Chapter 4: Operation Thunder Run

That night, the cold air couldn't mask the even deeper darkness shrouding the borders of the New Gelmist Federation. On the holographic display in the command center, a cold blue light reflected the same unease in Amano Hiragi's eyes. He stood tall in the middle of the room, his gaze fixed on the feed sent by his high-tech reconnaissance drones. Touya stood by his side, his face tense. Kikuchi-sensei and Vionna, who were not permitted to leave due to the grave emergency, stood slightly behind them, their breaths held.

"Visual data incoming," an assistant's voice stated flatly, yet laced with an undeniable tremor.

The holographic screen flickered, displaying images from high altitude. Vague shapes began to appear in the darkness revealed by the drone's infrared sensors. A line of rusted barbed wire, interspersed with gloomy watchtowers, stood out like hellish thorns amidst a barren land.

Then, the image zoomed in.

A vision of hell unfolded before their eyes. Hundreds, perhaps thousands of creatures from various races—humans, elves, beastkin, even demons with broken horns or torn wings—were packed together in squalid, crumbling barracks. They were all emaciated, bones protruding under pale skin, their eyes hollow and vacant, devoid of any spark of hope or joy that should have been in children's eyes. Their clothes were mere ragged, dirty, and tattered rags. In one corner, newly dug mounds of earth were visible, too many to be just "mounds." They were mass graves. From the drone feed, faint moans carried on the cold wind, mingling with a rancid, putrid smell that seemed to creep from the screen.

A deadly silence fell over the command center. Only the faint hum of the drones and machines could be heard. The sound from the drone feed was almost nonexistent, as if the place was too dead to make a sound, yet its horror screamed.

Then, the scene shifted to a long line. Prisoners, including many emaciated children, trudged listlessly under the watchful eyes of heavily armed guards. Their bodies trembled from weakness and starvation. When their turn came, guards, both human and beastkin, with cruel sneers on their faces, toyed with them like animals. They threw handfuls of disgusting gruel onto the dirty ground, laughing at the prisoners who had to crawl and scramble, jostling each other just for crumbs. Some guards deliberately hung bread just out of reach of the prisoners, relishing the sight of skinny, desperate hands trying to grasp it.

Seeing the scene, Amano's jaw tightened. A muscle in his temple twitched subtly. His eyes, usually calm and analytical, now held a cold, deadly, almost inhuman glint of fire. He didn't shout, didn't pound the table. He just stood, rigid and terrifying.

"Goddess Helena called me 'magic-less trash'," Amano's voice was very low, almost a whisper, but his words broke the silence with the force of a hammer blow. "You call me 'devil'. But this... this is the true devil. Power and dominion without a heart. They call me 'monster' because I built a civilization, but they themselves built this hell."

He closed his eyes for a moment, a faint memory of his world's dark history flashing through his mind. No more genocide. Never again.

"Gulmist," Amano continued, his voice now flat again, yet every word carried an intimidating weight. "They have chosen the path of destruction."

Touya and Kikuchi-sensei could only remain silent. Horror pierced their bones, but it also ignited a burning rage. They saw Amano not just as a leader, but as an inevitable instrument of justice. They didn't need to say anything. Their hearts fully agreed, fully supported every one of Amano's decisions.

Vionna, who had been frozen in silence until now, felt true fear. She witnessed the unimaginable horror of the concentration camp, seeing children of her own race and other races treated like that. Then she saw Amano's reaction—a rage so controlled yet deadly. She realized how rotten her father's kingdom and Gulmist were, and the terrible consequences they would face. In her heart, she admitted that this operation, however brutal, was an absolute necessity. She felt a wave of deep disgust and regret.

At the same time, the barbaric and famously strong Gulmist forces, supported by giant land Behemoths that shook the ground with every step, and mighty great Dragons roaring menacingly in the sky, had chosen a route through the neighboring country of Costra. The King of Costra, hearing of Gulmist's reputation, was terrified, allowing the barbarian forces to pass through his territory without resistance. They set up their headquarters behind one of the steep mountains, thinking they were unseen and safe.

However, Amano was one step ahead. Thanks to intelligence reports from Federation Elf scouts who had infiltrated silently, Amano knew the exact location of their headquarters. The Elves, with eyes as sharp as an eagle's and unparalleled tracking abilities, had provided precise geographical coordinates of every Gulmist unit and hidden facility in the mountain.

In the command center, Amano took a small, disc-shaped device from his pocket. With a swift motion, he threw it onto the center of the holographic screen. The device flickered, emitting a strong signal that instantly connected with the B-52 already in the air.

Hours before the full-scale assault, the Gulmist forces launched a preliminary attack during the night, attempting to infiltrate the Federation's borders. They believed they would exploit the darkness and thought Amano's forces were unprepared. Silhouettes of Gulmist troops moved silently, approaching the dark Federation border walls. They were confident they would easily break through.

Suddenly, a whistling sound filled the air. Flares shot into the night sky, turning the darkness into blinding daylight in an instant. Thousands of Gulmist soldiers were exposed, their eyes squinting from the light.

Before they could react, the deafening roar of chainsaws erupted from behind the Federation's walls.

"DAKKA-DAKKA-DAKKA-DAKKA!"

From behind seemingly plain gaps in the walls, a barrage of MG42 fire, the deadliest weapon in history, spewed bullets at an incredible rate. The muzzle flashes illuminated the night, dancing lethally. The brave front lines of the Gulmist forces instantly turned into minced meat within seconds. Blood sprayed, bodies fell shapeless. Total panic ensued. They couldn't see where the fire was coming from, only heard the approaching sound of death. This wasn't a battle; it was a massacre.

"Launch Operation Thunder Run," Amano commanded, his voice now crystal clear and filled with absolute determination. "First targets: their air and ground formations. Clear the skies, destroy the ground. And send a message to the entire continent."

In the distance, the mighty Dragons flying above the Gulmist battle lines, thinking they were invincible, suddenly faced the deafening roar of engines. Apache helicopters, with 40mm cannons mounted on their noses, spewed a barrage of explosive rounds. The bullets struck the Dragons' thick scales, tearing them apart as if they were paper. Red flashes and small explosions erupted on their bodies, sending the legendary creatures spiraling uncontrollably through the air, falling with terrifying screams, their bodies mangled and destroyed. They were a threat in the old world, but before Amano's technology, they were merely practice targets.

On the ground, the earth-shaking giant Behemoths, attempting to breach the Federation's defenses, faced an equally deadly threat. From afar, a line of large military trucks, BM-21s, designed by Amano, opened their covers. Then, with a deafening roar, dozens of rockets launched simultaneously into the sky, leaving trails of fire and smoke.

"THAT SOUND!" screamed a terrified Gulmist commander, knowing such a sound could spell doom if the giant rockets hit his forces. But he never imagined that terrifying sound would hit them.

The rockets struck the Behemoths repeatedly, creating a series of devastating explosions. Flesh and bone flew everywhere. The massive, invincible bodies of the Behemoths turned into mounds of shattered skeletons and torn flesh in a matter of seconds. A foul stench and thick smoke billowed into the air. The Gulmist forces who witnessed this, their morale completely shattered. They fled in terror, abandoning their weapons.

"Alright," Amano whispered, his eyes returning to the holographic screen. "Now for the biggest one."

All eyes in command turned. Above the mountain where the Gulmist headquarters was located, a black dot appeared on the horizon. Slowly, yet inevitably, the shape grew larger. A B-52 bomber, a metal giant from another era, flew steadily at an unimaginable altitude for this world, locked onto the coordinates sent by Amano.

There was no warning. No approaching roar. Only the silent arrival of death.

Then, directly above the Gulmist mountain headquarters, a series of small black dots fell from the B-52's belly. They descended at terrifying speed, growing larger and faster.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

A tremendous explosion, a succession of deafening blasts that shook the ground in Costra violently. Smoke billowed into the sky, towering high, and then... the mountain was gone. Completely vanished. Replaced by a giant, smoking crater, a gaping hole in the landscape where the mountain and the Gulmist forces' headquarters once stood. Destructive power beyond rational comprehension.

However, the battle was not entirely over. In desperation, a final wave of additional Behemoths arrived, threatening to break through the Federation's advancing front lines. Their roars echoed, threatening to smash through the formation.

"Damn it, Captain! There are so many of them! What should we do?!" yelled a Federation soldier, his voice trembling between fear and determination.

The Captain on the front line, a thick-furred beastkin with sharp eyes, gripped his modern rifle tightly. "Keep fighting for our homeland! We will prove our sacrifice to Lord Hiragi Amano!"

The Behemoths were only a few steps away. The Federation soldiers tightened their grip on their weapons, ready to face death, but unwilling to surrender. They resigned themselves, but with their heads held high.

Just as the Behemoths were about to charge, a distinctive low rumble began to be heard in the sky. Louder, closer. Three black shadows swept overhead.

"BRRRRRRT!"

The iconic roar of the 30mm GAU-8 Avenger cannon erupted in the air from all three aircraft simultaneously, like a giant saw tearing through the sky. A hail of armor-piercing rounds unleashed destruction. The giant Behemoths were shredded, their armor annihilated, and their massive bodies crumpled like ragdolls hit by a giant sledgehammer.

"Good Hit, Good Hit, Good Effect On Target, Thunder 01!" the first pilot's voice reported. "Thunder 02, target destroyed!" replied the second pilot. "Thunder 03, enemy Behemoths eliminated!" added the third.

Below, the Federation soldiers cheered wildly, waving at the aircraft now circling for their next pass. The power of the New Gelmist Federation was now undeniable.

The news spread like wildfire. Not only in Costra, but all kingdoms on the continent were shocked and terrified to their very bones. Information about "a mountain that vanished" in the blink of an eye, about Dragons and Behemoths being torn to pieces by unknown weapons, about the MG42 harvesting lives in a terrifying way, and the destruction by the A-10 Warthogs, spread like an epidemic. The message was crystal clear: The New Gelmist Federation was not just strong; they possessed an unprecedented destructive power. They were not to be trifled with if attacked first. This was an absolute declaration, a cold and deadly threat.

In the Gulmist capital, Alta, panic and chaos were inevitable. Their defenses were easily destroyed, and their king, arrogant and cruel, could do nothing. Amano's invasion was not a battle for territory, but a purge. Alta was devastated; monumental buildings were reduced to smoking ruins, screams of despair filled the air, and shadows of destruction covered every corner of the shattered city.

It didn't take long. The fat, cowardly King of Gulmist was found hiding under a table in his palace basement. He was dragged out by Federation troops, his face deathly pale, his body trembling with fear.

He was brought to Alta's main square, where thousands of his emaciated and suffering people had gathered, surrounded by heavily armed Federation soldiers. Amano walked forward, his presence radiating a cold aura of authority.

"You," Amano began, his voice low and emotionless, "have built a hell in this land. You have toyed with the lives of your own people, sacrificed innocent children of all races for your rotten power."

The King of Gulmist's face turned ashen. He tried to beg, crawling on the ground. "Forgive me! I... I didn't know! I was only following orders!"

Amano raised a hand. A modern automatic pistol appeared in his grasp, its metal glinting in the light. He showed no anger, only an inevitable justice.

"This isn't about orders," Amano said, his voice as cold as ice. "This is about choices. And you chose to be a devil."

BANG!

A single gunshot broke the silence. The King of Gulmist's head snapped back, and his body slumped, lifeless.

The people of Gulmist, who had suffered for so long under that tyrannical leadership, fell silent for a moment. Then, it broke! Not cries of sorrow, but deafening cheers, cries of relief, and tears of joy. Thousands cheered, jumped, some even knelt in gratitude, looking at Amano as if seeing a savior. Their suffering had ended.

News of the brutal concentration camps and Gulmist's swift destruction spread throughout the world. This was not only a blow to Gulmist but a great shame for the Felda Kingdom that supported it. The entire world now knew who the Felda Kingdom truly was.

The rage of the neighboring kingdoms and Felda's vassals exploded. How could they ally with a kingdom that allowed and perhaps even funded such genocidal atrocities? The alliance Felda had built for so long collapsed in an instant, shattered by the horrific truth.

Vionna was in deep shock witnessing all of this. More than just reports, she saw with her own eyes how Amano's power decimated a nation in a matter of hours. Battles that usually took months, even years, were finished in a single day. It was exactly as she had predicted. Tears streamed down her face, tears of horror mixed with recognition of the truth in Amano's words.

Trembling, Vionna faced Amano. "L-Lord Amano... I beg you... don't attack my country... don't destroy Felda like this."

Amano turned, his gaze as cold as ice. "Anyone involved in these crimes will be judged, Vionna. Felda's involvement is already very clear."

Kikuchi-sensei, seeing the tension between them, stepped forward. He knew Amano would not waver, but there was a way to achieve the goal without total destruction. "Lord Amano, I have an idea. This might resolve the Felda issue without a full invasion."

Amano looked at him. "Speak."

"A warning. One they will never forget," Kikuchi-sensei said with a thin smile.

The next day, in the Felda Kingdom, still largely unaware of the full scale of destruction that had befallen Gulmist, tension hung in the air. Suddenly, a strange roaring sound ripped through the sky. Just a single dot, then it rapidly grew larger. An F-18 jet, a sophisticated fighter aircraft of the New Gelmist Federation, flew at deadly speed towards the heart of Felda's capital.

In the city center, on the rooftop of a tall building directly overlooking the palace and parliament building, two figures moved in the shadows. They were Amano's elite forces: an Elf with extraordinary composure and eyes as sharp as a hunter, and a nimble Cat-Person with superior senses.

The Elf raised a sophisticated electronic device. His eyes focused on an AN/PEQ-1, a laser designator emitting an invisible red dot. He locked onto the target: the top of Felda's parliament building, a symbolic point of their power. A smart bomb was released from the F-18. It descended with perfect precision. (As was later learned, the building had been mysteriously evacuated hours before the attack, whether due to a premonition or leaked intelligence, so there were no casualties.)

The King of Felda, who was in his palace, felt a strange tremor. He ran to the window, his eyes wide with shock and fear as he saw the rapidly growing black dot in the sky, heading towards the parliament building.

BOOM!

A massive explosion shook the entire capital of Felda. Smoke and debris billowed high from the parliament building, whose roof was now largely completely destroyed, leaving a gaping hole. There were no casualties inside because the building had been mysteriously evacuated before the attack, but the impact was clear: a warning.

The King of Felda collapsed to the floor, his face pale, his body trembling uncontrollably. This was not conventional warfare. This was a demonstration of absolute power he had never witnessed. It was as if the Federation had declared war—but in reality, it had not. This was merely a cold and effective warning.

Moments later, an unbreakable encrypted communication appeared on his desk. The message was short but shook his world: Princess Vionna was alive and would return under the escort of the New Federation. Not only that, a diplomatic delegation led by Kikuchi would soon arrive to discuss terms.

The King of Felda, who had just witnessed the symbol of his power crumble before unimaginable force, could only surrender. He had no choice. The power he believed absolute proved fragile before the Federation. He would concede defeat, even turn against his old allies, and prepare to abdicate if that was what it took. The New Gelmist Federation had proven its might, and the king knew, resisting them was suicide.