Ch. 14: Armed Resistance
The battle between the Black Army and the Imperial Japanese forces still raged on. Both sides were still bombarding one another with a barrage of artillery shells. Every few seconds, large explosions could be seen or heard on either side of the battle field.
Zero was observing the battle from on top of the hill via a pair of binoculars while Capt. Gang was analyzing a map he was holding. From his position, Zero could see in the distance chunks of dirt being blasted into the air as each shell hit its target. While scanning the battlefield, Zero noticed three trucks full of Japanese soldiers moving along the west side of the hill.
"Capt. Gang! I just spotted enemy forces on our western flank. Tell artillery batteries 6, 7, and 11 to target this general area." commanded Zero as he pointed to a specific spot on the map. "Also alert our men stationed at the 1st line of defense."
"Yes sir!" said Capt. Gang as he saluted. He immediately went to two messengers and told them to transfer Zero's orders to the designated units. The messengers immediately ran off once they got their orders.
As commanded by Zero, the three artillery batteries stationed closer to the western side of the hill re-calculated their coordinates, adjusted their aim, and loaded their guns. The three enemy trucks meanwhile continued driving down the road. The soldiers in it, each bearing a rifle, were keeping their eyes open for anything. Once the trucks were within the firing range of the artillery, all the guns simultaneously fired. The Japanese soldiers being transported could hear a series of explosions occurring nearby before the sound of raining shells were heard. Within a second, one of the trucks exploded while the two others starting swerving back and forth due to the multiple artillery blasts peppering the road around them.
Though two of the trucks manage to escape, the soldiers on them saw the aftermath of the bombardment. The road behind them was littered with craters, charred corpses, or burning truck debris. The soldiers just merely tried to swallow any doubts in their mind and concentrated on their mission.
Main Hill - Western Side
Up ahead of the two trucks were Black Army soldiers hiding behind the many trees and rocks that covered the hills around the road. Some of them had rifles while a few had set up machine guns. All the soldiers, hearing the upcoming trucks, immediately aimed their rifles in preparation for the enemy. Once the two trucks came into view, the Black Army immediately started shooting. The Japanese soldiers, being utterly surprised, were being shot one by one. One of the bullets even hit the driver of one of the trucks, causing the truck to swerve to the side and crash into a tree.
As the soldiers from the truck that crashed were trying to get up, the second truck behind them immediately stopped and all the Japanese soldiers hopped out of the back of the truck. They immediately fired back at the Black Army. Though the trees, hills, and rocks managed to protect the Black Army, some soldiers were still mauled by Japanese bullets. Both armies started firing at one another, causing bullets to whiz through the air in all directions. As each second passed, the number of Japanese and Black Army casualties increased.
If the Japanese forces managed to get close to the Black Army soldiers in hiding, the Black Army would simply retreat backwards into the hills and forests. As a result, the Japanese soldiers ran after them. However, as they were running down the road, the Black Army's machine guns suddenly had perfect aim at the Japanese. Within a second, a barrage of bullets mowed down the advancing Japanese soldiers, causing them to instantly fall down dead. Any soldier that was lucky enough to avoid death immediately retreated. The Black Army repeated this strategy again whenever the Japanese sent more forces down their way.
Main Hill - Eastern Side
Trucks carrying dozens of soldiers could be seen by Black Army soldiers hiding within the forests. Dozens of Black Army soldiers were scattered around the various hills around the road. Due to their high elevation, the Black Army had a clearer aim on the enemy. Within a second, the various Black Army soldiers on the top of the hills started to kill the Japanese soldiers one by one.
Realizing the ambush, the Japanese immediately hopped out and prepared to traverse the hills being occupied by the Black Army. As they charged up each of the hills, the Japanese soldiers aimed their rifles or pistols at the hiding Black Army forces. Multiple shots could be heard as a few Black Army soldiers fell down.
The Black Army naturally fired back while hiding behind the many trees. Large splinters of wood starting being shot through the air due to the bullets ricocheting off the many trees surrounding the two forces. As the Japanese continued their upward advance, the Black Army resorted to using their back-up plan. They each took out 1-2 grenades, pulled the pins, and threw them down the hill. Gravity caused them to roll even faster towards the incoming Japanese soldiers.
"BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!" could be heard while dust and smoke filled the air. When the smoke and dust cleared, one could see many Japanese corpses lining the hill. The Japanese, out of pure determination and a strong will to fight, charged up the hill with the bayonets on the end of their rifle being aimed at the Black Army. The Black Army resumed shooting at the Japanese. Once the Japanese were too close, the Black Army charged downwards. As a result, Japanese and Black Army soldiers started to physically fight one another. Soldiers were either bayoneting the other or simply using the ends of their rifles as clubs.
Heian-nan Garrison HQ
While the other lower officers were relaying commands from inside the building, Hasegawa was outside carefully reviewing the battlefield. Smoke could be seen rising above the distant tree lines while semi-deafening explosions could be heard repeatedly. If an artillery shell hit a nearby area, Hasegawa could literally feel vibrations moving through the earth beneath him. Groups of soldiers were also being prepared to be sent down one of the two roads.
"I know you're out there Zero. Just a matter of time until I smoke you out of your hole." grumbled Hasegawa as he was grinding his teeth. Suddenly General Ikeda appeared right by Hasegawa's side.
"My Lord, are you ok out here? I mean artillery shells are falling down all over the place." asked the concerned general.
"No I am perfectly fine. I want to see the battlefield with my own two eyes. That way I will be able to more effectively lead the final charge up the front side of the hill up ahead." replied Hasegawa.
"You're actually going to physically be leading the charge?" asked a stunned General Ikeda.
"Me personally. I would love to, yet my body has worn down by time. However, I want to witness first hand their determination and loyalty as they charge. I also want to be there to see Zero's destruction." answered Hasegawa. "Speaking of which, how are the preparations for the charge going?"
"Pretty ok. However, I am concerned we are concentrating too much of our resources on this final charge and not enough on the two forces attempting to encircle the whole hill." responded General Ikeda. The general then took out a report from his pocket and showed it to Hasegawa. "As you can see here, our troops on the front lines are experiencing difficulties."
"Difficulties meaning..." said Hasegawa.
"Well the soldiers we try to send down either road are being ambushed by enemy forces hiding in the forests located on the various hills surrounding the area. Enemy artillery is also taking out some of our men also." said General Ikeda.
"Guerilla tactics huh?" replied Hasegawa. "Interesting. Well if that's the game they want to play, then I shall. General, command all artillery batteries to start bombarding the hills adjacent to both roads. Maybe a barrage of shells will protect the movement of our forces."
"Very well my Lord." responded General Ikeda before he excused himself. The Japanese artillery batteries adjusted their aim and starting shelling the forests the Black Army was using for cover.
Main Hill - Top (Provisional Black Army Command)
Zero, using his binoculars once more, scanned the battlefield to see how the battle was going. On both sides of the hill, Zero saw the roads were filled with destroyed trucks and large craters. However, he could still see a stream of Japanese soldiers advancing down both paths while his forces were in the hills, using their machine guns and rifles to pick off the Japanese. Capt. Gang then immediately interrupted his thought when he tapped his shoulder.
"Zero. Just received status report from Lt. Jo." said Capt. Gang.
"Go on..." Zero replied.
"According to Lt. Jo, the evacuation is going partially smoothly. He states the forces on both sides of the hill are doing a good job preventing the Japanese to fully encircle us and cut off our only escape route." said Capt. Gang. "His men however have suffered casualties caused by enemy artillery and mortars."
"That's good. It is essential we evacuate everything we can as soon as possible." added Zero.
Suddenly a series of loud "BOOOOMS!" could be heard coming from both sides of the hills. The sound was so loud, it momentarily gave Zero, Capt. Gang, and anyone else who heard it a headache. Large fireballs could suddenly be seen erupting from the various hills being used by the Black Army units guarding the roads.
Wanting to see the what was going on exactly, Zero looked through his binoculars once more and viewed one of the hills. He could see his soldiers either shooting or bayonetting the enemy on the hills. Within a second however, a large red fire ball engulfed everyone. Once the fire ball dissipated, all Zero could see was a large crater, crushed trees, and burning bodies.
"They must be concentrating their artillery fire on our hiding spots." said Zero.
Suddenly three more large explosions could be heard nearby. Each one apparently took out 4-5 Black Army soldiers, along with a chunk of the hill.
"So they found the pawns I had meticulously placed. But it seems that they are going to take out my pawns through their knights and bishops, hoping to break my lines. However I can simply remedy that."thought Zero.
"Sir, what are your next orders?" asked Capt. Gang.
"Transfer some of the forces monitoring the southern side of the hill to the west and east ones." commanded Zero.
"Won't that weaken the southern side?" asked Capt. Gang.
"The southern side is the steepest, and practically every military handbook says never to charge an enemy on higher ground. Viceroy Hasegawa doesn't seem like the guy who would recklessly lead a seemingly pointless charge. I still will have some forces defending the south, but the western and eastern flanks are the most important. If they are broken, Lt. Jo. is in deep trouble." explained Zero.
"Very well sir!" yelled Capt. Gang. He then went to one of the commanders of the southern forces and delivered Zero's order to them. About half of the southern forces were immediately redeployed on the western and eastern flanks.
Main Hill - West Side
The Black Army continued defending the road while also trying to evade the enemy bombardments. Rifles on both sides were being shot by the second, causing more corpses to fill the streets. The sound of bullets whizzing through the air was also accompanied by the thunderous explosions of artillery shells. It then seemed to be that both forces were equally strong, meaning the battle would turn into one determined by attrition.
Suddenly the Black Army forces found aid in the form of the redeployed southern troops. The new addition allowed the Black Army to slowly overpower the Japanese forces. However, the Japanese responded by sending in a truckload full of soldiers carrying machine guns of various sizes. Once they managed to set them up, the machine guns started spitting out bullets like crazy. The Black Army's machine guns immediately started mowing as many Japanese troops it could find.
Within a few seconds, both sides suffered dozens of casualties. Some of the injured soldiers were retrieved and transferred to Lt. Jo.'s forces heading north. Many other injured soldiers couldn't be reached due to the battle, therefore meaning they were left to die in the midst of the battle.
Main Hill - East Side
The east side of the hill was really no different than the western one. Despite the increased artillery bombardment, the Black Army's southern forces managed to reinforce the eastern defenses. Both sides continued shooting streams of bullets at one another via rifles, pistols, or machine guns.
Others simply continued charging into the enemy bayonet first. Most soldiers who were bayoneted simply fell to the ground while grasping on their wounds, waiting for a medic. However, most of them didn't survive their wounds and simply bled to death. As a result, blood-soaked corpses suddenly started to pile up on the battlefield.
The battlefield became even worst when smoke from the artillery blasts and burning truck fuel started filling the air. The thick, dark smoke reduced visibility, therefore making it extremely difficult for both sides to see their targets. As a result, neither side could gain the upper hand.
Heian-nan Garrison HQ
After reviewing the maps and reports in the garrison's war room, General Ikeda walked back outside to find Hasegawa. Ikeda immediately found Hasegawa in the same spot, scanning the battlefield in the distance via his binoculars. Once getting Hasegawa's attention, Ikeda bowed his head before speaking.
"My Lord! Receiving reports from company alpha and beta. Both are reporting heavy enemy resistance. The number of casualties has also increased sir. Casualty estimates: about 400-800." stated the general. "Response?"
"Resistance? I'm surprised that we haven't been able to break their lines despite our concentrated artillery bombardments and increased troop deployment." said Hasegawa as he was viewing through his binoculars the main hill in the distance.
He concentrated particularly on the southern side of the hill, the side of the hill that was visible from his point of view. After a few seconds of meticulous thinking and strategizing, Hasegawa lowered his binoculars.
"General! Tell Colonel Kanaka to mobilize the 8th Regiment. I think it's time for our next move." commanded Hasegawa.
"The 8th Regiment? The one you prepared for the charge? Are you sure it's time?" asked General Ikeda.
"It is by no doubt the best time." answered a smiling Hasegawa. "As I predicted Zero redeployed his southern forces to his west and east flanks. That's the only logical explanation on why our forces haven't managed to break though enemy lines despite us putting more pressure on them."
"As you wish my Lord. Any other commands sir?" asked General Ikeda.
"Actually there is General. Retrieve me a horse. I plan to command this charge whilst in the midst of it." said Hasegawa.
General Ikeda followed Hasegawa's orders and told the 8th Regiment to mobilize itself. Within a few minutes, hundreds of Japanese soldiers suddenly organized themselves into line formation before proceeding to march towards the hill in the distance. Behind the marching soldiers were Viceroy Hasegawa and Colonel Kanaka, a young man in his late thirties, on horseback.
"Are you strong enough my Lord to actually get close to the battlefield? I mean, you are in you're late 60's." asked a concerned Colonel Kanaka.
"Nonsense Colonel. I'm still strong enough to at least get close to the front lines so I can rally my troops. I also want to show Zero that he picked the wrong commander to face." answered Hasegawa. Both the Viceroy and the Colonel resumed riding their horses towards the hill.
"Zero...I've heard from people on the street that they call you "the Man who Makes Miracles". Well, let's put that nickname of yours to the ultimate test." thought an extremely determined Hasegawa.
Main Hill - Top (Provisional Black Army Command)
Zero was continuing reviewing incoming reports and maps while Capt. Gang. was checking the status on Lt. Jo and the evacuation process. Capt. Gang went to the Zero, who was standing under an outdoor tent. He was speaking with a scout who had arrived with some new information. Once the scout left, Zero made a few marks on the map laid on the table in front of him.
"Zero! Evacuation progress is currently about 75% finished." said Capt. Gang.
"Thank you Captain." responded Zero. "I also just received reports from both of our flanks. We have lost some men, but the lines have so far looked stable. The evacuation should be fine as long as we can keep this up."
Once Zero finished speaking, another scout came running towards him at breakneck speeds. He was almost out of breath when he stopped in front of Zero.
"Zero...south...side...forces...spotted..." said the scout as he panted.
"Calm down. Tell us real slowly what you spotted." said Capt. Gang.
"Me and a few others in my unit spotted in the distance hundreds of Japanese soldiers marching from the south in formation." explained the exhausted scout.
"What?! Which way did it look like they were going? West? East?" asked a surprised Zero.
"Well Zero, it looked like to us that they weren't preparing to move to the west or east. It almost looks like they are preparing to charge the hill from the south." continued explaining the scout.
"WHAT!" said a now shocked Zero. Suddenly the black gloves Zero was wearing tightened up as he clenched his fists.
"So that's your angle Hasegawa? I knew you were bold and daring, but I didn't actually think you would resort to a move like this. Though I can't say I am impressed of your plan to have me divert my southern forces to my western and eastern flanks, therefore exposing an opening through our defenses. You assume that I would think a direct attack on the south would not occur, however..." thought Zero as he tapped his finger on the table.
"Zero! What exactly should we do? Our southern defenses have been reduced by half due to the weakening western and eastern defenses. We can't possibly hold back an army consisting of hundreds of soldiers!" yelled a panicked Capt. Gang.
"Capt. Gang! I want you to go to Lt. Jo and alert him of this new intel. Tell him to that we are going to evacuate 80% of our resources. His security is of utmost importance." commanded Zero.
"And what about you Zero?" asked Capt. Gang.
"I will gather the remaining the resources we have available and hold back the Japanese army heading our way as long as we can." explained Zero. He then grabbed a large cylinder with a fuse sticking out the top from a nearby open box. "This here is a powerful smoke bomb. When this is lit, a large amount of red smoke will rise into the air. Tell all remaining units to retreat immediately without hesitation if they see the red smoke."
"Very well Zero. I shall deliver this order to all our remaining forces." said Capt. Gang.
He and Zero saluted one another before they went their separate ways. Zero immediately told all the remaining southern forces that were with him to prepare all defenses. Soldiers positioned themselves behind trees while others were using empty boxes and large pieces of the wooden cabins to create barricades. All available mortars, artillery, and machine guns were positioned and prepared.
"Now then..." thought Zero as he stared into the distance.
Main Hill - Southern Side (Base)
Hasegawa's 8th Regiment, which consisted of hundreds of well equipped Japanese soldiers, was getting close to the base of the hill. Most of the soldiers were carrying rifles equipped with bayonets. Some of them even had their sabers drawn out. In the rear of the regiment were a few artillery divisions saved for this assault.
Within a second, the whole regiment was commanded to halt their marching. As the regiment stood perfectly still, Viceroy Hasegawa and Colonel Kanaka both rode towards the front, making sure the whole regiment could see them.
"Soldiers of the 8th Regiment!" yelled Hasegawa. "Our magnificent empire has been challenged by a scoundrel who claims to fight for honor and justice! He has brought chaos and anarchy to the colony of ChÅsen! He is the ultimate threat to Japan's destiny! And he is right on top of this hill behind me! Gentlemen! Today we shall regain our honor by destroying this demon! IN THE NAME OF HIS MAJESTY THE EMPEROR AND THE IMPERIAL JAPANESE EMPIRE...CHAAAAARRRGE!"
Once Hasegawa yelled out the command to charge, he proudly drew his saber from his scabbard and triumphantly pointed it towards the top of the hill. Within a millisecond, practically all the Japanese soldiers started to run towards the hill. The sound of the hundreds of soldiers charging towards the base of the hill echoed all over the area.
"ZERO, YOU'RE MINE NOW!" thought Hasegawa as he watched his strong, determined soldiers charging pass him.
Main Hill - Top (Provisional Black Army Command)
From on top of the hill, the Black Army soldiers who were hiding behind the trees and barricades suddenly saw in the distance a giant mass of tan uniforms moving towards them.
"GET READY FOR IT!" yelled one of the soldiers behind a tree.
When the first wave of Japanese soldiers were visible at the bottom, all the Black Army soldiers immediately started to aim their rifles at them. Once they were in full view, a whole volley of rifle shots could be heard. About of dozen Japanese soldiers on the bottom were either wounded or killed. However, this just motivated the Japanese to charge even faster. Suddenly the Black Army could see a wave of sabers and bayonets coming their way.
"BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!" was repeatedly heard as the Black Army shot at the wave of Japanese soldiers. The Japanese soldiers brandishing rifles retaliated harshly by sending seemingly continuous streams of bullets towards the Black Army. Suddenly soldiers on both sides started falling dead as each second passed by.
Meanwhile the Black Army's rear mortar and field gun divisions were all loaded and ready to fire. All the soldiers manning the artillery divisions were in position waiting for their commands.
"FIRE!" yelled a Black Army artillery officer.
Suddenly loud explosions were heard as large puffs of smoke were ejected from each of the artillery barrels. The shells shot from the field guns whizzed passed the defending Black Army and rammed into the Japanese forces. More large explosions immediately followed. As the thick smoke started to dissipate, one could see parts of the Japanese front lines were obliterated. The Japanese simply moved more spare men from the back to fill in the gaps in the front.
"LOAD ANOTHER ROUND!" yelled the Black Army's artillery officer.
The shells shot from the Black Army's mortars were hovering in above the attacking Japanese forces for a second before falling back down to the ground. Each of the mortar shells exploded upon falling onto the Japanese. But like before, the Japanese simply filled in the gaps and continued their assault.
Zero was behind the front lines observing the battle with his binoculars. He suddenly saw the Japanese forces 1/3 of the way up the hill, despite suffering about 100-200 casualties within the past 10 minutes. He also saw his forces furthest down the hill abandoning their posts in favor for ones higher up. This, however, gave the Japanese a perfect shot. A dozen or so Black Army soldiers suddenly were instantly shot when attempting to move to higher ground.
"Seeing some of my essential pieces being slaughtered like game discomforts me greatly. Sacrifice, though, is an unavoidable aspect of war. Just have to wait a little longer until everything is in position." thought Zero as he lowered his binoculars.
"Zero! 1st line of defense is weakening severely! 2nd line is also facing heavy casualties from enemy mortars along with low amounts of ammo! Orders?" asked a Black Army officer who appeared on the scene.
"Tell both lines to hold their positions with whatever they got and to only move to rear defenses if all other options have been eliminated." commanded Zero.
In the corner of his eye, the officer saw six bottle-shaped objects in the sky. Apparently it looked like they were getting larger as time went by. The officer suddenly realized what they were.
"DOWN ZERO!" yelled the officer as he pushed Zero towards the ground.
Six mortar shells fell upon the top of the hill. One of the shells managed to hit a truck carrying a few boxes of ammo. The truck, along with the ammo it was carrying, instantly blew up, resulting in a tower of blazing fire to appear. Some unlucky soldiers standing near the area were either killed by the explosion itself or by the debris and bullets being blasted all over the area. Since they were face-down on the ground, Zero and the officer were left unscathed.
"Very well sir!" said the officer as he got up and ran back towards the front lines. Zero then proceeded to get up himself and saw multiple craters, corpses, and fires surrounding him.
Observing the battlefield once more, Zero saw the Black Army using the few machine guns available to mow down the Japanese troops, who were already halfway up the hill.
"Those machine guns will be able to inflict a decent amount of damage to their forces. But the enemy has a number advantage over us, therefore allowing them to replace their troops as fast as we can kill them. All they have to do is is to reach the 3/4 point until..." thought Zero.
Main Hill - Southern Side (Base)
The Japanese mortars positioned near the bottom of the hill continued firing shells into the air. Every half a minute another loud explosion could be heard as the mortars shot their shells simultaneously. Sounds of gunshots and machine guns could be heard nearby.
Nearby was Hasegawa riding his brown horse, observing the hill with a pair of binoculars. All the smoke from the guns and artillery shells made it hard to see, but Hasegawa could still see the tan uniforms of his troops. Colonel Kanaka was right next to Hasegawa, observing the battle with him.
"Progress seems very well my Lord." said Colonel Kanaka. "I'd say we are about a little more than half-way up the hill."
"Yes Colonel. That is true." responded Hasegawa. "And today will be the day where the Black Army will cease to exist."
An incoming shell suddenly came down without any notice and hit one of the nearby mortar divisions. The loud explosion scared the horses to the point they were almost about to jump backwards.
"Whoa there..." Hasegawa said to his horse. The horse then immediately calmed down and Hasegawa was back in control.
"My Lord, may I have permission to relocate myself to the left end of the regiment? I feel if I can take command over the left end, then we should be able to secure our front lines, allowing us to crush anything in front of our forces." asked Colonel Kanaka.
"You have my permission." responded Hasegawa.
Colonel Kanaka suddenly kicked his heels, causing the horse he was riding to dash to the other side of the regiment. Hasegawa meanwhile took out his binoculars once more and observed the battle.
Main Hill - Top
Hundreds of dead Japanese and Black Army soldiers were scattered all over the hillside. Despite the machine guns and well placed soldiers, the Black Army still wasn't strong enough to repel the enemy charging towards them. Most of the soldiers that were left had abandoned their posts on the hill and tried to find cover behind the barricades. The Black Army machine guns kept spewing out bullets, continuing peppering the Japanese with a barrage of bullets. But the Japanese kept the momentum of their assault.
Another machine gun could also be heard slowing down. Within a second, the machine gun shot out nothing.
"OUT OF AMMO ON MACHINE GUN 5!" yelled one of the gunners.
"OUT OF AMMO ON MACHINE GUN 2!" yelled a nearby gunner.
"SAME HERE ON #1!" yelled another gunner.
With the machine guns starting to run low on ammo, the Black Army's only real defenses were their remaining mortars along with their rifles and pistols.
"Zero! There have been reports of ammo shortage with some of our machine guns. Number of artillery shells are running low too. What should we do?" asked a concerned officer. Suddenly the ground trembled as an explosion could be heard nearby.
"It's about time..." thought Zero.
He immediately turned around to face the young Black Army officer.
"Light the smoke bomb right over there!" commanded Zero as he pointed towards the highest point of the hill.
The officer followed Zero's orders without question and took the smoke bomb Zero had given him. Once at the supposed highest point of the hill, the officer positioned it on the ground, lit the fuse with some matches he was carrying, and made sure he was a good distance away from the smoke bomb.
Within the second it was lit, the smoke bomb started expelling thick red smoke. The red smoke rose into the air, forming a towering red cloud. The red smoke could be seen every side of the hill.
When the Black Army forces defending the western and eastern sides saw the red smoke, they immediately stopped shooting at the Japanese. The commanders overseeing each hillside suddenly blew their whistles and ordered all Black Army forces to retreat. The Japanese forces were suddenly confused when they saw the Black Army retreat en masse.
Main Hill - Southern Side (Base)
All the Japanese forces could see red smoke rising from the hilltop. The mortar divisions along with the rear infantry suddenly stood where they were and looked at the smoke with awe.
Nearby was Hasegawa, now looking at the distant red smoke from atop his horse.
"What the?" Hasegawa said to himself as he looked upwards.
"My Lord! I assume you have spotted the red smoke too?" asked a nearby officer.
"Of course I have. But don't let it affect your fighting performance. The enemy is merely relying on scare tactics now." responded Hasegawa.
"Very well." said the officer before he went back to commanding the troops.
"Zero...what exactly are you planning?" thought Hasegawa as he tightly gripped his binoculars.
Main Hill - Top
As the red smoke continued to rise, the top of the hill was almost evacuated. All that was left were a few soldiers, a truck, two abandoned field guns, and the outdoor tent hanging over Zero's map table. Standing around the table was Zero, Capt. Gang, and five other soldiers.
"Capt. Gang! You and the remaining soldiers head to the truck." commanded Zero.
"Zero we can't simply abandon you. You're the commander of the Black Army." responded Capt. Gang.
"Yeah. You're the only one who can make the Japanese feel fear." responded one of the five soldiers.
"You have nothing to worry. I will meet up with you shortly." answered Zero. "However, if something were to happen to me, do not let my death mean the death of the Black Army. Zero is a symbol and therefore will always lead the Black Army, in life and in death."
Capt. Gang and the five soldiers suddenly silently looked at one another upon hearing Zero's statement.
"Very well sir. We have our full faith in you." said Capt. Gang. He along with the other five soldiers immediately saluted Zero before running towards the remaining truck.
Once they were gone, Zero took out a large hinged box that he had tinkered with earlier from under the table and carried it towards a seemingly random patch of dirt. Sticking out of the patch of dirt were three wires. Zero put down the box he was carrying and opened it up. Inside the box was a hand-cranked dynamo, a small battery, along with three telegraph-like levers. He took the three wires sticking out of the ground and attached them to each lever.
"All set." thought Zero.
He quickly turned the crank connected to the dynamo to charge the small battery. Three levers were connected to the same battery. If the levers were pressed, the electrical circuit would be complete. Once done charging the battery, Zero looked towards the south as he could hear the Japanese forces getting closer every second.
"Hasegawa...you impressed today with your logical tactics. Distracting me by sending forces on my two flanks, your assumption that I would decrease the resources on my southern side, and to unleash your full forces at the end was interesting. However, your belief that I would leave a pathway towards my king is what has led to your imminent defeat. Now feel the Black Army's strength head on!" thought Zero.
Zero's finger pressed on one of the levers, causing electricity from the battery to be sent down one of the wires leading into the ground.
Main Hill - South Side (Base)
From atop his horse, Hasegawa could see how much progress his forces had made. He then looked higher up the hill, but he couldn't see any enemy forces hiding. It had seemed to him as if the Black Army had abandoned its defensive position.
"Is everything alright my Lord?" asked a Japanese Major.
"On the contrary Major. It looks like our forces are about 80-85% up the hill. It also seems we might've scared the Black Army into retreating." answered Hasegawa, who was still looking through his binoculars.
"So it seems victory is almost ours?" asked the Major.
"I would think so. Now all we need is to find Zero or his corpse at least and..." responded Hasegawa until some vibrations traveling beneath the horse he was riding could be felt. The vibrations suddenly increased in intensity as each second passed.
An echoing "KABOOOOOM!" could be heard coming from the top of the hill. Wanting to know what happened, Hasegawa aimed his binoculars towards the hill and saw a smoking crater at the edge of the hilltop. Suddenly Hasegawa saw something he wasn't expecting. A series of cascading explosions could be seen occurring along the edge of the hilltop. It looked as if the who southern edge was lined with explosives.
The Japanese troops climbing the hill were a little shaken after feeling the vibrations of the explosions. However, the soil towards the top appeared to be rushing towards them. They had then comprehended what was coming after them, but it was too late. A large wave of dirt quickly swept the Japanese forces off their feet.
Seeing the wave of dirt swallowing the first line of troops, the Japanese soldiers following them immediately tried to run back towards the base of the hill. But this proved to be futile since the soldiers couldn't outrun the wave. As the wave continued cascading down the hill, it's speed and size increased. It eventually became strong enough to uproot some trees. Many soldiers were killed in the process via suffocation or being crushed by falling trees.
"My Lord! My Lord!" yelled out Colonel Kanaka as he was rising his horse across the hill. As Colonel Kanaka turned his head, he saw the wave of dirt carrying a large tree towards his direction. "My Lord, I am sorry."
Once Colonel Kanaka said that, the speeding tree crashed into him, therefore crushing him into the thick dirt. His horse, however, was simply knocked down, but was unable to get itself out of the dirt.
At the base of the hill, Hasegawa was in the process of getting to safety. Before he rode off, he saw a black, lone figure standing on top of the hill. Wanting to know who it was, he quickly grabbed his binoculars so he could get a better view. What he saw a young, Caucasian male, wearing a slightly more ornate Black Army uniform, along with a flat black cap and a pair of black boots. Remembering the rumors of Zero's characteristics described in his reports, Hasegawa's blood instantly boiled.
"ZERO!" yelled Hasegawa in his thoughts.
While raging over Zero, Hasegawa neglected to see the incoming wave coming towards him. Immediately Hasegawa kicked his horse to ride faster and faster. As the horse rode faster, Hasegawa looked behind and saw the wave only inches away from him. Suddenly the wave managed to catch up with Hasegawa and his horse, resulting in the horse neighing like crazy as it tried to move through thick soil. As more waves of dirt came down, it piled up around Hasegawa until he was practically covered beneath it.
Main Hill - Top
"HA HA HA HA!" laughed Zero. "Hasegawa, you expected everything from me, except for the explosives I set up around the edge of the hilltop. I guess you're not fully aware that as large amounts of dirt move down a hill, the motion causes dirt below it to move along with it, therefore increasing the intensity. And what a perfect way to eliminate a wave of troops. Hasegawa...checkmate" thought Zero as he observed the Japanese soldiers being swallowed up by the soil.
Before Zero left to meet the rest back at the truck, he charged the dynamo again and pressed the other two levers simultaneously. This immediately caused similarly set explosives to detonate on the eastern and western sides of the hill. This too caused landslides to swallow up the Japanese forces attempting to go around the hill. The landslide also filled the roads with tons of dirt and uprooted trees, meaning the Japanese wouldn't be able to use them for some time.
As Zero jumped into the back of the military truck, the driver immediately started it and drove it towards the rendezvous point. All that was left on the hilltop was burning debris, leftover weapons, and many corpses.
Author's Notes: Well, the Battle of Heian-nan is finished. The Black Army have also managed to expand their influence into some of the northern regions. However, the Black Army have yet to fully expand their influence while the Imperial Japanese are just beginning their fight against the Black Army.
Next chapter, which will be done as soon as possible, will be about the Black Army facing other powerful Imperial Japanese officials other than Hasegawa along with the Black Army going further up north where they will have to deal with some disturbances caused by the Russian Civil War.
Also, please review if you could.