The soldiers engaged in a fierce firefight with the assassin, but they quickly realized they were no match for his flawless combat skills and specialized assassin techniques. Dialla's entire force redirected their attention to the intruder. Seizing the chaos, Raynolds saw an opportunity to escape, but Victor swiftly spotted his attempt.
"Captain is trying to make a run for it!" Victor shouted.
"Victor, don't let Captain escape! Take him down now!" Dialla ordered.
"Yes, sir!"
Victor aimed his pistol and fired, the bullet striking Raynolds in the back. He lost his balance and tumbled off the bridge into the river below, carried away swiftly by the strong current.
"Sir! Captain's been shot and swept away by the river!" Victor reported.
"Good job, Victor! Now, we have one more target!" Dialla responded.
"Thank you, sir! But our remaining troops are struggling against the assassin!" Victor reported.
"Damn it! He's too fast," Dialla muttered.
"How do we take him down, Sir?!"
"Victor, surround him immediately, and get the RPG ready to blast him straight to hell!"
"RPG? Understood, sir! Attention, soldiers, surround the assassin!"
"Yes, sir!"
The assassin, observing the soldiers closing in, noticed Sergeant Victor aiming an RPG at him from a distance.
"This is payback for hurting our great Lieutenant! You're in for a blast!" Victor declared.
"Using an RPG on me? You're all mad," the assassin scoffed. He tossed a smoke grenade and vanished completely from their sight before Victor could launch the RPG.
"What? How did he escape in a situation like this?!" Victor exclaimed.
"What's going on, Victor? Why haven't you fired the RPG yet?" Dialla demanded angrily.
"Sorry, sir! He somehow managed to slip away..."
"Useless! This is the second time he's eluded us! Shame on all of you!" Dialla fumed.
"My apologies, sir! I'll organize our remaining forces to search for him!"
"Forget it! I can't trust you anymore. We have more important matters than chasing a rat."
"You're right, sir... Is your eye alright?"
"Of course not! Where's the medic?! He'll pay for my eye someday!"
"Medic! Medic!"
"We're here, Sergeant," the medics finally arrived.
"Attend to Lieutenant immediately! Move!" Victor urged anxiously.
"This is unbelievable! If I include that damn assassin, that means there are three people capable of single-handedly dealing with hundreds of my men... Why do I keep encountering these monsters? Am I cursed?" Dialla couldn't believe his misfortune.
"Let's hope we don't run into any more," Victor replied.
"Yeah. Victor, don't waste any more time. Prepare the script and the broadcasting equipment. We'll start the live broadcast soon to declare our official victory to the world. Nisaeria..."
"Yes, sir! I'll get everything ready."
Meanwhile, Raynolds found himself seriously injured and bleeding profusely while submerged in the frigid river. As he helplessly floated downstream, the cold water seeped into his wounds, making his situation even more dire. He understood that his chances of survival were rapidly diminishing. Slowly, he closed his eyes amidst the icy currents and began to reminisce about his family and comrades before succumbing to unconsciousness.
"Geena... Cathie... I'm so sorry I've dragged both of you into this chaos... May my death secure your safety...
"Rosseaulyn... I'll forever trust you... I hope you can take good care of my family...
"Jeff Leslie... The fate of all Kothern rests with you now... May you safely return to Luthernza..."
With these final thoughts, Raynolds slipped into unconsciousness. His lifeless body continued to be carried by the river until it encountered an unexpected obstacle. Something halted his drifting form along the river's edge within a forest. A mysterious man wielding an unusually long axe had saved him from being swept away.
"Hmm? A Kothern soldier's uniform... His body is covered in wounds and still bleeding... I suppose I should save him," the enigmatic man muttered to himself.
Using a piece of cloth, he performed a makeshift bandaging on Raynolds' wounds, particularly the one inflicted by Victor. The man then hoisted Raynolds onto his shoulder, grasping his axe firmly. In the dark forest, where only the twinkling stars and crescent moon offered illumination, the man employed an unusual method to light his path. Striking a match, he set his entire axe ablaze, except for the handle.
The axe possessed a distinctive shape and an exceptionally long handle, adorned with an unknown emblem on both sides. With the blazing axe illuminating his way, he ventured deeper into the forest, carrying Raynolds with him to an undisclosed location.
Meanwhile, back at Dialla and Victor's location, Dialla received word from his medic that his eye had been permanently damaged and rendered blind. Despite the loss of one eye, Dialla's overwhelming desire for victory and the supposed "death" of Raynolds overpowered his pain and anger. Victor had meticulously prepared everything necessary for their live broadcast and was awaiting Dialla's instructions.
"Sir, everything is ready. You can begin the broadcast anytime," Victor confirmed.
"And what about the broadcasting agencies in Kothern? Have you informed them thoroughly?" Dialla inquired.
"Yes, all the news channels are prepared to broadcast our victory!"
"Excellent! Hand me the script, and let's initiate the broadcast."
All of Dialla's men had positioned themselves neatly behind him, with the camera focused on Dialla to transmit his message to the entire nation. Despite the prevailing confidence that Kothern was on the brink of victory, the citizens still eagerly awaited confirmation of the war's outcome.
Meanwhile in Luthernza…
"Vermilion! Ayukawa! The live news is about to start!" Carmella said.
"Coming! Do you think Captain has won this war?" Vermilion asked.
"Of course! Our great Captain Raynolds is Kothern's best warrior. Here it begins!"
"You seem excited..."
"I'm a huge fan of him now. Huh? Who's this? Why is this guy on the screen? Where's Captain Raynolds?"
"Let me see... It says here... First Lieutenant Dialla of Kothern..."
"Lieutenant Dialla?! The one Rosse mentioned earlier?!"
News Channel 00: Good evening, dear citizens of Kothern. I am First Lieutenant Dialla of Kothern. Firstly, I bring you good news. The military operation in Nisaeria has successfully concluded with the capture of their capital city today. The fate of Nisaeria will be determined through diplomatic means. Now, I must share unfortunate and shocking news. Captain Raynolds, our great hero and best warrior, has proudly sacrificed himself in the early stage of this operation.
"What the hell?! Early stage?! I don't believe this nonsense!" Carmella said, agitated.
"How could this really happen?" Vermilion asked, shocked.
News Channel 00: Dear people, we apologize for bringing you this sad news so late. This loss will deeply affect every soldier and citizen of Kothern. I have decided to share this news after taking command and leading our forces to victory in this operation. Please accept my sincere...
Ayukawa switched off the TV before the news could finish. Carmella and Vermilion were speechless and shocked after hearing of Raynolds' death in the military operation.
"Interesting, so this scum who is giving the speech is the one who sent the assassin to kill me… At least now I know how he looks," Ayukawa said, her tone serious and tinged with anger.
"Ayukawa, do you believe what he just said...?"
"Sorry, I am not interested in knowing anything about this war or the Captain. But don't forget what Carmella's sister told us— the Lieutenant was trying to kill the Captain. Obviously, he succeeded and now he wants to take all the credit for this war."
"You're right! What a despicable and sinister person... Huh? What's wrong, Carmella? Are you crying?"
"Nope, but I do feel sad for the Captain. I haven't seen him in person yet..."
"Huh? Is that what you're concerned about?!"
"Of course not!"
"I'm going out for a while," Ayukawa said.
"Where are you going? It's night already," Vermilion wondered.
"To warm up my body and muscles. I haven't really moved around since my leg got injured."
"Well, don't do anything too strenuous until your leg has fully recovered," Carmella reminded.
"I know..." Ayukawa replied and left the house promptly.
"Carmella, did you see her eyes?"
"Yeah, sharper than usual... feels like she's going to kill someone... I guess she's probably just going out to warm up her body and practice combat. I wouldn't be surprised if she appeared on the news for killing Lieutenant Dialla someday..."
"Don't say such a scary thing! Maybe she just wants to do some fitness exercise."
"I know, I know. But don't you think she'll seek revenge for sure?"
"I know she will... But I had a strange feeling after I met her... I feel like I must keep her out of dangerous situations... Should I try to talk her out of it?"
"I don't think it's worth trying. By the way, I also sense that both of you seem to have some fateful connection with each other right now... I can't really understand it either."
"But no one can explain what the connection is... I wonder what your sister will do..."
"Good question, but I have no idea. We're not in the military, after all."
"Carmella, what will happen to the people of Nisaeria and their soldiers? Will they be exiled?"
"Well... Based on past events, I believe their soldiers will be exiled along with their families. Where did you learn about the exile?"
"Dr. Apgar told me before, and do you still remember the villagers I mentioned earlier?"
"Oh, right... You were with them before... I know what you're thinking, but there is no place for those exiled ones in this world. As for the ordinary people of Nisaeria, they will become part of Kothern, but they will only be recognized as second-class citizens in Kothern forever."
"Truly unfair..."
"I know, right, but at least they are now residing in a powerful nation, and they don't need to worry as much as they would living in Nisaeria. That's the only silver lining I can think of."
"They have nothing to do with all this ridiculous war and chaos..."
Carmella shook her head and fell silent.
Meanwhile, Dialla finished his speeches and the broadcast. He and Victor were discussing their potential promotions in the near future. Soon, one of his men received a call from the President of Kothern requesting a meeting with Dialla in person tomorrow.
"Lieutenant! Mr. President has demanded a meeting with you in his office tomorrow, and the General will be there as well!" one of Dialla's soldiers reported.
"So fast?! Victor, you see, as I said just now, we are going to get promoted for sure."
"Wonderful, Sir! Our plan went successfully, and we achieved our goal!"
"Yeah, but don't be too complacent about this success. This is only the beginning."
"You're right, Sir! I am always ready to follow your orders!"
"Great! Ahahahahaha!"
"Ermm… Lieutenant, we have uninvited guests outside who want to see you…" Dialla's soldier informed.
"Uninvited guests? Who are they?!"
"The three great warriors of Kothern… They are here…"
"Why would they want to see me? Strange…"
"Hey! You all can't just enter without Lieutenant's permission! Hey?! Did you hear me!" A soldier's voice could be heard from outside. The three warriors walked into Dialla's camp, ignoring the other soldiers who tried to stop them.
"Lieutenant Dialla! We need to talk to you right now before you return to Kothern and meet with Mr. President…" the leader, a massive and muscular man, demanded.
"The three great warriors… This is the first time we've really seen each other, isn't it? You all just entered without my permission… But I'll just forget about it this time. I assume you have something really important to discuss with me."
"Yes, we do."