Tyranny of Steel

Berengar and Dharya quickly regrouped on the beachhead, where thousands of German marines and hundreds of armored vehicles had landed without opposition. Opposed landings were always a rare phenomenon in history, as it was difficult to ascertain where and when the enemy would land. 

The Second World War of Berengar's past life was a notable exception to this norm. As there were plenty of famous battles where the allied forces had to land against a heavily fortified region. Such as D-Day and Okinawa. 

The Marines were a bit surprised to see the Kaiser already on the shores, as well as the young Indian man by his side. However, Dharya was dressed in a german uniform, and thus they could immediately recognize him as friendly. 

Berengar met with the colonel of the Marine Combat Brigade, who was in charge of the march towards the city of Anangpur. 

"Colonel, I hope you don't mind if we ride along in the back of one of your IFVs. I assure you, I will leave command of this operation up to you. We are only here to witness the carnage."

The Colonel immediately saluted the Kaiser and responded in the affirmative. 

"It would be my honor, Sir!"

The title "your majesty" was forgone during military operations, as Berengar was both the Kaiser and the Reichsmarschall. He preferred his soldiers treat him as another member of the military, and thus they referred to him with the same honorific as any other superior officer.  Berengar smiled and nodded his head before pointing at the media, who were filming the landing. 

"Make sure they get a good shot of the combat. I want our everyone back home to know the glory of the Reich!"

The Colonel nodded his head before responding in the affirmative.

"Yes, Sir!"

After giving these orders, Berengar waved towards the Cameras which were focused on him, as the reporter who was equipped with a bullet-proof vest, and a Stahlhelm reported the news.

"As you can see, we have just landed on the shores of the Anangpur Empire. Thousands of men and hundreds of armored vehicle are preparing for the journey north. We are just waiting on the logistical support trucks, which are on their way now that the beach is secure.

If you look over there, you can see that Kaiser Berengar von Kufstein has personally taken part in the invasion of the Anangpur Empire, whether we will get to see him lead his forces into battle from the front lines like the days of old has yet to be seen.

However, judging by the fact that the exiled emperor Dharya Tomara is by his side, I suspect that he will simply be taking an observational role in this conflict. Ultimately, we will have to wait to find out!"

In the next moment, a fiery explosion took place in the distance. However, the cause of it was unseen. In truth, the darkness had hidden the dive bombers, and the planes were simply unobservable at this distance.

The Stukas that were sent on this mission were painted black, and were lacking the infamous sirens that they were known for during Berengar's past life, allowing them to stealthily conduct air raids on the Anangpur strongholds. 

The bombs that were used were filled with napalm, and cooked the enemy alive within their stone fortifications. Blood-curdling screams filled the air as the enemy soldiers burned to death before the main German army could arrive to engage in armed combat.  The reporter quickly voiced what he believed to be the cause of the attack.

"It would appear that our nation's Jagdkommandos have already deployed deep behind enemy lines, and have begun to annihilate the enemy with their flammenwerfers. Since that is the case, I suspect we will see little conflict on our path to the Empire's capital. For Kaiser and Fatherland!"

After saying this, the reporter was forced into a nearby five ton truck, where they filmed the ongoing conflict from the rear of the armored column. As for Berengar and Dharya, they had long since taken a back seat in one of the many Marder IFVs, where they waited in silence for the conflict to begin.

Berengar pulled out a cigarette and lit it before taking a long drag from it. After doing so, he breathed out a large plume of smoke, while considering his options. After several moments, he unslung the rifle he had confiscated from Dharya and handed it back to the young man. There was a stern look in his eyes as he gave a strict order to the boy.

"You're going to need this. I swear to god if you shoot one of my men by mistake I will have you castrated. Do you understand me, boy?"

Dharya gazed at Berengar in disbelief as his hands trembled while gripping the pistol grip, and hand guard of the automatic rifle. He looked at the man in confusion before asking the question on his mind.

"If you're so concerned about such a scenario, why are you giving it back to me?"

In response to this, Berengar took another drag of his cigarette before responding. 

"Because you're going to need it. You've got to look good for the Cameras, boy. That means doing your part in this war. Even if it just means firing randomly towards your uncle's troops."

In the next moment, the chug of the 20mm machine gun that was the IFV's primary weapon could be heard within the passenger area. Along with the detonation of artillery shells fired by the Hummels. A wicked grin appeared on Berengar's face as the hatch opened up from behind. 

"Looks like the enemy has decided to meet us in the field. Come on boy, it's time to get your hands dirty!"

After saying this, Berengar grabbed Dharya by the back of the neck and forced him out of the rear of the IFV, along with the eight other soldiers. The men took positions behind any cover they could find, while Berengar and Dharya stood on both ends of the IFV's rear. 

A series of flares had been launched by the German troops, which illuminated the night sky, and allowed the soldiers to acquire their targets. A couple hundred meters out was an army of some three thousand men.

They were clearly a medieval force who had gathered to stop the steel behemoths that were advancing through their lands. Among the piles of dead bodies that were obliterated by artillery and the main guns onboard the IFVs was a man who was dressed in elaborate armor, most likely a local Lord. 

The enemy forces had already begun to break ranks and flee when the Marines deployed from the back of their armored vehicles. As for Berengar, he was filled with adrenaline. This was the first time in a long time that he could fire an automatic weapon on the battlefield. Thus, he took aim with his zfg 42 optic, and fired a burst of rounds downrange and into the backs of the fleeing enemy. 

Blood splattered from the torso of the heavily armored soldier as his body fell to the ground, lifeless. Berengar was not the only soldier who had gunned down the fleeing soldiers. Every marine was spraying lead down range along with the hundreds of IFVs within the Brigade Combat Team, and the Hummel self propelled artillery. 

The Media personnel who were in the rear of the armored column captured the combat footage on their camcorders with great excitement on their faces. This was the first recorded instance of battle that was available to the German public, and it was exciting to watch.

They could already imagine broadcasting it across the many cinemas that had been constructed in the past few months under the headline "News of the World: Today"

The lead reporter was quick to comment on the footage.

"As you can see, this brigade of German Marines has encountered a large force of enemy soldiers. However, despite the size of their army, they are but lambs to the slaughter. The overwhelming firepower in the hands of German troops, as well as the armored vehicles, ensures absolute victory on behalf of the Reich with minimal casualties.

If you look closely, you can see the Kaiser, and exiled Anangpur Emperor, fighting side by side against the Usurper's forces. Though the enemy may be retreating, German doctrine says to continue firing until they are out of range. To allow the enemy to flee is to allow them to regroup for another attack, and it is better to eliminate the threat at the first given opportunity. 

When compared to Germany's last armed conflict against the Papacy, you can clearly see that the nature of warfare has changed. Soldiers no longer have to march for miles on end to the battlefield, and instead can ride into it within the safety of armored vehicles while knowing that they are secure from any weapons the enemy may present."

Shortly after the reporter concluded their statement, the battle was over, and what few forces the Anangpur Empire could gather were thoroughly massacred by the advanced German Marines. As for Berengar, he and Dharya would re-enter their IFV and continue the long march to the enemy capital.