Exploding flames and flashes swallowed the rebels. Sounds echoed back and forth through the tunnels, but the oxygen level here was probably low; the flames only surged up briefly before rapidly dying out.
Zero walked over and found that several of the larger rebels were still alive. They had barely clung to life through the blast wave and shrapnel.
Silently picking up a shovel from the ground, Zero gave them a quick death, cleanly severing their heads.
"There are no enemies nearby, but watch out for the third illumination unit. There's a tripwire mine there."
Holding his shovel, Zero approached the grenadiers, who stood frozen in place, stunned by his impressive performance. He stopped at the third illumination unit and cut a taut thin wire from the ground.
He looked at the grenadiers, and the grenadiers looked back at him.
As if remembering something, Zero glanced at the thick layer of fresh blood on his shovel, twisted his wrist a few times, then viciously flicked it toward the ground.
A splendid Aquila emblem was flung out in blood.
Grenadier 19 looked at the blood Aquila on the ground, then at Zero, who seemed quite satisfied with his shovel-wielding display, and finally at the entrenching tool in his own hands.
"This actually... looks pretty cool... How do you do it?"
A crack appeared in the cold thoughts of the Krieg soldiers, thoughts filled with war and atonement. Everyone present devoted tremendous attention to the Aquila on the ground.
Several grenadiers had already lowered their hands. Their fingers lightly tapped against their entrenching tool handles, their wrists subtly twisting as though imitating the movement they had just seen.
"Sir, there are no enemy troops nearby. We need to go deeper to find anyone. Shall we continue advancing?"
Zero's voice brought Grenadier 19's