Chapter 5: The price of liberty.
With the barrel pointed towards a labyrinth of trenches and the bullet already enchanted with explosion magic, Haemir and his companions were waiting for the signal to attack. The only thing illuminating the night was the full moon over their heads and all the campfires in the enemy base. A heavy atmosphere indicated that midnight was near, soon everyone would charge towards the defences and a lot of comrades will fall. The fear of not knowing if you could be the next one that dies made everyone anxious.
Two minutes before midnight, the infantry started to slowly go forward hidden in the darkness of night.
Other two minutes that felt like an eternity passed until he was given the order to shoot.
All his muscles tightened in preparation to the incoming recoil of the rifle and he opened fire, being the first bullet that was shot in this operation. The explosion illuminated the sky as it created a breach on the frontline. Shortly after four more explosions followed transforming the night into day. Screams echoed throughout the night as the infantry charged towards the enemy trenches while a constant barrage of shots came from the trenches looking like lightning bolts in the darkness. But the momentum didn't hold long, the first two trench lines were captured but heavy suppressive fire coming from two bunkers was pinning down their advancement.
"Where are our bloody troops, I didn't see any explosions on the eastside?" The statement of one of his comrades troubled Haemir, an unsettling gut feeling told him that something is wrong.
"Maybe they got attacked before the start of our operation?"
"No, no that's not it, we are being used as bait they will attack as soon as we attracted all the attention. Those bastards! I need to immediately inform my brother, you try to shoot the bunkers with your last enchantment."
Haemir quickly sprinted down the hill on which they were positioned, with bullets flying over his head he tried to reach the first trench line. Only two meters where missing and with all his remaining stamina he jumped into the hole.
"I need to go forward, I can't lose my brother too." With this thought, he stood up and moved forward.
Quickly the stench of blood and gunpowder filled the air as he searched for a way to the second trench line. He twitched as a hand grabbed his ankle, it was a wounded enemy soldier whose legs were blown away.
"He... help me."
Haemir recognized the black uniform he was wearing, it was the same uniform of one of the soldiers that killed his father. Any compassion towards the person lying in front of him was blown away, without any hesitation he kicked his face until the grip on his ankle loosened.
"I won't give you a fast death if that's what you hoped for."
Leaving him behind he quickly moved forward soon reaching the militant infantry.
"Aymon, I'm searching for Aymon, does anyone know where he is?" His screams were barely audible through the constant fire of the machineguns and rifles.
"What are you doing here brother?"
"Our troops on the eastside are using us as bait if this continues all our troops are going to be eradicated. I can eventually buy us some time with my unique magic but you need to stay in its effect radius at all cost! Additionally, the other four squad members are going to shoot the two bunkers with explosive ammo so hold your heads down."
He immediately started reciting the chant he unconsciously used during the Felrenrion Massacre. This was the only unique spell he could master in this short period of time. A small barrier formed around their position blocking all incoming bullets midair. As for now, he could only maintain the barrier for five to seven minutes. Drops of sweat created a small trickle, that started on his forehead and slowly ran down his neck as his mana continuously flowed into the barrier.
Only one minute left until he runs out of Mana.
In the meantime, the enemy stopped firing since all bullets were repelled by the barrier, instead, they tried to encircle them. But finally, the explosive bullets were enchanted and four explosions blew up the bunkers and the thrid trench-line.
At this point the militia had lost more than half it's troops and if it wasn't for Haemir they would have been completely annihilated.
"Forward! For the liberty of Greenwald!"
Using the chaos of the second barrage of explosive ammo they could occupy the remaining trenches. The only thing that was separating them from the enemy headquarters now was a castle wall of long-forgotten times.
"And how do we get through here now that we used up all our explosive bullets to blow up the bunkers?"Haemir's screams barely reached his brother and the commanding officer.
"We can only hope that the soldiers from the hidden villages finally move their arses otherwise we are all going to die here." The answer from the officer didn't reassure him at all.
A grenade thrown from the walls landed in front of Haemir's feet as they were talking. Without a second thought, he threw himself on it and looked at his brother one last time in the face.
"I'm sorry"
"Noooo!" Aymon barely made it in time to scream, as the grenade exploded under his brother's body and sending both of them flying.
His ears rang from the explosion and he could barely see anything with all the smoke.
"Haemir! Haemir where are you? Dammit, I can't hear anything."
"I'm .. cough I'm here ... cough cough!"
He was lying five meters away from the explosion, with a hole gaping in his chest.
"No brother no, don't die on me, don't leave me alone!"
"I can't hear you Aymon and my eyes are burning is this you who is holding my hand?"
Aymon clenched both his hands around his brothers'.
"Haha.. cough ha, you always had small hands... cough. I don't have much time so listen to me, while I was training ... cough... I discovered a forbidden technique that improves the Mana pool of someone by transferring the pool of another person at the cost of that person's life. Since my life .... cough... is soon going to end I will now transfer my pool to you, make good use of it."
Aymon felt a gentle tickle in his arms that soon rose to a light sting and finally evolved to a raging fire. Something deep in his body seemed to react to this fire and suddenly his whole body felt like it was burning. Only the tears rolling down his cheeks cooled his body down.
"This war, this goddamn war, what else do you want to take from me!!" His scream directed towards the sky drowned in the sound of explosions.
The soldiers on the eastside finally made there move and assaulted the castle walls. With a deafening sound, a breach was made into the wall in front of them and while the militia went for a last charge towards the enemy headquarters Aymon remained on his knees crying over his brother's dead body. Even after he heard the screams of victory he didn't move an inch.
"Why, why did it come to this. Wait a moment, I know why this happened, it's all because the soldiers from the east side used us as bait if they didn't my brother would be still alive."
Furious and continuously muttering these words in front of him he stumbled towards the cheering.
"Where, where is the commanding officer of the soldiers on the east side?!" His scream had a deep tone, deeper then it should have, the ground shook with every word he said and the cheers suddenly stopped.
"That would be me, Soldier!" It was The Bear in flesh and blood who commanded the attack.
"It's all your fault! You used us as bait if it weren't for you then my brother would be still alive" Clouds started to form and darken the moon as he continued to speak.
"That's probably correct lad but we all started this war knowing the consequences, knowing that it may cost us our lives and we were all willing to do so. With this sacrifice, with the sacrifice your brother and all the other fallen soldiers made, they gave us and our children and our children's children the possibility to have a free life a life worth living without oppression or discrimination. This was the price they paid, the price of liberty."
Fall 1916 after Idemis' ascension, the Elfen rebellion successfully proclaimed independence and created the new kingdom of Elfen union reigned by a council consistent of sixteen representants of the hidden villages and sixteen officers from the militia that changes it's name to Greenwald Republik Army in short GRE. Operation Bastion cost 658 militants and 124 soldiers their lives.
With an impending invasion from the Empire during winter, the Elfen union built up its defences on the Ogeroy Creek. With the declaration of independence, only the first step was made.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
Q_Yuumo
Q_Yuumo Thank you all for reading and supporting me so far :D
Originally I planned the end here but after really getting attached to the story and all you supporting me, I decided to continue it with a new arc. Have fun!
PS: There is also a bigger LN in progress that I will soon start to publish, so stay tuned for that.
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