Proclamation

He was also prepared to be reprimanded and transferred from this rare opportunity to earn military merit on the warship.

But soon, he heard laughter.

It wasn't a subtle laugh; it was a broken, intermittent laugh.

It was not a sound of laughter, but a very clear sneer.

He hesitated before raising his head, and almost everyone he saw burst into laughter.

This made the young man feel a surge of anger rush to his head.

He didn't understand.

"Is there something wrong with my question?!"

He was somewhat agitated.

But the old general patted him on the shoulder.

"You're young, and you've boarded our warship so early... You must be a graduate of a military academy, right? Probably a top student..."

"Yes, General."

"Then let me ask you, when was the current War Contract signed?"

"Uh... 823?"

"Which countries signed the agreement?"

"Have..."

The young soldier was questioned step by step by the old general, and when asked which countries had signed the treaty, he suddenly paused.

"You understand?"

The old general smiled.

"These demons have never signed any contracts... just like in war, they never hold back."

The old general spoke slowly, looking down at the ground.

From his vantage point, he could clearly see the ordinary people fleeing in disarray on the battlefield.

Even when he saw the mangled limbs that had been smashed into the ground, there was no hesitation in his eyes.

"I don't know what your family background is, but I can tell you that everyone on this warship has relatives who died at the hands of these Sarkaz..."

"I know what you're trying to say: we've defeated the enemy's main force, so we don't need to worry about the remaining refugees; they pose no threat..."

"But these Sarkaz don't see it that way... They're naturally susceptible to Oripathy, which means every single one of them is a born caster, a bomb!"

"I did the same thing as you when I was young."

"I, like you, have tried to persuade my superiors."

"He agreed, and we entered the captured city..." The old general paused, "And then... to protect me, he was infected by a group of Sarkaz who self-destructed..."

"I still remember him being pierced by those primitive fragments, his remaining half crawling to my side, begging me to give him a quick death... I did it."

"Later, the war ended... and I took over his position, but I only served for a short time before applying for a transfer to another post."

"Every night, I wake up from nightmares, and I don't even dare to see his children!"

"In this world, civilians of all races are innocent."

"But these Sarkaz are not!"

The old general's voice was stiff and cold, his gaze chilling.

Even in his old age, the fire within him still burned.

"Their very existence is a mistake!"

"Even in peacetime, I see news almost every day about Sarkaz Infected infecting our fellow citizens!"

"Even if this weren't wartime, I would still do this if I received an order."

"For my compatriots, for our children, wives, parents, lovers, friends..."

"These Sarkaz should not be allowed to live in this world anymore!"

"They should be exterminated!"

The old man's words were calm, yet they revealed a steely resolve.

Every word he spoke was like a heavy hammer blow, striking the young man hard and making his ears ring.

He found it hard to believe that the general beside him would have such an obsession, and even harder to imagine that the other man's hatred for Sarkaz was so deep.

"Our pity is meaningless to them... Even if we show them kindness, they will still launch suicidal attacks against us."

The old general spoke slowly, glancing at the young man beside him.

"I know you think killing these civilians is inhumane, and I wholeheartedly agree, but... humanity is based on the premise that the other party is a human being."

"These Sarkaz aren't."

As the old general spoke, he looked at the other soldiers present.

They looked at the old general with unwavering gazes, without the slightest hesitation.

The old general also waved his hand sharply and called out loudly.

"Continue!"

"Yes!"

All the soldiers followed the old general's instructions and dropped the shells without the slightest hesitation.

The steel and flames created a series of booming sounds, stimulating their senses.

The young soldier simply stood there, stunned, watching everything unfold.

He didn't know what to say... nor did he know what to do.

He could only stare blankly at everything, his mouth slightly parted.

After a moment, he lowered his head slightly.

The old general, however, did not ignore the child. He nodded slightly and continued speaking.

"Don't feel guilty about what you've done... You should be proud that you personally killed a group of monsters that might kill your children in the future."

"This war will end the pollution these creatures have inflicted on this land."

"This war is sacred and glorious!"

"You will witness firsthand here that this cancerous growth will be eradicated!"

"We will perform a sacred purification for the entire Terra!"

"You... will become history!"

The old general spoke with increasing agitation.

But it was precisely when he was trying to stir up the emotions of all the soldiers present that...

Suddenly, a piercing alarm sounded.

The entire airship was rapidly losing weight!

Their bodies began to feel slightly lighter!

"What's the problem?!"

The general remained calm in the face of danger and immediately asked the operator beside him a question.

The other person, sweating profusely, rapidly typed on the keyboard, and after a moment, gritted their teeth and gave a response.

"One of our engines seems to be broken... We're falling!"

"Engine?"

Upon hearing this, the old general paused for a moment.

For these airship fleets that fly in the sky, nothing is more important than the engine!

Fortunately, they weren't facing a hopeless situation...

"Start the backup engine and have the repair team head out immediately to determine the problem!"

The general issued the orders methodically.

With the operator's intervention, the airship's alarm was quickly silenced.

The surrounding gravity gradually returned to normal.

"Damn it, I'm definitely going to give those ground crew guys a piece of my mind when I get back... They must have been slacking off!"

A group of soldiers were cursing and swearing.

The new recruits nearby sensed that something was amiss.

A sense of unease lingered in his heart.

Soon, the soldiers responsible for liaising with various departments inside the ship looked up.

"The repair team has arrived at the faulty engine!"

What do they think about this?

"They said..." The communications officer was still listening through his headset, but after a pause, he froze.

His whole face was somewhat distorted...

"What exactly happened?"

The old general frowned.

What he dislikes most is people who only say half of what they mean at such important moments.

The communicator was also jolted awake by this rebuke.

After hesitating for a long time, he finally raised his head in disbelief and looked at the old general.

"They said... the engine room floor is completely hollowed out... it looks like something rushed up from over there..."

"Charge up? How much did they drink this time?"

Upon hearing this, the old general's face flushed with anger.

They were a full six thousand meters above the ground!

That's six thousand meters!

What can leap to a height of six thousand meters and rush towards us?

The Sarkaz no good either!

So without a second thought, he concluded that it was that group of negligent maintenance workers who had secretly hidden away alcohol before setting off again!

Those damned parasites!

Once this mission is complete, he's determined to kick these guys out of the team!

But... he could only think that to himself.

As the door to the command room slowly opened, the aloof woman quietly stepped onto the ship.

She didn't speak, but simply leaned on her uniquely shaped cane and slowly stepped forward.

Pull the brim of your hat down.

"Gentlemen... your time for reckless behavior has passed."

She tilted her head back, revealing her snow-white hair and cold eyes.

"Now..."

"Repent for your sins."

Chapter 268 Declaration

The next day, early morning.

Thick black smoke rose into the sky.