High School Soldier
131. Withdrawal order, the Gate has disappeared...!

The day after the meeting between the government and the Expeditionary Force officials, this meeting according to Nio was quite confusing.

Based on the government's view that Indonesia has a territory in the other world, the Expeditionary Force finally decided to conduct “pretal” operation with the Alliance Forces as the opponent.

The troops would take two days to reach the target, the capital of the Luan Empire. All the soldiers did their duties according to their respective positions, and made the atmosphere of the fort very busy with the soldiers and fighting vehicles.

Meanwhile, the entire preparation had been completed by the 1st Cruiser Squad. But, their leader, Nio, seemed to be slightly delaying their joining of Combat Group 1. The young man seemed to be talking to his sister and Lisa.

All volunteer teachers get a very important sudden announcement, which makes them panic a little. How they did not panic, the announcement they received contained about the Expeditionary Force going to take revenge against the enemy. That means, they will all be repatriated to Indonesia so as not to get involved with the war, and not to endanger these teachers.

Nio stood in front of Arunika and Lisa firmly and wore a full combat uniform, whereupon the two girls looked at Nio with a mute gaze when they saw Nio's right eye covered with bandages, because Nio's right eye is no longer there. Meanwhile, Nio seemed to be smiling to try to calm the two girls in front of him regarding this increasingly dangerous situation.

The battlefield is indeed a place where the line between life and death is almost invisible, but everything can happen on the battlefield, even though the slightest coincidence that can change the course of war. No words could convince a soldier if they would stay alive after the war was over, no one knows whether fate favors them or bad destiny that the enemy carries as an intermediary.

“Sister Lisa, I'm sending my sister to you. He is indeed a little chatty, but I'm sure my brother won't bother you too much.”

Nio said that while handing over a card to Lisa, it was an ATM card containing all the savings Nio had collected during her time as a Student Army soldier. The amount of money that Nio managed to collect might be able to eat and rent a boarding house for half a year. If luck sided with Nio, she could continue to earn a salary and send some to Lisa or her sister.

Lisa hesitates to accept this card, but Nio continues to insist even though Arunika also disagrees with this. Because Nio knew, if the volunteer teachers would not return even if this war operation ended. So, she tries to help Lisa as long as the girl accompanies Arunika while away from Nio.

“So, sorry if you can't stay here. It's a battlefield, it could be that the enemy attacked at any time with their secret weapon. The Expeditionary Force considered that repatriating all civilians here was the best option, rather than being victims of war. Sorry, if I can't continue with you, and can't make you as happy as you.”

“Nio, don't say as if you're going to lose this war. I'm sure, my brother who likes to watch this AV can defeat all the enemies of Indonesia. Isn't it your goal to be a soldier to protect me? After this operation is over, you should go home and see me, okay?”

Nio nodded, kissed the back of his brother's hand and hugged him tightly, this was something he had never even done with his lover. Lisa is very jealous of this scene, but she has not been able to express her feelings if the situation is an emergency like now. Seeing Nio happy, it has become a happiness for Lisa.

Meanwhile, Sheyn, Zariv, Lux and Sigiz watched from a distance Nio and Arunika. They all wanted to be in the position of Nio's older brother, but the situation did not support them.

“I'm leaving, sis..”

**

Estimates of troops arriving in the Imperial capital were two days of land travel, half a day of air travel, and one day with sea access to which tankboats would take place. The reason why the target of the attack was the Imperial capital, was because according to the informant there stood the headquarters of the Alliance Army.

The departure of the troops was released after General Sucipto's speech, “The enemy not only involves innocent civilians in the war, but injures and kills our friends. This is clearly an act of violation of international and humanitarian law, this is not an act that can be forgiven. The Indonesian government has tried various things to achieve peace with the enemy, but the enemy has not also shown good faith and continues to attack us to this day!”

In General Sucipto's speech, he said how evil the enemy is in this war, and Indonesia's efforts to reach a peaceful solution. However, all that hard work was trampled upon by enemies who continued to harass the Expeditionary Forces that protected the Republic from their threats. And this operation is an action that must be taken to protect the peace of the world from the Expeditionary Forces, especially Indonesia.

“We have also liberated the citizens of the oppressed Empire. Our goal is only two, and we will soon return to the homeland once all the goals are achieved. First, we will eliminate all enemy threats, no matter how strong they may be. Second, we will bring lasting peace to this world and eliminate the war that the enemy is starting. Just one word we will achieve, which is ‘win’!”

**

The streets and buildings in the style of a fantasy world are surrounded by a tense atmosphere, since the arrival of the Expeditionary Force here.

Uninvited guests, precisely the Expeditionary Force made people anxious and entered their homes. The main battle tank, armored personnel carrier vehicle, and hundreds of tactical vehicles smashed the stone road easily.

People stared at the Expeditionary Force convoy with shocked, confused, fearful and incredulous gazes.

“Low if the welcome we receive is like this.”

Nio muttered like that while pulling his head out of the front passenger window of the tactical vehicle that Liben was driving in, besides Nio also sighed.

Since this operation plan meeting, the Expeditionary Force's ground forces have continued to develop well and quickly than expected.

Entire ground combat vehicles lined the main road leading to the Imperial capital, and none of them received any counterattacks from the enemy. If the journey continued on maintaining its current speed, the troops would arrive at the nighttime destination and seize the Imperial capital at dawn.

In this operation, Sigiz, Lux, Zariv and Sheyn were not allowed to be part of this force.

Then, after a tiring journey Nio saw the Imperial capital, and the communication radio in his ears trembled.

Tankboat units lined the large river which became an additional defense belonging to the capital. The commander of each ship reported the conditions they had seen, and there was no sign the enemy would attack.

**

Twenty hours later, Nio was very worried that his ears would be damaged when the headfree that was a radio communication device continued to let out a sound from the Combat Group Commander 1, and the sound of gunfire from the other side shook his ears.

“Unit Self-propelled Artillery keep shooting! As the tanks move forward, be careful not to get caught in their fire!”

“Unit Tankboat has reached the point of fire! Start enemy cleaning while securing help Tank boat unit seize the bridge!”

“The south gate of the capital is visible movement, and the Alliance Team is heading to the city. Request pursuit by attack helicopter!”

Gunfire and smoke dotted the field of view of the troops, and the bombardment by the strategic bombers turned the once elegant and classy cityscape into rubble.

In the battle next door, five attack helicopters equipped with rockets created a sea of fire as if to defuse anger after a deadly battle in Aibu City.

Currently, the first stage in the Expeditionary Force's strategy to capture the Imperial capital has been completed, with fire support from the Artillery Unit and Expeditionary Force Air Unit. The entire strategic area was captured easily, very suspicious…

Armored Units and Mekasnis Infantry Units began to enter the city from three directions.

“On each member of the Combat Group! There are reports of enemy units up ahead! Conduct an attack as soon as possible after support bombing is complete!”

“Understanding!”

First Lieutenant Nio's aide, the commander of the 1st Cruiser Squad responded to the orders of the Combat Group commander in a flat voice.

“Everybody do support shots for Artillery Units from now on! After confirming the impact of the bombing, the assault will begin!”

After Nio shouted like that, a number of anti-personnel artillery shells shot out from behind in a high-pitched voice, throwing the Alliance Forces in front.

A few seconds later, after the anti-personnel artillery stopped the clean-up fire, the rubble of the building and the bodies of hundreds of Alliance Army soldiers lay. There are so many people killed who are considered civilians, it is likely they have not been guided to evacuate.

I deeply regret this, but now I have to turn my heart to stone, Nio said to himself, with a finger holding the trigger with a sweaty fingertip.

“Regu explorer 1 should keep an eye on the side of Company 05 which is rushing, and do support according to conditions.”

“Ready! Accepted!”

On the orders of his superior, Nio tried to take action at that moment.

However, his steps came to a halt as he ran small to guide Company 05 towards the target. Something made him feel the need to see it.

Nio saw there were some objects, or rather animals flying from the north of the capital. They're approaching pretty fast, but not as fast as an attack helicopter. The anti-aircraft artillery unit pointed the tip of the artillery cannon and rocket launchers towards 9 flying animals that could become potential enemies.

A few minutes later, a large flying lizard that came from a dragon type flew over the 1st Cruiser Squad. Dozens of rockets shot at speeds of 200 kilometers per hour towards the dragon riders above. But, as is already trained with this kind of attack, dragon riders perform maneuvers like fighter jet aviators when they will avoid rocket attacks.

The eyes of the whole person who was looking widened, with a feeling of disbelief. After seeing the dozens of rockets that the dragon riders could avoid, Nio and his subordinates felt that this operation would be a battle as difficult as fighting the wind dragon king.

“What is this vibration!?”

Everyone, except the personnel in the air, felt the shaking like a small earthquake.

A high-pitched warning sound rang out from the siren, and the tremors gradually increased.

“What happened!?”

The girls of the Cruiser Squad 1 shouted, and the men tried to calm them down. Nio receives an emergency message from the Central Headquarters, but he appears to be in disbelief and doubts what the Central Headquarters staff are broadcasting.

“This is the Center Headquarters of Other World Expeditionary Forces, we will contact the commander of each unit!”

This broadcast sound came from General Sucipto. She tried to keep her voice sounding calm, but instead, it caused anxiety for Nio.

“There was a very emergency thing happening in the fort earlier. All troops must stop operations and immediately return to base!”

Nio just replied to a message with, “Hmmm...?”

Nio did not understand the situation, and his mind kept spinning to process the message he received.

“Withdrawal? On this favorable condition?” Nio muttered and was approved by all of his members.

But the withdrawal order may have nothing to do with the UN Security Council plan recommending a ceasefire with the Alliance Forces.

However, General Sucipto's following words made Nio's heart feel claustrophobic, and felt unwilling to believe this.

“Three minutes ago, an unknown explosion occurred around the Gate. After the explosion, the Gate disappeared!”

The gate disappeared…?

“Wait, what did this old man say?” several officers muttered the same words.

“What is he serious about!?” nio's words made his members curious.

“I repeat, the Gate's disappearance has been confirmed. The damage to the base is huge, and currently the Central Headquarters is looking for a way to return to Indonesia. However, the cause of the Gate's disappearance is still unknown.”.

If the Gate disappeared, perhaps the entire Expeditionary Force soldiers would be greatly shaken and desperate.

Nio was still in disbelief, but before ascertaining the truth of the matter, Nio had to give his members orders as commanders.

After taking a deep breath, Nio shouted so that everyone could hear him.

“Center ordered the termination of operations and the entire attack. I repeat, this operation is terminated!”

Nio looked at his closest subordinates, Fariz and Sidik and the two of them were speechless. Liben was wary around by putting on a riled expression.

“I got the command earlier! Central Headquarters issued a withdrawal order! Wait until you are instructed on the timing of the movement, stay alert as instructed!”

After that, no one objected to the decision. There was no reality regarding the disappearance of the Gate that the unit commanders told their subordinates. The impact of the Gate's disappearance was so great that Nio didn't know what to say.

“What do enemy troops do!?”

The first figure that appeared in Nio's mind at the time of this situation was Emperor Bogat. The confidence that Nio set was no doubt at all in it. He wouldn't have bet if the situation wasn't too dire.

As the Alliance Army felt it was about to gain victory, they decided to fight the Expeditionary Force.

But, if the loss of the Gate was true, the troops would not be able to receive additional supplies, and then the Expeditionary Force would not be as strong as before.

It made the assault rifle that did not fire bullets to be lower than the sword, and the tank without fuel was lower than the horse. Still good they still have ammunition and fuel, but if all has run out, surrender is the last option.

After this, Nio led the 1st Cruiser Squad to return to the base as quickly as possible, then made a report. He boarded a tactical vehicle and returned with the troops running the operation that was carried out halfway through this.

**

Emperor Bogat saw from the dragon he was riding with the Hero of Lust, Baron. He and the rest of the heroes will be monitoring the battles that the Expeditionary Force conducted in the Imperial capital.

Smiling, Bogat said, “As planned.”

According to the officers of the Alliance Forces, the Expeditionary Force will definitely counterattack in the near future, with the target of course the Imperial capital. According to them, the purpose of the Expeditionary Forces attacking and attempting to seize the capital was to weaken the Empire and the Alliance Army.

Meanwhile, the heroes who were now officially using the name of human feeling, saw from their mounts that were wind dragons with gazes of admiration. They had actually sided with the Alliance Army, and decided to help them defeat the Expeditionary Force which was definitely very confused after the Gate disappeared abruptly.

The Hero of Sadness, precisely Beautiful, looked from a height of 5 kilometers towards a Squad that a young man led. With the emblem of tears in his eyes, the Hero of Sadness was able to see from a great distance to the target. So, Indah could easily see the seemingly hurried Nio returning to the base.

His chest felt tight as he let the Alliance Forces carry out their plan to weaken the Expeditionary Force.

But, he should have no regrets with his decision to become a hero and help the Alliance Army achieve victory over their enemy. It's all beautiful to do to stay alive, and end the war in order to return to the original world.