Modern Weapons – Volume 3 Chapter 6

Chronon: I know I know. It’s unfair to promise something and not deliver and I do it ALOT. In this case, I got that apprenticeship, but I’m also working part time at another job. I essentially work 14 hours straight on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday (8:00-22:00), getting up at 6am to drive for an hour to work, and I still make peanuts. So I can only translate Sat, Sun, Mon and Tues. Even then, I usually have stuff to do.

It’s worth noting that Modern wep chapters are very long and take a lot of time, it makes it difficult to find motivation to translate after you’ve been working for 9 hours, but I do try as hard as I can. I may start releasing in parts like I did this one, this may mean I can publish more often, instead of waiting ages to publish the whole thing. The main reason this one took so long was because I wasn’t gonna publish it until I’d finished. There is not much left, so I’ll finish the remaining bit either tonight or tomorrow.

Small chapters like I bought a girl will be done in full as per usual as they don’t take that long to do.

Again, I’m sorry it takes so long, but work is exhausting and I rarely have spare time. Any spare time I have is used for sleeping.

______

At the same time as the one-sided defeat of the Imperial army at Olga town by the hands of Parabellum. 30 kilometres away from the town, a single M1A2 Abrams was driving along the highway.

「Joseph!! Can’t you speed up more!? At this rate, we’ll miss the battle!!」

Sergeant Ernst Barkmann of the 1st armored division was earnestly appealing to the steer hand Joseph. Due to engine trouble, he had missed the start of the battle and was desperately trying to catch up.

「Sergeant….I already said it was impossible a while ago. Don’t be unreasonable….」

「Muu……they’ve probably already finished fighting by now」

Sergeant Barkmann looked around restlessly after replying to Joseph. He was fidgeting whilst staring in the direction of Olga town.

The goddess of war smiled on Sergeant Barkmann that day as some good news finally came in.

『Hammerhead 2-5 this is HQ. Sergeant Barkmann, please respond』

「HQ this is Sergeant Barkmann. Go ahead」

『There have been confirmed sightings of at least 15 magic weapons and a large number of infantry, 7 kilometres west of you position. It is assumed they were given an order to hit Olga from behind』

「Roger that!! Moving to combat now!!」

Without waiting for the command from HQ to end, Sergeant Barkmann ordered the driver to head towards the enemy unit, whilst showing an excited expression.

「What did that say sergeant? The radio seems to have cut out」

「What do you mean what? The wireless receiver must be broken」

「「「……」」」

The surrounding soldiers fell silent at the Sergeant’s words.

「Isn’t this bad?…..」

「I don’t know….」

Not wanting to disobey an order from the Sergeant, all they could do was watch anxiously.

After arriving at the crossroads where the magic weapons were supposed to be, the M1A2 parked itself under a large tree. Waiting for an ambush.

「……it’s come! The enemy!」

As soon as the 15 magic weapons and 200 infantrymen appeared, Sergeant Barkmann raised his fist in triumph. Just like a child who had received the toy they wanted, he gave orders to his subordinates with an excited look.

「Fernando! Load the armour piercing bullets and aim at the enemy!」

「「Understood」」

In contrast to the excited look of the Sergeant, Fernando responded calmly.

「Steady, steady……….FIRE!!」

「Launch!!」

When battle preparations were complete and the distance to the enemy approached about 2 kilometres, Sergeant Barkmann gave an order, and Fernando pulled the trigger causing armour piercing projectiles to shoot out of the main battery.

The protective cylinder separates from the main bullet due to wind pressure during flight and the projectile, made of a tungsten based alloy, is shot towards the magic weapons.

Surprisingly, the bullet hit dead centre of the magic weapon, piercing all the way through and hitting the fuselage of another magic weapon behind it.

「Hurry! Load the next bullet!」

「Bullet loaded!」

「Fire!!」

Sergeant Barkmann who had destroyed 2 magic weapons with one shot, was extremely pleased. He ordered the next shot to be loaded and fired immediately, taking down a third magic weapon.

Not expecting an enemy at such a place, the Imperial army just watched as 3 of their magic weapons were destroyed.

The remaining 12 magic weapons grouped together to lay down covering fire, as the infantry moved behind them.

「Oh? Are they enclosing their group, just to get beaten up? Joseph, charge forward」

Just as they were about to charge into the infantry men, whilst ignoring the magic bullets being shot at them. A problem occurred.

「Roger that!…..dangerous….」

「What is it Joseph? Quickly move!」

The sergeant tried to hurry Joseph who wouldn’t move the M1A2, however Joseph replied.

「Sergeant….」

「What is it!?」

「The engine…..I think it broke down again…..」

「What!? Are you joking!!」

The words that came from Joseph made the Sergeant depressed.

「Can’t we do something?」

「I’m doing it now!!」

Joseph returned an answer in a flustered voice to the Sergeant. However, whilst they were talking, the engine sound slowly got fainter until it completely shut off. Noticing this, the Sergeant asked Joseph with a completely blue face.

「So, so! How come the main battery can still move?」

「Since we still have power from the auxiliary supply unit!!」

「Great!! Use that!!」

「Understood!! Move you piece of junk!!」

Joseph hit the controls bashi bashi~  but the Sergeant just ignored it and resumed the battle.

Remaining 12 magic weapons…….We’re currently bathed in magic bullet fire from such a short distance. If we fire now, would be be able to crush 8 of them? When I think about it, it’s really become interesting!!

After thinking for a while, the Sergeant issued orders to Fernando.

「Load up the high explosive projectiles and fire!!」

「Roger that!!」

Fernando was completing his work like a robot, loading the HE projectiles into the main battery.

The shells fired from the main battery were hitting the magic weapons one after another. The first targeted magic weapon had it’s leg blown off by the first shot, as it fell on it’s back the second shot landed dead in the cockpit, blowing up the pilot. After that, a 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th weapon fell to the tank.

The magic weapons were desperately firing at the tank, however it lacked the penetrating power to get through the rolled steel plates, so only scorch marks remained.

「Sergeant!! The infantry is moving!! Distance 300 metres!!」

It was when 5 magic weapons had been destroyed. Fernando noticed that some of the infantrymen assigned to the other magic weapons, began leaving them and charging.

「Well, unlucky for them!! Load up the canister charge and fire it at the approaching infantry!!」

「Understood!!……loading complete!!」

「Fire!!」

The effect of the canister on the infantry was outstanding.

The infantrymen who were ahead of the muzzle of the 120mm smooth bore gun had crowded around each other. As the canister landed, a significant number of infantrymen were immediately killed.

——————> End of part 1

「こいつもくれてやるよ！！くそ野郎共！！」

死屍累々となった歩兵達に追い撃ちをかけるように主砲と同軸に据え付けられているM240機関銃がタタタタッという軽快なリズムで弾をばらまき更に砲塔上の銃架に備え付けてある車長用のM2重機関銃、装填手用のM240機関銃をバルクマン軍曹やゴルズが飛んでくる魔力弾に臆した様子もなく砲塔から身を乗り出して使い歩兵達を悉く撃ち殺ろすとすぐさま砲塔内に戻り魔導兵器に対して攻撃を再開した。

「さて、突撃してきた魔導兵器７体と援護していた２体、それと歩兵は殺ったが……残りの魔導兵器３体はどうするかな」

歩兵を殲滅した後、生き残っていた魔導兵器も大多数は撃ち取ったがその代償として砲弾をほとんど使い果たしてしまったバルクマン軍曹はこれからどう動こうか悩んでいた。

「９時、１２時、３時方向に各一体ずつ。で残弾は安定翼付徹甲弾が２発、多目的対戦車榴弾が２発。後機関銃の弾が少々……う〜む。エンジンが動けばなぁ……。ヨセフ、どうだ動きそうか？」

「まだっ、しばらくっ、かかりそうっ、ですっ、軍曹っ。……えぇいクソ！！いい加減動けこの野郎！！」

相変わらず機器をバシバシと殴りつけるヨセフを見てバルクマン軍曹はため息をつき天を仰いだ。

「はぁー。この状態でやるしかないか……。(走り回りながらも戦ってみたかったなぁ……)敵さんも引くに引けない状況だから、そろそろ仕掛けて来るだろうしな」

バルクマン軍曹が覚悟を決めその瞬間を待っているとその瞬間はすぐに訪れた。

辺りを支配していたつかの間の静寂を切り裂いて１２時方向の物影に潜んでいる隊長機から魔力弾が空高く撃ち上げられるとそれを合図に魔導兵器３体が同時に姿を現しバルクマン軍曹達の乗るM1A2エイブラムスを仕留めるために一か八かの賭けに出て一気に距離を詰め始めた。

「来たぞ！！最初は正面の隊長機からだ！！撃て！！」

撃ち出された安定翼付徹甲弾は吸い込まれるように隊長機に飛んでいき命中、着弾した際の衝撃で隊長機は５メートル程後ろに吹き飛んで爆発した。

「まず１体！！」

隊長機を撃破するとバルクマン軍曹は砲塔を右に９０度、旋回させ３時方向から接近していた魔導兵器を攻撃させた。１発目の砲弾は魔導兵器を外れ地面を抉るだけに終わったが、２発目は見事に魔導兵器の胴体部分を捉え撃破。

「２体目！！」

そしてバルクマン軍曹は砲塔を左に１８０度、旋回させ距離にして４０メートルの地点にまで接近していた魔導兵器を最後の１発で撃ち取った。

「これでぇえ！！ラストッ！！」

そんな掛け声と同時に帝国軍の最後の生き残りを始末し戦いに勝利したバルクマン軍曹だったが、勝利の余韻に浸っていることは出来なかった。

なぜなら最後まで生き残っていた魔導兵器が撃破される寸前に放った魔力弾でM1A2エイブラムスの履帯を破壊していたからだった。

「……こりゃあ、大目玉だな」

エンジンは破壊されたのではなく故障だが、左の履帯は完全に破壊され装甲も傷だらけ、またいくつかのシステムにも異常が発生しているM1A2エイブラムスの惨状を外から眺めていたバルクマン軍曹が声を漏らした。

「始末書程度で済めばいいですけど……」

「独断専行で勝手に敵を叩きに行って最終的には相討ちみたいな結末ですからねぇ……」

「軍曹……。司令部にM88戦車回収車の要請、終わりました」

バルクマン軍曹のやってしまったといわんばかりの言葉にゴルズとフェルナンドが合いの手を入れていると司令部に連絡を取っていたヨセフが肩を落として車内から顔を出した。

「……司令部はなんか言ってたか？」

「覚悟しろと……」

「「「はぁ……」」」

戦いには勝利したもののバルクマン軍曹達の背中は煤けていた。