Can Antonze hold out for three days?

Reflecting on this, Muto Nobuyoshi clenched his fists involuntarily, cursing with a voice laden with anger and helplessness.

Anxious about the plight on the battlefield, the deliberate retreat of the Chengyun forces was evidently a strategic maneuver—a situation clear to anyone with even a sliver of insight.

Faced with such a reality, Muto's heart was filled with contradiction and struggle. On one hand, his sense of duty and loyalty to the dynasty prevented him from feeling anything less than tense and apprehensive. On the other hand, the dread of the impending all-out war forced him to contemplate the worst possible outcomes.

When his adjutant rushed in panic to report that the Chengyun cavalry had breached Guanchengyun Province, a flash of shock and disbelief crossed his face.

The news struck him like a bolt from the blue, causing him to spring instantly from his chair, his expression a tangled web of terror and incredulity.

The fragile state of Guanchengyun Province at this moment weighed heavily on him. Panic flickered in Muto’s eyes as he repeated the inquiry in disbelief, his voice fraught with fear.

Learning that the 7th Field Army had actually managed to dispatch cavalry forces for a surprise raid filled him with despair, plunging him into an unprecedented state of anxiety and helplessness.

Faced with the adjutant's concerned inquiries, he forced a semblance of composure, claiming he was fine, yet his vacant gaze and heavy breathing clearly betrayed his inner panic and deep-seated dread for the future.

Muto knew that at this moment, their fate hung by a thread. The success of the Chengyun forces was not merely a military blow, but a heavy psychological strike against him.

"General, sir! This is no time to indulge in past sorrows! You must pull yourself together!" The adjutant's voice was urgent and anxious, a flicker of panic flashing in his eyes.

"General, sir, what should we do now?"

"Given the weak defenses along our eastern border, we cannot possibly withstand a forceful enemy cavalry charge!"

"If we fail to make a decision immediately, we risk total annihilation!"

At this, Muto furrowed his brow tightly, took a deep breath, and finally withdrew his gaze from the distant void. His voice grew firm and swift: "Mobilize all security guards at once! No matter what, we must hold the border city!"

"Contact the navy immediately and demand that their marines deploy for sortie at once!"

"At the same time, send an urgent telegram to the Chengyun Provincial authorities. I don't care how they manage it, but reinforcements must be dispatched immediately!"

"And do not forget to appeal to the homeland for support; we are in desperate need of aid right now!"

"Should the border city fall, all our years of effort will likely be washed away!"

Having issued the series of emergency orders, Muto looked at his still-dazed adjutant, his face darkening. With a surge of anger, he lashed out and kicked him, a glint of fury in his eyes:

"What are you still waiting for? Go execute the orders!"

As if jolted awake, the adjutant saw the bewilderment in his eyes replaced by resolution, and he responded swiftly:

"Understood, General, sir! I'll see to it at once!"

With those words, he hurried out. Yet deep down, Muto knew full well that even with these measures, the hope of holding the border city remained slim.

How could a handful of security guards clutching rifles and a few hundred marines possibly withstand the enemy's fierce onslaught?

As for reinforcements from the front lines, they were nothing more than a mirage; besieged themselves, how could they spare the strength to assist here?

Reinforcements from the homeland, even if dispatched the very second they received the urgent telegram, would take at least three days to arrive!

By then, it would be far too late.

While Muto waited in agonizing anxiety, the two cavalry regiments of the 7th Military District, led by Chen Feng, had already crossed the Biliu River and were barrelling straight toward the border.

Although they carried no heavy weapons in order to maintain operational secrecy, they were amply supplied with light arms such as light machine guns, mortars, and grenade launchers.

Against such ferocious firepower, the marines and security guards appeared powerless to resist, their eyes brimming with terror and helplessness.

By nine o'clock in the evening, the two sides were locked in a brutal engagement within the border city.

The eastern security guards crumbled at the first touch; facing the enemy's firepower, a massive breach was torn open in their lines. Their expressions shifted from panic to despair before they were overwhelmingly crushed by the cavalry regiment.

In less than fifteen minutes, numerous guards fell in battle, their eyes filled with lingering resentment and tragic resolve.

With the collapse of the security forces, the marines' flank was exposed, subjecting them to a relentless onslaught by the cavalry.

The marines, who had thus far managed to put up a fight, began to fracture under the heavy casualties. Confronted with a hopeless situation, they had no choice but to flee in small boats toward the port, their faces etched with defeat and terror.

Yet, just as they neared the port, they unexpectedly ran into a fiercely attacking cavalry detachment that had suddenly materialized.

After a bitter resistance, only a handful of marines remained, tears streaming down their faces as they lost virtually all combat capability.

Meanwhile, Chen Feng had already begun reorganizing his troops, preparing to advance on the port.

Witnessing wave after wave of cavalry—appearing as though they had surged straight from the abyss—rapidly closing in, the marines had no choice but to escape in small boats, disappointment and helplessness flashing in their eyes.

The timing of the cavalry brigade's surprise raid had been exquisitely chosen.

On land, the 2nd and 5th Divisions were surrounded at Anshan; at sea, the fleet originally garrisoned at Fengshun had been redeployed to attack the heavily fortified stronghold of Landao.

Had it not been for this, deploying just a few destroyers at the port would have sufficed to deal a fatal blow to Chen Feng's cavalry brigade.

By ten o'clock at night, the cavalry led by Chen Feng had fully secured the border city and begun advancing toward the Fengshun region.

As reinforcements arrived in succession, Chen Feng's available strength continually grew.

After a night of fierce combat, the entire area was thoroughly recaptured. This victory brought weary yet resolute smiles to the faces of Chen Feng and his soldiers, their eyes gleaming with the radiance of triumph.

The moment Chen Feng's cavalry charged into the border city, Muto Nobuyoshi, the military commander who had held his post until the bitter end, had already fled with his trusted aides by boat toward the mainland.

While Chen Feng's troops systematically mopped up the remaining enemy forces in the border city, the atmosphere within the Island Nation's Army Headquarters reached a pitch of extreme tension.

Senior army commanders furrowed their brows, their faces laden with worry as they listened intently to the deputy chief of staff reporting on the frontline situation.

The deputy chief of staff's voice was heavy, every word sounding like a hammer blow to the hearts of everyone present:

"Reporting: the current situation on the winter front is extremely unfavorable to us. The 15th Division in the Lansheng direction has suffered heavy losses, and the 29th Infantry Brigade has been virtually annihilated. The 1st Artillery Brigade has also suffered crippling damage. Faced with the resolute resistance of the Chengyun forces, the 3rd Infantry Brigade has likewise sustained massive casualties."

He paused, took a deep breath, and continued: "Yet the Chengyun forces achieved this major damage against us at the cost of only a few thousand men, subsequently withdrawing successfully into the Landao Fortress."