Volume One, Chapter 20: Warriors, I Lead You Home

The battle had raged from morning until nearly dusk, and after almost a full day without food combined with intense exertion, everyone was ravenous. Yet, sitting before the fragrant dishes, the students found they had no appetite at all. Their eyes were red-rimmed, gazes lowered, lost in their thoughts.

“Eat up! Why are you all so fussy? After eating, we still have to clear the battlefield. Do you want to starve and faint out there? Isn't that embarrassing?”

At these words, the students stirred. Yes, they could not afford to be ashamed. Their comrades had shed blood here; they could not pass out from hunger on the field—that would indeed be disgraceful.

That night, they lay silently in their tents, each exchanging wordless looks. Silence was the only comfort this evening. Yet, Lu Jing closed his eyes and quietly reflected on the lessons learned from battling the beasts.

The next day, the students gathered again in the open field. The baptism by fire had transformed their once innocent faces; a solemnity and sharpness now replaced their initial panic and confusion. Through this ordeal, they had truly grown. These children would inevitably become the new backbone of humanity.

“Currently, our side suffered 672 fatalities, 130 severely wounded, and most others lightly injured. Among the casualties are 52 students. As the commander of Military Base F323, I hereby order their return home.”

At the mention of going home, eyes that had been dim suddenly shone with light. On the battlefield, the relentless beasts had torn apart their classmates, mentors, and soldiers, leaving them forever behind. The cold earth was stained with their burning blood.

The students’ eyes welled up, but they forced themselves to look down, swallowing their sorrow. Their sincere emotions stirred even Gu Wu, who was guarding these passionate youths. He solemnly saluted them. “Soldiers, let us send your comrades home.”

“Yes.”

Students from each class carried the bodies of their fallen classmates, supporting one another. When they had arrived, they were green martial arts freshmen—tender youths, naive and optimistic—faces bright with curiosity and anxiety. Now, their innocence had faded; they had become true soldiers.

“The same rules apply. Remember to close your eyes. Understood?”

“Yes.”

Fang Lan, homeroom teacher of Class Eight, watched her students shed their childishness. Her heart ached. Their wounds would heal quickly, but what about the scars in their hearts? How long would those take to mend?

“Close your eyes.”

At that moment, Gu Wu’s commanding voice rang out: “All present, attention!”

“Salute!”

Hundreds of soldiers raised their right arms in unison.

“Raise the flag!”

The crimson banner was hoisted high, fluttering proudly in the breeze.

“Send the soldiers home.”

The fervent voices of the troops stirred their hearts in an instant.

The place where the flag never falls marks humanity’s rise. One day, that vivid red banner will spread across the entire Blue Star.

“Humanity will triumph!”

“Humanity will triumph!”

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