The Last Struggle

How far has modern warfare evolved?

When it comes to war itself, it becomes a luxurious and expensive undertaking.

It's so expensive that small countries don't even have the means to wage war.

The gap between large and small countries is so vast that it is destined to be irreconcilable.

If Kang De hadn't really grasped these things before, it was only after personally participating in the war that he truly understood why air superiority was so important in modern warfare.

This is not a real-time strategy game. Air force is not a sneaky tool for containment, base raiding, or direct confrontation, nor is it a fragile unit that can be chased around by anti-aircraft vehicles. Rather, it is the key force that determines the course of war, the ruler of the battlefield, and the Destroyer of all ground units.

When the skies are controlled by the enemy's modern air force, it means the entire war is on the verge of defeat, and all military units, logistics departments, key hubs, and even everything else are under the enemy's arbitrary firepower.

Under attacks that can easily reach Mach 2 or 3, interception, resistance, and escape are all meaningless.

Under Archduke Goth's guidance, Kang De and Horus joined the counterattack in Danfeng Lucerne.

Goth assembled his elite troops and launched a campaign to retake the breach in the city wall.

They had previously attempted several counterattacks, but after losing the advantage of the city walls, Goth's army was no match for the elves. The two sides were far inferior in terms of troop quality, equipment level, and tactical configuration. Even the fighting spirit that the Goth People were proud of was not inferior to that of the elves, and defeat was inevitable.

But now, the situation has reversed.

The Goth, were astonished to find that the fighting had become so simple.

What awaited them was no longer the neatly arrayed elven army, no longer the barrage of arrows like a waterfall, and no longer the cunning and efficient bombardment of spells.

Before they even engaged the enemy, their own guardian angels, accompanied by a dragon's roar, swooped down from the sky, unleashing beams of light as swift as lightning. This stirred up vast clouds of dust and flames in the enemy's ranks, causing blood to spurt, limbs to fly, and swathes of elven soldiers to fall like felled wheat.

By the time these brave Goth soldiers roared and launched their charge, the elves' counterattack had become extremely weak and scattered. The soldiers defending their homeland rallied together, slicing through the breach in the defenses like sharp blades, and replanting the Goth banners on the city walls. They advanced with unstoppable momentum, achieving victory after victory.

It felt like a dream.

Before this, several counterattacks had ended in failure. The brave Goth soldiers were like waves crashing against the rocks; though fearless and charging forward, they ultimately shattered themselves and retreated helplessly. But now, everything was different.

The once invincible Twilight Moon Army has been reduced to a slow-moving, fifth-rate force.

The formation was disorganized, lacking both arrow support and magical attacks.

The cause of all this was the person who appeared in the sky above Danfeng Lucerne.

Goth's banners fluttered in the air, and silver protective wings swept low overhead, causing the banners to rustle. Even the most composed and reserved noble officers let out unrestrained cheers, and the alchemical weapon shook its iron wings in response, then roared back into the sky, continuing to guard the skies of Danfeng Lucerne under the grateful and fervent gazes of the soldiers.

This is the last section of the city wall to fall.

This means that Goth has regained full control of the city, driven the elven army out of Danfeng Lucerne, and all the expeditionary force's attacks have effectively ceased, because even the world's strongest and most elite armies cannot continue their offensive under the barrage of fire from sixth-generation fighter jets.

At this point, Danfeng Lucerne's precarious situation has been balanced.

"They will never forget you, never forget this day, Father."

Such a conversation took place in the rapidly ascending fighter jet.

Kang De smiled. "This honor belongs to you and me. I'll let them know."

"No, it's all yours, Father."

Horus said, "My role is merely that of a weapon."

"Your presence here is due to your assistance and compassion for Goth."

"The weapons and bombs of the Destroyer Elf are a result of your efforts and actions in Africa."

"The reason we acquired Tacitus and replicated the top-tier weaponry of France and the United States was because of our will to stay in Comora and protect the innocent. We refused to give up on either side and tried to save both. In the end, we succeeded. Father, we have shed blood, experienced death, slaughter, and sorrow, and finally arrived here to stop the attack by the alien overlord nation and save this country from destruction..."

It said in a deep voice, "This endless honor and victory should belong solely to you, Father, and I am honored to have participated in all of this. Whether in the other world or in Africa, every kind choice ultimately led to today's victory and outcome. Everything we did, all the blood and tears, were not shed in vain."

The surrounding scenery rushed past, fighter jets circled the sky, their fuselages swaying slightly. Kang De leaned back a little. The G-force from Horus's supersonic maneuver didn't make him uncomfortable; instead, it made him calmer and more peaceful. He breathed calmly, having not rested for a very long time.

But now is not the time to rest.

The war is not over yet.

The brilliance of magic soared into the sky from the city of Danfeng Lucerne and crashed towards the elven army outside the city.

This marks the first time since the war resumed that the spellcaster forces of Danfeng Lucerne have launched a superior offensive.

Previously, they could only passively intercept and defend against the elves' ranged spells.

Now, having air superiority means you can do whatever you want.

At the same time, the Grand Duke's voice came through the communicator.

"Your Excellency Kang De, further thanks and praise are meaningless. Please allow me to address the most crucial question practically—how will you decide the course of this war?"

His voice carried a hint of helplessness and embarrassment.

Kang De, fully aware of the situation, calmly replied, "Your Grace, I have no personal grudge against the elves. All support actions are based on Goth's interests. I suspect that Goth's nation is no longer capable of sustaining a full-scale war with the elves, is that right? We must end this."

The Grand Duke was clearly relieved, his tone revealing relief and gratitude.

"It's wonderful that you think that way."

Kang De looked down at the elven army below. After enduring one blow after another, even the unparalleled army showed signs of restlessness and unease. These elves must be bewildered about their future and fate at this moment, because their destiny was no longer in their own hands.

"If Your Excellency is willing, then order a halt to the attack and notify the Elf Expeditionary Force to surrender unconditionally to Goth immediately. Otherwise, I will immediately launch a Mass Projection strike and then launch a full-scale attack on the Elven capital, military strongholds, commercial centers, major ports, and other targets."

He calmly said, "Tell the commander of the expeditionary force whether to stop the war now or let it spread to the whole world. I await his choice."

I think I said something similar not long ago.

Elf, you always repeat the same mistakes.

"We can't stop him."

The sky was completely under enemy control, and the headquarters was no longer safe. In the makeshift command post, Xierfankai Le, his eyes bloodshot, gritted his teeth and said.

Extreme disgrace.

Our side even began to be attacked by Goth's magic.

The expeditionary force's mage corps was unable to retaliate, and dared not even intercept them.

Because intercepting or counterattacking would expose one's own position.

Then they will encounter long-range attacks from the sky.

A single attack can wipe out an entire mage squad.

They had no way to defend themselves, no way to evade, and all means were ineffective.

Even the trajectory of the attack was unclear.

For the same reason, the arrow formations and magical artifact units were also useless; they were even more vulnerable than the mage legions and could be easily destroyed if Kang De wanted to.

The war system that enabled the elves to dominate the world has been utterly defeated in the face of a new enemy.

This war, this situation, is unprecedented.

Where did such an enemy come from?

One person rendered an entire army helpless, leaving them only able to passively endure the attack.

We must respond; we must retaliate.

"And he can't stop us either."

When facing new enemies and new tactics, a bloody price must always be paid in order to learn from experience and improve tactics. This applies to all armies, and the elves, as the world's strongest army, are no exception.

However, they are much faster and more accurate at learning from their mistakes and reacting accordingly.

That's why they are the strongest team in the world.

"High speed, immense power, an unstoppable giant alchemical bomb."

Xierfankai Le's voice was low and hoarse, like the howl of a wounded wolf.

"The quantity carried is limited and needs to be replenished. The method of replenishment is unknown, but the quantity is definitely limited! If the number of alchemical bombs with that power were infinite, he would have already ruled the entire world!"

Lord of Dawnlight's face twisted in a grimace. "Our army is no match for him. Even the strongest and most formidable formations can be easily torn apart. But that's because we're fighting a dynamic battle from a static position, defending and waiting for the attack, and using sheer numbers to withstand his wide-range attacks—all of his attacks are wide-range! We can't control the area of effect or the power of his attacks. At least I know he wouldn't dare throw those alchemical bombs into Danfeng Lucerne City!"

"Large-scale alchemical weapons will be far less effective against scattered, high-powered individual units!"

"Then let's do it that way."

"Assemble the officer suicide squad, gather all the elite forces of the expeditionary force, and advance into Danfeng Lucerne. Using enemy troops, buildings, and civilians as cover, launch a surprise attack on the members of the Taidariel Family."

"Capture them alive! We must capture them alive!"

"Then with Kang De..."

The commander slowly uttered the word: "Peace negotiations."

The staff officers and officers gathered there, along with the generals listening in via short-range communicators, remained silent.

Peace talks.

This word seems to carry an immense weight.

Moreover, it was an extreme disgrace.

The Dusk Moon Dynasty intimidates the world with its military might; its military strength is so great that it is invincible, and it has always been the one to force its enemies to humiliate and beg for peace—when has it ever been the turn of them to take the initiative to negotiate peace?

And that's not even the most shameful part.

The most humiliating thing was that in Valentan, five warbands were wiped out by Kang De with a single move, so the Elves sent envoys to propose peace talks, but then broke their promise and launched another attack.

Then Kang De beat him up, and he tried to make peace.

Not to mention how proud the elves are and how much they value honor, even ordinary human nations cannot afford to lose face like this. It is conceivable that if this matter were to spread, it would become an international laughing stock, a disgrace and stain that the elves would find difficult to wash away for hundreds of years, and the biggest villain and buffoon in Kang De's legendary victory.

Such disgrace, such responsibility, such consequences.

Who will bear this burden? Who is capable of bearing it?

"At least, we need to get something to cover our tracks."

Negotiating peace and surrendering are two completely different concepts.

The latter is an utter disgrace.

The former, at least, has a fig leaf to cover its tracks, and with some maneuvering, can turn a victory into a victory without actually winning.

Now that things had come to this, Lord of Dawnlight no longer wanted to hide anything, and his words became more direct.

There was silence on the communicator, and the staff officers remained silent as well.

They launched another decapitation strike, gathering the elite forces and top experts of the entire army, and under the cover of the army, broke into Danfeng Lucerne and captured a key member of Teldrassil alive.

This plan sounds wonderful and is very feasible.

Kang De's attack was indeed wide-ranging and powerful, so it could not be used within the city of Danfeng Lucerne. Once their elite troops were mixed with Goth's army, civilian houses, and even civilians, that terrifying alchemical weapon would be rendered useless.

Our military advantage will then be regained.

But what's the price?

The price is that the hundreds of thousands of elven troops outside the city will become Kang De's sitting duck, and it may even turn into a contest between the two sides to see who is more ruthless and decisive, to see whether Kang De will kill all the elves outside the city first or whether the decapitation force will capture the Teldrassil members first—which means that many warriors will die.

Even.

The Forbidden Spell cast outside Valentan may reappear.

War has always been a series of painful choices.

"I made this decision unilaterally and bear all the responsibility," said Xierfankai Le. "Honor is above life. We fight for the Dusk Moon Dynasty, and we must not cowardly beg for mercy from the enemy, nor succumb to their power and intimidation... We must let Kang De know that the elves stand atop the continent not because of the power of weapons and magic."

After a moment of silence, voices of agreement followed one by one, and votes were cast one by one.

For honor.

For the Twilight Moon.

For the sake of national dignity.

For the honor of soldiers.

However, amidst this sacred and tragic atmosphere, a crucial and fundamental issue was intentionally or unintentionally ignored by the officers, nobles, and high elves present.

Theoretically speaking, decapitation strike teams that infiltrate secretly and launch high-speed raids have the highest survival rate.

Because it comprised the elite of the entire army, and because it brought together the top experts and elite forces of the entire expeditionary force, Goth's forces found it difficult to resist and were able to reach the target location at the fastest speed.

Once he breaks into the city, Kang De will be unable to launch a powerful attack, greatly increasing his chances of survival.

This is especially true compared to the area outside the city.

So here's the question.

As the elite force of the entire army, possessing exquisite combat skills and superb magical cultivation, these soldiers are undoubtedly among the strongest in the military. They are all of superior bloodlines, from wealthy families, with rich collections of books, profound knowledge, and high elves who are able to enter noble schools for training.

They have good bloodlines, abundant resources, and deep social connections, enabling them to gain admission to prestigious universities, making them very strong.

They were selected for the decapitation strike force based on their abilities, and were given the most important missions, so of course they were able to survive.

Right?

As for the countless ordinary soldiers outside the city, may the Queen and the gods remember their sacrifice.

All of this is for the glory of the Twilight Moon, for the dignity of the Royal Army. Every soldier should fight to the death in their post and then pray for the mercy of fate.

Who survives depends entirely on the gods' arrangements.

At that very moment, Danfeng Lucerne also issued an order for the Elf Expeditionary Force to surrender unconditionally. Xierfankai Le was not angry but rather pleased, and decided to play along.

Since I've already broken my promise once, there's no harm in doing it a second time.

Surrender is impossible.

A lifetime of glory should not be tarnished here.

Oh shit.

We must never surrender.

Xierfankai Le's eyes were bloodshot, like a wolf king in dire straits.

Oh shit.

If I surrender, I'll have to take full responsibility. Those guys in the council will be overjoyed; they'll pin all the blame on me! Just like that idiot Selendron!

This is not my fault at all!

It was the council that secretly ordered me to launch the attack! It was the council that provided me with air force and magical artifacts! It was the council's decision, so the council should bear the consequences! My status, honor, merit, and family shouldn't be used to bear these consequences! I'm going to die anyway, so why not take a gamble!

As for whether the troops outside the city will die from Kang De's bombing or even the Forbidden Spells.

As for whether the Elven homeland will provoke a retaliatory attack from Kang De.

If my operation fails, what does it have to do with me?

A ruthless glint flashed in the eyes of the Lord of Dawnlight.

If they win, they'll get a fig leaf, be able to gloss over the matter, save most of the high elves, and gain their and their families' gratitude. Even if they are held accountable, they won't lose everything; at most, they'll take a few years off and have a chance to rise again. Their families won't be excessively implicated.

So why not do it?

Status, honor, reputation—everything is indispensable.

I spent 234 years in the rank of brigadier general before one of my superiors died out, allowing me to be promoted. I still have at least another 200 years to go. How can I give this position to my subordinate? He'll have to endure another 200 years of hardship too!

Xierfankai Le had made up his mind.

While pretending to send envoys, they secretly mobilized elite military officers.

Drawing officers and key personnel from across the army would cause a sharp decline in the combat effectiveness of each unit, but at this point, who cares about that anymore? Conventional combat forces have become meaningless.

Only by secretly infiltrating Danfeng Lucerne and attacking Teldrassil can they seize the last chance.

Or, let's die together.

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PS1: Five thousand words... Time for bed.