Individual combat proficiency was not the deciding factor in the war as a whole.
Perhaps in the age of cold steel, an elite force employing brilliant tactics could turn an entire war around.
But times had changed.
Once a heavy artillery shell landed, elite or cannon fodder, everyone was equal.
I admit your single-sword style is impressive, sir, but what if I pull out a gun?
Modern warfare was a contest of logistics!
At first, the Redemption Army in the Southern Region had indeed inflicted enormous casualties on Alliance troops through jungle guerrilla warfare.
But as the war reached a fever pitch, the Redemption Army's weaknesses became apparent!
The Southern Region had no arms industry whatsoever. It could not even replenish basic ammunition!
Nor did this world have a powerful third-party patron that could secretly supply them with weapons.
Their opponent, the Giantwood Alliance in the Northern Region, could turn vast quantities of steel into guns and ammunition and ship them to the front.
Their logistical capabilities were worlds apart.
And so, in the later stages of the war, the fighting became gruesome.
The Redemption Army had superior numbers, yet could only charge with blades in hand.
By then, the Alliance army's raw recruits had been tempered by war into battlefield veterans.
Watching their enemies charge straight into their guns, they seemed unable to understand why these people still refused to surrender.
Ena, the Redemption Army's commander, had become utterly unhinged.
He conscripted almost everyone into his army, regardless of age or sex.
Without guns or artillery, they used cold steel. Even farming hoes were confiscated and melted down into long blades, while wooden sticks were sharpened into weapons.
But none of this could turn the war around. It merely prolonged their death throes.
Meanwhile, on Melon Melon Island, everyone