Arc of Fire

West Bank, Landing Site One.

Naval Infantry Private Second Class Zaitsev suddenly patted the shoulder of his old sergeant, Malov, "Look! A group of girls is coming over the pontoon bridge, and one is dressed like a maid."

"What, there’s a girl dressed as a maid?" Malov had never seen someone dressed as a maid on the front lines either. Stopping his digging, he turned to get a clear look, "It really is a maid outfit. How did a girl who hasn’t even graduated from 10th grade get to the front lines?"

The 10th-grade uniform for girls at Ante schools is a maid outfit, so if you see a bunch of maids taking photos together on the street, it’s not a group of household servants on a team-building exercise, but rather 10th-grade students on a spring outing.

In the midst of their conversation, the girl in the maid outfit had already reached the West Bank. The engineers on the bridge looked at each other confusedly before all eyes settled on the leading officer, who was shouting something at the girl in the maid outfit and waving his arms, apparently wanting her to come back.

It was unclear what the maid-dressed girl had replied, but the officer suddenly stood at attention and saluted her.

Malov adjusted his military cap, "This is too strange, let’s go take a look."

After all, it was still rest time, and the Naval Infantrymen were voluntarily helping with the fortifications.

Malov greeted his company commander and then led Zaitsev towards the landing site.

By this time, the Naval Infantrymen who had heard about the girls crossing the river had all gathered. The naval combat medics were all men since they had yet to suffer significant casualties, so there was no large influx of female nurses.

In other units, they might already be quite accustomed to female nurses or even female snipers.

Malov heard a young man shout, "Ladies, you’ve come to the wrong place, you can’t dance here!"

Then a nanny dressed as a Captain roared back, "You’d best keep some decorum, young man, otherwise if you get injured, one of my girls will be the last to carry you!"

Her words immediately stirred a wave of jeering:

"Did you hear that! The last one will carry you!"

"Take cover toward the back when the fight starts, Alyosha, because you’ll be the last one they carry!"

The one called Alyosha was still stubborn, "Hmph, look at the size of these girls. I’m so heavy; they couldn’t carry me. It’ll have to be our Andrei who can carry me!

"Or I could just lay on the stretcher!"

By this time, Malov had finally reached the nurses, taking a glance at their insignia, "Hmm, all qualified war nurses, that’s not an issue. But nanny, what’s with the girl at the end of your column? She’s still wearing her 10th-grade uniform!"

Malov had really mistaken the maid dress for a school uniform.

Just as the nanny was about to speak, the "10th-grade girl" stepped forward looking at Malov, "My name is Nelly. I’ve grown up playing with General Rocosov since we were kids, and now I am his personal orderly. I’m here in place of Ludmila Vasilyevna Rokossova, who was supposed to cross the river.

"Lady Rokossova received a last-minute assignment to join the Divine Arrow squad as their Prayer Hand, covering the supply center across the river, so she couldn’t come and fight alongside you.

"My task as her representative is to tell everyone that you haven’t been abandoned, General Rocosov won’t abandon anyone."

The crowd exchanged looks.

Malov asked on behalf of everyone, "Are you really General Rocosov’s playmate?"

"Yes, my family has been serving his family since before the civil war, and of course, now my entire family are employed workers for the general. Since I can remember, I’ve lived with the general and his wife," proclaimed Nelly.

Malov took a deep breath, turned back to the assembled Naval Infantry, and shouted, "Alright, the situation is clear now. The general wanted to send his wife, but Lady Rokossova has an even more important military task, to protect our supply station!

"So the lady sent the general’s playmate of the same age! She’s going to fight with us! So those who were gossiping can shut up now! The general hasn’t abandoned us!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a Military Chaplain from the Naval Infantry troops stepped up beside Malov and countered, "Your words are incorrect, we do not fight for the general. Of course, we must acknowledge that General Rocosov is a very charismatic leader, but we’re here because Mother Antea needs us, we’re here to win the ultimate victory!"

The Chaplain’s words met with approval from the crowd, and then he turned and offered his hand to Nelly, "Please return, and then relay to the general and his wife that we don’t feel abandoned, we are fighting for Mother Antea."

Nelly, "I am also fighting for Mother Antea. I am now eighteen years old; you can’t deprive me of my rights."

The Chaplain reevaluated Nelly, "But what can you do? You’re not even as tall as a Mosin-Nagant rifle!"

Nelly, "I’ve also learned battlefield first aid, I can throw grenades and shoot machine guns. I can also use a rifle, when the general and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince went hunting, the rabbits were actually all shot by me, then secretly given to the hunting dogs to bring back."

The entire place fell silent at once.

The Chaplain was completely baffled and after a long pause said, "But you’re not as tall as a hunting rifle!"

"That’s not important," Nelly frowned, clearly showing her displeasure.

Sergeant Malov patted the Chaplain on the shoulder, "That settles it then. Since she’s such a sharpshooter, give her a Mosin-Nagant and let her shoot at those Prosen devils!"

At the same time, within Prosen Central Army Group’s 9th Army Group Command.

Due to the offensive launched by the Western Front Army on the 25th, the atmosphere in the Headquarters was extremely tense, filled with staff officers shouting "I can’t hear you" into telephones.

To receive telegrams as quickly as possible, the Army Group’s communications battalion had even left the doors to the telegram room wide open, and the urgent ticking of the telegraph poured into the command center.

Admiral Walter Mendel demanded harshly, "So have we ascertained how many breakthroughs the enemy has made?"

Army Group Chief of Staff: "We have confirmed six. The most critical is the landing site west of Shostka. Antean troops that landed there are encircling Shostka from the rear and could cut off the railway line at any moment."

Mendel inquired, "Which is the nearest Armored Troops to this breakthrough?"

"At Mofka. The 8th Armored Division is currently resting there. Their tank count is only half the normal complement, as the other half were sent for long-term repairs. As of this morning, they reported 67 two-number and 31 four-number tanks ready for combat."

Mendel: "Mofka..."

Mendel pushed his monocle up and located the village, then his finger slid eastwards along the road passing through it, eventually stopping at Shostka.

Mendel: "Order the 8th Armored Division to move out immediately. Advance towards Shostka using the road through Mofka, and destroy all Antean Troops encountered."

The Chief of Staff hesitated, "Is it really okay to issue such a vague order? Shouldn’t we at least inform the 8th Armored Division of the potential forces they might encounter?"

"Do you know which units disembarked west of Shostka?" countered Admiral Mendel.

The Chief of Staff shut his mouth.

No one knew. Due to the unjustified full-frontal assault by the Western Front Army, and every unit engaged with the enemy grossly exaggerating the attacks they faced, the 9th Army Group Command didn’t even know how many Antean Troops were attacking them, let alone identifying the units’ numbers and formations.

Admiral Mendel, with his hands clasped behind his back, looked at the map: "This kind of attack violates the art of war! Military common sense suggests concentrating forces at a key point to make a breakthrough, then launching a supporting offensive on another flank to execute a pincer movement.

"Such a reckless broad-front strike, senselessly dispersing forces along the entire front, is just too unsophisticated."

Mendel paused for a few seconds and cursed, "The key thing is—it’s actually working."

As he spoke, a staff member rushed over with a telegram: "Report, Antean Troops spotted in the Karinka area!"

"What?" Mendel exclaimed, "Isn’t that deep in our rear? How could there be troops there?"

The Army Group Chief of Staff stayed calm, "Probably broke through the 48th Army’s lines. The Anteans are assaulting all along the line and know the terrain well, opening many small breaches between our units."

Mendel: "Where are our rear-area combat divisions?"

"The telegram came from the rear-area combat divisions," said the staff member holding the telegram. "They can’t hold back the Antean Troops; the railway line is in imminent danger."

Mendel: "Where are the closest Armored Troops?"

"There are no Armored Troops nearby," said the Chief of Staff.

Mendel: "Then are there any Armored Grenadiers nearby? There must be some troops resting, right?"

"The 15th Armored Grenadier Division is resting." Stay tuned with

"All from the 31st Armored Army?" Mendel frowned.

"Yes, the 31st Armored Army began full unit rest half a month ago. Additionally, the 6th Armored Army on the front line has also come under attack, but they have held their first-line positions. It’s one of the few segments not breached by the enemy. Perhaps we should mobilize the 6th Armored Army as well?"

Mendel thought for a few seconds and said, "Have the 6th Armored Army extend their defensive line to both flanks, and close up the gaps next to them as much as possible. Order the 15th Armored Grenadier Division to end their rest and attack Karinka, disperse the Antean Troops that have made it there.

"Lastly, are the phone lines to Eagle’s Nest operational?"

"They are functional, General."

Mendel: "I need to speak with His Majesty!"

The Chief of Staff was shocked, glancing at the time: "Now? His Majesty is likely asleep!"

"Never mind that, just dial!" Mendel instructed.

The Chief of Staff had no choice but to pick up the handset: "Connect me to Eagle’s Nest."

He waited a few seconds before handing the handset to Mendel: "It’s through."

Mendel took the receiver, just in time to hear a familiar voice from the other side: "Hello?"

"This is Mendel from the 9th Army Group, Siegfried. I need to speak with His Majesty!" Mendel was quite familiar with the redhead youngster; after all, when the kid had attacked Shostka last year, they’d borrowed some units from the 9th Army Group.

"His Majesty just took a sleeping pill and has gone to bed. He’s been having trouble sleeping lately because of the Allied Forces’ campaign in Africa," said Siegfried Gilais.

Mendel: "Then I have some good news, he’s going to sleep even less well now, as I’m about to be breached by the Western Front Army."

Siegfried: "You could discuss with the Central Army Group Command first. The direct line to your command was established to reflect His Majesty’s concern for your defense sector, not for you to bypass the chain of command with reports."

Mendel, after holding back for a few seconds, sighed: "Fine, I understand. Wish His Majesty sweet dreams for me."

"I’ll thank you on his behalf."

Mendel hung up the phone and cursed, "Damn Emperor’s pet! The Empire will eventually be ruined by these courtesans!"