The plains west of Kielseki
Commander Borg of the Gra Valkas Imperial Army’s 4th Division impatiently scanned the skies.
“Still no answer from the radio?!”
“There’s… still no answer from Valkyries…”
Although their arrival outside the hollow mountains got delayed, it was still within expectation. In the off chance that they couldn’t radio back, there were arrangements for aircraft to fly and check on them periodically. However, the arranged time for them to fly over has already passed. No aircraft flew over them.
The attack they received in the hollow mountains just hours before and the amount of damage they received were all unprecedented. Borg’s impatience was felt by every single soldier in the division. Still, the 4th Division was a large force, with the forces that they still have posing a great threat to Mu. Despite this setback in establishing contact with Valkyries, withdrawing entirely isn’t an option.
“We seem to be unlucky today. I’m getting a bad hunch. Widen our search area! Send out some motorcycle recon troops all the way to just before Kielseki!!!”
“Yes, sir!!!”
4th Division commander Borg ordered the 19th Reconnaissance Company to cover the area between them and their strategic goal of the town of Kielseki. The 16 motorcycles of the 19th Reconnaissance Company promptly set out and took a route that circumvented a small mountain 22km from where the rest of the division deployed.
“Commander Borg, shall we let the soldiers have their fill with the spoils we will get from Kielseki? We have lost much more men than we did back in Alue, so in my opinion, we must be tougher on them this time.”
One of the officers asks Borg.
Borg felt a little irritated at the question due to the current uneasy state of their forces. However, their soldiers’ mental hygiene mattered as well.
“Do as you like. Go wild.”
A nasty smile emerged on the officer’s face.
All things considered, this invasion has taken its toll on the soldiers. Borg too, once Kielseki has fallen, intends to make full use of their spoils.
“Thank you so much!!!”
With a big lascivious smile on his face, the officer took his leave to tell the soldiers of their new orders.
Suddenly, an intense light flashed 200m away from where Borg was.
BOOOOOOM!!!
Immediately after the flash, an explosion rocked the earth as ear-piercing sounds echoed throughout the plains.
There was no enemy in sight. Moreover, they could see as far as 25km away, way outside the maximum range of weapons used by the Gra Valkas Imperial Army. Borg turns upwards towards the sky but fails to spot any aircraft. Furthermore, it doesn’t seem to be a high-altitude bombing run.
“A-are you kidding me?! Are they attacking from outside our range?!”
He looks at the scene unfolding before his eyes. Clouds of earth were kicked up in a radius of 50m away from where the explosions occurred.
“T-they’re shelling us?!”
Huge pillars of soil and earth rose one after another on where their forces were. Thunderous sounds and fiery explosions efficiently rained down on the huge deployment area of the division. Borg immediately enters the armored command vehicle and closes the hatch.
Pang pang pang pang pang…
Sounds of metallic fragments sprinkling against the armor of the command vehicle violently shook the interior. It also seems that small grenade-like explosions were occurring one after the other. It almost seemed like a gust of metallic wind was harassing the command vehicle. Screams of agony that came with one’s last moments can be heard from within the vehicle, making it seem like they were actually in hell.
The attack finally subsided. Silence engulfed the area.
“What the hell…”
Opening the top hatch, Borg surveys his surroundings.
“!!!”
Clouds of soil and earth still fluttered about, making it hard to see the situation that had unfolded. The dust gradually settled, allowing Borg and the others to witness parts of what has now become a battlefield.
“Wha-!!!!”
Rows of transport vehicles were dotted with tons of holes and were virtually silenced. Several of them were even in flames. Dozens of soldiers lay collapsed on the ground unresponsive.
“Verify our casualties!!!”
“Yes, sir!!!”
Damage reports flooded into the command vehicle and their casualties gradually became clear.
“Tanks and armored vehicles are largely intact and in running condition!!! However, our transports, infantry companies, and motorcycle forces are unresponsive!!! We verified that the 19th Reconnaissance Company has already exited the sphere of attack and all their personnel are accounted for!!!”
The comms officer’s voice shook as he reported. Borg continued to survey the vicinity. Besides their tanks and armored vehicles, nothing else moved.
“What the hell is this?! WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED?!”
Stunned beyond reason, his inner thoughts leaked out. The 4th Division, the Gra Valkas Empire’s strongest division, lost several thousands of soldiers in just a short amount of time.
“What the fuck… What… the… fuck…”
Only their tanks and armored vehicles had survived. They have basically been annihilated as a division, with the forces that they have left unable to take control of the enemy town. No previous point in the history of the Gra Valkas Empire has an Imperial Army division been unilaterally defeated. Borg’s heart collapsed at the reality that so much of their forces were wiped out in an instant while the enemy’s position and strength remained unverified.
After temporarily losing himself, he gets back on his feet.
“Who knew that such an instantaneous and large-scale suppressive attack existed…!!! Okay! A second wave may be coming!! Get every armored unit back to the hollow mountains!!! After the recon troops completed their mission in Kielseki, have them fall back to the hollow mountains!!”
The armored units of the Gra Valkas Imperial Army 4th Division swivelled around and headed back for the hollow mountains. Since they deployed at a more forward position, the hollow mountains were more than 5km away. The soldiers were panicking severely due to the attack. The hollow mountains which were visible from their position seemed so far away.
・・・
“Due to the surface suppression we conducted, enemy unarmored units suffered near-total casualties. Enemy survivors, consisting of 130 tanks and armored vehicles, are now retreating back to the hollow mountains.”
Situation reports were submitted to GSDF 7th Division commander Ōuchida who was encamped slightly behind the self-propelled howitzers. The enemy is making a run for it. However, if they let them escape in their current state, they’d still be a tremendous force for Mu to deal with. After they had escaped, they might inflict a ton of casualties on their allies. He understood that they must put an end to them, but attacking a retreating enemy felt like a very low blow. Ōuchida closes his eyes for a moment before opening them with a resolute look.
“We will proceed as originally planned and exterminate the remaining enemy forces. Proceed to Step 2!!!”
“Affirmative! Proceeding to Step 2 to exterminate surviving enemy forces!”
The battlefield continues to develop.
・・・
The remnants of the Gra Valkas Empire’s 4th Division are making a run for the hollow mountains. They moved in no particular formation and in order to avoid any attacks that may come raining down on them, every unit marched in their own unsightly fashion towards the mountains.
“…Bastards!!! Those bastards!!!”
Borg’s anger manifested in his voice.
“10 more minutes until the frontmost tanks reach the hollow mountains!”
One of his subordinates reports in.
Suddenly, sounds which seem like the air being chopped over and over again could be heard.
“Huh??”
Borg turned to look at the direction of the sounds and saw 5 aircraft which he had never seen before hovering in the air before them as if to block their advance.
“Is… is that…???”
He looked at the mysterious flying objects with binoculars. It had no wings and rotor blades affixed on top of it spun at great speeds. On the fuselage of the aircraft was a red circle with a white outline and as an officer, he recognized the symbol.
“It’s… it’s the insignia of Japan!!! A Japanese weapon?! Fuck!!! Shoot those bastards down!!!”
Autocannons turned towards the sky and began firing. Lines of fire denoted by their tracers drew lines across the sky but due to their limited hit area, they missed their intended targets. As if firing in retaliation, the enemy aircraft launched arrows of light.
“Enemy aircraft firing rockets!!!”
As soon as they radioed in, tanks commanded by someone with good intuition immediately conducted evasive maneuvers.
“What?!”
They were dumbfounded.
When using rockets in an attack, a barrage of rockets is favored over launching one at a time as a single rocket is not expected to hit a target. However, the rockets launched by the enemy seemed to have their own will, changing its course completely and chasing after their tanks.
The lookouts didn’t have time to report in as the rocket crashed into a friendly tank, producing a powerful explosion that blew its turret off. The rockets that were launched in rapid succession found their marks on their allied tanks, blowing them up one by one. Tanks began to explode one after the other as multiple lives were lost in each explosion. Their supposedly invincible tanks were now being trampled over like ants.
“Oh gods!! It’s comi-bzzzzzzzzzzzt”
“12th Platoon annihila-bzzzzzzzzzzzt”
Multiple radio transmissions from their tanks were being cut off as they got blown away. Friendly autocannons continued to fire tracer-laced rounds into the sky. However, they were hopelessly missing as the enemy aircraft danced around.
The air-chopping sound of the enemy aircraft in flight echoed throughout the battlefield, stimulating great fear within the division.
“Enemy aircraft firing rockets!!!”
“What?!”
The enemy aircraft that hovered in a single line fired rocket after rocket. The rockets flew straight, hitting the ground nearby. Immense explosions rocked the earth one after another as clouds of dust engulfed the vicinity. The rockets rained around them like meteors. As the enemy wrapped up their bombardment, they turned face and left the battlefield northwards.
“Damage… report…”
The attack was brief. Despite the horrifyingly short amount of time the enemy took to carry out their attack, they dealt them enormous casualties. While not as much as their first contact in the hollow mountains, they still lost 35 vehicles which were all wrecked and rendered immobile.
・・・
2nd Platoon
“Run!!! Faster!!! Faster!!!”
Losing much of their comrades in the brief attack, the tank commander lost his senses to the overwhelming terror that engulfed them and howled commands to escape to his fellow tankers. Their supposedly invincible force was now reduced to small animals ready for the slaughter and their morale was at an all-time low.
Corpses of their comrades lie all across the vicinity which they now have to cross over to run. They ran over the corpses of friends that they fought with in countless battles. The sounds of human bones being crushed under their tracks resounded within the tank, making everyone inside feel disgusted and uncomfortable.
The driver, Ghibler, was panicking from severe stress.
Just 3 more kilometers. 3 more kilometers before they enter the hollow mountains and shake off the threats coming from the sky. Over 20 friendly tanks were trodding along in front of them, kicking up clouds of dust as they crossed the plains.
“Are we there yet?! Have we reached the hollow mountains yet?!”
The tank commander howled with an ear-piercing high-pitched voice inside the cramped tank.
“Just a little bit more, sir!!!”
He desperately verified from his viewport as he reported to his commander. Suddenly, the sound of an explosion rocked the tank. Light coming from flames bathed their front view.
“Wha-! What happened?! What is it this time?!”
The sound of another explosion rocked the tank as they momentarily saw attacks coming from the sky.
“We’re… we’re being attacked from above!!!”
“Fuck! Have the rotorcraft from a while ago returned?!”
“I don’t know!!!”
The attacks from above and explosions continued. Several of the GSDF’s Type 96 Multi-Purpose Missile System were attacking them from the mountains. The wire-guided missiles are connected to the launcher by optical fiber and are accurate with the gunner being able to see the missiles’ trajectory from the warhead to guide them towards the enemy tanks. Since they are guided using cameras, even if heat-seeking guidance defeating flares and radar-guidance defeating chafes were scattered, they would absolutely have no effect.
Their comrades continue to explode.
・・・
“Commander Borg!! We’re receiving attacks from the front!!”
The situation was visibly obvious without the report. Borg was having a headache.
First, an intense surface bombardment was conducted on them while they were deployed in a wide plain. Much of their unarmored elements were destroyed in the bombardment, forcing their armored elements to abandon their invasion and fall back. By the time they started falling back, enemy aircraft showed up and destroyed as many tanks as their ammunition could before pulling back. Now, they were being attacked from an unidentified position and source, further whittling down their tank units in single shots.
A sense of uneasiness at letting his subordinates die. A fear of losing his life… It was a humiliating rout.
“Bastards!!!! BASTARDS!!! How… How could you let me go through such bullshit… I won’t forgive you!!! Reform our formations!!! Let’s crush them!!!”
Before long, they will reach the hollow mountains.
The enemy’s bombardment density was more sparse than expected, and while they have received catastrophic amounts of casualties, they might be able to escape completely. A faint ray of hope and an intense feeling of revenge wells up within him. However, something that will knock those feelings out of his system appears before them.
NOTE FROM TL: Hello, this is rose, again. The Sweeping Shock 4 is actually halved in two parts due to its length by the author, みのろう, but I decided to combine them into a single translation for simplicity. The following is Part 2.
The driver of a tank in 2nd Platoon, Ghibler, maneuvered their vehicle with maximum concentration. The panicking tank commander kept screaming “Faster, faster!!!” inside the cramped interior, hurting Ghibler’s ears and annoying him a bit.
“I-is that…?!”
From far away, something flashed from the road leading to within the hollow mountains.
“A muzzle flash?!”
Within the following moment, the tank running to their right exploded as the sound of metal being broken reached their ears.
“Aghh!!!”
A hopeless scene unfolded before Ghibler’s eyes. Blocking the entrance to the hollow mountains were enemy tanks lined up in almost equal intervals. From what he could see, they numbered around 100.
“Commander!! I’ve sighted enemy tanks!!! They’re more than 100, sir!!!”
The 10 enemy tanks that they encountered earlier boasted abnormally strong combat power and crushed much of their armored units. Now, there were more than 100 of those same tanks that were blocking their retreat. Their number already exceeded the amount of tanks they have left.
“Fuck!! Not good, not good, not good!!! Report to the command vehicle and suggest to them that we should surrender!!!”
The panicking tank commander pressed on the radio’s press-to-talk button.
In the command vehicle
“Commander Borg!!! Message from the 2nd Platoon!!! They’ve sighted more than 100 enemy tanks at the entrance to the hollow mountains!!! They’re deployed in a wide line!!! They’ve also suggested that we surrender!!!”
“More than 100?!?!”
Borg instinctively understood that the difference in their tanks’ combat strength was extreme. With more than 100 tanks, they now outnumbered them.
“Where did they hide all of those tanks?!”
So many inexplicable events had happened. Borg’s thoughts wandered around his mind. Advancing at this point would lead to their sure annihilation. However, their will and pride was on the line. These thoughts dulled his rational judgement.
“The 4th Division, the strongest in the Gra Valkas Empire, will surrender to the barbarians of this world?! We…
We are the strongest division of the glorious empire!!! Damn cowards!!! We must exterminate and break through the enemy!!! We will deal with those bastards that suggested we surrender later!!!”
Borg howled.
“All units!!! Form into a single dense group!!! Since they’re deployed in a wide area, they will have gaps in their ranks!!! Cluster together and charge for their gaps while firing!!!”
“Sir, yes, sir!!!”
Borg’s commands reached everyone.
・・・
Inside one of the tanks in 2nd Platoon
“We have orders to move in a single formation!”
“Huuuhh?! Are they idiots?! Our commanders are idiots!!! They’re not looking at reality!!! We will be swiftly annihilated!!!”
A loud voice echoed within the tank. While the driver, Ghibler, had the same thoughts, he couldn’t go against orders from their superiors. He braced himself for their coming death.
“Hey! Raise a white cloth! If they’re not gonna do it, then we’ll be the only ones who will!!!”
“White cloth? Are you sure???”
“Japan’s army recognizes that raising a white flag symbolizes surrender. Their strength is beyond norm!!! If you don’t wanna die like this, go out and wave a white shirt!!! We’ll surrender!!!”
A symbol of surrender to Japan. The military never imagined they’d come to a point where surrender will become an option, so this information wasn’t passed on to everyone. This was information only some of the higher-ups know, but since the tank commander was dying to get a promotion, he managed to acquire this information from one of his superiors.
“B-but… We’ll be court-martialed if we ignore orders from our superiors!!!”
One of them persists in following the order to march.
“If we don’t surrender, we’ll end up dead!!! We die for real this time, or we face a 0.1% possibility of court-martial. Choose your fate!!! Now go!!! Our lives hang on this very moment!!!”
“B-but…”
“Fuck! Fine!!! I’ll do it!!!”
The tank commander opened his hatch and emerged on top of the tank. Taking off his uniform, he waved around his white shirt in an eye-catching manner so the enemy could see. In the following moment, their fellow tanks exploded in succession.
In just a single moment, everyone else perished. At the same time, multiple intense explosions rocked around them, kicking up clouds of dust. The tank commander shook in fear as he continued to wave their makeshift white flag. The dust gradually settled.
“Hey!!! You guys, look!”
The trembling tank commander ordered his crewmen to disembark from the tank. Driver Ghibler obliged and emerged from his hatch.
“Huh???”
Just earlier… Just 2 minutes earlier, the radio which had been filled with voices of their comrades overlapping over one another was now silent. Their fellow tanks, which were supposed to be taking off towards the enemy, were all reduced to scrap.
“Look! I’m responsible for saving your asses! Thank me!”
The tank commander was detestable and unpleasant to work with, but Ghibler understood that he was right this time.
On this day, the Gra Valkas Imperial Army’s strongest mechanized division, the 4th Division, made contact with the 7th Division of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force. All of their forces, save for one tank that had surrendered, were annihilated. 4th Division Commander Borg was killed in action.
・・・
Commander of the Mu National Army’s Western Army, Hokugō, was standing still from shock. A faint hint of smoke hung over the vicinity as the smell of burning metal pierced his nose.
“What the hell… How terrifying.”
A mechanized division of the Gra Valkas Empire that was trying to attack Kielseki made contact with Japan’s Self-Defense Force and was annihilated. Mu Commander Hokugō, who had come close to where the tanks of the GSDF had deployed to witness the scene, looked over to the wreck of the Gra Valkas Empire tanks.
“That empire was helplessly destroyed… Unbelievable!”
One of his subordinates candidly expresses his impressions.
“I never dreamed that we would be able to defend Kielseki without the army suffering losses.”
“Good grief!”
“It looks like we can put a lot more manpower for our next operation.”
“Yes. With Japan’s support, we will definitely succeed.”
“The recapture of Alue… Wait. Before that, the Gra Valkas Empire’s base, Valkyries, must fall.”
“Indeed. Within the last year, the army’s elite special forces have trained under the guidance of Japan’s 1st Airborne Brigade and have exceptionally gotten stronger. With Valkyries’ base functions lost due to the previous air strikes, we’d be able to take control of it without difficulty. This time, Japan’s 1st Airborne Brigade will also be providing support.”
The confidence that they’d be able to protect Mu to the end wells up within their hearts. Commander Hokugō was determined to give his all for his country.
・・・
Leiforia, Leifor sector, Gra Valkas Empire
At the Foreign Affairs building, young Foreign Affairs executive Cielia was working at her office. Beside her worked her subordinate, Dallas, who was a bit of a problem character.
“Regarding Crown Prince Gra Cabal’s visit to Valkyries, he will visit this office in 4 days at 10:30am then head to Valkyries for inspection of the airfield at 2:10pm. At 4:00pm, he will depart Valkyries and arrive at Leiforia Airport at 8:00pm. Am I right?”
“Yes. Down to the letter.”
The military and Foreign Affairs are both naturally opposed to the sudden order for inspection of the frontlines from the Imperial Family Affairs Office, but due to the orders and strong inclination of the Crown Prince, Gra Cabal, the inspection materialized.
“Gotta make sure there are no blunders…”
The imperial family’s political power was immense and if everyone knew they would come, they would repave and repair the roads that they would take. Even if the traffic signs were new, they’d be replaced with brand-new ones and the scenery that they will see is then subject to verification. If there were three routes that were set due to consideration that something unlikely may happen, all of them would be completely demolished and made new. Not even a single bump on the road will be allowed.
The extraordinarily meticulous imperial family will head to the frontlines for inspection. Since there could also be unforeseen circumstances, the two diplomats were restless.
Suddenly, the door opens with a slam and a staff member runs into the office. He was out of breath and sweating, holding papers that seemed to be documents.
“What’s wrong?”
Dallas asks.
“Just now, a transmission came in from the Imperial Army.”
“Ohhh. Show us. Did they already manage to take the next town? With the Crown Prince visiting, the military must also be in high spirits.”
He took the paper as he talked. His generous expression gradually distorted.
“H-huh???”
Cold sweat ran down his hands and back. As his fingers traced the letters they began to shiver.
“H-how… could such an absurd thing happen?!”
Dallas’s loud voice echoed within the office.
“What’s wrong?!”
Cielia asked the panicking Dallas as she herself took the documents.
“Huh?”
The following events were described in summary in the document.
The Imperial Army Air Corps assigned to bomb Kielseki was intercepted by the enemy and annihilated. After that, Valkyries base received airstrikes at dawn. Just before the airstrikes, a phenomenon in which the radar couldn’t function occurred, delaying interception efforts. Fighters thought to be from the Japanese army destroyed the base’s important sectors. After that, a huge force from Mu came and conducted attacks on the base. The base’s functions have been catastrophically damaged with all air units annihilated. The Imperial Army’s 4th Division, with which they had lost contact prior to the attack, was discovered by returning reconnaissance units and confirmed annihilated. The Imperial Army is currently planning to rebuild its strength.“P-perhaps something is wrong with this, no?”
No one replied to Cielia’s question.
The Imperial Army usually doesn’t send details regarding battle and casualty reports to Foreign Affairs. The fact that this was intentionally sent to them may be an indication of their intention that they wouldn’t be able to upright welcome the Crown Prince. According to orders from the Imperial Family Affairs Office, the military is in charge of security, but the guidance and overall responsibility is entrusted to Foreign Affairs.
If Foreign Affairs doesn’t abide by the orders of the imperial family, Cielia and Dallas, the overseers of the Leifor sub-branch which is responsible for the execution of the event, will be expelled.
“How… How can something like this happen to the empire?!”
Dallas shouts.
In the off-chance they couldn’t guide the Crown Prince to Kielseki, his plans of a successful career ending up in smoke is the least of his worries. In the midst of the silence simmering from the shock that had swept through the office, a telephone rings out.
“Cielia speaking.”
“Ms. Cielia, Imperial Army Officer Ramball, wants to meet you for an urgent explanation…”
“Let him through, now!”
Cielia sets up a place for the emergency meeting. After a while, the door opens and the young Imperial Army Officer Ramball enters the room.
Their meeting starts.
“My humble apologies for the sudden visit. I thought that the situation couldn’t be grasped with just the transmission so I came to explain.”
Sweat trickled from Officer Ramball’s forehead. He continues.
“The Mu Conquest Army’s Valkyries base was catastrophically damaged by a large-scale bombing. Honestly speaking, we are in a situation where we absolutely cannot welcome the Crown Prince.”
“Why?! How could you let something like that happen?!”
Dallas howls.
“We are currently investigating the cause.”
Ramball isn’t subordinate to Dallas. His mood sickened a bit due to Dallas’s attitude towards him, someone who reports to another government ministry.
“Currently investigating? How do you intend to get more information?! Why don’t you understand the cause yet?! Is it because of the military’s negligence?! Do you understand what it means to refuse His Highness, the Crown Prince?!”
“We don’t understand because we don’t understand! In particular, the 4th Division was annihilated in a short amount of time. Only fragmentary pieces of information have been coming in since we started. It will take a considerable amount of time to scrutinize information and send to you reliable ones. Expedited information is unreliable!!
By the time we finish our investigation it might have taken too long that you will probably just complain about it taking too long!!!”
Since the meeting felt like it was about to end in a fight, Cielia steps in.
“Dallas, there’s no meaning in trying to pick a fight. Mr. Ramball has taken the trouble to promptly give us this information.
Mr. Ramball, forgive my subordinate’s discourtesy. Please continue.”
The anger in the air subsides.
“Ahem… Understood.
The aircraft that bombed Valkyries had an absurdly high-performance airframe and it had the insignia of Japan. The military is currently suspecting that Japan was also the one that had annihilated the 4th Division.”
“W-what?!”
The meeting with Asada flashed in the back of Dallas’s mind. They were shown through a video the development of a metropolis and they said that there was a 70 year disparity in their technology. However, they didn’t give any information regarding their weapons. The Japanese diplomat, Asada, asserted at the time.
“When the empire commences its invasion into Mu, it will be the beginning of the end of the Gra Valkas Empire.”
Wait… was what he said actually true??? Ah, wait. If that were true, then they should have included demonstrations of their weapons in the video… That would have achieved much more diplomatic success.
While thoughts raced around Dallas’s mind, Ramball continued.
“The military takes the devastating attack on the base very seriously.”
After their transfer and up until now, the Gra Valkas Empire has experienced successive victories. They were able to even send the World Union Fleet into a rout and no one doubted that they would conquer the world. However, at this stage which can be said to be the early stages of the conquest of the continent, their frontline base, for some unknown, unidentified reason, was damaged to the point of near annihilation.
Furthermore, since they had reached the point where even their strongest mechanized division was annihilated, the army’s upper brass was in a state of total chaos.
Ramball continues.
“Has… information from the Navy reached you yet?”
“Why?”
Since the clash with the World Union Fleet, the Navy hasn’t sent any particular information to Foreign Affairs. Since another ministry was inquiring, even if information had come from the Navy, Dallas still asked why.
“Every ministry should share information with one another as to not to be a hindrance to the empire’s future operations. I will tell you what the Navy has.”
Ramball began talking to the diplomats with a mysterious expression.
The plains west of Kielseki
Commander Borg of the Gra Valkas Imperial Army’s 4th Division impatiently scanned the skies.
“Still no answer from the radio?!”
“There’s… still no answer from Valkyries…”
Although their arrival outside the hollow mountains got delayed, it was still within expectation. In the off chance that they couldn’t radio back, there were arrangements for aircraft to fly and check on them periodically. However, the arranged time for them to fly over has already passed. No aircraft flew over them.
The attack they received in the hollow mountains just hours before and the amount of damage they received were all unprecedented. Borg’s impatience was felt by every single soldier in the division. Still, the 4th Division was a large force, with the forces that they still have posing a great threat to Mu. Despite this setback in establishing contact with Valkyries, withdrawing entirely isn’t an option.
“We seem to be unlucky today. I’m getting a bad hunch. Widen our search area! Send out some motorcycle recon troops all the way to just before Kielseki!!!”
“Yes, sir!!!”
4th Division commander Borg ordered the 19th Reconnaissance Company to cover the area between them and their strategic goal of the town of Kielseki. The 16 motorcycles of the 19th Reconnaissance Company promptly set out and took a route that circumvented a small mountain 22km from where the rest of the division deployed.
“Commander Borg, shall we let the soldiers have their fill with the spoils we will get from Kielseki? We have lost much more men than we did back in Alue, so in my opinion, we must be tougher on them this time.”
One of the officers asks Borg.
Borg felt a little irritated at the question due to the current uneasy state of their forces. However, their soldiers’ mental hygiene mattered as well.
“Do as you like. Go wild.”
A nasty smile emerged on the officer’s face.
All things considered, this invasion has taken its toll on the soldiers. Borg too, once Kielseki has fallen, intends to make full use of their spoils.
“Thank you so much!!!”
With a big lascivious smile on his face, the officer took his leave to tell the soldiers of their new orders.
Suddenly, an intense light flashed 200m away from where Borg was.
BOOOOOOM!!!
Immediately after the flash, an explosion rocked the earth as ear-piercing sounds echoed throughout the plains.
There was no enemy in sight. Moreover, they could see as far as 25km away, way outside the maximum range of weapons used by the Gra Valkas Imperial Army. Borg turns upwards towards the sky but fails to spot any aircraft. Furthermore, it doesn’t seem to be a high-altitude bombing run.
“A-are you kidding me?! Are they attacking from outside our range?!”
He looks at the scene unfolding before his eyes. Clouds of earth were kicked up in a radius of 50m away from where the explosions occurred.
“T-they’re shelling us?!”
Huge pillars of soil and earth rose one after another on where their forces were. Thunderous sounds and fiery explosions efficiently rained down on the huge deployment area of the division. Borg immediately enters the armored command vehicle and closes the hatch.
Pang pang pang pang pang…
Sounds of metallic fragments sprinkling against the armor of the command vehicle violently shook the interior. It also seems that small grenade-like explosions were occurring one after the other. It almost seemed like a gust of metallic wind was harassing the command vehicle. Screams of agony that came with one’s last moments can be heard from within the vehicle, making it seem like they were actually in hell.
The attack finally subsided. Silence engulfed the area.
“What the hell…”
Opening the top hatch, Borg surveys his surroundings.
“!!!”
Clouds of soil and earth still fluttered about, making it hard to see the situation that had unfolded. The dust gradually settled, allowing Borg and the others to witness parts of what has now become a battlefield.
“Wha-!!!!”
Rows of transport vehicles were dotted with tons of holes and were virtually silenced. Several of them were even in flames. Dozens of soldiers lay collapsed on the ground unresponsive.
“Verify our casualties!!!”
“Yes, sir!!!”
Damage reports flooded into the command vehicle and their casualties gradually became clear.
“Tanks and armored vehicles are largely intact and in running condition!!! However, our transports, infantry companies, and motorcycle forces are unresponsive!!! We verified that the 19th Reconnaissance Company has already exited the sphere of attack and all their personnel are accounted for!!!”
The comms officer’s voice shook as he reported. Borg continued to survey the vicinity. Besides their tanks and armored vehicles, nothing else moved.
“What the hell is this?! WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED?!”
Stunned beyond reason, his inner thoughts leaked out. The 4th Division, the Gra Valkas Empire’s strongest division, lost several thousands of soldiers in just a short amount of time.
“What the fuck… What… the… fuck…”
Only their tanks and armored vehicles had survived. They have basically been annihilated as a division, with the forces that they have left unable to take control of the enemy town. No previous point in the history of the Gra Valkas Empire has an Imperial Army division been unilaterally defeated. Borg’s heart collapsed at the reality that so much of their forces were wiped out in an instant while the enemy’s position and strength remained unverified.
After temporarily losing himself, he gets back on his feet.
“Who knew that such an instantaneous and large-scale suppressive attack existed…!!! Okay! A second wave may be coming!! Get every armored unit back to the hollow mountains!!! After the recon troops completed their mission in Kielseki, have them fall back to the hollow mountains!!”
The armored units of the Gra Valkas Imperial Army 4th Division swivelled around and headed back for the hollow mountains. Since they deployed at a more forward position, the hollow mountains were more than 5km away. The soldiers were panicking severely due to the attack. The hollow mountains which were visible from their position seemed so far away.
・・・
“Due to the surface suppression we conducted, enemy unarmored units suffered near-total casualties. Enemy survivors, consisting of 130 tanks and armored vehicles, are now retreating back to the hollow mountains.”
Situation reports were submitted to GSDF 7th Division commander Ōuchida who was encamped slightly behind the self-propelled howitzers. The enemy is making a run for it. However, if they let them escape in their current state, they’d still be a tremendous force for Mu to deal with. After they had escaped, they might inflict a ton of casualties on their allies. He understood that they must put an end to them, but attacking a retreating enemy felt like a very low blow. Ōuchida closes his eyes for a moment before opening them with a resolute look.
“We will proceed as originally planned and exterminate the remaining enemy forces. Proceed to Step 2!!!”
“Affirmative! Proceeding to Step 2 to exterminate surviving enemy forces!”
The battlefield continues to develop.
・・・
The remnants of the Gra Valkas Empire’s 4th Division are making a run for the hollow mountains. They moved in no particular formation and in order to avoid any attacks that may come raining down on them, every unit marched in their own unsightly fashion towards the mountains.
“…Bastards!!! Those bastards!!!”
Borg’s anger manifested in his voice.
“10 more minutes until the frontmost tanks reach the hollow mountains!”
One of his subordinates reports in.
Suddenly, sounds which seem like the air being chopped over and over again could be heard.
“Huh??”
Borg turned to look at the direction of the sounds and saw 5 aircraft which he had never seen before hovering in the air before them as if to block their advance.
“Is… is that…???”
He looked at the mysterious flying objects with binoculars. It had no wings and rotor blades affixed on top of it spun at great speeds. On the fuselage of the aircraft was a red circle with a white outline and as an officer, he recognized the symbol.
“It’s… it’s the insignia of Japan!!! A Japanese weapon?! Fuck!!! Shoot those bastards down!!!”
Autocannons turned towards the sky and began firing. Lines of fire denoted by their tracers drew lines across the sky but due to their limited hit area, they missed their intended targets. As if firing in retaliation, the enemy aircraft launched arrows of light.
“Enemy aircraft firing rockets!!!”
As soon as they radioed in, tanks commanded by someone with good intuition immediately conducted evasive maneuvers.
“What?!”
They were dumbfounded.
When using rockets in an attack, a barrage of rockets is favored over launching one at a time as a single rocket is not expected to hit a target. However, the rockets launched by the enemy seemed to have their own will, changing its course completely and chasing after their tanks.
The lookouts didn’t have time to report in as the rocket crashed into a friendly tank, producing a powerful explosion that blew its turret off. The rockets that were launched in rapid succession found their marks on their allied tanks, blowing them up one by one. Tanks began to explode one after the other as multiple lives were lost in each explosion. Their supposedly invincible tanks were now being trampled over like ants.
“Oh gods!! It’s comi-bzzzzzzzzzzzt”
“12th Platoon annihila-bzzzzzzzzzzzt”
Multiple radio transmissions from their tanks were being cut off as they got blown away. Friendly autocannons continued to fire tracer-laced rounds into the sky. However, they were hopelessly missing as the enemy aircraft danced around.
The air-chopping sound of the enemy aircraft in flight echoed throughout the battlefield, stimulating great fear within the division.
“Enemy aircraft firing rockets!!!”
“What?!”
The enemy aircraft that hovered in a single line fired rocket after rocket. The rockets flew straight, hitting the ground nearby. Immense explosions rocked the earth one after another as clouds of dust engulfed the vicinity. The rockets rained around them like meteors. As the enemy wrapped up their bombardment, they turned face and left the battlefield northwards.
“Damage… report…”
The attack was brief. Despite the horrifyingly short amount of time the enemy took to carry out their attack, they dealt them enormous casualties. While not as much as their first contact in the hollow mountains, they still lost 35 vehicles which were all wrecked and rendered immobile.
・・・
2nd Platoon
“Run!!! Faster!!! Faster!!!”
Losing much of their comrades in the brief attack, the tank commander lost his senses to the overwhelming terror that engulfed them and howled commands to escape to his fellow tankers. Their supposedly invincible force was now reduced to small animals ready for the slaughter and their morale was at an all-time low.
Corpses of their comrades lie all across the vicinity which they now have to cross over to run. They ran over the corpses of friends that they fought with in countless battles. The sounds of human bones being crushed under their tracks resounded within the tank, making everyone inside feel disgusted and uncomfortable.
The driver, Ghibler, was panicking from severe stress.
Just 3 more kilometers. 3 more kilometers before they enter the hollow mountains and shake off the threats coming from the sky. Over 20 friendly tanks were trodding along in front of them, kicking up clouds of dust as they crossed the plains.
“Are we there yet?! Have we reached the hollow mountains yet?!”
The tank commander howled with an ear-piercing high-pitched voice inside the cramped tank.
“Just a little bit more, sir!!!”
He desperately verified from his viewport as he reported to his commander. Suddenly, the sound of an explosion rocked the tank. Light coming from flames bathed their front view.
“Wha-! What happened?! What is it this time?!”
The sound of another explosion rocked the tank as they momentarily saw attacks coming from the sky.
“We’re… we’re being attacked from above!!!”
“Fuck! Have the rotorcraft from a while ago returned?!”
“I don’t know!!!”
The attacks from above and explosions continued. Several of the GSDF’s Type 96 Multi-Purpose Missile System were attacking them from the mountains. The wire-guided missiles are connected to the launcher by optical fiber and are accurate with the gunner being able to see the missiles’ trajectory from the warhead to guide them towards the enemy tanks. Since they are guided using cameras, even if heat-seeking guidance defeating flares and radar-guidance defeating chafes were scattered, they would absolutely have no effect.
Their comrades continue to explode.
・・・
“Commander Borg!! We’re receiving attacks from the front!!”
The situation was visibly obvious without the report. Borg was having a headache.
First, an intense surface bombardment was conducted on them while they were deployed in a wide plain. Much of their unarmored elements were destroyed in the bombardment, forcing their armored elements to abandon their invasion and fall back. By the time they started falling back, enemy aircraft showed up and destroyed as many tanks as their ammunition could before pulling back. Now, they were being attacked from an unidentified position and source, further whittling down their tank units in single shots.
A sense of uneasiness at letting his subordinates die. A fear of losing his life… It was a humiliating rout.
“Bastards!!!! BASTARDS!!! How… How could you let me go through such bullshit… I won’t forgive you!!! Reform our formations!!! Let’s crush them!!!”
Before long, they will reach the hollow mountains.
The enemy’s bombardment density was more sparse than expected, and while they have received catastrophic amounts of casualties, they might be able to escape completely. A faint ray of hope and an intense feeling of revenge wells up within him. However, something that will knock those feelings out of his system appears before them.
NOTE FROM TL: Hello, this is rose, again. The Sweeping Shock 4 is actually halved in two parts due to its length by the author, みのろう, but I decided to combine them into a single translation for simplicity. The following is Part 2.
The driver of a tank in 2nd Platoon, Ghibler, maneuvered their vehicle with maximum concentration. The panicking tank commander kept screaming “Faster, faster!!!” inside the cramped interior, hurting Ghibler’s ears and annoying him a bit.
“I-is that…?!”
From far away, something flashed from the road leading to within the hollow mountains.
“A muzzle flash?!”
Within the following moment, the tank running to their right exploded as the sound of metal being broken reached their ears.
“Aghh!!!”
A hopeless scene unfolded before Ghibler’s eyes. Blocking the entrance to the hollow mountains were enemy tanks lined up in almost equal intervals. From what he could see, they numbered around 100.
“Commander!! I’ve sighted enemy tanks!!! They’re more than 100, sir!!!”
The 10 enemy tanks that they encountered earlier boasted abnormally strong combat power and crushed much of their armored units. Now, there were more than 100 of those same tanks that were blocking their retreat. Their number already exceeded the amount of tanks they have left.
“Fuck!! Not good, not good, not good!!! Report to the command vehicle and suggest to them that we should surrender!!!”
The panicking tank commander pressed on the radio’s press-to-talk button.
In the command vehicle
“Commander Borg!!! Message from the 2nd Platoon!!! They’ve sighted more than 100 enemy tanks at the entrance to the hollow mountains!!! They’re deployed in a wide line!!! They’ve also suggested that we surrender!!!”
“More than 100?!?!”
Borg instinctively understood that the difference in their tanks’ combat strength was extreme. With more than 100 tanks, they now outnumbered them.
“Where did they hide all of those tanks?!”
So many inexplicable events had happened. Borg’s thoughts wandered around his mind. Advancing at this point would lead to their sure annihilation. However, their will and pride was on the line. These thoughts dulled his rational judgement.
“The 4th Division, the strongest in the Gra Valkas Empire, will surrender to the barbarians of this world?! We…
We are the strongest division of the glorious empire!!! Damn cowards!!! We must exterminate and break through the enemy!!! We will deal with those bastards that suggested we surrender later!!!”
Borg howled.
“All units!!! Form into a single dense group!!! Since they’re deployed in a wide area, they will have gaps in their ranks!!! Cluster together and charge for their gaps while firing!!!”
“Sir, yes, sir!!!”
Borg’s commands reached everyone.
・・・
Inside one of the tanks in 2nd Platoon
“We have orders to move in a single formation!”
“Huuuhh?! Are they idiots?! Our commanders are idiots!!! They’re not looking at reality!!! We will be swiftly annihilated!!!”
A loud voice echoed within the tank. While the driver, Ghibler, had the same thoughts, he couldn’t go against orders from their superiors. He braced himself for their coming death.
“Hey! Raise a white cloth! If they’re not gonna do it, then we’ll be the only ones who will!!!”
“White cloth? Are you sure???”
“Japan’s army recognizes that raising a white flag symbolizes surrender. Their strength is beyond norm!!! If you don’t wanna die like this, go out and wave a white shirt!!! We’ll surrender!!!”
A symbol of surrender to Japan. The military never imagined they’d come to a point where surrender will become an option, so this information wasn’t passed on to everyone. This was information only some of the higher-ups know, but since the tank commander was dying to get a promotion, he managed to acquire this information from one of his superiors.
“B-but… We’ll be court-martialed if we ignore orders from our superiors!!!”
One of them persists in following the order to march.
“If we don’t surrender, we’ll end up dead!!! We die for real this time, or we face a 0.1% possibility of court-martial. Choose your fate!!! Now go!!! Our lives hang on this very moment!!!”
“B-but…”
“Fuck! Fine!!! I’ll do it!!!”
The tank commander opened his hatch and emerged on top of the tank. Taking off his uniform, he waved around his white shirt in an eye-catching manner so the enemy could see. In the following moment, their fellow tanks exploded in succession.
In just a single moment, everyone else perished. At the same time, multiple intense explosions rocked around them, kicking up clouds of dust. The tank commander shook in fear as he continued to wave their makeshift white flag. The dust gradually settled.
“Hey!!! You guys, look!”
The trembling tank commander ordered his crewmen to disembark from the tank. Driver Ghibler obliged and emerged from his hatch.
“Huh???”
Just earlier… Just 2 minutes earlier, the radio which had been filled with voices of their comrades overlapping over one another was now silent. Their fellow tanks, which were supposed to be taking off towards the enemy, were all reduced to scrap.
“Look! I’m responsible for saving your asses! Thank me!”
The tank commander was detestable and unpleasant to work with, but Ghibler understood that he was right this time.
On this day, the Gra Valkas Imperial Army’s strongest mechanized division, the 4th Division, made contact with the 7th Division of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force. All of their forces, save for one tank that had surrendered, were annihilated. 4th Division Commander Borg was killed in action.
・・・
Commander of the Mu National Army’s Western Army, Hokugō, was standing still from shock. A faint hint of smoke hung over the vicinity as the smell of burning metal pierced his nose.
“What the hell… How terrifying.”
A mechanized division of the Gra Valkas Empire that was trying to attack Kielseki made contact with Japan’s Self-Defense Force and was annihilated. Mu Commander Hokugō, who had come close to where the tanks of the GSDF had deployed to witness the scene, looked over to the wreck of the Gra Valkas Empire tanks.
“That empire was helplessly destroyed… Unbelievable!”
One of his subordinates candidly expresses his impressions.
“I never dreamed that we would be able to defend Kielseki without the army suffering losses.”
“Good grief!”
“It looks like we can put a lot more manpower for our next operation.”
“Yes. With Japan’s support, we will definitely succeed.”
“The recapture of Alue… Wait. Before that, the Gra Valkas Empire’s base, Valkyries, must fall.”
“Indeed. Within the last year, the army’s elite special forces have trained under the guidance of Japan’s 1st Airborne Brigade and have exceptionally gotten stronger. With Valkyries’ base functions lost due to the previous air strikes, we’d be able to take control of it without difficulty. This time, Japan’s 1st Airborne Brigade will also be providing support.”
The confidence that they’d be able to protect Mu to the end wells up within their hearts. Commander Hokugō was determined to give his all for his country.
・・・
Leiforia, Leifor sector, Gra Valkas Empire
At the Foreign Affairs building, young Foreign Affairs executive Cielia was working at her office. Beside her worked her subordinate, Dallas, who was a bit of a problem character.
“Regarding Crown Prince Gra Cabal’s visit to Valkyries, he will visit this office in 4 days at 10:30am then head to Valkyries for inspection of the airfield at 2:10pm. At 4:00pm, he will depart Valkyries and arrive at Leiforia Airport at 8:00pm. Am I right?”
“Yes. Down to the letter.”
The military and Foreign Affairs are both naturally opposed to the sudden order for inspection of the frontlines from the Imperial Family Affairs Office, but due to the orders and strong inclination of the Crown Prince, Gra Cabal, the inspection materialized.
“Gotta make sure there are no blunders…”
The imperial family’s political power was immense and if everyone knew they would come, they would repave and repair the roads that they would take. Even if the traffic signs were new, they’d be replaced with brand-new ones and the scenery that they will see is then subject to verification. If there were three routes that were set due to consideration that something unlikely may happen, all of them would be completely demolished and made new. Not even a single bump on the road will be allowed.
The extraordinarily meticulous imperial family will head to the frontlines for inspection. Since there could also be unforeseen circumstances, the two diplomats were restless.
Suddenly, the door opens with a slam and a staff member runs into the office. He was out of breath and sweating, holding papers that seemed to be documents.
“What’s wrong?”
Dallas asks.
“Just now, a transmission came in from the Imperial Army.”
“Ohhh. Show us. Did they already manage to take the next town? With the Crown Prince visiting, the military must also be in high spirits.”
He took the paper as he talked. His generous expression gradually distorted.
“H-huh???”
Cold sweat ran down his hands and back. As his fingers traced the letters they began to shiver.
“H-how… could such an absurd thing happen?!”
Dallas’s loud voice echoed within the office.
“What’s wrong?!”
Cielia asked the panicking Dallas as she herself took the documents.
“Huh?”
The following events were described in summary in the document.
The Imperial Army Air Corps assigned to bomb Kielseki was intercepted by the enemy and annihilated. After that, Valkyries base received airstrikes at dawn. Just before the airstrikes, a phenomenon in which the radar couldn’t function occurred, delaying interception efforts. Fighters thought to be from the Japanese army destroyed the base’s important sectors. After that, a huge force from Mu came and conducted attacks on the base. The base’s functions have been catastrophically damaged with all air units annihilated. The Imperial Army’s 4th Division, with which they had lost contact prior to the attack, was discovered by returning reconnaissance units and confirmed annihilated. The Imperial Army is currently planning to rebuild its strength.“P-perhaps something is wrong with this, no?”
No one replied to Cielia’s question.
The Imperial Army usually doesn’t send details regarding battle and casualty reports to Foreign Affairs. The fact that this was intentionally sent to them may be an indication of their intention that they wouldn’t be able to upright welcome the Crown Prince. According to orders from the Imperial Family Affairs Office, the military is in charge of security, but the guidance and overall responsibility is entrusted to Foreign Affairs.
If Foreign Affairs doesn’t abide by the orders of the imperial family, Cielia and Dallas, the overseers of the Leifor sub-branch which is responsible for the execution of the event, will be expelled.
“How… How can something like this happen to the empire?!”
Dallas shouts.
In the off-chance they couldn’t guide the Crown Prince to Kielseki, his plans of a successful career ending up in smoke is the least of his worries. In the midst of the silence simmering from the shock that had swept through the office, a telephone rings out.
“Cielia speaking.”
“Ms. Cielia, Imperial Army Officer Ramball, wants to meet you for an urgent explanation…”
“Let him through, now!”
Cielia sets up a place for the emergency meeting. After a while, the door opens and the young Imperial Army Officer Ramball enters the room.
Their meeting starts.
“My humble apologies for the sudden visit. I thought that the situation couldn’t be grasped with just the transmission so I came to explain.”
Sweat trickled from Officer Ramball’s forehead. He continues.
“The Mu Conquest Army’s Valkyries base was catastrophically damaged by a large-scale bombing. Honestly speaking, we are in a situation where we absolutely cannot welcome the Crown Prince.”
“Why?! How could you let something like that happen?!”
Dallas howls.
“We are currently investigating the cause.”
Ramball isn’t subordinate to Dallas. His mood sickened a bit due to Dallas’s attitude towards him, someone who reports to another government ministry.
“Currently investigating? How do you intend to get more information?! Why don’t you understand the cause yet?! Is it because of the military’s negligence?! Do you understand what it means to refuse His Highness, the Crown Prince?!”
“We don’t understand because we don’t understand! In particular, the 4th Division was annihilated in a short amount of time. Only fragmentary pieces of information have been coming in since we started. It will take a considerable amount of time to scrutinize information and send to you reliable ones. Expedited information is unreliable!!
By the time we finish our investigation it might have taken too long that you will probably just complain about it taking too long!!!”
Since the meeting felt like it was about to end in a fight, Cielia steps in.
“Dallas, there’s no meaning in trying to pick a fight. Mr. Ramball has taken the trouble to promptly give us this information.
Mr. Ramball, forgive my subordinate’s discourtesy. Please continue.”
The anger in the air subsides.
“Ahem… Understood.
The aircraft that bombed Valkyries had an absurdly high-performance airframe and it had the insignia of Japan. The military is currently suspecting that Japan was also the one that had annihilated the 4th Division.”
“W-what?!”
The meeting with Asada flashed in the back of Dallas’s mind. They were shown through a video the development of a metropolis and they said that there was a 70 year disparity in their technology. However, they didn’t give any information regarding their weapons. The Japanese diplomat, Asada, asserted at the time.
“When the empire commences its invasion into Mu, it will be the beginning of the end of the Gra Valkas Empire.”
Wait… was what he said actually true??? Ah, wait. If that were true, then they should have included demonstrations of their weapons in the video… That would have achieved much more diplomatic success.
While thoughts raced around Dallas’s mind, Ramball continued.
“The military takes the devastating attack on the base very seriously.”
After their transfer and up until now, the Gra Valkas Empire has experienced successive victories. They were able to even send the World Union Fleet into a rout and no one doubted that they would conquer the world. However, at this stage which can be said to be the early stages of the conquest of the continent, their frontline base, for some unknown, unidentified reason, was damaged to the point of near annihilation.
Furthermore, since they had reached the point where even their strongest mechanized division was annihilated, the army’s upper brass was in a state of total chaos.
Ramball continues.
“Has… information from the Navy reached you yet?”
“Why?”
Since the clash with the World Union Fleet, the Navy hasn’t sent any particular information to Foreign Affairs. Since another ministry was inquiring, even if information had come from the Navy, Dallas still asked why.
“Every ministry should share information with one another as to not to be a hindrance to the empire’s future operations. I will tell you what the Navy has.”
Ramball began talking to the diplomats with a mysterious expression.
