Stream Vanguard ultimately did not pitch camp on the slopes of Mount Erebus, even though the terrain and the temperature made it seem like a perfect choice.
Wen Jifei worried that if luck wasn't on their side, the thing might suddenly erupt and take everyone down in one fell swoop.
When that thought crossed his mind, an inexplicable sense of unease rose in his chest. Yet he couldn't put his finger on what specifically was causing it, so he could only brush it aside for the moment and lead the troops to camp on higher ground five kilometers from the volcano.
That same day, around dusk, the Rejectors' node base station was finally established on the Eastern Front.
Unlike before, when they could only obtain a difficult and rough understanding of the Eastern Front's combat situation, this was a high level of communication—the Rejectors' dedicated high-altitude satellite established a direct link with the ground base station.
With the full-spectrum clearance Stream Vanguard possessed, they could now participate in operational meetings alongside Azure Command. However, neither Wen Jifei nor the Little Prince was in any rush to do so.
"Hello... uh, Second Lieutenant Wen..." Clutching an armful of equipment, Ashleia appeared hurriedly and excitedly at the entrance of the command tent.
Ian naturally came along as well.
Just as the world had come to know, this relatively quiet fellow had seemingly always been willing to follow behind Ashleia as her partner over the years.
He never stole the spotlight or cared about fame, nor did he seem keen on making decisions... Yet throughout these years, no matter what Ashleia wanted to do or how dangerous it was, he would steadfastly stand by her side.
Just like that year when Han Qingyu and the others were forced to flee as wanted fugitives after taking revenge on Alphonse's family, the two of them had snuck into the printing room, swapped the layout of the official newspaper, and published an article supporting Major Qing.
That had also been the only time Ian ever tried to vie with Ashleia over the article's byline.
In reality, there were also times when Ian stood in front of Ashleia, though the outside world rarely witnessed those occasions—such as when they decided to film from a perilous spot on the battlefield, or when they suddenly ran into Great Spikes...
Ian's degree of fusion was inferior to Ashleia's, and four years ago, he truly had been no match for her.
Now, however, he was already quite a formidable warrior. Not only had he long surpassed Ashleia, but even within Stream Vanguard, he was capable of holding down a vital position on the front line.
"What's got you so thrilled? An announcement for your wedding?!" Wen Jifei asked with a grin.
The people around them laughed as well.
"To be fair, it's about time. After all these years, you ought to give Ian an answer, Miss Ashleia," Gu Zhazha chimed in, winking smugly at Ian.
Ian let out a dry laugh and said nothing.
"Indeed. Getting married on the battlefield would be deeply meaningful, and it fits your identities quite well," even Regiment Commander Storm, who rarely joked, tossed in a remark.
Amid the grueling, monotonous march and battles, teasing Ashleia and Ian seemed to be a source of amusement for everyone in Stream Vanguard.
After all, having spent time together, everyone had come to like the two, and the men especially supported the dependable lad Ian from the bottom of their hearts.
There was another reason: Stream Vanguard itself had too few romantic rumors to tease anyone about. Recently, one had finally emerged with great difficulty, but no one was allowed to bring it up.
Most people were gossips at heart, and this gang of savage bandits and rough men in Stream Vanguard was no exception.
"I'd like to use the communication equipment. This one." Ashleia was practically immune to such ribbing by now; ignoring the banter, she pointed at the black device to the side.
The machine resembled a fax machine, but it was custom-built for the Rejectors and boasted far higher precision. Ashleia and Ian could finally transmit all the photographs they had taken and articles they had written on the Eastern Front over the past few days.
"The world will surely be deeply inspired by the power and ferocity of this seven-thousand-strong army, and they will be stunned by this breakthrough—especially by First Lieutenant Wu Xu's combat..."
On this Eastern Front expedition, the most dazzling figure in Stream Vanguard was undoubtedly Wu Xu. Most of the photos and articles in Ashleia's hands were centered around his battles.
And then there was Major Qing...
Han Qingyu sat alone in a corner with his head bowed, seemingly oblivious to the conversation around him. Ever since returning from the volcanic crater, he had remained quietly lost in his own thoughts.
*Well, perhaps he doesn't need to do anything at all. Just letting the world see that he still stands on the battlefield is immense encouragement in itself, isn't it? No—it brings peace of mind and hope.*
"Can I send this one too?" Having pondered this, Ashleia gestured toward the two photographs taken earlier at the crater. Seeing that Wen Jifei had no objection, she asked familiarly, "So, which line is the equipment connected to right now?"
"The Huaxia Front, of course. I originally wanted to catch up with some acquaintances, but none of them were around." Wen Jifei's reply was effectively an agreement.
"...That works too. I'll just ask them to find a reporter to interface with me." Unwilling to bother Wen Jifei to switch channels for her, Ashleia slipped over to the side, put on a headset, and began operating the console.
Ian stepped forward to assist her, acting as her helper.
The remaining members of Stream Vanguard went back to studying the map.
The link and transmission went very swiftly. In less than ten minutes, Ashleia finished her work. Yet she didn't hang up right away. "Thank you. Uh, are you sure you can ask to speak with him? He is... Alright, wait a moment."
"Second Lieutenant Wen," Ashleia called over her shoulder.
Wen Jifei turned around. "Yeah?"
"The reporter on the other end who was handling the transfer said she wants to speak with you..."
"A reporter wants to speak with me?" With a mixture of confusion and annoyance, Wen Jifei walked over to the console, took the headset from Ashleia, slipped it on, and picked up the transmitter.
Before he could speak, the rustle of the headset being passed and put on had likely carried over.
"Plague Chicken," a soft voice called from the other end.
The audio through the transmitter was generally somewhat uniform and hard to distinguish, but from those two words alone and the inflection with which she said them, Wen Jifei instantly knew who she was.
"Yao Yue?" Driven by a wish to be proven wrong, Wen Jifei still asked cautiously to confirm, his voice dropping unconsciously.
The other end: "Mm."
"Like hell 'mm'!... What the hell are you doing running off to Antarctica?! Why didn't you tell me beforehand you were coming?!" Wen Jifei exploded all at once.
…………
The following day, October 12th.
The people of the world finally saw reports concerning the Eastern Front and Stream Vanguard.
To make this happen, Azure had spared no expense, allocating massive communication resources to first display to the entire world, from high above in space, the route and battlegrounds along which this lone army of Stream Vanguard had charged...
Only after that did the broadcast cut to the reports filed by Ashleia and Ian.
"They're fine, they're fine! The news says their advance is going smoothly, and they've already pushed all the way to some volcano." In Fenglong'ao, Han Youshan pointed at the television screen with one hand while resting the other on the shoulder of his wife, Zhang Jiexia. "Look at Xiao Fei's aim—one Great Spike per shot for sure!"
"Oh, Tangtang's making something of himself too!" other villagers in the room shouted.
"That girl Rusty Sister is truly ferocious. With that many Great Spikes, she just charged right in!" someone said, half-worried and half-proud.
"Whoa... that blockhead Wu Xu!"
"He really is incredible!"
"Ain't that the truth? The old saying had it right all along: the quietest ones are the deadliest!"
Amidst the commotion, Zhang Jiexia turned around. "Where's Qingzi? Where's Qingzi..."
"Qingzi!"
Shouts rose from the back row.
Han Qingyu appeared. The photograph of him carrying his blade across his back, standing by the volcanic crater, flashed onto the scrolling television screen.
...Perhaps the world had not seen his figure for far too long after hearing all those whirlwind rumors and finally receiving confirmation directly from Han Qingyu himself.
He was on the battlefield.
Perhaps due to his wounds, Major Qing could no longer fight as he once had. Yet he had truly gone; he was truly there.
In that instant, captivated by the photograph's unique composition, viewers before television screens across the globe seemed to fall into a daze, struck silent for a fleeting moment.
In a home in Kanagawa, a husband, wife, and daughter knelt in a triangular arrangement. Leaning forward, the daughter stared blankly at the screen, then murmured in awe:
"Our Lord Major... he has appeared again!"
Chapter 785