An Only Witness platoon from the front lines had been wiped out. Every last one. This was the first time this had happened since the Red Shoulder Descent.

Two figures stood on the main stage.

The 453rd regiment commander, Qiu Youchuan, was there to accept the collective First-Class Merit on behalf of Platoon 1123 as its former platoon leader. He stood facing the crowd, tears falling without a sound. Behind him, the aging Legion Commander Chen stood with his back turned, face tilted skyward, his shoulders trembling.

The moving sight had stifled sobs rippling through the crowd.

Han Qingyu wasn’t accustomed to this outpouring of emotion, and even he fought to keep himself in check.

When the legion commander regained his composure, he once again called on Platoon 1123 before finally unrolling the long list of First-Class Merit recipients. He read...