You Despicable Scoundrel!

It worked!

You dead fatso, you really know what you're doing!

Upon hearing Bolt's words, John instantly understood that he had reached an agreement with him. Although the way Bolt looked at him was somewhat strange, John did not pay it much mind when he thought about how he would soon bid farewell to the Empire and board the Allied Forces' ship.

Even Bolt's utterly ridiculous appearance and style now seemed exceptionally kind and pleasant in his eyes.

At that thought, John could not help but smile. Under Bolt's expectant gaze, he immediately nodded and replied,

"Yes, Colonel Bolt. I believe we will have plenty of common ground."

Although there had been a few minor mishaps along the way, overall, it was still acceptable.

The gates of freedom had already opened for him!

As long as he took one more step forward, his dream would be within reach!

"Hahaha! Adjutant, tell the cooks to prepare a proper feast. Today, I want to talk with..."

Just as the equally excited Colonel Bolt was about to have his adjutant prepare a banquet so he could have a good talk with John, the colleague who could help him rise through the ranks, several bursts of magical energy suddenly erupted from the trenches behind them in the next second.

Then, under everyone's astonished gazes, over a hundred brilliant blue lights emerged from the Allied Forces' trenches almost simultaneously.

As though some terrifying bomb had been ignited, those eerie blue lights expanded and spread in every direction like fireworks rising into the night sky, right before everyone's stunned eyes.

What followed were deafening explosions powerful enough to make everyone present lose their hearing!

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The soil burst apart, and the ground trembled.

The terrifying shockwaves swept outward at high speed, instantly sending everyone, who had not had time to react, sprawling in all directions.

When John finally recovered from the inexplicable explosions and looked back toward the trenches ahead,

he discovered in shock that the "friendly forces'" once-impenetrable trenches now looked as though they had been struck by a meteor. The flat encampment had long been replaced by countless craters.

At that moment, three hundred members of the Black Eagle Special Forces were rapidly weaving across the battlefield, continuously raising their guns and firing at Allied Forces soldiers who had survived the explosions. Like cruel and merciless reapers, they rapidly harvested the lives of those enemies whose ears had been deafened by the blasts.

For a time, the entire battlefield was filled with gunfire and the final screams of dying Allied Forces soldiers.

W-What the hell was going on?

Everything had been fine, so why had the Allied Forces' base suddenly exploded?

And when had those guys wearing Imperial Army uniforms slipped into the trenches?

John felt as though his brain had turned to mush.

He simply could not understand the situation before him and could only stare blankly at the hellish scene ahead.

However, Bolt was equally stunned by the sudden turn of events.

He climbed up from the ground in a rather disheveled state, his tiny eyes widened to the limit as he stared at the Imperial Army soldiers slaughtering his own troops in the trenches and listened to the screams ringing in his ears.

At that moment, his heart ached so badly that the fat on his cheeks would not stop trembling.

Then, as though he had realized something, he abruptly turned his head and fixed his eyes on John, who wore an innocent-looking expression. His face instantly twisted into something incomparably savage as he roared,

"John Maslow, you fucking dared to play me!?"

?

You dead fatso, why are you slandering me? What the fuck does this have to do with me?!

I want to ask you what the hell is going on too!

John was dumbfounded as well. But looking at Bolt's expression, so ferocious it was practically art, and the Imperial soldiers massacring the Allied Forces,

he instantly realized that this friendly commander had probably misunderstood him. Sweating profusely, he immediately tried to explain,

"Colonel Bolt, you..."

But before John could finish, a hearty laugh suddenly rang out across the battlefield in the next second.

"Hahaha! Warrant Officer John, our plan has succeeded. There is no need for you to keep acting with this man!"

As the words fell, Colonel Jett, dressed in a black-and-gold Imperial uniform, instantly stepped out of the Phantom Spell Formation and appeared beside John like a ghost.

Looking at the "brilliantly clever" Warrant Officer John before him, his tone was filled with praise and admiration.

"I have to say, even I cannot help but marvel at your exquisite plan. It seems the general truly did not choose the wrong man!"

"..."

No, bro, who the fuck are you?

And are you even speaking Imperial Language? Your voice sounds familiar, so why can't I understand a word you're saying?

What plan? I came here to defect, okay?

Since when did I have some other plan?

John stared blankly at the Imperial lackey who had suddenly appeared before him.

At that moment, no matter how slow-witted he was, he realized that his flawless defection plan

seemed to have been screwed over yet again by that damned god of fate.

He could not help falling silent.

Yet John's "calm" reaction looked to Colonel Jett like the confidence of someone who had everything under control, causing Jett's estimation of him to rise several more levels.

As expected of a man who could toy with his enemies in the palm of his hand through strategy alone.

He had victory firmly in his grasp, yet he could still remain so composed and unhurried.

It was as if he had foreseen everything long ago.

Such bearing and composure were truly admirable!

Colonel Jett could not help praising him inwardly.

However, after noticing the gaze directed at him from ahead, he suppressed those thoughts and gently lowered the brim of his hat.

His azure eyes looked straight at the dark-faced Bolt. Under Bolt's gloomy gaze, a mocking smile slowly appeared on Jett's face, as solid as granite.

"Long time no see, Colonel Bolt Master. It has been five years since we last met. I did not expect to cross blades with you again on this front. It truly brings me some joy!"

"However, compared to the last time the Iron Wall Unit ambushed us, this time, the offensive and defensive positions have been reversed!"

"Jett Slaifute!!!"

After recognizing the man before him as the commander of the Empire's Black Eagle Special Forces, Bolt's pupils instantly contracted to their limit, and his expression became uglier than ever.

At that moment, how could he not understand that he had fallen into the Empire's trap?

The so-called defection had been a trap from the very beginning!

That bastard named John Maslow had deliberately spouted all that long-winded nonsense before the lines to draw his attention.

That had given the Black Eagle Special Forces time to launch a surprise assault on the trenches.

That was precisely why the Iron Wall Unit under his command had been heavily damaged by the enemy before they could even activate their magic equipment!

If he had not been distracted by that supposed defection, things would never have developed to this extent!

But now, everything was over.

Not only had he failed to wipe out the Black Eagle Special Forces, but he would also have to bear responsibility for the breached front line. There was a high chance he would lose the colonel's rank on his shoulders.

And the culprit behind everything he was suffering was that seemingly harmless yet utterly despicable bastard standing ahead!

John Maslow, you deserve to die!!!

At that thought, Bolt's gaze toward John instantly filled with unprecedented hatred.

If killing intent had ranks, then his desire to kill John had reached the highest possible level.

"John Maslow, you damned despicable bastard! You actually used defection to scheme against me!"

The more Bolt thought about it, the more he felt that John had made a complete fool of him. Killing intent immediately surged in his heart, and he sharply ordered the soldiers beside him,

"Everyone, open fire immediately! Kill that Imperial bastard for me! Now!!!"

If I said I really don't know this guy, would you believe me?

I really am a friendly! Why? Why won't you believe me, you dead fatso?!

John felt like crying without tears.

But looking at the dark gun barrels aimed at him from ahead, he knew it was already too late to say anything. That dead fatso Bolt had already decided that John was playing him.

Therefore, disregarding the confusion and indignation in his heart, John immediately activated his Analysis Spell Formation within his eyes, trying to analyze the trajectories of the bullets ahead while preparing to lie flat on the ground to reduce his exposed area.

And the direction he intended to dive was behind that Imperial lackey named Jett Slaifute.

He was clearly determined to use the Imperial dog who had ruined his grand defection plan as a human shield.

But before he could act, Colonel Jett gave a cold snort and suddenly raised his right hand, snapping his fingers.

Snap!

As a black magic formation appeared at his fingertips, boundless dark magic power abruptly spread outward from beneath his feet in the next second, instantly enveloping both men.

At the same time, it formed a pitch-black circular wall around them, gleaming with a metallic luster.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Orange-yellow bullets tore through the air and struck the wall in unison. Under John's uneasy gaze, they produced a series of piercing explosions.

Although the wall trembled constantly under the barrage, the bullets that should have pierced their bodies did not break through it and strike the two inside.

Instead, they were all blocked.

Only after the Allied Forces soldiers had emptied their magazines did Colonel Jett manipulate the formation to open a crack in the wall. Then, he looked toward Bolt, whose face was so gloomy it seemed capable of dripping water, and spoke with a light laugh.

"Bolt, the reputation of the Iron Wall Unit under your command has always thundered across the front lines, but seeing it today has truly disappointed me."

Colonel Jett spoke softly, then slowly drew the twin guns at his waist.

Before the enemy could continue firing, he lightly pulled the triggers, shooting bullets infused with black magic power forward.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The black bullets passed through the crowd and struck walls in various places. Black magical barriers rapidly spread outward from the impact points, linking together in an instant and extending chains that emitted eerie black mist. With indescribable precision and speed, they shot toward the soldiers behind Bolt.

In an instant, they slaughtered the ordinary soldiers, who had not even had time to react.

After accomplishing all that, Colonel Jett merely tossed aside the Magic Rifles that had been completely destroyed from overuse and drew the rapier at his waist instead.

The blade pointed directly at Bolt, who looked somewhat disheveled after dodging the Dark Energy Chains. Jett's tone was calm yet arrogant.

"This makes me wonder whether, even without Warrant Officer John's strategy, your so-called Iron Wall Unit would have merely been slaughtered by us as easily as pigs and dogs!"

"After all, without your magic equipment, you have no right to face us head-on, do you?"

"Don't get so fucking smug, Jett Slaifute! Do you really think you've already won?"

Bolt tore off his tattered uniform with a savage grin, revealing blood-red metal armor beneath it. At the same time, he activated the magic power within his body. Veins gradually bulged across his face, and an oppressive aura began to emanate from him.

He clenched the enormous metal gauntlets that had somehow appeared over his hands. His blood-red eyes locked onto the two men ahead as a bloodthirsty grin slowly spread across his face.

"I admit that your despicable scheme has indeed caused me considerable damage."

"But do you really think destroying this trench will make us retreat? Have you forgotten that this is Allied Forces territory, not your damned Empire!"

"Our Allied Forces' Anti-Magic Device outpost is on the hill five kilometers away. The troops stationed there are not merely my fifteen-hundred-man unit, but a true army!"

"The explosions here have already been seen by our allies."

"And all I need to do is lead my men and hold this place for a few minutes until our allies return to reinforce us."

"By then, how will you, with only a small unit under your command, deal with the countless soldiers of the Allied Forces!"

"Victory has been in the hands of the Allied Forces from beginning to end."

"Jett Slaifute, from the moment you stepped onto this land, your death was already destined!"

"Today, both you and that bastard John Maslow will die here! Hahaha!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Bolt stomped his foot and charged toward Jett like a cannonball, swinging his fist down viciously.

"!"

Seeing his old opponent attack, Jett's pupils shrank, but his body did not pause in the slightest. He activated his magic power and swung his sword to meet him.

The two instantly became locked in battle. Sparks continually erupted as they clashed, every strike brimming with murderous intent. They were clearly trying to take each other's lives.

But as Jett fought Bolt, he faintly sensed that something was wrong.

He had already noticed that the Mage Soldier squad, which should have appeared by now to support their surprise attack according to John's "perfect plan," had yet to show itself.

According to the plan, 14th Squad should have been assisting the Black Eagle Unit in slaughtering the enemy by now.

After defeating the enemy, they should have been able to calmly withdraw under each other's cover and complete the mission.

But 14th Squad had not appeared as promised.

Could something have gone wrong?

This was bad!

Colonel Jett's heart sank, and he could not help considering whether he should force Bolt back and immediately withdraw with John.

However, just as Bolt laughed loudly and Jett began to consider retreating,

the next second, as though he had sensed something, Bolt's laughter abruptly stopped. Then, he and Colonel Jett tacitly pulled apart and looked toward the sky five kilometers behind them at the same time.

Almost simultaneously, dozens of terrifying auras that made one's scalp tingle suddenly emerged in the distant sky.

Thirty brilliant crimson lights also formed one after another beneath their gazes, as though a god of destruction were looking down upon the earth from the heavens.

Even the air became thick and suffocating at that moment.

Those were the Empire's Explosive Magic?!

Wait, wasn't that direction the actual location of our Anti-Magic Device?!

How did those bastards find the real location?

"No, no, wait..."

Feeling the terrifyingly powerful magical energy condensing in the distance, Bolt finally began to panic. His face turned deathly pale as he looked toward the increasingly bright red glow over the hill behind him and watched the deep crimson magic formations continuously expand under the Mage Soldiers' control.

Until those thirty crimson beams, nightmares in the eyes of countless people, poured out from the formations and struck the outpost below—the Allied Forces' greatest means of resisting the Empire—while Colonel Jett wore a wildly ecstatic expression and John stared in utter disbelief.

Bolt, whose lips had begun trembling at some point, deeply realized at that moment

that he was finished.

"NOOO!!!"

Rumble!