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Page 67
"So what should we do now, General?"
"Pass on my order: Prepare..."
Just then, everyone seemed to hear a sound coming from outside the building!
It sounded like faint thunder rumbling from all sides, or like the earth being torn apart from all directions.
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"Reporting to the General! The 24th Hokkaido Regiment in the east of the city has been hit by precise enemy fire! It wasn't a stray bullet!"
"Report! A call from the troops in the north of the city! They've been suddenly attacked by enemy artillery and are preparing to retreat!"
"Ha! The Soviet army has finally started again!" Marendo, who had been terrified after the city was bombarded yesterday, now looked confident and determined.
"Order all front-line troops to retreat immediately, and at the same time, order the second-line troops to speed up their advance and get out of the artillery's range as soon as possible!"
"Yes!"
“Ah, General, may I ask?” Eddie Hill finally spoke up, “Can I take charge of the evacuation?”
Marendo didn't say much, he just looked at the lieutenant colonel and then gestured with his chin toward the communications officer.
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"Everyone, quicken your pace! Escape the artillery fire zone! Don't stop!"
Berlin, once again, trembled before the thousands of roaring cannons on the outskirts of the city, amidst countless flying fireballs. The pounding of tens of thousands of drums and the roar of the Katyusha organ swirled into a giant thundercloud over Berlin.
The hastily assembled KMFs and tanks, along with the infantry, had almost completely blocked the retreat route. The vehicles were no longer concerned with scraping or colliding with each other, and many of the infantry hadn't even properly tucked in their clothes.
Many of these soldiers were still in shifts sleeping when they were jolted awake by the hammers of the cannons! Just like yesterday, the soldiers fled towards the city center in utter terror. The sounds of explosions and shells cutting through the air once again plunged their brains and hearts into the grinding mill of gunpowder.
All cowardly bandits will only be terrified by the roar of cannons several kilometers away! All those who are unprepared and try to stop the chariot will be torn apart and devoured by the fiery roses blooming in Berlin!
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Back inside the Capitol.
"General, what are your plans next?"
"Immediately contact the air force commanders! Have all crew members of the mechs and attack helicopters board and stand by!"
"What is your intention, sir?"
"Have them all on standby! Once the Soviet artillery fire stops, their ground troops should advance. Then we'll send the warriors into the air, wait for those guys halfway there, and catch them off guard!"
"Ah! I understand! Then, the main portal?"
"Keep driving! Anyway, it seems the city center is a blind spot for enemy fire, they can't hit it."
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The tarmac is lined with numerous Sunderland and Gloucester aircraft, as well as a considerable number of armed helicopters, all on standby.
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Chapter 53, Section 88: The Eye of the Typhoon
Now, on the street leading west from Karlsdorf, two soldiers are scrambling one after the other in the retreating column.
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One of them, with an assault rifle slung across his body, is a standard combat infantryman, while the other is a member of a tank crew.
His identification card clearly showed him as Sergeant A. Rosyth.
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"Ouch!" Just then, the infantryman suddenly tumbled and fell hard onto the steps by the roadside.
"Hey, hey, hey! Get up, Allen!" The sergeant called out his name as he helped him up.
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A shell flew and landed on a patch of ground they had just run across, shattering mud, fireballs, and debris across the street and sending several black-clad infantrymen flying to the roadside.
"Oh my god!"
"Wait a minute!" Allen put the radio to his ear.
"Sergeant, the Lieutenant Colonel is explaining the retreat route to us!"
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At that moment, some of the soldiers on the street suddenly stopped running westward and instead began to move northward in an orderly fashion.
"They can't be going that way without a reason, let's follow them!"
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"The retreat is going smoothly, General. It seems that we can only contact the commander of one regiment."
"Hmm, very good! You've been searching for these places all night, Lieutenant Colonel Groen?"
“Of course, General, this isn’t just about saving time,” Eddie Hill explained. “It’s also about leaving outposts on the front lines to provide us with information.”
"I hope you're not just saying nice things to please me, Lieutenant Colonel."
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“Oh, General,” another officer said. “Colonel Kari sent a message earlier saying that he and the last unit will be arriving soon, and he told us to get ready.”
"Did they say anything else?" the general asked cautiously.
"Anything else? Governor Carares will be at the Gate of Camelot today, watching the troops enter the portal."
"Tell Dr. Ron that the main portal should remain open. Also, remind Kari to make sure those soldiers show their spirits when they go through the portal. Any poor performance in front of the Governor will be punished, understand?"
"Yes!"
"Alright, the rest of you, come with me to the rooftop!"
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He was now in the city center, almost entirely covered by smoke and explosions from artillery fire, but neither he nor the troops defending the city center had been hit by a single shell; their casualties were a strange zero.
This is practically the "eye of the storm" in war. Outside, no living being can find a moment's rest, but here, there is no sense of threat whatsoever; it is a peaceful paradise.
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After hesitating for a long time, he finally turned his gaze back to the ground southwest of the Capitol Building, looking at the huge pillar of light.
The trucks that drove through the gates were brought to him from the Tokyo Concession, ignoring the chaos all around like a numb assembly line.
The general had given orders that no one was allowed to reveal anything about the battle in Berlin to the soldiers in District 11, and that casualties must be kept strictly confidential. Even if officials questioned them, they had to use flattering phrases like "everything is going well" and "it's just around the corner." As for the incessant shelling, it had to be claimed that it was "a show put on by the enemy out of fear of His Excellency Marendau's large army."
The general knew very well what a sigh of pity it would evoke if the entire 11th district knew that he, who had made such a solemn vow, had ended up like this.
"Don't we really need to be careful of the portals, General?" an accompanying officer asked. "It's getting light, and enemy planes might be coming this way."
“You really think I’m not worried?” Marendor asked without turning his head. “Looks like you’re still very young, kid.”
"Ah, I see... You mean, to save face?"
"Am I joking? Yesterday I spoke with District 11 and said that the main portal was overloaded with supplies and needed time to clear, so it was temporarily closed. I was just making up an excuse to wait until nightfall to reopen it. Learn from this, young man, if you want to join a good faction."
"Then, those units that failed in the night attack, Colonel Darwin and his men, aren't you going to go...?"
"Forget about it, kid."
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Private Allen and Sergeant Rosyth, a few kilometers away, finally found a safe area.
Britannian soldiers were piled up around him, all there following orders. It was a small, high-rise building resembling a hotel. He didn't know if it could withstand artillery fire, but it offered a safe haven. The lieutenant colonel must have his reasons for choosing this location. Soldiers just needed to obey, right?
"I don't want to go anywhere else, damn it."
Whether it was the pain from his sprained ankle or the tension and fear, Allen's upper and lower teeth were chattering irregularly.
"Is your foot feeling better?" Roses asked with concern.
"do not know."
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"Hey! You two!" Just then, an officer walked towards them.
"Where is your leader?"
"They were killed by artillery fire from the very beginning."
"teammate?"
"I don't know either, I just followed you guys here."
Looking at the officer's somewhat incredulous expression, I felt like I had accidentally taken in two orphans.
"Alright, come with me. I'll call you two directly if I need anything."
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While Marendor was still standing on the rooftop, an officer brought some news.
"General, Governor Carares has sent a message that the last troop is about to cross the border."
"Haha! Hurry up and come here!"
"In addition, news came from the front that the Soviet artillery fire was beginning to gradually decrease."
"Okay. Order all the air units to take off. Don't rush. Just hover around the portal and ascend."