One minute passed, and all of Raynolds's soldiers continued to fight valiantly, while hundreds of Dialla's troops lay lifeless on the ground. Dialla watched in horror as a monstrous figure, with piercing blue eyes, singlehandedly crushed his men's heads with bare hands. The casualty count among Dialla's troops escalated rapidly.
Fear consumed Dialla as he gazed upon this relentless adversary. Dialla desperately ordered his troops to charge at the monster, but they were either torn apart by the behemoth or shot down by Raynolds's men.
"What a monstrous blue-eyed maniac! Team sixteen, take him down!" Dialla barked orders.
"Sir, team sixteen is down!"
"What?! Team seventeen and eighteen, engage him!"
"Sir, it seems impossible to capture him alive. He has already killed…" Victor explained.
"Shut up! I don't care! The rest of you, take him down!"
"Yes, Sir…" The remaining soldiers hesitated, fully aware of Raynolds's formidable combat skills.
"Sir! They've been eliminated as well! Team twenty-one is our last infantry!"
"Damn it! We were so close to taking him down! If my men were still here, we could have captured him by now! This is all your fault, Victor!"
"How is it my fault, Sir?!"
"Don't tell me you've forgotten about that insane woman who killed hundreds of our men!"
"I... I remember, sorry, Sir."
"Utterly useless! So, there are two individuals in this world capable of defeating hundreds of my elite soldiers singlehandedly?"
"Oh no, Sir! They're headed this way!"
"Captain Raynolds... You've left me no choice! All tank units, open fire!"
Dialla immediately directed the tanks to target the remaining resistant soldiers, obliterating them all. Raynolds was once again sent flying. He now stood alone, covered in bruises, unable to take any more punishment. Gasping for breath, he fell behind the two corpses.
"Sir... Captain seems unable to stand," Victor observed.
"At last... Tie him up with the steel chain!"
"Roger!" Dialla's men secured Raynolds with the steel chain.
"Sir, may I ask why you're so insistent on capturing him alive?"
"That's none of your concern!"
"Very well, Sir…"
Dialla approached the two corpses, towering over Raynolds. With a powerful kick, he struck Raynolds in the head, causing blood to trickle from his forehead. Despite his injuries, Raynolds remained defiant, staring fiercely at Dialla.
"You sacrificed so many of my men... You're getting what you deserve, Captain!" Dialla delivered another kick to Raynolds's head.
"Hmm... Haha... Hahaha... I sacrificed your men?! What about mine?! And the innocent civilians?!!"
"Why do you care so much about our enemies? I just don't get it."
"I don't understand you either. What's the point of all this?"
"Do you have any idea how long I've waited for this day? To finally surpass you..."
"Surpass me? For what?"
"Reputation. As long as you exist in Kothern, all eyes are on you. Not just me, but many other military officers wish you'd disappear from this world."
"I only do what I can, never seeking fame or reputation."
"Even if it's unintentional, the result is the same. I don't want to remain a Lieutenant; I aim to reach the top."
"So, that's your motive... As I suspected, you've been up to some shady dealings behind our backs."
"You're right. Everything I've done is for my own success."
"You won't succeed... Even if you kill me, nothing will change."
"That's because you're not as cunning as I am. I know how to succeed, like right now. I led this war to victory! For the first time, I've defeated you... Even if my victory lacks honor, considering you've taken down more than half of my troops, in the end, I've won."
"Pathetic..."
"No... You're the pathetic one."
"How long do both of you intend to lie on the ground?"
"What are you talking about? Huh? What the...?!"
The two corpses suddenly stood up, revealing themselves as General Dan and the man in the high-end formal suit, one of Raynolds's own men.
"Lieutenant Dialla… I'm deeply disappointed and infuriated! You deceived me! General Dan pointed his finger on Dialla."
"How is it that a Nisaeria coward like you is still alive?!"
"Nisaeria coward? Then how about you?! I placed all my trust in you, and you not only betrayed me but also committed mass murder on my people! How dare you!"
"My apologies, General Dan. But it seems you've misunderstood something."
"Huh? Misunderstood of what?!"
"I made a promise to you, but that doesn't mean I agreed with you. What a simple-minded fool…"
"Stop playing word games! The fact is right before us! You've betrayed us and killed so many innocent people!"
"You're just an obscure general from a small country. What right do you have to shout at me? If you're unhappy, try killing me if you can!"
"As you wish!"
General Dan took his army knife and slashed Dialla's chest, causing him to stagger backward. His men rushed to his aid as blood seeped from his chest.
"How does it feel, Lieutenant Dialla?! I bet you are enjoying the pain!"
"Not bad, Nisaeria coward... But you made a mistake."
"What?"
"You should have aimed for my heart instead of slashing me."Dialla stood up, revealing a bulletproof vest beneath his suit.
"Whatever! I'll finish you right now! For my men and my people!"
"Stop wasting my time to engage with this fool! Take down this useless puppet now!"
"I got it, Sir!" Bang! Victor fired a shot at General Dan, this time rendering him truly lifeless.
"Are you alright, Sir?"
"Of course, this little wound doesn't bother me at all. Wait a second! Where are Captain Raynolds and the other walking dead?"
"They were just standing right there just now… I think they've fled, Sir!"
"Then, what are you all still waiting for?! Chase them!"
"My bad, Sir! Soldiers, get them now!"
The soldier disguised as a corpse carried Raynolds on his shoulder and sprinted as fast as he could. However, he soon ran out of energy, while Dialla and his troops closed in on them. They reached at a bridge and below them was a river, and the soldier gently lowered Raynolds to the ground. The soldier engaged Dialla in combat. Unfortunately, the soldier met his demise swiftly. Now, Raynolds found himself as the lone combatant against Dialla
"So, you've learned some tricks? Not bad. It's meaningless progress for you," Dialla remarked.
"As long as I can still stand... I'll stop you..."
"Stop these pointless struggles..."
"Lieutenant! Our scouts have spotted one soldier from Captain's troops entering the outskirts of the city's forest!"
"Get him! Ensure none of them survive! They could expose everything if they return to Kothern! Make sure none of Captain's men make it through the night!"
'I wonder who who is the one… I truly hope the two of them can escape this chaos... The infant… And Jeff Leslie… If Jeff can make it, Rosseaulyn will know what to do next," Raynolds prayed silently in his heart.
"I underestimated our Captain… Any more tricks and games up your sleeve?"
Raynolds slowly rose to his feet, despite his trembling legs. He wore a confident smile and replied to Dialla, "Yes, I still have more to show you!"
"You just won't stay down, will you?"
"As long as I'm breathing, I won't!"
"Stubborn!"