At this moment, it seems that everyone is tense up with nerves that could have been relaxed a little, and the reason is due to the darkness that can't see the five fingers after the night.

Even so, no one has used this as an excuse to slack off on their work.

- Because, the beast's stormy procession, even in such darkness, still persevered and continued to attack the exits on both sides of the canyon!

For this, Loki felt a headache - "Isn't it true that they don't have regular sleep schedules?" ”

It's late at night......

However, although he found it tricky, he still arranged enough tactical aircraft with long-range projectile weapons at the front and rear entrances and exits to snipe at the onrushing enemy.

And in order not to let the sniping and shooting stagnate, whenever a platoon of tactical aircraft reaches the point of running out of ammunition, he will always give a replacement order -

Let the well-rested line in the second row pick up.

The ultimate ...... of the so-called wheel warfare

By alternating in this way, the cooldown, which felt like something could not be done, was not worth mentioning. Even to a negligible level......

You can also make up for the lack of combat effectiveness by the way-

"It's really you, this method can be figured out in the blink of an eye!"

As the lieutenant, Mainhall cast an admiring look at Loki.

In this way, a squad of only 50 tactical planes miraculously turned its limited combat power into an iron wall and a fortress that will never collapse.

"It's nothing, I was going to do that in the first place."

"Coupled with the fact that you just said that there were no reports of reinforcements detected nearby, it helped me a lot."

Mainhall tilted his head a little sluggishly, and searched further for an explanation—

"In other words, it is precisely because of your report that I can make up my mind."

"So, don't be stunned, you can be proud of it."

He said it lightly, but his tone was so ordinary that it was taken for granted.

- In other words: the slightest hint of encouragement is not reflected.

But in fact, he really wanted to show encouragement and praise.

However, as always, it failed.

"No, I'm ashamed!"

But the other party doesn't think so, even at this level.......

The mere fact that he could get praise from Loki had already made Mainhall happy.

Her expression was in stark contrast to the commander who had never been willing to show the slightest emotion.

"Thank you very much! But it's my business at the end of the day, so of course I'm going to do my best and be meticulous in my best efforts! ”

After speaking, she couldn't help but salute as if a military salute.

"Of course you can't ask for that kind of self-awareness, but as I said before, don't be so rigid, okay?"

"Gaha?! Inflexible? Am I giving you such a bad impression? ”

Suddenly, she was lost again......

It's this kind of other party that can't help but give Loki a headache.

"This guy...... Really, the trouble is dead! ”

I couldn't help but muttered in my heart.

This made Mainhall, who was unexpectedly struck, blushing as if at a loss.

"Captain ——......"

Loki took out a box of cigarettes and a lighter from his trouser pocket as if nothing had happened.

- This guy has a much worse addiction to cigarettes than normal people. It is incompatible with his childish baby face.

However, although it was not a good habit, no one would stop him whenever he did it.

Because this is the flag that stands for "victory".

That is, Loki would only make such a move if the battle was won......

So, whether it's faith or not; Superstition or not, it's all good, isn't it?

"But, Captain Loki...... Can such a wheel-war-like strategy really stop them? ”

"Do you think I'm going to let my subordinates die for nothing if I'm not sure?"

On this point, she obviously denied it without even thinking about it.

"So, what the hell?"

With admiration and longing, Mainhall kept searching for answers.

"I've already seen the topographic map of the canyon you sent me just now—"

As he spoke, Loki unfolded the map again, patiently smoking a cigarette and explaining.

I saw him point to the two gaps directly in front of and behind the top of the canyon—

"First of all, I'm very concerned about the shape of these two places, what do you think they look like?"

She stared at the map for a moment and fell into deep thought......

The dialogue between them came to an abrupt end.

"It looks like the rim of a water glass...... Missing a piece on the edge? ”

"What else?"

"I don't know. Besides...... What does that mean? ”

Ahh......h

Loki tried his best to restrain himself from blurting out such feelings.

"What if I say they're actually craters?"

"But I still don't understand, what's so strange even then?"

"You......"

Now, even Mayin Hall herself sensed that she seemed to be really stupid.

INTERVIEWER If you can quickly and accurately understand tactics and strategy, why can't you do it at all when you encounter such a problem?

Loki chuckled bitterly in his heart; On the other hand, I can only continue to explain patiently......

"What if the gap is not artificially excavated, but is naturally formed?"

The more she listened, the more confused she became: "Sorry, I still don't understand. ”

She was honest about her confusion and bluntly asked for further explanation.

I have to say, this is what makes her so powerful......

But Loki said, "You'll have the answer later." To prove my speculation, someone has been sent to investigate, and I believe there will be a response soon-"

Then, as expected, the five-member team that had been ordered by Loki to go to survey and investigate came back sweating profusely with instruments on their backs.

"It's hard work, so how did it turn out?"

"Yes! As Brigadier predicted, the two gaps above the canyon are craters formed by years of rain."

"And the dirt around that part of it wasn't dry, but noticeably wet, and there was moss and a small number of ferns growing there." Loki was rightfully pleased with the report.

"So, how likely is it that water and magma exist?"

The five of them answered in unison, as if for the first time, Loki smiled faintly—

"To tell you the truth, the two account for more than 80% of the total, and the density is very large."

Even though it was only a slightly raised expression at the corners of his mouth, he could see Loki's happy mood at this moment.

"So if these two gaps in the canyon are further expanded, what is the probability of drowning those incomprehensible guys?"

The five members of the investigation team couldn't help but be surprised: "Aren't you trying to blow up the entire canyon?!" ”

"Huh? Huh?! ”

"You can go down and rest, I'll make the most of this information."

However, Mainhall clearly hasn't come to his senses yet.

That's it, and the topic and Q&A are over.

Then he turned around and asked Mainhall, who was standing aside-

"Now, you know what I'm going to do next, right?"

She seemed agitated at the moment, and could see that she was trying to refute something to justify the method.

Sadly, however, their chief, Loki, has always been a man who has been at odds with the word "reasonable".

In other words, Loki cares more about efficiency than about being reasonable......

"It's too dangerous, and if the canyon is flooded, the villages just across the wall from it will suffer, and I'm against that."

However, Loki's attitude was unexpectedly resolute-

"Rejected...... The commander of the entire unit was me. ”

It is clear that he has no intention of backing down on this......

Even if it was his own adjutant who raised the objection, he could not shake his resolve.

"What about the villagers? Are you going to die for all of them?! ”

Obviously, this is an emotional guy......

Having said that, her questioning is not vexatious, but accurate and correct, and can make people in a dilemma.

It was precisely because of her trait that Loki was able to promote her all the way to the position of his right-hand man.

And his reason is very simple -

"It's just because I want to hear different voices, it's not a big deal."

"Sometimes, it's important to assess the situation, and the necessary sacrifices are inevitable...... Don't be willful! ”

"But!?"

- Saving people?

No, now he was thinking about how to minimize the sacrifice of the squad......

That is, to protect himself on the premise of forcing the enemy back, as for others who have "nothing to do with", Loki has no time to pay attention to them.

- "I am not a savior, and I am not the kind of hero who can lead you to turn the tide whenever you encounter difficulties......"

"So I can't expect to be able to save everyone on my own, including you."

"So now we have to get rid of what we don't need. Can you understand? And also...... The troops are handed over to you for the time being, no problem, right? ”

The moment the two passed by, Loki's words were like again and again; The punch was so bad that she couldn't even refute it.

Before he knew it, Mainhall clenched his fists, and the force was so great that his nails pierced into the flesh mercilessly......

But even this pain still did not relieve her struggling heart.

"Yes, I see......"

In the end, however, she agreed.

"Good."

Then Loki naturally put his hand on her head. Mainhall resisted the emotion that wanted to roar out and accepted his comfort—

"It's good for you to keep it that way, and you don't have to force yourself to accept my principles......"

"Captain, what exactly do you want to do?"

Her desire to seek further answers faded with the breeze behind her.

In the end, I didn't get the answer I wanted......

Now let's try to rewind the clock to two hours ago.

At this time, the secret of the canyon had not yet been revealed, and although the countermeasures had been thought of in advance, Loki still led 100 people to the village with light clothing.

It's the village that Mainhall mentioned when he had a dispute with himself before.

Of course, he had already been here beforehand...... Something, there's no way that guy knows about that.

- If that were the case, the villages would definitely be burned down, and he came here to avoid such an outcome.

I want to see how many people are "allowed to live".

He referred to the villagers who had gathered around him out of curiosity as traveling merchants.

"We just happen to pass by, and occasionally we want to rest here."

True, he was not in a hurry to reveal his identity. Although the situation at this moment is urgent, there is no time for him to travel with his subordinates.

"Lieutenant Colonel, we don't have time!"

Even if you don't need to use the side-knocking, Loki knows it.

It's just that he wants to find the right time. After all, this is a topic that is impossible for both parties to talk about easily.

However, it is also an indisputable fact that there is no time to think about everything.

Finally, at a villager's house for lunch, he gathered everyone together after several twists and turns: "I'm sorry, but we've been hiding something from everyone, and now it's time to confess—"

After listening to Loki reveal his identity and recount the ins and outs of the story in as much detail as possible, everyone's eyes couldn't help but widen -

"So, do you mean you want us to give up the village?" Someone asked with a strong sense of anger.

"The choice is yours throughout, I never said that, did I?"

"Besides, even if I say that, you will definitely listen?"

And in the face of that pair of surprised, surprised, and angry eyes......

Loki didn't back down either.

No, to be exact...... He couldn't back down.

"Still, that's what we're hoping for."

"Are you kidding? Gremlin! Do you know that this village is the work of our ancestors......

"We've lived here for generations, and we've never thought about leaving, what kind of beast...... That kind of thing that doesn't know what to call has nothing to do with us, right?! ”

Sure enough, if one person stands up against it, the others will discard the conclusions they have drawn from their own thinking and echo the seemingly correct rebuttal.

However, even if he could understand their plight, Loki did not agree with such a ridiculous statement.

- You can live, but you choose to die or something......

It's unreasonable......

"Old gentleman, in that case, have you ever heard a saying that you don't have to worry about having no firewood to burn?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the room was suddenly surrounded by an unbearable silence......

"Of course I know, but so what?"

Loki didn't answer his question head-on, but immediately followed up with another question—

"Which side do you think is more important, the lifeless village or the lives of the villagers?"

"I guess, as the village chief, you don't need me to tell you the answer, do you?"

As soon as the words fell, he was unexpectedly interrupted-

"Can't we solve it before they break through the defensive line?"

It's a matter of course, and it's the most desirable outcome for everyone, including myself.

At the same time, however, he must recognize the reality and prepare for the worst whenever and wherever he wants.

In other words, at this moment, whether it is a good person or a bad person, he intends to carry it all on his shoulders without hesitation.

"We also want to achieve this result, and we have been working towards it from start to finish."

"But with the existing combat strength of our troops, it is very difficult to achieve this."

"After all, the opponent is not a human thing. And their favorite food is undoubtedly high-performance electronics...... Mankind. ”

"Frankly, I'm not completely sure that I can do that."

Then he endured the pinprick-like gaze; While bowing his head deeply and remaining silent.

This is not a plea, much less a command. It's almost pleading with them—

"Let's go......"

And even so, the decision they made remained unchanged, as if Loki had always carried out his position -

"We're not going to leave the village, we're not going to take refuge, we're going to stay here!"

"After all, this is a place where our ancestors have lived for generations, and we must not abandon it based on your one-sided words!"

What a stupid decision......

Frankly, it's like a child making a fuss about his opinions.

And Loki had already thought of such a result-

"Since you are bent on death, why don't you let me kill you?"

"What did you say?!"

"It's better than dying in the claws of a monster and having a different head, right?"

Apparently he wasn't joking. The proof is that at the moment when Loki's words fell, his subordinates were approaching with weapons in hand!

Of course, he couldn't really do that, it was just a threat at best.

Immediately, the villagers were stunned: "What do you want to do?!" ”

"If we want to use our private acts, we have the right to report to Her Royal Highness the Princess!"

"You're the ones who will be embarrassed then, right?!"

And at this moment, Loki is acting with ease even if he is threatened......

"Really? Do you use Her Royal Highness the Princess as a shield? ”

"Now she's fighting to protect you......"

"And yet you insist on staying here to add unnecessary worries to her...... If you are stupid, give me enough to stop! ”

Suddenly, his words suddenly stopped abruptly without warning, and then he asked in an aggravated tone—

"If Her Royal Highness the princess has any three strengths and two weaknesses, you will definitely not be able to get out of the way!"

"You who don't understand such a simple truth have no value in being protected at all, right?!"

His words undoubtedly stirred up the crowd, and everyone rushed up desperately to surround him—

"Little ghost, don't you have the so-called order of the young and the old in your eyes?!"

"Young and old?"

"That kind of thing is useless garbage in my opinion!"

"At least for now, it's better to throw that stuff away and feed it to the dogs as soon as possible! Isn't it? ”

As soon as Loki's voice fell, his subordinates immediately showed their weapons—

Faced with them, the villagers flinched......

"After all, for you who are helpless from the beginning, and you may not survive without protection......

"Is there any point in standing up to now?"

"You just made a decision that undoubtedly pushed yourself into the fire pit without hesitation, don't you understand?"

It's impossible not to understand, right?

"Or do you still insist on being stupid even if you know this?"

"Is it fools ......like you who we have been fighting day and night, shedding blood, and protecting at the cost of losing everything we have?"

"In that case, I'll leave, and you'll be their bait as you wish!"

With that, Loki did turn to leave—but, as expected, he was stopped.

"Wait! Please wait a moment! ”

The villagers eventually agreed to evacuate the village and take refuge.

- But he did such a thing, and yet he kept his mouth shut about anyone. Among them, of course, is Mayin Hall.

Because—"This is not something to mention at this time. ”

With this muttering, the dawn also crept in unconsciously.

At the same time, near a river not far from the canyon......

Tina Valheim also found Sprante's bloodied, already torn tactical machine.

The others seemed to have vanished out of thin air, nowhere to be seen.

"Yo, Tina...... You're coming! After a while, a stocky uncle's voice came over the radio channel—

"Warwick, did you see ......?"

"You're asking about that boy from Sprunte, right?"

"I'll tell you the truth, we're looking for him now! Unfortunately, the radar is always the reaction of the enemy. ”

"Until now, there has been no reaction from that kid's life. How's it going over there? ”

"I ...... His tactical aircraft was discovered, and the damage was quite severe...... I can't even make out of it. Will he also-"

Warwick interrupted her as if he was busy—

"How is that possible? That kid's escape skills were the best among our peers. ”

"It's not surprising even if something like abandonment and slipping away happens, right? After all, he used to like to do that. ”

"But I do it a lot. The results and actual combat simulation rankings can still maintain the top five level or something...... It's just unreasonable! ”

Speaking of this, as if he was a little off-topic, he hurriedly changed his very unnatural tone and spoke again......

"Anyway, I guess you can understand what I'm trying to say, right?"

As a result, at the moment when his words fell, Tina's stomach couldn't help but start throbbing because she was trying her best to hold back her laughter from beginning to end-

"Poof...... Puff ha ”

Indeed, it is! I'm sorry when you're in the mood to speak......"

Warwick was stunned for a moment when he saw her unexpected reaction, and then the two of them fell into laughter together—

"Thank you, Warwick...... Thanks to you, I feel much better now. ”

And Warwick boasted mercilessly—

"That's it! No matter how I say it, I'm older, isn't it, I should be half a senior? ”

Tina just wanted to calm down, but in the blink of an eye, she was amused again-

"Really, you're still the same, give a little sunshine and it's shining......"

"There's no way, it's just a matter of character!"

"Okay, can you come over and help out, to be honest, we're a little out of the way here!"

And in the face of such a request, Tina naturally couldn't find a reason to refuse-

"Alright, send me your location, and I'll get over it!"