38 - End of the emperor

Merlin ran along the streets of the capital, seemingly in a panic, though it was hard to tell since he was just one of many people that were fleeing the west gate, soon the group of people ran into a roadblock where a group of guards stood and forcefully stopped them and ensured that they were safe, the group calmed down which made Merlin secretly click his tongue before he sent out a metal message

"Satan group, turn up the heat, begin purge phase, Deathfridge group, Shitbarn group, report"

"Satan group, turning up the heat, moving in groups of 2, the forges are burning, moving to the residential area, starting purge"

"Deathfridge group here, flies have arrived, combat effectiveness reduced, ⅓ of ammunition expended!"

"Shitbarn group here, flies everywhere, combat effectiveness reduced, one until heavily damaged, ½ of ammunition expended Enemy ground units closing from west gate"

"Roger, Flieswatters begin operation, Sturmgeschütz group, beging shelling"

"Wirbelwind #1, Swating flies!"

"Wirbelwind #2, Swating flies!"

"Wirbelwind #3, on standby with Sturmgeschütz, no enemis sighted!"

"Wirbelwind #4, on standby with Sturmgeschütz, no enemis sighted!"

"Sturmgeschütz group leader here, Stug III Ausf. G #1, being shelling!"

"Stug III Ausf. G #2, being shelling!"

"Stug III Ausf. G #3, being shelling!"

"Stug III Ausf. G #4, being shelling!"

"Stug III Ausf. G #5, being shelling!"

"Stug III Ausf. G #6, being shelling!"

"Stug III Ausf. G #7, being shelling!"

Distant thunder sounded out again as shells from the German Stug III assault guns began impacting around the capital, they were firing with maximum dispersion and were targeting tall structures first to create the maximum amount of chaos around the capital, even though there only was 7 of these assault guns they worked as Merlin had intended them as the people began fleeing further towards the center of the city, including the group Merlin was in as he ran in seemingly panic he was calm, as a hunter closing in on his prey he glanced up, the center of the capital was coming within view, the palace

"Shitbarn group, move to stage 2! Deathfridge group begin bombardment"

While the KV-2 that now were covered by the Self-propelled-Anti-aircraft or SPAA named Wirbelwind the wyvern riders had long since been wiped out, as such the FV4005's that still could move began rolling towards the destroyed west gate and into the city, they had a very special job ahead of them and were crucial to Merlin's plan going forwards…

"We can not allow the capital to be trampled upon! We must deploy the wanderers! Please give the go-ahead your majesty!"

"If we show our hand too soon we give the enemy the upper hand! Please consider all that we have done to keep the wanderers a secret your majesty!"

The emperor was not a tall, majestic, and awe-inspiring person, he was merely 14 years old that was drunk on his newfound pleasure in tormenting the opposite sex, he had been spoiled since he was little by his late father the pervious emperor that passed away last winter, the last emperor's name was Julius and he was the mastermind behind the space-time focus that was built under the capital which ensured that all new wanderers this side of the continent would appear in the capital of Helga from where they would be swiftly captured and enslaved with mind-controlling collars, from there they were swiftly used a cannon fodder on the battlefield to expand the borders of Helga if there was one regret that Julius had then it was the fact that his genius daughter Helena could not inherit the throne if he knew his incompetent son would send her to a far off academy to study he would surely roll in his grave

"I have considered your suggestions… Let's use the wanderers!"

"OOOHHH!!!"

The vassals cheered his decision, he was the emperor, after all, he turned to one of his vassals, a mage from the harmony faction, and spoke

"Go and prepare them now! I will address the citizens!"

"Your majesty, please stay inside the palace!"

"Silence! I will show that I am a brave emperor that will not bow down to metal beasts!"

"Your majesty is wise!"

Merlin arrived in front of the palace, he looked upon the splendid palace for a bit before he shook his head and joined the crowd in pleading the palace guard to let them in for safety, after a few minutes one of the guards arrived and spoke loudly

"His majesty will personally address your concerns!"

The crowd of people quieted down, Merlin included that had an excited expression on his face for a whole other reason than the other people present, soon people began pointing to the balcony where a fat teen in opulent clothes stepped out and stood in front of a magic device that carried his voice over the entire city

"Citizens! My beloved citizens! We face a crisis now that we must overcome---"

Merlin showed a cold smile as he looked up at the emperor and muttered

"Shitbarn group, range?"

"4590 meters! Ranged in, loaded, ready to fire!"

"2nd shot delay by 1 second, Fire when ready!"

Merlin showed a cold smile as he looked up at the emperor and reached up to cover his own ears, then distant thunder sounded out as the 73-kilogram High-Explosive-Squash-Head left the barrel of the first FV4005 and traveled a little over 3 seconds before it punched the emperor directly in the chest and blew him back into the room beyond the balcony before it exploded, though only when it hit a wall was there resistance enough to set the fuze, and such did the 16th emperor meet his end, panic spread among the people before the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th shell impacted the balcony, completely annihilating the important vassals as well

'With this, the Helga empire is doomed… Heh…'

Merlin showed a cold smile as he kicked off the ground and jumped over the gate and landed inside the wall, the guards were all in a panic or on the ground cowering in fear so nobody stopped him as he dashed into the palace, the few that were unlucky and stood in his way got their throats slashed with the bayonet as Merlin passed them, the tank commanders jacket turned Merlin into a cold shadow reaper that delivered death to all he passed, as he entered the palace he didn't move up, instead, he circled around on the ground floor, moving swiftly as a bolt of cold lightning until he found a mage whom he grabbed and pressed the bayonet up against their throat and asked while oozing coldness

"Where's the stairs down!?"

The mage froze before he subconsciously looked towards a wall further ahead, Merlin showed a smile as he kicked off the ground and ran in that direction, the bayonet left a long cut on the mage's throat before he noticed what was happening he was choking on his own blood, Merlin soon found the stairs down, when he stepped foot at the bottom of the stairs was a hallway lined with prison cells… And a mage from the harmony faction that turned around and yelled at him

"Who are you! What are you doing down here!?"

Merlin kicked off the ground instantly, there were about 15 meters separating them, this distance Merlin could cover in about 2.7 seconds, though the mage was clearly experienced in combat and within a second he had formed not a flight spell but a low-grade wind spell that created a sudden wind pressure in front of him blowing himself backward while slowing down Merlin as he quickly attempted to from another spell, through he wasn't the only one with an ace up his sleeve as 3 rapid gunshots sounded out, one slug hit the old mage in the leg while another stuck his chest and the final one sent a certain pink mist spraying out the back of the mages skull before he fell to the ground, he was dead, a slug had landed right under his right eye and shattered his cheekbone sending splitters flying into his skull, though Merlin took no chances as he kept up his speed and rolled once he neared the corpse and stabbed the bayonet into his chest piercing the old mage's heart before he twisted the bayonet once and pulled it out again, then he sighed and was about to move again when he heard a voice calling out to him

"Merlin..?"

Merlin looked to his side and saw a cell that contained a person he seemed to have met before, after a bit he recognized her, it was Rose, the wyvern rider he had sent with his message, Merlin showed a smile and waved at her and just as he was about to continue on his way Rose rushed up to the iron bars and yelled

"Wait! I can help you take down the Helga!"

Merlin showed a smile and spoke with a calm tone

"I've already taken it down, the emperor is dead"

Rose laughed and spoke confidently

"As if that would take down the Theoretical empire of Helga! You're naive Merlin"