Every Man for Himself, and Heaven and Earth Shall Destroy Those Who Do Not

The instant they heard that voice, without waiting for Kunton's orders, the soldiers beside him collectively raised their guns at the group.

Colonel Kunton's expression, however, abruptly turned ugly. His laughter stopped short as he looked at them with an unreadable gaze.

"What's wrong, Colonel Kunton? On behalf of the 104th Division troops stationed in the Fire Hills Area, I thank you for your generous assistance. You seem rather unwelcome toward us," Jerome said with a smile.

In the blink of an eye, Colonel Kunton's face broke into a broad smile, and he laughed loudly.

"Haha, how could that be? I'm thrilled to see Major Jerome here. You are all outstanding Federation soldiers. I'm truly delighted to see that you're alive."

With a sincere smile on his face, Colonel Kunton stepped forward, seized Major Jerome's hands, and shook them vigorously.

Anyone unaware of the situation would have been moved by this warm reunion.

As for what the two men truly thought, no one knew. Major Jerome wore the same smile as he calmly accepted Colonel Kunton's welcome.

"Major, our 149th Division troops were attacked by the Imperial Army on the way here, which delayed us by two days. Fortunately, you're all right. Now I can finally rest easy."

He then asked with concern, "Did all our soldiers make it out alive?"

No one in Jerome's group noticed that as Colonel Kunton spoke, the hand behind his back quietly made a small hooking gesture.

The moment Major Gerry saw his superior's hand signal, his lowered eyelids concealed the sharp glint that flashed through his eyes. No one noticed it.

"Alas, only this small group of us survived. The rest were scattered. Colonel Kunton's attack came just in time. The enemy had no interest in occupying this garrison; they kept pushing toward