Previous Chapter: The Hinomawari Kingdom 1
Conference Room 3, Valkyries temporary base, within the borders of the Hinomawari Kingdom
3 women wearing unfamiliar garments are seated in the middle section of a U-shaped table. They look like Japanese people in terms of appearances but their garments tell of a culture that has clearly taken a different course. On the right side of the table from the 3 women is on-site commander of Mu’s unified forces, Mick, and several other officers under him. Ōuchida of the JGSDF, Kunidake of the JASDF, and several other SDF officers are seated to their left, opposite of the Mu officers.
“Alright, let’s begin this meeting between the 3 countries.”
The facilitator from Mu announced the meeting’s commencement. Agreeing with a show of her hand, one of the young women sitting in the middle stood up and bowed deeply.
“I am Freyja, 3rd Princess of the Hinomawari Kingdom. Allow me to express my sincere gratitude for having set up a place to meet.”
Freyja, with people in charge from the superpower Mu and the country of Japan which possessed the power to rival the superpowers right in front of her, looked nervous as she began to speak.
After giving her deep bow, she explained the current circumstances of the Hinomawari Kingdom and the events that led to their submission to the Gra Valkas Empire. When the Gra Valkas Empire emerged to assert pressure on surrounding countries, it was easy to come to the understanding that they possessed immense military technology and an ever-growing domain. They then sufficiently examined the fates of the peoples of the countries that had refused to submit and thus fought with them. If they were to fight, it was extremely possible that their people would be enslaved so they decided to prioritize the lives of their people, even if it meant withdrawing royal sovereignty. With that, the Hinomawari Kingdom had entered under the rule of the Gra Valkas Empire. Their only condition was to absolutely never deprive them of their food and let the people starve. This was verified not only through written signatories but also through multiple diplomatic meetings. Eventually, the Subjugation Authority building was set up close to the royal castle and staff and troops were deployed to the kingdom.
The empire’s rule was nothing short of cruel.
The people were made fun of as properties and lands became the empire’s possessions. There were also many sightings of people subjected to humiliating treatment from passing Gra Valkas Empire soldiers on the streets. Imperial soldiers intrude into people’s homes, stealing anything of value and doing various acts permitted by their animosity. They were used as outlets for their stress. It was truly the misery of being a colony. Anyone who resisted were outright killed. There was no semblance of respect: a way of life no different from that of slaves.
Still, the people held firm. However, no matter how firm they stood in the face of misery, they had hit their limits when the empire laid its hands on the circulation of food.
Starvation spread among the population, leading to many deaths.
As soon as Princess Freyja, who could no longer bear to see her people suffer, petitioned, she was marked for death, forcing her to flee and take asylum.
As Freyja explained the events, tears started flowing from her eyes. For a girl who had a sheltered upbringing as a member of the royal household, it must have been considerably difficult to deal with running away after her life had been threatened. The chests of the officers panged.
Tok tok tok tok
“Hm? What’s that sound?”
Something seemed to be hitting the glass window repeatedly. They looked to the window.
“Huh? A pigeon?”
A pigeon was pecking on the glass nonstop.
“Princess! The crest of the royal family is on its chest!”
Looking closely, something which resembles a letter was tied to its feet.
“Woah… A homing pigeon???”
Ōuchida let out a surprised remark.
For something like pigeons to exist in the New World was slightly surprising but then he remembered that the continent they’re in used to have been on Earth.
“How the hell did it find… Hmmm… Interesting.”
In Japan, homing pigeons make use of their instincts to find their way back to their nests. That said, it was basically a one-way method of sending letters, as it could only return back to where it was raised. However, other countries back in World War I seemed to have a method which allowed homing pigeons to find their way back to base even if the base had been moved. This technology failed to be handed down and is considered a lost technology in the modern day.
The SDF officers couldn’t help but admire the usage of homing pigeons and their users’ development of such tech.
“Since it may carry something with important implications on this meeting, I don’t mind if you go and check this pigeon.”
Assuming that the pigeon that bore the royal crest may carry important information, Mick allowed Freyja to check the letter it was carrying. Opening the window, she took the letter from the pigeon’s foot and slowly opened it.
“!!!”
Something incredibly shocking was written on the letter. She tried her utmost best to hold her tears in but they nevertheless built up around her eyes and flowed down her cheeks. Then, she started trembling in silence.
“Are you okay, Princess Freyja?”
One’s feelings didn’t matter in meetings between countries, but everyone’s hearts broke upon seeing the woman, who looked like she was young enough to be their daughter, began crying. Mick felt anxious about the princess.
“The… The king and the prince… had been thrown into prison and… and… and… my sisters… the princesses… were all killed…”
“Huh? What do you mean-”
“Forgive me. This is a letter from nobles who are experts on intelligence and people who I can refer to as the kingdom’s Espionage Division.”
These nobles were permitted to make use of pigeons that bore the crest of the royal family. Freyja continued.
“Just… as I mentioned a while ago… I went to negotiate with the Gra Valkas Empire to get them to spare food for the people… but… the empire’s enforcement units, they… know my face but me and my sisters all look the same. The letter says that the units that received orders from the empire’s Foreign Affairs Ministry didn’t only target me but also my… my… my sisters…”
Freyja began to cry once more. She knew deep in her heart that breaking out into tears in a diplomatic meeting was something that shouldn’t happen. However, her kind, dear sisters… were murdered. She could no longer bring back those happy days and experience them once more with her smiling sisters.
“Nghhh…”
If she hadn’t gone to the Subjugation Authority, they would have still been alive and they would have still been together. It was all her fault.
“Uwaaaahhh!!!”
Having received orders from Dallas to assassinate the princess, the Subjugation Authority ordered their enforcement units to carry it out. However, the enforcement units couldn’t distinguish between the sister princesses. Since the sisters were always intermingling, they judged that the one staying in Freyja’s residence may not necessarily be Freyja. They were told not to mind the scale of casualties. Deciding that they mustn’t let her escape, they decided to conduct simultaneous raids. On the night that Freyja’s residence was assaulted, the Gra Valkas Empire enforcement units also descended on the other princesses, assassinating them. Since the royal household may rise up in arms and cause trouble if they heard of the princesses’ assassination, they immediately arrested and imprisoned the king and the prince to cut them off from communicating with the Hinomawari Kingdom’s forces.
“Hicc… Hicc… E-Excuse me… Hicc”
Freyja, welling up with fierce emotions, makes a decision: The Gra Valkas Empire will be eliminated from the Hinomawari Kingdom and that bastard, Dallas, will be incarcerated and judged under the laws of the kingdom.
After some time, the princess calmed down and slowly began to speak.
“The royal house of the Hinomawari Kingdom has been imprisoned, virtually losing their power and authority over domestic affairs.”
The raging flames of vengeance dwelled in her soul.
“I am Freyja, the 3rd Princess of the Hinomawari Kingdom and the sole remaining member of the royal house that is able to act with authority. Since the domestic functions of the royal house in the kingdom have ceased to operate, as per the Emergency Power Safeguard Law, all powers and authority have been substantially transferred to me as of this moment.”
Assuming the worst, the Emergency Power Safeguard Law takes precedence over other laws, allowing authority to be concentrated on one person.
“On behalf of the kingdom, I hereby officially request the Second Civilization Union Army and Japan to expel the Gra Valkas Empire that continues to plague the people from my kingdom. I ask… for your cooperation!!!”
Freyja showed unrelenting determination. History began to move once more.
Now emboldened with an official request from the Hinomawari Kingdom, the previously politically and diplomatically restricted Mu and Japan were broken free from their shackles.
・・・
That night
“Thank goodness the meetings wrapped up nicely.”
After the meeting with Freyja, they had a meeting in the afternoon with the Second Civilization Union Army officers once more. After that was over, Ōuchida and Kunidake were talking with each other at their office.
“Still, this coming operation will be a big one, huh. The GSDF must have it rough as well, but us at the ASDF are also having a lot of preparations since this one is so complicated and massive in scale. It also seems that the MSDF is doing their best with coordination with the Holy Mirishial Empire going pretty well.”
Kunidake was also feeling the pressure in his work.
“Collaborating with the MSDF with only a handful of airports at our disposal is much tougher than I thought. Still, we gotta pull through!”
“We’re also collaborating with the Second Civilization Union Army. Will it all work out?”
“One way to find out, I guess?”
Ōuchida takes the memo plastered on his desk in front of him and thinks about it. On the memo was not only the liberation of the Hinomawari Kingdom but everything else after it.
“Given all that, I’m really glad we got to understand more about the empire’s installations in the kingdom, more so than previous intel. There’s some installations that we didn’t previously know were also imperial installations.”
“Feels like Princess Freyja’s official request made it also easier for the politicians back home.”
“Regardless, the rest is up to what we can do, which is to completely execute this operation and, if possible, not let one of our subordinates get killed.”
The enemy had weapons on the same level as those from World War II. While warfare has since evolved to be more hi-tech, ground warfare still tends to be more risky than air or naval combat. Ōuchida was determined not to let a single one of his men die.
Preparations continued.
・・・
Operations Room, Ministry of Defense, Japan
Displayed on the big monitor in the room was a map of the Mu continent. The deployment status of the Self Defense Force was also reflected on top of the map.
“Submarine Flotillas 1 and 2 are departing from Mu’s Patell port and are now headed for the Irnetia Kingdom.”
The submarine fleet has set sail from Patell, a harbor town on Mu’s north coast.
“The Holy Mirishial Empire fleet is ready to set sail.”
“Supplies and munitions on all bases have now reached prescribed figures.”
“The ASDF’s F-15s and F-2s are now ready to sortie from Enuvia airbase. The MSDF’s P-1 units have completed refueling and are now being armed with anti-ship weaponry.”
“AWACS has taken off and has now begun surveying the airspace above Harunagakyō.”
Monotonous reports were being made as changes were reflected on the monitor. Preparations were steadily moving forward.
“This is it.”
SDF official Mitsugi says to another official next to him. He then remembers something.
Ignoring Japan’s multiple calls for peace, the Gra Valkas Empire has made good on its declaration of war against the entire world. Further negotiations were attempted but they were simply dismissed as weak rubbish. Then, they dispatched a massive fleet to Japan. It was a hard-fought battle. Exhausting its stores, Japan rained down missile upon missile on the fleet, forcing the imperial fleet to turn back.
“We have to let them know… that we will not just be on the defense. It’s their fault for making us take this seriously.”
Mitsugi said, as if talking to himself.
He has estimated that there will be a lot of fatalities on the imperial side in this coming operation. With other armies joining in on the retaking of Leifor, it’s anticipated that there will be a considerable amount of civilian deaths too. As one of the planners of the operation, he couldn’t help but feel the burden of responsibility of what’s basically people’s lives. If they don’t expel the empire, they will turn their blades on the Japanese people.
Those guys must also have their own families.
His chest tightened at the sudden thought that emerged from the back of his mind. To defend Japan, they drafted a plan to efficiently destroy the empire in an exceedingly short amount of time. In efficiently crushing their enemy, lives may be affected, if not sacrificed. He kept on telling himself that it was to protect Japan but he still trembled at the amount of deaths anticipated. The previous battle with the great fleet was against purely military personnel. In the event that they reached Tokyo and they didn’t stop them, they calculated that the Japanese death toll would be in increments of 200,000, so they were essentially forced to act. However, now that they were on the offensive, it was possible that civilians from Leifor and other countries would get caught up in the fighting. Even though he understood that it was for the sake of Japan, his mood sank.
Mitsugi felt irritated at the hard-headedness of the Gra Valkas Empire’s higher ups.
If only they responded first for dialogue, none of the tens of thousands of soldiers that will get caught in this operation would die. There may be cold-blooded people among their enemies, but it’s certain that there are good people as well.
He tells himself that such thinking was wrong for their current state of affairs. Various thoughts merged into complicated ones inside Mitsugi’s mind.
Regardless of any single individual’s feelings, the 1st stage of the operation, the assault on the Hinomawari Kingdom, has commenced.
・・・
Enuvia airbase, Mu
The sun had long set and darkness prevailed over the surroundings. The moon was bright tonight, allowing them to see far away. This certain base in Mu had become one of the frontline points of the Second Civilization Union Army’s counterattack. Wyvern stables were set up in the outskirts of the airport as Mu’s Marin state-of-the-art fighters were neatly lined up on the apron. On the corner set up for Japan, F-2 fighters loaded with bombs are preparing to take off.
Those from the Union Army, upon hearing that the Japanese army will attack at night, tried to get a view of them taking off using telescopes from their own allotted spaces.
“Oi, Delker! You see those? Could those be Japan’s iron dragons, wait no, fighters? It’s my first time seeing them and they’re huge!”
One of the veteran dragon knights from the Nigrat Union talks with one of his greenies. Even though he had heard of them from rumors, only a handful of people had actually seen the Japanese fighters, so he focused his attention on the inorganic-looking F-2 fighters.
“It’s just as the rumors said! It’s different from the Marin and the things have no props! I’ve heard that they’re like the Holy Mirishial Empire’s weapons. Still, are those things really that powerful? Our wyvern lords look powerful too.”
Having graduated top of the class from the wyvern drill course, Delker had absolute confidence in his wyvern.
“Japan is powerful, that is certain. No matter what your feelings are telling you, the results of their clash with the Gra Valkas Empire at sea speak for themselves. I too haven’t seen those fighters take off before but once you see them do, tell me again whether you think you can take ‘em on.”
3 fighters slowly taxied towards the runway. One of them was now in place.
HiiiiiIIIIIIIIIIIIII
The high-pitched sound of the jet engines whirring to life resounded across the area. Delker froze at the sound which he had never heard of before. A large volume of air flowed into the jet engine from the front. An intense rush of air shot out of the back and the F-2 began accelerating. Once it let go of the runway, its afterburner ignited.
VwaaaaaAAAAA
Fuel is injected and the afterburner burns bright. A good chunk of fuel being spent in a single moment wasn’t a plus but in return, the fighter got an intense helping of thrust. A roaring sound echoed like a thunderclap. Delker unknowingly covered his ears. Even though he had already covered his ears, he still heard the roaring sound which was loud enough to shake his body. The sight of a single flame getting smaller into the pitch-black void looked magical. The Japanese fighter accelerated fiercely. It disappeared into the western sky at a speed which defied Delker’s common sense.
“…”
“Oi, Delker. Still think you could take ‘em on?”
“…Not anymore. Forgive me for that. I now feel embarrassed at myself for thinking our wyvern lords could match them, let alone do better… They’re too fast. It’s as if they’re on some new level or something. Our wyvern lords really won’t be able to catch up to them at those speeds. Fuck, thank goodness no one else heard me.”
A frank, straight-forward comment.
“Those things really are something. They’re really far better than I expected. Yeah, there’s no way those Gra Valkas Empire fools could win.”
F-2 fighters took off one after the other.
F-2 fighters from the Japan Air Self Defense Force took off into the night sky to bomb the Gra Valkas Imperial Army situated in Harunagakyō, the capital of the Hinomawari Kingdom.
・・・
Night, Harunagakyō, Hinomawari Kingdom
Having finished his duties, the Gra Valkas Empire diplomat Dallas, who was visiting the Hinomawari Kingdom’s Subjugation Authority, walked towards the hotel he was lodging in. He glanced upwards at the sky.
Harunagakyō was the capital of the Hinomawari Kingdom yet it was far, far dimmer than any city in the Gra Valkas Empire. The air was clear and the sky was studded with stars, shining beautifully like precious gems laid out on a dark carpet. Tonight’s moon was bright, shining down on the capital and illuminating the streets.
“There’s too little lighting… Is this really the capital? Goodness… I wanna be posted back to Ragna…”
This place was basically the frontlines. It’s also fairly close to the Valkyries base which had fallen to the enemy. The homeland recognizes that it’s dangerous but they can’t afford to lose administration in the Hinomawari Kingdom. Not only are there military staff members present here but there are also regular staff members dispatched from the mainland. Dallas stopped for a moment and turned around to look at the Subjugation Authority building. Even at this distance it was very visible. It’s an excellent building, imposing enough to be mistaken for the royal castle and a symbol of the empire’s rule over the Hinomawari Kingdom.
“Hmph. My burgeoning country is impressive as I expected. Compared to the flimsy structures around it, the authority’s building is dignified and refined.”
He once again recognized his country’s magnificence. Looking at the building, a smile emerged on his face.
“Huh?”
An eye-piercing, bright light emerged.
“Ack! H-Huh?!”
After the flash of light dissipated, the building that he was looking at was engulfed in a massive fireball.
Kaboom!!!
After a slight delay, the eardrum-piercing sound of an explosion reverberated.
“Arghh!!!”
Enveloped in raging flames, the building of the Subjugation Authority was now in pieces as it clearly crumbled from its previous, magnificent state. The symbol of their rule, of their power, of their unyielding conviction, easily crumbled. Just some time ago, he was working overtime in that same building. With the timing being off by a few minutes, he was able to walk away unscathed. However, he was now assailed by a fear of being caught up in an explosion and dying. A terrifying chill ran down his spine.
F-2 fighters from the Japan Air Self Defense Force had dropped the Japanese version of the LJDAM on Harunagakyō. The bomb landed precisely on the Gra Valkas Empire’s Subjugation Authority building in the Hinomawari Kingdom, destroying it.
Their attack had finally begun.
Previous Chapter: The Hinomawari Kingdom 1
Conference Room 3, Valkyries temporary base, within the borders of the Hinomawari Kingdom
3 women wearing unfamiliar garments are seated in the middle section of a U-shaped table. They look like Japanese people in terms of appearances but their garments tell of a culture that has clearly taken a different course. On the right side of the table from the 3 women is on-site commander of Mu’s unified forces, Mick, and several other officers under him. Ōuchida of the JGSDF, Kunidake of the JASDF, and several other SDF officers are seated to their left, opposite of the Mu officers.
“Alright, let’s begin this meeting between the 3 countries.”
The facilitator from Mu announced the meeting’s commencement. Agreeing with a show of her hand, one of the young women sitting in the middle stood up and bowed deeply.
“I am Freyja, 3rd Princess of the Hinomawari Kingdom. Allow me to express my sincere gratitude for having set up a place to meet.”
Freyja, with people in charge from the superpower Mu and the country of Japan which possessed the power to rival the superpowers right in front of her, looked nervous as she began to speak.
After giving her deep bow, she explained the current circumstances of the Hinomawari Kingdom and the events that led to their submission to the Gra Valkas Empire. When the Gra Valkas Empire emerged to assert pressure on surrounding countries, it was easy to come to the understanding that they possessed immense military technology and an ever-growing domain. They then sufficiently examined the fates of the peoples of the countries that had refused to submit and thus fought with them. If they were to fight, it was extremely possible that their people would be enslaved so they decided to prioritize the lives of their people, even if it meant withdrawing royal sovereignty. With that, the Hinomawari Kingdom had entered under the rule of the Gra Valkas Empire. Their only condition was to absolutely never deprive them of their food and let the people starve. This was verified not only through written signatories but also through multiple diplomatic meetings. Eventually, the Subjugation Authority building was set up close to the royal castle and staff and troops were deployed to the kingdom.
The empire’s rule was nothing short of cruel.
The people were made fun of as properties and lands became the empire’s possessions. There were also many sightings of people subjected to humiliating treatment from passing Gra Valkas Empire soldiers on the streets. Imperial soldiers intrude into people’s homes, stealing anything of value and doing various acts permitted by their animosity. They were used as outlets for their stress. It was truly the misery of being a colony. Anyone who resisted were outright killed. There was no semblance of respect: a way of life no different from that of slaves.
Still, the people held firm. However, no matter how firm they stood in the face of misery, they had hit their limits when the empire laid its hands on the circulation of food.
Starvation spread among the population, leading to many deaths.
As soon as Princess Freyja, who could no longer bear to see her people suffer, petitioned, she was marked for death, forcing her to flee and take asylum.
As Freyja explained the events, tears started flowing from her eyes. For a girl who had a sheltered upbringing as a member of the royal household, it must have been considerably difficult to deal with running away after her life had been threatened. The chests of the officers panged.
Tok tok tok tok
“Hm? What’s that sound?”
Something seemed to be hitting the glass window repeatedly. They looked to the window.
“Huh? A pigeon?”
A pigeon was pecking on the glass nonstop.
“Princess! The crest of the royal family is on its chest!”
Looking closely, something which resembles a letter was tied to its feet.
“Woah… A homing pigeon???”
Ōuchida let out a surprised remark.
For something like pigeons to exist in the New World was slightly surprising but then he remembered that the continent they’re in used to have been on Earth.
“How the hell did it find… Hmmm… Interesting.”
In Japan, homing pigeons make use of their instincts to find their way back to their nests. That said, it was basically a one-way method of sending letters, as it could only return back to where it was raised. However, other countries back in World War I seemed to have a method which allowed homing pigeons to find their way back to base even if the base had been moved. This technology failed to be handed down and is considered a lost technology in the modern day.
The SDF officers couldn’t help but admire the usage of homing pigeons and their users’ development of such tech.
“Since it may carry something with important implications on this meeting, I don’t mind if you go and check this pigeon.”
Assuming that the pigeon that bore the royal crest may carry important information, Mick allowed Freyja to check the letter it was carrying. Opening the window, she took the letter from the pigeon’s foot and slowly opened it.
“!!!”
Something incredibly shocking was written on the letter. She tried her utmost best to hold her tears in but they nevertheless built up around her eyes and flowed down her cheeks. Then, she started trembling in silence.
“Are you okay, Princess Freyja?”
One’s feelings didn’t matter in meetings between countries, but everyone’s hearts broke upon seeing the woman, who looked like she was young enough to be their daughter, began crying. Mick felt anxious about the princess.
“The… The king and the prince… had been thrown into prison and… and… and… my sisters… the princesses… were all killed…”
“Huh? What do you mean-”
“Forgive me. This is a letter from nobles who are experts on intelligence and people who I can refer to as the kingdom’s Espionage Division.”
These nobles were permitted to make use of pigeons that bore the crest of the royal family. Freyja continued.
“Just… as I mentioned a while ago… I went to negotiate with the Gra Valkas Empire to get them to spare food for the people… but… the empire’s enforcement units, they… know my face but me and my sisters all look the same. The letter says that the units that received orders from the empire’s Foreign Affairs Ministry didn’t only target me but also my… my… my sisters…”
Freyja began to cry once more. She knew deep in her heart that breaking out into tears in a diplomatic meeting was something that shouldn’t happen. However, her kind, dear sisters… were murdered. She could no longer bring back those happy days and experience them once more with her smiling sisters.
“Nghhh…”
If she hadn’t gone to the Subjugation Authority, they would have still been alive and they would have still been together. It was all her fault.
“Uwaaaahhh!!!”
Having received orders from Dallas to assassinate the princess, the Subjugation Authority ordered their enforcement units to carry it out. However, the enforcement units couldn’t distinguish between the sister princesses. Since the sisters were always intermingling, they judged that the one staying in Freyja’s residence may not necessarily be Freyja. They were told not to mind the scale of casualties. Deciding that they mustn’t let her escape, they decided to conduct simultaneous raids. On the night that Freyja’s residence was assaulted, the Gra Valkas Empire enforcement units also descended on the other princesses, assassinating them. Since the royal household may rise up in arms and cause trouble if they heard of the princesses’ assassination, they immediately arrested and imprisoned the king and the prince to cut them off from communicating with the Hinomawari Kingdom’s forces.
“Hicc… Hicc… E-Excuse me… Hicc”
Freyja, welling up with fierce emotions, makes a decision: The Gra Valkas Empire will be eliminated from the Hinomawari Kingdom and that bastard, Dallas, will be incarcerated and judged under the laws of the kingdom.
After some time, the princess calmed down and slowly began to speak.
“The royal house of the Hinomawari Kingdom has been imprisoned, virtually losing their power and authority over domestic affairs.”
The raging flames of vengeance dwelled in her soul.
“I am Freyja, the 3rd Princess of the Hinomawari Kingdom and the sole remaining member of the royal house that is able to act with authority. Since the domestic functions of the royal house in the kingdom have ceased to operate, as per the Emergency Power Safeguard Law, all powers and authority have been substantially transferred to me as of this moment.”
Assuming the worst, the Emergency Power Safeguard Law takes precedence over other laws, allowing authority to be concentrated on one person.
“On behalf of the kingdom, I hereby officially request the Second Civilization Union Army and Japan to expel the Gra Valkas Empire that continues to plague the people from my kingdom. I ask… for your cooperation!!!”
Freyja showed unrelenting determination. History began to move once more.
Now emboldened with an official request from the Hinomawari Kingdom, the previously politically and diplomatically restricted Mu and Japan were broken free from their shackles.
・・・
That night
“Thank goodness the meetings wrapped up nicely.”
After the meeting with Freyja, they had a meeting in the afternoon with the Second Civilization Union Army officers once more. After that was over, Ōuchida and Kunidake were talking with each other at their office.
“Still, this coming operation will be a big one, huh. The GSDF must have it rough as well, but us at the ASDF are also having a lot of preparations since this one is so complicated and massive in scale. It also seems that the MSDF is doing their best with coordination with the Holy Mirishial Empire going pretty well.”
Kunidake was also feeling the pressure in his work.
“Collaborating with the MSDF with only a handful of airports at our disposal is much tougher than I thought. Still, we gotta pull through!”
“We’re also collaborating with the Second Civilization Union Army. Will it all work out?”
“One way to find out, I guess?”
Ōuchida takes the memo plastered on his desk in front of him and thinks about it. On the memo was not only the liberation of the Hinomawari Kingdom but everything else after it.
“Given all that, I’m really glad we got to understand more about the empire’s installations in the kingdom, more so than previous intel. There’s some installations that we didn’t previously know were also imperial installations.”
“Feels like Princess Freyja’s official request made it also easier for the politicians back home.”
“Regardless, the rest is up to what we can do, which is to completely execute this operation and, if possible, not let one of our subordinates get killed.”
The enemy had weapons on the same level as those from World War II. While warfare has since evolved to be more hi-tech, ground warfare still tends to be more risky than air or naval combat. Ōuchida was determined not to let a single one of his men die.
Preparations continued.
・・・
Operations Room, Ministry of Defense, Japan
Displayed on the big monitor in the room was a map of the Mu continent. The deployment status of the Self Defense Force was also reflected on top of the map.
“Submarine Flotillas 1 and 2 are departing from Mu’s Patell port and are now headed for the Irnetia Kingdom.”
The submarine fleet has set sail from Patell, a harbor town on Mu’s north coast.
“The Holy Mirishial Empire fleet is ready to set sail.”
“Supplies and munitions on all bases have now reached prescribed figures.”
“The ASDF’s F-15s and F-2s are now ready to sortie from Enuvia airbase. The MSDF’s P-1 units have completed refueling and are now being armed with anti-ship weaponry.”
“AWACS has taken off and has now begun surveying the airspace above Harunagakyō.”
Monotonous reports were being made as changes were reflected on the monitor. Preparations were steadily moving forward.
“This is it.”
SDF official Mitsugi says to another official next to him. He then remembers something.
Ignoring Japan’s multiple calls for peace, the Gra Valkas Empire has made good on its declaration of war against the entire world. Further negotiations were attempted but they were simply dismissed as weak rubbish. Then, they dispatched a massive fleet to Japan. It was a hard-fought battle. Exhausting its stores, Japan rained down missile upon missile on the fleet, forcing the imperial fleet to turn back.
“We have to let them know… that we will not just be on the defense. It’s their fault for making us take this seriously.”
Mitsugi said, as if talking to himself.
He has estimated that there will be a lot of fatalities on the imperial side in this coming operation. With other armies joining in on the retaking of Leifor, it’s anticipated that there will be a considerable amount of civilian deaths too. As one of the planners of the operation, he couldn’t help but feel the burden of responsibility of what’s basically people’s lives. If they don’t expel the empire, they will turn their blades on the Japanese people.
Those guys must also have their own families.
His chest tightened at the sudden thought that emerged from the back of his mind. To defend Japan, they drafted a plan to efficiently destroy the empire in an exceedingly short amount of time. In efficiently crushing their enemy, lives may be affected, if not sacrificed. He kept on telling himself that it was to protect Japan but he still trembled at the amount of deaths anticipated. The previous battle with the great fleet was against purely military personnel. In the event that they reached Tokyo and they didn’t stop them, they calculated that the Japanese death toll would be in increments of 200,000, so they were essentially forced to act. However, now that they were on the offensive, it was possible that civilians from Leifor and other countries would get caught up in the fighting. Even though he understood that it was for the sake of Japan, his mood sank.
Mitsugi felt irritated at the hard-headedness of the Gra Valkas Empire’s higher ups.
If only they responded first for dialogue, none of the tens of thousands of soldiers that will get caught in this operation would die. There may be cold-blooded people among their enemies, but it’s certain that there are good people as well.
He tells himself that such thinking was wrong for their current state of affairs. Various thoughts merged into complicated ones inside Mitsugi’s mind.
Regardless of any single individual’s feelings, the 1st stage of the operation, the assault on the Hinomawari Kingdom, has commenced.
・・・
Enuvia airbase, Mu
The sun had long set and darkness prevailed over the surroundings. The moon was bright tonight, allowing them to see far away. This certain base in Mu had become one of the frontline points of the Second Civilization Union Army’s counterattack. Wyvern stables were set up in the outskirts of the airport as Mu’s Marin state-of-the-art fighters were neatly lined up on the apron. On the corner set up for Japan, F-2 fighters loaded with bombs are preparing to take off.
Those from the Union Army, upon hearing that the Japanese army will attack at night, tried to get a view of them taking off using telescopes from their own allotted spaces.
“Oi, Delker! You see those? Could those be Japan’s iron dragons, wait no, fighters? It’s my first time seeing them and they’re huge!”
One of the veteran dragon knights from the Nigrat Union talks with one of his greenies. Even though he had heard of them from rumors, only a handful of people had actually seen the Japanese fighters, so he focused his attention on the inorganic-looking F-2 fighters.
“It’s just as the rumors said! It’s different from the Marin and the things have no props! I’ve heard that they’re like the Holy Mirishial Empire’s weapons. Still, are those things really that powerful? Our wyvern lords look powerful too.”
Having graduated top of the class from the wyvern drill course, Delker had absolute confidence in his wyvern.
“Japan is powerful, that is certain. No matter what your feelings are telling you, the results of their clash with the Gra Valkas Empire at sea speak for themselves. I too haven’t seen those fighters take off before but once you see them do, tell me again whether you think you can take ‘em on.”
3 fighters slowly taxied towards the runway. One of them was now in place.
HiiiiiIIIIIIIIIIIIII
The high-pitched sound of the jet engines whirring to life resounded across the area. Delker froze at the sound which he had never heard of before. A large volume of air flowed into the jet engine from the front. An intense rush of air shot out of the back and the F-2 began accelerating. Once it let go of the runway, its afterburner ignited.
VwaaaaaAAAAA
Fuel is injected and the afterburner burns bright. A good chunk of fuel being spent in a single moment wasn’t a plus but in return, the fighter got an intense helping of thrust. A roaring sound echoed like a thunderclap. Delker unknowingly covered his ears. Even though he had already covered his ears, he still heard the roaring sound which was loud enough to shake his body. The sight of a single flame getting smaller into the pitch-black void looked magical. The Japanese fighter accelerated fiercely. It disappeared into the western sky at a speed which defied Delker’s common sense.
“…”
“Oi, Delker. Still think you could take ‘em on?”
“…Not anymore. Forgive me for that. I now feel embarrassed at myself for thinking our wyvern lords could match them, let alone do better… They’re too fast. It’s as if they’re on some new level or something. Our wyvern lords really won’t be able to catch up to them at those speeds. Fuck, thank goodness no one else heard me.”
A frank, straight-forward comment.
“Those things really are something. They’re really far better than I expected. Yeah, there’s no way those Gra Valkas Empire fools could win.”
F-2 fighters took off one after the other.
F-2 fighters from the Japan Air Self Defense Force took off into the night sky to bomb the Gra Valkas Imperial Army situated in Harunagakyō, the capital of the Hinomawari Kingdom.
・・・
Night, Harunagakyō, Hinomawari Kingdom
Having finished his duties, the Gra Valkas Empire diplomat Dallas, who was visiting the Hinomawari Kingdom’s Subjugation Authority, walked towards the hotel he was lodging in. He glanced upwards at the sky.
Harunagakyō was the capital of the Hinomawari Kingdom yet it was far, far dimmer than any city in the Gra Valkas Empire. The air was clear and the sky was studded with stars, shining beautifully like precious gems laid out on a dark carpet. Tonight’s moon was bright, shining down on the capital and illuminating the streets.
“There’s too little lighting… Is this really the capital? Goodness… I wanna be posted back to Ragna…”
This place was basically the frontlines. It’s also fairly close to the Valkyries base which had fallen to the enemy. The homeland recognizes that it’s dangerous but they can’t afford to lose administration in the Hinomawari Kingdom. Not only are there military staff members present here but there are also regular staff members dispatched from the mainland. Dallas stopped for a moment and turned around to look at the Subjugation Authority building. Even at this distance it was very visible. It’s an excellent building, imposing enough to be mistaken for the royal castle and a symbol of the empire’s rule over the Hinomawari Kingdom.
“Hmph. My burgeoning country is impressive as I expected. Compared to the flimsy structures around it, the authority’s building is dignified and refined.”
He once again recognized his country’s magnificence. Looking at the building, a smile emerged on his face.
“Huh?”
An eye-piercing, bright light emerged.
“Ack! H-Huh?!”
After the flash of light dissipated, the building that he was looking at was engulfed in a massive fireball.
Kaboom!!!
After a slight delay, the eardrum-piercing sound of an explosion reverberated.
“Arghh!!!”
Enveloped in raging flames, the building of the Subjugation Authority was now in pieces as it clearly crumbled from its previous, magnificent state. The symbol of their rule, of their power, of their unyielding conviction, easily crumbled. Just some time ago, he was working overtime in that same building. With the timing being off by a few minutes, he was able to walk away unscathed. However, he was now assailed by a fear of being caught up in an explosion and dying. A terrifying chill ran down his spine.
F-2 fighters from the Japan Air Self Defense Force had dropped the Japanese version of the LJDAM on Harunagakyō. The bomb landed precisely on the Gra Valkas Empire’s Subjugation Authority building in the Hinomawari Kingdom, destroying it.
Their attack had finally begun.
