Codegease: Air and Land Warfare 1946

"Huh? In that case..." Angelie's shy expression immediately turned serious as she touched her chin. "Then I have to remind my comrades to be careful not to get into hand-to-hand combat or anything like that."

"Did the doctor tell you how long I need to recover?"

“You need to stay in bed for another day before you can sit up, and as for your leg, it will take more than a week to heal.” Angelina paused. “But there’s something you should pay attention to, Lieutenant.”

"Ok?"

“During your resuscitation, several people in black robes entered the emergency room. From what I overheard, they seemed to be Lieutenant General Wood, acting on the orders of some prince. They fussed around inside for quite a while before leaving.”

"Huh? You mean, these wizard-like people might have done something to me?" Griffin was terrified.

"That possibility cannot be ruled out, sir. The lieutenant general has already nominated you and is preparing to hold an award ceremony for you. You have no grudge against him and he would never harm you. But you'd better be careful and pay attention to any changes in your body, okay?"

“No problem, no problem.” After agreeing reassuringly, the lieutenant’s face began to turn malicious. “So, Angelina, now you can come with me…”

Just then, a doctor came in with a nurse.

"Ah, that's wonderful, Lieutenant Griffin Zark, you actually made it!"

“We have a mission tonight, so I’ll be going now.” While Griffin was still feeling lost, Angelina stood up and prepared to leave. “Get well soon, you naughty thing.”

“Ah…ah…” Griffin was both annoyed and amused. It seemed he really hadn’t noticed Angelie secretly pressing the doorbell.

……

The sun had already set, and it was not long before the time to prepare for the sortie. Angelie returned to the preparation room and saw that Lilizia had already changed into her pilot's uniform, with her hands behind her head, looking at the ceiling, as if she was waiting for the order to take off.

"Huh? You're that fast?"

"Well, Lieutenant, you keep an eye on things. I have nothing to do, so I'll just change my clothes first," Lilizia said coldly.

"But don't worry, the lieutenant has already woken up."

"Ah! That's wonderful..." Lilizia's eyes widened with excitement, but then she suddenly composed herself. "Oh, I see. At least my efforts weren't in vain, hmm..."

"Hey... hey, where's Ypel?"

"Ouch!" Just as I was about to answer, I heard a thud from behind a sheet of cloth.

"Hey!" The two rushed over and saw that Ipel was lying on the ground, having just put on her pilot's uniform.

"Oh, oh, I..." she pursed her lips, "I lost my balance when I was putting on my boots and fell down..."

"Get up quickly. Besides the fact that the lieutenant has woken up, I have something else I just received that I want to tell you."

"Huh? Lieutenant, you're alright! Am I dreaming?" Ipel exclaimed excitedly, and suddenly hugged Lilizia tightly—two girls wearing triangular jumpsuits and thigh-high boots embraced each other, one dressed in bright green emitting a clear, girlish laugh bell, and the other dressed in dark black stammering with a flushed face.

"Okay, let's get down to business." Angelina reminded the two of them, holding up the laptop she had brought with her when she entered the room.

"Because of tonight's battle, according to intelligence, we are very likely to encounter Soviet armored forces. The 41st Army has suffered a lot at the hands of these tanks in the past few days, so the commanders are very concerned about them. Therefore, they have compiled the information we have on enemy tanks and issued us more special anti-armor ammunition, as well as information on the general attributes of these tanks."

"Go ahead."

“This tank’s codename is ‘Bison’,” Angelie showed a picture of a T-34 tank. “It’s the most numerous tank in the Soviet Army, and its combat power is something we should be careful about. You two don’t need to worry, because the recoilless rifle’s grenades can stun the crew and damage components without any problem, and the armor-piercing rounds can penetrate it easily. It’s just that my machine gun is a machine gun, so I can only take it out at very close range from the side with UL rounds.”

"What about the roof armor?"

"The tank's old problem, need I say more?" Angelie didn't answer much and skipped to the next one—a picture of an IS-2 tank.

"This tank is codenamed 'Giant Horned Rhinoceros,' and it's an enemy you need to be quite wary of. According to the intelligence we have now, high-explosive shells, unless they hit the roof, won't have enough impact on its components or crew. As for armor-piercing shells, they can only penetrate it from the side; the probability of penetration from the front is relatively small. If you absolutely have to, don't waste ammunition on its front."

"Huh? That's amazing?" Ypel's eyes were filled with disbelief. "I thought it was as easy as fighting a locomotive..."

"It's not your fault. We didn't encounter anything like this last night either. It's not unusual."

Angelie suddenly stopped talking, took a deep breath in front of the other two girls, and then posted the third and last picture.

No, strictly speaking, it can't really be called an image, because it only shows a black silhouette, like a tank, with a white question mark on top and a bunch of footnotes in the lower right corner—a white exclamation mark lying in a red rounded triangle, followed by small white text that flashes conspicuously: "Warning! Highly Dangerous Hostile!"

“Well, we haven’t been able to get a picture of this Soviet tank yet.” Angelie paused. “However, according to the prisoners’ confessions, although there aren’t many of these tanks, we can be sure that their combat capabilities are extraordinary. The general has ordered that we take pictures of this tank as soon as we find it and upload them to the command center. We are also instructed not to attack it alone without orders, especially when there are multiple enemy units.”

“I understand.” Lilizia nodded. “Are there any particularly noticeable physical features?”

"A hemispherical turret, a thick gun barrel, protruding wedge-shaped armor on the front of the hull, and then, there might be a machine gun on top of the turret, that's all."

"Oh dear? This appearance is rather peculiar." Ipel scratched his head. "So, what's its codename?"

“Remember this. It’s called a ‘Minotaur’.”

Chapter 103, Section 159: The Bullfighter, the "Bullfighter"

As night fell, a town and the surrounding land suddenly transformed into a battlefield—Britannia had gathered a considerable force here, clenching it into a solid fist, determined to seize this place from the Soviet army.

The two outskirts were being scorched by the high temperatures, like minced meat being tossed and turned by chopsticks, a chaotic mess. Bulldozers with guns were practically digging up the land, trees and grass, while armed helicopters occasionally flew overhead, adding fuel to the fire with practiced ease.

Meanwhile, the situation in the middle became increasingly clear. The KMF and infantry fighting vehicles had basically broken through the trenches built by the Soviet soldiers and entered the town, while the assault guns were deployed at a distance, ready to strike the enemy who intended to flank and encircle the troops inside the town.

But not all KMFs were bullying the infantry amidst the buildings. Behind the array of assault guns, three Gloucesters of different colors were crouching there, seemingly waiting for something—this battlefield was much more dangerous than the refugee camps in Area 11, and reducing the exposed area was necessary.

From left to right, the colors are black, cyan, and green, with the left and right sides wielding recoilless rifles, and the one in the middle holding a machine gun. It's quite obvious that the one in the middle is Angeline's machine, while the ones on the left and right are Lilizia's and Ypel's, respectively.

"Sigh... I really hope things don't get too bad..."

Angelie had already changed into her pilot's uniform, the same color as her aircraft. She was frowning as she kept scrolling through the messages on the screen in front of her cockpit—Lieutenant Griffin was injured and recovering, and as his adjutant, she would definitely have to come to take over the squadron commander's duties.

"Are the commanders so afraid of them?" Lilizia's voice came over the radio at that moment.

“Well, they must have their reasons for doing this.” Angelie stopped what she was doing and rubbed her forehead. “Let us stay here and wait until we receive a tank that we find difficult to deal with before we go out to attack.”

“It’s not just that, Angeli.” Lilizia answered the video call, her expression very serious. “As the elite of the Knights, it should be our duty to charge at the forefront! Hiding in the back is a disgrace to our honor!”

"Warfare requires intelligence, especially against a powerful enemy." Angeline's face remained calm. "Last night, we survived the airborne assault only because of our wits. The generals are probably doing this for our safety, waiting for the right moment to strike, understand?"

"Safety? Cough! Our safety comes at the cost of the lives of so many warriors who are risking their lives in front of us right now? We could have brought those who died back safely! This is shameful!" Liliziamon raised her hand and punched the cockpit.

At this point, persuasion was unlikely to be effective, so Angelie didn't respond, but she sensed that something was wrong.

Is there some sound missing from the radio that it should be playing?

"Yipel, are you there?"

"Hmm?" There was a response on the radio, but the voice sounded off.

“Hey! You…” Angelie quickly turned on the video call, only to find that Ypel was in her own cockpit, blowing on a bottle.

"Huh? What's wrong?" Seeing this, Ypel put down the bottle, shook it with a blank expression, and looked at the screen.

“You…how could you…” Angelie stared in horror at the label on the bottle. “How did you bring rum to drink? And did you mix it with coffee? Why is it this color?”

"Oh dear, I couldn't find my water bottle, so I grabbed some alcohol to keep myself from getting thirsty. As for the color, I just mixed it with cola."

"Oh my God..." Angelie almost fainted. "Rum, that stuff that smells like toilet water and gets you drunk so easily, we only dare to try it at celebration parties, and you actually..."

"Huh? Are you guys that scared? I feel fine, and besides, mixing it with cola is really refreshing."

"Cough cough cough!..." Angelie nearly choked to death. "It tastes like that Huoxiang Zhengqi Liquid? Who gave you this habit?"

"Of course it's my brother, he taught me."

"Your brother?" Lilizia even joined in the fun.

“Well, oh right, you probably haven’t met him.” As he spoke, Ipel took another sip of rum mixed with cola. “He also went on this expedition, but he wasn’t in our Black Prince Legion. He was a staff officer in the 41st Army at the beginning. If I remember correctly, the last time he said he had been promoted to lieutenant colonel.”

"Oh? That's wonderful."

"Yes, so I really hope we can find a chance to take a good rest, so I can go back and play with my brother. I really hope he's still alive."

"Well, I wish you and him good luck," Angelie said, pursing her lips, thus ending the call.

……

"Calling Lieutenant Angelie Vorian!" A fourth voice came through the radio. "Respond immediately!"

"Roger that! Angelie's team is on standby. What are your instructions?"

"The KMF squadron at the front has reported that a suspected Soviet armored unit has been spotted in a town area, under heavy protection by enemy infantry light and heavy fire! The target area has been marked on the map, proceed immediately!"

"Yes, sir." After hanging up the communication, Angelie took a deep breath and gripped the left and right control levers with both hands. "Ready to go, knights."

"superior!--"

……

The three arrived at the designated location, next to a small building in the town. Only Sunderland, armed with a machine gun, was there to meet them—the rest had already been shattered into pieces at their feet by the gunfight that was raging from the depths of the town.

"Ah, you've arrived! Lieutenant!" came a young man's voice from Sunderland. "The enemy tanks are up ahead, but there are enemy infantry heavy machine guns and some traps that make it difficult for us to drive straight in!"

"Have you confirmed which type of tank it is?"

“It should be a ‘bison’!” Just then, a dull firecracker sounded from the town, mixed with a metallic clang. “I’m not equipped with UL ammo, ladies! I think it’s time to put one of your recoilless rifles on the line!”

"Do you have any good ideas, bro?"

"I...I don't know, but if we just charge in like this, we're definitely doomed."

“Then let’s split into two groups.” Angeli began to give orders. “Lilizia, you and this young man go around to the flank and try to attract the Soviet army’s attention. Ipel and I will wait here. You guys try to move the tanks toward us. Do you understand what I mean?”

“No problem! Let’s go!” Lilizia nimbly led Sunderland aside, leaving Angelie and Ypel leaning against each other.

"We're sure to win this battle," Ypel said with a smile, looking up at the sky as several KMF aircraft and attack helicopters flew past.

“Once the area outside the city falls into our hands, these enemies hiding in the houses are nothing more than easy prey.” Angeli wiped the sweat from her hands and waited quietly for good news from Lilizia and the others. In the cockpit and on the radio, one could only faintly hear the screeching of the KMF drive wheels and the chaotic reverberation of gunfire, like an overloaded quarry screaming, which was truly unsettling.

"Lieutenant! It looks like we've got it!" Good news came over the radio. "Enemy infantry are closing in, and I think I can hear tank tracks!"

"Well done!" Now, Angelina crouched down in the plane, leaning against the corner of the wall and slowly sticking her head out. "We've also spotted the enemy moving; we'll attack any tanks that might appear immediately."

The darkness and swirling dust did indeed help them somewhat; the Soviet soldiers were busy rushing towards the two of them and didn't notice the iron head sticking out from over the wall without making a sound.

Not long after, with a slight tremor in the ground, Angelie clearly saw a tank cannon barrel and a small part of the vehicle body protruding from a house at the intersection!

"Yepel! Charge!"

"Ya!" At the command, the green-clad Gloucester beside her immediately rushed over the wall and ran together to the middle of the road. Angelie used her machine gun to drive away the infantry, while Ypel steadily aimed the recoilless rifle at the still-moving tank.

"Ready!" With a shout, the armor-piercing shell in the cannon barrel shot through the air with a gushing sound, whizzing past the Soviet soldiers searching for cover, and landed solidly on the upper frontal armor of the tank!

“Beautiful…wait?” Angelie glanced at the tank while providing cover fire, but had a bad feeling.

"What's wrong?" Ipel seemed unconcerned. "Drive all these infantrymen away!"

“Okay, but…” the lieutenant seemed increasingly worried.

"Angelica! This is Lilizia! I heard an explosion in town. Did you destroy the tanks?"

"Ah, we hit the tank, but..."

Then, while Angelie was still hesitating, the dust kicked up by the armor-piercing shells around the tank was blown away by the wind, revealing the tank's bright green cannon barrel—most importantly, this cannon barrel actually had a muzzle brake!

"No! This isn't right! This isn't a 'bison'!" Angelie exclaimed in surprise. "Get away from here! Ypel!"

"Huh?" Green Gloucester was still in a daze.

"Retreat! Find cover!"

No sooner had the words left his mouth than the two KMFs retreated back behind the small building. At the same time, the D-25T tank gun, topped with a muzzle brake, once again roared with its signature roar—mixed with the sound of a hammer striking an anvil, spewing out gray smoke and flames, sending a huge shell out of the breech, like a powerful punch from a Hercules!

"Damn it!" Angelie had clearly underestimated the destructive power of the 122mm main gun, not realizing her target was an IS-2 tank! The side of the hut facing the tank was torn apart like a sack of flour ripped open with an executioner's axe, bricks, tiles, and colorful dirt scattering everywhere. These debris were thrown up by the blast wave and fell like hail, crashing to the ground and onto the two shaken girls' phones, creating a clattering noise.

"Angelie! What's wrong with you all?!"

"We're in trouble! Lilizia! The target is not 'Bison'! Repeat! The target has been confirmed not to be 'Bison'! The enemy armored unit is a 'Giant Horned Rhinoceros'!"

"Wha, what?!"

"How's the situation on your end?" Angelie and Ypel's plane had just been smashed to pieces in the shock.

"I've run out of ammo, and the guy with me just flew away! I can still see several Sunderland tanks that came to flank me being destroyed by their infantry! The tanks are still moving! They're probably heading towards you! Ah! Damn it!—"

"Do you have any ideas, Lilizia? You might need to be 'heroic' now!"

The radio suddenly went silent...

"Lilizia? Are you there?"

Angelie felt a terrifying, furious roar coming from the direction of Lilizia.

……

"What kind of monkey is that, comrade!"

"Stop looking! Come and hide!"

There, the Soviet soldiers were astonished to see a four- or five-meter-tall, all-black steel giant leap out from behind a small building, charging forward while scrambling to pick up the destroyed and abandoned KMF machine guns on the ground, wildly swinging a tangled ball of steel cables, and frantically smashing at their comrades in all directions.