Before he knew it, Burns was running. Romelia, too, was running to support the flag.
The injured soldier couldn’t support it alone, and the flag leaned.
“Hang in there, don’t let the flag fall!”
Burns shouted to the soldier supporting the flag. But the soldier’s body was slowly leaning. When Romelia reached out her hand, the soldier’s body tilted further, and his face turned toward Burns and Romelia.
Seeing the face of the soldier supporting the flag, Burns was speechless.
Previously hidden, the left half of the soldier’s face was gone. Half his face was blown off, his eyeball dangled, and brain matter was spilling from his skull.
From his remaining right eye, tears streamed down, his mouth slightly open, uttering faint words.
“Mo…ther…”
Calling for his mother, the soldier fell.
Romelia’s extended hand hesitated for a moment, and her muttered words reached Burns.
“I’m sorry.”
Romelia’s hand grabbed the flag, not the soldier calling for his mother.
The soldier who wasn’t caught fell on the battlefield with a crying face.
Romelia, who chose the flag over the soldier, tried to support the leaning flag but couldn’t hold it alone. Burns caught the flag.
When Burns looked at Romelia, the count’s daughter had a pale face, stricken by her own guilt.
“He was a brave… soldier.”
Burns praised the fallen flag bearer.
The soldier’s face was scrunched with tears, and his crotch was wet with urine, but he was still brave.
“Yes, very.”
Romelia agreed with Burns’ words.
The flag bearers were brave. They didn’t fight. But they couldn’t run or hide. During the bombardment, Burns and the others could lie low and hide. But they couldn’t, no, they didn’t. They chose to hold the flag over their own lives.
Even with fear so great it made them cry and wet themselves, they overcame their own hearts.
“Lady Romelia, the third wave is coming!”
Shloh and the others returned to Romelia and pointed to the sky. Again, wyverns were descending from above.
“They’re coming! Get ready!”
Burns shouted at the top of his lungs.
Romelia bowed her head while holding the flag. Burns, holding the flag with his right hand, raised his shield with his left hand, covering Romelia’s head. Shloh and the others surrounded them with their shields.
A large number of explosive magic stones rained down. Burns and the others were shaken and battered by the impacts.
The shock was closer compared to the second time. The annoying flag was being targeted intensely.
Explosions rang out at close range, blowing Shloh and the others away. Burns’ shield was also blown away, but he managed to prevent falling by holding onto the flag with his right hand.
Though he nearly fell, the sound of the bombardment was subsiding.
Burns raised his head to look up, and Romelia also lifted her head to check the situation.
It was then.
Most of the descending wyverns had finished their bombardment and were ascending. But one, lagging behind, was just starting its descent, dropping an explosive magic stone.
A small stone floated in the air. For some reason, Burns saw the stone clearly.
The black stone, carried by the wind, came towards Burns and the others. And the stone was swallowed by the huge flag of the guard. The momentum of the stone was killed by the flag, sliding down the fabric and falling right below.
The explosive in front of him made Burns extend his left hand in terror.
Miraculously, the falling explosive magic stone entered Burns’ left hand.
It’s going to explode!
Sensing the stone would explode, Burns instinctively extended his left hand away from himself and Romelia, using his right hand to push Romelia, who had raised her head, down.
Immediately, a flash of light burst from Burns’ left hand, and an explosion occurred.
Strangely, there was no pain in his left hand. But the explosion pierced his ears, breaking his consciousness.
“…Lieut…nant! Burns! Burns!”
In a daze, Burns realized someone was calling his name.
Recalling the situation, Burns quickly got up and looked at Romelia.
“Romelia! Are you alright?”
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Burns jumped up, checking Romelia’s safety.
Romelia was clinging to the flag, sitting on the ground. She had no noticeable injuries, but her face was trembling.
“Bar… Burns. Your arm…”
Following Romelia’s gaze, Burns looked at his own arm and found his left hand was gone.
His left arm had been blown off from the root, the cross-section burnt, turning red-black.
Seeing his missing arm, Burns was surprised, but also somewhat relieved that it was only this much.
“Romelia! Lady Romelia! Stand up, the enemy is coming!”
Ignoring his left arm, Burns pointed to the defense line with his right hand.
The demon king’s army, which had retreated due to the bombardment, was advancing. Looking up, there were no signs of descending wyverns. The enemy had run out of explosive magic stones. There was no need to fear the bombardment anymore.
“Huh? Yes!”
Surprised by the commanding Burns, Romelia stood up.
“Romelia! You stay there and hold the flag! You guys! Protect her well!”
Burns ordered Romelia and Shloh, and then shouted at the soldiers still lying on the ground.
“Get up! The enemy is coming! Line up your shields, ready your spears! Form up! Protect the guard’s flag! Don’t worry! Lady Romelia is holding the flag for us!”
Following Burns’ orders, the soldiers, though startled by his armless state, obeyed, stood up, and took their weapons.
The demon king’s army surged like a tidal wave. Every soldier was injured, but they fought desperately against the demon king’s army. However, the wounds from the bombardment were severe, and the defensive line was on the verge of breaking.
Burns swung his sword, trying to fight the demons in front of him, but he dropped his sword. Blood spewed from his mouth. Looking at his stomach, he saw stone fragments piercing his armor, blood spilling out.
A demon, right in front of him, aimed a blade at the disarmed Burns.
“Burns!”
As the demon’s blade approached Burns, Sergei charged in with the cavalry, shouting.
“Leave the rest to me. I will take charge of this battlefield. You all, don’t let the demon king’s army get any closer!”
Sergei roared with fighting spirit. The guard’s cavalry, too, fought valiantly to help their wounded comrades.
With Sergei and the cavalry’s desperate efforts, the demon king’s army began to be pushed back.
But then, a massive vibration struck Sergei and the others. The vibration came from far ahead.
Burns groaned as he saw the source of the vibration.
“Damn, they’re deploying the giant soldiers now?”
A hundred giant soldiers, the demon king’s army’s reserve force, began to advance.
In this situation, if new forces were deployed, they would lose.
Burns stumbled, nearly falling back. But soft hands supported his back.
Looking to his right, he saw Romelia, holding the flag with her right hand, wrapping her left arm around his back.
Her face showed no fear or surprise, only eyes staring straight at the advancing giant soldiers.
Romelia’s gaze shifted to the left wing. On the left wing, Romelia’s knights were being pushed back by the demon king’s army.
But despite her soldiers being at a disadvantage, there was no panic in Romelia’s eyes. Her gaze was fixed further beyond the left wing.
As Burns strained his blurred vision, he noticed a group of cavalry rushing far beyond the left wing.
There were two hundred of them. Led by a soldier in blue armor, they were making a wide arc around the battlefield, aiming to flank the demon king’s army.
Flanking Maneuver!
Romelia had been conserving her forces, waiting for the right moment when the Demon King’s army would deploy their reserves, intending to strike from behind and launch a pincer attack.
“So, she predicted this far ahead,”
Burns exclaimed in astonishment, looking at Romelia standing beside him.
Romelia didn’t answer his question, her gaze fixed on the plan she had risked everything on.
The detachment of Romelia’s knights advanced with the speed of the wind, aiming to take the giants from behind.
However, just at that moment, the giant soldiers who had been advancing towards them suddenly changed direction and reformed their ranks to face the rear.
“This is bad, Romelia,”
Burns said, his vision darkening. It wasn’t just because of his blood loss.
This was the worst-case scenario.
The Demon King’s army had swiftly changed direction, clearly having anticipated the flanking maneuver.
At this rate, their attack would end in failure.
But even though Romelia’s plan had been read, she smiled the biggest smile of the day.
“We’ve won.”
Burns heard Romelia’s voice clearly and witnessed the outcome.
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