Cannon Fire Arc

Chapter 966: Chapter 17 “Rest in Death”_2

Pavlov sat down behind the desk as he spoke, beginning to write furiously.

General Eugene turned to Wang Zhong and said: “I’ll return to Headquarters now. Tomorrow we launch the attack on the target area.”

Wang Zhong: “I’m counting on you.”

General Eugene saluted and turned to leave the room.

Popov, watching his departing figure, said: “Can you believe he was a mine manager before the war?”

Wang Zhong: “Before the war, I was ranked dead last.”

“Don’t even mention your dead-last ranking.”

————

That night.

Despite a full day of fierce battles, Andreas volunteered to take the first shift that evening.

Kosolek also came to the outpost, standing shoulder to shoulder with him.

“What do you think of the enemy’s attack today?” Kosolek asked.

Andreas: “They weren’t really trying to defeat us, just wearing down our ammunition and morale. The Ante tanks stayed at a distance and only fired—they’ve never done that before. Normally, they’d have already charged in with their infantry, using their treads to cover the trenches.”

Ante tank operators would straddle their tanks over trenches, swaying left and right, using their weight and treads to scrape down the trench walls on both sides, eventually burying the trench completely.

Veterans like Andreas and Kosolek had experienced this many times. Once Ante tank operators realized a position lacked anti-tank firepower, they’d rush in to do exactly that.

Many Prosen soldiers were buried alive in trenches that way, suffocating to death.

It’s said that at the start of the war, Prosen tankers used the same tactic, burying many Ante soldiers defending their trenches.

Kosolek: “Yeah, the enemy’s just wearing us down. They’re waiting for us to starve.”

Andreas: “Don’t we still have plenty of rations?”

“Yeah, yeah.” Kosolek paused for a moment, then said suddenly, “Remember that Hesse guy in the third platoon?”

“Yeah, he owes me five packs of tobacco,” Andreas replied.

“He ran.”

“What?” Andreas looked at Kosolek. “Are you sure?”

“Yes, everyone knows he ran. But the officers are all saying he was killed in action. Damn it, when does an officer ever personally come over to tell everyone, ‘He died a hero’? Clearly, it’s a cover-up.”

Andreas silently reached into his pocket for his matchstick.

The matchstick looked identical to the ones issued by the army, but it was of far better quality, lighting with a single strike.

This matchstick was probably a gift from a Stas priest, something that might one day bring a good life to his family—if he survived, that is.

Kosolek seemed to read Andreas’ thoughts and asked: “Does your family still write to you?”

“No. The last letter said the Anteans had already reached the river at the foot of my family’s mountain. By now, it’s probably… fallen.”

Kosolek: “Then if you surrender now, maybe you could go home directly.”

Andreas was silent for a few seconds and then countered: “If I surrendered, would you hate me as a betrayer?”

Kosolek lit a roll-up cigarette: “I don’t know. You’d have to surrender before I’d know. I’m out of matches.”

Andreas pulled out his matchstick and lit Kosolek’s cigarette in one swift motion.

Just then, gunfire rang out from the darkness to the right of their outpost.

The two veterans immediately raised their rifles, flipping off the safeties.

The gunfire continued, stirring many strongpoints into action as they erupted with muzzle flashes.

Kosolek cursed: “Idiots, they’ve lost their damn minds. The enemy’s obviously testing our firepower. Tomorrow they might bring the real fight.”

Andreas: “Yeah, it’s classic Ante troop behavior, being active the night before an offensive. Any strongpoints exposed now won’t survive the first round of direct fire tomorrow.”

Kosolek cut him off: “No, now’s not the time for this! If you’re going to go, it has to be now. With all this chaos tonight, no one will notice!”

Andreas stared at Kosolek for a few seconds: “You promised you wouldn’t let me die, didn’t you? Buddy, remember the motto of the unit we first met in? ‘To the bitter end!’”

Kosolek: “That unit was wiped out by Rocossov years ago. We’ve already changed designations multiple times! Just go, damn it!”

“No!” Andreas said. “Leaving now is more dangerous. Tomorrow, when the Anteans are right in front of me, I’ll surrender then.”

Kosolek didn’t answer.

————

December 4th, 0500.

The whistling of incoming shells suddenly woke a dozing Andreas.

“Artillery barrage!” he shouted. “Get to the shelter now!”

He yanked the private next to him to his feet.

After finishing his first shift the previous night, Andreas had collapsed into what he thought was his own bunker to sleep, only now realizing he’d ended up with the recruits.

Andreas: “Move, don’t just sleep! This bunker won’t withstand heavy artillery! Get into the shelter!”

The private he grabbed screamed in terror: “Aaaah! What’s happening?!”

Andreas: “Artillery barrage, you idiot!”

By now, many recruits were showing symptoms, lying flat on the shaking ground, unable to do anything but scream and cry hysterically.

This was, in fact, a type of shellshock. Recruits often became hysterical during their first experience under intense artillery barrages.

Even veterans weren’t immune. Andreas felt the fear gnawing at him. He had endured many Antean barrages before, but none as ferocious as this.

It felt like the Anteans’ firepower grew more insane with each attack.

Suddenly, the roof of the bunker collapsed, and Andreas blacked out.

When he opened his eyes again, Kosolek’s face was in front of him.

“Are you okay?”

Andreas: “Where are my recruits?”

“Gone. I only managed to drag you out.” Kosolek grinned. “Looks like it’s just the two of us now. Come on, let’s get to the machine gun post.”

“Is the barrage over?” Andreas asked.

“You were out for over two hours. The barrage just ended.” Kosolek led him to the machine gun emplacement.

Miraculously, the tripod was still standing, and the machine gun atop it looked intact.

Andreas and Kosolek quickly prepared for combat.

Just then, the ground began to shake.

The distant roar of tank engines grew louder, accompanied by the creaking of treads and the occasional screech of massive metal scraping—sounds the two veterans instantly recognized as Antean tanks maneuvering.

“Damn it, did Ante troops wait for our tanks like this at the start of the war?” Andreas said.

Kosolek: “Back then, their biggest tank was the Panzer IV. You could still knock it out by hitting the weak spots with an anti-tank rifle. Now we’re dealing with those damn steel beasts.”

Just as he finished speaking, a self-propelled gun rolled into view.

Then a whole row of self-propelled guns appeared, all sporting massive barrels.

The self-propelled guns came to a halt and raised their barrels.

In the next moment, the first volley of 152mm artillery came straight at them.

Though their position hadn’t been exposed the night before, one shell landed square in the middle of their trench.

…

Moments later, Kosolek opened his eyes, dazed for a brief moment before checking his limbs. Realizing he was unharmed, he burst into hysterical laughter.

“Hahahahaha! I’m alive! I’m fine! Andreas, look!”

He turned to find his partner, spotting him not far away. He rushed over and slapped his shoulder hard: “I’m fine! How about you?”

But as he pulled, Andreas’ body moved unnaturally light.

That’s when Kosolek saw it—Andreas’ lower half was gone, intestines spilling out from what remained, dragging along the ground.

Andreas was dead.

Kosolek let go of his fallen comrade and clamped a hand over his mouth.

For the first time, this hardened man sobbed quietly.

Just then, he heard voices speaking Antenese.

He froze but acted decisively, pulling out his sergeant’s ID and discarding it, then ripping off the sergeant stripes from his uniform.

Kosolek then rummaged through Andreas’ belongings to retrieve his ID and stuffed it into his pocket.

Finally, he didn’t forget to take the matchstick from Andreas’ pocket.

Once prepared, he took a deep breath and whispered: “I’m Corporal Andreas. My home is in…”

Before he could finish, Ante soldiers climbed over the sandbags. “Don’t move! Hands up! Surrender and you’ll live!”

Kosolek raised his hands: “I surrender! I was only conscripted during the counteroffensive phase. I haven’t killed a single Antean!”

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