Chapter 456

Upon learning that a massive fire had engulfed the entire Yuhuatai Position, the old devil Rikuro Ogisu collapsed to the ground, stumbling backward. He muttered incessantly, though his words were unintelligible. His eyes were wide with shock, his lips parched, and his hands trembled uncontrollably. Fueled by oil and dried brush, the raging inferno had quickly spiraled out of control. Many Japanese soldiers, unable to escape in time, soon became fuel for the blaze themselves. The fire spread relentlessly, and the old devil Rikuro Ogisu lost all spirit. The once-aggressive attacking force suddenly saw eighty to ninety percent of its will to fight vanish. "Your Excellency, Division Commander! Please, you must withdraw at once! If we don't leave now, I fear it will be too late!" A Japanese commander, having escaped the sea of flames, stumbled over, limping toward him. He collapsed to the ground with a thud, yet he continued to raise his arm and shout toward where the old devil Rikuro Ogisu sat, his voice trembling and his breathing erratic. The harrowing cries snapped the old devil Rikuro Ogisu out of his stupor. As he turned, all he could see were his soldiers trapped in the flames, struggling in an agonizing state where death would have been a mercy. Their continuous wails and the sheer brutality of the scene assaulted his senses.