Warlords: Rising from the Northwest Border and Sweeping Across the Powers

"Sorry? Forgive me? The brave soldiers of our Suzuki Division were not harmed on the front line, but were injured by the guns of their own people!"

"You are a coward who can only shirk responsibility, a useless waste on the battlefield! You can't even control the soldiers under your command. A poor peasant like you who comes from a humble background should be kicked out of the Fuso Army! You are not qualified to be the commander of a Class A division!"

Suzuki Yoshinao became more and more excited as he spoke, his face flushed and saliva flying. As he spoke, he raised his right hand again and slapped Kudo Kubo hard on the right cheek with a loud slap.

Behind Suzuki Yoshiaki, a large number of Suzuki Division officers and soldiers watched coldly, with sarcastic looks in their eyes, and burst into laughter.

The shrill laughter was like a sharp blade flashing with cold light, which completely pierced Kudo Kubo's heart at this moment and also aroused Kudo Kubo's long-suppressed anger.

Facing Suzuki Kasanagi's hand raised high again, Kudo Kubo raised his head high for the first time when Suzuki Kasanagi vented his anger. Like a wild beast, he looked directly into Suzuki Kasanagi's eyes with fierce eyes. The chilling murderous intent in his eyes made Suzuki Kasanagi stiffen slightly and stop the action in his hand.

"Enough! You are a self-righteous, arrogant nobleman! You are a real coward and a waste. If it weren't for your contempt and your rash decision to advance, how could the three major divisions on the western battlefield end up in such a situation! It was the soldiers of your Suzuki Division who constantly provoked and humiliated the brave warriors of our Beihai Division who evacuated from the battlefield, which led to the tragedy!"

Suzuki Yoshinori was frightened by Kudo Kubo's sudden outburst. After being stunned for a few breaths, he raised his right leg and kicked towards Kudo Kubo in anger.

This time, Kudo Kubo did not choose to retreat or to tolerate, but simply pulled out the gun from his waist.

The sound of gunfire that echoed throughout the empty cafeteria was deafening.

Suzuki Kasanagi was pierced directly between the eyebrows by a pistol bullet fired from close range. His body fell backward heavily and fell to the ground.

This scene made the people from the Suzuki Division and the Kitakami Division stand there in amazement.

The major of the Suzuki Division was the first to react. He shouted loudly and prepared to draw his gun in panic.

Kudo Kubo fired another extremely clean and neat shot, sending the major to meet Amaterasu.

Takeda Motoichi, who was behind Kudo Kubo, drew his pistol and shot at the soldiers of the Suzuki Division, while calling on the soldiers of the Hokkaido Division who were squatting on the ground to rise up and resist.

The Fuso Kwantung Army had extremely strict military discipline. When leaving their posts for meals, all ordinary soldiers were not allowed to carry guns, except for officers of the army. Kudo Kubo himself, his confidant Takeda Motoichi, and his personal guards all carried guns.

In the cafeteria, gunshots rang out one after another. Hundreds of soldiers from the Suzuki Division, like sheep locked in a slaughterhouse, could only flee and hide everywhere, praying that death would not fall on them.

Kudo Kubo came to the kitchen with a gun in his hand, looking extremely calm. He pointed the gun at the head of a soldier from the Suzuki Division hiding in the utility room, with an extremely cold and resolute look in his eyes.

"Captain Kudo, please, please let me go!"

Kudo Kubo remained unmoved and shot him in the head with a very cruel shot. After confirming that there were no survivors in the entire cafeteria except for the people of the Hokkaido Division, Kudo Kubo returned to the hall and slowly said to Takeda Motoichi: "The gunshots here will soon alert the large forces of the Suzuki Division. Let our people immediately take up their weapons and prepare for battle!"

"Hai!"

Outside the city, in the headquarters of the First Army, Liu Chengxu was leisurely drinking tea. Suddenly, a messenger walked in hurriedly and said to Liu Chengxu and Gu Chenghai who was sitting next to him: "Commander, Chief of Staff, there was a sudden burst of gunfire in the city. According to the intensity of the gunfire, it is very likely that there was a large-scale exchange of fire."

Liu Chengxu put down the teacup, a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes. There were only two Fuso Kwantung Army units, the Hokkaido Division and the Suzuki Division, in the city. How could a war break out suddenly? It was really weird.

After pondering for a moment, Liu Chengxu made a prompt decision and said, "Find a way for our people to find out the specific situation in the city in the shortest possible time. Go ahead."

"Yes, Commander!"

Eight hundred meters outside the city, on the top of a high slope of Xiangyuan Mountain, Li Chengqiang, an observer from the reconnaissance battalion, was holding a telescope, looking down at the situation in the city.

At this time in Zhongxiang County, two Fuso troops wearing the same uniforms were engaging in a very fierce exchange of fire within the urban area.

This scene made Li Chengqiang a little confused, and he stood there in a daze for a while.

Could it be that these devils took the wrong medicine? They suddenly started killing each other?

After careful observation, Li Chengqiang finally found a clue from the sleeve badges of both sides' troops. The two sides engaged in the battle were actually the Suzuki Division and the Kitakata Division. The soldiers of the Kitakata Division in the city were like they had taken stimulants. They kept launching fierce attacks on the soldiers of the Suzuki Division. Their ruthlessness was breathtaking. They were completely heading for a fight to the death.

In fact, in the initial stage of the civil unrest, the remnants of the Hokkaido Division directly caused great losses to the Suzuki Division by virtue of the unexpected effect. Many soldiers never figured out why their own people would wield the knife against them until their death.

After receiving the specific news, Liu Chengxu instantly felt that the matter was unbelievable and absurd, just like a mouse being a bridesmaid for a cat or the sun rising from the west. It was difficult to accept for a while.

Fundamentally speaking, the outbreak of such a violent conflict between the two major groups was both unexpected and reasonable.

As descendants of the Suzuki family, the top aristocratic family in Fuso, the soldiers of the Suzuki Division, who were the direct troops of Suzuki Yoshiaki, always had an inexplicable sense of superiority when facing other Class A divisions, and acted arrogantly and domineeringly. As a result, the Hokkaido Division, including the Mitsui Division that had been completely wiped out, had long harbored resentment towards the Suzuki Division. The situation of being surrounded by the First Army and about to run out of ammunition and food became a fuse, causing the resentment between the Hokkaido Division and the Suzuki Division to erupt completely.

In fact, this is also a microcosm of the antagonistic relationship between the Fuso aristocracy and the common people.

"Immediately have the 103rd Division prepare to attack the city! Since the fighting in the city is already so intense, let our First Army add fuel to the fire!"

"Yes, Commander!"

At six o'clock in the evening, the four main regiment-level troops under the 103rd Division bombed a gap directly from the east gate and rushed into the city in a mighty manner.

The two major armies that had been fighting in the city for most of the day were extremely exhausted both mentally and physically.

Facing the 103rd Division, which was like a tiger descending from the mountains, the battle lasted less than three hours before it reached its final stage.