Mercenary I am the king

Chapter 1206 Leave no one behind

At this time, the sky was gradually brightening and the sun was rising.

A sickly golden-red hue was cast upon the city of Daguk.

Song Heping stood in the command post, his entire field of vision occupied by the huge integrated display screen.

On the screen, the real-time images transmitted by the high-altitude drone "Eagle Eye" are so clear that every detail is visible.

"As expected... I couldn't hold back any longer."

Everything went as I expected.

For radical religious fanatics, this kind of stimulation is unbearable.

Some things are more painful than death to them.

As if to confirm his judgment, the next second, many black dots emerged from the buildings in the inner city of Daguk.

Every black spot represents a terrorist.

At first, there were only a few people, but then more and more came.

The dark mass of people was like a filthy flood that had burst its banks, and the remaining, most fanatical armed forces in the city launched a suicide attack.

They brandished AK-47s and RPG-7s, firing wildly and aimlessly into the sky, shouting extreme slogans in a garbled local language, and began to indiscriminately fire at every militia and mercenary they could see.

Armed pickup trucks and armored vehicles that had been disguised inside buildings rushed out of the courtyard. Toyota pickup trucks equipped with old-fashioned DShK heavy machine guns or more powerful ZPU series anti-aircraft machine guns clumsily but fiercely charged forward through the crowd.

Even more chilling were the several trucks mixed in with the convoy that looked particularly bulky, with their cabs welded shut and cargo boxes covered with heavy tarpaulins—suicide car bombs!
This is one of the specialties of the 1515 armed group.

A powerful suicide car bomb, once it gets close, can not only kill a large number of enemies, but also cause great shock and fear to those who are not affected, thereby undermining morale.

They recklessly accelerated, intending to use their own destruction to clear a bloody path for the following troops.

Their formation was chaotic, but their charge was incredibly fast, driven by a hysterical, suicidal frenzy, with their clear objective of heading straight for the "execution ground" in the west of the city.

"It's time to get some hard work done."

A murderous glint flashed in Song Heping's eyes. His right index finger swiftly and precisely swept across several preset communication icons on the touchscreen. His speech suddenly quickened, and a series of clear, cold commands were uttered, instantly transmitted to every combat unit via encrypted data link:
"Artillery Group, full firepower coverage! Target area from Alpha to Gamma, cover the enemy's escape route and subsequent echelons! Turn this area upside down!"

"The Second Battalion abandons its frontal mopping-up mission and immediately moves rapidly south of the city to seize the high ground at H-7 and H-8, completely blocking their retreat route. Since they've all come out to fight to the death, they shouldn't be going back! Remember, not a single rat is allowed to return!"

"The main force of the Abuyu Brigade, press down from Hill 3 on the left flank, and use maximum firepower to flank and cut them in half, thus encircling them!"

"Call all air units to prioritize the elimination of high-value targets—technical vehicles and suicide trucks! Repeat, priority order: suicide trucks, armed pickup trucks, personnel clusters. Do not allow any suicide vehicle to approach our front lines!"

The first to respond were the militia artillery group, which had already calculated the parameters and had been waiting in silence for a long time.

In an instant, the earth began to tremble violently.

The 122mm and 152mm howitzers, as well as the 120mm heavy mortars, deployed in concealed rear positions, roared with earth-shattering force!

This was no longer the sporadic, harassing shelling of the past, but a truly devastating barrage.

A hissing sound came from the sky, the unique sound of artillery shells cutting through the air.

Minutes later, a death rain of steel and flames poured precisely onto the open area and the path of the 1515 militants' charge!

boom!
Boom boom boom!
Boom boom——

The continuous explosions were deafening, as if they would never stop.

Huge fireballs shot into the sky one after another, black smoke mingling with the blasted dirt, rocks, and...

Human remains were blown into the air, mixed with broken bricks and stones, and fell to the ground like raindrops.

The violent shockwave spread outwards, directly injuring those near the epicenter, causing them to bleed from all seven orifices and die; it also overturned and tore apart light pickup trucks like toys.

A 1515 militant charging at the forefront, his AK-47 still spitting fire, was hit by a 152mm grenade less than five meters away.

After the intense flash, he and a dozen or so of his accomplices vanished instantly, leaving behind only an expanding dark red stain and a few charred, smoky pieces of cloth.

A pickup truck equipped with ZPU-2 anti-aircraft machine guns and armed with 1515 armor attempted to accelerate through the artillery blockade, but its wheels ran over a burning tire that had been thrown by the shockwave.

The driver instinctively swerved the steering wheel, causing the vehicle to instantly lose control, overturn, and slide into a crater.

Immediately afterwards, another mortar shell landed precisely at the edge of the crater, completely obliterating the pickup truck and its crew who had not yet climbed out, turning them into twisted, burning scrap metal.

The open space was instantly transformed into a living hell.

The 1515 militants who charged forward fell in droves, like harvested wheat.

Blood stained the scorched earth, and mangled limbs and internal organs were scattered everywhere.

Screams, explosions, the crackling of burning vehicles, and the unconscious groans of the dying intertwined to create a brutal battlefield symphony.

However, the ground artillery fire was merely the prelude to this three-dimensional massacre.

In the sky, the US air units that had been circling high above the edge of the battlefield—A-10 Warthog attack aircraft and F-15E Strike Eagle fighter-bombers—dive down like birds of prey that have spotted their prey, with a deathly whistle.

"Warthog One, target area visually confirmed. Multiple technical vehicles and suspected bomb truck detected. Requesting authorization to attack."

The A-10 pilot's calm voice came through the radio.

"Authorized attack, Warthog One. Prioritize suicide trucks. 'Dagger' forward observation has been provided with laser illumination."

Confirmation came from the command link at the rear.

"Received. Entering attack path."

The A-10, codenamed "Warthog One," was the first to strike. Its signature GAU-8/A "Avenger" 30mm seven-barreled Gatling gun began its low rotation, then emitted a thunderous roar—

dong dong dong-

dong dong dong-

A tongue of fire a meter long erupted from the nose of the aircraft, and the barrage of 30mm depleted uranium armor-piercing incendiary rounds, firing at a rate of nearly 4000 rounds per minute, lashed the ground like a giant burning whip.

An armed pickup truck attempting to evade artillery fire was the first to be hit.

The moment the barrage swept across, the pickup truck's body was devoured by the invisible hail of bullets, instantly turning into a violently burning fireball. The machine gunner on it, along with the heavy machine gun, was torn apart and melted away.

When machine gun shells hit people, the effect is even more terrifying; those hit are often instantly cut in two or explode into a cloud of blood mist.

Following closely behind is the F-15E Strike Eagle.

"Eagle Claw One, target locked, Alpha-3 area, large truck, characteristics match SVBIED."

"Throwing authorization. Good luck."

With a slight jolt at the underwing hardpoint, a 500-pound GBU-12 Paveway II laser-guided bomb detached from its rack and, guided by an invisible laser beam fired from a distant concealed position by the "Dagger" forward observation team, precisely hurtled toward its target.

It was a white truck that stood out conspicuously in the middle of the procession.

The truck bed was covered with a tarpaulin, making it impossible to see what was inside.

The bomb hit the middle of the carriage almost vertically.

A huge fireball suddenly expanded, and the explosive force was astonishing. The walls of the surrounding houses collapsed, and the shock wave and flames instantly engulfed the truck and everything within dozens of meters!
Immediately following, an even more violent secondary explosion occurred—the hundreds of kilograms of explosives loaded on the truck were simultaneously detonated.

This is a suicide bomb truck.

The shockwave spread wildly in a spherical shape, blowing away several militants who were lying on the ground to avoid the shelling like falling leaves.
While still in the air, their bodies were shattered by the shockwave, their internal organs and bones destroyed.

Thick black smoke billowed into the sky like a mushroom cloud, temporarily obscuring a large area of ​​the battlefield. Even the drone footage showed violent shaking and brief periods of static.

Inside the command post, Song Heping stared intently at the high-definition real-time images transmitted back by the drone on the split screen, focusing all his attention on the subtle changes in the battlefield situation.

"Artillery group, extend firing 50 meters to cover area G-6, where the enemy is attempting to establish a temporary strongpoint."

"Second Battalion, report your positions. Speed ​​up! The enemy is retreating; they're trying to escape! Provide fire support and stop them all! Don't let them retreat back into their shells!"

“Abuyu Brigade, there is a small enemy force on your right flank attempting to infiltrate using shell craters. C Company, move 100 meters to the left and take them out with mortars.”

His commands were concise and precise, cutting into the key points of the battlefield like a scalpel.

Under his command, the large number of 1515 militants who rushed out of the building were completely driven to despair.

Now, it's their turn to feel the terror firsthand.

Ahead lay a death barrier of artillery and air strikes; their flanks were subjected to fierce fire from the Abuyu Brigade from above, the firepower cutting their ranks in half like a sickle; their retreat was blocked by the rapidly maneuvering 2nd Battalion of the Musicians, who used Kornet anti-tank missiles and NSV Rock heavy machine guns, and any vehicles or personnel attempting to retreat back into the city center would be met with precise and deadly strikes.

The city's narrow roads and open spaces have become veritable slaughterhouses.

With nowhere to hide or conceal themselves, they were like live targets, slowly crushed by overwhelming firepower.

The massacre lasted for nearly forty minutes.

The open ground was littered with charred craters, burning vehicle wreckage, and mangled, unrecognizable bodies.

The air was thick with the nauseating stench of gunpowder smoke, blood, and roasted meat.

Nearly 1515 militants and their vehicles who attempted a counterattack were almost completely wiped out.

Only a very few lucky ones, using the corpses of their comrades as cover or sheer luck, managed to scramble back into the building, only to be met with the precise roll call of the "Musician" defense mercenary 2nd Battalion snipers in despair.

Only a small number of 1515 militants, who remained hidden inside the building and dared not show their faces, were able to remain as fish that had escaped the net for the time being. They could only watch helplessly through the smoke of gunpowder as this horrific massacre unfolded, and there was nothing they could do.

No one dared to leave the building.

After all, you can hide inside a building.

The American planes in the air and the militia's artillery could not distinguish the nature of the buildings and were afraid of harming too many innocent civilians, so they hesitated to fire their weapons.

Once they show themselves, they will be met with artillery fire and air raids in less than thirty seconds.

Soon, the frenzied shouts and prayers in the city had disappeared, replaced by a deathly silence.

Now, the 1515 armed leader hiding in the city realizes that he has gotten himself into serious trouble today.

This time, they were not facing the easily defeated government troops of the past, nor the mediocre Kolds, but elite militias who had appeared out of nowhere and had undergone rigorous situational training, as well as some armed personnel who looked like mercenaries.

"They hired mercenaries!"

As he squeezed out those words through gritted teeth, the leader of the 1515 armed group heard the clanging of his own teeth.

Fear surged from the depths of my heart for the first time, unstoppable, rushing straight to my head...

Too high!

How else to fight?
I can't fight...

surrender?

This unfamiliar and shameful word popped into their minds for the first time.

　Asking for a monthly ticket!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)