—————————————————————–
Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
—————————————————————–
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Bang!!
Drake Brown kicked open the door to the 808th Security Battalion’s command and control room.
“C-Commander…!”
The officer wearing a duty armband let out a relieved sigh upon seeing Drake.
“Those bastards are slacking off. They should have called me when things got this bad!”
“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry… It didn’t cross my mind…”
The officer bowed his head repeatedly in apology.
He was just a Major.
Since the higher-ups were the ones making a mess, what could a lower-ranking officer say?
Drake Brown, well aware of this fact, simply chuckled at his subordinate in understanding.
“What’s our current troop strength?”
“We’ve lost contact with His Excellency. The Intelligence Command headed to the Armaments Bureau but… this is…”
“They probably ended up as monster chow.”
“But thanks to the early emergency alert, most of the soldiers are on standby at the barracks.”
“From now on, I’m in command.”
“Yes, sir. But Commander… the woman behind you…?”
“Charlotte Evergreen. Yes, the one you know.”
Charlotte casually waved as she tossed back her hood.
Everyone in the command room gaped at the appearance of the Empire’s most wanted criminal with a multi-billion dollar bounty on her head.
Drake growled a warning.
“I hope none of you are still clueless in this situation. It was the President you all serve who unleashed the Titans.”
“His Excellency did…? Why?!”
“Why are you asking me that? Are you really the Empire’s elite forces?”
Charlotte followed up with a string of colorful curses.
Despite her beautiful and delicate features, she spoke like a rough soldier who had spent years on the front lines.
The duty officer stared at Charlotte blankly, as if he had been struck on the head.
“What? What are you looking at?”
“Everyone, we’ll discuss the details later. First, assemble all personnel at the training grounds. We need to maximize our advantage in urban warfare.”
“Ah…! C-Commander! There’s someone claiming to be Luthers Edan broadcasting on the public channel. Should we try contacting him?”
Drake received the terminal.
Luthers Edan.
Honestly, he had thought about it, but never actually apologized to him.
There wasn’t any specific reason.
It wasn’t about clinging to his pride…
He just felt embarrassed and awkward.
But upon seeing Charlotte, who was willing to lose her own sight to help their former commander, Drake realized what he had been missing.
Perhaps his arrogance was a disqualification for a soldier.
After all, he was the one who had been willfully blind.
He knew Luthers well and he knew what incredible abilities he had displayed on the unpredictable battlefield.
“Brigadier General Luthers Edan, this is Colonel Drake Brown, Commander of the 808th Security Battalion.”
He cautiously spoke.
A response came immediately.
“This is Luthers Edan. It’s been a while.”
Drake’s expression crumpled at the familiar voice.
Not because he was offended.
It was because he suddenly realized what he had done.
Guilt, regret, and the overwhelming realization of his own incompetence in not knowing what the President had been doing.
All these emotions intertwined and manifested on his face.
However, it was pointless to wallow in regret or apologize now.
A sincere apology could wait until everything was resolved.
Since it was already late, it was better to convey his feelings when Luthers had some breathing room.
“The 808th Security Battalion will follow your orders, Brigadier General. Please issue your instructions.”
Drake announced in a clear and strong voice.
“How many men and what kind of armament do you have?”
“We have approximately 2,100 personnel, including non-combatants. Our structure follows that of the standard Imperial infantry regiment, but we also have 15 wheeled light armored vehicles equipped with 45mm grenade launchers.”
“…The 808th will proceed northwest from the Presidential Palace to the National Imperial Museum and assist with civilian evacuation. You are the second line of defense.”
“Yes, sir!”
“It’s good to… hear your voice again.”
“I apologize for my actions.”
Although they weren’t face to face, their emotions were conveyed.
They were “comrades” who had never backed down even in the face of monstrous hordes, their lives intertwined on the battlefield.
He had merely strayed from the path, momentarily losing sight of his only classmate and trusted commander.
But in the end, those who had always been behind him…
‘I can’t leave him alone.’
They were there, following Luthers’ footsteps.
Lieutenant Colonel Drake Brown, the Assault Battalion Commander of the Graveyard Fortress and Brigadier General Drake Brown, the Commander of the 1st Assault Brigade under the Northern Command in a previous cycle.
“We’re deploying in five minutes! We don’t have a moment to lose!”
“We will defend the capital!”
Joining Luthers Edan.
Ratatatatat! Boom! Kaboom!!
Highway 38, bordering the Moabit, Rosenthal, and Charlottenburg districts.
Gunfire and explosions echoed from the Caliphate Castle, a local landmark and cultural asset towering over the area.
“Report from the Defense Artillery! Confirmed impact at the target location! Majority of Titans neutralized!”
“But their numbers are still overwhelming! Our artillery can only hold them back for so long!!”
“Damn it…”
The 92nd Division, under the Capital Defense Command, was desperately defending their position at the Caliphate Castle, facing the onslaught of Titans.
The 92nd Division was an augmentation division, mobilized only when additional reinforcements were needed, even after all emergency response units within the capital had been deployed.
Naturally, they were treated as a backwater unit with a commander who hadn’t aligned himself with the President.
That was why Arwen Orka had reached out to them immediately after regaining her memories.
They were a division that would either remain neutral or join their side in case of emergency, instead of actively supporting the President.
Unsurprisingly, they were now following the Supreme Commander’s orders (or rather, Luthers’s, who had been granted full authority) in this unprecedented crisis where Titans had overrun the capital.
“Casualties on our side?”
“Multiple injuries reported from the 3rd Regiment defending the north tower. It seems they have a long-range attacker.”
“At least it means they haven’t started shelling us yet…”
“The walls are effectively holding back their advance.”
With the advancement of weapons and explosives, the original purpose of castles—defense—had largely become obsolete.
No matter how strong or thick the walls were, they were no match for artillery barrages, and air strikes could erase even the foundations of a castle.
However, that meant they were still effective against those who couldn’t employ such firepower.
The story was different against newly emerged forces that had just begun spreading from the Armaments Bureau, as opposed to the Titan hordes during the war, who possessed diverse and unconventional weapons.
“Any updates on the 103rd Division?”
“They’re continuing civilian evacuation, but it seems they’re facing difficulties with crowd control…!! The tank battalion dispatched to assist them has also engaged in combat!”
“If they fall, it’s all over! Tell them to hold their ground no matter what!”
Thankfully, the defense at Caliphate Castle was holding up. Otherwise, they would have already been surrounded and annihilated.
Of course, the 92nd Division would have been overrun by the Titan horde before that happened.
“If only we had more armor…!!”
They could have launched limited offensives.
At least it would have given them some breathing room.
As an augmentation division primarily composed of infantry, their mechanized forces were severely lacking.
The tank battalion and the combat exoskeleton battalion under their command were already deployed with the 103rd Division, engaging in a desperate battle.
Luthers Edan had chosen the Caliphate Castle as a key defensive point because he was aware of the 92nd Division’s limitations.
However, as if refusing to allow him even a moment of respite…
Urgent reports began flooding in from the units deployed at the castle.
“Commander!!! Urgent communication from the west gate!! They’re digging through the ground and infiltrating! The 1st Battalion of the 2nd Regiment is engaging! Requesting reinforcements!!”
“Deploy the 3rd Battalion from the reserves! Engineering company, destroy the tunnel! Relay this to all other positions!”
The division commander issued orders based on the ever-changing situation, but…
The problem was that a single hastily assembled division was no match for the Titan horde.
[This is the 2nd Battalion of the 1st Regiment! We’re currently facing an overwhelming number of Titans climbing the walls! Requesting fire support!!]
[Impossible! 12 out of 18 batteries are down! Damn it, all we have are outdated 155mm towed artillery from decades ago!!]
[2nd Battalion! The enemy is breaching the walls! Requesting Broken Arrow! Broken Arrow, Broken Arrow!!]
[Request for Broken Arrow received, but denied due to the risk of wall collapse! Over!]
Cries and screams pierced the communication network.
As the division commander was overwhelmed by the horrific situation and a sense of dreadful helplessness…
“!!!!”
Tututututututu—!
Swoosh! Boom! Kaboom!!
Tatatatata! Brrrrrr!
Suddenly, a squadron of helicopters appeared, sweeping through the air and decimating the Titans.
At the same time, a military vehicle sped through the southern entrance, coming to a screeching halt in a wide circle.
A black-haired man emerged from the vehicle.
“Is this the division’s field command headquarters?”
“…And you are?”
“Luthers Edan. Reinforcements are a bit late. It took some time to reorganize the scattered helicopter units.”
Only then could the division commander breathe a sigh of relief.
“We’ve been waiting for you.”
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
[Damn guys i cant believe were almsot at the end its been one helluva ride]
