Ch. 43: Heaven's Fire
The Hongyeon and several Black Army biplanes started to make their descent towards the advancing Japanese tanks. Once they were about to pass over the tanks, each pilot dropped a bomb. Within seconds the bombs that hit their targets caused a few tanks to burst into flames while the bombs that missed created several craters in the ground, making the terrain slightly more difficult to drive on.
"Ok everyone, increase altitude and turn about 40 degrees right!" Kae yelled into her radio. The other pilots received their orders and proceeded to follow the Hongyeon.
Meanwhile Japanese anti-aircraft units were shooting at whatever target they saw in the sky above them. Suddenly the sound of airplane propellers approaching caught the attention of several anti-aircraft gunners.
"Sir enemy incoming!" yelled a Japanese soldier.
All the Japanese soldiers turned their heads and saw four Black Army biplanes approaching them.
"FIRE!" yelled a nearby Japanese commander. The gunners re-aimed their Lewis machine guns towards the incoming biplanes and began firing. While most of the bullets just ricocheted, one the biplanes suddenly exploded due to its engine being shot. The flaming debris crashed onto some Japanese soldiers walking through the trenches that encompassed the whole base. Another large explosion followed after the debris of the plane made impact with the ground.
The three remaining biplanes then began firing their machine guns as they quickly approached the anti-aircraft guns.
"This is for what you guys did to us last year!" Roh yelled as he fired at the various anti-aircraft positions.
Multiple gunners and nearby soldiers were instantly mowed down by the barrage of bullets. The three planes then ascended upwards once they passed over the anti-aircraft guns.
Nearby, the Shinkirō started to pass over some trucks carrying barrels of diesel fuel. Upon seeing them, Zero turned the Shinkirō around and had it descend so he could have the trucks in the crosshairs of his gun. He then pressed the trigger to the machine gun, causing multiple incendiary bullets to be shot, which ultimately resulted in each truck exploding one after another in a domino effect. The explosions also damaged several adjacent buildings and defense posts.
The three bombers also continued with their bombing routine, which resulted in the destruction of more Japanese barracks, garages, and runways.
The other remaining fighters continued their assault on the Japanese tanks or on the trenches and anti-aircraft positions defending the base. One explosion after another echoed through the air as more bombs were dropped and artillery shells hit their targets.
Despite the massive bombings, the Japanese tanks kept advancing forward from the Southwest and Northwest. Several of them turned their turrets so they could aim at the Black Army's defenses at the edge of the forest. A chain of explosions could be heard as each tank shot a 37 mm shell. Several Black Army soldiers maintaining the front lines were instantly killed or injured by the impact of the shells. Shots from Japanese artillery inflicted additional damage to the Black Army's defenses.
In response, teams of Black Army soldiers fired multiple mortar shots high into the air. The shells that were shot flew upwards before being pulled back to the ground via gravity. A few more tanks were either destroyed or rendered inoperable as a result of the mortar shots.
However, since the tanks were heavily focused on breaking through the Black Army's first line of defense, they failed to notice several mobile artillery units, which were basically artillery guns mounted on trucks, about to flank them.
"NOW!" yelled the Black Army Lieutenant.
"BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!" was heard as each of the artillery guns fired. The recoil was so strong that the trucks they were mounted on were pushed backwards slightly.
Before they could even react, two tanks and two armored cars passing by were suddenly directly hit by shells on their sides. One tank immediately went up in flames while the other tank was incapacitated due to it's track belt being damaged. The two armored cars also immediately exploded upon being hit by the shells.
Some of the tanks slowed down and started to turn their turrets so their guns would face the direction the shells came from.
"Quick! Reposition! GO GO GO!" yelled the Black Army lieutenant.
Within a millisecond, the gunners manning the guns on the trucks hung onto the edge of the truck while the driver started the truck up and proceeded to drive away from their current location. The trucks started drove away as the location they were positioned in before started being pelted by enemy fire. Other mobile artillery units were also utilizing the same hit-and-run tactics on the Japanese tanks advancing from the Northwest as well.
Meanwhile the Hongyeon along with two other biplanes accompanying it started to make another descent towards several enemy machine gun positions.
Kae, after making sure the gun's line of sight was in perfect line with the line of machine guns, made a deep descent before slowly leveling out the Hongyeon. As the Hongyeon descent slowed down, Kae pressed the trigger and a strait barrage of bullets sliced through a whole line of several machine gun positions. Multiple Japanese soldiers manning each gun suddenly found their flesh full of bullets. The two other biplanes behind the Hongyeon did the same maneuver and killed the remaining soldiers.
"That was perfect. Find another enemy position and eliminate it!" Kae said into the radio.
"No problem Kae! We'll find something good!" replied Park via radio.
The two biplanes then went off to find new targets in one direction while the Hongyeon proceeded to look in the other direction. As the Hongyeon proceeded to turn, Kae could see in the distance what appeared to be birds heading towards her.
"What the hell?" Kae said to herself as she squinted her eyes so she could make out what was heading towards her. It was the she realized the supposed "birds" were rapidly getting closer and moving at great speed. "There's no birds around here that I know of that can move at such a pace."
Within a second Kae suddenly saw sparks fling all over as various bullets suddenly appeared and either punctured or ricocheted off the Hongyeon's fuselage.
"DAMN IT!" Kae yelled as she instinctively pulled on the yoke to rapidly increase the Hongyeon's altitude. The Hongyeon jolted upwards, narrowly avoiding several large objects passing by. Kae then turned her head around and saw several Japanese Gekka fighter biplanes along with several streamlined monoplanes rapidly pass her.
"ZERO! ZERO! ENEMY AIRCRAFT SPOTTED!" Kae yelled into the radio.
"WHAT! ARE YOU SURE ABOUT THAT?!" Zero yelled as he prepared to have the Shinkirō make a hard turn.
"Absolutely sure! I recognized some of the planes as the Gekkas you told me about. However, there were several other monoplanes that appeared to move faster and to be more streamlined." Kae replied.
"Wait a minute! Did you just say monoplanes?!" Zero asked.
"Yes Zero." answered Kae.
Zero then thought to himself while he continued to pilot the Shinkirō.
"Monoplanes...streamlined...faster..." thought Zero. "They must be those Akatsukis intelligence and Ronan told me about."
"Kae! Be very careful around those monoplanes! I just realized those monoplanes are the result of additional modifications and advancements made to the Gekkas." Zero said into the radio.
"Anything else I should know about before I confront them?" asked Kae.
"Yes! The Akatsuki's fuselage is believed to be made of a strong metal alloy, making it difficult for standard bullets to penetrate. To ensure that the weight of the metal doesn't severely affect performance, a new, more powerful motor is suspected to been installed. Also the guns they use have been tweaked so they have a faster rate of fire." Zero said rapidly.
"Ok, I'll relay that info to the rest of the Zero Division!" Kae replied. "Be safe Zero!"
"Same to you Kae." Zero said back before he scanned the sky for potential enemies.
Within the forest behind Black Army lines, Gang and Rozhkov were reviewing a map of the battlefield while Dietrich was relaying multiple reports coming from the front lines.
"Reports show that Defense Positions #4, 6, 7, and 12 have been heavily damaged by enemy fire." reported Dietrich. "However, our artillery is running full force while the hit-and-run tactics utilized by our mobile artillery have forced the enemy's advance to partially disperse."
"I see." said Gang. "What about the mortar units at the front lines? How are they doing?"
"Mortar units still have enough strength to keep the enemy's advance at a standstill for the time being despite us loosing several units to artillery bombardments." answered Dietrich.
"Minister Ried! Urgent message for you on the phone!" yelled a Black Army officer. Dietrich then excused himself so he could take the message.
"Sir, I suggest we move the 15th, 19th, and 21st Russian Volunteer Corps from the rear lines to replace our losses at our Northern flank." Rozhkov suggested.
"I was thinking of sending General Rudolf Moravec and his company of Czechoslovak soldiers to our Southern flank." suggested Gang. "Our Northern flank is clearly in range of most of our artillery guns while the Southern flank is only in range of our newer guns."
Gang and Rozhkov continued reviewing the map in front of them, marking and writing various notes on enemy movements, projected attacks, and locations of enemy artillery.
"MINISTER! GENERAL!" yelled Dietrich as he ran towards Gang and Rozhkov. "URGENT...INTEL...FROM...WONSAN!"
"Calm down and take a breather." said Rozhkov. "Just tell us what the hell is going on."
"That call I got was from one of our spies in Wonsan. They just reported seeing a train full of Japanese troops coming into the city." Dietrich reported.
"What? Are you absolutely sure about that?" asked Gang.
"Trust me, if I wasn't sure, I wouldn't be this exhausted and panicked." replied Dietrich. "Anyway our other informants in the city have reported seeing Tōdō accompanying the troops in the city."
"This definitely isn't good." said Rozhkov. "I mean this guy is pretty much the reason my Northern forces were unable to organize and assist in the armed revolt we ultimately lost last year."
"And if he's here in person, it usually means he's going to launch an offensive." Gang added. "Also, if his forces are deployed in Wonsan, which is to the East of our current location, it means..."
"That our rear lines of soldiers and artillery will be completely exposed to the enemy." Dietrich said. "Minister we must relocate at once! Tōdō and his forces are probably on their way as we speak."
"Before we do that, I think we to relay this new turn of events to Zero." suggested Rozhkov.
"I agree with you 100%." said Gang.
All three men then quickly ran to the radio truck and told the communications officer inside to connect with the Shinkirō's radio.
"Zero do you read me?!" Dietrich yelled. "Do you read me Zero?"
"Dietrich is that you?" replied Zero.
"Yes. I have an urgent update to report. Apparently intel has spotted Tōdō in Wonsan leading a large army towards our current location!" said Dietrich.
"Zero you do realize that this means that our rear infantry and artillery are going be caught in a pincer maneuver?" asked Gang.
"DAMN TŌDŌ AND HIS REINFORCEMENTS! I planned on forcing the Japanese to come to us while we maintained the defensive and attacked from afar. But with Tōdō leading reinforcements towards us from the East and the Japanese forces already attacking us from the West, it won't be a matter of time before we're trapped. There's only one plausible option I can think of..." Zero thought as he carefully piloted the Shinkirō around a swarm of Gekkas and Akatsukis chasing other nearby Black Army planes.
"ZERO! ZERO ARE YOU THERE?!" yelled Gang.
"Gang, change of plans! Move our rear artillery behind the hills North of the base. Also relocate all medical, command, and communication facilities to Sector N4W5. I want Rozhkov, Jo, and Moravec to prepare all available soldiers for an offensive maneuver. Rozhkov will attack the enemy's Southern flank, Moravec will attack the Northern flank, while Jo will charge dead straight. Have the mobile artillery accompany them for infantry support." instructed Zero.
"Charge into the enemy?" said Rozhkov with disbelief. "Zero have you forgotten that the base is encircled by a line of heavily defended trenches? We'll be mowed down before we even fire a shot."
"I've already accounted for that General!" replied Zero. "Me and the rest of the Zero Division have already disabled or destroyed numerous Japanese machine gun posts and anti-aircraft guns. That should at least make it easier for you to overrun the trenches."
"And the tanks?" asked Gang.
"Use the new anti-tank rifles we just got." answered Zero.
"Sir yes sir!" said Gang before he and Zero ended the conversation. "You heard him. Dietrich, relay these orders to Jo and Moravec. Also tell artillery to relocate to the North. Rozhkov have your men prepare for offensive action."
"Sir!" said Dietrich and Rozhkov simultaneously. They then ran off to carry out their duties.
Up in the air, the Hongyeon was pursuing a Japanese Gekka all over the sky. As both planes maneuvered all over as if they were in a dance, Kae tried to keep the Gekka in the crosshairs of her gun.
"Damn you're a crafty one." Kae said to herself as the plane was moving out of the gun's line of sight.
The Gekka then made a deep climb upward, causing the Hongyeon to overshoot. It then made a full upside down loop, therefore positioning itself behind the Hongyeon.
"Duh-duh-duh-duh-duh!" could be heard as the Japanese pilot pressed the trigger to the machine guns mounted on his plane. Kae instinctively ducked slightly as bullets passed her and ricocheted off various parts of the Hongyeon.
"So you like to play rough huh, well I can play too!" Kae yelled to herself. She maneuvered the Hongyeon to make a hard right and break from the Gekka. The Gekka overshot and the Hongyeon proceeded to sharply turn to the right until the Gekka was in her sight once more.
Wanting to end this pursuit quickly, Kae slammed on the gas pedal, causing the Hongyeon's speed to increase. As the Gekka's rudder was perfectly aligned with the crosshairs of her gun, she immediately let out a barrage of bullets. The bullets precisely hit the Gekka's rudders, which was practically pulverized by the barrage. Some stray bullets even managed to severed the cables connecting the cockpit controls with the wings.
As a result, the Japanese pilot lost control of the Gekka, causing it to slowly spiral downward until it crashed into the ground below and exploded.
The three Vickers Vimy bombers were flying in a triangular formation over the base as they prepared to drop another round of bombs. However, they were interrupted by several Japanese Akatsukis attempting to intercept them.
"Enemy incoming at 3'o clock!" yelled the pilot of one of the bombers. Immediately the gunners manning the Scarff rings at the rear of each bomber rotated the swivel so the Lewis machine guns mounted on it would face the incoming Akatsukis.
The gunners immediately fired at the incoming planes. One of the Akatsuki's engines blew up, causing the front end of it to be engulfed in flames and fall straight towards the earth. However, the Akatsuki's reinforced fuselage and wings prevented the bullets from causing severe damage. The Japanese pilots proceeded to fire back.
The sound of bullets whizzing all over could be heard despite the near-deafening wind passing by. One of the bomber's gunners was killed instantly as he was machine gunned to death. His dead body slumped over Lewis machine gun, causing it and the swivel to be drenched with blood. To avoid being hit with more bullets, the pilots of the three bombers proceeded to make a sharp turn to the left, hoping to shake off their pursuers.
Once they saw this maneuver, the Akatsukis increased their speed and proceeded to do a barrel roll. The Akatsukis rolled to the left and made a loop at the same time, causing them to turn and have the bombers in their line of sight once more. They then let out another barrage of bullets. One of the many bullets dug itself into the head of one of the pilots. The dead pilot fell over, causing the control lever he was still gripping to move. The bomber drifted to the right at a significant speed until it collided with a nearby Black Army plane.
The remaining two bombers proceeded to descend downward in order to let the Akatsukis overshoot them.
"How much damage have you sustained?!" asked the pilot of the first bomber via radio.
"Bad! Just found out we lost our rear gunner! I think there also might be a small leak in the fuel line!" replied the second pilot.
"I'll maneuver myself so I can defend you at the rear!" said the first pilot.
"Ok, just make it quick!" the second pilot yelled.
The pilot of the first bomber slowly positioned the bomber so it would be right behind the second one.
As the Akatsukis in the distance prepared to turn around, the front gunner of the bomber shot a trail of bullets at the bypassing Akatsukis. Once they were closer to the rear of the other bomber, the rear gunner rapidly turned the swivel in hope of hitting the fast moving planes. The cooperation of the two bombers led to two Akatsukis being disabled and ultimately loose control.
But the remaining Akatsukis continued with another turn, causing them to approach the front bomber from it's right side. The Japanese pilots aimed at the one of the two large engines positioned on each wing. The engine on the right wing bursted into flames, causing the propeller to slowly malfunction.
"DAMN IT!" yelled the bomber pilot. "Private, try to put that fire out while I try to get these bastards off our tail!"
"You got it!" yelled the Private manning the front gun. The Private went through a small crawlspace connecting the front gun turret with the cockpit. Once he was in, he grabbed the emergency fire extinguisher inside the cockpit, grabbed tightly onto one of the cables connecting the two wing panels of the biplane bomber, and proceeded to pull himself up onto the fuselage. "Just keep it steady for a few seconds while I try to put this fire out!"
"OK! But be quick! That fire is getting really hot and the propeller is slowing down!" the pilot yelled back.
Once he got his footing on the fuselage, the Private, still gripping the cables connecting the wing panels, slowly tiptoed his way closer to the burning engine. Eventually he couldn't get any closer due to the intense heat of the fire. Seeing that the propeller was slowing down, the Private, using the inside of his arm to hold onto a cable, started to spray the fire extinguisher on the burning engine. The fire started to slowly die down with each spray.
"DUH-DUH-DUH-DUH!" sound suddenly ripped through the air as the Private felt total pain in his leg. The sudden pain caused him to loose his balance along with his grip on the cable. Within a fraction of a second, he found himself falling onto the wing of the plane before being pushed off the edge due to the force of the wind passing by.
"HEY ARE YOU OK?!" asked the pilot as he turned around. Realizing he was not there, the pilot looked in all directions. It was then he briefly saw the Private free falling towards his death.
"NO! NO! NO!" the pilot yelled repeatedly. It was during this moment he failed to realize the engine fire grew once more and managed to light the fuel. The engine immediately blew up, causing the right wing to be blown off and the pilot to be knocked out by flaming debris. With the right wing gone, the bomber spiraled out of control until it blew up upon impact with the ground.
The pilot of the rear bomber managed to do a last minute maneuver in order to avoid the force of the explosion, though he did suffer minor scorch marks. He then saw the Akatsukis preparing to make a 180 degree turn in the distance in order to attack once more.
"Enemy incoming at 10'o clock!" the pilot yelled to his rear gunner.
Rotating the Scarff ring so it faced the multiple incoming Akatsukis, the gunner prepared shoot once they were within range. Due to the fact they were the only bomber left and were outgunned, the gunner slowly accepted the fact that he was most likely going to die here.
As the Akatsukis got closer and closer, the gunner's finger applied a little bit more pressure on the trigger. But before the Akatsukis were within range, two of the Akatsukis exploded. The rest of them immediately de-organized themselves upon realizing they were being attacked.
"What the?" the gunner asked himself before he saw three Black Army biplanes whiz straight by.
"Figured you guys could use some help!" said Seo via radio.
"We were busy taking down some fighters that just stuck to us like glue." said Park via radio.
"Now what exactly did we miss?" asked Roh.
"We lost two bombers as you can see! These planes are just annoying us like flies around a rotten carcass!" the pilot yelled into the radio. "As for the bomber itself, it's has suffered several hits and I'm afraid any more hits could result in compromising the overall structure of the bomber!"
"Leave these pests to us! You guys just get out of here and retreat to the airfield at home base! Zero ordered us to make sure to save as much equipment as possible!" replied Park.
"Very well. I'll leave the rest of them to you guys!" replied the pilot of the bomber. While Roh, Seo, and Park pursued the swarm of Akatsukis, the bomber took this window of opportunity to flee to safety.
"Sir, nearby enemy fighters are changing course and seemingly trying to pursue us!" the gunner yelled.
"Don't worry! I'll turn on the emergency evacuation switch!" the pilot said. He then flipped a switch labelled "EVACUATE" on the cockpit's dashboard. Located at the rear of the bomber was a large tank full of special chemicals. The switch allowed the chemicals to flow out and trail behind the bomber. The chemicals upon exposure to the external environment turned into a thick, white, smoke-like gas. This gas, which spread quickly, acted as a smokescreen for the escaping bomber and caused the enemy to be confused and lost.
Meanwhile Seo, Roh, and Park were either chasing or being chased by various Akatsukis and Gekkas.
"Time to show what the Zero Division is made of!" Park yelled to himself as he followed an enemy Gekka preparing to make an upside-down loop in the air.
Park then increased his plane's speed and yanked back on the control yoke. The flaps on the wings moved, allowing passing air to lift the plane upward. Park suddenly saw the ground above him as his plane was upside down in midair. Catching the enemy at the corner of his eye, Park had the plane turn to the left as it prepared to complete the loop. The maneuver put the enemy in Park's line of sight.
"Gotcha!" he yelled as he pressed the machine gun's trigger. The Gekka's rudder and tail was instantly pelleted with bullets, causing the pilot to loose control and crash into the ground, where it exploded upon hitting a weapon cache within the base.
Roh and his plane were practically going around in circles as he tried to shoot down a Gekka trying to flee.
"Stay still damn it!" Roh muttered to himself as he prepared to do a barrel roll. As he prepared to turn, he suddenly heard bullets being shot nearby. He instinctively ducked down slightly in order to avoid being hit. As he raised his head once more, he looked to his right and saw that part of his wing looked like it was gnawed off.
"WHAT THE HELL?!" Roh yelled as he turned around. It was then he saw an Akatsuki trying to follow him and keep it's line of sight. "DIRTY MOVE SNEAKING ON ME LIKE THAT!"
Roh attempted to shake off the Akatsuki by attempting to make a sharp turn. However the damaged wing prevented the plane from making a sharp turn. The enemy Akatsuki took this window of opportunity to shoot another barrage of bullets. More bullets ricocheted or punctured the plane. One bullet hit a cable that was connected with the rudder. Another bullet also managed to hit Roh in the shoulder blade.
"AARGGH!" Roh yelled as he tried to swallow the pain with all his might. Ignoring the fact that he was shot, Roh realized that the damaged cable and wing made the plane's overall speed slow and an easy target for the enemy.
"DAMN IT! YOU WON'T BE SO LUCKY NEXT TIME!" Roh muttered to himself as he flipped the "EVACUATE" switch, causing thick, blinding, white smoke to be emitted from the rear of the plane. Roh then proceeded to flee the dogfight and head towards safety.
Down below, the Japanese tanks and armored cars slowly advanced towards the Black Army's front lines. The battlefield the vehicles were traversing on was filled with craters, burning airplane parts, broken tanks, and many corpses. In the air one could see planes flying all over trying to kill one another. Occasionally a plane could be seen exploding into several pieces, which crashed onto the ground.
Waiting on the front lines, Jo observed the battlefield via his binoculars.
"Alright, let's do this." Jo said to himself as he stood up. He then took out his whistle and blew on it as hard as he could. "CHARGE!"
Upon hearing Jo's whistle, General Rozhkov blew his whistle and ordered his predominately Russian soldiers to charge. General Moravec, a middle-aged man with a pronounced curved mustache, then proceeded to order his predominately Czechoslovakian soldiers to charge.
Immediately almost all the Black Army soldiers at or behind the front lines proceeded to charge forward onto the battlefield. Accompanying the wave of soldiers were several mobile artillery trucks and a few makeshift armored cars.
Upon seeing the wave of Black Army forces, the Renault FT and Mark V-modified tanks proceeded to aim their guns forward and shoot while the Medium Mark A Whippet tanks sprayed bullets all over via its machine gun. Several explosions from the tank shells blew holes in the advancing wave and heavily damaged an armored car. More Black Army soldiers fell dead upon being hit by the machine guns.
However, the wave was so large and fast that the Japanese forces couldn't deal with the whole situation. Several mobile artillery trucks stopped, aimed at some tanks and armored cars, and fired. The vehicles were immediately consumed by flames upon impact.
Pairs of Black Army soldiers carrying large anti-tank rifles also stopped so they could position the large guns. They immediately fired at the armored vehicles once they were fully set up. Specially designed armor-piercing bullets penetrated the thick armor of some of the Japanese tanks. Once it penetrated the armor, the bullet ricocheted crazily within the tank, causing it to hack away at the tank crewmen. Numerous tanks suddenly stopped once their crewmen were killed or severely wounded by these bullets.
As numerous Black Army soldiers went around the tanks and armored cars, some of the soldiers passing by took a second to throw a grenade onto the vehicles. The passing soldiers kept their distance before the grenades went off and caused the vehicles to explode or be damaged beyond repair.
The soldiers on the Northern, Central, and Southern fronts that had already passed the vehicles suddenly saw the ring of trenches that surrounded the entire base. Due to the previous aerial bombings and attacks, the Japanese forces in the trenches did not have the adequate artillery guns or machine guns to deal with the wave.
Nonetheless the Japanese officers in the trenches ordered their gunners to machine gun every enemy with every bullet they had.
The ever familiar sound of "DUH-DUH-DUH-DUH!" could be heard as the machine guns started shooting. Most of the soldiers charging at them immediately fell dead upon being hit. However, more Black Army soldiers could be seen approaching them from behind the soldiers that were just gunned down.
"KEEP FIRING DAMN IT!" yelled a Japanese Lieutenant as the machine guns kept shooting round after round of bullets. Eventually some of the machine guns used up their magazine, causing the gunners to reload them.
Using this as a window of opportunity, the Black Army soldiers ran even faster towards the trenches. With the Japanese now in sight, the Black Army soldiers raised their rifles and proceeded to shoot down any Japanese soldier they saw. Other soldiers simply leapt into the trenches and proceeded to bayonet the Japanese soldiers. Some even resorted to using their bare fists to fight.
Jo, accompanying the charge, reached the edge of the trench. Seeing a Japanese soldier aiming a pistol at him in the corner of his eye, Jo quickly took out his pistol and shot the Japanese soldier in the head. He then proceeded to descend into the trench where a Japanese soldier ambushed him and prepared to lunge his sword at him. Jo, being one step ahead, blocked it with his sword and pushed the attacking Japanese soldier away.
The Japanese soldier again tried to charge at Jo with his sword high in the air. Jo immediately charged towards him in response. Within a millisecond, Jo nudged his head to the right, causing the blade to miss him by a few centimeters. Jo, on the other hand, wedged the sword into the soldier's stomach. The Japanese soldier started to vomit blood from his mouth as Jo pulled his blood-stained sword out of the soldier's flesh. The bleeding soldier fell down dead in a pool of his own blood.
"FELLOW COMRADES! WE HAVE PENETRATED THE BASE'S MAIN LINE OF DEFENSE! ELIMINATE ALL JAPANESE EQUIPMENT AND KILL ALL ENEMY SOLDIERS WHO FIGHT BACK!" Jo yelled heroically to the various Black Army soldiers storming the perimeter of the base.
The Shinkirō was rolling around in the sky as it was trying outrun a pursuing Akatsuki. The enemy pilot proceeded to shoot at the Shinkirō as it rapidly passed through the crosshairs of his gun. Sparks suddenly jumped all over as most of the bullets ricocheted off the Shinkirō metal exterior.
"Whew, that was close." Zero said to himself as he slightly raised his head. He then proceeded to have the plane make a deep dive in order for the Akatsuki to overshoot. The Shinkirō swiftly dove downward at a 60 degree angle as the Akatsuki overshot it above.
Feeling a strong force against his chest as the Shinkirō dived downward, Zero mustered all the strength he had to pull the control yoke. The Shinkirō suddenly rose upwards at a 60 degree angle, causing the the Akatsuki in the distance be in Zero's line of sight. The Shinkirō fired multiple rounds at the distant Akatsuki. Though most of the bullets bounced off, a few managed to damage the plane's engine. Zero could suddenly see smoke slowly seeping out of the enemy plane.
"Another round or so should do..." Zero said as he carefully positioned the Akatsuki in his line of sight once more. Pulling the trigger, the Shinkirō's guns shot more rounds at the Akatsuki. Hitting the already burning engine, the additional shots caused the engine to explode, causing the plane to break into two. The two pieces of flaming debris could be seen, slowly descending downward like meteorites.
Looking for more targets, Zero scanned the area around him for more Akatsukis and Gekkas. It was then he saw two Gekkas and an Akatsuki in a triangular formation chasing a Black Army plane. He immediately hit the gas pedal, causing the Shinkirō to speed up significantly. He then fired several rounds into the group of planes. One of the Gekka pilots instantly fell dead as a bullet struck him in the back of the head, causing the plane to drift away aimlessly downward.
The Shinkirō ascended upward before making a nose dive towards the remaining two planes about to break formation. Zero fired at the Akatsuki, causing the motor to partially explode and burst into flames. The small explosion was strong enough to shatter the glass in front of the cockpit, resulting in shards of broken glass piercing the pilot's face. The Akatsuki's pilot was suddenly distracted as he tried covered his bloodied face. Zero then had the Shinkirō make an upside-down loop, preventing him from colliding with the enemy. Once the Shinkirō completed it's loop, it fired once again at the Akatsuki. The Akatsuki exploded, killing the distracted pilot instantly.
Zero then slightly adjusted his line of sight slightly so he could get a clear shot of the remaining Gekka. The Shinkirō's machine guns fired and managed to severely damage the Gekka's wing. The wing was so damaged that the rushing wind caused part of it to break off. With only one fully functioning wing, the Gekka slowly spiraled downward.
Swarms of Black Army soldiers continued their assault on the Japanese base and its remaining defenses. Soldiers on both sides could be seen shooting and bayoneting one other without any hesitation. Japanese soldiers holding Lewis machine guns started to mow down dozens of Black Army soldiers. Other Black Army soldiers used their rifles as clubs and got into one on one fights. The remaining Japanese vehicles and Black Army mobile artillery continued firing at one another on the open battlefield.
Black Army soldiers that weren't battling the Japanese threw grenades at some of the remaining storehouses and buildings. The grenades exploded, causing the fuel and munitions stored in the buildings to detonate. Some of the soldiers broke into the weapon caches and stole several machine guns and magazines.
In the North, Moravec and a Japanese officer were using all their strength to break the lock between their colliding rifles.
"Just...give...up!" muttered Moravec as a drop of sweat slid down his face.
"Make me!" replied the Japanese officer.
Moravec then began to overpower the Japanese officer, causing him to be knocked to the ground. With the officer now immobilized temporarily, Moravec aimed his rifle at the officer's head.
"With pleasure!" he yelled as he pulled the trigger, killing the officer immediately. He then used his rifle to bayonet other nearby Japanese soldiers.
In the South, Rozhkov was holding a Japanese soldier by the collar and was punching him in the face.
"Take that you damn bastard!" Rozhkov yelled as he continued punching at the Japanese soldier's bloodied face until he lost consciousness. He then proceeded to drop him on the ground after making sure he was completely out.
Suddenly he heard someone running towards him from behind. Quickly turning around, Rozhkov could see a Japanese soldier charging at him with his saber. He managed to jump out of the way at the last second, but the blade still managed to make a small cut near his hip. Rozhkov tried swallowing the pain as he dropped his rifle and put his hand on the blood-soaked wound. Using his other hand, Rozhkov took out his pistol and shot a few rounds into the Japanese soldier's back.
Rozhkov slowly walked over to the soldier's dead body and used the soldier's saber to cut a piece of fabric from his uniform. He then quickly tied the fabric around his waist tightly in hope that it would stop the bleeding for the time being. Once it was tied on, Rozhkov resumed fighting in the battle.
The Japanese Base Commander continued watching the battle from his office within the multi-storied brick building.
"General we're loosing more men by the minute! What are your commands?" yelled a Japanese Major.
"I told you concentrate a majority of our forces around this location. If this building is taken, then our only communications to the outside is severed completely." replied the General as he slammed his fist on a nearby table.
"With all do respects General but they are overrunning us by the second! The tanks and airplanes aren't enough to repel the enemy!" yelled a Japanese Colonel.
Another explosion could be heard nearby as a more Black Army soldiers managed to sabotage and destroy more buildings.
"Just calm down Colonel! Tōdō and the Jorogumo Battalion should be here any moment!" the General yelled back.
"We don't have the time to wait for them!" the Major replied.
It was then the phone on the General's desk started to ring. He walked over to it and answered it.
"Hello?" said the General.
"This is Marshal Tōdō. I would like you to know that me, Colonel Daisuke, and his Jorogumo Battalion will be at the base in the next 10 minutes." Tōdō replied.
"Well hurry up! The enemy has already launched an offensive on the base!" replied the General.
"Don't worry General, I'll help you clean up this mess." said Tōdō before he hung up the phone.
"What seems to be the matter sir?" asked Colonel/Baron Michio Daisuke, a fairly young, thin looking man.
"Appears the Black Army must've got wind of our movements since they switched from a defensive strategy to an offensive one." answered Tōdō. "Hopefully you and your men will be able to surround them and take them out."
"I assure you sir my men will fight with everything they got for we do not let our enemies to get away." replied Daisuke.
The radio truck Tōdō and Daisuke were traveling in sped down a long a road leading to the battlefield. Several other trucks full of soldiers, along with some squadrons of cavalrymen, followed behind it. All the Japanese soldiers and cavalrymen wore an armband that depicted a black spider superimposed on the Rising Sun, the symbol of Jorogumo Battalion.
The Hongyeon shot down several Gekkas as it quickly circled around them. It then made a sharp turn in order to find more targets. Kae scanned the area around her and immediately spotted a lone Gekka below her in the distance. She then had the Hongyeon speed up and dive downward in order to catch up with the Gekka. Once it passed by, she straightened out the Hongyeon so it would be directly behind the Gekka.
"Take this!" Kae yelled as she aimed the Hongyeon's gun at the Gekka in front of her.
As the Gekka's tail and rudder started to be damaged, the Japanese pilot proceeded to do a barrel roll in order to avoid the gunfire. Kae quickly responded with the same maneuver and tried to get the Gekka in its line of sight once more.
Since the Hongyeon wasn't able to get a precise aim, bullets started hitting the plane all over. A stream of bullets managed to hit one of the wings of the Gekka, causing it and the nearby cables holding it together to be pulverized. Eventually the gunfire weakened the structural integrity of the wing to the point it simply broke off.
As she watched the one-winged Gekka slowly descend to it's grave, Kae failed to see the piece of wing that broke off coming straight towards her.
"WHAT THE HELL?!" she yelled as she spotted the incoming wing at the last minute. She tried avoiding the debris by trying to turn the Hongyeon on its side, but debris hit one of Hongyeon's wings instead of the cockpit. Kae then suddenly realized that the debris that hit the wing damaged it partially, causing the Hongyeon to loose some of it's maneuverability.
A small humming noise suddenly alarmed Kae. She turned her head around and saw two Akatsukis attempting to ambush her. The two enemy planes proceeded to fire at the Hongyeon, causing bullets to either ricochet or pierce the metal framework.
"Damn it! Not now!" Kae muttered as she tried to do another barrel roll. However the damage to her wing slowed down the Hongyeon's performance, giving the Akatsukis enough time to continue firing. More shots hit the Hongyeon, some of which managed to damage internal components. Several parts that managed the rudder were among some of the damage components, hindering the Hongyeon even further.
"Can't...die...here!" Kae yelled as she reduced the speed of the Hongyeon significantly and had the it turn onto its side. This caused the two pursuing Akatsukis to overshoot and avoid crashing into the Hongyeon. Leveling the Hongyeon once more, Kae managed to fire at one of the Akatsukis and kill the pilot. To catch up with the remaining Akatsuki, Kae pushed floored the pedal and caused the Hongyeon to speed up dramatically.
However the Hongyeon's engine due to some damage and use immediately overheated, causing a small flame to appear out of the motor.
"Oh great!" Kae yelled as she slowed the Hongyeon down and attempted to extinguish the fire with the small extinguisher hanging inside the cockpit. She then heard the Akatsuki she was pursuing about to turn and therefore place itself in perfect position to fire at the Hongyeon.
"C'mon, c'mon, c'mon!" Kae rapidly repeated to herself as she tried to put out the remaining flames. It was then she quickly glanced to the left and saw the Akatsuki coming towards her. Fearing for her life, Kae resorted to use her scarf to snuff out the small flames before the Akatsuki would be in range.
Then out of nowhere, a Black Army biplane whizzed right by and fired at the Akatsuki. The bullets that managed to penetrate the metal framework hit the fuel tank, causing gasoline to leak out. The sparks from the bullets that ricocheted made contact with the gas and ignited it, blowing up the Akatuski from the inside.
"What exactly was that?" Kae asked herself as she put out the last flame and made sure the engine was cooled down slightly.
"Hey Kae, looked like you were in deep trouble?" said Park over the Hongyeon's radio.
"Park...was that you who just took out that plane?" she asked.
"Yeah. Let's just say it's me getting even with you for saving me after being shot by that Gekka last year." Park replied.
"Well I still give you my thanks." Kae replied.
Park then flew off to find more targets to shoot down. Kae, despite the Hongyeon being slightly damaged, proceeded to do the same.
Various buildings within the military base were reduced to burning rubble due to the Black Army's scorched earth tactics. The only significant building that was basically untouched was the Command HQ within the large multi-storied brick building near the partially constructed radio tower. This was due to most of the Japanese forces setting up every defense they had around it.
Several Black Army soldiers attempted to get closer to the Command HQ, only to be mauled down some Japanese machine guns. However, the Black Army shot a few rounds of mortar shells at the machine guns, destroying them along with the soldiers manning them. Even with all their resources being used for defense, the Black Army still managed to penetrate the defenses one layer at a time.
Jo, along with some other Black Army soldiers, were having one on one fights with Japanese soldiers scattered around the base.
"Damn these guys are persistent!" yelled a Black Army soldier as he yanked the bayonet of his rifle out of a Japanese soldier's stomach.
"Still, at the rate we're advancing, it won't be a matter of time until we've full broken through everything they have for us!" replied Jo as he slammed a soldier's head into a nearby truck.
Once all the Japanese soldiers they were fighting were killed or knocked out, Jo gathered his men and prepared to proceed with the mission. It was then a Black Army private could be seen running towards them.
"General!" yelled the Private.
"What is it Private?" Jo yelled in response.
"Just spotted something you should really see!" the Private said nervously.
The Private then guided Jo and his men to the already cleared trenches surrounding the base.
"Take a look General." said the Private as he gave Jo his binoculars. Jo then proceeded to look at the barren field in front of him. All he could see were craters, corpses, and various destroyed vehicles.
"Nothing's there Private. If you were wondering where the remaining Japanese tanks and armored cars are, they must be scattered all over in different areas due to our forces disorganizing their line..." replied Jo.
"Not that General." interrupted the Private. "There's something at the edge of the forest."
Taking another look Jo suddenly saw what appeared to be a line of horses, each one carrying a Japanese horsemen equipped with a saber. Seeing one of the horsemen carrying a large Japanese flag with a spider superimposed on it, Jo knew who it was.
"It's Tōdō forces no doubt! And it appears he's brought the Jorogumo Battalion." explained Jo.
"Anything special about them?" asked the Private.
"Well they're know for their swiftness and cleverness. Their quick and on the spot tactics makes them excellent with subduing enemies quickly and efficiently, like a spider catching prey in its web." explained Jo. "Which is why their name is quite fitting."
Suddenly a loud bugle sound could be heard. Jo then saw the line of Japanese horsemen start to charge towards the base with their sabers high in the air.
"Dear god. We need get back NOW!" yelled Jo. "Alert all sub-commanders about the Japanese advance from the East. Tell them they have arrived and not leave the perimeter of the base. Hopefully this will cause them to battle us within the base, making it harder for them coordinate themselves."
"Right sir!" said the other Black Army soldiers as they quickly ran off. Jo, looking back for a second, turned around and proceeded to run off back towards the interior of the base.
Author's Notes: Hoped you enjoyed this chapter. The battle still continues as the Black Army tries to prevent the Japanese to supply their forces fighting other Korean Independence Movements in Manchuria. The Black Army also demonstrates its aerial capacity along with its other new equipment. Meanwhile Tōdō and the notorious Jorogumo Battalion has just arrived, altering the playing field significantly.
The next chapter will be written as soon as possible and it will be the final conclusion of the battle.