Hell on Earth
"War is the place where all human decency, morality and hope is lost. Here, there is no true way to defend such virtues and kind-heartedness against the immoral and indecent nature of mankind against one another. Therefore, as a general rule of thumb, expect war to be the place where one can lose everything. Where honor and dignity are robbed from everyone, where death is a simple and insignificant number in an officer's report, and where all of the beauty and virtuousness of humanity goes to the dump."
- General Shimura Nobisuke, on his memoirs titled "The Cost of Peace and Liberty"
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Halfway in the middle of Mizuki island province and the Kingdom of Joseon of Korea, lies a small island covered with shallow reefs and an eternally misty sea. Because of these traits that can endanger any ship who wishes to enter its vicinity, it has been widely known as a place dreaded by all kinds of sailors and seafarers.
Add to that the fact that recently, it is said that noises of a growling beast echo around the place and pillars of smoke appear from the supposedly uninhabited island, thus the belief of calling it as "Onigashima" or the legendary island of demons from the tale of Momotarou had been widely accepted by many.
"Alright. Spit it out, who has the aces?"
"Not me."
"Not me as well."
"Damn it! Are all of them in your hand again, Sawamura?!"
"They are! Straight A's, you fools!"
"Darn it!"
"That's it! I'm done here!"
However, instead of roughhousing, brutish ogres wearing tiger skins for clothes and swinging around clubs, the inhabitants of the isolated island are prim and proper gentlemen wielding the most sophisticated and destructive weapons at that time.
"Wahahaha! Do you guys still have enough ration tags? You're not starving yourselves, don't you?"
"Shut up! Once I get to know what tricks you are using, Imma get those rations back!"
And today, their service will be called upon for the first time in an active war.
*WRGH! WRGH! WRGH!*
"The alarm!"
"Everyone! To the command center, now!"
Without any pause, every man in the base ran towards the front of the building in the middle of the island. There, they filed into tight squares according to the vessel they are serving in and their respective stations and roles in said vessel.
"Admiral Fumikage! We have come for your summons!"
"Everyone… I am gladdened with the fact that all of you have come as soon as possible."
"""As we are, sir!"""
The one leading these men in this deserted part of the sea is no other than the legendary and highly decorated former captain of Cruiser Ashigara, Fumikage Ryuusui. After his supposed death in the Battle of Mizuki sea, he was sent to lead the new naval detachment in this island due to his great experience and skill at sea.
"I will cut to the chase. We were given orders straight from Iwasawa-sama! This mission will be of utmost importance."
"Wooo!"
"From the big man himself!"
"This would be our first official mission. I'm excited!"
Although his men were exhilarated with this mission being their first deployment for a battle, he still spoke out its depressing details to them without even attempting to soften it up for them.
"…The mission is to launch our Submarine Launched Ballistic Missile-Clustered Attack Munitions (SLBM-CAM) across several key cities of Kise province."
"…Huh?"
"I apologize for saying those things without giving it any context… Kise has turned its back against the Alliance. It has attacked and is currently holding half of Yukonami and is currently decimating the forces of Shinka that was deployed to guard their border with Kise-"
"B-But sir! This is ridiculous! This can't be real-"
"-to add to this! ...there are confirmed reports of suicide bombings all across Kiko right at this moment. Initial reports say that it is being done by cultist from Kise's Yomi worshipping sect… a religion that has just been declared as the new state religion of Kise."
"-!"
"It can't be!"
"How did they get into Kiko and do those things?!"
Although the news of a treasured ally becoming an enemy and attacking its neighbors didn't seem to be believable to them at all, the mention of their own countrymen falling victim to the terror attacks of this new enemy stirred their emotions enough for Ryuusui to see an opportunity to steel his men's resolve.
"I know that all of this is happening in nothing but a moment… but I am sure that all of you are aware that this is the reality of war. Alliances become broken, relations break down and we will suddenly find ourselves in danger."
"That is…"
"I want all of you to wake up from your idealistic thoughts and face reality right now so you can do your duty for your people."
After a short pause, Ryuusui gave his directions and the time when they will head out to do their mission.
"Load nine SS-77 SLBM-CAMs to each of our three ballistic submarines. As for the five combat submarines, the usual complement of M89 Submersible torpedoes is enough. We are raising our anchors by sunrise! Don't stall on me, boys!"
"""Yes, sir!"""
"Go! Prepare your vessels and yourselves!"
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
"CHARGE!!!"
"WAAAAAHHHH!"
"SAVE ME!!!"
The northern border of Shinka that faces Kise has become a view ripped straight from the deepest circle of hell.
"My eyes!!!"
"Medic! Medic!!!"
"Where's the artillery?! What's taking them so long?!"
A seemingly inexhaustible army wearing gas masks versus an army of many nationalities who can do nothing but throw themselves against this enemy force that stubbornly advances without stop.
"The gas canisters are coming!"
"Machine gunners!!!"
"Rain lead on those shits!!!"
After a while of dealing with them, the soldiers discovered that the gas canisters being hurled by the enemy artillery will only release its payload if it hits the ground and detonates. Therefore, shooting them down as soon as they hit their apex height became the main job of the machine gunners who always had their spotter buddies looking out on the sky and detecting them as early as humanly possible.
"Two o'clock! Seventy degrees!"
"Roger!"
"Keep those canisters away from the front!"
"We're not gonna make it!"
"Evacuate the boys on the front trenches, stat!"
"Yes, sir!"
The success of these defensive actions is mixed. Most get shot down before reaching the ground to harm their comrades, while there are those that reach their target and force those who are in its vicinity to run for their lives as the noxious gas puffs out of the canister.
"Do it now!"
"I know!"
"Argh! This thing is still so disgusting no matter how much I try to forget it!"
There were also those who discovered that wetting a piece of cloth and wrapping it over your nose and mouth can help you survive for a limited time inside of the poisonous cloud. Many liquids were used such as water, alcohol (sake) and cola, but from a mistake done by a certain soldier who mistook his discarded underwear for his mask, they discovered that urine, which has a certain amount of ammonia, worked the best to help one to survive for a while inside the mist without being affected by it.
"They're not running out of men!"
"Then let them know that we won't be running out of bullets too!"
"Right! Keep up the fire, my men! Come on!"
"URYAAAA!!!"
A rough estimate of the leading general of the Coalition army states that about 150,000 soldiers from Kise has already been shot down just mere two days after all of this started. As for Shinka's army, the estimate is about 2,000 soldiers through men vs. men combat, while another 8,500 became victims of the poison gas attacks.
Although they are still numerically and strategically superior because of their solid trench defenses, the army of Shinka has became weary after wave upon wave of enemy soldiers rushed to their lines. Sleeplessness has become more of an enduring truth than a solvable problem, and morale has been in all-time low until the drums and horns that announced the arrival of the Coalition army from Yamaguchi city of Fuku province came.
"Fire!!!"
*BYUK! BYUK! BYUK!*
"Reload! Reload!"
"Double time, men!"
Except for the fact that the allied force has relieved all of the tired to the bone Shinka soldiers from their positions, there was also a news from the Coalition army's general that spread throughout the lines and raised the men's morale to the brim.
"Come on, lads! Don't let our platoon be a shame to Kusanagi-sama's name!"
"If our group gets called out for holding back, I won't be covering for your asses, you hear me?!"
"Make those traitorous bastards regret ever turning their backs against our beloved lady!"
However, there are things that cannot be easily erased by being taken out of the battlefield and being told that your monarch is coming soon to praise your actions.
"RAAAAAAHHHHH!!!"
"He's spasming again! Someone! Please get the straitjacket!"
"I KILLED THEM! AAAARRRRHHHH!!! I KILLED ALL OF THEM!!!"
"SHUT UP! I AM AT FAULT! I WAS THE ONE WHO- abargf-!"
"Please everyone! Stop blaming yourselves any more than this!"
The soldiers who were the most tired of them all began to show the same symptoms all of a sudden once they woke up. All of them began to look back on what happened these past two days and begin to become so emotionally distraught that in the span of several hours, they will begin to have emotional outbursts filled with regret and hatred that are directed to their self and soon, they would begin to spasm and hurt their selves.
"I'M SORRY!!! I DIDN'T WANT TO KILL ANY OF YOU!!!"
"PLEASE FORGIVE ME! STOP HAUNTING ME!!!"
"I DON'T WANT TO DIE! PLEASE DON'T TAKE ME IN MY SLEEP!"
The sight is disheartening and the work of stopping them from performing acts of self-harm is as hard as taming a raging beast. Both the nurses and the doctors who are looking after them has faced just as much stress and tiredness from looking after them and finding a way to quickly return these men to their senses.
"This is a big scoop! Gotta take a good photo!"
"Yeah. If we get these photos and my writings back to Kinjou city, the opposition party would surely-"
"They would surely what, you stooge?"
""EEEEKKKK!!!""
Even in this depressing and dangerous place though, there are still those who are only here to bring harm and hatred to these already battered men and women. People who are willing to twist some tale to sell it to those who would want to go against their leaders.
"Taking photos of our casualties and injured men are alright if you wish to report our losses… but if you're going to pass it off along with this essay filled with lies and exaggerated information, wouldn't that make the public lose their trust with us?"
"Che! Wouldn't that just be the truth anyway? I wrote that you are executing any civilians that you catch, looting homes and assaulting women. Once you get out of this deadlock with them, you and your men would surely do those things, wouldn't you, sir?"
With a sarcastic tone subtly saying the words "They will believe me and they won't believe you", the journalist was clearly mocking the military police captain who caught him and his fellows.
"You know, maybe you are right."
"Huh?"
"Hypothetically… you know, just hypothetically that is. All of the things you said may happen after all and it would be an assured bloodbath and pure atrocities perpetrated by our army."
"Haha… Wahahaha! Seems like we didn't have to lie after all! This guy is going to do it! We don't have to make things up anymore to sell them to those newspaper makers!"
"Now we can be legitimate journalists!"
"Bwahaha!!! We'd become rich off of this stuff!"
"…"
As the "journalists" laughed after hearing his words, the captain of the military police kept his silence until the laughter was drained out.
"…However, we won't be doing those things. First of all, because those civilians aren't bearing arms against us. Second, because even if Chancellor Iwasawa has suspended Article 1 to 4 of the alliance agreement throughout the entirety of Kise, those normal people have not instigated any harm towards us or our mission. And lastly, because a lot of people would care and raise a question if they just suddenly disappeared out of the blue."
"That…"
"However, you and your band of fools do not fit those conditions."
"Haaah?! And how the hell can that be?!"
"Yeah! Did you ever get any weapons on our bags?!"
"Lieutenant…"
"Yes, sir."
With his officer's command, the lieutenant took the film of the camera they had and spoke up about how this small thing is considered as a weapon.
"Your admittance that the pictures recorded in this film will be sold to newspapers already held under scrutiny for destabilizing and contemptuous articles to the Lordship and its policies can be considered as a weapon aimed to remove the honor and meaningful sacrifice done by our soldiers in the name of protecting our master and our land."
"-!"
"As for the second condition, the if-then clause can be used to remove the human rights and protections given to you by the state after you conspired to cause harm to the people by slandering the army."
"W-wait-!"
"Huh?"
"You can't just spin a tale like that!"
"Yeah! This is unconstitutional!"
"No! This is going even beyond unconstitutional! This is inhumane! This isn't how you're supposed to treat your own people!"
"…"
Hearing all of this blabbering from the ones they caught, the military police officers just looked at them in disgust and pity as their captain approached and whispered something that made all colors drain from their faces.
"…For the last condition, which is the reason why we can't just kill people as we wish because we will be scrutinized if they die… that thing also doesn't apply to any of you."
"-!!!"
"You are all people of ill repute. Spreading lies in order to make a false narrative and sell a story made from misunderstood or twisted facts and outright lies that make people fear for their lives. The fact that you call yourselves as "journalists" is a massive insult to the people who pour their sweat and blood to inform the people about factual information and risks their lives to reach the truth about the most dangerous of topics…"
"Wait… you can't be-"
"But for all of you… you are no journalists. You are all swindlers and speakers of falsehoods. And as such no one will ever care if you just simply disappeared right at this moment."
As their captain turned around to leave the area, the MP officers around them all chambered a bullet into their pistols and went around the men who were tied up.
"WAIT! THIS IS TYRANNY! THIS IS MADNESS!"
"I know."
"-!"
"When did you ever think that you are in control when you are living in a country like a parasite in it?"
"NO! NOOOOO!!!"
"Just die and suffer in hell for all the pain you caused us and our master."
The gunshots that claimed these people's lives was drowned out by the firing of the nearby artillery. Hiding from everyone the fact that these people are now no longer alive and able to continue their falsehoods.
"Dress them in combat uniforms and take their bodies to the pyre. Let the undertakers handle how their bones will be hid."
"""Yes, sir!"""
As horrifying as it might be, this is how the armies of the alliance silenced its most destructive of dissenters and slanderers. Many of them are covert, while some which can act as a great example to the people are done overtly.
As much as it may disturb those who grew in more democratic and citizen-centered societies, this is the truth regarding the treatment of such individuals in the feudal era. After all, one's citizens might the treasure of a leader, but in a time when some of them would undermine their rule, the leader has the right and duty to crush them before their rot spreads throughout the others.
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"How fares the battle in the border, Ishigawa?"
"Quite badly, my lord. Scores of our soldiers has fallen victim to the Kise army's poison gas attacks and although our defenses are still solid due to the arrival of the Coalition army from Yamaguchi city, we fear that if we cannot deal a decisive blow on the enemy, they will simply pour waves upon waves of people against us."
"I see…"
After an overnight trip across three provinces by train and carriage, the female lord of Shinka immediately assembled her war officials while being dressed in her light war armor over her military dress.
On the head of this group of war officials was Ishigawa Gojo, her loyal retainer who has fulfilled the job of erecting the enduring defensive line in their northern border while his master was still away from the province.
"How about Mitsuha? How is she handling the defense of Yukonami?"
"The Kise army is more numerous in Yukonami… even with the noble sacrifice of her soldiers who waged a brutal guerilla warfare and battle of attritions against them, they still swiftly conquered half of the province in a matter of several days"
"…"
"But right now, it seems like the reinforcement provided by the Shogunate's army has pushed the Kise army back away from several key cities. Based on what Mitsuha has told us, it seems like the Shogun's general is following the plan that she drafted about mounting a massive offensive on the border to cut off the supplies of Kise's army that is already in their lands, before making an encircled attack against them after all."
"Wise choice… she really impresses me in these things."
After her chest plate and shoulder guards has been attached over her combat uniform, Kyoko finally faced her men who all had adamant expressions on their faces as they knew how grave the situation is right now.
"…We will march for the border! Assemble the entire army and tell them to say their farewells to their loved ones! Tonight, we will make sure that our enemies will dine in hell!"
"URYAAAA!!!"
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
The waves at the west of Kise was rough as a stagnantly-moving storm stirred up the water and grounded any ship that wished to sail out in their ports.
"Depth from sea level, report."
"50 meters, sir. I repeat, 50 meters."
"Copy that. Maintain bearing and radio communications with the fleet. Avoid any chance of collision with their course."
"Copy that, sir. Adjusting plotted course."
However, the depths where these silent ships moved through has not a single sliver of the chaos from above the water's surface. Under the dark and cold sea water are eight submarines from Kiko's silent service, carefully and stealthily encroaching further and further into the land they were tasked to destroy.
"Navigations, report to me."
"We're at course, sir. Estimated time of arrival to point Cuckoo is in seven minutes."
"Alright… Armaments team."
{"Yes, sir. Ready for orders."}
"You heard the man, arm the missiles and prepare to fire them in a moment's notice."
{"Affirmative, sir!"}
From a communications pipe phone, the commander of the ballistic submarine informed the sailors handling their ballistic missiles to arm the weapons and fire them as soon as they arrive in the vicinity of Kise province.
All throughout the submarine fleet, these words commanding the arming of their weapons was told for only about seven minutes later, they finally arrived at the western shore of Kise and there, emerged from the sea while still being hid by the high sea waves and the torrential rainfall.
"W-Wait. Sir!"
"What is it?"
"There's a radio line… it's unencrypted, and it seems to be… Iwasawa-sama?!"
"What?!"
The radioman immediately connected everyone's headphones to the frequency of the call, and they all recognized the voice of their master who seems to be talking with someone from within Kise.
{"You don't have to do this, Reika… This thing about pursuing your clan's destiny and responsibility to bring over the Otherworld to this world. This cultist belief of worshipping Otherworlders and the remnants of the Otherworld inside Yomi. None of this has to happen anymore if you will just surrender."}
{"And as I said, Iwasawa… This is my fate. This is what I chose for myself and my people that has long lost faith after our supposed deities left us… You have no knowledge about how painful it is for them to believe in something greater than them and one day be made to accept that all of it is gone."}
Undoubtedly, it was the voice of the female lord of Kise and the person who is said to have turned to become their enemy. The men wanted to sneer insults towards her, but her tone stopped them from doing such as it seemed… pained…
{"I know that he is responsible for this. You don't have to follow him anymore. You don't need to listen and indulge his commands if you will just surrender and give up where he is located to my army."}
{"Please just give up, Iwasawa."}
There was silence from their master's side after what Reika said. To the submarine crew who was listening, they slowly felt a sense of pity towards her as they sensed that there was something far more sinister hiding beneath all of this conflict.
{"My status as a child of the Daigo clan compels me to fulfill the objective given by my ancestors. We are to bring back the glory of the Otherworld that was destroyed by the Divine Challenger… a glory that will appease all of humanity's wishes and satisfy them until the end of time."}
{"Then I guess I have to stop you after all, Reika… It is clear that there would be no compromise between us at all."}
{"Strange… I thought that of all the people that would hear this, someone like you who is most concerned and focused on his people's comfort and satisfaction would support it."}
{"I only have one reason as to why I am going against you… and that is because I know firsthand how something like that would cause the suffering of a lot of people… and I also know who that person who stopped it in the first place is and why he did that so."}
Them who was eavesdropping in this conversation can only understand half of what is being talked about, but they all understood that whatever it is, such a topic would soon decide whether the destructive weapons they have on board will be used or not.
{"You're wrong. The Otherworld flourished under the great pursuit of happiness and satisfaction for all. If only he didn't stop it, humanity could've been-}
{"Humanity was given the choice between an arduous yet fruitful life and a comfortable yet senseless life… and they chose the latter out of the selfish pursuit of hedonism and meaninglessness…}
{"That is not true."}
{"You know that it is true. And that the lies fed to you by that monster who just won't stay put and die is false… but your mindless pursuit of fulfilling your ancestors' decrepit and unachievable dream compels you to believe that it is not true… and that all of the sacrifices happening right now is for the sake of such a dream."}
Another pause of silence followed as both sides seem to wish that this conversation would drag on so they won't be made to make the choice that will destroy them mutually.
{"I have a question though…"}
{"What is it?"}
{"When you reincarnated me here and pretended that you had no business with me until we formally met and became allies, how did you see me as a person?"}
{"As you should be… a new saint to replace Lady Ayaka and be used in our pursuit of eternal happiness for all."}
{"So, in the first place, I was nothing but a puppet in all of your eyes. A doll that must follow orders and be the symbol of your rotten faith?"}
{"…Yes."}
{"I guess I should show you and your people how their supposed "saint" feels about the things they are preaching then."}
{"W-wait! You can't be-!"}
"Sir! Their lighthouse has detected us! Searchlights are being pointed to our direction!"
The sailor on the periscope reported that several searchlights are presently being pointed at their group of submarines following the shocked words of the Daigo lady in the radiophone.
{"That's right… I was serious when I said that I will stop you by all means necessary."}
"Sir! Coordinates for each missile are being sent and set by our submarine crews! Awaiting Central command's permission to fire!"
"Right! Hold on until a proper order is given!"
{"No! You can't do this! You'll be robbing everyone of their dreams of a better tomorrow and lives! No one will ever respect a person who does these kinds of things!"}
{"Then let it be as it should be. If I will become a monster in the eyes of my enemies, I will let it be like that. I will slaughter anyone who stands against me, and I will take in anyone who wants to escape a life led by people like you who mindlessly believe in the pursuit of a painless yet meaningless life."}
{"You-!"}
{"That will be all, Lady Reika… I'll be letting my men handle the rest of it."}
As soon as the green lightbulb that authorized the launch of the missiles was lit, all three of the ballistic submarines launched their nine missiles across the province of Kise.
Later on, this would be remembered as the day when the entirety of Japan realized the power of the Daimyo of Kiko and sided with him… or face the same devastation attained by Kise and its people.