"No, we can't hold them back. They're all dead, sir, they're all dead!"
At the other end of the battlefield, before the defensive line leading to the upper district.
The captain of the Guard Hall was ashen-faced as he wailed to the Conquest Legion's commander, tears streaming down his face. "We can't hold them! Those lunatics, there are so many of them! They charged up like they didn't care about dying at all, they don't know the meaning of death.
"And there are a bunch of Armor Knights we've never seen before, along with several armies we've never even heard of. They're definitely armies. We should fall back first, we—"
Bang!
Before he could finish, the knight behind the archangel had already raised his gun and pulled the trigger.
The tremendous report shredded those feeble pleas, along with the man speaking them.
Blood sprayed everywhere.
The adjutant beside him stumbled back in terror, screamed, and fell to the ground. But when the archangel looked at him, he instinctively held his breath, his face deathly pale.
"Tell them they are not allowed to retreat."
The archangel gave him one last look. "Even if only one man remains alive, they are not allowed to turn back—Holy City has fed you for so long. It is time for you to make some contribution."
The adjutant swallowed, not daring to object again. He nodded frantically, turned, and ran wildly toward the battlefield.
Amid the smoke and scorching wind blowing into his face, the archangel silently stared at the turbulent battle lines. After a long while, he suddenly said, "Trash fit only to fill out the food chain is unreliable after all."
"Form up. The entire army advances."
Behind him, the forest of Armor Knights dropped to one knee and answered respectfully.
When the horn