8.3 Pressure

But I was thinking ahead of myself. Onto the next group!

"Riflemen!" I shouted, referring to the last group that was left waiting around. This group contained Emeraud, as well as Baccus and the blonde prick Bernstein. "Find an elevated area to shoot from!"

"Young Rouge," Baccus interjected, raising his arm while the other held his own rifle. "Wouldn't it be better for us to stay near the... shield wall, as you might put it?"

I placed a hand on my sweaty chin as I thought the suggestion through. Yeah... It did make a lot of sense to stay as close to the targets to avoid friendly fire... But we didn't have the luxury of having a convenient firing platform-

"I already know what you're thinking," Bernstein smirked as he pulled out a hammer from his back. "Don't think about the details, just tell us where to put this thing."

I chuckled at the blonde's audacity to joke at a time like this. Our relationship had warmed significantly over the time I had to teach him stuff, with him no longer calling my 'theories' stupid the moment he realized that we could build bigger rifles, which would just be cannons if we ever got out of this place. Seriously, even in a different world, boys will be boys.

"Just behind the front will be best," I stated as I pointed out at a place just a few meters behind the unarmed group. "Don't give yourselves too much elevation. Just enough that you won't hit our defenders in the back."

Bernstein nodded once as he gestured for Emeraud to follow him. "Got it."

I sighed in relief as I watched the groups organize themselves to my specifications. With a decent front line of shieldmen, a sturdy support in the form of unarmed Nenners pushing behind them, and a small contingency of riflemen to thin out the herd, I could honestly see ourselves going full-on '300' our way to freedom.

"DIRT EATERS! THIS IS YOUR FINAL WARNING! SURRENDER, OR FACE THE CONSEQUENCES!"

I took a deep breath as the Dezimals marched closer by the second. I had to direct this song and dance in a specific way. I still had to give them proper instructions on what to do, after all.

Welp, this was it. Now or never...

"EVERYBODY LISTEN UP!" I shouted at the top of my voice, both of my hands near my mouth as I addressed the men and women who were about to risk their lives for me. "THIS IS HOW IT'S GONNA WORK: THE SHIELDMEN WILL HOLD THE LINE THAT I DREW ON THE GROUND!" I reiterated, just to make sure that I made it loud and clear. "DON'T CROSS IT! JUST MAKE SURE THAT THERE ARE NO GAPS BETWEEN YOU AND THE WALL OF VATS ON EITHER SIDE OF THE CORRIDOR!"

They all nodded, which meant that they actually understood what I was trying to say. Thank god, seeing as I stopped caring about translating my modern word usage a while ago.

With a heavy breath, I next turned to the riflemen, who were now standing on top of a makeshift platform. I raised an eyebrow at the speed that they managed to build one. Then again, we were all builders here in one way or another.

"RIFLEMEN! YOU WILL ALWAYS SHOOT AS ONE TOWARD THE ENEMY!" I ordered, remembering the old firing squads that I used to train in Civ. "ELDER BACCUS! YOU'LL BE THE ONE TO GIVE THE SIGNAL!"

"Of course, young Rouge," the old man simply nodded before organizing his group to his own specifications.

And with that, I turned to address the last and the largest of our group: the unarmed, "THE REST OF YOU, YOU GUYS WILL MAKE SURE THAT OUR SHIELDMEN WON'T FALL AGAINST THE DEZIMALS! PUSH AGAINST THEM WITH ALL YOUR MIGHT! HELP THEM PUSH THE ENEMY BACK!"

As I shouted out the last of my orders, I found myself smiling as some form of cohesion started to form. The shieldmen at the front began patching up whatever holes were present in our defense, some even etching some last-minute Seigels on their shields to make them stronger. Meanwhile, the riflemen were being organized by Baccus himself, arguably the most experienced with a boomstick aside from myself. The old Nenner had arranged them into a file that would ensure maximum spread, while Bernstein and Emeraud adjusted the platform they were standing on to suit their needs. Of course, the rest simply had to wait since they had nothing else to do. But while they remained idle, the previous atmosphere of doom and gloom lessened considerably as the plan came to fruition.

I gripped the handle of my katana as I stared out onto the waiting Dezimals, their armors twitching as if aching for a fight to break out even from a distance. Still, if what I knew was correct, the smoldering heat of the vats around us would considerably hurt their stamina. It would allow our front to push them back and hold our position, all while the riflemen shot at the target-rich line of the enemy with every salvo that they could load.

*THUD! THUD! THUD!*

The sound of metal greaves impacting solid ground increased tenfold as the seconds passed by, signaling the imminent approach of the army of guards standing in the way of our freedom. Granted, there was no guarantee that we'll get out of the Furnace after this, but it was the half-cocked start of my- our rebellion.

I took another deep breath. Time to hammer this home.

"MY FELLOW NENNERS! TODAY IS THE DAY THAT WE BEGIN TO FIGHT FOR OUR FREEDOM!" I began, drawing as much inspiration from the countless media that I've consumed in my past life. "IT MIGHT NOT BE THE GRAND ESCAPE THAT I HAD PLANNED FOR US, BUT THIS STILL MARKS THE DAY THAT WE WILL BE FREE FROM THE SHACKLES THAT THE EMPIRE FORCED UPON US!"

My heart pounded inside my chest as pride and hope blossomed within me, "TODAY, WE FIGHT AGAINST THE TYRANNY OF EMPEROR FREUD! WE DESERVE BETTER THAN TO BE ENSLAVED, STARVING FOR MERE SCRAPS WHILE THE WEAPONS WE MADE ALLOWED THIS EMPIRE TO FLOURISH!"

Cries of approval began to spring forth from the crowd, spurning me on to continue.

"WE NENNERS ARE WHAT MADE THE MATHEMAN EMPIRE! WE MADE THE MASSIVE WALLS THAT PROTECT US! THE WEAPONS THAT CRUSHED ITS ENEMIES! THE ARMOR THAT EVERY DEZIMAL OUT THERE IS CURRENTLY WEARING! WE DESERVE THE RIGHT!...."

...

...

Err... I stalled... Why now of all times did I choke on a damn speech?!

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