Summoning America

Chapter 80: Blitzkrieg

Gra Lux felt his anxieties fade away after hearing this bit of news. "Wonderful, wonderful. When they've completed their exercises, begin preparations for Fall Caeruleus. Sonal and Nigrat shall be ours by the end of summer."

——

Somewhere Along the Leifor-Hinomawari Border

Heavy steel ravaged the earth below, treads tearing apart the verdant greenery of the plains separating the former state of Leifor and the Hinomawari Kingdom. Composed of Wilder Heavy Tanks, Hound Medium Tanks, and Shafer Light Tanks, the infamous 4th Division spearheaded the 8th Army's invasion of Hinomawari. The unit was as rugged and experienced as its commander, Brigadier General Borg Flats.

He led his tanks to a hastily constructed wall along the border, built by the Hinomawari in anticipation of an invasion. Although Flats commended their military preparedness, he couldn't help but find amusement in their futile efforts. On his order, the 4th Division came to an abrupt stop three miles from the wall — just outside of cannon range. Then, distant booms emanated from behind their formation, originating from powerful Gra Valkan artillery pieces.

Within a minute, the sound of whistling entered the battlefield, marking the commencement of Fall Albus and hostilities against the Hinomawari Kingdom. These whistles of death — unfamiliar to the primitive defenders — were quickly followed by the familiar sound of detonations. Shells landed all around the defensive embattlement, destroying sections of the stone wall and igniting ammunition. Orange, yellow, and blue coalesced for a split second as conventional explosives mingled with esoteric magic gems, producing a brilliant light show over the border walls. The combined force of the blasts shattered what remained of the wall, leaving nothing but rubble and charred bones.

While engineers moved forward to clear the debris and create a path for the 4th Division and the rest of the 8th Army, General Flats took the time to address his men over the radio. "Soldiers of the Gra Valkas Empire! Today, we begin Phase 3 of our conquest of the Mu continent: Fall Albus! As the pride of the Eighth Army, it is our duty to crush the enemy and bring glory to the Empire! To reward your valiant efforts, I shall tolerate looting of any abandoned buildings and captured government facilities. Officially, I cannot condone unrestricted pillaging or rape any longer, due to new treaties signed by our government. Those who are caught," he said, emphasizing the last word, "Will be reprimanded severely. I expect that this change will not impact your unwavering loyalty to the Emperor. Meine Ehre Heisst Treue!"

——

The 4th Division carved a path through the small kingdom, encountering only minor resistances in the form of small villages that surrendered with little fight. Sparing no time for any breaks, Flat's tanks continued past these villages, leaving them for the 8th Army to occupy. Owing to the efficiency of their blitzkrieg strategy and the relative sparseness of the Hinomawari Kingdom itself, the 4th Division was able to reach the capital city of Harynagakyo in mere hours. He stopped miles away, sending reconnaissance motorcycles to investigate a solitary structure that stood between them and the capital.

On the outskirts of the city stood a lone pyramid-like fortress, ancient in design and surrounded by trenches and makeshift tank traps around the base. All of the defensive structures were covered with a tarp overhead, obscuring them from preliminary scouting. Due to the geography of the region, it was impossible to navigate around, unless Flat spent days traveling around mountains to the other side of the city. In accordance with the outlined strategies for Fall Albus, he opted to attack the fortress directly, in spite of the defenses there.

Although confident in his victory due to the sheer technological edge of his army, he still felt unease over the Hinomawari defenders' level of preparedness. Tank traps, trenches, and camouflage netting are modern tactics, yet the backward primitives of this kingdom — who still utilized swords and bows as their primary weapons — somehow managed to learn them. Concerned, Flat ordered his men to hold position while artillery shelled the defenses.