Chapter 155: Destroying the Ninth Division Headquarters!

"Commander, the artillery battalion is ready and can open fire at any time!" An officer ran up and reported to Chen Qing.

"Good! In that case, aim at the Japanese bastards' headquarters, fire all guns, and blow it to smithereens!" A smile appeared on Chen Qingzhi's face as he gave the order.

Hearing this, the battalion commander grew somewhat excited, rubbing his hands together eagerly before turning to shout out orders to the soldiers behind him.

If this operation succeeded, he would be the one who personally wiped out a Japanese division commander! Just the thought of it made his blood rush and his excitement uncontrollable!

Very quickly, the soldiers of the artillery battalion completed their preparations. The battalion commander raised his hand and shouted at the top of his lungs, "Ready!"

All the combatants quickly grabbed shells, placing them at the mouths of the artillery barrels while awaiting the command!

"Fire!"

At the command, the soldiers simultaneously released their grip. The shells immediately slid down into the barrels, and then...

"Thud, thud, thud..."

A series of dull, heavy explosions echoed through the air as dozens of shells, trailing fiery tails, streaked across the dark sky, piercing the clouds and hurtling directly toward the Japanese headquarters.

Inside the headquarters, several brigade commanders were chatting casually when they suddenly heard a piercing, shrieking sound descending from above. Subconsciously, they looked up, and the sight that met their eyes sent their souls fleeing in sheer terror.

"It's artillery shells! It's the Chinese army's artillery!"

"Baka! It's a Chinese bombardment!"

"Protect the Divisional Commander, hurry!"

Several officers screamed at the top of their lungs while diving into the headquarters in a desperate attempt to shield Divisional Commander Yoshio Kigoshi, but it was already too late!

"Boom, boom, boom..."

The shells slammed down all around the headquarters. Dozens of explosive rounds detonated simultaneously in the vicinity, completely engulfing the command post.

The entire headquarters was blown into collapse in a single instant, while the surrounding Japanese soldiers were caught completely off guard and swallowed entirely by the barrage. They let out piercing screams that were abruptly cut short, sounding like old ducks with their necks wrung.

Inside the headquarters, Yoshio Kigoshi had been studying a map when he suddenly heard a roar, followed by a violent, earth-shattering explosion. Before he could react, he felt a figure hurl itself at him, tackling him hard to the ground.

As he hit the ground, his head seemed to strike something hard. Yoshio Kigoshi felt a sharp pain shoot through his skull, followed by total darkness as he lost consciousness completely.

...

"Lord Divisional Commander! Lord Divisional Commander! Hurry, dig Lord Divisional Commander out!" A group of frantic Japanese soldiers shouted in sheer panic.

After the explosions subsided, most of the surrounding Japanese soldiers had already been blown to pieces. However, troops from nearby positions rushed over at the sight, and under the officers' direction, they desperately began digging to unearth the senior officers buried beneath the collapsed headquarters.

The group of soldiers dug frantically, and before long, they managed to unearth Yoshio Kigoshi and the others.

Before the bombardment, most of the senior leadership of the 9th Division had been inside the headquarters. After a devastating round of shelling by the Chinese forces, except for Inusho Senshi, who had been out inspecting troop positions, all the others had been buried underneath the rubble.

Yoshio Kigoshi had been shielded by Akiyama Yoshiyuki when the headquarters collapsed, sparing him from being torn apart by shrapnel. However, Akiyama Yoshiyuki, who had protected him, was riddled with metal fragments, and a large iron shard had pierced directly through his skull—he was dead beyond any doubt.

Nakagawa Hiroshi had been blown to smithereens, leaving no possibility of rescue whatsoever.

As for Hino Hidezo, even his body was nowhere to be found; only his command saber, snapped in half by the blast, lay abandoned on the ground.

As for Yoshio Kigoshi, although he suffered no fatal trauma, he had struck a large rock with his head when falling, resulting in a severe, bleeding gash that left him unconscious.

The Japanese soldiers had no time for grief as they hurriedly bandaged Yoshio Kigoshi and tried to revive him.

"Lord Divisional Commander! Lord Divisional Commander, please wake up!" Inusho Senshi shook Yoshio Kigoshi's body, crying out with a note of desperation in his voice.

Because he had been out directing the troops, he had stepped outside immediately after finishing his discussion with Yoshio Kigoshi. Barely moments after he left, he saw the entire area surrounding the headquarters engulfed by Chinese artillery fire, terrifying him out of his wits.

He had rushed back immediately to gather soldiers for rescue.

If the Divisional Commander, Yoshio Kigoshi, had been blown to death, the 9th Division would be completely finished!

Fortunately, although Chief of Staff Nakagawa Hiroshi and 6th Brigade Commander Akiyama Yoshiyuki were dead, Yoshio Kigoshi was largely unharmed.

Soon enough, Yoshio Kigoshi slowly regained consciousness.

Upon waking, Yoshio Kigoshi cast a glance around him and couldn't help but gasp sharply—not because the headquarters was destroyed, but because his head ached intensely.

"Lord Divisional Commander, how are you feeling?" Inusho Senshi asked with deep concern.

Yoshio Kigoshi was still dizzy. Hearing this, he asked instinctively, "What happened? What on earth is going on here?"

"Lord Divisional Commander, our headquarters was bombed by the Chinese army! It turns out that when the Chinese army advanced three kilometers earlier, their real intention was to shell our command post! Lord Chief of Staff and Akiyama Yoshiyuki have both given their lives for the country!" Inusho Senshi reported with a mournful expression.

"Nani?" Upon hearing this, Yoshio Kigoshi's pupils constricted violently. He shuddered as clarity instantly returned to his mind, and he cried out in shock, "What did you say?"

"Lord Nakagawa Hiroshi and Lord Akiyama Yoshiyuki are both dead, and Hino Hidezo is dead as well!"

"Help me up! Quick, help me up!" Hearing this, Yoshio Kigoshi grew frantic. He struggled to his feet, looking from side to side, only to find a pile of corpses laid out on the ground. At the forefront was none other than Akiyama Yoshiyuki, who had shielded him, alongside Nakagawa Hiroshi, who had been blasted into a heap of mangled flesh.

Yoshio Kigoshi stared at the scene in sheer disbelief, his eyes filled with absolute shock.

Just moments ago, they had been laughing and talking cheerfully, yet upon waking, both of them had died in such a manner!

Find out what happens next by reading the complete work.