They Said This Wasn't a Life Simulation Game! Section 21

The victory of a [Herrscher Subjugation Battle] required the sacrifice of countless machines and several squads. If not for Kevin's bravery and strength in the end, the [Fourth Herrscher] would have caused even greater destruction and loss. This terrifying battle damage ratio made the higher-ups of Moth to Fire feel a sense of urgency, compelling them to desperately enhance Moth to Fire's combat power (it's also possible that the [Fourth Herrscher] landing on the Mu Continent, bringing it closer to their location, instilled a sense of crisis).

At the same time, the [Research Department] had made some progress. Coupled with the appearance of powerful Honkai Beasts, possibly triggered by the [Fourth Herrscher]'s arrival—[Gabriel]—and the need to deal with the endless tide of Honkai Beasts emerging from the sea... For various reasons, those in charge decided to deploy these weapons, which were not yet fully tested, hoping to gauge their effectiveness in this battle.

Getting a bit off track, let's bring the perspective back... Hen, feeling slightly more at ease, turned to look at Xi Wang and Sakura's team.

He had expected their team members to be as apprehensive about the new weapons in their hands as his own, but he found they were not at all. In fact, they seemed somewhat excited.

They were muttering things like, "Great! New gear!" or "Finally... finally! This is the only time I feel like I'm not on a rescue or medical team..." Clearly, Xi Wang and Sakura's decision to abandon their squad members and clear the area on their own had left quite an "impression" on them.

Of course, among them, Hen was most concerned about Xi Wang and Sakura, as the weapons they received were different from everyone else's—not firearms, but swords.

Considering their usual weaponry, the swords were designed to resemble katanas. The spine was white, while the hilt and blade were black. At the junction of the black and white, a faint glow of energy flow could be seen.

"How is it? Are you getting used to it?"

Hen asked with concern, as they hadn't taken any other weapons besides these swords. This meant they still intended to engage in close-quarters combat with the Honkai Beasts in the upcoming battle.

"It's okay. Although it's heavier than it looks, it's not a problem for me," Sakura replied with a smile.

"I don't mind," you casually responded, pouring a candy from the box into your mouth before tucking it into your inner pocket. The candy was running low; you'd need to restock immediately upon returning.

"While I trust your skills, your position in the upcoming operation will be very dangerous... I'm not criticizing your combat style, but if any special circumstances arise or you sense danger, remember to retreat immediately. We'll cover you," Hen said earnestly.

"Thank you for your concern. And you too, Captain Hen. You have a family, so don't put yourself in too much danger."

"Heh~ You never know about those things." Sakura replied politely, but Hen chuckled, clearly not intending to dwell on the topic.

"Griseo will miss you," Xi Wang reminded them out of the blue.

"...We'll see." Hen paused, then dropped the subject.

After all, who could really predict what would happen on the battlefield?

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

"Alright, that's enough idle chat. It's time to support our comrades!"

The pilot's announcement came through, and you immediately stopped talking, gripping your equipment tightly. As the cabin door opened, the previously muffled sounds of artillery fire instantly became clear. Countless cries, shouts, and roars mingled together, quickly drowned out by more intense gunfire. Following that were the sounds of ocean waves and the tremors of countless monsters, Honkai Beasts running and attacking.

Ah... the acrid, terrifying, and hateful scent of gunpowder, unique to war, invigorated everyone. Then, they acted silently and swiftly.

Their missions had already been assigned. Hen and the other squads would head to the front lines to relieve the teams fighting there, while Xi Wang and Sakura would conduct high-mobility operations, intercepting or eliminating high-threat targets when necessary. Their respective squads would accompany them in these mobile operations, providing follow-up support and assisting in line defense.

To be honest, upon seeing this battlefield, many veterans felt a sense of familiarity. The only difference was that the combatants had switched from [humans fighting humans] to [humans fighting Honkai Beasts].

And as expected of "war," Xi Wang and Sakura felt constrained not long after starting their operation. Their combat style wasn't suited for this battlefield. The overly open terrain made their mobility less agile than in urban areas, and there was nothing to obstruct vision, which somewhat weakened their threat.

But... it was only "somewhat."

"Sakura, three hundred meters ahead, ten o'clock direction, rescue someone." Xi Wang said, stepping lightly onto the beach and drawing his sword.

"Mhm." With a simple acknowledgment, Sakura's figure darted out with Xi Wang, moving at an almost unbelievable speed. Some people instinctively shifted their weapons, wondering if they had encountered another new type of Honkai Beast.

Then, like a blur, a flash of sword light streaked across. The Honkai Beast that was about to attack instantly froze, its body splitting into two pieces. Xi Wang was a bit surprised. He hadn't felt the blade was particularly sharp during the inspection, but when it struck the Honkai Beast, it felt like cutting through soft tofu. There was resistance, but it was very slight.

Perhaps this was [Honkai Energy]. Xi Wang didn't pay it much mind, quickly clearing the surrounding Honkai Beasts. Although the terrain prevented them from unleashing their full potential, the upgraded weapons were enough to compensate for this minor deficiency.

Meanwhile, Sakura signaled the supporting squad behind them to drag the rescued person back before turning to join the fray. Soon, the pressure in this area decreased, and the defensive line, which was on the verge of collapse, quickly stabilized.

"Let's go."

"Okay."

Confirming that the situation here had eased and the defensive line was largely re-established, Xi Wang and Sakura immediately moved to another battlefield. There were many such critical points along the entire defensive line, and they couldn't wait here for the line to fully stabilize. They could only help alleviate the high pressure. With their extremely high mobility, the two quickly reinforced nearly a third of the defensive line, significantly reducing the defensive pressure.

However, while it sounded like a lot, in the face of the endless stream of Honkai Beasts pouring out from the sea, it all felt like a drop in the bucket.

They both knew that it was all because of [Gabriel]. It was a large Honkai Beast flying in the air, with six broken wings and a horn-like appearance, the culprit behind this Honkai Beast tide. Although Xi Wang and Sakura didn't yet know the specific characteristics of this Honkai Beast, they would soon find out.

"Captain, the captain of the First Squad wishes for you to come discuss countermeasures," the adjutant's voice came through the squad communication.

"Location."

"Proceed two areas in your current direction, and someone will meet you there. As for us, we will continue with our mobile mission."

"Okay."

With the brief but impactful conversation concluded, Xi Wang and Sakura quickly set off, clearing Honkai Beasts along the way as they hurried towards their target.

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

It was clear that both of them had been summoned to discuss countermeasures. You nodded to each other, then quickly exchanged information regarding Gabriel.

"So, the Honkai Beast tide here was actually caused by Gabriel?"

"Yes, every time that Horn Honkai Beast lets out a sound, Honkai Beasts emerge from the sea, and their numbers are always greater than the last time the horn sounded, possibly even doubling." Himiko rubbed her temples, speaking with a hint of distress.

"Initially, the number of Honkai Beasts was small. When we first observed Gabriel, we just thought it was a powerful Honkai Beast that appeared alongside the Fourth Herrscher. So, Moth to Fire only dispatched one squad to encircle and suppress it. But we never expected Gabriel's ability to be this legion-type, which led to that squad being surrounded by numerous Honkai Beasts. By the time our support arrived... they were all wiped out."

"..."

"Then, as Gabriel blew its horn more and more frequently, Moth to Fire had no choice but to send more personnel to construct defensive lines. Eventually, what started as a subjugation battle turned into something resembling a small-scale war... Incidentally, from the beginning until now, Gabriel's horn has only sounded 5 times."

Himiko appeared somewhat helpless. This incident could be attributed to carelessness or an accident. After all, if the higher-ups of Moth to Fire had been slightly more cautious and sent one or two more squads, they might have been able to directly subjugate Gabriel when the Honkai Beast numbers were still low. But at this stage... it was a bit troublesome.

The number of flying Honkai Beasts surrounding Gabriel was too large and chaotic, the ground battle was too fierce, and the effectiveness of conventional weapons was beginning to diminish. Now, it was essentially a matter of soldiers' lives being sacrificed to maintain the defensive line.

"So, there's only one option left, right?" Xi Wang popped a piece of candy into his mouth and said softly.

"Yes."

A calm, slightly weary voice sounded from not far away. Soon, a white-haired young man pushed aside the curtain and entered the makeshift conference room.

He looked somewhat disheveled, with dust on his uniform and face, and even fine sand clinging to his striking white hair. A scent of gunpowder from firearms lingered around him, clearly indicating he had just retreated from the battlefield.

"We must subjugate Gabriel first if we are to have any hope of victory."

He straightened up and saluted you all as a greeting.

"My apologies for being late, everyone."

"This is Kevin, the temporary captain of Moth to Fire's First Squad, extending his greetings to all seniors."

Chapter Seventeen: The Horn Has Sounded, Six Times.

The title of "First Squad Captain" was somewhat surprising, but not entirely unexpected. Given Kevin's abilities, he was bound to attain such a position eventually. The previous captain had also recruited him precisely because of his talent and capabilities.

However, the word "temporary" was quite telling, especially under these special circumstances. To hold this position in such a short period, coupled with the word "temporary"... it likely signified something rather unfortunate.

The other members of Kevin's First Squad had all perished, possibly during the Fourth Herrscher subjugation battle, leaving him as the sole survivor.

Perhaps he would need to learn more about the details of the Fourth Herrscher subjugation battle later...

Xi Wang thought subconsciously, then paused for a moment before asking, "Is everyone here? Also, there's no need for such formal greetings in the future. We are all comrades, no need to be so formal."

"I understand. As for Elysia, the captain of the Second Squad, she is currently leading her team in the subjugation of the Fourth Herrscher's accompanying Honkai Beasts and cannot assist us at the moment. However, she will come to support us after completing her operation."

Kevin, who understood Xi Wang well, knew who he was asking about. After nodding in understanding, he explained Elysia's whereabouts to those who were unaware.

After all, Elysia held achievements such as "single-handedly subjugating the Second Herrscher and leading the team to subjugate the Third Herrscher." Although Kevin now had the record of "single-handedly breaking into the storm to subjugate the Fourth Herrscher," this was achieved after others had secured the prerequisites for him. In comparison, Elysia's reputation was undoubtedly more prominent, and in this situation, her name offered more reassurance.

Of course, Xi Wang's question might have simply been out of concern for Elysia...

However, now that they knew Elysia's whereabouts and that she would be coming to support them later, everyone was temporarily relieved and began discussing how to subjugate Gabriel.

"So, Kevin, do you have any ideas?" Himiko asked first.

"...Me?" Kevin looked somewhat bewildered.

"Yes, after all, you're the one who gathered us here. Have you come up with a plan?"

"...Should we use aircraft to charge directly from the air and kill Gabriel?"

"A reckless charge isn't a plan, and what about the ground combat?"

"...Sorry."

It was evident that Kevin hadn't thought things through when he gathered everyone; he simply hoped someone could find a solution to the current predicament.

"It seems you haven't quite adapted to your current role yet. This is my oversight," Himiko said softly. Under normal circumstances, when summoning other captains for discussion, the summoner would have an idea and would be seeking agreement and differing opinions, and should speak first—this was a sort of unwritten rule.

But now, it seemed Kevin was unaware of these matters. Even though the previous captain intended to groom him as his successor, fate was unpredictable, and the battle situation was constantly changing. Kevin hadn't yet learned the necessary knowledge before he was forced to shoulder this responsibility.

Considering his combat achievements, he might even be molded into someone similar to Elysia in the future, a powerful human expert capable of "single-handedly defeating Herrschers." At that point, he would likely officially become the "First Squad Captain of Moth to Fire."

Being intimately familiar with the thinking of those in higher positions, Xi Wang also predicted Kevin's future fate. Although he felt a twinge of regret, Xi Wang couldn't change anything. He simply turned and asked,