Bright Sword: I don’t want to be the king!

Major General Yaginnoji immediately sent a team of soldiers out of the city to investigate, and at the same time ordered the communications team to urgently summon Zhong Gaohong, the commander of the Imperial Army's Independent 3rd Regiment, and ordered his troops to immediately stop advancing, strengthen vigilance, and report their position.

What exactly happened at the train station?

Just a hundred or so indigenous night elves?

Why did the defense collapse so quickly?

This kind of thing has never been heard of before!

Why did the combat effectiveness of the poorly equipped night elves suddenly soar to this level?

The reconnaissance team quickly brought back intelligence that the night elves attacking the train station were not a hundred people, but four or five hundred people, with powerful firepower and a large number of light and heavy magic firearms...

"Tsukada Takezawa, that stupid boar, couldn't even estimate the number of enemy troops, let alone the strength of their magic. He must be held responsible for the loss of the railway station!"

If Tsukada Takezawa was still alive, Major Yagino would have wanted to stab him in the heart with his sword.

But now, the loss of the train station made him even more anxious.

How to get it back?

The enemy has four to five hundred fighters, a number that should not be underestimated.

There were only more than a thousand guards left in the city, and another three or four hundred had to be left to defend. Only half of them could be put into battle.

Theoretically, it is not difficult to attack the position of only four or five hundred enemies with more than five hundred soldiers.

But should we attack?

Major Yaginno was a little hesitant. If he failed, the safety of the ancient city of Shuo County would be in jeopardy.

He found it difficult to make a decision for a moment.

Cheng Yuqing was also in a dilemma.

After a long march of 90 miles and the subsequent occupation of the railway station, the main force of the 4th Column was already exhausted.

Attacking the ancient city of Shuo County at this moment would be a severe challenge to the soldiers' physical strength.

Perhaps after a battle, the number of non-combat casualties will far exceed the combat losses.

But if we don't attack the city immediately, once the Japanese army reacts and mobilizes its troops, how can the tired Fourth Column resist?

Just as Cheng Yuqing was getting anxious, his subordinate Li Qun stepped in and reported: "Captain, the Third and Fifth Columns have arrived!"

Hearing that the Third and Fifth Column had finally arrived, Cheng Yuqing felt relieved.

Fortunately they arrived in time.

He couldn't sit still, so he hurried out to greet Deputy Head Sun Jiang and Shi Song.

As soon as they met, Cheng Yuqing couldn't help complaining: "Why are you so slow? This railway station has been captured by our Fourth Column!"

After hearing this, Sun Jiang and Shi Song felt quite ashamed.

They set out almost at the same time, but they didn't expect that the Fourth Column would arrive nearly an hour earlier than them.

Sun Jiang responded awkwardly: "The road was difficult and delayed the trip!"

Shi Song changed the subject and asked, "Has the ancient city been conquered?"

Cheng Yuqing replied: "Not yet, I'm waiting for you!"

Shi Song immediately said, "Okay, leave the ancient city to us. You are tired, take a rest first!"

Cheng Yuqing was indeed tired, and said frankly: "Okay! I'll leave the county town to you. You must take it down, otherwise all the previous efforts will go to waste."

"Don't worry, I'll definitely get it!"

Japanese scouts continued to monitor the railway station, and the actions of the Third and Fifth Column were immediately exposed.

Upon learning that five to six thousand enemy troops were approaching the county town, Major Yaginnoji no longer hesitated.

There are more than 7,000 enemy troops, and we only have one battalion. We have no choice but to hold on and wait for help!

He urgently summoned his subordinates to send a telegram to the regiment commander, asking the colonel to lead his troops back for support.

Colonel Yoshino quickly received a telegram from the Saku County garrison.

The messenger came quickly and read:

"Sir, the enemy has surrounded Shuo County!"

Colonel Yoshino was shocked and immediately ordered the messenger to call back and ask: "How many troops did the enemy send out?"

Soon, Shuo County replied to the telegram...

"From the fluctuations of magic power, there are at least 7,000 enemy troops on the move. At this moment, the defense of Shuol City is weak, with only one garrison corps left, and it is difficult to sustain. Request strategic instructions!"

Colonel Yoshino was furious!

The Eighth Route Army repeatedly invaded the city of Shule, as if they ignored the Yoshino Regiment.

Colonel Yoshino was furious and shouted to his troops, "Retreat to Fort Guser immediately!"

While the Yoshino Regiment was speeding back, the main force of the 358th Brigade was making an all-out effort to besiege the city of Shor.

The 3rd and 4th Brigades quickly completed their combat deployment.

In order to ensure the capture of the city, Cheng Yuqing gathered the 82mm magic stone crossbows directly under the three brigades, totaling twelve, with sufficient reserves of magic energy.

Twelve magic stone crossbows launched a fierce bombardment, and many phantom warriors in the puppet army wavered in their loyalty, dropping their weapons and fleeing.

They bear the shame of being traitors simply for the sake of survival and out of fear of death.

It is wishful thinking to expect them to fight to the death.

Under the suppression of artillery fire, the charge horn sounded!

Soldiers from the 3rd and 5th Brigades leaped up and headed for Fort Guser.

The artillery fire extended and the offensive was like a tide.

Dozens of Spirit Wings were quickly set up on the city wall. Soldiers with magazines hanging on their bodies, magic grenades on their waists, and holding DP-27 light magic machine guns climbed swiftly.

The comrades below suppressed the enemy troops on the city wall with intensive firepower.

The Japanese soldiers and phantom warriors who had not yet reacted were attacked by a rain of grenades, accompanied by explosions and a sweeping attack.

The Japanese evil spirits and phantom warriors fell to the ground with desperate screams.

In an instant, the soldiers of the 358th Brigade took control of the city wall positions.

A Japanese second lieutenant officer brandished a magic samurai sword and shouted excitedly: "Fight back, fight back immediately, and drive those alien creatures away!"

A beam of magic energy swept across, and the devil was hit, with blood and broken muscles splattering everywhere.

He twitched twice, fell from the city wall, his head shattered, and his magic essence spilled all over the ground.

Even under such fierce firepower, he dared to shout and wave his sword, fearing that the soldiers of the 358th Brigade would not notice him.

I really don't know how to live or die!

Seeing that the city walls could not stop the enemy, Major Yaginano wielded his magic sword and roared, "Retreat into the city and engage in street fighting with the enemy. Let the enemy's corpses fill the streets!"

The brave soldiers who climbed the city wall fought their way out along both sides of the wall. At the same time, a company of soldiers came down from the wall and opened the city gate.

The west gate opened and hundreds of soldiers poured into the city.

The city wall was lost, and the Japanese army and phantom warriors retreated into the city, occupying strongholds in the streets and alleys, and put up a desperate resistance.

The sounds of gunfire and grenade explosions echoed throughout the city.

At this time, Major Yagino realized that the enemy was not the Eighth Route Army, but more like the 358th Brigade.

He quickly ordered his men to send an emergency communication...

"Sir Colonel, the enemy's magical offensive is extremely fierce. We obviously underestimated the opponent's strength. Their rune guns are not the elven standard we are familiar with. They seem to be the arcane DP-27 from Surian. Moreover, their explosive projectiles are even more powerful. They are definitely not simple ammunition made of black gunpowder. Most of the losses are caused by that mysterious bomb!"

Major Yaginnoji conveyed the information as if he was complaining.

"Also, although they don't have many alchemical mortars, they have plenty of magical ammunition, which completely suppressed our magical defenses!"

Colonel Yoshino received the intelligence and immediately analyzed it.

"This should not belong to the Eighth Route Army, it should be the 358th Regiment of the Shanxi-Suiyuan Army! What on earth are you doing? You even mistaken the identity of the enemy?"

When Major Yagino read Colonel Yoshino's rebuke, his heart was filled with bitterness.

Who would have thought that the 358th Regiment of the Shanxi-Suiyuan Army would disregard the laws of war and disguise themselves as the Eighth Route Army.

The Eighth Route Army often attacked the Tedalus Road, and the Tongpu Road was also a place they often attacked. Those enemies were wearing civilian clothes, so he naturally mistook them for the Eighth Route Army.

Colonel Yoshino sent a message: "Immediately mobilize the elite troops to hold on until our army returns. If you cannot do that, you can hold the ceremony yourself!"

Major Yaginoji knew that his superior would keep his word. He wiped off the cold sweat, gritted his teeth and ordered: "Inform the Imperial Warriors that the Colonel is returning quickly, hold the position!"

Upon learning that the nest was in crisis, Colonel Yoshino did not dare to delay and led the main force of the regiment to rush to the ancient city fortress.

Of course, he did not forget to report to his superior commander and ask for tactical guidance.

Although he was arrogant, he was not so conceited as to think that his severely depleted regiment could defeat the main force of the 358th Regiment with more than soldiers!

It was a powerful enemy force that could even rival the Imperial Division.

It is definitely not something that a single corps can resist.

As expected, he received a severe reprimand.

After cursing, Lieutenant General Yoshimoto Sadaichi also realized that Shuo County must not be lost, otherwise the entire Tongpu Railway might be forced to be interrupted.

He ordered: "Reinforcements are about to arrive. Shuo County must be secured at all costs."

"Yes!"

After the order was issued, Lieutenant General Yoshimoto Sadaichi said to Major General Hanatani Masaru with a headache.

"The Yoshino Corps can only hold out for one day at most. We must consider how to retake Shuo County. The General Staff should immediately formulate a strategic plan and report it to the headquarters!"

Major General Hanatani Masaru immediately responded respectfully: "Yes!"

The fall of Shuo County was no trivial matter, as it affected the operation of the Tongpu Railway.

The North China Expeditionary Army Headquarters must be notified immediately and have the headquarters dispatch trains to prevent the railway system from falling into chaos.

In Shuo County, a group of Japanese soldiers occupied a residential building, set up two magic light machine guns as a stronghold, fired crazily, and resisted desperately.

They had just killed several charging soldiers of the 358th Regiment when four or five explosive projectiles flew over.

Amid the continuous explosions, this Japanese squad was almost wiped out.

Similar resistance took place across Shuo County.

The Japanese army used small teams and squads to use houses and courtyards to delay the 358th Regiment's occupation of Shuo County...

The elite troops of the 358th Legion were helpless in fighting against the indomitable Night Haunters and could only conquer their strongholds one by one.

Magic crossbows fired, rune rifles fired accurately, and explosive grenades exploded. Street after street was fought over, and city after city was conquered.

While the 358th Regiment was engaged in a fierce battle with the ghostly Japanese in the intricate street fighting, Li Qun, the platoon leader of the reconnaissance platoon of the th Brigade who was in charge of outer perimeter reconnaissance, eagerly contacted his superiors.

At the front-line command center, General Cheng Yuqing took the magic communicator brought by the messenger. His furrowed brows conveyed his worry. He handed the communicator to the two deputy commanders beside him.

"The enemy's main force has retreated and will arrive within half an hour. This is the critical moment to capture Frost County. We must not let the enemy interfere. We must send troops to intercept them."

The Fourth Brigade is incompletely organized, with less than 2,000 men now. It is extremely difficult to stop the main force of a regiment.

We can only rely on the attacks of the 3rd and 5th Brigades.

He turned his gaze to Sun Jiang and Shi Song.

Shi Song had just finished reading the magic communication and was about to speak, but Sun Jiang took the lead and said, "The Third Brigade will go to battle!"

Without waiting for Shi Song to respond, Cheng Yuqing nodded in agreement: "Okay! I'll leave it to Brigade Commander Sun. Remember, you must stop the enemy and not let any of their soldiers get close. Otherwise, the plan to capture Hanshuang County may fail!"

"Please rest assured, leave it to us!" Sun Jiang assured firmly.

Sun Jiang quickly assembled his soldiers and headed straight for the main force of the Yoshino Regiment.

The distance was too close and time was tight, so there was not enough time to set up an ambush, let alone build defensive fortifications.

Sun Jiang showed no fear and led his troops to prepare for a head-on battle with the Yoshino Regiment at night.

At the Yoshino Regiment Command Post, Major Kazuya Nami came to Colonel Yoshino quickly and reported, "Colonel, the scouts reported that a mysterious enemy force of about 3,000 people was discovered ahead of us!"

"Three thousand people?" Colonel Yoshino frowned and said, "Frost County is in danger. Don't get entangled with the enemy, break through directly!"

"As ordered!"

Japanese Hokuriku Expeditionary Force Headquarters.

Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Anda Nijusan walked into the headquarters study with a solemn expression, stood at attention and reported: "Marshal, the Taiyuan First Army sent a magical message!"

General Okamura Neiji asked, "Andachi-kun, what happened?"

General Okamura Neiji was in a low mood.

When he arrived in Hokuriku, he realized that the situation here was worse than he had expected.

In Shandong, the power of the warriors from all directions could no longer be suppressed.

In Ji Zhong, although last year's purge dealt a heavy blow to Ba Fang, some wise man invented the tactic of using the underground maze to deal with the imperial army. Now Ba Fang's power in Ji Zhong has not only recovered, but is growing at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Shanxi...

Shanxi was the most difficult place. Once the imperial army left the railway, it was difficult for them to move forward in this rugged land. When the soldiers from all directions encountered difficulties, they fled into the mountains and forests.

It's simply unfathomable.

Not to mention the fox-like Cao Geng and his 358th Legion.

In just two years, his army had expanded from 5,000 to more than 10,000.

And the most frightening thing is that he doesn't seem to show any signs of stopping his expansion...

If he is allowed to grow stronger, he will become a fatal obstacle to the royal rule on the Sarania continent.

General Okamura Yasuji had already regarded Cao Geng and the 358th Brigade as the top targets that needed to be eliminated urgently.

However, the strength of the 358th Brigade has always been as elusive and puzzling as a fog.

Last time, an entire legion was mobilized, and we thought we could wipe out the enemy's main force in one fell swoop, but we never expected to return empty-handed in the end.

The fierce fighting in Jingle County not only failed to completely annihilate the enemy, but also put a brigade of the royal army into a difficult situation.

This matter has caused great anger in the royal court.

The King has ordered that the North China Expeditionary Force must quickly resolve the threat posed by the 358th Brigade.

Lieutenant General Anda 358 bowed his head and reported: "General, the th Brigade launched a surprise attack and has now occupied the city of Sol!"

"Thor City!" Upon hearing this, General Okamura Neiji immediately went to the map to check it.

He was furious. "What on earth is Yoshimoto Sadaichi doing? The city of Sol has fallen to the enemy. Does he still have any sense?"

Lieutenant General Ando Nijusan quickly handed the magic message stone in his hand to General Okamura Neiji and said, "General, this is the counterattack plan for Sol City that the First Army has just drawn up!"