This heretic cannot be burned, he must be hung up and whipped!

"Christ appeared in my dream! Ground crew! Load up the ammunition! Add fuel!"

He yelled and got out of bed. The other pilots also heard Jesus' dream, but instead of questioning him, they all got dressed. Everyone who had heard Christ's dream started to move, and the quick backup pilot had already sounded the alarm.

In April 1916, he joined the air force contingent sent by the Holy Roman Empire to the Russian Empire. Last year, he was promoted to captain and started flying the C-16 fighter jet developed by Russia.

"What happened?!"

asked a chaplain as soldiers patrolling outside the base heard the sirens.

"Christ appeared in my dream! We must go and save the saints!"

Several pilots had already entered the cockpit, and the ground crew was making final preparations. After Captain Heinrich preheated the engine and the oil temperature came up, he began taxiing.

The plane's speed increased, and once it reached takeoff speed, he pulled up the joystick. All around him was pitch black. Captain Heinrich and his wingman formed a formation and, following the radio instructions, headed towards the target's direction.

The Russian Black Sea Fleet patrolling the sea also began searching. Several large seaplanes took off from the cruiser's catapults. The aircraft were equipped with search radars and were conducting a targeted search for the heretic interceptors.

The directional radar of this seaplane can search for aircraft about ten kilometers ahead with relatively high accuracy.

The radar operator was extremely nervous. He started to warm up the radar during takeoff. Now, the radar has reached normal working condition. As the last switch was turned on, high-frequency electromagnetic waves radiated from the eight antennae in front of the nose, filling the airspace in front.

"Ground radar tells us that we are twenty kilometers away from the interceptor group and we are about to make contact," said Captain Heinrich.

If you want to intercept at night, you must rely on radar. Ground radar provides general direction guidance, and airborne radar provides precise guidance.

After saying that, he pushed the accelerator to the slow position, and the engine noise immediately became quieter.

Now they are flying head-on, and our speed has been reduced, which can create a larger window for interception.

Soon, the aircraft slowed down to 200 kilometers per hour. For such a biplane, although the speed was very low, it still flew smoothly, which was something that the heretical night fighter could not do.

The night sky was still dark, and the radar operator in the seaplane was still staring at the small cathode ray tube in front of him. Finally, four flickering bright spots appeared on it.

"Target spotted, straight ahead, ten kilometers!"

Ten kilometers is a distance that can be reached in an instant for two planes flying towards each other. Captain Heinrich opened the weapon safety and switched the weapons to the two 20mm machine guns under the belly of the plane, and let himself greet the enemy with a fierce rain of bullets!

Since the heretic fighters could not defeat the Crusaders' pigeon interceptors, they tried their best to enhance the survivability of bombers and other large aircraft. Hell's idea was to at least make them drop bombs over the Crusaders' heads before they crashed.

This forced other human fighter jets to strengthen their combat firepower. The original two 7.62mm machine guns of the C-16 fighter were replaced with two 20mm cannons.

The C-16 modification comes at a price. A larger caliber would inevitably result in a lower rate of fire and a smaller ammunition load. The C-16 is small, and after replacing it with a cannon, it can only carry less than 200 rounds of ammunition.

He had to use it sparingly and must not press the shooting button all the way down, otherwise he would be out of ammunition in one encounter!

PS: I don’t know if planes from World War I had a firing button.

The radar operator of the seaplane kept reporting the distance to his own fleet.

"Five kilometers."

"Three kilometers."

"One kilometer."

At this moment, Captain Heinrich saw the plane opposite! The plane hidden in the darkness finally revealed its outline. Without any time to think, Captain Heinrich slightly moved the joystick and pressed the button.

"Boom, boom, boom, boom!"

At this moment, the entire fleet opened fire, and dense artillery shells were fired at the opposite side!

Captain Heinrich held down the firing button until a short burst of fire was completed, then pulled the joystick and steered the fighter plane down sharply to the side.

The leading heretic fighter plane obviously did not expect to be hit head-on with such a swift force. Its huge fuselage shook awkwardly in the air, a ball of sparks burst out from the right engine part, and then it suddenly broke away from the formation to the side, trailing a trail of black smoke.

"Hit! Right engine!" Heinrich's wingman pilot shouted excitedly on the radio.

However, before they could celebrate, the remaining Hounds of Hell had already reacted. These bulky twin-engine fighters began to gain altitude, their four 20mm cannons roaring from their bellies. Suddenly, dozens of volleys of fire poured down on Heinrich's squadron from all directions, transforming the airspace around them into a deadly zone of explosions and shrapnel.

"Avoid! Scatter!" The left wing of a wingman plane was directly hit by several shells. The canvas covering was torn in an instant, and several wooden wing spars were broken. The plane spun and fell downwards. The pilot parachuted to escape at the last moment.

"Double-engined, with powerful firepower on both the belly and the back..." Heinrich glanced at the silhouette of the "Cerberus Hound" that was strafing crazily above him, and intelligence about this heretical night fighter flashed through his mind.

"It's the 'Hounds of Hell'! Their main firepower is above and below the central axis! Everyone, increase your altitude immediately! Follow me! Stay on the same level as them!"

Both sides began to adjust their formations, and then rushed towards each other again at an astonishing speed! This time, both sides were at roughly the same altitude, and each could clearly see the flashing instrument panel lights in the other's cockpit.

There were no unnecessary commands, no hesitation, just like cowboys drawing their guns and facing off in the western wilderness. At the moment they crossed each other's paths, both sides pressed the shooting button at the same time!

“Thump, thump, thump—!”

“Boom boom boom boom—!”

The roar of machine guns and cannons intertwined and echoed in the night sky, and tracer bullets shuttled between the two fleets like a deadly meteor shower. This was a pure contest of courage and reaction speed. Whoever retreated first, whoever made the first mistake, would become the fireball that exploded in the night sky.

In just a few seconds, the two fleets passed each other.

"Pull up! Bite their tails! The IH160's maneuverability is terrible!" Heinrich yanked the joystick, and the C-16 fighter climbed at an angle of attack of nearly 60 degrees, almost breaking its wings. He stared intently at a "Cerberus Hound" that had just passed below him, trying to occupy an attack position behind it.

A chaotic aerial dogfight ensued. Orange-red fireballs occasionally exploded in the night sky. Both sides suffered losses, with pilots pulling the ejection handle at the last moment, leaving their fate to the cold parachutes and the pitch-black ocean.

Just as Captain Heinrich led his C-16 fighter squadron in a desperate battle with these "Hounds of Hades" in the lower airspace and held them down, thousands of meters above their heads, a huge heavy transport plane with an astonishing wingspan was steadily towing a number of gliders and flying calmly over the chaotic battlefield.

Inside the transport plane's cabin, Neos peered out the window, looking down at the air battle below, flickering like will-o'-the-wisp fire. His face was expressionless, he simply watched silently.

It's just another debt to be paid.

...

"Command! Command! The target is passing over our heads! We are entangled! Requesting instructions!" A heretic squadron leader roared at the top of his lungs on the radio, his voice full of unwillingness and rage.

However, the only responses he got from the radio were the desperate screams of his wingman after he was hit, and the rhythmic "boom boom" sound of the C-16 fighter's 20mm cannon, like the drumbeat of death.

They could only watch the dazzling light on the radar screen moving farther and farther away from them, flying unwaveringly towards Constantinople.

PS: 260 votes, next update 4.5k...

Red Tide: 1921: Chapter 96: Open the Door! The Emperor Sends Warmth!

The glider formation that Neos was in began to land, and in order to attract firepower, a naval battle broke out in the waters north of Constantinople.

Dozens of warships of the Russian Empire's Black Sea Fleet, both large and small, appeared under the cover of darkness off the coast north of Constantinople. Following closely behind, Crusader bombers and attack aircraft, launched from various forward airfields in Ukraine, swept across the sea in a black mass, dropping bombs on the heretical fortifications and fleet strongholds along the coastline.

“BOOM—BOOM—!”

For a moment, the sea area north of Constantinople was engulfed in flames and explosions continued one after another.

The Black Sea Fleet's 356mm main guns roared, and the heavy shells, accompanied by the anger of the machine spirit, tore through the night sky, accurately hitting the heretics' coastal defense batteries and assembly points, setting off huge columns of smoke and fireballs.

This feint instantly captured the attention of all heretics in Constantinople. The wailing of alarms, the roar of artillery fire, and the panicked roars of heretic commanders on the comms echoed throughout the city.

Over the rugged mountains southwest of Constantinople, the heavy transport plane Neos was on had successfully reached the glider escape zone previously marked by Bjorn-Eric's team.

"Prepare to disengage! All units check their equipment!" The transport plane pilot's voice came through the internal communication.

Inside the glider cabin, the atmosphere was solemn. Dominica and several scouts from the Alba Regiment were silently making final preparations for battle.

There were no extra words, only the slight "click" of metal equipment colliding, and the friction sounds of adjusting belts and checking ammunition.

Some soldiers were carefully wiping their assault rifles with oilcloths, some were checking whether the daggers tied to their legs were secure, and others were debugging telegraph machines to ensure they could maintain communication in the ensuing chaos.

Neos watched them silently. The brave and pious souls of these crusaders were shining in the warp.

"Brothers in battle, we are about to embark on Hell's lair on earth. This journey will be a life-or-death struggle. But we shoulder the hopes of billions of humanity, the spark that dispels this endless darkness. Remember, you do not fight alone."

He paused, his eyes scanning each resolute face.

"Now, close your eyes and bow your heads."

The soldiers obeyed without hesitation. Silence fell inside the cabin, save for the gentle whistling of the air currents rubbing against the glider's body as it flew through the sky.

Neos walked up to each soldier and gently and solemnly kissed each of their foreheads, using this ritual to lock their souls next to his own warp essence.

"Good! Your souls are now with me. After you die in battle, your souls will be protected by me personally and become my legion in the warp, continuing to fight for the survival and glory of mankind!"

"Your Majesty, the soldiers have never been afraid. It is only that their bodies are destroyed by the weapons of heretics. Their faith is enough to allow them to ascend to heaven." Dominic said.

"Boom!"

The glider shook violently, successfully separating from the towing transport plane. Under the control of the experienced pilot, it glided silently towards the narrow open space hidden in the valley that the Alba Regiment scouts had pointed out via radio.

The wind was whistling in my ears and the earth was approaching rapidly.

"Bang—crack!"

With a violent jolt and a harsh friction sound, the heavy landing gear of the glider drew two deep grooves on the solid ground and finally stopped steadily.

A soldier suddenly opened the cabin door, and the cold mountain night breeze with the smell of soil and humus, mixed with the faint sound of artillery fire from Constantinople in the distance, instantly filled the entire cabin.

Neos was the first to stand up, his gray-black combat uniform swaying slightly in the night breeze. He walked to the open hatch and looked out at the strange land outside, illuminated by moonlight and full of dangers.

"I declare," he said in a decisive voice, "the action begins!"

--------

Neos sensed the location of the previously infiltrated troops through the faith of the cross and quickly joined Eric who was waiting at the designated rendezvous point.

There were no unnecessary pleasantries; all instructions had already been issued through the most concise briefing before the operation began. Led by Eric and his Alba scouts, the small commando unit, having reunited, immediately sped towards the Transfiguration Church at the foot of the mountain.

Next, it was time for the Alba Regiment to show Neos and Domitronica what real special infiltration operations were and why they were called "elite".

They attracted almost no attention from the heretics. Every soldier of the Alba Legion was like a ghost in the mountains and shadows.

Their footsteps were so light they wouldn't break a dead branch, their breathing so steady they wouldn't disturb a single fallen leaf. When they encountered the occasional heretic patrol, it was often the two scouts at the front who, with almost instinctive tacit understanding, would attack simultaneously from different angles.

An imperceptible cold light flashed in the moonlight, cutting the heretic soldier's neck.

Even the sound of bodies falling to the ground was minimized by their ingenious force-dissipating techniques. Those heretic sentinels hiding in the shadows met their silent demise in the darkness before they could even sound any alarm.

Dominica always walked in the center of the team, emitting a circle of psychic fluctuations from her body, cleverly neutralizing the overly pure and firm faith field of their team members, making them blurred in front of the heretics' detection spells that were extremely sensitive to souls and faith strength.

This kind of spell is exactly what these paladins rely on for survival when they carry out infiltration and destruction missions in various levels of hell all year round.

With the Alba Regiment's near-perfect tactical execution and Domini's psychic protection, Neos and his group were like entering an empty space and soon arrived at the gate of the Transfiguration Church.

At the door were two guards who had transformed into giant insects.

Neos didn't even signal before Eric, who was walking in the front, and another Alba soldier, rushed forward simultaneously, one on each side! The cold muzzles of their guns instantly pressed against the "heads" of the two half-human, half-insect guards. Before they could react, two muffled thuds, like heavy objects falling to the ground, were heard, suppressed to the extreme by the silencers. The guards collapsed limply to the ground.

Neos pushed open the door, and a stronger stench, a mixture of chemical agents and biological decay, hit him. He slipped in sideways, and the others followed. The last soldier quickly closed the heavy door again.

"Very good," Neos said, looking around at the strange scene inside the church, which looked like a giant insect nest, covered with mucus and egg sacs. The corners of his mouth curled up. "Now, the heretics are surrounded by us!"

The soldiers of the Alba Regiment immediately dispersed quietly, each occupying the key shooting points and cover positions leading deep into the hall.

Neos stood at the entrance of the hall. He extended his right hand, palm facing upward, and a dazzling white sphere of spiritual energy rapidly condensed and compressed in his palm.

"The Emperor is here to bring you warmth!!!"

The ball of light exploded, and an invisible energy ripple swept across the entire church hall! The believers and bishops of the Transfiguration Church, who were immersed in observing the "Doorway," studying forbidden knowledge, and praying to the indescribable being with insect-like buzzing sounds, whether they were acolytes or monks, all screamed shrilly under this sudden psychic impact.

Their compound eyes lost focus, their sensory organs were overstimulated and leaked lymph, and their entire nervous system fell into a temporary paralysis. They trembled, twitched, and fell to the ground, losing all resistance.

PS: Insects don't have blood, right? Bei Zhai remembers it was lymph?

Neos wasted no time. His psychic energy swept over each fallen target, quickly confirming they hadn't been set up by Hell's higher-ups with malicious tricks like "mutual destruction" or "soul sacrifice." After confirming they were safe, he clenched his fists and uttered a few syllables.

Psychic chains instantly emerged from the void, wrapping around the bishops and senior monks who were not in human form at all, and completely controlling them - these monsters could definitely help him decipher the code, but they couldn't be allowed to die!

"Dominican, Alba soldiers! Target confirmed, start cleanup!" Neos ordered.

The Paladins and Alba soldiers immediately emerged from behind their cover. Some of them quickly used special alloy shackles and the shroud blessed by Jesus himself to further restrain the important targets who had been knocked unconscious, while others began to quickly place explosives on the various load-bearing structures and key nodes of the church.

Neos knew he was racing against time. The heretic's reactionary forces in Constantinople could arrive at any moment, and they had no time to waste.

From sneaking silently into the church gate, to shocking the entire audience with a psychic flash, to accurately capturing the target and placing explosives... He glanced at his watch.

The entire assault team's actions were as smooth and efficient as flowing water, and it took less than ten minutes!

“Special forces are so useful!”

PS: 260 votes, next update 4.5k...