Starting from the Planetary Governor

After the artillery barrage ended, the mechanical soldiers resumed their advance.

For a long while, no gunfire came from the human soldiers' position.

But their movement was still cautious.

To take down this position, the mech assault team of over two thousand had already lost more than a third of their number. Originally there were six Challenger tanks, but now only one remained.

The cost of victory was so great...

No, victory had not yet been achieved.

When the first few mechanical hounds rushed forward and got within a hundred meters of the position, the familiar sound of heavy explosives burst forth again.

From the 2nd Battalion, 3rd Company's disintegrated troops, Sergeant Dimitriou manned the miraculously undamaged heavy explosive weapon, not only wiping out the advancing mechanical dogs but also blowing up the last Challenger tank.

Dimitriou didn't know where he found the courage.

Earlier, when the 3rd Company had been breached, they were sent scurrying in all directions, only managing to flee. After being stopped by the 9th Company, they were almost mistaken for deserters.

His morale, and that of the dozen or so other defeated soldiers, was very low at that time. The panic of a narrow escape, the confusion of not knowing what lay ahead, filled their hearts.

They had seen with their own eyes the enormous numbers of the Mechanical Legion paving a way to the rear. He didn't think the 9th Company could hold off these enemies, especially since the enemy not only outstripped them in numbers twentyfold but also had support from long-range artillery.

How could this battle be fought?

He didn't run, purely because running would mean being executed as a deserter.

The subsequent development of the battle didn't exceed his expectations.
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The 9th Company fought tenaciously, almost exhausting every method to battle those mechanical monsters, but the gap in firepower and numbers still led them to inevitable defeat.

But Dimitriou saw what happened at the explosive cannon position.

When the machine-gunner died, the company commander took over; when the company commander fell, the political officer took up the position; when the political officer died, more soldiers rushed forward...

This kind of successive bravery deeply moved Dimitriou.

He couldn't help but think of his own company. If the 3rd Company hadn't been attacked and had persisted in the fight, would the same thing have happened?

His company commander, his political officer... and even himself, would they make the same choices as the brothers from the 9th Company?

He asked himself this question in his heart.

He hadn't found the answer yet, but his body had moved ahead of his thoughts.

His actions were slow, yet resolute.

Crawling, he made his way to that foxhole.

There was no room left to stand, as the small pit was stacked with a dozen bodies.

When he regained his senses, he found himself lying on the bodies of the brothers from the 9th Company, his hand on the trigger of the explosive cannon.

The ammo feeder was nowhere to be found, but the chain of ammunition in front of him stretched out more than half a meter long.

His mind was blank, yet instinctively he raised the gun towards the mechanical hounds, towards the approaching Challenger, and pulled the trigger.

The faithful explosive cannon still operated, the gun's barrage tore through the air, the sound thunderous!

The sound of the explosive cannon seemed like a catalyst, and at that moment Dimitriou's blood also boiled with the gunfire!

He couldn't help but roar, venting his emotions.

Fear, pain, bewilderment... all of it transformed into bullets heading towards the enemy.

In the midst of gunfire, he understood at last.

He was going to die, but he felt it was worth it.

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