Reich Marshal of the Belkan Reich

RM Vol 4: War – Chapter 4: Case Yellow (Day 1)

The Maginot Line, the world's largest defensive line, spanning Alsace to Flanders, is now battered and bruised. The earlier rocket barrage has dealt the static defense a devastating blow, rendering most of the frontline combat ineffective. The aggression and devastation come as a complete shock to the Allied field officers.

The trading of artillery fire wasn't new when the Maginot Line first formed, with both sides regularly bombarding one another without causing any substantial damage. However, the recent attack has subverted all expectations, dealing a major blow and knocking the Allied officers silly. How can one expect to stand up and retaliate from a bombardment that may as well force a change on the global map? Their first layer of defense is not just breached, it's been blown to Hell. The damage is intensive, forcing the Allied forces to scramble the reserves. Pushing the weaker defended and vastly more inexperienced secondary and tertiary lines up to act as a new frontline, the Allied forces are banking on the chance that the Reich isn't brave enough to attack in the Months of Demons. With how the Months of Demons will be continuing for at least another month, they're hoping to find a countermeasure in the grace period.

Unfortunately, Allied forces are still running in the dark due to the jamming of their radio communications. Now that runners have to be used to deliver orders and reports, force deployments are either painstakingly slow or are just straight-up impossible in some cases. While not really a crippling blow, the lagging method of using runners has left the Allied forces missing crucial battlefield information. An example will be that there are numerous Belkan Companies, bearing the Ironblood banner, striking out at crucial Allied supply lines. These hit-and-fade attacks have sowed another layer of confusion as no one knows just how or when these supply outposts are destroyed. The survivors' words only cause more fear and apprehension when they regal the sights of vehicles and soldiers, bearing the Ironblood markings of the Reich Marshal, attacking more than two dozen areas all at once.

It's as if the 404th Division is everywhere, befitting their notorious moniker of Ghost Division. Everywhere these Ghosts go, only death and destruction follow. To add to the freakiness of the situation, the raided sites all have blackened trees surrounded by corpses. This is a call-back to the fearsome tactics used by the 404th in Arash.

All of this, the sabotages, the rocket barrage, the raids, and the subsequent sowing of fear and disorders... Are starter dishes of Case Yellow, the codename for the military campaign that will swiftly bring down opposition powers West of Belka. This was something conjured up by the Belkan High Command for me to review last year. After some modifications, Case Yellow was approved for preparation. Now, on April 1st, the opening moves of Case Yellow are completed with overwhelming firepower. Truly, nothing can quite match the sheer destruction and scale brought about by two thousand rockets.

As the age-old adage will say: There's no such thing as overkill.

Overlooking the holographic battlefront map, I muse with a small smile. My uncovered eye takes in updated information at a rapid pace. My brain processes the received data before swiftly formulating possible plans and new orders to be delivered down the chain of command. Standing beside me isn't Bryn like usual, she and my personal bodyguards are accompanying one of my clones on a field trip currently. Right now, it's Brigadier General Alexa of my 404th that is helping me in managing less important tasks. The Succubus seems to be pleased with a dangerous smile.

I chuckle silently to myself. She's pleased, of course, for it's her 1st Brigade Combat Team that scored the most destruction of Allied outposts and bases beyond the Maginot Line. Despite being split into small companies, these mechanized elements are reinforced by the Ravens, making them a near-unstoppable force unless the Allies somehow summon an entire Army Corp on them. As their first-ever official debut alongside frontline Army units, the Ravens are welcomed with both awe and reverence it seems. Human soldiers are bolstered by the sight of their fellow humans performing impossible feats. Other, supernatural members of the Belkan military are emboldened, their spirits and honor prompt them to look at the Ravens as worthy rivals. Rather than questioning why the Ravens are as strong if not stronger than they are, non-human soldiers accept their existence with an open-minded.

I am pleasantly surprised by that, truly. It seems that drip-feeding rumors about the Ravens' existence have done well in fostering a healthy mentality in the common troops. Truly, Elysia only gives advice that is worth its weight in gold. A stray thought comes into my mind, however. Now that sufficient development has been achieved, Mobius and Nicolae are given the go-ahead to develop another super-soldier serum that can enhance the supernatural soldiers of the Reich.

The new serum is somewhat weaker than the one used for human subjects. Rather than substantially boost a non-human's strength as the human version of the serum does, the new serum provides only a marginal to moderate increase in strength while still retaining the other benefits. This is due to non-humans already having a better baseline than a human, thus making the strength increase benefit quite minimized. Still, the most important thing the new serum grants is the unlocked potential for limitless development. In time, both humans and non-humans can develop constantly in overall power without hitting any mortal limits. Nevertheless, it's a story for another day. Mobius and the others still need to resuscitate the Raven subjects that were put under temporal stasis for the last few years.

After a long time of research, the brainiac trio has finally managed to figure out ways to stabilize these potential Ravens. If all goes well, these Raven trainees will soon break away from their traumatic enhancement procedure, ultimately becoming as powerful as their compatriots in the field after a period of conditioning. This means that our investment will be well-spent at last. I can't wait for the time I will have Companies worth of these Ravens sowing terrors on the frontline.

Back to Case Yellow though.

Battlefield intelligence denotes that the more elite Allied forces are stationed either in the Principality of Darscen or the Alsace region to the North and South respectively. However, owing to the Allies' lack of proper intelligence, they thought that the Reich's military couldn't traverse through the Ardennes forest, at least not in any reasonable timeframe. Thus, the central area of Maginot is the weakest link of all with minimal defensive emplacements, manned by the equivalent of Rusviet Conscripts instead of the better-trained Loyalist Regulars or the Erusean Expeditionary Force soldiers. This presents a golden opportunity for a decisive at the heart of the Allies. It's something that Case Yellow is constructed on.

First, infiltration elements will move to wreak havoc behind enemy lines, something that is already a plan in progress. Then comes the earlier rocket barrage to soften frontline obstructions for a frontal attack. Down South, elements of mixed Ustian Reformists and Belkan armed forces will be attacking the Loyalists in a major feint. This will confuse the Allies about our real aim, forcing them to divert their reserves to the Southern area instead of the North and Central of Maginot. Once this has happened, the Allies will fall too deep into the pit to climb out.

Under my command, numerous armored and mechanized divisions have slipped through the Ardennes. They're well on their way to making a breakthrough against the decimated defense of Loyalist-controlled Dinant and Sedan. From there, our divisions will cross the Meuse River, thus starting the next phase of the Case Yellow.

Before the Allies can react, I will lead our armored and mechanized divisions, tentatively named Army Group A, to push straight for the Erusean Channel. Working in conjunction with my assault is Army Group B, commanded by General Belladonna. While my Army Group is focused on Blitzkrieg, Army Group B takes the slow and steady approach with more Mechanized and Infantry Divisions than Armored. Army Group B will be pressuring the Allied forces in the North when I make my move. This will disallow the enemy from sending units back to secure their rearline. The penultimate move will be for Army Group A and B to form an encirclement of the Allied forces in the North. The goal is to make the Erusean Expeditionary Force completely defunct and defeat the small Principality of Darscen that dares to join the fight against us. All of this depends on speed, firepower, and decisiveness. These are something that the modern Belkan-Reformists coalition now has in abundance. However, if all of these are to come about, they will amount to only half of Case Yellow. The true fun is yet to come.

I have off-handedly promised Rosa, who is now leading her cohorts in the South, and my people that I will win Ustio in around a month. My words carry weight befitting of my military and Royal status. For my people, I am already a beloved figure reaching the pedestal of the Divines. If I am to deliver on my promise, then I am not surprised if I am to be worshipped by someone, if not already. No, this is not my narcissism speaking, it's mere facts compiled by Mommy Hel.

To borrow the words of a certain blonde in blue: "They fucking love me!"

Still, with my focus on the Ustian front, I am not stupid enough to forget the Etruscan Kingdom beyond the Channel, or the Polanians who will soon be too anxious to stay put. Trust me, there are already different Cases for them all, with Erusea being included in the latter half of Case Yellow. Very soon, there will be two less superpowers in Europe, of that I can guarantee.

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