Editor: HexcoLyte, TaintedDreams, Skythewood, Gunkan Chad
Year 20XX, Summer
A high humidity, coupled with
temperatures over 30°C in the city; it was hellish. However, it was a Saturday, and many
people still crowded the shopping mall to shop or to just stroll around.
11:15AM
When the sun was high up in the sky and it was hotter than ever, a gate
to another world opened in the middle of the Ginza district in Tokyo.
From it emerged a horde of horsemen and footmen donned with armor
reminiscent of Medieval Europe. They were accompanied by the sort of monsters
one would usually find in fantasy novels; orcs, goblins and even giants.
They assaulted everyone who happened to be there.
Disregarding age and nationality, their objective was to massacre anyone they
could find. As Japan had been at peace for a long time, people did not know how
to defend themselves and could only scream in terror in the face of the attack.
Whether they were merely shoppers, whether they were parents or even
foreign tourists, not one was spared from the horses’ hooves, the sharp spears
of the soldiers, or the swords that cut to kill. The streets were painted black
and red with blood. If there were one word to describe the gruesome scene, it
would be ‘hell’.
The army from another world planted a black banner on a mountain of
corpses and loudly declared to no particular audience that this land was now
theirs in a foreign tongue.
The ‘Ginza Incident’.
This was what historians called the first encounter with the people from
the other world.
The Japanese Prime Minister at that time – Houjou Shinegori, declared in
the National Diet that ‘the place beyond the Gate did not exist on any known
map.’
‘What could lie beyond the Gate? What natural environments could be found
there? What kind of lives could the people beyond lead? How developed could
their civilization be? How technologically advanced could they be? What
religion could they follow? What type of government could they have?
Following the Gate’s opening, many people were arrested.
However, the term ‘arrest’ is awkward here. Prisoners of war are not
covered by the law. In Japan, prisoners of war do not legally exist. According
to the judiciary system, the invaders from beyond the Gate are simply criminals
that broke the law.
Although Japan was accused of using questionable justifications, Japan
still considers the land beyond the Gate to be a part of Japan.
As one would expect, the land beyond the Gate is completely unknown to
Japan; it knows nothing about the land and population there, let alone if there
is even a government.
Even if a government did exist, without establishing the borders of that
country or even setting up diplomatic relations with it, it could not be
recognized as a sovereign nation.
At this stage, the invaders are merely armed terrorists who slaughtered
innocent people.
Although there had been suggestions to begin a diplomatic dialogue with
them, the other party would have to be willing to sit down with us and
negotiate. Yet how would we do that? There was no immediate way of
communicating with them.
We will engage the other party in a dialogue, even if we have to use
brute force to do it. We will do our best, even if we have to grab them by
their hair.
In order to come to terms with them, one must know the enemy first.
Once we arrested those criminals, we managed to glean some information
from them despite the language barrier. But that alone is not enough. We need
to see the other side of the Gate with our own eyes.
Therefore, people must be sent beyond the Gate. However, they will not
harm innocent civilians and they will also be constantly vigilant, as they will
be in a place completely alien to us.
Also, going in unarmed would not do. Based on our initial experience in
Ginza, there is a probability we will need to fight. In these uncharted lands,
the judgement of who is friend and who is foe will be left to the onsite
personnel.
Some of our colleagues in the Diet suggested that there is no point to
venture into such a dangerous place when we could simply close the Gate through
demolition. However, would that really be a good decision?
Many citizens are afraid that the Gate could appear somewhere else. It
could materialize right in front of your family homes. Also, there is the issue
of justice and compensation for the families of the victims.
Should a government exist beyond the Gate, Japan would not hesitate to
extradite the leader and request his or her sincere apologies and reparations
for the Ginza Incident.
Should the other party refuse to oblige, Japan would flex its muscles,
apprehend the ones responsible for the incident, and sentence them by our law.
Should the ones responsible own any assets, they would be used to compensate
the families of the victims of the Ginza Incident. From their perspective, that
would only be natural.
Thus, the government of Japan has decided to deploy the Japanese
Self-Defense Forces beyond the Gate. Their mission is to find, apprehend and
demand compensations from the ones responsible.’
Although there were some objections from the opposition party, the
decision to deploy the JSDF beyond the Gate proceeded without a hitch. The
government of the United States of America declared that it ‘will not hesitate
to aid the investigation of lands beyond the Gate with its utmost strength’.
Prime Minister Houjou replied that it was ‘currently not necessary’ and ‘would
request for it should the situation call for it’.
The government of the People’s Republic of China released a statement that
‘the Gate is an unnatural phenomenon’ that ‘should be investigated through a
multilateral, international effort’, insisting that although the Gate had
appeared within Japan, its potential benefits should not go to Japan alone.
‘Please pardon me for my bluntness, but the situation is way out of
control. We have suffered unprecedented casualties in the history of this
empire. Does Your Highness have a plan to deal with this issue?
As a Senator as well as a noble, Marquis Casel did not mince his words as
he addressed the Emperor Molt Sol Augustus, who was sitting on the throne.
If any of the Senators present in the hall should speak so carelessly
with the Emperor, he would be forgiven. They believed that this was their duty
as statesmen.
The Senate was a somber hall that forsook flamboyant decorations in favor
of a subdued but sturdy architecture. There were around three hundred
grim-faced men seated around the center of the hall on benches. These men were
all Senators of the Empire.
Should one desire to become a Senator, there were several ways. One way
was to be born into an influential family. No matter what country, nobles are a
small minority of the population, but that did not seem to be the case in the
imperial capital. If one were to toss a stone out of a window, it might well
have hit a noble.
Thus, if you wanted to be a Senator, your nobility played no role. Even
among nobles, only the cream of the crop could be appointed to such a post.
Did this mean that if you were not of noble blood, there was no
possibility of becoming a Senator? This was not the case. If one held the
position of a minister or a general in the army, he had a shot at joining the
Senate.
In order to fulfill the daunting task of running a country, the existence
of a bureaucracy was necessary. If a commoner possessed the qualities of a
Senator, with some luck, hard work and a good record, they could be appointed
to the Senate.
There were many ministers in the Empire; Prime Minister, Minister of
Internal Affairs, Finance, Agriculture, Foreign Affairs and so on. Many of
those that had risen in the ranks to become ministers or generals would be
bestowed with a seat in the Senate upon retirement.
Furthermore, a general could join the nobility even if he were of common
birth, as commissioned officers were granted knighthood.
Marquis Casel was born into a family of barons that were merely of the
lesser nobility. It was only through his past achievements and excellent
service as a minister that he was granted a seat in the Senate. He was a hard
worker who always tried to do his duty. In other words, he was a man of
character.
Thus, he was feared for his boldness and a sharp tongue that was said to
reduce grown men to tears.
‘It was a grave mistake to dismiss our adversary as weak and spineless
after capturing just a few of them.
What should have been done is scouting; determining the enemy’s true
strength through reconnaissance. Then, it could have been concluded as to
whether it would be wiser to engage them as friend or foe,’ argued Marquis.
Undoubtedly, the circumstances in the imperial capital were dire.
The expedition had cost the Empire over half its army. Although it would
be possible to rebuild it, enormous time and resources would be expended.
With its military power more than halved, how was the Empire supposed to
maintain its hegemony?
In the thirty years of Emperor Molt’s reign, he had ruled with an iron
fist. Conflicts with neighboring countries beyond the Empire’s borders, as well
as with rebelling vassals and tribes within, were resolved through the power of
the military, bringing peace and stability to the Empire. Nations had no choice
but to submit in face of the overwhelming imperial armies. Those who stood in
the way of the Empire were utterly annihilated.
No matter how resentful the vassals were of the Empire, in the face of
powerful imperial armies, they could but conceal their anger.
However, now that the imperial military had been so thoroughly ravaged,
would the oppressed vassals and foreign nations rise up?
As Marquis Casel, the leader of the liberal faction swung his toga
around, he challenged the Emperor:
‘Your Highness! How are you going to lead your country?’
When Marquis Casel had finished his speech, he returned to his seat.
Gazing at the one who had criticized him, the Emperor calmly shifted in his
throne, leaning forward and opening his mouth.
‘Marquis, I have considered the circumstances. Following this loss, the
superiority of the imperial army is threatened, yet it is useless to cry over
spilt milk. Will the foreign nations and vassal states who have long hidden
their hatred for us begin a rebellion and march into the capital? Ah, just
thinking about that makes you lose sleep, correct? How heartbreaking.’
At the Emperor’s banter, the tense atmosphere in the hall was softened
with quiet laughter.
‘Do you remember the Battle of Akuteku 250 years ago, my dear Senators?
How did our great predecessors react to the news of the army’s total defeat?
Did they lament their lost valor and pride, and negotiate for peace, which
would effectively have meant surrender?
Do you remember how the women of the Empire responded?
They said: So what if we lost 60,000 men? We will birth that number in no
time, they said, while rolling up their skirts for all to see!
There were heroines, and I hope there is nothing else to be said.
The Empire has weathered dire times like these countless times since its
founding. Always, the Emperor has cooperated with the Senate and the citizenry
to face these trials – that is why the Empire grew so powerful.’
The Emperor’s tales resonated with the Senators.
‘There is never a certainty of victory in war. If the general were to
take the blame for every setback in a conflict, there would be no generals.
Should we be pointing the finger at one another while the enemy encircles the
capital?’
If no man were to be the culprit behind the disaster, then naturally the
Emperor was exempted from all responsibility. Realizing that the Emperor had
effectively dodged his responsibility, Marquis Casel clicked his tongue in
irritation.
Then, the Emperor continued his speech.
The expedition was manned with veteran soldiers, wise and powerful mages,
and some of the strongest, fiercest orcs and goblins.
Abundantly supplied, intensely trained and led expertly, it was a force
to be reckoned with.The general, the centurions and the rank and file all did
their duty.
Yet it took merely seven days.
It was only seven days since the opening of the Gate. Counting from the
day when the enemy begun a serious counterattack, it took them only two days to
devastate the imperial army.
Almost all the soldiers were dead or captured. Only a handful would make
it back alive.
Now that the Gate on Arnus Hill was captured by the enemy, it was
impossible to close it, as the enemy had fortified the hill.
In order to regain control over the Gate, cavalry was sent to on a massed
charge. However, that ended with the foot of the hill littered with thousands
of stinking corpses of men and horses.
‘Are you aware of how powerful the enemy’s weaponry is? It went bang,
bang, bang! The moment the enemy made that ruckus, our ranks collapsed in a
spray of blood. Never in my long life have I ever encountered such incredible
magic before!’ exclaimed Godasen, a Senator and mage, excitedly.
The unit he led was blown away like leaves in a storm, unable to reach
even the foot of Arnus Hill. Before he knew it, his surroundings were quiet and
he was the sole man still on his feet. All he could see around him were bodies
of men and horses lying in pools of blood.
Closing his eyes, the Emperor said, ‘The enemy has infiltrated our land.
Although they are currently constructing a fort around the Gate, they will one
day begin a full-blown invasion. We need to deal with the otherworldly enemy on
Arnus Hill, as well as traitorous vassal states.’
‘Let’s just wage a war with ‘em!’
A bald knight, Marquis Podawan stood up and bowed before the Emperor.
‘If cornered, the best way to fight back is to fight back with courage.
Let’s rally the forces scattered around the Empire and crush those rebellious
vassals who dare stand against us. Then, we will turn around and destroy the
enemy on Arnus Hill. To put it simply, we will attack the Gate!’
The Senators only shrugged their shoulders at his crude outburst, implying
that if that were possible they would not have to discuss the situation at
length. If they called up the remaining forces, the Empire would be left
defenseless and descend into anarchy.
The hall became a scene of chaos as Senators begun arguing.
Podawan stressed unflinchingly that by killing all the rebels and
enslaving their families, the cities would be deserted and the rebellion would
cease. Shockingly, there were precedents of this in the Empire.
Back in the days when the Empire was still a small nation surrounded on
all sides by enemies, imperial armies would not only enslave the people of the
countries they invaded, but also raze their cities, burn down their forests and
salt their fields to render them infertile. Thus, the region would become
uninhabitable and harmless to the Empire.
‘Even if we could do that, how are we going to defeat the enemies at
Arnus? If we attack head on, wouldn’t it just be a repeat of the Battle of
Godasen?’
As the voice in the hall reached his ears, Podawan gritted his teeth and
replied, ‘Just muster all the soldiers in the vassal states without telling
them why. We could raise 100,000 and, even if they prove weak, we can use them
as a meat-shield when we charge!’
‘Would they be so obedient?’
‘Then on what grounds should we tell them to muster their troops? Tell
them honestly that we lost over half our own army? If we do that, we would only
humiliate ourselves!’
Marquis Casel had a headache as he listened to Marquis Podawan’s
irrational and reckless blustering.
The growing tension between the hawks and the doves electrified the
Senate’s atmosphere.
‘So what do ya say we do, huh?’
‘Warmonger!’
The Senators had lost their composure and were on the verge of
communicating with their fists.
Only time was wasted. Those few still in a rational state of mind
fervently tried to hatch a plan but could not control the squabbling in the
hall.
Amidst the chaos, Emperor Molt stood up from his throne.
Realizing the Emperor was about to speak, the quarreling Senators settled
down.
‘Although they were a little crude, Marquis Podawan’s words were
inspiring.’
Hearing these words, Podawan bowed reverently towards the Emperor.
Before the regal Emperor, the Senators calmed down and listened to what
he had to say.
‘Now, what do we do? Do we watch helplessly as the situation deteriorates
further? No. If that is off the table, all we can do is go to war. Let’s follow
Marquis Podawan’s proposition and muster the armies of all our vassal states.
Send a messenger to each country and request aid from the leaders to repel the
otherworldly invaders of the Falmat Continent. An allied army amassed from the
vassal states shall be raised to attack Arnus Hill.’
‘An allied army?’
The Emperor’s words wreaked havoc among the Senators.
Around two centuries ago, in order to repel a warlike tribe of horsemen
invading the Empire from the North, many nations banded together in battle.
These countries were always fighting amongst themselves, but when they faced a
foreign power from beyond, they put aside their differences and united.
Kings and knights who were once enemies stood together and repulsed the
invading forces. This tale was passed down in the legends for generations to
come.
‘If you put it that way, then it seems to be a just cause.’
‘Nevertheless, it’s somewhat…’
He was right. Was it not the Empire that had begun the invasion? The
Emperor twisted the truth. While ignoring the fact that the Empire was the
aggressor, the Emperor ordered the vassal states to commit troops to defend
against the otherworldly invaders. This was shameless, but of course no-one
said this aloud.
However, the Emperor could convince the vassal states to muster their
troops by arguing that the invaders would not stop at merely destroying the
Empire – they would conquer the entire Falmat Continent. Simply put, it was not
the truth that mattered, it was the narrative.
‘Your… Your Highness? The feet of Arnus Hill would be littered with
corpses!’
Hearing Marquis Casel’s words, the Emperor replied loudly, ‘I strive for
victory, but there is never certainty of victory in war. The fate of the allied
army is unknown. If they fall, that will be unfortunate. If that were to
happen, the Empire will send the imperial army to battle the invaders.’
If the vassal states’ armies too were decimated, the Empire’s military
advantage over them would remain.
‘This is thy mission in dealing with this crisis. Any objections, Marquis
Casel?’
The Emperor had made his decision.
Marquis Casel stared at the Emperor, dumbfounded, and lamented the fate
of the allied army.
The doves could only bow their heads before the Emperor and dispatch
envoys to deliver his orders.
The dark night sky was brightly lit with flares.
The Kodou Rino Guwaban, the allied army, begun its attack.
The sizzling flares illuminated the advancing army at the foot of the
hill.
In the front rode heavy cavalry, accompanied by giants, ogres, goblins
and other fantastical monsters, casting terrible shadows on the land in their
masses. Human soldiers forming a shield wall rolled forward behind them.
Flying in the sky were people mounted on strange, giant birds.
Their force numbered in the hundreds of thousands, impossible to count.
The forward observer screamed into his radio.
‘Three tenths in reserve, seven tenths attacking! Three tenths in
reserve, seven tenths attacking!’
At the report from the outpost, the 5th Combat Squad of the
502nd Division of the JSDF rushed through the trenches to their
positions and readied their guns to cover the designated field.
The staff officer from the JSDF put much effort into organizing the
expedition. After all, they were facing enemies from another age. None of the
JSDF had ever fought warriors in armor or fantastical monsters, and above all
they had never encountered magic before.
Thus, they searched for ideas from fantasy novels and movies.
The PX, the post exchange, was heaped with fantasy novels, manga and
movies on JSDF members who travelled back into the era of the Warring States.
There were even cases of JSDF members lining up in Akihabara book stores
just to purchase fantasy-related movies and anime.
The works of the director and author whose initials were M and T were
amassed to find inspiration.
The decision was made to deploy three divisions from units across the
country.
They were led by commissioned officers ranging from captains to second
lieutenants, as well as non-commissioned officers over the rank of corporal.
The reasons were explained by the Prime Minister: ‘In the uncharted land
beyond the Gate, the judgement of who is friend and who is foe will be left to
the present commander.’ Everyone knew it wasn’t that simple.
The equipment of the troops deployed beyond the Gate was old. Firstly,
the troops were equipped with the classic Type 64 Howa rifles. Moreover, the
army vehicles they were assigned with were Terrain Type 74 tanks.
This equipment was retired from active use after it was replaced by newer
models.
‘Let’s use up the old stuff while we can,’ were the sarcastic words of a
former master sergeant. There was more to it than that.
Type 64 rifles were chosen because the Type 89 assault rifles’ 5.56mmm
rounds could not stop a heavyweight ogre. Also, if one were to charge the enemy
with a bayonet, the jagged blade would jam itself into the enemy’s armor.
Therefore, after considering the possibility of abandoning the equipment
in the event of a retreat, it was deemed better to use the old weapons that had
gathered dust in storage rather than the new generation of weapons that cost a
fortune to manufacture.
Type 64s had standing bipods, and were aimed with iron sights. They used
normal ammunition and were classified as small arms.
Some bipods propped up 5.56mm machine guns with ammunition belts.
The sergeant majors and commanders objected fiercely to bringing the Type
62 machinegun along. Pale-faced they asked the high command whether it was
trying to murder them. It was not brought into the Special Region as it was
prone to malfunction.
To counter the flying cavalry, the Type 87 self-propelled anti-aircraft
guns with Oerlikon 35mm twin cannons, the M42 Duster and other aged AA guns
were deployed. There was a mechanical buzzing as they turned their sights to
the sky.
Another flair lit the dark the sky as the enemy army marched purposefully
towards the hill.
Safety switches on rifles were flipped from ‘safe’ to ‘semi’.
From the soldier’s headsets, they could hear the voice of their
commander.
‘Don’t panic… Hold your fire…’
Although they weren’t yet accustomed to it, they weren’t completely new
to it either. It was the third time enemies assaulted the place known locally
as Arnus Hill.
The JSDF soldiers held their breaths and waited for the order as the
enemy closed in on them.
Twice already the attacking forces had been, to put it frankly,
annihilated.
The common military equipment of that world consisted of swords, spears,
bows and armor. The strategy was to form ranks and charge in unison. Sometimes
they would use fire and bombs in their attack, but the weaponry was pitifully
deficient in range and lacked strength.
In the movie [Kagemusha] by Director Kurosawa, there was a gruesome scene
where Lord Takeda’s cavalry had charged Lord Tokugawa’s musketeers in the
battlefield.
The scene at Arnus Hill was much like in the movie, as numerous men and
horses littered the foot of the hill.
Nevertheless, the enemy kept advancing, determined to capture the hill.
The JSDF held their ground and fought.
The Gate was their only access to the other world. They would not allow
the Gate to be captured and risk a second Ginza Incident.
One side was resolved to hold the hill, the other resolved to take it,
and this clash of wills led to the third battle.
The attackers may have learned somewhat from their previous attempts as
they tried a night raid this time. With only the shine of the moon, vision was
obscured at night. Also, people were often careless at night. That was the
thinking behind the attack, and it was not too shabby at all.
However, as the flairs exposed them completely to the enemy, the carefully
laid plan went off the rails.
‘Fire!’
In Tokyo and the rest of Japan, 24-hour stores were a given. With night
as bright as day, the muzzles of guns and cannons served as an introduction to
that other world.
