Beneath the steel helmet, Arthur listened quietly to the words of Special Agent Carter.
However, when it came to Jasper Bell, Arthur had no idea of who he was.
At this moment, he adjusted his breathing to calm himself. It was hard to say whether he was scared or excited, but Arthur felt that his limbs, even his mind, were all in a strangely excited state.
Even to the point where he felt the need to use the restroom.
This was particularly crucial; who has heard of holding in urine while facing the enemy with bayonets drawn?
But considering everyone's seriousness, Arthur felt embarrassed to mention the need to use the restroom.
What if he was seen as a coward?
"…Alright, I've said my piece. Does everyone remember?" Special Agent Carter finished speaking.
Everyone nodded, and Arthur also nodded along.
The sergeant spoke at this point, "Remember, there's only one point to emphasize in this Decapitation Strike: Assassination! Since we only have four people, it's impossible to charge in and take out the entire enemy force. So, during this operation, everyone must stay calm and not reveal themselves before seeing Jasper Bell."
Glancing at the team members, the Sergeant smiled faintly and said, "So, relax for now. If there are any issues that need to be addressed, do it now. I don't want the first thing you do when you see our target to be shooting… or wetting your pants!"
Everyone looked at each other.
The sergeant couldn't quite grasp their attention, "Was my joke not funny?"
Then, the soldier whose name Arthur didn't know grinned and chuckled quietly.
Arthur, Carter, and the sergeant looked at him. After laughing a couple of times, the soldier realized no one joined in and awkwardly stood up, "I'll go to the restroom."
Seeing someone taking the lead, Arthur quickly followed.
The two didn't go too far, just found a tree nearby and began watering the forest with their tools.
"Scared?" The soldier asked Arthur.
This question left Arthur unsure of how to respond.
Not scared? That would be strange!
You guys have been fighting for a long time; you're probably used to it.
But I was watching movies, playing games, and drinking cola at home in the morning, completely relaxed. Now, in the afternoon, I'm in the midst of a battlefield, wreaking havoc… I'm almost dominating the battlefield!
However, all these tsukkomis were reduced to just one word at the tip of his tongue: "Scared."
The soldier nodded, "Fear is a good thing; it can save lives. You're a good person, skilled with a gun, even though you have a strange habit. Still, I hope you can live well. At least, live until this damn war is over!"
"…You praised me, and I'm happy about that, but what strange habit do I have?" Arthur asked blankly.
"Well…" The soldier hesitated for a moment, then said, "When the Sergeant, Agent Carter, and I observed you before, we noticed that after you kill someone, you always like to applaud. Okay, I know they're a bunch of damn bastards, but is it necessary to be so happy about it?"
Clapping your hands in that situation! Arthur was dumbfounded; there was absolutely no such thing.
But book slaps! He thought no one had seen them, but it turns out they were noticed. And applauding?
"Could it be…" Arthur suddenly had a thought. Could they not see those books… and the Battle Soul? If that's the case, then his previous attempts to hide his performance were foolish, right?
Amidst his contemplation, Arthur suddenly heard the soldier speak in a low voice, "What do you think of Special Agent Carter? Isn't she exceptionally beautiful?"
Still immersed in embarrassment, Arthur instinctively replied, "I don't feel much… her face is too square."
"Oh my god! I can't even begin to understand your sense of aesthetics," The soldier said. "If I still have my life by the end of this war, I must find a woman like Special Agent Carter."
"Then go pursue her," Arthur said. "She's right behind you."
The soldier hesitated for two seconds, "Even if I catch her… I'm afraid she'll shoot me when we argue."
"If you're afraid of death, you shouldn't pursue girls. If you're afraid of death, why pursue girls at all?" Arthur scorned.
"Are you sure we're discussing pursuing girls and not suicide right now?" The soldier looked at Arthur with confusion, then put away his tools, "Why do you have so much urine?"
"Good kidneys!"
These two bored men engaged in trivial conversation, and somehow, their bond inexplicably deepened.
From start to finish, Arthur never asked the soldier's name, and the soldier never asked for Arthur's name.
But… next, they would join forces, infiltrating a perilous place surrounded by enemies, embarking on a bloody Decapitation Strike together!
Life… is really absurd!
Arthur couldn't help but sigh in his heart, but the information unexpectedly obtained from the soldier was very useful.
If the things he disassembled could only be seen by himself… that would be so much more convenient!
Upon returning, Special Agent Carter glanced at the time and said, "It's time to go."
Everyone nodded, and the soldier took the lead, rushing out first, gesturing to the others from a short distance to ensure safety.
As they approached the enemy camp, a tense atmosphere began to permeate the air.
All conversations were completely prohibited, and all communication was replaced by gestures.
The gestures were relatively simple; even though Arthur didn't understand initially, after watching a few times, he caught on.
Throughout the journey, there were no major hiccups, except for encountering an enemy soldier who came out to smoke.
The soldier stealthily bypassed him, slitting his throat from behind.
Meanwhile, Arthur, true to his nature, took the enemy's weapon…
Under the tense and oppressive atmosphere, the ten-minute journey felt like ten years, but they finally found the 'contact.'
The rendezvous with the other side wasn't as complicated as imagined. After meeting, and exchanging a few code words, the other side confirmed Arthur and the others' identities.
In fact, Arthur felt that these code words were unnecessary. Wearing full American military gear, he couldn't believe anyone in Little Beard's army would dare to wander around their own camp dressed like this!
After the rendezvous, the 'contact' swiftly led them to a corner of the military camp.
"This place is only patrolled by me, so it's very safe."
This was a youngster in his twenties, leading the group into a tent while speaking.
He took out four sets of military uniforms from under a bed and said, "You must act quickly and find something on your own! Here is the camp's defense layout. Good luck!"
As he distributed the clothes to everyone, the moment Arthur reached out to take the clothes, a prompt suddenly appeared before his eyes.
[Disassembly upgrade complete!]
[Do you want to disassemble the military uniform?]
(End of this chapter)