General Luo

Once inside the city, the group parted ways at the checkpoint.

"The hospital is this way." A soldier sent to guide them by the defense forces saluted. "This... lady Knight, please follow me. We've arranged a room for the little girl."

Knight held Bubbles in her arms, nodded to Love and Thousand Blades, and followed the soldier.

"Now then, Ms. Love, Ms. Thousand Blades." Another officer stepped forward, his manner deferential. "The general would like to see you both."

The so-called command center was a sturdy, partially underground building in the city center.

Its corridors were long and dimly lit. Maps on the walls were covered in red and black markers.

As Love walked past, she took a quick look. Red markers crowded the northern part of the map so densely they almost covered it. The few black ones looked like islands about to be swallowed by the sea.

A legend stood beside the map.

Red marked fallen territory. Black marked cities they could still contact.

In the meeting room, she met the man in charge of the city.

General Luo.

He was around fifty, with hair more gray than not. His crisp uniform was immaculate; he clearly took great care of it.

His face betrayed nothing, but his eyes were as sharp as knives. He studied the two girls before him for a full ten seconds.

"Sit."

He gestured to the chairs across from him, then sat down first.

"Colonel Bai told me about you over the radio."

General Luo got straight to the point.

"You seem to have abilities like the ones in novels, correct? Monsters that can withstand shells from main battle tanks, even missiles, break like glass in your hands..."

"Warriors who protect love and all that's good?"

As he spoke, General Luo propped his