The Federation's Executioner

The Electromagnetic Cannon Operators who survived on the truck fired their Electromagnetic Rifles, using the wreckage of the truck for cover. However, as soon as they showed their heads, they were all killed one by one by Rick Kidd, a sniper from Augustus's squad, using a Boatswain Sniper Rifle. This forced the remaining individuals to only dare to raise their Electromagnetic Rifles above their heads with both hands and fire wildly without a target.

Soon, with a deafening roar and a sharp sonic boom, the truck in front of Augustus was hit by Ward's rocket, its fuel tank immediately ignited, and a raging fire engulfed the truck.

Several people, ignited by the flames, jumped, screamed, and wailed, some standing and some lying still. Then, their bodies melted like candles.

At this time, the townspeople of Rune Town, armed with various weapons, also stood hundreds of yards away and fired at Augustus. Others, armed only with axes, power claws, and other weapons, attempted to close the distance with the Marines.

Augustus and his men turned their muzzles back to the townspeople who had begun to charge. It was then that he noticed that hidden in their hands were weapons far more dangerous than gunpowder shotguns and pickaxes – bundles of Electromagnetic Grenades strapped to their waists. These Electromagnetic Grenades likely came from the Kel-Morian military factory established locally.

These people were clearly being commanded as they charged, with significant spacing between them. However, there should not have been any Kel-Morian regular soldiers among them, as they had previously demonstrated a distinct lack of electromagnetic weapons capable of penetrating Power Armor.

The Marines' heavy machine guns began to roar, their continuous streams of fire like the lanterns of a grim reaper on patrol.

Just a few hundred yards away from Augustus, a barrage of steel nails kicked up a mist of blood in the crowd. The foremost individuals were torn apart by steel nails accelerated to supersonic speeds by electromagnetic coils, their bodies reduced to shredded meat within seconds. The torn limbs and flesh were flung high into the air and then rained down like a punctured balloon.

Those standing behind were like scarecrows swept down by a strong wind, like rag dolls pinned to the ground by steel nails.

Including the town representative who had stepped forward earlier, more than half of the two hundred-plus people standing directly opposite Augustus fell before he emptied all the steel nails in his magazine.

Augustus watched as people were cut in half by steel nails. The power of a single steel nail was enough to penetrate four or five people in a straight line, embedding itself in the last person and propelling them more than ten meters away.

Since there was no chance of survival for ordinary people once hit in the torso or head by a steel nail, and only a few managed to cry out in pain during the process, the battlefield was filled only with the sounds of machine guns and electromagnetic guns firing and the thunderous roars of rocket launchers.

As Augustus completed his first round of firing and reloaded his magazine, less than ten seconds passed from the opening of fire to the end of the volley before the townspeople broke.

"Cease fire! Cease fire!" Warfield commanded.

By this time, the townspeople who had entered the square were lying in pools of blood, the vast majority of their bodies mangally mangled. Some who were not yet dead wailed and gradually lost their breath. Those who had not yet rushed into the central square and were still able to walk fled in an instant.

Looking at the people groaning in pain, although Augustus reminded himself that these were rioters who wanted to kill him and that he was merely following his superior's orders, it did not make him feel any better.

The Federal government had grown accustomed to using bloody massacres to suppress insurgents and revolutionaries, maintaining the stability of its regime with blood and fear. And the enforcers of its tyranny were not the federal police or local security forces, but genuine military troops.

Warfield immediately issued further orders: "Pursue! First platoon, proceed to occupy the central Gas Refining Station of Rune Town. Fourth platoon, pursue north along Cairns Road. Second platoon, pursue south along Newland Road, drive everyone out, and drag them out of their houses. Medics, stay behind."

The three platoons immediately executed their platoon leader's orders and ran off in various directions.

"Third platoon will be under my direct command," Warfield said finally.

"Yes, sir," Augustus's platoon leader, Reagan, replied immediately.

Warfield, with the first squad of the third platoon, quickly ran towards a heavy truck that had overturned on the ground, leaving the other squads to maintain vigilance. This was the only one of the three trucks not subjected to concentrated rocket fire because a Marine was pinned beneath it.

It was a rifleman from the second squad. The life sign monitoring system built into his Power Armor indicated that the soldier was still alive, but they could not move the truck. The truck's container-style cargo bed was filled with scrap steel and alloys collected by the people of Rune Town. The strength enhanced by the Power Armor was not enough to turn them into supermen.

"We'll have to find a crane," Augustus said, trying to push the truck.

"It's too late to call for one from the Engineering Department Regiment of Pride of Boke," Warfield said decisively, glancing at Augustus.

"Explosives."

"Remove the fuel tank and select the least powerful D-7 explosives," Augustus understood immediately and turned to Zander.

Zander was an art enthusiast, and his backpack contained the most comprehensive and numerous types of demolition explosives in the squad. Following that, under Warfield's command, the first squad clearly divided their tasks to place the explosives, with Warfield personally deciding the locations and quantities.

After the detonation, the connection between the truck's cargo bed and the cab was blown open. Due to the varying power of the explosives at several locations, the cargo bed pressing down on the Marine accurately tipped to one side. Augustus, Raynor, and others worked together to pull him out.

The Marine's Power Armor was severely damaged, with multiple dents in the armor plating. Augustus guessed he might have been knocked unconscious, as there was no response on the communication channel.

"Are you alright, Private?" Warfield tapped the Marine's helmet. Seeing no response, he pressed a button beneath the soldier's helmet visor, and the visor slowly opened.

It revealed a young man with bruised features and brown hair.

It was evident that his own injuries were not severe, mostly soft tissue contusions. The corner of his right eye was bleeding uncontrollably. He might have had a mild concussion, as he appeared drowsy. A medic in Power Armor walked over and knelt on the ground, opening the soldier's eyelids to check his pupils.

The medic's Power Armor was painted the same color as Augustus and the others, with only a red cross marked on the right shoulder for distinction. He carried a D-1 backpack on his back, larger than a standard infantry M-2 backpack.

As Augustus looked at the medic, he was rummaging through his backpack, searching for a Medical Laser Nail Gun to stitch up the wound.

"My equipment is insufficient for this situation. He must be sent to the nearest medical station," the medic said to Warfield, while using a weakened laser beam to treat the injured man's wounds and opening his faceplate. He was a pale young man with an ordinary appearance.

"The nearest medical station is at Pride of Boke. I'll request a transport aircraft from command immediately." Warfield then looked at the Rune Town residents still lying in pools of blood, some of the injured still weakly wailing. "Augustus, take your men and bring those injured locals along as well."

The bodies of the Rune Town residents in the central square were mostly mangled beyond recognition, many shattered into pieces, with intestines, organs, bones, and minced flesh scattered everywhere. Only those whose legs had been hit were still alive.

Even though Augustus had emphasized that the Marines would provide medical treatment, these townspeople still attempted to shoot at them, forcing Squad One soldiers to return fire.

"Do they not want to live?" Josephine asked in the communication channel, puzzled, as they were collecting the injured.

"Perhaps they simply believe there is something more important than living," Augustus replied.

Raynor and Augustus exchanged a look, a strange emotion stirring within them.

About an hour later, when the transport aircraft arrived in Rune Town, the other units of the First Company had already secured Rune Town's Town Hall, Church, and Station, defeating the townspeople who attempted to counterattack and forcing them to flee their homes.

In the air thick with the smell of blood, a brand new red and blue Terran Confederacy flag was raised on the flagpole in the central square.

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