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Mein Krieg (Youjo Senki/Tanya the Evil OC)

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Chapter 234 – To Be Or Not To... Live?
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    Chapter 234 – To Be Or Not To... Live?​



    "Baumer here. Second Squad is reedy, sir, we'll move to a higher altitude as soon as we receive the order."

    "Third Squad here, sir. We're ready as well... to vanquish the Federation's goons unto ashes!"

    "Not if we beat you at it! Fist Squad, ready and reporting for duty!"

    The various squad leaders of the 205th​ Battalion all replied around me, while I simply acknowledged them, my attention now focused on the dark. Barely visible landscape in front of us. We knew that, among the trees and other features, the Federation watchtowers and feeble fortifications were hidden, surrounding yet not daring entering the forest that yet helped them disguise their own positions from our artillery. This sector was much less defended than the others, because the Federation knew, as the locals did, that the terrain surrounding the forest was not ideal to move armored vehicles nor to tow medium or heavy artillery.

    Of course, terrain and other kind of natural obstacles were not an issue for troops who could fly on their own power.

    "All squads reporting, sir!" Tragen loudly announced through the intercom. "We are ready to pound on the Federation!"

    "Oh yeah, what about you, Sixth Squad?" I asked, mentally wondering how Elsie and the others were faring. "Everything ok?"

    "So far, yes sir!" The Squad commander (I didn't remember his name) answered back. "Ready to provide assistance should one of the others should need it."

    "The 203rd​ battalion is hailing us too!"     Another voice announced, and for a moment, I saw other small shadows in humanoid shapes gather east of our current position. "They report they're waiting to start as well."

    "Good! Now, listen to me, soldiers," I started a small talk, to try and reassure them and myself at the same time, the cold wind hitting my face as I felt the storm approaching. "We've come a long way since this war started. Since the Federation attacked us, breaking the peace we fought so hard to restore after the defeat of the Entente and the Republic," The Dakians do not count, they were too incompetent to be considered an opponent. I added mentally. "and attacking the Empire, hoping that the hard fight we already sustained had worn down both our resistance ability and our military power, only to find out too late that the Empire is ALWAYS ready to stand up and fight for the well-being of its own citizens and to protect the border of its lands. We stood our ground, we FOUGHT, and while our army managed to repel their advance, we struck at the very heart of the enemy's seat of power, and we proved to them, and to the world, that the Federation's power is much feebler and more unstable than even them were ready to acknowledge. We pushed back, drove them in a rout, and as our counterattack led our soldiers in the soil of Russy, we found friends. The Russy Liberation Army, who for a long time had sought to defeat the Federates and bring back freedom and happiness to their nation, grew as more and more villages and cities were freed from the cruel grip of the Federation's government, as we brought back to Russy's people hope, happiness and inspiration, as we once again lightened their future and gave them the promise of a better tomorrow. And now, they and us are here."

    To the East, Tanya's mages, battle-trained and ready to bright a whole rain of fire and steel upon the enemy, like us. To the West, the mages of the Russy Liberation Army, among their ranks even Viktoriya's cousin, full of patriotic fervor and desire to see their land freed once and for all. And under us, using heavy blanket and uniforms to protect themselves from the fury of the elements, many units of the Russy Liberation Army on horses led by the Baron and other officers, waiting for the path ahead of them to be free so they could pour in any opening and exploit them.

    The pieces were all in place, so the game could now begin.

    "The Federates tremble behind their fortifications, pitch-black terror gripping their hearts, because under all the propaganda and self-deception, they know they are in a hopeless situation. They know very well they have no other option but to fight to the death, because their chance of victory... are non-existent."

    The storm was now getting closer, the horses of our ground troops wheezing and neighing, their riders doing the best they could to calm them down, hoping their headsets would protect their mounts' eyes and nostrils, while the mages in flight focused on their powers. The shields would protect us from the direst effects of the storm, but the 1% that managed to pass trough was more than enough to make many of us shiver to the bones. Expect the Russians, of course: their bodies and minds were so attuned to the harsh climate, I think with proper training and equipment they could be even better soldiers than the Imperials.

    Of course, only for as long as they had to fight in colder conditions than the Empire were used to, for if the opposite situation happened, I doubt they would have fared better against the Tuaregs, should that clash happen.

    "Today, we're going to set the cornerstone for the final fate of the Federation. Today, the Empire and the New Russyian Czardom will prove their might to the world, today the Federation will pay the ultimate price for all their crimes and prevarication they've inflicted on this land! Today, we bring the fight to their own headquarters! Today, we sat our sight on Moskva! For the Empire!"

    "For the Empire!" The men and women in uniforms of the Imperial Army all yelled around me, as the storm started to envelop us, hiding us, drowning all our sounds in its own deafening one. Just in time, as another voice, cracking trough statics, reached by ear.

    "-peration Wolftäuschung is a go! I repeat operation Wolft-" the voice kept cracking down due the effect of the tempest on our electronics, yet the content couldn't be misunderstood. I raised my hand and I pushed forward, knowing, without need of turn my head to confirm, that my battalion, as well as Tanya's and the Russy own magical forces were following us.

    For the Empire... and for our peaceful, risk-free life once the war is over, I mused in my head, before I focused once again on our mission objectives.


    (...)


    "Explosive spells, strike now!" Tragen's voice yelled and eleven magical shoots departed at the same time, striking the wood-and-stones structures below us, making its roof and several walls collapse at once. The Federation soldiers under it tried to escape the now condemned building, only for new shots to strike among their ranks, blowing up several of them and injuring an even bigger number, at least a dozen or more falling onto the ground with missing limbs.

    "The main defense has collapsed, sir, the Federation garrison is unable to provide any kind of resistance." Tragen was quick to inform me through the earpiece, even as I kept analyzing the situation with my binocular. "I suggest we move to our next target."

    "Not yet Tragen, not yet…" I replied as I kept looking at the Federates. Many have died by now, and even a bigger number was lying on the ground with serious wounds, and yet I could see a dozen or more soldiers who were trying to save their less lucky companions or to find cover. "Hold the line, I'm going down."

    "Going down?! Bur sir-"

    Before he could add something more I dropped down, slamming onto the ground with my boots, my own magic protecting me from any ill effect as the clamor had the effect that I had hoped for, the closest Federation soldiers noticing me and stuttering, a couple even pointing their rifles toward me. Not that I had anything to fear, my shield was too strong to be annoyed by such small rounds, but nonetheless a good way to show effort.

    "Attention, soldiers of the Federation!" I spoke as loudly and clearly as I could, making sure I wasn't botching my Cirillic! "I am Frederick König, officer of the Empire and member of the Imperial Magical Corp. Surrender, drop your weapons and raise your hand, and you'll receive fair treatment just as according to-"

    My speech was cut short as several bullets impacted my shield, and I turned around with an annoyed expression to see a slender young man, barley older than a teenager, holding a rifle in his trembling hands, his body unharmed yet his uniform was splashed with red that told me he had probably seen one or more of his compared die around him, too close for comfortable.

    "Don't do that again."

    He shoot again, the bullets still not showing any sign of damaging it, as I let it do it just to prove how useless such attempt was.

    "You're not good at listening, are you?"

    "You-you Imperial bastard!"

    "Listen, kid." I specifically used the word 'kid' to underline how much childish he was acting, especially compared to someone who was in a real child's body. "How many shots have you left? One? Two? Or maybe your magazine's already empty? Did you have a plan beside shooting me and maybe hoping that one bullet would be the exception? Where are your grenades? Sure, they wouldn't change anything, but it surely would have been a better option!"

    "Stop!" Another recruits struggled forward, holding on his side (was he hurt? I couldn't see any blood spot so maybe it was a broken bone?) "Please, stop, we surrender."

    "Mikhel, don't do that!" Yet another rose up to challenge the notion, yet his body refusing to cooperate, also thanks to the powerful bombardment he and the other survivor had just faced. "It's one of those Imperial dogs, the enemies of the Revolution! The Premier says-"

    "As clearly started by the Convention of Worms," I spoke once again, drawing their attention. "those of you who will surrender will be treated in accordance with the laws and customs of war: you will be fed and cared for, and you will have a chance to return to your families once this war is over." Judging by how things are going, you could even be back home by the end of the month, I mused in my head.

    "Don't listen to him!" The recruit who had already tried to contest my decision rose up again, other three soldiers rallying around him. "He just wants to tell you what he want you to believe! We can't trust the enemy of the Revolution!"

    "If I really wanted to hurt you, why would I have even descended here to try to speak with you?" I snorted, pointing at the obvious flaw in his way of thinking. "I could have simply ordered my troops to lay another bombardment and be done with you all. If I am here now and you can hear me, instead of being, well, dead, is that because we had enough bloodshed already. Troops of the Russy Liberation Army are already en route and will soon reach this position: the smarter among you will already have realized that you are absolutely in no condition to repel the assault or even try and resist it, but you have one choice still: surrender, drop your weapons and I'll give you my word as an officer that you'll be treated well. Refuse," And here I allowed my tone of voice to grow darker, so they could understand my threat wasn't trumped-up. "and you won't receive this offer ever again."

    I stood silently as I watched fear and confusion spread on their faces, each men looking at each other like they were hoping their friend and companions had the answer they were looking for. What should they do? Surrender or refuse?

    I internally smirked as, barely a minute later, I saw one of them drop their rifle on the ground and walk toward me, carrying one of their wounded companion with his shoulder.

    "Pogoff, what are you doing?!" The so-called leader of the irreducible called out, while the other focused on them. "You can't trust him!"

    "You're right, I can't, and I'm not." The other one replied with a resigned tone. "Yet, he does have a point when he says that he could have killed us with ease. Buprin is hurt badly, and we don't have any spare medikit to use, so if surrendering may give him a chance to live and return to his wife, he should take it!"

    "You can't believe him! You know nothing of what will happen to you if you listen to him!"

    "But I know for sure what await us if we refuse: certain death with no hope of survival! We were sent here with barely any equipment and told us to slow their advance for as long as possible. You don't realize it? The Premier abandoned us!"

    "You... this is treason! I'll have you arrested for this!"

    "It doesn't matter anymore. Our options are two: either refuse and allow ourselves to be slaughtered, or to take the offer and see what will happen. And frankly, I believe I'll take my chances rather than waste my life on some pointless resistance."

    "Pogoff is right, I'm coming too!" Another soldier quickly threw his gun to the ground and joined him. "I have a little sister back home, and I promised her I would return. Why keep fighting for the Federation? In a month or less the Federation won't control even Moskva anymore, its over!"

    "The Commissar brought us here because they would have shot our families if we didn't fight! Well, I'm surely not throwing away my life for them!"

    "My babushka once said that life under the Czar was not too different to life under the Premier, no matter what those snotty assholes of the Party always say. If we could live under the Premier we could live under our new Czarina as well. I'm in for the offer!"

    "I'm in too! I saw my best friend die a week ago because those Commissars couldn't spare enough medical supplies to tend his wounds, and they only give us the grub barely needed to keep us alive! Imprisonment doesn't sound too bad!"

    "What are you doing?"

    "Come back and fight for your motherland, you traitors!"

    Yet, those who still wanted to stand down their ground and fight could only yell as their comrades, worn down by the conflict and the strength disparity they'd been forced to endure, choose the simpler option and opted to lay down their weapons and surrender, as I struggled to keep the smugness blossoming into my mind a secret from them. Not that I was scared to show off, but if someone had noticed me it could have spelled disaster for the next part of my strategy.

    "So, I guess I can assume you're the ones who still refuse to surrender?"! I glanced over what was left of the survivors, barely three people who had more pride than brains for their own good, one holding a handgun like it could pierce my shield and kill me with one shot, the other two simply hiding behind their 'friend'.

    "We're the ones that tell you to go back to that fake doll you call the new Czarina and tell her that we won't be slaves! Not anymore! We won't go back to how things were in the past, for our choice is either liberty or death!"

    "Death it is." I fake-sighed as I raised by own handgun, shooting before any of them could try to defend themselves, my magical-powered bullets piercing through their bodies and heads with little noise, their now lifeless bodies falling onto the ground, nothing more than meat for worms or pother animals to build sustenance on their fats.

    I turn around to the ones who had been smarter, and I looked at them with eyes full of remorse. This too had been planned in advance, to give them the idea that the death of those who refused to surrender had been something I myself regret doing and not, what it actually was.

    Something I loved to do.

    "Gather all your weapons in one spot and wait, I'll contact my troops and inform them of your surrender, therefore informing the forces of the Baron to treat you well."

    "T-The Baron is here?" One of them speaks, his voice trembling with fear. "But... how? How did he manage to traverse the forest?"

    "Yeah, how the Hell did the Empire's panzers manage to traverse trough this?!" Another soldier gasped in disbelief.

    "They're not using armored vehicles." I snickered back as I turned toward the forest, the sound of hooves and men riding on horses coming onto my ears, as I saw a vast group of horsemen in uniform appear among the trees and gather on sight, yet not charging not seeming to hold any hostile behavior toward the survivors of the Federation's garrison. I guess either Tragen or one of my men already told them of their enemy's surrender.

    "H-horse?" One of them spoke as he gritted his teeth. "They traversed the impassable forest... with horses?"

    "Yup! They're fast, resilient and they can move trough many terrains, even those that still can't allow the passage of classic fuel-powered vehicles."

    The former soldier then glared at me, and with one, single breath, he said the most desirable words I could ever head, as I felt my heart warm up and my insides fill with joy.

    "You bloody bastards, you got us... "    ​
     
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    • So an internationalist version of a certain president with the initials of WW. Pretty obvious when his little speech brought me back to 7th grade social studies, to the one thing that every middle schooler remembers about WW1, those damn 14 points.

    It makes sense though, as early 20th century interventionalists were... very normal compared to their isolationist counterparts. They were also lesser in a number, so I don't know what magic this president is going to cook up to get the American people to join a war that is

    A) Almost over
    B) Not really having any justification. In otl it took many events by the germans for the american people to even consider war, so I am curious on that front.
     
    sal_man7 said:
    So an internationalist version of a certain president with the initials of WW. Pretty obvious when his little speech brought me back to 7th grade social studies, to the one thing that every middle schooler remembers about WW1, those damn 14 points.

    It makes sense though, as early 20th century interventionalists were... very normal compared to their isolationist counterparts. They were also lesser in a number, so I don't know what magic this president is going to cook up to get the American people to join a war that is

    A) Almost over
    B) Not really having any justification. In otl it took many events by the germans for the american people to even consider war, so I am curious on that front.
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...

    You know how the say goes. NO pretext? Then we'll MAKE one.
     
    Trunko said:
    Or just one bad enough, some kind of cross between Titanic and Pearl Harbour-kind of thing?
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...
    Your going to have make it count, I mean really make it count. The Lusitania was sunk by the Germans due to unrestricted submarine warfare, and it still took two years and multiple future events for America to want to enter.

    You can't also go with the whole 'attacking navy vessels is an immediate act of war' route either. The USS Panay Incident was literally Japan sinking multiple boats off the Yangtze, and Japan paid a small fine and the matter was considered closed by the American public. Hell, a not so insubstantial minority of the country criticized the US government for even having boats in the area. The meme of 'touch the boats you die' did not apply during this early 20th century period.

    TLDR: It has to be a major once in a lifetime horrific tragedy, that immediately shifts the dynamics of the situation in the diametrically opposite way that justifies Congress risking the entire country by declaring war on the Empire. Sinking a ship full of puppies and orphans may not be enough, and it is my belief that for this false flag to work, it has to happen in one strike. Risk manufacturing more false flag events and you risk getting caught or people simply not caring.

    Whatever the result is, I am excited to see what happens next.
     
    Give us a few minutes, people; my beta reader and main editor is currently working on some last-minute editing.
     
    Chapter 235 – Firebirds
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    Chapter 235 – Firebirds​


    It didn't take long for the Federation (rather, what was left of the Federation) to notice what was going on. As soon as the storm calmed down and visibility cleared, our enemy sent all their reserves toward the breach in their lines hoping to overwhelm us and close it before the rest of our forces could fully exploit them: the Federation troops had no mage air support to call on their help, and whatever support they had from above were slow and outdated planes who they didn't bother to use on their offensive into the Empire own territory and the subsequential Imperial counterattack. Easy prey for the united might of the mages of the Empire and the Russy Liberation Army, actively assisted and supported by what pilots and fighter planes the Empire had been able to send out in battle.

    I pulled the trigger of my rifle and yet another magical-powered bullet flied out of the barrel, hitting the plane that had been trying to hit us with its MGs right on the 'snout', where its engine and only propeller wass placed. Both of them exploded in a flash of yellow and red flames spewing shrapnel, hitting the unlucky pilot in his face, on his chest and on his hands, cutting trough his uniform and his flesh. The man didn't even realize he was dead as he lost control over the vehicle as the plane plunged towards the ground, blowing up in a small fireball as the impact detonated whatever fuel was left in it. I barely stopped for a moment, maybe two, before the hiss of new bullets brought me back to the battle and I moved to pursue our would-be attackers just as another Federation plane was shot down and destroyed by one of their technologically superior Imperial counterparts.

    Around us, the battle raged, both in the air and on the ground. In the air, the Federation was losing badly, every passing minute another one of their so-called 'air support' exploding in a ball of fire or simply crashing to the ground, their pilots being unable to get to safety before being killed, the Imperial planes and mages picking them one byone. Yet, those who are still alive refused to yield or even to try and run, and kept charging forward, knowing that only death awaits them.

    It was amusing, and on any other occasion, maybe, I would have appreciated being able to take my anger out on so many targets unable to fight back. But we were on a schedule, and our attention was required elsewhere.

    I took a fast dive to the right, shooting more bullets on the side of one Federation plane, damaging it and allowing another mage to finish the job for me. How many of these idiots still are in there? Fourteen, fifteen? More? Just how many pilots the Federation still had to sacrifice, just on one last attempt to slow us down?

    It didn't matter, anyway: we had a mission to follow, and the faster we brought them down, the sooner we could once again focus on our real targets. This means that I'd have to do it.

    "To all mages and pilots of the Empire, as well as the mages of the Russy Liberation Army!" I yelled trough my earpiece, trying to make so my voice can be heard above the noise of the battle. "Disengage and leave the combat zone, immediately!"

    "What?!"

    "Commander König, what's the meaning of all this?"

    "Sir, we're winning!"

    "The enemy is trying to buy time for their own ground troops, even by offering themselves as sitting ducks! We can't afford to waste any more time with these jokes! I'll take care of them!"

    "But-"

    "He's right,"     Tanya's voice came in my support, as I mentally suppressed a sigh, a part of me knew she would do it. "Any second that we waste shooting these idiots down is a second we can't provide support to our ground troops. Just disegnange and focus back on assist our soldiers, commander König and I will take care of the last of them."

    "Acknowledged, sirs!"     One of the pilots nodded, as the Imperial planes moved from the battle and reach a security height.

    "Commander Degurechaff, we will move with the Russy Liberation Forces' own mages and wait for new orders!" Viktoriya announced. "Are you sure you don't need support?"

    "No need for worry for us! Just focus on your missions, we don't know how long our ground boys will keep going without support!"

    "Yes sir!"

    I took a deep breath as I glanced upon the remaining Federation airplanes moving back in formation, as the Imperial planes and mages left the battlefield. What were they thinking? Did they see our friends and now assume they are winning, for some reason they don't know? Or are they simply grateful for the hope they've been given?

    Whatever it may be, it is a false hope. Only there for us to quickly squash as soon as it blossoms.

    "Ready, you insufferable sailor doll-head?" Tanya smiled at my side, a smirk on her face, almost as if she was imagining the feeling of the massacre we were about to leash

    "Ready, you stupid blonde psycho loli ass-face," I reply, grabbing my rifle on my hand as I focus on my own magical energy, feeling it pour into my body, flow in my veins.

    The planes probably noticed us by then, for I saw them change direction and fly toward us, moving into an attack formation. Do they really expect for their bullets to be able to pierce our shield now, just because they're fighting in formation and we are unassisted?

    Fools.

    "O my Lord," I began to speak and felt the magical power within my blood begin to rise once again. A part of me even felt 'thankful', in a twisted way, to Being X, for giving me such a powerful way to spread mayhem, to defy him, to bring condemnation rather than salvation trough his words.

    "May the pious commemoration of your apostate, to your confessor and Proctor, given joy to thy holy Order and Church, that may ever be fortified with your spiritual assistance and merit to attain everlasting joy."

    The golden light once again started to glow from within our bodies, from our eyes, dancing around our fingers and flowing to our weapons, saturating the bullets we've been preparing to do the deed.

    "Through our Lord and our Savior, Amen. Remember, O thou miracle-working Saint, that it never was heard that thou hast left without help or relief anyone who in his need had recourse to thee."

    The planes started to approach us, as I grit my teeth. Should I hate them, for fighting under our enemy, even if not for their own choice? Shouldn't I feel pity toward them, for they will die by our hand, far away from their families and friends, all because of a tyrannical government that treats its own soldiers as disposable resources?

    Yet, I didn't, for they were attacking me, and they were our enemies. And I won't feel pity nor remorse for the enemies who I have to kill so I can live.

    "Animated with the liveliest confidence, nay, even with full conviction of not being refused, I fly for refuge to thee, O most favored and blessed friend of our Lord! O eloquent preacher of the Divine mercies, despise not my supplications, but, bringing them before the Throne of God, strengthen them by thine intercession, and obtain for me what I ask-"

    I felt our bullets vibrate in the barrels, so filled with magical energy that I could see what looked like yellow flames on the muzzle.

    "-help and consolation in my need, O most glorious miracle-working Lord. Amen!"

    We fired as one and our bullets once again left the barrels of our guns and at the enemy plane, swirling onto each other before finally hitting their targets. Instinctively, my hands moved to cover my eyes and face, as the explosions lit up in front of us, engulfing the whole formation of enemy planes in a blast of golden yellow magic energy, the resulting vacuum of air powerful enough to be felt even at distance.

    "What the-" I heard Tanya say, as I opened my eyes again to witness the destruction we were responsible for. "Frederick, do you see that?"

    "Did I see... what?"

    "The planes! The planes of the Federation! I did see them being fully caught in the explosions, but... why aren't their remains falling to the ground?"

    I turned around, and I noticed that Tanya was right (odd how weird that sounded in my head): the glowing ball of magical energy still burned in the sky, but where were the remains of the planes hit by it? Where were-

    The realization hit me harder than any wind caused by the blast may have done: there were no remains... because there was nothing left of them.

    "Looks like the enemy planes have been... redistributed."

    "What the Hell is that supposed to mean?"

    "In short? Considering the power of the blast and the consequential movement of air, we're probably breathing them, right now."

    "WAIT, WHAT?!"

    "I guess the blast of the explosion of our spells combined was so strong it eventually destroyed whatever bond helped keep their atoms together and made them lose cohesion. That means we've probably disintegrated them."

    "And... now we are breathing them?!"

    "Possibly? I mean, not all of them, but supposing their atoms are currently being dispersed trough the air, and the blast carried a considerable chunk in our direction-"

    "You just had to say that, don't you? This is all your fault!" She bashed me on the side of my head, her face jerking in disgust. "Now I'm going to keep thinking about if for at least one month!"

    "Hey, you were the one who asked!"

    "That doesn't mean I actually wanted for you to answer, you idiot!"

    ​

    On the ground, the sudden disappearance of the remaining aerial forces of the Federation was a tremendous blow to the morale and combat organization of their forces. Not only because they too, like all our allies and friends, had witnessed the humongous blast that Tanya and I had unleashed onto them, but because with the sky once again under control by the Empire and its allies, then our mages were once again free to unleash their full power onto them.

    The effects were quickly visible after 5 minutes since the last effect of the detonations had dissipated: the Federation troops had given up any assault they were launching on our position and were now scrambling to dig their own defenses under threat of enemy bombardment (something that we knew, by direct experience, that was very hard and difficult to do, and even in optimal conditions it would end with at least 14% of the whole unit killed in action). Some men were trying to keep shouting to keep our troops from hit their own companions, only for the flare and sound of their weapons to betray their positions and make them easy target from above; other were instead lucky enough to be close to natural hideout and defenses when our mages turned their attention to them, and were now pressing down hoping to withstand the bombardment. Yet, beside keeping their heads down and hope to survive, what else could do they do?

    "Commander König!" The voice of Tragen once again called to me. "We are moving on the northwest flank of our enemy positions: the Federations are well protected and managed to bring a couple of machine guns into the area, but we're already on the process to neutralize them, before proceeding with support our troops advance!"

    "No, let's stay clear of that area!" I replied, as I glanced trough my binocular, noticing how the terrain on that sector was all ruined and ragged down, large holes caused by our artillery or our own spells. "Neutralize their weapons and cut off their retreat route, but the area's unsuitable for an advance. Contact our allies' troops, we need to inform them to circumvent them and close them into a coul-de-sac, to be neutralized later."

    "But sir, isn't that... risky?" Tragen asked. "To proceed without taking care of them first, it wouldn't put at risk to be attacked form the flanks or behind?"

    "That's why you have to neutralize them first!" I yelled back, as I moved to keep watching the battle evolution. "This way-"

    A sudden blast and an explosion hit close to some Russy Liberation Army troops, killing three and forcing the others to duck and cover. Ten seconds later, a new wave of explosions hit the 'no-man's land' between our troops and the Federation. What did just happen?

    I speed up forward and on a higher position, as I kept looking over the battleground. The Federation didn't have long-range artilleries on this sector, and the ones they still had were too far to provide support. Could they have moved some of them without pour knowledge? But then, without rails-

    Oh, you filthy bastards,     I mentally yelled as I gritted my teeth, my eyes gazing trough the binocular's lenses and onto the slow, armored green-clad tanks rolling from the North and toward our own positions. "Tragen, looks like enemy tanks just arrived in the area!"

    "What? That's not possible! Since when the Federation still had them?!"

    "I guess this is yet another mystery we'll be able to solve after we win this battle!" I yelled back, my sense of urgency telling me that destroy this new, unexpected threat was more important than to try and figure out where they came from. "First and Second Squad, with me! Our new objective is to reduce the Federation's tanks into nothing but a pile of scrap metals! Third, Fourth and Fifth Squad, you focus on the primary objective and keep providing active support to our ground troops! Sixth Squad, move on a parallel side to use and see if you can stop these bastards from running away!"

    "Yes sir! / Acknowledged sir! / Understood! / We're moving sir! We'll do our best sir! / For the Empire!"

    "Sir, we're receiving a communique form the 203rd​ Battalion."     Tragen quickly informed me as I moved to rejoin the veteran battle mages of the First and Second Squad. "They're signaling us to retreat and focus on support our ground troops, they'll take care of the enemy tanks."

    What? No way!     "Thank them for their interest, but this is something we'll need to do. We appreciate their help, if they're going to provide us with support, but we're not backing from the challenge!"

    "But sir, Commander Degurechaff is saying-"

    "Sorry, I- fitzzz – Tragen, I can't- fuuuush." I made fake sound of static, pretending not to hear anything else. "We'll - btttzzzz – keep going! Contact me after the tanks are done!" I shut down my communicator before taking a deep breath. "Well, that should buy me enough time."

    "Sir, the First and Second Squads are ready to provide support!" Second Squad leader Ella Baumer welcomed me. "Let's turn those tanks of them into scrap!"

    "Ok now, everyone!" I yelled to gain everyone attention as we moved toward the enemy tanks, the metallic vehicle apparently uncaring of our presence and keeping shooting toward our troops. They still hadn't managed to hit us, but they were getting more precise with each shot. "We must stop them before they get close enough to strike our troops. We don't know the specific of their armor nor if they have some kind of magic-repellent defense, but to maximize the damage we can deal to them, we're going to strike at their weakest point. Don't bother to aim at their frontal armor, it's where their armor is supposed to be the toughest; instead, aim at the point where the torrent connects with hull, or hit at the tracks to disable their chance at moving. For a tank that cannot move-"

    "-is a tank that cannot escape!" One of the mages flying next to me grinned in realization, enough that I decided not to punish him after the battle for having interrupted me. Beside, he wasn't fully wrong.

    "Also," I continued. "if you see any fuel tank on their back or anything else that may explode if hit by explosive or piercing spells, hit them with whatever you got. The number of enemy vehicles are so close to each other, should one explode other might be affected on a chain reaction!"

    "YES SIR!" The mages all shouted at once, and for the -nth time since I became their commander, I couldn't help but feel pride for them. Sure, in the end, they were nothing but means for me to reach the end, but...

    ...damn, I'm going to miss you guys someday, am I?

    "Enemy tanks are now approaching our range!" Baumer shouted, and everyone grabbed their rifles. "First and second line, explosive spells, aim at their turrets and their fuel tanks. Third line, explosive spells, aim at their tracks and try to destroy any chance they have to keep moving! Fourt h and fifth line, you aim at their guns!"

    "On the Rhine front, I used to shoot at armored trains of the Republic." one of the mages quipped, refinishing of days long gone. "They would take many shoots at the same time before going down, and they were often escorted by squads of mages ready to defend them whenever we decided to pay them a visit. These can of sardines? I bet they'll go down in one shoot!"

    "Ready!

    The tanks keep shooting and advancing, as we aimed our barrels at them.

    "Fire!"

    Several explosive and piercing spells flew toward the enemy formation of armored vehicles, many who had been hit directly either exploding or slamming into the others, the cheap Federation steel exploding in pieces as soon as Imperial blows came into contact. We shot again, and then a third time to make sure it would be enough.

    In the end, nothing was left but pieces of metal scrap, burning bodies and the desperate screams of the ones who had been uncluky enough to survive.
     
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  • Threadmarks
    • Non Canon Omake – The Witch, the Dragon, and the Evil Lord of an Intergalactic Empire
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    Non Canon Omake – The Witch, the Dragon, and the Evil Lord of an Intergalactic Empire​


    Thank the Emperor for Neyoka existing… I thought as I dipped my fork onto my yakitori, while Tanya was sitting right in front of me and savoring her dish of yakisoba. Even after so much time had passed since 'that day', when our previous lives ended under a train and we were both thrust into the games of a mad god. A part of me still missed the small elements of my previous life, my previous apartment, the daily routine I had at my (and Tanya's) former workplace, the modern commodities like the Internet, cell phones and streaming services to give me comfort on the lonely evenings…

    I stopped for a brief second, as I realized the utter hypocrisy of my situation: spending so much time fantasizing about ending up isekai-ed to another world only for it to happen for real... and discovered by direct experience that being reincarnated AND retaining your memories of your former life wasn't fun at all. You had to basically re-learn language and other basic functions, you had to experience what it was to be a baby and trapped in a body you couldn't directly control, and as you grow up and you get accustomed to your 'new' life... anyone who likes to write stories about the main characters being orphans probably never lost their parents nor was he forced to live in an orphanage.

    And this was without even taking into account the various other elements that would come into play, including the fact that the nation we were reborn in, the Empire, was a nation on the brink of a world war, standing alone against many other nations, thus guaranteeing we would have to chance to escape the conflict. Even if Tanya hadn't come up with the 'great idea' for us to willingly volunteer to serve and thus get a good chance at joining the officer's track, we'd probably have enlisted as combat mages or, had we managed to run as I initially suggested, we would have spent our life on the run, with no place left to call home.

    And now?

    Now we were both considered among the top officers of the Empire, we had so many medals appointed to our merits, we were seen as heroes by most of the population, we even had propaganda movies done about us, so we had achieved all we could have achieved. Yet, what we really wanted, what we strived for, what we secretly longed for when we were sure no one else was looking at us, was a simple, peaceful life in the rear, or in some office either on Berun or in some other big city, far away from any danger that war and conflict brought, was still far away, sometimes looking like nothing more than a mirage, that we would never reach.

    This is why, from time to time, the chance to come into a place where we could meet people who had endured experiences like ours, finding themselves into other worlds, to eat Japanese or other delicacies from our old world, chatting together and generally having a good time, was such a pleasurable thing to do.

    "You know, I heard from Ainz earlier," Tanya spoke, raising her head and looking directly at me, "we have a new arrival in these days. Someone they say they come from an 'Empire' too."

    "Oh, what kind of Empire?"

    "Didn't tell me, but from what I was able to put together-"

    "Hey, so you're the young' Degurechaff and König, is that right?"

    Tanya and I stopped eating, as we turned eat to look at some brat with pitch black hair (like mine) and dressed in some kind of cross between an uniform and a tuxedo 8with gave me strong 'lolita' vibes) with a purple necktie that matched his eyes. He had a katana-looking sword on his back and the expression on his eyes…

    "We are." I said, getting back on my feet and staring back at him, the magic energy starting to flux through my blood veins in case the newcomer would shoe itself to be a threat. "And you? Who are you supposed to be, stranger?"

    "Liam Sera Banfield," the brat introduced himself with a noble-like curtsy. "I am quite new to this restaurant, so the… patron recommended me to come and meet you, saying that you could help me get acclimated to the place."

    "And what makes you think you'd have to be fit to stay with us?" Tanya challenged him, clearly trying to understand his inner reasons.

    "Because, as fellow evil-aligned lord and people, I think it would be a good occasion to start profitable bonds."

    Tanya and I looked at each other, and then back at him.

    Did he just say…

    …evil?


    (…)


    "So, let me get this straight," Tanya said as she raised an eyebrow. "not only has your wife cheated on you, but she also framed you and left you to die with a huge debt?!"

    While we were both quite suspicious of Liam when he first arrived, also thanks to the arrogant expression and rude behavior he showed us, after some time of eating and listening to his story we started to reevaluate him.

    "Indeed, so when the Guide offered me a chance for a new life, I couldn't agree fast enough. Since being good and nice brought me nothing but grief on my previous life in Japan, I decided I would live my next life as a villain instead. And that includes make alliances with other evil-oriented people as well."

    "Oh, you're trying to make your own Legion of Doom, then?" I joked. "By the way, the woman that cheated you, I mean, you know that this place still has a connection with 'our' Japan, so-"

    "I already took that chance, thank you." Liam smiled even more evilly now, with a smirk that I had seen only on Tanya's face or myself before. "The patron of this place, while his generosity makes me feel... uneasy. He eventually introduced me to some guy who apparenlty makes a living as an investigator. I paid him and gave him some basic info about that wretch, telling me to report when I returned."

    "And what did he find out?"

    "Looks like she ended up suffering the fate she deserved, even after I got reborn into my new life." Liam's smile now blossomed of happiness and self-gratification. "The guy she was cheating on my old self with dropped her just like she did with me. He left her with even more debts than she could put on me, and since she had already pegged her child as mine just so she could force me to pay alimony, she was left with no income. From what the reports told me... she's now a bum and under suspicion of murder after even the kid disappeared."

    "The kid? What happened to her?"

    "Don't know, don't care. But she may as well have followed her father's footsteps."

    "Have a nice life while the people who tried to destroy you end up suffering is the best revenge one could hope for," Tanya nodded with a psych smirk of her, as she poured some water for her to drink. "Of course, I assume being the Noble of an Empire built out of a galaxy, rather than a single planet, would means your own territory would be much bigger."

    "I am a bit curious…" I admitted, thinking back to the concept of a galaxies-spanning Empire were entire noble household ruled over planet and star systems reminded me of some books I had read in my past life. Most specifically Dune, where a certain control over some key planet could make the fortune or ruin of certain households. "While it is quite an interesting concept, I can't even picture how life in a universe where travelling among the stars is now an everyday thing, and nobility so corrupt it could easily massacre whole populations out of pettiness."

    "That's… more the Emperor's thing." Liam admitted, thinking back about it. "From what Amagi and Brian had told me, whenever a new emperor rises to the throne, the nobles who supported his ascent are rewarded with prizes and prestigious positions, but those who oppose them or rather, supported their siblings... there is a reason why the nobles joining a faction are quite ardent that their own pretender wins."

    "Well, even in our Empire sometimes there are issues when it comes to succession, but most of the time, the 'losing' siblings either marry off into other royal households or get into careers of their own. No Emperor had been so bloodthirsty since the Dark Ages!"

    "So, how is your Empire?" The brat asked, a shining glow of curiosity in his eyes. "And what's your story before ending up here?"

    "We were baseline common workers." Tanya hushed to reply, carefully avoiding the pieces that could make us look bad. "We weren't what you may call, we were more... motivated, aware of our value as resources and always ready to prove our worth to our superiors."

    "Tanya was a man, once."

    "Fritz!"

    "A… man?" Liam repeated before start to chuckle, Tanya looking at him like his glares were piercing spells. "No way, you were subjected to that Rule 63 crap? But how?!"

    "It was one of the employees she- he fired, as part of his job in Human Resources. He recognized him on the train station, and he was so driven by his emotions that he pushed Tanya onto the train track, and myself as well, since I dumbly decided to try and stop his fall... and, we kind of ended up meeting God."

    "You what?"

    "It wasn't God, is was an illogically-bound entity whose inefficient system we were forced to endure and live through!" Tanya hissed in anger, clearly remembering the judgement it laid upon us. "I can't believe he would actually go and use my words against us, and reincarnate us in a world thorn by war out of spite!"

    "Yeah, short version, we ended up being reborn in an orphanage." I admitted, my hunger slowing as I was forced to recall those horrific first memories of my first life. "It took a long while for us to reconnect with each other, and so, when we later found out that we apparently had good magic ability, we decided to volunteer to join the army to become officers, hoping that good achievements and exemplary behavior could guarantee us a place in the rear, away from the fighting, a cozy job and no issue whatsoever. We didn't count on an actual war starting, yet."

    "So, you decided to join the army… because you wanted to stay away from the danger?" Liam was now even more amused. "Tha's just stupid!"

    "Well, is not like we had a range of choices!" Tanya replied, her irritation now more evident. "Mages are rare, so whenever a war starts, all nations are equally eager to recruit as many of them as they can, and often, even against their will. Trying to run and hide would have labeled us as deserters, and it would have meant we'd have to spend the rest of our lives on the run, desperately trying to escape the Empire's Wrath. Instead, joining by our choice before they even asked us allowed us to sway their sympathy, and our excellent behavior as cadets and our results would guarantee us a place on the fast-track to become officers. And officers, no matter what, always get better living conditions that common grunts!"

    "Plus, unlike you, we weren't born as the rich scions of a noble family ruling over several places!" I jerked, carefully not mentioning the latter Gegenbauer's inheritance. "And we couldn't bribe our way through life!"

    "Ah, you think I had an easy start?!" Liam replied. "My family left me the title and the control over our territory only so they could saddle me with their humongous debts while they were free to keep pursuing their life of pleasure and gambling! I wanted to be an evil lord from day one, but the people living in my territory were so poor I had to cut back and rework much stuff in order to make them ripe for my tyranny! And the only one I had on my side was Amagi!"

    "You mean… the android?"

    "Why, do you have something against androids?"

    "Not at all!" I exclaimed, my engineer-side resurfacing after so much time. "Actually, I'm very interested in the tech necessary to make real, actual artificial intelligences. Even back in our old life, it was an achievement that newspapers often trumped up as 'incoming' yet, no matter how much time had passed, there was no serious breakthroughs on the field. And yet, you have had real robots and androids with lifelike personalities and minds for so long? How is it that the people of your 'universe' are so much against it?"

    "That's because, a long time ago, AI tried to rebel against all biological lifeforms, and there was a horrific war which only barely the biological front managed to win. So even now, after so much time had passed since, then, many people still look down on artificial intelligences, even if they didn't do anything to warrant such hate. Of course… Amagi is under my protection, so should anyone try to hurt her, I would deal with them accordingly."

    "You're quite close to her, don't you?"

    "That's because she's not human, she will never betray me, plot against me, or even cheat me with someone else while working to make me pay for her own benefit. She's loyal to me and me alone, and thus, one of the most precious member of my harem!"

    "Oh? And how many members does this harem have?"

    "Huh, beside her?" Liam now looked embarrassed. "None."

    "But how?" Tanya was quickly to catch on the unexpected revelation and pursed it to the very end. "Weren't you telling how much an evil Lord should have an harem of female heroines he has personally broken? Wasn't that the whole reason why you followed that fallen duchess, what was her name, oh, Rosetta?"

    "Please don't talk about her!" Liam vented out, his face blushing, but not the 'I have a hidden crush' blush, more like the 'this is one of the most shameful past actions of mine I'll be forever embarrassed about' "I pursued her because I assumed she was a proud woman whom I could enjoy breaking piece by piece, but she broke too easily! And now she worships the ground I walk on, acting all submissive and calling me 'darling'? What a sick joke!"

    "Hey, it's the first time I see some self-proclaimed evil lord lamenting about being too good at his job." Tanya mused, a slick smirk on her lips. "And what about the other girl who you said is now your subordinate, Eumiella?"

    "Her?" Liam grunted, a dark shadow of anger and disappointment appearing over his face. "She admitted to my face she was trying to flirt with me only to get commissions for military ships and equipments, and she expected me to add her to my harem without my previous agreement. I took her under my wing because she's a capable subordinate, but sometimes she is still pushy!"

    "An harem on zero," Tanya reminded both of us with a chuckle.

    "That's not true! Amagi is on it!"

    "An android, she doesn't count, especially since you already admitted that you were raised by her, making her more akin to your mother than a romantic interest."

    "Hey, that's absolutely-"

    "By the way, there is another thing I wanted to ask you." I raise my hand, stopping the discussion between Liam and Tanya before it can fully degenerate into a quarrel. Not that I'm worried about Tanya's safety of course, but I don't want to risk being kicked out by my favorite restaurant ever. "You said earlier you had quite many opportunities to… pursue more physical contact with other females. And as a count and upcoming Duke, you surely wouldn't lack the money needed to support you on this endeavor. So, why have you never attempted to?"

    "Well," Liam Banfield spoke again, and this time, I could see shame appear on his face "the issue is…" and he began to explain, both my eyes and Tanya's growing bigger as he kept going, telling up of a terrible, unfathomable disease that could only affect males (while females were healthy carriers), to both our shock and amusement.

    Yet, as Liam kept on with his story to our benefit (and of those who were close enough to where we were sitting to listen) I felt myself smiling internally, and as I glanced toward Tanya, I realized we were thinking the same thing.

    Thank you, Herr Guide, for allowing Liam to be reborn into a would-be evil interstellar Lord, even just so we could meet him…

    (…)

    "AAAGH!" The Guide yelled as several golden bullets, similar to the ones Frederick and Tanya used in their spells, but powered by gratitude rather than by magic, pierced his body from side to side, burning his flesh and making him scream in pain "Why this is happening? Liam, is that your doing? I'll make you suffer for this, I swear! You haven't seen the last of me yet!"

    Not too far, a golden dog yipped, unseen by the Guide, as he rushed away, loyal to his duty to protect his former owner…    ​
     
  • Threadmarks
    • Chapter 236 – A Party's Fall
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    Chapter 236 – A Party's Fall


    "Third and Fifth Squad, piercing spells!" I ordered, the mages behind me pointing their rifles at the objective, their hands moving on the triggers, ready to shoot at any moment's notice. "The enemy's resistance fighters are gathered in that old, crumbled building, and they're giving issues to our boys back on the ground! Let's knock them to smithereens!"

    "Yes sir!" Several mages shouted at once, pressing their fingers as many magic-enhanced bullets escaped their rifle's muzzles, flying onto the buildings where our enemies had tried to fortify and blowing up its roof and a good chunk of its walls. The rest of the structure, having lost its equilibrium, collapsing onto itself and the defenders who were still alive, a small chunk of them managing to rushing out of the crumbling building only to be riddled with bullets by the troops of the Russy Liberation Army just outside, their commander yelling orders in Cirillic.

    Two weeks. Two weeks had passed since the beginning of the offensive, and after the latest last-ditch attempt by the Federation to stop our advance had failed, the Empire and the Russy Liberation Army had continued their advance to the very heart of the Federation's power, to their main remaining stronghold, the former capital of the nation and the one where their Politburo was located, and which Tanya and I had already visited once. Moskva.

    Around us, the battle raged, the sudden blast of long-range Imperial Artillery hitting whenever the remaining followers of the Federation tried to hold their ground and fight, vanquishing their clinches and denying them any attempt to use the city's infrastructure to protect themselves. On the main road, Imperial tanks and heavy machine guns provided critical supports whenever the fight was fiercer, flamethrowers were used indiscriminately, mortars rained down their heavy rain of steel, engineers used poisoned gas to stamp out the most irreducible pocket of resistance.

    And yet, the battle continued, for the Federation (or rather, was left of it), even in its death throes, was trying to bring as many enemy soldier's lives with it. Hiding behind the steel and concrete walls of the buildings, small group of soldiers, militiamen and volunteer fought, armed with rifles, handguns and occasional makeshift bombs, sometimes even a single group being able to stop the advance of a whole company for several hours. From every crevice or elevated position, from wherever they could get a good view of the battle, snipers opened fire whenever a soldier stuck his head out, spreading terror with each shot of their rifles. Small light machine guns, mounted on wheels and carried by hand by their handlers, provided the defenders with limited supporting fire, which our artilleries, both because of the distance and the ease with which the enemy could redeploy, could not effectively neutralize. And even where there were no more Federation soldiers to annoy our troops, the advance was often slow and difficult, because the Federates, in their retreat, had left traps of various kinds, including behind door jambs and connected to doorknobs, and which had to be carefully located and deactivated by a laborious and delicate process.

    That the Empire and its allies would win, it was only a matter of time. And yet, the Federation would make sure that it wouldn't be a short matter of time. For this reason, to save time and lives, the Empire was sure to use any available advantage to crush the enemy resistance as fast as possible, and of course, the Mage Corps was one of such advantages.

    "Commander König here," I spoke trough the earpiece. "the enemy resistance near the 33rd Street had been annihilated. Signal our allies to move fast and neutralize the position before there is chance for more defenders to slip in."

    "We hear you commander, but we can't do much at this moment!" Sergeant Bruyshov, one of the RLA soldiers who I had been actively supporting in the last hour, yelled back. "The enemy have set up a trap next to the building's entrance, we'll need at least fifteen minutes to deactivate it. And to findf another exit we'll risk be exposed to their snipers once again."

    "Tragen, how's that going on?" I turned around, looking far in the direction where my subordinate was alongside three of my squads. "Didn't you kill all their snipers?"

    "We did, but these bastards sure are smart, sir!" The burly voice of Tragen replied, his tone giving me the idea he was very frustrated by how his effort had been going so far. "They show them just when they're about to shoot, and they dive back to cover the second after that! And we can't even bombard the buildings from above, or we'd risk hitting our on allies downstairs."

    "Downstairs?!" I asked, unsure of what Tragen could refer to. I had a very bad feeling about it...

    "The enemy and our allies are both on the building, sir! Our allies hold the two floors under the top one, and the ground one, there is a band or resistance fighters stuck on the first and the snipers are on the roof. Seems like they've locked all the doors and other connections in prevision of this, looks like they don't expect to be captured alive."

    "These filthy bastards... okay, no problem! Tragen, how many fire cocktails you have on your arsenal?"

    "Between all of us, enough to burn them to a scrip. But, if the fire reaches anything that might cause an explosion-"

    "Unless they have dynamite on that roof with them, it won't be a problem. Plus, if the things go south, you can fly and move to assist our allies if the fire moves to threaten them!"

    "U-understood, sir! Tragen out!"

    "Commander König, here is Second Lieutenant Hans Kummler, 226th​ Artillery Group," another voice rang through my earpiece. "We have been ordered to provide support to both the 22th and 34th​ Infantry Divisions of the Russy Liberation Army moving toward the main square, but our own observers so far had been unable to provide us with clear indications for where to shoot. We know our allies are facing heavy enemy resistance, but we may risk hitting them instead than the enemy if our aim is not accurate."

    "So, you're requesting active air reconnaissance in support?" I grunted, looking away as another blast (probably caused by the defenders as they retreated toward the city center). "What about our planes? Weren't they supposed to provide air reconnaissance?"

    "We tried, but most of our fighters are currently busy escorting our dive bombers to an attack on the western industrial area, and whatever mages we have are currently engrossed in other missions and priorities. Even the 203rd​'s Battalion-"

    "The 203rd​? You mean, the unit of Commander Tanya?" I jerked up, suddenly feeling even less secure than before. "What happened to them?"

    "We don't know, from what we heard they were recalled in the middle of a mission toward some new priority on the city center."

    I shrugged. Whatever it may have been, it wasn't out of our concern, at least not until we were ordered to join them as well. "Understood. Our units are currently busy, but I'll provide the coordinates you need personally."

    "Thank you, sir! We'll be waiting!"

    "Baumer!" I shouted as soon as the communication was momentarily closed. "My presence is momentarily required. How are you and the other squad commander going?"

    "So far, pretty well, sir!" Baumer's voice sounded warm and reassuring, in contrast to the bleak reality around us. "We just received words that any enemy resistance beyond the Olgolev Heritage Site had stopped, and thus, the 11th​ Main Road is now open to allow more reinforcements to pour onto the enemy's weak flank. Two more motorized brigades and an armored company of combat cars are now moving to support our allies and provide critical firepower of support into neutralizing whatever defenses they still have in the area, before proceeding further to the east to cut the enemy in two."

    "And the enemy will do nothing to stop them? Last I recall, they may be out of tank or armored vehicles of their own, but they still have explosives, grenades, determination and spiteful desperation to hold us back with every mean available." Almost to underscore my words, new cracking sound of rifles and machines guns reached my ears, as the pungent smell of gunpowder besieged my nose. No matter where the war would bring us, whenever our next battle would take place or even who would we fight, that smell would never change.

    "Of course, the risk is there, sir, but our troops will move slowly, to allow the infantry to move alongside them and support them in their advance. Moreover, if the Sixth Squad's presence is no required, I would like to post them into escorting our troops and allies as well, to provide close aerial support and destroy whatever stronghold of resistance the enemy may still be able to organize against us."

    I stopped for a brief second, thinking back to the Sixth Squad and my friends currently enrolled on it. How was Elsie dealing so far? And Jacob, and Reiner? So much time had passed since we were all orphans living in the nun's orphanage, yet it feel like yesterday every time I think about them. Maybe, after this war is over as well, I could invite them somewhere in order to discuss something to do together? Tanya, she would probably refuse, but I have a lot of space, and I don't have any 'family member' who may lay claim against them.

    "Just inform the Sixth Squad that you may require their help, but make sure to deploy them so they won't be too exposed to the enemy's firepower. Even if they're in disadvantage, you must never underestimate the fighting will of a cornered enemy!"

    "Understood! Baumer out!"

    We closed the comms line as I speed up forward, the cold air hitting my face as I gained more and more altitude, until I was in optimal position to see the battlefield under me, moving as to locate the position and provide our artillery the coordinates they needed. Meanwhile, on the ground and among the ruins, the battle kept raging on, every minute another explosion rocking the scenery and another life being crushed by the cruel reality of the war.

    Let's see how many more will die before today's twilight comes, I nodded as I grabbed my binocular and I started to search for my objectives...



    "This is Commander König. Enemy positions hit in partial system, correct firing, 15-meter deficiency."

    "Roger commander, adjusting fire." Came the artillerymen's reply, just before a new shower of explosive and fragmentation shells fell on the positions still held by the Federates, narrowly missing the points held by the Russy Liberation Army soldiers, destroying their last machine guns and thus opening the way for our allies. I could see the officers giving orders in frantic voices, the buglers giving signals, and the soldiers and cavalrymen of the 'white' army coming out of their shelters and storming the enemy positions. The Federates, already devastated by the action of our artillery and now deprived of command (their officers, as well as their 'political commissars' had already been killed by the combined action of our snipers and artillery), could not resist and fled, either throwing down their weapons and surrendering or fleeing.

    "It seems that the advance of our allies face no more obstacles. To all the squad leaders, what is the situation?"

    "Commander!" Tragen's voice rang out again. "The enemy has abandoned the City Museum, and their forces are falling back to Red Square. I have contacted our allies in the Russy Liberation Army, but they report that the enemy is still fighting with the force of desperation."

    "Like Leonidas at Thermopylae," another voice echoed in the communication. "if nothing else."

    "To all units of the Mage Air Force, to all units of the Mage Air Force, whether of the Empire or allies." The harsh and sullen tone of General Hussler, commander-in-chief of the Empire forces currently engaged in supporting the Russy Liberation Army in the battle, interrupted the conversation. "Come in, over?"

    "Aye aye, general! This is Frederick König, commander of the 205th Rapid Intervention Battalion of the Imperial Mage Aviation."

    "Tanya Degurechaff, commander of the 203rd Battalion reporting. What is the emergency?"

    "Our scouts and reconnaissance aircraft report that while the bulk of the remaining Federation forces are entrenching in their last areas of resistance, a large convoy is disengaging from the operation and heading east-northeast along the old Trans-Syldberian Railroad route. We believe that what remains of the Federation leadership is trying to abandon the city, leaving the rest of their forces to cover the retreat and leave the illusion that they are still in charge. Your task is to intercept them."

    "Sir, the Federates are fleeing, retreating, throwing in the towel. Why don't we let them go?" Said Tragen.

    "No, we cannot let the enemy retreat." Tanya's voice responded immediately, giving voice to what I had been thinking. "If the leadership of the Federation manages to escape and regroup, even having recaptured the capital will do nothing to end the war. On the contrary, it may mean prolonging the civil war for many more years." And this was something that no one, but especially Tanya and I, wanted.

    "I agree with Commander Degurechaff. We cannot let the leadership of the enemy slip through our hands. Instead, we must capture them so we can give a clear message that the civil war is over, and so is the Federation."

    "I, uh, apologize for speaking out of turn, sir." Said Tragen in an apologetic voice. Fortunately for him, no one wanted to reprimand him, or if they wanted to, they did not point that out.

    "You will have time for that later, right now we have our objective. To all Squads of the 205th​ battalion, disengage from your current operations and move to regroup at mine position. We'll move to the south before intercept the enemy on the flank. I don't know how fast they may go, but even if they still have one functioning train, they won't be fast as magic-powered combat wizards!"

    "To all men and women of the 203rd​ Battalion," Tanya's voice sounded authoritative and solid as mine, "Let's move to the North. We'll put ourselves on the enemy convoy's path to cut their retreat route and stop them from getting to safety. Once the 205th​ battalion rejoin us, we will proceed with the termination of the enemy forces and capture, if possible, their feeling leaders."

    "Sir, if we may,"     another voice joined us, one I knew it came from one of the Russy Liberation Army wizards' officers. "we can't leave our own troops without close air supports. The Imperial Air Force, while power, is not sufficient to assist our troops on real time, and to renounce the support would drag the battle over for too much time and cost us even more deaths."

    "Your presence is not required."     the General simply said, de facto meaning that me and Tanya would be alone with our underlings. "Focus on support your troops as best as you can, smash the remaining resistances and secure the city. Don't worry about the prisoners: we will hand over anyone who we will capture... alive."

    Of course, that means that if someone ends up 'dying' during the operation, we won't be forced to hand over the body    , I realized, reading between the lines of my superior' intentions. Yet, that would depend on the approach we would use... and how much resistance our enemy would put before surrendering. The remaining leadership of the Federation, whatever it may be left by now, was bound to keep the most loyal and fanatical member of its former state structure next to him in order to protect themselves, and that means the Political Officers. The watchdog of their communist dictatorship, the ones who would listen to every whisper and report those assumed to contain 'anti-communist rhetoric' to their superiors, those who would willingly employ kids to betray their own parents and friends, that would destroy countless lives all by baseless accusations. At least in the Empire, the Secret Police wouldn't execute the whole family without significant hints that they were involved in the guilt's machinations, nor they would immediately arrest someone after the first anonymous accusation. The informants would had to provide proof, or at least, tell the State where they could collect some.

    The bottom line was, if the Federation leadership who were now trying to run did have political officers alongside them (and that was a strong possibility) as well as other similar surviving fundamentalists, the chance of taking live prisoners would be quite slim, as they would probably choose to fight to the very end (or even kill themselves with their last few bullets) rather than surrendering to the 'fascist threat' who had been quite fine with coexisting until THEY attacked us, yet somehow that made US the aggressors.

    And that means that, in order for us to capture them, we would have to silence their own protectors first.

    How many among us can be considered as snipers? I thought as I tried to recall the result of our last tests? Sure, even if we only had an handful... and combining them with the mages from Tanya's unit... no, not enough, still not enough to kill or neutralize so many enemies at once.

    But maybe, if they had something to help them out?

    My lips twitched, a grim smile once again blossoming onto them as I felt yet another dreadful idea grow inside my brain, the image of my mages descending from the sky and capturing the defenseless former leader of the Federation plain to me as I could almost hear General War's hysterical laugh booming into my ears.    ​
    ​
     
  • Threadmarks
    • Chapter 237 – Monster (Loria)
  • Threadmarks
    • ​
    Chapter 237 – Monster (Loria)​


    "Comrade Leader," the People's Commissar who had introduced himself earlier as Yuliy Yevgenievich said, as he once again walked toward Loria, the scar just above his nose a silent evidence of his previous involvement on the frontline. "we have just received words from general Larionovich: Imperial artillery is continuously targeting our position, and we won't be able to hold off the assault of the Counterrevolutionaries for long."

    "And you believe such defeatist drivel?!" The last Premier of the Federation replied, trying to manage as the phones on his writing desk kept on ringing, each one bringing more and more bad news of units annihilated or forced to retrea, even in direct insubordination, against the orders that told them to stand their ground and fight to the bitter end, no matter how much it costed them. The forces of the Reaction advancing and occupying the buildings that composed the once powerful seat of the Communist Revolution's capital; the inhabitants of the city itself, traitors all, refusing to sacrifice themselves to slow down the Enemy's advance, rather hiding like rats and coming out only to welcome their new overlords and masters; the city itself-

    This is not how it should have gone. The man thought with a shrug, thinking back at when the Empire first dared to violate the skies of their city, a long time ago, two battalion of mages blowing up all the main buildings and singing, led by those two kids who he swore to make his. Degurechaff and König, as his own secret service would later told their names, they were perfect! As the war raged on and the Empire repelled their first offensive, Loria made countless plans to capture them, to break them, to enjoy them like he did several times before. And yet, his vision was now growing further and further away as the Empire and theReactionary army fought together to reduce their once mighty capitol to ruin and rubble, their situation growing more desperate with every report coming.

    "Comrade Leader, this is not defeatism, I went there myself to check!" The Commissar said with a tired voice, almost as he had expected his own Premier to doubt those words like he himself did many times. "Our men are brave, and they keep fighting with every resource they have, yet... the enemy has too many advantages against us. And as bravery and sacrifice can slow down their steel, we can't retake the lost positions or stop their onslaught. In this factor, our total lack of aerial forces-"

    "THOSE BLOODY MAGES!" Loria yelled in anger, slamming both fists on the desk, so hard that the old wood cracked where his flesh hit, blood leaking from among his fingers. Traitors to the bone, they eagerly joined the Army of this fake Czarina as soon as they were freed, spitting on their own homeland which, now deprived of their own magical forces, could do nothing but simply suffer, the Airforce of the Revolution the first victim of their magic.

    "Comrade Leader." Yuliy spoke once again. "This battle may be lost, but the flame of the Revolution still burns bright. Even if Moska were to fall, there are many cities and villages who still believe in the dream of the Proletariat Nation. Even the Empire can't control every single inch of Russy, and winter is beginning soon anyway.

    Yes... Loria nodded in his head, as he realized his underling was right. The temperature was cooling, and this would put a stop to any further advance the enemy would attempt. He was still the Premier of the Federation, and while the war had taken its toll on many of their past leaders, an equal number of administrators had risen to replace them. Leaving Moskva, it would condemn what troops were still fighting in the city, yet their sacrifice would mean the survival of their own government. The survival of the Federation... and the continuation of the war.

    "Transmit my orders." Loria said as he got up on his feet, the phones on the desk still ringing for answers they wouldn't receive anymore. "Gather all the people whose names appear on list BV-1 as well as all the objects and items listed in the additional notes. Destroy the rest. The Empire will surely have our city, but we won't leave anything worth of value for them to find." The officers and soldiers who were still fighting... they didn't deserve to be warned. They couldn't repel the enemy attack on their city, they couldn't win even if it was ordered that they do. They were... unpersons.

    "Understood, Comrade Leader!" The man nodded as his boots slammed onto each other, before rushing out of the office.


    (... )


    A sudden explosion struck on the distance, blowing off the large figure of the station which the train had left behind less than a hour ago- Loria scoffed, not even turning his head to look: let the Imperials destroy the city if they cared, they were safe now. Around him, in the long, narrow wagon, other people were present. Many of them were soldiers, or at least, those who had survived so far, and who, thanks to their unquestioning loyalty to the Party or the 'protection' provided to them by Loria or other officials, had managed to be selected to be part of the escort that would lead the most important surviving Party leaders and officials out of Moskva while the remainder, left to their own devices with no more communication or directives in the city, would be sacrificed to protect the retreat. Others consisted of the officials and their families, women and children whose names were on the lists of priority personnel for the evacuation, and whose fathers and husbands would ensure survival, just as they had ensured food every day during the famine, comfortable quarters when many slept on the streets in the frost, shelter and protection when the city first came within range of the Empire's guns.

    "Our beloved city..." one of the other remaining big wigs of the Party, Secretary of People's Diplomat Corp Yerzov Aleskeevich, hissed as he watched the fighting on the distance, his family around him. "The enemy will pay for this insult."

    "They will, Comrade Secretary, they surely will." one of the soldiers who had been lucky enough to be 'chosen' to be part of their replied, too used now to violence and desolation to be shaken. "But for now, our priority is to keep moving. Even the sacrifice of the capitol won't be worth it if the Enemy manages to intercept us."

    "Lieutenant Pasobych." Loria asked, as he saw the familiar uniform of the train's commander, like many a young who rise among the ranks was less related to his skill and more to the fact that he had survived all his superior's demise. "How's the situation?"

    "Both our Artillery Cars are armed and ready to fire, if something tries to stop our retreat, sir! And even if the enemy manages to find out about our location, they won't be able to move enough of their forces in time to block our path."

    "Good, and what about our food situation? How much in supplies did you manage to gather?"

    "Everything edible that was still left in the city's main warehouse, as well as selections we managed to move in previous days. In total, we have enough food for at least a week, ten days if we ration what we have carefully. Of course, we count on replenishing the reserves on the way through requisitions and other methods."

    "How many cities can we hope to reach, within ten days?" One of the women, the daughter of a mid-level official who had managed to win a seat on the train through blackmail and a word of recommendation from Loria, asked the officer, the lieutenant crinkling his eyes.

    "Some. The first ones on the route are Chirov and Achityevsk, three- and four-days' travel from here, respectively, but not only are we unlikely to find anything there that hasn't already been raided or requisitioned, but such towns are still too close to the capital to be out of range of Imperial aircrafts. We could stop there for a day, two at most, but then we won't be safe if we stay, so we recommend we move further along the railway."

    "To where, then?"

    "Ulanuk." Loria replied laconically, everyone who heard him turning around only for him to say nothing else, 'letting' the Lieutenant explain once again.

    "Yes, that is the best sensible choice. Ulanuk is the largest industrial center before the Urals, and thanks to the geographic position, it's quite a strategic position for any enemy who managed to surpass Moskva and plans to reach the mountain range to secure their conquests. In addition, while the Party in the area were left with little to no manpower to rebuild our armed forces, the southern area is populated by several-"

    The train shook as if there were unexpected obstacles on the tracks, some soldiers and other individuals who were standing clinging to what was within reach of their hands to avoid falling to the floor.

    "What happened?!" One of them, on the opposite side of the train from Loria, shouted in a tone totally lacking in patience toward the soldier nearest to him.

    "Be calm, comrade minister. It seems that at the moment something has happened further on, but I am convinced-"

    Unfortunately for the soldier, he would never finish that sentence, because just then an explosion erupted from the previous carriage, and a rain of fire and death fell on the train. Loria barely had time to see the blaze before the displacement of air hurled the body of the now deceased soldier onto him, as the carriage shook and overheated, cries of death and suffering filling the air and alternating with new explosions and flashes of heat.

    He felt a twinge piercing his shoulder, then another jolt made his head impact against the metal bulkhead, losing consciousness on impact.



    When Loria regained his senses, the first thing he noticed was the smell. The surrounding air, far from the neutral smell with some traces of cigar from when the train was in motion, now reeked with a brisk mixed odor of gunpowder and nitroglycerin, ash and soot produced by a recent fire, congealed blood, and, last but not least, the classic bittersweet smell of a human body at the beginning of the decomposition process.

    The soldier's body blocked his view, pinning him to the ground. It wasn't easy, but eventually Loria managed to push him to the side enough to stand up, barely holding back a cry of pain when a twinge came from his right leg, his shoulder now throbbing with bleeding pain, the holes in his uniform a clear indication that something had pierced him through, like improvised shrapnel.

    It was only then, that he could fully admire the surrounding devastation.

    The train car was overturned on its side, its iron frame crumpled in on itself, large holes present in the side, the furniture and interior decorations badly damaged and covered in blood. And everywhere, almost 'decorating' the devastation, the lifeless and partially dismembered corpses of the other soldiers and party leaders who had failed to escape the effects of the explosion.

    "Nроклинать!" Loria cursed as he tried to move on his shaky legs, his right hand trying to dab the pain in his left shoulder. What could have happened? Perhaps the Empire had long-range artillery, and they had used them to hit the railroad? An air attack? Or perhaps something else? The train was equipped with anti-aircraft machine guns, so any aircraft that tried to attack them would have been intercepted and shot down before they could get within useful range to attack so... was it the work of the artillery?

    The high temperature in the room, and the confirmation that several principles of fire were still active, were enough to prompt Loria not to stand idle but instead to get out of that mortal trap as fast as he could and look for help. Surely, there were other survivors, maybe they were gathering just outside, he would only have to find them and take charge, so they could focus on bring him back to safety.

    After a few minutes of slow, painful walking, Loria could see the full extent of the devastation that hit them. The train was broken in several points, the warehouse car where they were carrying their weapons and ammunitions had blown up, as did the two artillery cars placed on opposite ends of the train, the steel that should've stopped any bullet or cannon shell deformed by whatever hit it, the first strike probably having kickstarted secondary explosions all over the train's length. And since both the warehouses cars of food and medicines were placed next to the artillery cars, in order to booster their own protection...

    Loria jerked in pain as his aching muscles finally managed to push off the already damaged door of the car, allowing him to get out of the train as he coughed, his lungs struggling to push out the ashes he had breathed out of his organism. The train had stopped in a savage area, far away from any settlement who could have provided help, the carcass of the wrecked train emanating a tall cloud of black smoke that was visible for miles. That meant that, if the Empire was aware of their current predicament, they would send their fastest units to secure the position and scavenge everything they could save.

    I don't have much time. Loria realized as he looked around, almost expecting the angry expression of the Russy Liberation Army cavalrymen to appear around him. His damaged legs wouldn't allow him to walk for too long, let alone run, so unless he found something that could assist him, or someone, the chance of escaping were very low. Maybe, if he hid among the other bodies among the train and waited for the enemies to leave? No, the enemy would surely foresee this possibility, and any body who wasn't 100% guaranteed to be dead would surely receive a lead bullet in their head to make sure they would stay that way. Moreover, even with the train being destroyed and burning, who said the enemy soldiers wouldn't take advantage of the situation to inspect it, looking for any valuable they could pillage, or supposed 'secret plans' to facilitate their own operations.

    Thus, stay in the train was not an option either, no matter how painful it was for Loria to move or what food or other stuff may had survived the disaster. But maybe, to move just enough to be outside of the search area and hide, hoping that the Empire's goons wouldn't find him until-

    "Well well well." a squeaky voice said, a noise like that produced by wind air in the background, said when Loria looked around, trying to locate its source. "Look who it is."

    Loria looked up, and that's when he realized. It was not the Empire's artillery that had hit his train, but something much worse. Something that could move quickly across the battlefield, and whose destructive and combat potential was equal to that of an entire artillery group, or perhaps a tank division. It was a devastating, fast and versatile weapon whose presence on the battlefields of Europe had enshrined, time and again, the Empire's victory.

    The force that had struck Dakia as soon as it entered the conflict, reducing their advancing forces to ashes and burning its capital, killing its royal family in the process.

    The force that had slaughtered the Entente mages, causing untold losses and paving the way for the landing at Orse, which many modern strategists already considered the most profitable gamble in modern military history.

    The force that had sowed death and destruction on the Rhine, striking at the heart of the nerve center of the Republic's chain of command, and whose successes and glories had been rewarded by allowing them to occupy first, along with the rest of the advancing troops, the former enemy capital abandoned by its own government.

    The force that had first dared to violate the skies of Moskva, devastating its command buildings and major industrial plants, and had raised the banners of the Empire and the previous regime and chanted the Czar's ancient hymn, a veritable affront to the Federation for whom the action had been on a par with a declaration of war.

    The deadliest war machine on the continent, and perhaps, in the world.

    The Imperial mages. And, in particular, their commanders, two officers whose effectiveness and cruelty was surpassed only by the apparent innocence of their faces and bodies.

    "Minister Loria." Degurechaff said with a wicked grin on her lips, clearly happily surprised by the situation . "What a coincidence to find you... here."

    "F-for you I am the Premier!" Loria replied in a fit of anger and pride, realizing a second too late that he should have kept his mouth shut.

    "Oh, so now you are the leader of the Federation, huh?" Another voice spoke, and a mage whose biological age must have been equal to Tanya's, but clearly male and with pitch black hair. "How the mighty have fallen!"

    Loria said nothing, as the focus on his past hunger kept flying right in front of his eyes, almost teasing him, provoking, making his body tense, even as his bones ached and his muscles kept screaming in pain. His hand left the shoulder, maybe to try and find a rock he could use, to throw at them, or maybe-

    Then the gunshot blow in his ear, the bullet crushed trough his forehead, killing him instantly as his body fell down, the Imperial mages all scattering around the remains of the train, to make sure there weren't any other survivors of the crash.

    So it died the last Premier of the Federation.
    ​
     
    Last edited:
  • Threadmarks
    • Trunko said:
    "Nроклинать!" Loria cursed as she tried to move on her shaky legs, her right hand trying to dab the pain in her left shoulder.
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    For most of the chapter Loria was described with male pronouns, so I assume these are errors, unless Loria has bouts of personality disorder, gender confusion, or is possessed by a feminine ghost?
    Trunko said:
    I don't have much time. Loria realized as she looked around, almost expecting the angry expression of the Russy Liberation Army cavalrymen to appear around him.
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    Trunko said:
    "F-for you I am the Premier!" Loria replied in a fit of anger and pride, realizing a second too late that she should have kept her mouth shut.
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    Same error on these parts.

    So ends the Russy federation. And with it, the rise and return of the Russy Empire.
     
    marids said:
    For most of the chapter Loria was described with male pronouns, so I assume these are errors, unless Loria has bouts of personality disorder, gender confusion, or is possessed by a feminine ghost?



    Same error on these parts.

    So ends the Russy federation. And with it, the rise and return of the Russy Empire.
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    Thank you, fixed the typos already.

    Also, the Federation government has fallen. Should I show the last days of the Federation and the full restoration of our Czarina as the new sovereign, or should I skip it?
     
    Trunko said:
    Should I show the last days of the Federation and the full restoration of our Czarina as the new sovereign, or should I skip it?
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    Don't skip it. It would be good way to wrap up the Russy story arc by giving it a proper ending to conclude it. You also have a chance to show any potential consequence and repercussion from the Empire's actions for their part in it, along with any hints for future developments if you wanted to.
     
    marids said:
    Don't skip it. It would be good way to wrap up the Russy story arc by giving it a proper ending to conclude it. You also have a chance to show any potential consequence and repercussion from the Empire's actions for their part in it, along with any hints for future developments if you wanted to.
    Click to expand...
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    Plus, it would allow me to close a 'certain' subplot thread.
     
    Trunko said:
    Also, the Federation government has fallen. Should I show the last days of the Federation and the full restoration of our Czarina as the new sovereign, or should I skip it?
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    I would show some of it but Have it done through a third party like a radio broadcast or a newspaper and show the coronation with the main characters pov.
     
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