Tyranny of Steel

In the midst of a midsummer night, dozens of landing craft waded through the waters off the shores of Borneo. Tens of thousands of soldiers and hundreds of armored vehicles lie in wait for their boats to hit the shore. The moment they did so, an invasion would begin. 

Empress Itami Riyo had given no notice to the lands which were on her newest list to conquer. While these soldiers prepared for a war against the Royal Majapahit Army, another invasion force was heading towards the northern Isles of the Philippines.

It was bad luck that these soldiers were sent towards the heavily fortified and well-guarded region of Borneo. Unlike the Philippines, the Royal Majapahit Army was well armed and trained by their German Allies.

A Japanese Lieutenant by the name of Ide Katsumitsu clutched the hilt of his sword with both hands, fearing the possibility of an opposed landing. Only the darkness of the night concealed their presence from the Majapahit defenders who had entrenched their coastline with steel reinforced concrete bunkers, heavy machine guns, and coastal artillery. 

In the next moment, a loud crackle filled the air as flares were launched high into the sky, revealing the Japanese landing craft to the enemy defenders. A language which Lieutenant Ide did not understand could be overheard shouting from the bunkers as the Majapahit defenders loaded their guns in preparation for an invasion that had completely caught them off guard. 

Thunder echoed in the air as 10cm field guns lined up their shots and opened fired on the landing craft, which slowly made their way to the shore. The water of the ocean splashed onto Lieutenant Ide's face as a shell narrowly missed his boat, and instead exploded in the water beside it. Causing the man to feel an intense tingle down his spine, as if the angel of death was watching him closely, waiting for the precise moment to claim his life. 

Other landing craft were not so lucky, as artillery shells struck their sides, forcing the men and armored vehicles to bail out before they were ready. Screams filled the air as machine guns echoed in the distance, their bullets shooting into the water, where the Japanese infantry now tried their best to swim to the shore. 

While Lieutenant Ide was throwing up from his own anxiety, the door to his landing craft opened, as the ship hit the shore. The moment it did so, the heavy machine guns began to rain fired into the landing craft. 

Bullets pierced through the torsos and limbs of the Japanese soldiers who were unfortunate enough not to be sheltered by the armored vehicles, while others bounced off the Type 4 Chi-To Tanks and their accompanying armored personnel carriers. 

With the landing craft open, and the armored vehicles roaring to life, Lieutenant Ide gave the order to advance while unsheathing his blade and restoring his warrior spirit.

"Tennoheika banzai!"

The bugel resounded in the air, and the charge began as multiple landing craft hit the shores, allowing the Japanese Invasion force to charge forward and into the machine gun fire as if their lives depended on it. 

Lieutenant Ide took the lead with sword in hand as he scaled across the beaches, where barbed wire lied in place, to hold off the advance of the infantry. Unfortunately, the Majapahit Empire had not expected the introduction of Japanese Armored vehicles, and thus these meagre defenses were quickly steamrolled by the large tanks which aimed their 75mm guns down onto the bunkers and fired their shells without relent.

The explosions rocked the bunkers, clearing out machine-gun nests, and artillery pieces alike. All the while, the armored vehicles provided protection for the Japanese troops from the enemy defenders. Ide stacked up behind a tank, along with several men of his unit.

In one hand, he carried a pistol, while in the other, he carried his sword. He randomly fired his shots towards the heavily defended bunkers, while the riflemen and machine gunners of his unit did the same. 

However, the Majapahit artillery fire was still a threat, and in retaliation of the tank's bombardment of their positions. The Majapahit soldiers quickly adjusted the aim of their field guns to target the tanks, and fired at the massive war machines.

The 100mm high explosive shells of these artillery pieces were more than enough to severely damage the tanks at close range, let alone the armored personnel carriers. However, so too were the Type 4 Chi-To's main guns, capable of eliminating the entrenched artillery pieces, and unfortunately, the Japanese had more tanks than the Majapahit had artillery. 

Very soon, the Imperial Japanese Army, where men like Lieutenant Ide, entered the trenches with bayonet and swords in hand overran the first line of bunkers and trenches, all while screaming their battle cry. 

"Tennoheika Banzai!" 

With this shout, Ide slashed down at a majapahit defender's chest with his Katana, splitting open the man's unarmored torso, and ending his life on the spot. He then aimed his pistol towards an oncoming attacker and fired his shot straight into the man's heart. 

The Majapahit defenders did not give up so easily, and shifted the aim of their semiautomatic rifles towards the Japanese invaders, gunning down hundreds of men in a matter of seconds. While the Majapahit did not expect the Japanese to be armed with tanks and Armored Personnel Carriers, so too were the Japanese unaware of the capable small arms which the Majapahit defenders wielded into battle. 

Despite this fact, the Japanese fought their way into the bunker system, and though thousands of their men fell by the wayside, they continued to advance forward with absolute ferocity. After all, the cultists of the War Goddess wielded submachine guns and ruthlessly gunned down those among their ranks who dared to take one step back. 

The sight of which spread fear among the Majapahit troops as they retreated from the first line of bunkers, and back inward towards the second line of defense. All the while, the Japanese Army fired upon them from behind.

Once the retreating men had cleared the trench line, the second row of defenders returned fire into the Japanese ranks. Men were cut down left and right as they tried to navigate through the barbed wire labyrinth. That is until the Type 4 Chi-To's caught up to their advance, and plowed through the wire barricades as if they posed not even the slightest of challenges. 

Once beyond the first line of defense, Ide waited to charge forward, until he could hide safely behind the protection of a tank. The armored vehicles of the Imperial Japanese Army had become the spearhead of this invasion, allowing the Japanese soldiers to escape from the wrath of machine gun fire until they were close enough to take the trenches and bunkers. 

However, as Ide jumped into the second trench, he was immediately shot in the gut by an 8mm projectile. He struggled to remain standing, as defied his death, and charged towards the man who shot him. With a sword in one hand, he decapitated his opponent before turning around to find another soldier's bayonet lodged into his waist. 

A cry of pain erupted from the Japanese officer's lips as he pointed his pistol towards the man who had stabbed him and fired through shots into the enemy's chest. Soon after his own troops entered the trench to protect him, however the fighting was fierce, and as Lieutenant Ide was struggling to reload his sidearm, a Majapahit Machine gunner, armed with a Mg-27(t) sprayed a burst of lead into his chest, claiming the officer's life. 

Lieutenant Ide Katsumitsu fell back into the muddy trench and gazed up towards the sun, which rose in the east. Dreaming of his homeland and wondering why they were fighting such a pointless war while he drew his last breath. As for his unit, they continued to advance without regard to their superior's demise. 

By the time the dawn had risen on this day, the Imperial Japanese Army secured the first section of Borneo's beach, all while another invasion was taking place in the Northern Philippines. Despite the initial victory for the Japanese, the price they had paid was steep. Over three thousand of their soldiers had died, and several armored vehicles were no longer operable. Thus, setting the stage for a long and brutal war. 

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