Eyewitnessing the only warplane that had managed to take off turn into fireworks.

Chief of Staff Kotake Kentaro painfully closed his eyes, unable to bear seeing such a sight any longer.

The now-despairing Chief of Staff Kotake Kentaro slowly shed crocodile tears.

Just then, Staff Officer Busujima Jintaro beside him excitedly exclaimed, "Chief of Staff! Our men are charging forward! They're charging!"

His tone was filled with excitement.

If that warplane that had flown into the night sky hadn't been destroyed, it should have been carrying out the mission to strike the attackers.

Now, finally, someone could carry out the task of striking the attackers, perhaps stopping the enemy from continuing to bomb the airfield.

Chief of Staff Kotake Kentaro detected a glimmer of hope in the staff officer's excited tone.

He opened his tightly shut eyes and looked outside:

Suddenly, many people had appeared on the runway, gathering around a burning plane with various tools in their hands.

This wasn't someone attacking those detestable raiders at all!

Kotake Kentaro was utterly disappointed, and the hope in his eyes vanished instantly.

What cheered Chief of Staff Kotake Kentaro up slightly was that the airport fire trucks had finally made it to the runway.

They began spraying water at the aircraft.

Those with tools, disregarding the raging flames, fearlessly approached the burning plane, using hooks to drag out whatever they could grab.

They were trying to pull the burning plane away, freeing the trapped aircraft.

Miyashiro Yoko was seventeen years old this year, a second-year high school student in Kyoto.

On September 1st of this year, on her way to school, she heard a broadcast promoting how the Empire's warriors were fighting for the country on the other side of the sea.

Those warriors who fought day and night for the Empire needed brave, beautiful, and intelligent Japanese women to comfort them.

To soothe their bodies and minds, all Japanese women who dared to dedicate themselves should join this great cause; it was a glorious cause, a great cause, and the Empire's revitalization and expansion needed them!

Young and full of youthful spirit, Miyashiro Yoko, filled with admiration for the warriors and support for the Empire's cause, bravely entered the recruitment center.

In her seventeen years of life, this was the first time Miyashiro Yoko had skipped school when she should have been attending class.

When she returned home from skipping class with the acceptance letter.

Her family had already heard the exciting news.

That night, the whole family held a grand celebration dinner for her, and Miyashiro Yoko received their blessings.

Tomorrow, Miyashiro Yoko would cross the ocean to that legendary beautiful and rich country.

To participate in the great cause of turning that country into a part of the Empire.

The next day, Miyashiro Yoko, carrying her family's hopes and blessings, arrived at a gathering point.

Here, she met many girls who, like her, had given up their studies.

There were also many women in their twenties and thirties, some of whose husbands were already fighting for the Empire on the other side of the sea, while others were still working in their hometowns for the Empire.

But they all shared a spirit of dedication to the Empire, bravely taking this step.

Like Miyashiro Yoko, they were filled with admiration for the Empire's soldiers, wanting to use their bodies to soothe their weary bodies.

Miyashiro Yoko was beautiful, and she and several other equally beautiful girls traveled by plane to this land.

The rest of the women would travel by ship.

After two connecting flights, when she finally settled down, the other beautiful girls had already separated.

When Miyashiro Yoko arrived at Hongqiao Airport, she was immediately selected by Chief of Staff Kotake Kentaro.

From then on, she had grown up in Chief of Staff Kotake Kentaro's embrace.

She sang for Chief of Staff Kotake Kentaro, danced for him, read poetry for him, and soothed the fatigue in his body;

She drank with him, walked with him in the rain, and watched the flowers with him in the mist.

Last night, before going to bed, she had even drunk a little sake with Chief of Staff Kotake Kentaro and exchanged a few lines of poetry.

The two of them had fallen asleep in each other's arms!

Such days were so happy!

It was precisely the career that Miyashiro Yoko wanted to dedicate herself to.

She was awakened in the middle of the night by a sudden loud noise.

She discovered that Chief of Staff Kotake Kentaro was already standing in front of the window, with a red glow filling the sky outside.

When Miyashiro Yoko put on her clothes and stood in front of the window as well, she saw the planes on the runway engulfed in flames.

When she saw the planes on the apron trapped in a small area, unable to rush onto the runway and soar into the sky.

Miyashiro Yoko rushed out of the room, heading towards the runway.

On the way, there were more people with the same goal as her, all wanting to go to the runway to help the trapped planes.

Chief of Staff Kotake Kentaro saw Miyashiro Yoko's figure, and his heart was immediately stirred.

What was this silly girl doing running to the runway at a time like this? It was too dangerous.

Miyashiro Yoko was only seventeen years old, and Kotake Kentaro had always treated her like a child.

His own eldest daughter was five years older than her.

Being able to see this girl actively rushing to the airfield still moved Kotake Kentaro somewhat.

This was the heart of the people; these were the people of the Empire!

They had always had absolute trust and support for the Empire!

Kotake Kentaro's excitement didn't last three seconds before Staff Officer Busujima rushed in, reporting anxiously, "Chief of Staff! The two infantry companies we sent out were ambushed by landmines as soon as they left the gate!

They suffered heavy losses!"

Chief of Staff Kotake Kentaro sternly rebuked, "Leave the wounded behind and continue to advance.

The enemy's artillery is still bombarding us, and our planes are being destroyed one by one.

Tell them to act quickly."

Staff Officer Busujima reported in a voice on the verge of tears, "Chief of Staff! Most of the soldiers in the two companies are dead, and the rest are seriously injured.

There's no one left who can fight."

Chief of Staff Kotake Kentaro didn't seem to understand, his eyes wide with anger, "What did you say?"

"Chief of Staff! Most of the soldiers in the two companies are dead, and the rest are seriously injured.

There's no one left who can fight."

Staff Officer Busujima repeated what he had just said.

Chief of Staff Kotake Kentaro finally accepted reality, muttering to himself, "The entire airfield now only has one infantry company left."

He looked at the burning planes on the runway, the planes that were constantly moving but couldn't escape the bombing.

The planes that could still move were like stranded fish in the apron.

Struggling in vain, the people who had rushed onto the runway were fearlessly trying to clear a path for these planes to leap into the abyss.

Or clear a path for them to soar into the blue sky.

He couldn't worry about the matters on the runway anymore.

If they couldn't take out the enemy artillery positions that were attacking, not a single plane on the entire apron would survive.

Chief of Staff Kotake Kentaro ordered, "Lieutenant Terauchi Takeshi's company will attack! They must drive away the enemy artillery."

After issuing the order, Chief of Staff Kotake Kentaro personally went to the drill field and addressed the only remaining infantry company on the entire airfield, "Gentlemen! The Empire's warplanes are burning, the Empire's warriors are burning.

Find the enemy's artillery positions and destroy them!

I'm counting on you!"

Chief of Staff Kotake Kentaro bent deeply at the waist, bowing deeply.

Lieutenant Terauchi Takeshi, carrying the chief of staff's heavy responsibility, led the one hundred and eighty-four soldiers behind him.

With a determination to die, they rushed out of the airfield.

Rushing onto the road to search for those who attacked the airfield.

As soon as the entire company of soldiers reached the airfield gate.

They heard the moans of their comrades on the road, but they didn't stop, didn't help.

The airfield was still burning, and they had more important things to do; rescuing people could be done later, after the important things were done.

The six squads of soldiers lying in ambush outside the airfield watched as another team of soldiers rushed out.

They passed by the soldiers groaning on the ground, completely disregarding them.

Not only that, but these soldiers who had just rushed out paid no attention to either side of the road.

They didn't even organize anyone to search the surrounding area.

Everyone in Lieutenant Terauchi's company had their minds on the distance, on the distance where there were sparks of fire.

They knew that the attacking team was in those places.

The special forces soldiers lying in ambush outside the airfield knew that when this team of soldiers engaged in battle with the Seventh Squad and the Direct Line Team, it would be time for them to launch their attack.

That time wouldn't be long!

The special forces soldiers lying in ambush here waited patiently.

When Watanabe Saiseiichiro awoke from his coma, it was dark nearby, and a red glow filled the distant sky.

For a moment, he hadn't reacted yet: Who am I?

Where am I?

What is this place?

Hearing the explosions in the distance, he suddenly understood: I am Watanabe Saiseiichiro, I am the brave Major of the Imperial Artillery.

I am carrying out a glorious combat mission.

Just now, he had commanded the entire artillery squadron to bombard the enemy artillery positions in the distance.

The enemies who came to attack the airfield had also launched a counterattack on his position.

Then the entire artillery position was counter-bombed by the enemy's artillery fire.

Watanabe Saiseiichiro staggered to his feet, from his artillery position, he could clearly see everything happening at the airfield.

He watched as the Empire's planes burned one after another, watching as another of the Empire's planes was blown apart.

Watanabe Saiseiichiro's gaze turned to the distance: against the backdrop of the pitch-black night sky, not far from the airfield, several faint lights flickered.

Those were the places that they, the artillerymen, had just concentrated their bombardment on.

In the pitch-black night, with just those tiny sparks of light, they couldn't determine the distance.

Now, Watanabe Saiseiichiro discovered a new location, emitting a flash of light from time to time.

That was the flame emitted when the artillery shell left the barrel.

This new discovery twisted Watanabe Saiseiichiro's heart in pain: Why didn't I discover it during the first round of attack?

Careless! I was careless!

Those people on the opposite side were really cunning: they had set up three small bonfires in advance to attract the Empire's artillery bombardment.

After the Empire's artillery was completely exposed, they bombed the Empire's artillery position all at once.

It had to be said that in the pitch-black night, those fake targets did attract attention.

With the soaring flames on the airfield, the mess on the artillery position could still be vaguely seen.

On the entire artillery position, apart from the two anti-aircraft guns not far away that were still intact.

Only the howitzer on the side was still standing.

Those cunning enemies had almost achieved their goal.

But the enemy's good luck had now ended; they had never imagined that the Empire had soldiers as tenacious as him.

Able to survive their artillery fire.

Able to survive the explosions of ammunition on the position.

I really am an indestructible cockroach!

An excited look appeared on Watanabe Saiseiichiro's face as he estimated the location of the light in the northwest: "Northwest, 1,800 meters away!"

In the pitch-black night sky, without reference points or depth comparison, it was really difficult to accurately estimate the distance of a tiny spark of light!

He roared loudly at the empty artillery position.

In order to increase his confidence!

This time, no soldiers repeated his orders.

Those soldiers who had been brutally drilled by Watanabe Saiseiichiro had all gone to see Amaterasu, returning to the embrace of the great goddess.

"Farewell!" Watanabe Saiseiichiro shouted again.

"Set the firing data! Azimuth 27-00, elevation 06-80!" Watanabe Saiseiichiro's voice shouted again.

He struggled to reach a howitzer that was still stubbornly standing beside him, applying the values he had just shouted out.

He adjusted its angle and adjusted its azimuth.

This was a Type 4 Taisho 150mm howitzer.

Weighing nearly three tons, with a barrel over two meters long, it could fire up to nine kilometers away.

Watanabe Saiseiichiro operated this cannon alone, which originally required a squad of soldiers to operate.

As an excellent artillery major commander, Watanabe Saiseiichiro knew every cannon in the entire Empire like the back of his hand.

He could recite their advantages and disadvantages with his eyes closed.

Now Major Watanabe Saiseiichiro, alone, struggled to load a shell into the breech.

Now was the time to demonstrate the Empire's strength!

"Fire!" Watanabe Saiseiichiro roared with all his might.

Major Watanabe Saiseiichiro yanked the firing cord, and the massive body of the Type 4 Taisho howitzer recoiled backward, immediately returning to its original position.

With a loud bang, the shell flew out with a streak of light.

Major Watanabe Saiseiichiro didn't rest; stubbornly and alone, he carried another shell toward the cannon.

At this moment, his figure was so lonely, walking on the road of battle without a single companion, without a shred of assistance.

This scene was just like the war the Empire was waging!