novelnext Page 186
Page 186
"Hello, Captain, it's a pleasure to help you." The helicopter leader hovered overhead, continuing to drive away the Soviet troops. "Please retreat immediately, we have another mission later."
"And another one? Aren't you afraid of dying?"
“No, we need to check the situation on the banks of the Elbe River…” As he spoke, the team leader received a message and replied, “OK, Captain, my rank may not be high enough, there’s something I need you to ask the rear for instructions on.”
"what?"
"A friendly aircraft just found a young woman unconscious on the east bank of the river, about 3 kilometers downstream from Magdeburg. She was wrapped in the flag of the Britannian Empire."
Chapter 230, Section 305: Illuminating the Night (Part 1)
I was incredibly lucky to have survived, and I lived past the 10 p.m.
Without its wings, KMF didn't even have the right to press its advantage. It could only swallow the bitter pill of its reckless and foolish advance, waiting to wrestle with Death. If it lost, it would be like those steel giants that spewed out sparks and flames like fountains, drowned in the River Styx; if it won, it would still have to leave behind a body covered in blood and tears as payment to Death for his demands.
The moment Angelina tumbled out of the plane carrying Julie, and the moment Griffin landed and discovered an anti-tank bullet miraculously lodged in Vincent's groin, there were far too many people more unfortunate than them—whether shattered into snowflakes by a single artillery shell or their survival halted by a malfunctioning aircraft, they were all left behind in that chaotic scene.
What? Someone's trapped because the KMF's release mechanism won't activate? Sorry, it's too late to save you. Juliet's rescue was purely by luck—when she was hit by the tank, the immense kinetic energy caused Gloucester to crash and break the hatch lock upon impact. And the other survivors? Trapped inside, suffocating from the thick smoke, or ultimately thrown into cells by the returning Soviet soldiers. In short, they'll soon be discarded along with the varying value of KMF parts.
From Griffin's MVS sword and Juliet's energy shield to a screw on a mechanical leg, everything has become a corner of this precious junkyard.
……
The two immediately requested a transport plane, then sent their respective aircraft to a truck for repairs in the rear. They took Juliet to a bed in a nearby medical clinic, and then got into an ambulance heading west. They soon stopped at the edge of a forest, where they encountered another infantry fighting vehicle. The clouds over the Elbe River in the west were still somewhat bright, reflecting the still-burning flames in Magdeburg and the aggressive steps of the Western Allied forces crossing the river.
Fortunately, it was nighttime, which allowed the two vehicles to meet relatively safely. Fortunately, it was nighttime, which also allowed the two people to see someone they knew.
The hatch of the infantry fighting vehicle opened, and a soldier wrapped in the flag of the Empire jumped down first, then carried out a stretcher from the vehicle.
“Oh my God…” Griffin’s voice trembled, “Is she…is she still alive?”
"Hmm? Wearing the same clothes?" The soldier recognized his clothes and then handed him the knightly insignia that had been on Xixi'an's collar. "You know her? Take a look at the inscription on the back."
"This is none of your business!"
The captain yelled at the soldier, and Angelina quickly pulled him away so that the medic could handle the situation.
"When did you find her? Was she injured? Was she conscious? Did you help her spit out water? She's been floating in the river for so long, could she...?"
“Stop talking…” Angelie was a little angry; she seemed completely bewildered as to why the captain had become like this. “This isn’t how you should be behaving, Griffin…”
After the various checks were almost completed, the transport plane they had called gradually flew closer from afar and landed. However, they discovered that two KMFs had also disembarked, and judging from their paint scheme, they were actually Her Highness Elizabeth's guards.
"Ladies and gentlemen, we came all the way from Berlin." A young woman jumped off one of the planes, her face serious. "Given the limited air transport capacity, and secondly, Her Highness the Princess heard that the injured person was a brave and fearless knight? She personally entrusted us to escort her back to Berlin to take care of her."
"Huh?" Everyone looked at each other in surprise, but the young lady simply took the national flag.
"Perhaps you are unaware of how much the fall of Magdeburg angered Her Highness the Princess? Forgive my bluntness, but those who didn't even bother to protect their national flag during the retreat should be sent back to basic training." After saying this, she turned to Angelie. "Hmm? I think I've seen you before."
"Ah I?"
"Yes, it's you. It seems you're a regular visitor to Her Highness the Princess? Let's go back together; there might be something you should tell Her Highness. Oh, and this man? It looks like he and this girl are partners; let's take you along too."
……
The plane, escorted by two KMFs, flew eastward through the turbulent air currents of the night.
The curtains swayed like the night wind, and apart from Xixi'an's faint breathing as she lay on the stretcher, nothing in the cabin was calm.
The medical staff were still checking her vital signs. Griffin was getting restless, his eyes almost never leaving Xixi'an's long hair. His desire for her to open her eyes had even made him forget his worries about whether enemy fighters would suddenly appear and send them all to heaven.
He stared for a long time without looking away, so long that he didn't even realize that Angelie, who was sitting right next to him, had been sitting on the cabin floor with her legs drawn up, not speaking, not moving, and not caring about anything.
"Are you feeling unwell?"
"Don't touch me." Griffin had just put his hand on her shoulder when she leaned away.
"When we just escaped, was it because we couldn't save enough people? Or was Juliet's injury very serious?"
Angelie remained silent.
"Don't be like this, I'm still here for you, aren't I? You can just stay behind me from now on."
"Do you think I care about these things?" she finally uttered a few words, full of resentment, but still didn't look over.
"So, you are..." The captain turned to look at Xixi'an, then at Angelie, and seemed to understand. He smiled slightly, "Are you jealous?"
"Ahem..." The girl finally turned her face towards him, rolled her eyes at him, "You're such a strange guy, still able to say such heartless things these days... It's so hard to keep a smile on your face."
Seeing this, Griffin didn't want to say anything more, so he reached out and pulled Angelie to his seat next to him.
"To make a long story short, if you're tired, lean on me and take a nap. I'll wake you up when we land."
She was about to mutter and push away Griffin's arm that was on her shoulder when a raised finger was placed in front of her lips.
"Quiet, that is the captain's order."
……
When the plane landed not far from the Capitol Building, the flag that had been submerged in the Elbe River was taken to a new home.
With a meaningful look on her face, Elizabeth stood quietly watching the two returning guards carefully place the blood-stained flag into an exquisite box. "Protect it well. Today it was rescued from Magdeburg, and one day it will be raised again in its original place," Her Highness the Princess meant.
“Fresh blood is still being lost, Your Highness. The plague of attrition never cares about the unit's designation. I think, you before…”
"Shut up." Elizabeth said with a hint of sternness. "You can't move around yet... Before Berlin is besieged again, I can't blindly send my guards to the front lines. What you need to do now is ensure the safety of Berlin, and work with me."
Do you have any other plans?
"Even if the Soviet army had the ability to split a continent, it would be impossible for them to swallow up several thousand square kilometers in the blink of an eye, let alone to advance straight in from a single direction, unless they disregarded their own casualties... So now I am more worried about not how far they are from Berlin in the south, but whether Szczecin has any next plans."
"so?"
“I already know how many airports can still take off armed transport planes. Now, prepare to give them the order, and at the same time notify ‘Poseidon’s Halberd’ and Rostock to execute the plan.”
"Huh?... Uh, yes sir."
"Also, I heard that a familiar face came back with the national flag?" The princess's eyes suddenly lit up. "Call that young lady over. I have something to talk to her about tonight."
“I will convey your message to you, Your Highness, but… we have already made arrangements for her and her lover.”
"What does it have to do with me? I have to see her if I want to, and besides, her partner is there too, isn't that even better?"
……
The waterways leading out of Rostock were unusually noisy as two massive, white figures slowly sank into the Baltic Sea, propelled by their propellers.
"Welcome back, Captain." On the stern helipad of the destroyer USS Annacelle, sailors awaited their superior officer as he disembarked from the transport plane.
"Good evening, children. I can already see the lightning of Poseidon's Trident from afar in the sky, brighter than the thunderstorm itself. So, what's the status of our facilities?"
"Everything is normal. Our friendly ship HMS Ridgeia is also fine. The British fleet that was driven away by missiles has not returned yet. Now, we just need to wait for the warships to enter attack range and launch their firepower."
"Attention all crew members, we are 39 nautical miles from Rügen Island. All crew members, prepare for battle. We will launch our attack in 20 minutes."
Chapter 231, Section 306: Illuminating the Night (Part 2)
Szczecin is in a terrible state. On Rügen Island, one can vaguely see the massive fireballs created by giant cannonballs falling from the sky, spreading throughout the city, setting more houses ablaze, and then guiding enemy planes flying in from the south to their bombing targets.
The city itself is built on a complex estuary, and deploying a large army from this point is already a laborious task. Now, the city has been ravaged by shelling and air raids, and the destroyed bridges and collapsed and blocked streets are probably the most pressing issues weighing on the minds of the hammer and sickle flag.
Szczecin swayed uncertainly in the fiery jungle, while the cruise ship anchored on the Baltic coast of Rügen Island felt as warm as a pillow.
Colonel Kojelevsky was still sitting on the bench of the highest-ranking commander of the island's garrison, listening to the phone call in his command post, while the land outside was buzzing like a machine.
"The enemy on the other side of the sea has started its daily barrage on the southern beachhead again, comrade," the colonel calmly replied to Marshal Zhukov on the other end of the phone. "They are not far from destroying all the defenses. Most of the landmines have been detonated, and the barricades have been completely dismantled. As for the comrades' plan to redeploy positions on the beachhead, it will be a waste unless we can dig underground like the Japanese."
"I understand your situation, Colonel. I've also basically figured something out: there were reports of metallic objects swimming in the waters near Rügen Island. It's been confirmed that they are humanoid weapons of the Britannian army, amphibious KMFs. The US forces have encountered them several times in the Elbe River region. You must pay close attention to the movements on the sea. Given their capacity to deploy hundreds of thousands of troops around Berlin, we can't be sure how many frog heads the enemy would send out if they wanted to seize the island."
"I will ensure the safety of the island, Marshal, but... I have some bad news." The colonel was still on the phone when a comrade behind him handed him a telegram.
"There's nothing to hold back, just tell me."
"I have a message just relayed from the patrol boat: an unidentified warship is approaching Rügen Island from the west, approximately 38 nautical miles west of the island and about 6 nautical miles north of the mainland. Marshal, is there a British fleet nearby?"
"Can you identify the type of warship?"
"There are two ships in total, and they are close to cruisers in size. I have already forwarded this intelligence to the Baltic Fleet."
Before Kojelevsky could even process what was happening after hanging up the phone, another call came in like a thunderclap, abruptly halting his train of thought.
"Hello? Colonel? I think something unbelievable happened on the warships here."
"Calm down, Your Excellency."
"Okay... We see those two unidentified warships. They launched rockets from their decks and sent them into the sky. Now these things have turned around in mid-air and are flying towards us at fighter jet speed!"
"Damn it..." The colonel panicked slightly. He had estimated that these two warships couldn't possibly be within attack range so soon, given the cruiser's gun range. The Red Navy's destroyers wouldn't be able to arrive in time. "Sound the air raid sirens! Shoot those things down!"
In an instant, a great roar erupted on Rügen Island. Clusters of searchlights and anti-aircraft ammunition belts were aimed at the strange visitors hurtling in from the sky. The colonel and the officers and soldiers around him watched as these meteors were blasted into dandelions in the sky by anti-aircraft fire. But it was clear that some of them would inevitably slip through the net.
These objects, known as missiles, fell from the sky, aiming at the ferry terminal on the north shore of the island, at the Soviet airfield in the center of the island, and at the positions deployed around the defensive line. In an instant, this land of several hundred square kilometers became a giant fountain nailed to the Baltic Sea, its surging, fiery roses illuminating this dark coastline.
"Colonel, a report from the south bank: enemy KMFs are approaching from the sea!"
……
"Anna Seller reports that the attack on Rügen Island went very smoothly. According to observations from the garrison in Stralsund, several important Soviet targets have been destroyed."
The lights illuminating the night sky eased the atmosphere in the Capitol Building considerably, and Elizabeth listened attentively to the good news that had flown in from the north.
"Roughly speaking, we have caused extremely serious damage to their northern ferry crossing. Secondly, the attacks on the airport and rear positions have also been very effective. Portman's team has also landed on the island under the cover of fire. It's a pity that we can't launch a real attack this time, Your Highness. The situation is still very bad. All we can do is to reconnoiter the waters on the south coast of Rügen Island as soon as possible, find suitable beachheads, and prepare for the future."
"Hmm." Well, coming back to the point, these are all things that are a long way off. "Alright, let's put the Baltic Sea issue aside for now and get back to our previous topic."
“Yes, Your Highness.” The next speaker was a researcher in a white lab coat. “As I mentioned before, the reinforcements include several skyships that cannot be transported through conventional portals. Even using portals for airborne swarms is a bit of a stretch, so ground portals are insufficient. It’s also impossible to disassemble the skyships into individual parts for transport and reassembly. Therefore, our ‘Eternal Protocol’ has tried a new method. Although the cost is slightly higher, the test results show that it is quite reliable.”
“Our plan is to utilize the existing aerial portal and add two devices, which, of course, will also need to be suspended in the air,” the lab coat said, pointing to the diagram. “First, we need to install some ‘fasteners’ on the outside of the skyship—that’s our nickname. Then, we’ll use a spacecraft to suspend the shuttle pin in front of the aerial portal and activate it. The ‘fasteners’ will then ‘wrap’ the skyship, compressing it into a beam of light, which will be fired into the portal through the shuttle pin. At the other end of the portal, another shuttle pin, also in the sky, will collect this beam of light and project the skyship here intact. That’s it.”
Have you considered using it on a large scale?
"It's very difficult. This is only a last resort for transporting the skyship. However, we have considered transporting other weapons, such as aircraft battleships. Converting them for sea-based deployment might not be too difficult."
"Alright, that's all for today. Thank you all for your hard work. Although I still need to consider the counterattack plan for the reinforcements, at least it's safe tonight."
……
Bathed in the blinding light of the distant train cannons, Elizabeth watched the researchers leave for a short while before receiving a message that stumbled in.
"Your Highness, something happened."
"Ok?"
"The garrison on the Elbe River reported that they had spotted a British bomber formation coming from the west."
"What?" Elizabeth exclaimed in surprise. This was the first time the enemy in District 45 had organized a nighttime bombing raid. "Where are they coming from?"
"Flying eastward parallel to the latitude line in the lower reaches of the Elbe River, based on this inference, there are only two possible targets—Strallsund, and Rostock."
"Oh my god..." Elizabeth's heart sank, and her hand, which was reaching for the KMF key, froze. "They...they also have escort fighters?"
"Several KMF squadrons that went to intercept the bomber formation intended to take advantage of the situation, and then..."
"Sister?" At that moment, Kelly returned from outside.
"I..." After hesitating for a moment, the princess looked at the officer and then at Kelly's reluctant eyes, which probably already knew everything. She reluctantly withdrew her hand.
“Send the nearby troops to intercept them… Let’s go rest, Kelly…”
……
"How serious is it?"
"Now everyone in Berlin knows that Rostock is in broad daylight."
Meanwhile, on the Ritzia, which was sailing alongside the Anna Seychelles in the Baltic Sea, two crew members watched incredulously as the west, which had been shrouded in light after a missile launch, was bathed in the afterglow of the missile launch.
Indeed, they always believed that they had more say at night, and the enemy had to admit it. But they never expected that the Lancaster bombers would fly over the port with such precision and drop dazzling flares—if they were to be passive in the darkness, then they would light up the darkness.
Now, the Royal Air Force pilots, aboard their aircraft, could see the former Nazi naval base of Rostock, its angular features clearly outlined by flares. The time for destruction was now fast approaching.
I wonder what those two young men on the warship were feeling—fear? Indeed, when dozens or even hundreds of tons of bombs fall from the sky into such a small harbor, the effect is devastating. Relief? Indeed, if it weren't for the island of Rügen to the east that saved these two destroyers, the friendly forces in the harbor would likely have had much more to do.
The harbor itself was in terrible condition, and the repairs took only so long. But if such a large warship were to be sunk in its berth or even blocked in the estuary, it would create another obstacle for the Britannian Navy's large-scale deployment.
Now that the mission to attack Rügen Island is complete, turning back is a logical step. However, something seems amiss on the sea north of the island.
"Attention all ships! Unidentified vessels spotted, bearing 043, 17 nautical miles away, three targets! Hard port, full speed ahead, prepare fire, missile lock-on!"