I've already said this isn't a life simulator!

The victory in the [Herrscher Extermination War] was achieved only by sacrificing countless pieces of equipment and several squads. In fact, if it weren't for Kevin's bravery and strength, the [Fourth Herrscher] would have caused even greater destruction and losses. This terrifying casualty ratio made the higher-ups of the Flame Chaser feel the urgency, making them eager to enhance the Flame Chaser's combat power (it may also be because the [Fourth Herrscher] set foot on the Mu Continent, getting closer to their location, which led to their sense of crisis).

Meanwhile, the Research Department also made some progress. In addition, they encountered the powerful Honkai Beast Gabriel, which may have been created due to the appearance of the Fourth Herrscher, and they also needed to deal with the Honkai Beast tides that kept coming ashore from the sea. For all these reasons, the higher-ups put down these weapons that had not yet been fully tested, hoping to see how they would perform in this battle.

We've gotten a bit off-topic, let's bring the focus back... Feeling a little relieved, Hen turned to look at Xi Wang and Ying's group.

He had assumed his teammates would share his concerns about the new weapon, but he found they weren't at all; in fact, they were quite excited.

They kept muttering strange things like, "Great! New equipment!" or "Finally... finally! Only at times like this can I feel like I'm not in a rescue or medical team..." Clearly, Xi Wang and Ying's actions of abandoning their team members and clearing the area alone had left a significant "shadow" on them.

Of course, the people who care most about Mianhen are Xiwang and Ying, since the weapons they received are different from the others—not guns, but knives.

Considering the weapons commonly used by the two characters, the sword itself was designed in the shape of a katana, with a white back and a black hilt and blade. At the junction of the black and white colors, a faint light of energy flow can be seen.

"How are you doing? Are you adjusting well?"

Hen asked with concern, since the two of them hadn't taken any other weapons besides the knife, which meant they still planned to engage in close combat with the Honkai Beasts in the upcoming battle.

"It's alright. Although it's a bit heavier than it looks, it's not too difficult for me."

Sakura smiled and nodded in agreement.

"I do not mind."

You casually replied, poured a candy from the candy box into your mouth, and then put it in the inside pocket of your clothes—there were very few candies left, and you would have to replenish them as soon as you got back.

"Although I have great faith in your skills, your positions will be very dangerous in the upcoming battle... I don't mean to criticize your fighting methods, but if any special circumstances arise or you feel danger, remember to retreat immediately, and we will provide backup."

Hen said very seriously.

"Thank you for your concern. And you too, Captain Hen. You have family, so please don't put yourself in any dangerous situations."

"Hey~ you never know about those things."

Sakura responded politely, but Hen just smiled, clearly not intending to delve deeper into the topic.

"Gresh will miss you."

Xi Wang suddenly offered a reminder.

"...Let's see."

Hen paused for a moment, then stopped talking about the topic.

After all... who can predict what will happen on the battlefield?

"Attention everyone, we have arrived at our destination."

"Alright, enough chit-chat, it's time to go support our comrades!"

The pilot's message had arrived, and you immediately stopped talking, quickly gripping your equipment. As the hatch opened, the previously faint sounds of gunfire instantly became clear, with countless wails, shouts, and roars mixed together, only to be quickly drowned out by even more intense gunfire. After that, there was the sound of the waves and the trembling sounds of countless monsters and Honkai Beasts running and attacking.

Ah... the abhorrent, terrifying, and hateful smell of gunpowder, unique to war, invigorated everyone, and then they moved into action in silence and quickly.

Their tasks had already been assigned. Hen and the other squads would go to the front lines to relieve the troops fighting there, while Xi Wang and Ying would engage in highly mobile operations and, when necessary, contain or eliminate threatening targets. At the same time, the squads they led would accompany them on mobile operations, ensuring follow-up support while assisting in the defense of the front lines.

To be honest, many veterans felt a strong sense of familiarity when they saw this battlefield, except that the two sides in the war had changed from "humans against humans" to "humans against Honkai Beasts".

At the same time, isn't it true that this is "war"? Xi Wang and Ying felt the constraints not long after they started their operation. Your combat style is not suitable for this kind of battlefield. The overly open terrain makes you less agile than in the city, and there is nothing to block your view, which reduces your threat.

But... it's only "some".

"Sakura, 300 meters ahead, 10 o'clock direction, rescue."

With light steps on the sand, Xi Wang drew her sword while giving instructions.

"Ah."

With a simple reply, the cherry-colored figure rushed out with Xi Wang at an unbelievable speed. Some people even subconsciously moved their weapons, wondering if they had encountered some new type of Honkai Beast.

Then, as if in a trance, a flash of light appeared, and the Honkai Beast that was about to attack froze instantly, its body then split into two pieces.

Xi Wang was a little surprised. She didn't feel that the blade itself was particularly sharp when she was checking it, but when she hit the Honkai Beast, it felt like cutting soft tofu. There was a feeling of obstruction, but it was very slight.

Perhaps this is the [Honkai Energy].

Xiwang didn't care too much, and just quickly cleared away the Honkai Beasts around her. Although the venue prevented you from using some of your strength, the weapon upgrades were enough to make up for this slight deficiency.

While signaling the guard squad behind to drag the person back, Sakura also turned around and joined the battle. Soon the pressure in this area was reduced, and the defense line that was about to break was quickly stabilized.

"Walk."

"Ah."

Once they confirmed that the situation here had eased and the defensive line had been basically rebuilt, Xiwang and Ying immediately moved the battlefield—there were many such critical places throughout the entire defensive line, and they couldn't wait here for the defensive line to be completely stable, so they could only help them relieve the high pressure.

Thanks to their superior mobility, the two quickly reinforced nearly a third of the defensive line, significantly relieving the pressure on the defense.

However, although it sounds like a lot, it all seems like a drop in the ocean compared to the endless stream of Honkai Beasts surging from the seabed.

The two knew that it was all because of Gabriel.

It was a large Honkai Beast that flew in the air, with six broken wings shaped like a horn, and was the culprit behind this Honkai Beast tide.

Although Xiwang and Ying are not yet clear about what makes this Honkai Beast special, they will find out soon.

"Captain, the captain of the first squad wants you to come over and discuss countermeasures."

The adjutant's voice came through the squad's communication system.

"Location."

"Just head two areas in this direction, and someone will meet you there. We will continue our mobile missions."

"it is good."

After a brief but impactful conversation, Xi Wang and Ying quickly set off, clearing out Honkai Beasts along the way while rushing to their target location.

Upon arriving here, you also encountered Hen and a beautiful figure with fiery red long hair—Himiko, the captain of the Fifth Squad.

Clearly, the two of them had also been called over to discuss countermeasures. You nodded to each other and then quickly exchanged information, which was about some matters concerning [Gabriel].

"So this Honkai Beast tide was actually spawned by [Gabriel]?"

"Yes, every time the Horned Honkai Beast makes a sound, Honkai Beasts will come out of the sea, and their numbers will definitely be more than the last time the horn sounded, possibly even double."

Himiya rubbed his temples, speaking as if troubled.

"At first, there were very few Honkai Beasts. When we first observed Gabriel, we only thought it was a powerful Honkai Beast that appeared along with the Fourth Herrscher. So, Moth Chaser only sent out a small team to encircle and suppress it. But in the end, we didn't expect that Gabriel's ability was this kind of army-type. This led to that team being trapped by a large number of Honkai Beasts. In the end, before our reinforcements arrived... they were all wiped out."

"........."

"Then, as Gabriel sounded his horn more and more often, the Fire Moth had to send more people to build defenses, and in the end, what was originally a punitive expedition turned into a situation similar to a small-scale battle... By the way, from the beginning until now, Gabriel's horn has only sounded 5 times."

Himiko seemed somewhat helpless. This incident could be described as negligence or an accident. After all, if the higher-ups of the Firemoth had been a little more cautious and sent one or two more squads, they might have been able to directly subdue [Gabriel] when the number of Honkai Beasts was still small. But at this stage... it's a bit troublesome.

The number of flying Honkai Beasts surrounding Gabriel is too large and too varied, the ground battlefield is too intense, and the effectiveness of conventional weapons is beginning to diminish. Now, the defenses are basically built up by the lives of soldiers.

"So now there's only one choice left, right?"

Xi Wang fed herself a piece of candy and said softly.

"Yes."

A calm yet slightly weary voice rang out from not far away. Soon, a white-haired boy lifted the curtain and walked into the simple meeting room.

He looked somewhat disheveled, his uniform and face were covered in dust, and even his striking white hair had some fine sand left behind. He also smelled of gunpowder, indicating that he had just come back from the battlefield.

"We must defeat Gabriel first before we can have any hope of victory."

He roused himself and saluted you as a greeting.

"I'm sorry everyone, I'm late."

"Kean, the temporary leader of the first squad of the Firemoth, sends his greetings to you all, seniors."

Chapter Seventeen: The bugle call has arrived; there are six of them.

[First Squad Leader] - This identity is somewhat surprising, but not unexpected. After all, with Kevin's abilities, he was bound to have this identity sooner or later. The previous captain recruited him because he valued his talent and abilities.

However, the word "temporary" is quite intriguing, especially given the special circumstances. Having this identity for such a short period of time, coupled with the word "temporary," could very well indicate something unpleasant.

Kevin was the only one left. All the other members of the first squad—most likely during the battle against the Fourth Herrscher—had perished.

Perhaps I'll need to find out more about the details of the Fourth Herrscher subjugation campaign later...

Xi Wang thought about it subconsciously, then paused for a moment and asked again.

"Is everyone here? And there's no need for these kinds of greetings anymore. We're all colleagues, there's no need to be so formal."

“I understand. As for Alicia, the captain of the second squad, she is leading her team to subdue the companion Honkai Beast of the [Fourth Herrscher] and cannot help us for the time being, but she will come to support us after she finishes her mission.”

Kevin, who knew something about Xiwang, naturally understood who he was asking. He nodded to show he understood, and then explained Alicia's whereabouts to those who didn't know yet.

After all, Alicia has the achievements of "single-handedly defeating the Second Herrscher and leading a team to defeat the Third Herrscher". Although Kevin now has the achievement of "single-handedly storming the storm to defeat the Fourth Herrscher", that was only achieved because others secured the prerequisites for him. In comparison, Alicia's reputation is undoubtedly more resounding, and in this situation, her name is more reassuring.

Of course, Xiwang's question might simply be out of concern for Alicia...

However, now that they knew Alicia's whereabouts and that she would be coming to their aid, everyone was temporarily relieved and began to discuss how to defeat Gabriel.

"So Kevin, what are your thoughts?"

Himiko asked first.

"……I?"

Kevin seemed somewhat bewildered.

"Yes, after all, you were the one who summoned us here. Did you come up with a plan?"

"...We'll use a flying vehicle to directly attack and kill Gabriel from the air?"

“A reckless charge is not a good solution, and what about ground operations?”

"……Feel sorry."

Clearly, Kevin didn't think too much when he gathered everyone together; he just hoped someone could find a way to resolve the current situation.

"It seems you haven't adapted to your current role yet, which is my problem."

Himiko said softly, “Normally, when other captains are summoned to discuss something, it is because the person who proposed the summons has an idea. The purpose of summoning others is to gain their agreement and obtain different opinions, and they should speak first. This is a kind of unspoken rule.”

It seems that Kevin was unaware of these things. Even though the former captain intended to groom him as his successor, things are unpredictable and the battle situation is ever-changing. Before Kevin could learn the necessary knowledge, he had to take on this responsibility.

Considering his achievements, he may very well be portrayed as a character similar to Alicia, a powerful human capable of single-handedly defeating a Herrscher. At that time, he will likely officially become the captain of the first squad of the Firemoth.

Because she was very familiar with the thoughts of those people, Xi Wang also made a prediction about Kevin's future fate. Although she felt a little regretful, Xi Wang couldn't change anything, so she simply asked a question.