Here we are, where the Flame Dragon razed the village to the ground 3 days ago. There was nothing left other than a well. Just in time as my canteen ran out of water. I took a flashlight and looked in the well for any water. Wait, what's that? Is that a survivor? I looked closely to see a silhouette of a person barely floating.
Y/N: Someone, get a rope, I think I found someone!
I lowered myself down to the bottom of the well. How long was she here? Her body is freezing. I carried her on my shoulder and ordered everyone to pull me up.
Y/N: Chynna, give her a medical checkup. She was probably down there for 3 days. I don't know if she could've survived that.
Chynna: She's freezing, we're gonna have to remove her clothing.
I took out a blanket from my backpack and placed it next to Chynna.
Y/N: Do what you need to do. I brought a spare uniform. Hmm. Those ears look strange, they're pointed to the sides.
I was about to touch the ears but backed off when Chynna glared at me. Leilei stepped in to examine the body.
Leilei: She's an elf.
Adonis: She says she's an elf?
Y/N: What?
I have no idea what the hell he's saying. What is an elf?
Y/N: Alright, we came for what we were assigned to do, and found nothing other than a survivor. Let's move to Italica and back home.
2 hours later
We're almost at Italica and there's smoke rising. Did the Flame Dragon attack that town just now?
Y/N: Everyone load up. The Flame Dragon might be here.
I was wrong, it wasn't a dragon, but it's still very bad. It looks like they have gone through a siege seeing all the fortifications present and we just happen to arrive after it. After seeing us, archers aimed their bows at us.
???: Who's there? Show yourselves!
I held up my hands in the air and motioned Rory and Leilei out of the half-track. Adonis shouted back.
Adonis: We are not a threat, we are just here to do some business. I know, we picked a bad time to come here.
After seeing Rory Mercury, the defenders of Italica let us in, eyes filled with fear. Guess being a Grim Reaper can ignite fear in some people. I was greeted by the defense commander, her name is "Pina Co Lada"? What is with their strange names? I heard of several French generals with unusually long names, but this is the strangest. A meeting is held regarding the matter. Turns out Pina is the leader of the Rose Order of Knights and her reinforcements will arrive in 2 days. But seeing the situation, they won't make it through a single day.
Y/N: What happened here? Who attacked you?
Adonis: My commander asked who attacked you.
Pina: Bandits, seemed to be from the soldiers of the allied armies that went to Alnus hill.
I shifted uneasily in my chair. The thought of artillery bombardment against the combined forces stuck in my mind.
Y/N: Tell her... Tell her that we are from the army that decimated the allied coalition.
Adonis: We are the army from Alnus hill and we would aid in the defense of this city. We have around 30 soldiers.
Pina: You are from Alnus Hill, why do you want to help us? And how can 50 soldiers defeat a bandit group of 500?!
Adonis: If we wanted to, we would've finished you off and taken the town already. You barely fought them off and your defenses are weak.
Y/N: Tell her we defeated both bandit groups and fought off sieges.
Adonis: My commander tells you he has defeated bandit groups and can handle sieges. We also have weapons that'll turn the tide of battle. Look around, you're going to need all the help you could get.
She stopped to realize the dire situation and lowered her head.
Pina: Very well. You may assist us in defending the city.
Adonis: I don't know how we'll defend the city. We only got 50 soldiers and that's not including the Panzer I and M8 Greyhound crews.
I took a look at the map. The main defense force is currently guarding the south gate, where we entered through. I expect them to attack there since the defenders are poorly trained and armed militias, they barely fought off the first wave and received heavy casualties. I picked up the radio for reinforcements.
Y/N: Nanjing Fortress, this is the 61st Platoon. We are in combat with bandit groups. Requesting immediate reinforcements, beware, these bandits were formerly trained soldiers.
Radio Operator: Copy that, sending reinforcements, they will arrive in 6 hours. Hold out until then.
Pina: What is that you spoke into?
Adonis: It's something we use to communicate with our army. You won't understand how it works. Reinforcements from my side will arrive in 6 hours.
Pina: How could they arrive here in mere hours?
I marked a machine gun placement for each gate.
Y/N: Ask her if there are any buildings that overlook each gate.
Adonis: There are.
Y/N: Garrison a Type 24 machine gun squad in those houses. All sides have 5 men including machine gun crews, everyone including armor stays in the center with me. Rory will stay on the rooftops and follow me.
Adonis relayed this to Pina and she seemed really angry at me.
Pina: What is wrong with you? How can 5 men on each side help? You have way more manpower to spare
I sipped some tea and inspected my M1911. I can tell she doesn't approve of my strategy.
Y/N: I know what you're saying. Either you go with my plan, or this city will fall to those treacherous bandits.
I walked out to the balcony and scouted the surrounding areas with my binoculars. Nothing except for bandit scouts just prodding for any weaknesses. Truth is, weakness is everywhere. One strike can snuff out all the defenders and all that's left is anarchy and chaos here.
That night, 2 hours before dawn
It's nighttime. There's no doubt the bandits would strike. They can move through the cover of the night and catch us off guard. A flare was fired on the south gate but other gates have no flare response. Shen ran to me out of breath.
Shen: Y/N, the bandit group is attacking the south gate. Other groups didn't spot any bandit activity. The whole bandit group is charging the southern gate. Arrows are being deflected by magic.
Y/N: Magic? Am I hearing this correctly?
Shen: Yes!
Y/N: Tell the other defenders to reinforce the south gate. Adonis, tell Pina to let them in. We'll greet them with our heavy firepower!
As I expected, Pina didn't take it so well.
Pina: Let the bandits in? Are you crazy? You are putting the lives of women and children in danger here.
Y/N: If we can wipe out your armies, then a bandit group is nothing. Move out!
I climbed on the M8 Greyhound and attached my bayonet to my rifle. It's worse than I thought, the defenders on the walls are being overrun and they already brute-forced the gate open. Troops are garrisoned in buildings with Type 24 machine guns loaded and ready to fire. The bandits cheered and tapped their shields with their swords with the militia suffering from low morale.
Y/N: Throw grenades!
One Model 24 Grenade* is nothing, but tie a bunch together, it has the power to destroy a concrete bunker or tank.
(Model 24 Grenade or the Chinese Stielhandgranate, is a Chinese copy of the German Stielhandgranate, it's not as effective as the German counterpart due to it mostly being handmade with low-quality materials.)
The explosions shocked them long enough for every rifleman to step out of the bulwarks and into line formation. The windows flew open and machine gun squads fired upon the bandits on the city walls.
Y/N: Push them back!
Bandits charged at us. The Greyhound and T-26 protected our flanks and with every step the bandits took, a line of them collapsed to the ground.
Rory: Time to die, worthless scums!
Rory jumped off a roof and slammed her halberd into the group of bandits, other bandits starred in fear. I took this chance to push them out.
Y/N: Advance! Push them out of the walls!
The line of 20 men stood up and advanced, killing those who dare approach them. The bandits, realizing they cannot win the battle, retreated. After they ran out, gunfire and explosions were heard beyond the gates.
NRA private: Reinforcements are here!
I ran up to the city walls to see several T-26s and troops firing upon the retreating bandits. The battle is over and the ones that didn't die surrendered. However, the victory came at a great cost to the militia defenders. There were around 500 defenders before the battle; now, around 150 remained standing, with 100 injured, and the rest dead.
Y/N: Adonis, tell Nanjing Fortress the bandits are defeated and we're going to clean up.
1 hour later
The prisoners are all tied up and about to be sent to the Nanjing Fortress. Not that many survived the onslaught of the reinforcements and were forcibly disarmed and loaded onto a truck. They will most likely be executed as they were part of the coalition that attempted to attack us. Adonis walked up to me.
Adonis: Pina wants you to meet the leader of this city.
Y/N: Let's go then.
I never expected an 11-year-old child to be the leader of the city. I heard of child emperors but they were rare in ancient Chinese history.
Y/N: Pardon me, but where are her parents?
Adonis: Y/N, they're umm, dead. The father was one of the officers who attempted to invade Nanjing, whom I assume was shot dead. The mother, I don't know, I can only assume she died before this.
Y/N: Does she have any siblings?
Adonis: Yes, but they constantly fight over who would lead the city.
Y/N: Well, why did they summon me here?
Adonis: They want you to lead the defense of this city. To them, you're their last hope in this city until Pina's reinforcements arrive.
Y/N: No way in hell! We have our orders to get intel and get out of here, and I don't think I can weasel out of this like last time.
Adonis: But they need your help, other groups of bandits have been spotted by patrols and with an important trade city with crippled defenses, they won't last long. Pina's reinforcements will be here, just stay here for one more day we might collect more intel.
I thought for a bit, that's only one more day, more than enough time to collect intel. Adonis radioed the main base, luckily General Zhutong gave us 1 more day to collect intel. We immediately went to work obtaining intel on any uninjured civilians or merchants. Everyone met up in an M5 half-track combining all their intel.
Y/N: Ok gather up what you all wrote.
I put the collection of papers in several envelopes and placed them inside the leather gaps in my helmet. That's the least likely place anyone would look for intel. My troops and what's left of the civilian militia began turning debris from roads into makeshift barricades. Medics and non-combatants are treating the wounded, but reports say some of the injured are not expected to survive. I saw too many people die by blood loss from surviving grenade blasts, artillery bombardment, or mortar fire. Nevertheless, I never let it get into my head and stared at the flag of Zhongguo waving on the south gate.
2 hours later
NRA messenger: Captain, we have a problem.
Y/N: What is it?
NRA messenger: We got company in the South Gate. We are unsure if they are hostile or not and they refuse to identify themselves. All of the unknown individuals are women. A few officers are planning to storm our armor out there and kill everyone.
Y/N: All women? Strange. Escort me there, and let's see what I can do. Tell the officers to stand by. Get Pina there, it might be her reinforcements.
I loaded my M1911 and proceeded to the South Gate. As expected, I heard shouting.
NRA Private: Don't move or we'll shoot!
???: Let us in!
Y/N: What is going on here? Where is Adonis?
NRA Private: I yelled at them to halt, they yelled back and then they started yelling back at us, they can't understand us and we can't understand them. As for Adonis' whereabouts, I don't know, I think he's in the HQ.
Y/N: Get him and Pina, I'll try to stop or at least delay the inevitable. Hurry, I don't want anyone dying.
NRA Private: Yes sir.
The private ran in the direction of the palace. My hope is that he gets Adonis here fast and the situation will defuse immediately. I don't know what to do this time, the language barrier is preventing us from defusing a situation.
Y/N: Hold your fire! Shoot their horses if they use their bows. Hold it until Adonis and Pina get here.
They can't enter, I fear they will attack my troops. My hand trembled as I aimed my sidearm at the group of women. I never held a gun to women before, much less been ordered to kill one. What should I do?
Chapter 5 END
Belligerents:
Italica militia
National Revolutionary Army
Commanders:
Pina Co Lada
Captain Y/N L/N
Strength:
Italica Militia:
500 militia
NRA:
50 soldiers
3 M5 Half-tracks
1 T-26
1 M8 Greyhound
NRA reinforcements:
100 soldiers
10 T-26
5 M5 Half-tracks
Casualties:
Militia:
250 dead
100 injured (45 died to blood loss later)
NRA:
None
Bandit group
Commanders:Unknown
Strength:
800 Bandits
Casualties:750 dead
50 captured (10 executed by the NRA later)
Result: Italica successfully defended
A/N: I'm stuck, I need suggestions on how to advance this further. Put your suggestions on my discord server or through Wattpad messages. It would be helpful and shorten the time for the next chapter to upload.