As the war progressed, with the Japanese Navy routed across the sea, their army seemed unable to hold out much longer either.
Yet Harukichi Hyakutake was unwilling to give up just like that. Thus, he deployed the last "elites" in his hand—namely, the Japanese 2nd Division, also known as the Sendai Division!
They had taken part in the war across the entire Northeast, as well as the Chahar Operation and the Battle of Xuzhou following the Marco Polo Bridge Incident.
Upon learning through intelligence that Masao Maruyama would personally lead nearly twelve thousand men ashore to deliver supplies and mount a defense, Liu Ren's eyes lit up instantly. It was not fear, but the thrill of prey drawing near.
Yet as Masao Maruyama approached from the south of Guadalcanal, he had no idea whatsoever that Liu Ren, having long since laid out his hunting ground, was waiting for him.
Because planes flew overhead during the day, Maruyama's 2nd Division could only conduct a forced march at night.
Yet just as the soldiers advanced in hushed silence, brilliant light suddenly erupted ahead.
The moment countless flares illuminated the jungle, only a single thought flashed through Maruyama's mind: We're done for!
"Fire!"
A chilling bellow swept across the positions, and more than a hundred Gatling guns and Maxims roared to life in an instant.
As the trees they had looked to for cover were shredded in the blink of an eye, Japanese soldiers fell pathetically into pools of blood.
And that was far from over, for the screech of howitzers soon rang out.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Rolling relentlessly backward from the front of the positions, an overwhelming barrage of artillery fire set the entire forest ablaze.
Binoculars in hand, Liu Ren broke into a savage grin. "Retreating is death. What are you going to do now?"
Tossing a poisoned pill before the Japanese, Liu Ren quietly waited for them to make their choice.
A frontal assault meant death, but would they survive if they retreated? Obviously impossible!
Watching the roars and hail of bullets tearing all around, Masao Maruyama's mind went completely blank. He had no clue what to do, being a general who had transitioned from a bureaucratic clerical post! And most of the Japanese military's veterans had already been bled dry in the Far East!
Yet in the very next second, an adjutant lunged forward and shouted, "Division Commander, give the order! We can't keep going like this!"
Hearing his adjutant's words, Maruyama snapped out of it at once and yelled at the top of his lungs, "Advance in reverse! Advance in reverse!"
The moment Maruyama's words left his mouth, the Japanese soldiers scrambled over one another to flee.
Seeing nearly an entire regiment—three thousand men—left behind as a rearguard, Liu Ren bellowed, "Push forward! Push on them, all of you!"
Swarming out from their positions, soldiers hoisted bazookas onto their shoulders and blasted away into the distance.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Amid the rolling explosions, the entire southern forest descended into total chaos.
Ahead, the 2nd Division fled frantically; behind them, the special operations brigade gave relentless chase.
Blasting away with a submachine gun in his grip, Liu Ren couldn't help roaring, "Wipe them out! Kill them all!"
"Liu, it's too dangerous! You can't lead the charge!" Howard roared in frustration.
What kind of madness was this? Liu Ren, the commander, had actually charged right onto the front lines!
Yet just as Howard finished speaking, Liu Ren frowned. He seemed to have been hit.
Looking down and seeing blood seeping from near his shoulder blade, his eyes instantly flushed red. "Motherfucker!"
Clatter!
Flinging aside his submachine gun with a flick of his wrist, Liu Ren drew two axes and charged forward with a furious bellow.
When the Japanese soldiers trying to hold them off saw Liu Ren pouncing like a madman, their eyes went wide with terror.
Yet in the very next instant, Liu Ren brought down an axe, then spun around and swung at another man.
Watching the man wielding twin axes like a demon incarnate on the battlefield, Howard and Forrest were dumbfounded. Was this even World War II anymore? How had it turned into Mount & Blade!
Charging forward while wildly swinging the dual axes, Liu Ren snarled, "I am pissed off right now!"
Thinking how he had never once been injured back in New York, where power and danger reigned supreme, only to have some dwarf jump up and hit him in the knees here—how could Liu Ren not be furious?
Watching Liu Ren charge ahead, Howard and Forrest hurriedly raised their submachine guns to provide covering fire.
"Damn it, how did the colonel end up at the very front? Catch up to him, quick!"
Seeing Liu Ren leading the charge, the soldiers behind were stunned. If anything happened to him, hell would truly break loose.
For once Liu Ren was no longer around to keep them in check, the world's "true joy" would be unleashed.
Fleeing for his life from the slaughterhouse behind him, Masao Maruyama was consumed by regret.
Yet before he could figure out where things had gone wrong, the 1st Marine Division, long lying in ambush, struck from the flank.
Seeing countless American soldiers firing submachine guns in relentless sweeps, the 2nd Division was trapped in an impossible dilemma in an instant.
They had no way of knowing whether there were more ambushes lying ahead.
Yet turning around to fight back was out of the question; the combat brigade was pursuing them like rabid dogs, and the three-thousand-man rearguard regiment was already falling apart under the artillery barrage and metal storm.
Under the night sky, gunfire echoed throughout the entire southern forest.
Surrounded and slaughtered by the Americans, Masao Maruyama fell to his knees, howling in despair, "His Majesty the Emperor..."
"Huh? Where the hell did I end up?"
Looking around blankly, Liu Ren walked out of the jungle. Behind him followed the blood-drenched brothers Howard and Forrest, along with over five hundred elite soldiers.
Seeing Masao Maruyama kneeling not far away, weeping and begging for forgiveness, Liu Ren froze on the spot.
And when Maruyama caught sight of Liu Ren, his mind went completely blank as well.
Rat-a-tat-tat, rat-a-tat-tat!
Quickly raising his submachine gun to spray bullets, Liu Ren didn't hesitate for a second. This was a battlefield: hesitation was defeat, and delay meant being buried deep in the dirt!
Neither side had many troops present, though Maruyama clearly held the numerical advantage.
Aside from having more men, however, their weapons and equipment were vastly inferior to those of Liu Ren's guard battalion.
Advancing toward Masao Maruyama through the hail of gunfire, Liu Ren showed not the slightest fear of death in his eyes—only the manic drive to bring glory to his ancestors!
"Kill him! Kill him! Kill him!"
At the thought that Masao Maruyama was commander of the Japanese 2nd Division, holding the rank of lieutenant general, blood vessels burst across Liu Ren's yellow-brown eyes.
"Baka, what is this guy doing?"
Seeing Liu Ren closing in on him while completely disregarding the surrounding fire, Maruyama stared in stunned terror.
Did Liu Ren care? Not in the least. His mind was entirely consumed by the hunger for Maruyama's head!
"Give me your head! Hurry, give me your damn head!"
Howling excitedly at Maruyama, Liu Ren threw down his submachine gun as he charged and pulled out the blood-drenched Morality.
Staring in shock, Maruyama shrieked in horror, "Baka! You damned Shina—"
Before Maruyama could finish, Liu Ren was already upon him, raising the axe and chopping down viciously.
Crack!
Bone fractured with a sharp crunch. Maruyama felt as though he had gone airborne, feeling rather like Louis XVI—completely losing his head.
Splatter!
Blood gushed like a spring, showering across Liu Ren's cheeks.
Gazing savagely at the scene, Liu Ren excitedly picked up the head and burst into a grating, maniacal laugh.
Staring ahead in shock, Howard and Forrest widened their eyes. "My God, what kind of monster did Gatsby pick as a boss?! Did he sell his soul to Satan?"
Thinking of Liu Ren's deranged actions just now, both Howard and Forrest fell silent.
Twirling his axe, Liu Ren split open the skull of another Japanese soldier, his face dripping with disgust. "You're not worth a damn thing!"
Chapter 63