Leitao lunged forward, rolling to dodge the strafing fire from the Japanese Army military police, and darted like a nimble swallow into the cover where the young men were hiding. As soon as he landed, he quickly swapped in fresh magazines for his two Scorpion Submachine Guns and called out to the group, "Listen here, boys, whose side are you on? You look like hunters, but what are you doing fighting the Japanese devils in the middle of the city?"
The air was thick with the acrid smell of gunpowder, and the roar of battle was deafening. The youths, though dressed in animal skins, were armed with Mauser C96s, and two of them carried crossbows. Their furs were stained with dust and blood, some parts even torn, but this did nothing to diminish their valiant bearing. They gripped their Mauser C96s firmly, the dark muzzles pointed outward as if to voice their determination to fight the Japanese Army to the end. The two youths with crossbows remained focused and cool-headed, arrows notched and ready to strike.
Leitao monitored the youths' reactions while keeping a vigilant eye on the front. Seeing two Japanese military police advancing, he leveled his two Scorpion Submachine Guns ninety degrees and fired short, controlled bursts from behind cover. The weapons remained rock-steady in his grip; as his fingers squeezed the triggers, they let out a series of crisp, rapid reports, the muzzle flashes flickering like vipers. In an instant, both Japanese police officers took hits to the c…
Chapter 154