Hikari City, August 20th, 2025

1600 hours JST

1/LT Kousei Arima

*Crack*

"BOOM!"

On the brigade level network, as we're advancing slowly towards the town's main railway station, we learned that 31st Infantry's attached heavy tank company - Team Sora (Sky) the C Company of the reserve 28th Tank Regiment and the light tank-equipped 1st Company of 10th Cavalry Regiment had paid substantial price, men and assets alike, to uncover the Red Chinese armor's plan for us, and the infantry companies were taking heavy fire as well.

The mission order was clear, despite the recent loss of our division commander.

"Watch the windows and rubbles for infantry" Kawashima warned, not long, my gunner piped in.

"Right side, .50 cal, hostile troops!"

"Roger that" I replied and promptly slew the remotely controlled heavy MG at the location pinpointed by sensors of our tank.

"Firing!" The heavy 12.7mm round mowed down one or two IAIB soldiers, clearly distinguishable from their non-East Asian looks but with PLAGF uniform who tried to aim their anti-tank rocket at me. And being platoon leader, I am in the lead of this advance.

Behind my tank was a Type 23 Heavy UGV that aimed its turret to the left and fired from its MG initially, but later switched to it's autocannon as the number of hostile infantry in the area. The Captain reminded us that priority targets for tank main cannons were to be armored vehicles first then entrenched infantry.

"Another Konubiifu (Corned Beef, written in Katakana)!" I whispered.

Extra care of driving was the order of things, both the tanks and UGVs, otherwise we incurred risk of being stuck in the rubble.

"Incoming!"

"Shit, they must trying to blind us with mortar fire." Kitazawa cursed on the intercom. Indirect fire from mortars or a well-aimed rounds from heavy machine guns to autocannon cannot directly kill us, but it could destroy the optics and electrical systems of a modern tank or armored vehicle depended for control of it's weapons as well as it's situational awareness.

Type 87 mortars, 82mm in caliber, were now pounding us. Just as we're trying to flank...

"Identify, hostile TD (Tank Destroyer), up ahead!" The desperate IAIB legionnaires had called on what was left of their armor, likely to evacuate them. One ZTL-11 rolled down on the intersection ahead of me; it's main gun was immediately slewed at my tank. My platoon split up, looking at our flanks for more armor.

ZTL-11 wheeled fire support vehicle/tank destroyer. A derivative of ZBL-08 (Type 08) armored personnel carrier

"Fire!" I ordered. The explosive round promptly set the wheeled armor on fire. In retaliation of it's destruction, two anti-tank missile was launched from well-concealed positions aimed at me. I was lucky that I still had enough interceptor rockets for this. Two wire-guided HJ-8s mounted on a tripod flew on, one was intercepted and one went awry after it's crew was dispatched by a squad from Kaori's platoon reinforced by local partisans took care of the launchers for us as well as the mortar team. They had also a Type 23 medium attached for recon, to our gratitude.

Tsubaki. I muttered upon recognized a certain short brown hair leading the said infantry squad.

Our feat was followed by two sharp cracks, then another explosions. One scout drone orbiting overhead, part of a friendly swarm that had just arrived, broadcasted in real time the result of my platoon's work; two destroyed ZTL tank destroyers and two ZBL wheeled troop carriers. The commies were clearly doomed.

We were back to moving on the street, with me taking a deep breath for once ever since our assault began.

......................................................................

Sgt. Tsubaki Sawabe, 4th (Mechanized) Platoon

The row of commercial premises; stores, restaurants, small offices.

Once vibrant, now in ruins.

But we have to take it back. Moments after the squad dispatched what must be a platoon worth of communist foreign legionnaires with the help of our armor, a machine gun opened up ahead, on a ruin of what used to be a ramen restaurant.

Must be stragglers who managed to regroup.

We along with attached local partisans sought cover immediately, and I am the last to duck, firing my new Type 22 rifle along with my light machine gunner. I saw the PLAGF gunner keeled over, dead. A clink caused me to look on my left. A hand grenade close to me and my machine gunner.

I tried to return it to the sender, only it to explode in mid-air.

"Argh, shit!" I clutched the wounded area of my body while firing at the same time.

"Rikusou (sergeant), you're bleeding!" shouted Pvt. Mako Takayama, our second grenadier.

"I'm okay."

"Ma'am, you should check it out." said Chen, on my behind.

"Later!" The enemy fire was not died yet from surrounding buildings; I aimed at another enemy machine gunner that to my surprise was equipped with what could be described as a copy to our Belgian designed Maximi light machine gun.

"Firing!" Takayama took no chance and released his 40mm grenades, taking out the said IAIB gunner and some others around him. However it required the intervention of one of our surviving troop carrier and it's autocannon to scatter what was left of the Reds, before they even managed to fire their anti-tank rockets.

"Check it all"

Foot-bound local partisans stood guard outside while we checked the rest of the area. Just in time as autocannons went to life again.

As we advance with our tracks on tow, gunshots behind us indicated that local partisans were mopping up any Chinese left behind by us or the armor.

Behind our position was Toyosaki's tank platoon with Morishima's squad assigned.

Cracks from one of our assigned tank platoons roughly two kilometers from the station - Kousei's - indicated what's ahead of us.

Scout drones had indicated several small groups of Chinese infantry approaching our armor.

"Be advised" piped Kaori. "We detected movement." further reinforced my own belief.

.......................................................................................

1/LT Kousei Arima

"Tank, right side!"

"Fuck, it's a 99" I whispered. "Fire, Fire SABOT!" The said ZTZ-99A2 had rolled down from the right corner. Kitazawa fired the APAM already loaded inside the gun. No penetration registered.

"Gotta flank, driver!" As Tank 11 turned left, I switched in a microsecond to the platoon's frequency. "All 1st platoon, commence flanking maneuver!" I ordered.

"SABOT UP!" The gunner did not forget to report about the new round as we circled around. "He's got a bead on us!" he shouted again. The turning process was complete, just right as the ZTZ-99 showed it's vulnerable side and back.

I commanded. "Fire at will!"

Kitazawa shouted "ON THE WAY!"

"BOOM!" The magic of depleted uranium!

"Tank destroyed!" Watari exclaimed. "Kutabare (drop dead)!"

"We're not leaving until no more tanks in this area!" I replied to my crew. Meanwhile on the net, shouts of other tank commanders under my command; Minato and Hanazono, could be heard and the corresponding blast of tank cannons. "FIRE!" "SABOT LOADED!" "GUNNER-SABOT-TWO TANKS FIRE!" Anyone who did not fell to our guns yet might met their match in form of infantry with their shoulder-launched missiles, using rubbles as concealment. The other platoons also found their tanks to kill, showing the extent of Chinese' initial success in penetrating or outflanking the 31st Infantry's line of defense near the train station.

Even with two more ZTZ-99A2s were identified by our accompanying UAV, I could not hold my smile when hearing that Toyosaki and his platoon had increased their kill tally - his first tank kill was a ZTZ-96 positioned somewhere on the river bank supporting the doomed crossing attempt of 109th IAIB, whose position had now been ours.

"Look at any command tank." I instructed Kitazawa when we're circling around again to outflank the recently detected Chinese tanks.

Command tanks, particularly battalion/regimental commanders, generally had extra antennas to facilitate wide area communications. Both our Type 10 and Chinese Type 99s had such variant.

Watari swung the turret left and right as we moved forward, waiting for the row of houses to end

"Driver, back up and get us to the... another ZTZ, up ahead!" I barked, as another Type 99 rolled down the intersection ahead of Umeda Hospital, intact as it was due to it's function but with a Chinese flag unfurled on one of it's windows.

The tank was facing us front and center.

.............................................

Major Gu Huang

50th Tank Battalion, 18th Heavy Combined Arms Brigade, People's Liberation Army Ground Force.

"Comrade Major, Japanese tanks in our front!!"

We managed to avoid most of artillery and drone swarm attacks aimed at us, only to drive into what we're looking for, the Japanese 11th Tank Regiment, as platoons began to report kills and losses at the same time.

I can pop smoke grenades and try to outflank it, however I decided to fight it out head on.

"Sabot Loaded comrade!"

"Fire!"

The Japanese tank fired first.

"That was close, comrade!" said Lu Suifang. I fired back, with a similarly frustrating result.

In the meantime the Japanese decided to back up with smoke grenades popped. I did the same without activating the apparatus, and decided to entertain the enemy with a turning hide and seek game on it's own. With our ground combat drones were mostly lost or under maintenance, we're on a disadvantage compared to the Japanese.

"Lost visual on the enemy, find them, comrade!"

To my exasperation, when we found the Type 10 it was once again trying to face us on the front.

"Fire when fire" CLANK!

"We're hit! We're holding. Two or three more hits like this, however..." said the driver. Sgt. Suifang then retaliated with another sabot round. "Hit, bounced!"

"Two incoming missiles! They must be slipping their damned drones on us!" warned the gunner as the anti-missile system detected, and successfully intercepted two missiles that seemed to come from nowhere.

But in the process, we ran directly into a Japanese tank's path few meters from the hospital. I had no time to identify who's who, and Suifang fired again. However the Japanese managed to fire as well.

"Good hit!"

However, separated from our comrades by the fluidity of the situation, As if it was all one action, the main gun recoiled, and the tank shuddered and bucked as if hit on its left side by a massive hammer. The sound of the gun firing was replaced by a high-pitched scream of agony over the intercom and the hiss of the halon gas fire extinguishers discharging. The turret was instantaneously filled with the halon gas.

This might be my end. But I kept my composure and ordered "Crew report!"

"We're hit... we're on fire! Get out!" Suifang trying to get past.

"Alright, we're baling out!" A quick check showed that the fire on the engine compartment was too much for it to be able to be extinguished. Meanwhile, the screaming on the intercom had been replaced by a continuous moaning from Sergeant Xun. He had been hit. I had no idea how badly, nor could he find out at that moment. Suifang slowly traversed the turret until he reached the driver's compartment. Xun's crumpled form lay limp against the side. There was diesel and blood spattered all over him, his seat, and the compartment. While I held him forward, Suifang lowered the seat back. We lifted him out into the turret roof, eased it, before slowly hoisted him off the tank. Suifang carried Xun while I dived back to salvage any important documentations and other classified combat datas. Not long after I went out for the last time, the fire had reached the ammunition carousel and it instantly erupted in a fiery fashion.

"Comrades..." He's breathing, but barely. I ordered Suifang to use our emergency radio to call for a medic. I don't care if the Japanese got us first, at least, what I believe despite what we had been told by our high command, that they are humane enough to treat their captives well.

"...Continue this fight, for me... Comrade Major... tell my wife and daughter that I love them..."

He closed his eyes. Sergeant Wang Xun was no more.

"Farewell, comrade." I said softly when I closed his eye, in a proper fashion as a commander honoring a fallen loyal soldier of the people.

The Japanese tank that I think killed Xun passed us at this point. To my amazement, the commander's hatch was open. I caught the glimpse of a black-haired young man not older than twenty-five, average in height. For a moment as his gaze was targeted at us, I thought that he's going to finish us, but somehow he decided to spare us.

This is going to be a long day... I exhaled while holding my QBZ-192 carbine tight.

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A/N: What do you think about the duel scene? The clear thing is, this is not the end of the story yet as this is a long war!