The broadcast did not explicitly mention that person, Major The Qing. Those on the scene truly had not seen him, nor had his signature twin blades or blue column sword appeared.
For this reason, the Rejecters had promptly investigated the convoy's earlier traces across the battlefield. In the scant information they gathered, Major Qing's figure was likewise nowhere to be found.
Thus, it was certain that Stream Vanguard had arrived, but whether Major Qing himself had come or not remained unclear for now.
There had, however, been an earlier rumor that he seemed to have suffered lasting aftereffects from severe injuries, making it difficult for him to ever return to his peak combat strength.
"Did Major Qing come with them? Or did he really stay away due to injuries?" The difference between the two was actually enormous. The Rejecters' broadcast skipped straight past this point, leaving it uncertain whether they took it for granted that Han Qingyu must have come, or hoped the soldiers currently on the battlefield would automatically assume so.
"Attention: it's pink, C17 special patterned insignia... Oh no, looks like someone dyed theirs, so red is also a valid marking. Next is the moth design. You were notified before, so everyone should know it."
The broadcast went on to use highly informal language; the announcer's emotions were clearly overly agitated and thrilled.
Perhaps at this moment across the Oceania battlefield, many soldiers marching forward, fleeing for their lives, or locked in desperate struggles felt just the same as him.
"What the hell is there to get excited about?!" "What's so exciting about it?!"
Pegmont grumbled inwardly, depressed. Yet at this moment, even among the soldiers he had brought behind him, many were pumping their fists and cheering under their breath.
Some were even waving toward Stream Vanguard from afar.
"...How embarrassing." Pegmont badly wanted to turn around and reprimand them, but these people were not actually his troops. As for himself, he was currently a private.
In any case, he was constantly getting promoted, and constantly getting demoted back down.
At his highest rank, Pegmont had almost made it to lieutenant colonel. But coincidentally, on the very day he went to the Mitli Frontline Headquarters for his conferment, he found a lieutenant general's luggage... and put it on. He went to collect the annual perks, then gathered the field-grade officers outside the hall to lecture them.
Raising a hand, he brushed back the strand of red hair hanging over his forehead and looked up again. "Stealing my title of Strongest Rookie was already crossing the line. Now you're even stealing pink from me?!"
Meanwhile, behind the convoy where Pegmont could not see, *clack, clack-clack-clack... clatter.* Han Qingyu moved gently and sat down behind the crowd of warriors, surrounded by seven sets of full armor of varying designs.
"Sigh, my perfectly fine Stream Vanguard suddenly turned into a pink legion... And these bastards around me look like they're actually enjoying it!"
Because they had all heard Azure's battlefield-wide broadcast as well, those fighters from the City of Sin sneered with their lips while pride shone brightly in their eyes.
"Hey! Tell Han Qingyu to come out for a duel!" that pink-haired guy in the distance shouted again.
"What's wrong? Don't tell me he was actually scared and didn't come?"
"...Is he dead?"
*Whoosh!* Unable to endure that last remark, a torrential surge of source energy erupted from Stream Vanguard's ranks. A chorus of clattering rings sounded as everyone drew their blades and swords.
"..." Seeing them on the verge of lunging forward, Han Qingyu helplessly tugged at Lao Xiu's clothes. "What are you doing?"
"Fucking him up! That pink-haired birdman, damn it, I—" Lao Xiu blurted, agitated, spewing a string of curses.
"Why chop him? Just let him be." In truth, Han Qingyu remembered what General Ivan had said to Pegmont on his deathbed; deep down, he was still somewhat curious about the man and wanted to fight him.
But now was not the time. He said, "We're here to fight Great Spikes. Just ignore him."
"But he—"
"He'll shut up in a bit." After saying that, Han Qingyu thought about it and muttered under his breath, "Besides... realistically, probably none of you can beat him."
"...Oh." Corpse Man Weize answered like a dead man. He was currently at peak top-tier, but due to his peculiar constitution, the hope of reaching super was exceedingly slim.
Zhe Qiuhong had specifically examined him a while ago and confirmed the conclusion: Weize had been "refined" by someone. Yet Weize himself remembered nothing of that ordeal except darkness and agony.
"If one can't beat him, we'll gang up on him. Call Theodore," Gu Zhazha said casually from the side.
Then, a voice behind him said flatly, "No need."
Wu Xu finished speaking and stood up, lifting the Sick Solitary Spear stuck in the ground, and walked toward Pegmont.
Because he was Wu Xu, none of the warriors naturally stopped him.
Yang Qingbai watched blankly as well. Once Wu Xu took a few more steps, he turned back and whispered, "We're doomed. Xu'er seems to be developing quite the personality lately. Have you guys noticed?"
"Yeah, seems like he's indignant and pissed off."
"Normal. I heard Doctor Zhe say that some lizard species are naturally irritable and aggressive. Provoke them just a little, and they bare their fangs and claws."
"Can Xu'er even win right now? Isn't he..." He Tangtang asked.
"Who knows?" Little Prince glanced back at Han Qingyu and said, "Abnormal things like them are completely beyond the guessing power of normal people like us. Who knows if Xu'er will suddenly announce that his combat power bounced back, just like last time?"
"Huh?" He Tangtang craned his neck forward. "So, he didn't really bounce back already, did he?! He only just dropped to top-tier! Didn't you say we'd wait until he dropped so low he couldn't beat a chicken before jumping him?"
"Wu Xu." Wen Jifei didn't join their discussion. Instead, he turned and called out. When Wu Xu looked back, Wen Jifei gestured toward Han Qingyu and said, "He says he misspoke."
"Come on back. Let Pinky lead the residents away first, otherwise we can't move."
Wen Jifei called Wu Xu back.
As if only now realizing what he had done, Wu Xu felt a bit embarrassed. He sat back down and turned his head aside, silent.
With that, over on the other side, Pegmont clamored for a while, but seeing that Stream Vanguard paid him no heed at all, he lost his steam. Smugly stopping, he had his men organize the civilians to evacuate.
............
Flanked on all sides by Azure soldiers, the long column moved into the distance.
"Mark," Pegmont called softly from the flank of the column.
"My name is Makarov." Makarov turned around, bearing a tightly wrapped long rifle on his back, a hint of conflict in his eyes.
"Whatever, basically the same thing." Pegmont glanced at the sniper rifle on his back. "Haven't seen you in a while. How many rounds do you have left?"
"Two rounds."
"Oh, so you've still only fired once. You're really thrifty, Mark. Wait, I suddenly remember—back in Antarctica when we fought the Daie and I was practically dying, you couldn't even bear to take a shot, you bastard..."
"Yeah. If you were already about to die, why would I waste a bullet?"
"..." Pegmont thought about it, nodded, slung an arm around Makarov's shoulder, and leaned in close to his ear. "So, what do you think? Did you see that Elegy of the Square? Envious? Aren't you dying to go over and beg them to modify your 'One-Hundred-Point Woman' too?"
"Yeah, I am! But it's useless. I already asked around—they only have that one Elegy of the Square. The cost for them to modify a gun seems huge," Makarov said somewhat dejectedly.
"Is that so?" Pegmont raised an eyebrow. "But I just heard they have two now. The other one changed its name, and it's called Captain Lady now."
"Milla Joe?!" As a fellow gunner, Makarov naturally knew Milla.
His eyes flashed with heat, then dimmed once more.
"Even so, that's only because she's Milla Joe, right? That's why they were willing to pay such a price. Aside from her longstanding reputation as the strongest firearm user, haven't you heard? Major The Qing once led over ten thousand people just to receive her."
The two people who possessed Endless firearms now were both extraordinarily special. Makarov did not believe he had any right to make such a request.
If the cost of modifying a source energy firearm was not truly that immense, Stream Vanguard would not possess only two right now. Nor would Azure have chosen to drop their request after talks.
"Fair point." Pegmont nodded. "You don't even know them well, and your marksmanship doesn't seem to beat either of those two. Why would they bother helping you?"
Makarov: "..."
"Then how about the two of us sneak back, lay an ambush, snatch one, and run?" Pegmont suddenly suggested.
Makarov turned his head. "Huh?"
"Worst case, we just throw yours to them. They know how to modify guns anyway. What do you think? Han Qingyu probably really isn't there, and none of the rest can possibly outrun me."
Chapter 671