Vasili, the Righteous Army, and the 32nd Airborne Battalion descended into Hanseong. Flames from the remnants of Yamato’s garrison flickered with embers and the night was lit by an orange glow.

“The Zhar-ptitsa must have probably finished neutralizing their defenses. The army is going to roll down into the city soon,” Colonel Nikolai commented as he glanced at the burning city.

“That’s right, we should split and focus on our objectives. The Yamato soldiers stationed in our target garrison are now probably alerted. They’ll scramble out soon and we want your forces to stop them at all costs. Take that road, it will lead you to the garrison.” Vasili said.

“Fine, good luck, I’ll see you all on the other side,” Colonel Nikolai offered a fist bump to which Vasili returned. He then took off with his battalion in tow.

Watching as their figures disappeared from the distance, Vasili faced Eun-Ae and spoke. “Okay, we are now heading to the royal palace. We are expecting fifty to seventy enemy combatants, let’s move.”

Eun-Ae and the rest of the Righteous Army acknowledged the order and followed the special forces traversing the streets.

They looked warily side to side, checking houses for the possibility of being ambushed. There were only scared civilians peeking through the windows but that’s it, there were no enemy soldiers suddenly opening the windows and opening fire at them.

The palace was only five minutes walk from where they split up with the Airborne Battalion. Seconds after, gunshots echoed across the city, turning the tensed Chosonese to instinctively glance at it.

It is coming from where the Airborne Battalion went minutes ago. Hence, it can be inferred that they have made contact with the Yamato troops and started shooting at one another.

“I can see it, the Royal Palace!” Eun-Ae announced in a low tone, pointing at a palace located just one hundred meters away.

The Ruthenian Special Forces and the Righteous Army gradually decreased their speed so as to not make unwanted noise that would alert the Yamatos in the Royal Palace. Of course, they were already alerted since the initial attack of the Zhar-Pitsa. But they still have the element of surprise as they believe that an air attack was just a prelude to an invasion.

The Ruthenian Forces are still fifty-five kilometers away from Hanseong, they knew it would take them time to arrive in the city as more preparations have to be made like the logistical lines, the armored vehicles, tanks, and the troops themselves.

This means, the Yamatos still have time to escape or retreat. However, their nature of valuing their morals and dignity prevents them from doing so as they believe retreating is the most shameful for a soldier to do.

Arriving at the palace’s main gate, Vasili signaled his men and the Righteous army to follow him. They hugged the wall as they crept towards the doors. Once he got there, Vasili leaned and took a peek and saw two Yamato troops arguing about something.He couldn’t make out what they were saying as they were speaking their native language. But from the voice alone, he can tell that they are desperate and scared shitless of the trepidation of Ruthenia’s invasion forces.

Minutes later, they finished bickering at one another and one of them started heading toward their location. Vasili immediately leaned back and made a shushing gesture to the men near him. His order was transmitted with a pat on the shoulder along with a shushing gesture.

The enemy footsteps got closer and closer and Vasili slowly reached for his tactical knife strapped on his left thigh under his armor.

He waited till the enemy soldier was close enough for him to reach.

In a blink of an eye, Vasili grabbed the soldier by the collar and pressed his right forearm onto his mouth as he pushed him to the wall and started stabbing him in the neck repeatedly. His flesh squelches and blood gushes out of the wound.

After stabbing him six times, Vasili released him and let him fall to the ground lifelessly. Vasili shook off his knife, causing the blood on the blade of his knife to splatter on the ground.

He turned around to face them after doing and saw some of them staring at him shocked.

“Look, we will force our way in,” Vasili said, looking at Eun-Ae. “You and your men are going to secure the perimeter of the palace and eliminate enemy soldiers on the palace grounds. My men and I are going to enter the palace and find your king. Don’t worry, we already memorized the schematics of the interior of the palace. We know where to find him.”

The number of men Eun-Ae brought with her is sixty, it was enough to force them to retake the royal palace and save their king.

“I understand, good luck,” Eun-Ae replied, and signaled her men to get ready.

With a nod, Vasili turned back and peered again. This time, he raised his FAL and aimed at the man’s head.

“I have a bead on him, once I pull the trigger, we enter.”

“Got it, boss!”

“Anytime now.”

Breathing deeply, Vasili steadied the rifle’s sights and drew back the trigger. A bullet flew forward and pierced the man’s temple and he fell to the ground.

The gunshot rang loudly and the men inside the royal palace heard it.

“Move now!” Vasili commanded and the Special Forces and the Righteous Army descended into the palace’s grounds. The first responders exited the palace’s main entrance with their bolt-action rifles trained at them.

The Chosonese saw it and they pulled the trigger of their Mosin Nagant just before the Yamato could react.They spread around the palaces, encircling them and exterminating Yamatos in their sight. Meanwhile, the Special Forces entered the Royal Palace while observing muzzle discipline. They walked as a unit, watching from every plank and covering their blind spot. Such a movement made them remember their practice while they were in the academy.

They opened the sliding doors to find any civilians inside and they found none. At the end of the hallway, there are two diverging paths. One goes to the west side of the palace, the other goes to the east side of the palace.

“Let’s split up into five,” Vasili said as he pointed at the men he’d like to take with him, “the rest take the east side—”

A bullet whoosh, grazing the wooden walls and sending splinters flying into their eyes. Vasili reflexively took a step backward and shouted. “Enemy contact at the west corridor! Shoot that son of a bitch!”

One of his men complied with his orders and pulled the trigger of his FN Fal.

*Brrrrrrttttt—

He fired several shots and all of them struck the wall the Yamato was using for cover. However, all of his bullets pierced right through the thin layer of wood and hit the enemy soldier.

The body thudded heavily to the floor and blood began pooling underneath it.

Another ten enemy soldiers appeared from the west and east corridor and the Ruthenian Special Forces mowed them easily.

“Is anyone hit?”

“I’m good, boss!”

“Me too!”

“Looks like everyone is good.”

“Keep your eyes peeled, we don’t know how many of them are left.”

Vasili and his men heard gunshots outside the Royal Palace, the gunfight is still ensuing huh?

“Let’s move,”

The Ruthenian Special Forces moved towards the assumed location of the king while shooting down Yamato soldiers on the way with great accuracy and skills.

Five minutes later, almost every enemy soldier in the Royal Palace must have been exterminated.

Vasili arrived at the room and there he saw a grump-looking old man sitting on his haunches on a chair that doesn’t look regal and befitting for a ruler.

“Who are you?” The king asked in Chosonese.

Vasili raised a finger, telling him to wait as he pulled out his pocketbook. Inside the pocketbook are basic Chosonese phrases and how they are pronounced.

“We are Ruthenian Special Forces, we are here to rescue you,” Vasili said perfectly.