As we were approaching, to help with the defensive battle happening in front of our eyes as fast as we can, with the dark forces heavily pummeling their way to kill the people of the resistance, everyone was anxious, because the more time pa.s.sed, the more the forces gathered, the thicker the encirclement became, the more of our people died.

However, through our scouts eyes, he declares that the resistance was still fighting, but was suffering heavy losses because of the dark-elf knight's power that can break through the magic barrier with ease because of their dark magic, only spirit users of earth elements can stand up to them.

But as we got closer to the cloud of enemies circling around the headquarters, we noticed a separate division coming to us.

"General! Division-sized units have spotted us! We won't be able to get through!"

The one who shouted was the commander who was leading the charge, he shouted to the general at the center of the formation pointing to the approaching enemy division.

Leading the charge were five dark-elf knights who rode at magic beast's back, the beasts from Hel that has a one body and three heads. Behind them was a large unit of dark-elf priests that were ready to bombard us with dark spells as they ran towards us while they raise our staffs.

"When they get in range, they would bombard us with spells, plus we don't have anyone who could counter those spells… this is bad, before we can a.s.sist, they might annihilate us first"

The general was sweating, and then at a heartbeat as the force was getting closer he stopped and raised a hand, ordering us to stop the charge.

"General! Why are we stopping now?!"

The commander asked him panicking, as he readied his bow.

General Alwin sheathed his sword.

"Retreat to the woods! Now!"

"What?! Aren't we going to help them?"

The commander pointed at the encirclement that was just getting thicker and thicker with a worried look on his face. His family is still at the encampment, along with the other fighters' families too.

As we stopped, all fighters expressed their opinions with a dejected look on their faces.

"But our families!"

"My wife"

"... my kids are still there"

"My siblings… "

"General… I am prepared to die!"

"Yes! I'd rather die together with my family!"

"Give us the order to attack!"

The anxiousness spread as everyone stopped while the division was already closing on to us.

"REATREAT!!!! I SAID RETREAT! WHAT WILL GOING BACK THERE DO?! THIS IS AN ORDER!"

The general gave the cruel order strongly that it ringed wildly in our ears, that the faces of the fighters turned further in despair, because everyone knows that the general's only daughter is still in the headquarters, and regardless he is still ordering to stop the charge.

He is a general through and through.

"AS LONG AS WE HAVE THE VICE-LEADER, WE STILL HAVE HOPE! I SAID RETREAT!"

The vice-leader and the elf-priest remained in silence, knowing that in the situation, the General has the highest authority, but everyone looked horrified at him as they also looked at the hopeless situation in front of them.

They desired to save their loved ones, but the situation was too hopeless.

But amid it, I remembered something important. My best-friend Valeri is still there, and I want to save her, but in this situation, there's no choice.

There's no choice? In these thoughts, I noticed that I was trembling as I looked at my hands. How could I think of something so cruel?

Wait… What is this? I thought, I have steeled myself already?

C'mon Lyra Vaeri Sarwynn, this is your second life already, are you going to be reckless again? I'm sure Valeri would think the same... she won't blame you, if you back down now.

"I SAID RETREAT! THERE'S STILL TIME FOR US! TURN BACK!"

The general continued shouting.

At this critical moment, images with Valeri flashed in my mind, the moment we met, the day she accepted me like a sister, and the predicaments that we went through together which made us closer.

Right now she's my only family.

Am I going to lose a loved one again? In the hands of those pieces of s.h.i.+ts?!

I can understand the General's orders, and I know that deep inside he knows how cruel such order is, but still… I don't want to turn around doing nothing.

To numb the trembling, I slapped my cheeks and raised my hand.

"General, I'm quitting the resistance!"

I took the red bandana off my shoulder, folded it and placed it softly on the floor, this bandana symbolizes the years of service I had with the resistance, the memories I shared with the people I encountered here, the friends I made, the people whom I witnessed sacrificed themselves to keep the resistance alive.

"General… either way you won't outrun that division-sized unit, right? Look how fast the magic beasts that they are riding.

Let me stay here! I can hold them for a few seconds at least, I respect your orders, and I know your foremost duty is to keep the resistance alive no matter what happens, but this time it's my personal wish, that's why I'm quitting.

I'D RATHER DIE HERE FIGHTING THAN ABANDON THE PEOPLE PRECIOUS TO ME!"

"LYRA! STOP THIS NONSENSE AND RETREAT!"

"It's okay general, please escape now! As a nonmember of the resistance, you don't have to care about me! I'm just Lyra now"

The general hesitated but turned away, that's good, leave me here… at least… at least this time I'm dying not for myself, but this time I'm dying for someone I care for.

I breathed in as I took some seeds out from my pocket to prepare to summon my spirit.

As I looked down at my hand, suddenly… I saw a shadow of a group of people pa.s.sing me by from my back, taking away their armbands almost at the same time.

"Don't worry about you?! Ha! Don't underestimate our battalion!"

"Yeah, you cannot last one second by yourself, allow me to lend some a.s.sistance"

They were the elves who voiced their opinions to the general.

I see, so I'm not the only one, I'm glad.

"Yeah, I'll gratefully accept that, thanks, let's do this"

That man Slaine have told us that we were too prideful to fight against such an enemy, but deep down we elves are just stubborn.

We just want to live the way we want, even how selfish we become, we may not win.

But, personally, I believe, that doing your best in something you can truly be proud of even if failing, that is something to be proud of even in death.

And that is the reason for my existence.

"Okay men! Let's do it!"

Huh? There is more?

More of the fighters removed their armbands and joined us that we have already halved the battalion.

They cracked their knuckles and readied for combat. One of them was the commander who also voiced out his opinion to the general.

"Sorry General, but you have to retreat alone with the vice-leader. Don't worry, we'll be taking as many dark-elves heads as we can, see you on the other side someday!"

He gave the general a thumbs up and readied his bow.

It seems the commander is a spirit user as well, only spirit users would ready a physical weapon because they will be vulnerable once the spirit attacks the target and leaves the summoner.

As for me I have my dagger.

"YOU IDIOTS! d.a.m.n! IF I WASN'T THE GENERAL I WOULD HAVE JOINED YOU GUYS! YOU GUYS ARE SO MANLY!"

"What are you saying general, you still have to keep the fire burning right? At least for now. Let us do as we please. We won't be taken that down easily I a.s.sure you!"

"Lyra is a woman though Haha!"

In our last moments, all we could do was tease each other.

The other half were those who were too scared to fight, all they wanted was to escape immediately with the general.

But it's better than being totally annihilated, next time they could take our places and become powerful fighters of the resistance.

But a shocking member of the retreating force stepped up and removed his red symbol of the resistance as well, and it was the vice-leader.

He fixed his eyegla.s.ses and looked at us.

"Strangely, I agree with these young people here, and one thing I know is that if HQ falls here, the resistance has no future anyway, so I'm also helping.

Sorry Alwin, I know that you are in charge at times like this but you might have to retreat yourselves"

He smiled at the general and readied his magic like the rest of us, who can see the division that was moving to us closer and closer that they were only just yards away from us.

"Don't be so cold vice leader, I'll fight with you"

He readied the enormous sword at his back and stuck it to the ground with his two arms.

"NOW I CHANGE MY ORDER, ANYONE WHO CAN FIGHT WILL FIGHT! THOSE WHO CAN'T, CAN RETREAT!

MEET UP WITH THE RESISTANCE AT THE NEAREST BASE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE AND RECEIVE INSTRUCTIONS THERE FROM NOW ON!"

The more people joined, the heavier my heart felt.

Did I just lead them to their own demise?

If I hadn't acted like that, we would have already retreated— no I shouldn't think like that, it's their own decision to fight, just like me.