1 Prologue

This is my last battle. Life or death, I still have to do this. This is all for the peace of my country.

"Commander, everything is ready!" Someone said that to me.

"What about squad 5?" I ask.

"They have been digging holes for the past 3 days. And so far, they have managed to dig 6 meters long by 500 meters."

"Good. So, is the war about to start? All right, I'll be there later."

"Roger. I'll excuse myself first."

I came here and joined the war because I was given a mission by the government of my country and for some reason. For this war—which involves my country and a neighboring country—that person, who is from the army of a neighboring country, will also be involved in this war. That's why, to overcome that person and get victory in this war, the government side ordered me to get involved with this war.

This was the mission given by them to me, who was a Major in the army of the ground forces.

There are five thousand people who will participate in this war. They are all my troops. There were also seven thousand troops in the enemy army. I chose a defensive strategy this time because the number of my troops was less than the enemy troops. If I insist on using an attacking pattern, my troops will lose quickly—maybe in just 1 heart my troops will all die. For that, to prevent the occurrence of many victims falling, I use the pattern of defense.

That's a great idea, but I haven't been able to learn the pattern the enemy will use. That person was the commander of the army. I had to face him again, whose strength and abilities were slightly below mine. That guy was strong, he could even finish off 300 troops by himself with his bare hands. I must not be careless in this war, which will cause the families of my troops to grieve—because they have lost their relatives.

I have this very high responsibility, carrying 5,000 people. It would be a big loss for my country if there was a loss in this war.

I want to go home with my troops. I want my country to be at peace, no more wars. For that, by getting rid of those enemy forces, numbering 7,000 men, I must gain victory in this war.

"How are our supplies? All supplies ready?" I asked my subordinates.

"Everything is ready. Food, weapons… medical equipment, everything is ready."

"I understand. Make sure supplies are maintained. We don't know when they will attack. You can leave now!"

"Roger."

My distance from the enemy troops is about 3 kilometers. So far, neither my side nor the enemy has done anything. We seemed to be waiting for one of us to attack.

I have been on standby in my room for 7 days. I had made several plans, including making holes for them to take cover and attacking and defending. The strategy I use is defensive, and it will work if the enemy forces attack first. However, if it continues like this, I will have a little trouble. It's been seven days since I've been here, but they're showing no sign of attacking my troops.

"They are also careful. That person… is very careful to strategize."

As long as he leads the army, the army will become much stronger than before. He is an excellent leader, knows what to do for victory. He is a person I consider a dangerous person.

I have got all the information about him. I once disguised myself as a tourist in the country he came from. I went there, investigating him. It was indeed a very dangerous mission for me, but I did it in the interest of my country. If I didn't do that, I wouldn't know that person's strength.

As I continued to investigate, I learned that he was proficient in using sniper rifles, assault rifles, machine guns, combat, and pistols. He also has good martial skills. If you fight him, you will lose to him quickly, just one hit.

His strength was so so good for an army Major. I didn't expect that there was such a person when I found out. I realized that compared to me, who was just lucky to become an army Major, he was much more powerful.

I am aware of that and consider him a dangerous person for my country.

When that day, when he realized that I was continuing to find out about him, he ambushed me. I took the risk to search for him in his country and ended up getting caught by him.

He took me to a cafe. He wasn't kidnapping me, he didn't even tell his superiors about me infiltrating. He said he had realized I was stalking him from the start. In other words, he realized that but let me continue to find out about him.

We chatted there, talking about the problems happening in our two countries. We kept on chatting and lost track of time, even I forgot that he is my enemy. He's just like me, an army Major who attaches importance to the peace of the country more than anything else.

Finally, he told that he had to protect his daughter for the peace of his country. If he didn't do that, his daughter would be in danger.

He loves his 8-year-old daughter very much. He didn't want his daughter to be hurt as a result of the war that was going on in his country and mine. That's why, to achieve peace, he will do anything and including war with my country.

And when he said, "For that, I will win this time. I will take care of my daughter as well as this country!" with eyes that stared at me so intently, his eyes looked confident and serious.

After he said that, I also glared at him and said, "Don't worry, if I win, I will take care of your daughter."

That's when I first met him. And maybe, that was the last time I saw him.

"Commander, report!" Someone suddenly broke the door and it startled me who was smoking cigarettes.

"What is it?" I asked, putting out my cigarette.

"The enemy forces…they…they ambushed us from behind."

"...Hah?" I was surprised to hear that.

To be honest, the territory behind me is the territory of my own country. Then, why were they able to ambush my troops from there?

My subordinates couldn't possibly lie about that. He must have said it was the truth. So, if he said that the enemy troops had ambushed the troops from behind, then he was right.

For that, I immediately rushed to the army I was in, which numbered 5,000 people.

But before that happened, before I left this room, a grenade suddenly appeared from the direction where my subordinates were.

"Watch out!"

I wanted to grab his hand right now, but I couldn't do that for some reason.

"Commander..." He looked at me with a smile. "Thank you for taking care and looking after us. Thank you for everything. I can only say, be careful!"

After he said that, he pushed me away, pushing me against the window. And after that, the grenade exploded, just as I fell out of that window.

"Ryo..." I shouted after landing on the ground with my face covered in glass splatters.

The building caught fire, so did the room, and so did... one of my subordinates.

I wanted to go back there right away, but I realized that there had been devoured by fire. All I can do was think. I thought about how the grenade got there instead of going through the window behind me.

However, just as I was thinking that a voice from various directions was heard in various directions. And worse, I saw something was heading towards the building in front of me.

"That..."

Realizing that, I quickly ran away from there.

And sure enough, BOOM, the building was destroyed.

It was a launcher grenade that was fired from behind me, right where my subordinates said that the enemy troops were ambushing my troops.

"Where… where are the others? I must command them."

This is my job here. The war had started with the death of one of my subordinates. I must quickly meet with my troops, to give them a strategy that they must carry out. I have to convey that before the enemy forces completely ambush us.

As long as I ran, around my troop shelter, I didn't see anyone there at all. But, when I entered the medical team's shelter, I found one person there.

"Where… where are they?" I asked with a slightly injured body condition from the sudden attack.

"They are already there," She replied, but it was an answer I didn't want.

"Why… Why were they there before I ordered them? It's too dangerous for them."

My eyes were blank, thinking that they had made a decision I didn't tell them to.

After that, I got worried and quickly ran in the direction the war was located.

I didn't bring anything there. All I can think about is bringing my troops back and into the hole, they have made. I want to re-strategize. I'm sure that way, my troops can be saved and win in this war.

I have to quickly tell them. I am their boss. I am their commander. I can't be the least bit careless. I must not let the kinsmen of my troops cry over their deaths from fighting so violently. They need me.

After I drove the car for 2 kilometers, I had to fall to my knees when I saw people already lying on the ground. Those who were there were some people from my army who died. It could be seen from their army green uniforms.

I got out of the car, checking their condition one by one.

Some of them were people from the enemy army. Even so, I don't intend to kill those who are still alive. I only focus on the people from my squad.

I made sure that there were some left, some alive in there. I made sure it had to surround these corpses. And luckily, I managed to find one person from my squad who was still alive.

"You are okay?" I ask.

"Commander..."

He almost died with a bullet stuck in his chest.

"Commander..." He continued. "I..."

"Do not talk too much! I'm taking you to the medical team now. For that, you must not say anything that will deepen your wound!"

"Commander, I..."

He didn't listen to me. He's still talking. However, for some reason, I felt something bad in him.

"I… You must die here, Commander!"

He suddenly took out a knife from the pocket of his uniform, and the knife managed to stab me, precisely in the right side of my stomach.

"Aaah..."

"Sorry, Commander. These are all orders from your superiors."

It hurts so much. The wound on the right side of my stomach was very painful for me to feel. My body temperature rose as a result of the wound. I started to feel the heat inside my body and felt my blood coming out of the wound slowly.

"W-What are you doing?"

"I told you, didn't I? These are all orders. They told us to kill you right here. That way, wars will continue wherever they are. They're sick of you, Commander. You keep wanting peace. All they want is war, war, and war. That way, they can expand their territory."

Those were the words that surprised me. Those words shocked me and left my eyes blank for a moment.

"Besides, you know, they ordered us to kill anyone who is just like you, wanting peace. For that, the corpses that are here, are the victims that we have killed. You are not only at war with that country but also your country, Commander. This sounds sly, doesn't it?"

After he said that, he closed his eyes and no longer heard the heart sound in his chest. He had died just passing it on and stabbed me with that knife.

"You..."

Somehow my eyes could see those who were at war, even though it was quite far away. They fought and shot their friends. They hurt and kill each other. And what's worse, the enemy troops also do that there.

They looked the same as my squad. They were also ordered to kill those who wanted peace in their country. And at the same time, I saw a man shooting and trying to protect himself there.

"He..."