Maniopol was quickly thrown into chaos after being occupied by Azoff, but not everyone fled in fear.
“Nasser! Gather your men and secure this blockade! sh**t anything that moves if they’re from Okhraine!”
“Major Marvan! I’ve completed the assembly of the battalion. Everyone has gathered except for those whose whereabouts are unknown.”
Despite the unexpected surprise attack, Major Marvan of the 1st Battalion of the Azoff National Liberation Front maintained his composure to the fullest.
Due to the rapid collapse of the front lines, he ordered his forces to halt the enemy’s advance before Colonel Abdul Jabaddedehtan could regroup his troops.
Though the scale of the enemy wasn’t clear, given that the battlefield was in the heart of the city, the enemy troops were likely scattered just as much as his own.
‘They can be halted if we deploy our forces in the buildings before the reinforcements arrive.’
The place he had in mind was the market square of Maniopol. While the interior of the market was protected by low buildings, the entrance was wide open, making it an ideal spot for concentrating firepower after taking cover.
Marvan, who was recognized for his wisdom by the strategist Sahadin, was among the most skilled commanders who landed in Maniopol.
He swiftly deployed his forces to the market square. However, something felt off.
There was only one market square in the city. Given its abundance of food, it was likely that soldiers had been having fun here, and merchants who couldn’t escape were coerced into staying at their posts.
“It’s too quiet, isn’t it?”
“……”
The sounds of battle continued to reach them. Judging from the proximity, both enemy and friendly forces seemed to be engaging in close combat nearby.
Was the force stationed at the market square responding to the fight?
Major Marvan’s mind raced. If his prediction was correct, it would be right to fortify the market square immediately with his forces.
But what was this unsettling feeling? He also felt like someone was watching him.
“First, tell the soldiers to occupy each building.”
“Yes, sir…”
Bang!! Bang!!!
Then, Major Marvan’s premonition turned into a horrific reality with the barrage of bullets raining down from all directions.
“What the hell! Where did that come from, gaaah!!”
A soldier screamed as he was hit in the thigh, and his comrade who tried to support him had his head shattered, turning into pulp.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!!
“Take them all out!”
From the 2nd Platoon under the 8th Aerial Mage Infantry Combat Unit,
Under Lieutenant Luna Aire’s command, her subordinates responded with lead and incendiary grenades. Caught in a surprise attack by bullets fired from windows and grenades thrown everywhere, Azoff was helpless.
The ‘ambush order’ from Chief of Staff Joseph to Captain Enok Revendale.
After quickly neutralizing the Azoff forces entrenched in the market square, Lieutenant Luna deployed her troops throughout the buildings.
Initially, she wondered why she was ordered to ambush rather than launch an immediate offensive. Now, she understood the reason.
A considerable force. Probably, they were planning to launch a counter-offensive or fortify the center leading to the city hall to slow down the advance.
If they had seized the market square first, the casualties there would have been her own troops instead of Azoff’s.
“k*ll them all! As the battalion commander said, no prisoners!”
Bang!! Boom!! Bang!
Caught in the relentless assault of the 2nd Platoon, the 1st Battalion led by Marvan fell into complete panic.
There was no chance to retreat amidst the crossfire. They were caught. The enemy already knew their battalion was coming here.
They had simply been waiting, like a lion waiting for a foolish gazelle to fully expose its neck.
“Retreat! Retreat!!”
Though Marvan belatedly issued the order, the soldiers had already fled in disarray.
There was no order left in the 1st Battalion. All that remained were fleeing soldiers desperately trying to escape.
“Battalion Commander! You must withdraw!!”
The sight of soldiers turning into corpses on the streets in mere seconds snapped Marvan back to reality. His aide’s voice brought him to his senses.
“You must retreat now to have any chance of counterattacking! Don’t give up here!”
Yes. It wasn’t time yet. There was no time to wait. Though ambushed, they weren’t completely defeated. By saving as many troops as possible and retreating, they could regroup with the main force and launch a counterattack.
Just as Marvan and his aide prepared to retreat, a gunshot echoed clearly in his ears.
Major Marvan collapsed where he stood. In his blurry vision, he saw his aide’s face soaked in bl**d.
That was the last scene Marvan ever saw.
*
“Colonel! Word from the 1st Battalion! Battalion Commander deceased! The battalion is completely annihilated!”
“The temporary defense line set up by the 3rd Platoon has been breached! A massive battleship is firing cannons from the sky!!”
“Colonel, word from the reserves! The troops are completely scattered and out of control. Furthermore, reports say a woman is casting spells, turning the battlefield into a mess. At this rate of advance, the enemy will reach us within hours…”
Bang!!
In the midst of the bewildering report, Colonel Abdul Jabaddedehtan fired his pistol at the sky. The terrified voices ceased abruptly.
“Don’t just scream like a bunch of girls! Come up with a proper plan!”
Abdul’s furious roar made the key figures of the Azoff National Liberation Front 2nd Battalion cower in fear.
It was then that Sahadin stepped forward.
“The enemy’s advance speed is faster than expected. We won’t be able to conduct a delaying action this way.”
“How can the Okhraine forces be so strong?!”
“According to frontline reports, it doesn’t seem to be the 32nd Division. Soldiers are calling them ‘Black Wing Demons’ due to their pitch-black uniforms, which have struck terror into their hearts.”
Black Wing Demon.
This was a story Abdul Jabaddedehtan was familiar with.
A legendary entity that descends from the sky to take the breath of those living on the ground. In Azoff folk beliefs, it symbolized destruction and slaughter.
“There are also unconfirmed reports of ‘Thunder Killer’ sightings.”
“Thunder Killer?! Are you saying Claude Rain has been deployed to Maniopol…?”
A clear sense of dread appeared in Abdul Jabaddedehtan’s eyes. Was there any name more terrifying to the Azoff than Claude Rain?
He was truly deserving of the title “Black Wing Demon.” An evil that scattered purple lightning and turned dozens of warriors into corpses in an instant.
Even when shot, he would rise like a ghost and attack, stabbing the enemy’s neck with a kn*fe.
Ten years ago, when Abdul had attacked Maniopol, he had merely hidden helplessly while his comrades were being slaughtered by Claude Rain.
Those brass-colored eyes that overwhelmed him with just a glance. That memory still haunted Abdul Jabaddedehtan to this day.
“Colonel Abdul, we need to retreat. With only two battalions left, we should break through the western encirclement and join forces with our allies in Fort Morok before more troops are wasted.”
Only Sahadin, the strategist of the 2nd Battalion, remained calm even in such a dire situation.
Sahadin believed the forces landing in Maniopol and currently attacking were from the 32nd Division. Although it was possible they belonged to a different unit, based on the reports, at least one battalion had been deployed.
Based on his thorough research of the Okhraine army’s organization and strategy, he concluded that only the reserves of the 32nd Division could mobilize such forces quickly and on this scale.
In other words, the 32nd Division had taken a gamble.
They pulled troops from the west, which were difficult to deploy, to land in Maniopol and sent troops to the north and west gates to pressure from all sides.
Now, with the assault inside the city underway, attacking the weakened west with just two battalions might be enough. Against a gambler, another gambler must respond accordingly.
If they were already in this predicament, shouldn’t they at least try to recover some of their losses?
“Luckily, the cavalry can be fully mobilized. They can weaken the encirclement, and with the follow-up forces expanding the breakthrough, we can reach Fort Morok.”
“Alright… do it.”
However, Field Commander Abdul had almost lost all hope. He was crushed by the sudden change in the tide of war and the name Claude Rain.
Ultimately, Sahadin took over the command of the breakout operation instead of Abdul.
The 2nd Battalion of Azoff left behind minimal forces to delay and troops whose whereabouts were unknown in Maniopol, and broke through the western gate to start their advance.
Of course, this move was within the expectations of Enok Revendale and Joseph Lebandovsky.
Upon confirming the advancing 2nd Battalion of Azoff opening the western gate, Major Kinvel Lezanchev of the 32nd Division dispatched his 18th Cavalry Regiment.
Thinking they were facing only infantry, the Azoff cavalry charged head-on into the overwhelming wave of cavalry, which was probably ten times their size.
They were utterly crushed.
The vanguard of our cavalry vanished without a trace, but despite hastily forming a defensive formation, the Azoff 2nd Battalion was met with the artillery fire of the 101st Artillery Battalion of the 32nd Division, which had been occupying the high ground.
Unlike the coastal defense guns of the coast guard, which were in poor condition, the 32nd Division’s artillery was always well-maintained, ensuring no ‘misfires’ occurred.
As dozens of shells rained down on the tightly packed defensive formation, the only thing the Azoff infantry, who were mere foot soldiers, could do was lie flat on the ground and beg for their lives.
The earth-shaking bombardment. The sound of galloping horses grew closer across the vast plain.
Once again, Sahadin realized too late that they had walked into a trap. But the defense line at the western gate, which they had thought they had easily overcome in a light skirmish, was unexpectedly reinforced by an enormous infantry force.
The intact 124th Infantry Regiment.
Despite gathering every ounce of their strength, the 2nd Battalion of Azoff, with only two battalions, was trapped in a perfect encirclement of cavalry, artillery, and infantry.
It didn’t take long for the bl**d of the conquerors who had captured the city in five hours to be spattered across the plain.
