Total War

It was in the middle of the evening when a horseman from the fortress of the city arrived in the streets of Kota, the city where most of the province's soldiers live. And although he is almost hoarse and exhausted to the bone after shouting the same words across the other streets of the city, he still managed to shout one thing that all of the soldiers who heard it, whether they were asleep or still awake, left what they were doing to assemble to the fortress keep of the city as soon as humanly possible.

"Assemble, Soldiers of Shinka! Your lord calls for your presence! We are at war!!!"

In a matter of minutes, a wave of men and women headed out of their homes, dressed in basic combat attire with duffel bags on their backs. All of them, ready to answer to the summons of their master who has declared war on an enemy.

"Don't bump with each other! Gather your equipment from your lockers, get your supplies from the warehouse and board your carriages as soon as you are ready!"

Inside the fortress area, a humongous building that looks like an auditorium was filled to the brim with the soldiers who just arrived. Upon seeing them, an officer gave instructions to keep their emergency deployment process orderly and efficient.

"Pardon me, sirs! My locker is below yours."

"Don't mind us, kid. Just get your stuff and head out there. Also, don't put too much strain on your tag while using it as your key or it may snap."

"Yes, sir!"

A quite creative use of their military identification tags that was taken from the Kiko army showed itself here where a part of it that is sticking out is used as a unique key to their respective lockers that contains the rest of their combat gear such as a vest that has pockets for ammunition magazines, a conical hat that acts as their helmets and some patches with a cloth adhesive under it that denotes their rank insignia and the army group that they belong to.

"Get your rifles! Don't forget to grab your clips too!"

"Come on, lads! The battlefield is waiting for us!"

In the armory warehouse, the new M12-A3 Hiryuu rifles that was just bought from Kiko's Nagisa Arms and Armor company was being given to the soldiers who quickly grabbed it along with 12 magazines of its ammunition. As they wore the gun's sling strap across their torso and carefully placed the magazines to the pockets of their vests, they also made their way to the military carriages waiting on the courtyard of the fortress, ready to bring them to the frontlines as quickly as possible.

"Platoon rollcall!"

"""""Riflemen! Reporting, sir!"""""

""Machinegun team! Reporting, sir!""

"Radioman! Reporting, sir!"

""Grenadiers! Reporting, sir!""

"Adjutant Officer! Reporting, sir!"

"Commanding Officer! Leading the charge!"

"Alright! All aboard! Move, move, move!!!"

The fortress commander's deputies went from cart to cart, asking for rollcalls on the 12-man platoons. Their checklist included the presence and response of 5 riflemen, 2 machine gunner teammates, 1 radioman, 2 grenadiers and 1 officer of higher rank than the commanding officer of the platoon, a thing made to split the burden of leading the team in the battlefield and to minimize mutinous behaviors.

In just under 20 minutes from the time that the horseman from the capital shouted the call to arms after they received instructions from the capital, hundreds of military carriages left the city of Kota to head to the northern border where the battle areas are located, and thousands more will come later.

Though they have been beaten by the Kiko army when it comes to military technology and advancements in tactics and strategies in terms of combined arms operations, the army of Shinka is still the leading superpower in the Southern triad due to their sheer numbers and the competency and efficiency of their soldiers.

"Incoming message from Chamberlain Ishigawa… I'll set it to loudspeaker, sir."

"Alright. Let us hear it."

Inside the carriages, the radiomen received notices that the interim leader of Shinka will be speaking shortly, and it should be heard by everyone in the carriage.

{To all combatants called upon through my instruction, I wish this message reaches you well. Though I know that the time is inconvenient, the battlefield cannot wait until we are comfortable to face it.}

A short and fairly calm introduction came first through the speaker. Something that is done to break the core of the message properly to the audience.

However, the next few statements caused some of the soldiers to become shocked after they were spoken.

{In the afternoon, our allies in Yukonami have been unexpectedly and deliberately attacked by the forces of Kise in their mountain border. Artillery shells containing aerosolized poison rained on the border villages and towns, killing all manner of life and lingering on the ground, making counterattack from Yukonami unfeasible. Under the request of local lord Ayanami Mitsuha, I call upon all of you to guard our borders against these traitorous individuals who has asserted their hostile stance against us. Fear them not, my soldiers! Your actions shall preserve the safety and stability of our nation and end the reign of these disloyal ones who has turned their backs on us.}

"Kise… Lady Daigo's army attacked Yukonami…?"

"B-But why? Why would they do that?"

"This is unbelievable… Why now? Why ever?"

Even though they felt conflicted with the revelation that their long-standing allies has betrayed them, the soldiers simply waved their heads and decided to accept the situation as truth.

"We will arrive in the front lines by daybreak! Keep your strength with you, men! I don't want you failing on me!"

"""Yes, sir!!!"""

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Unbeknownst to both the leaders of Shinka and Kise, the Yukonami army has begun to mount counterattacks and ambushes on the forces that crossed the border and are being sent to conquer the lands.

"Now!!!"

"""RAAAAAHHHH!!!"""

"A-A-Ambush!!!"

The pine forests and mangrove swamps of Yukonami became the killing ground of the Yukonami army who has switched to guerilla tactics against their enemies.

"Die! Die! Die!!!"

"UGWAHHH!"

One by one, the forces they sent fell into disarray and became prey to the soldiers who waited nose-deep in the swamps, dyed their bodies brown or grey to meld seamlessly amongst the woods or simply hanged on tree branches before falling down to make quick work against the enemy soldiers.

"These guys look like they aren't even 20 years old…"

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm saying that these guys are just kids… I find it hard to see this as a real victory."

"…"

"Why is Kise doing this…? Why are they attacking us and why are they sending troops who hasn't experienced war yet?"

Almost all soldiers in Yukonami asked these questions inwardly as they stood atop the corpses of their fallen enemies. The young men that they just killed out of the blue casted their empty, soulless eyes on them, seemingly judging them for what they did.

"…Let's bring them to the pyre area. It would be better for them to be laid to rest quickly."

"…Alright."

Although all of them are aware of the bad reputation that their people received during the regime of the four Yukogahara bandit lord brothers, they still don't see why their allies under the new Ayanami lord would attack them out of the blue.

"Any reports from the scouts?"

"Nothing much, sir. Except for incursions of Kise infantry formations that are blocked by our ambushes and counterattacks, there are no news of great importance to be reported."

"I see… Then about their poison attacks?"

"It's as Lady Ayanami has expected. They are moving their cannons further into our lands and firing those gas canisters towards us indiscriminately. We've already sent men to forcibly evacuate the settlements that might get hit with their attacks, but just like the primary evacuation efforts…"

"I see… Not everyone is ready to part with the place where they were born, huh?"

"Y-yes, sir…"

Upon hearing the news about the stragglers who didn't heed the evacuation orders, the captain of the ambush force inside the northern swamplands of Yukonami looked sullen.

"I was fortunate to be spared during the Kirin Lord's campaign against the Yukogahara bandit lord brothers… It was through pure luck that I only sustained a fractured arm bone after my entire regiment was swallowed whole by one of their artillery shells."

"Colonel…"

"I admit, I have mountains worth of sins to atone for… Even to this day, I regret choosing to join their bandit bands and cause misery and strife to my own countrymen. When we pillage villages and towns, I had to swallow my own conscience as those around me slaughter the residents, had their way on the women and sold the kids to slavery… I deserve none of what I have right now."

"But sir, those are already in the past and-"

"I've already heard those words again and again back then. And yet it brings me no peace. I cannot erase any of the sins that I have done back then… even time cannot erase what I have done and allowed to be done."

For this particular Colonel, the invasion done by the armies of Kiko and Shinka was the release that he needed to escape from the grasp of the evil life that he was forced to lead out of desperation. It was the only way for him to fully escape the fate of having to live the rest of his life as a hopeless bandit.

And yet, after his homeland was liberated from the rule of the four bandit lord brothers and a new leader was assigned to lead them, he was called upon to be an officer in the renewed army because he is a survivor of the past one.

For someone like him who expected to stray around for the rest of his life because of his previous occupation, being returned to active service and into the frontlines in order to make up for his past crimes was a punishment as painful as death… but also one that reminds him constantly that this is probably how the heavens decided to make him pay what is due for him.

"I… I and those who were there during our war with Kiko and Shinka would probably say the same words."

"Is it "This should be a punishment for me and not my innocent countrymen", sir?"

"Right. If anyone deserves to suffer, it was us who had done wrong and has blood all over our rotten souls."

"…"

"…Let's shelve this discussion some other time. I had my fill of self-loathing today… anything more and I may end up being a cripple who can't lead you lads in our mission. You, gather our men!"

"Yes, sir!"

As his subordinate called for their group, the old man looked at the mountain range where their enemies are pouring out from and muttered to himself.

"…I should bear the last burden in this cycle of vengeance. No one should bear it anymore after me."

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

"What should we do, General Ishida?"

"Your decision will be our action, sir. Please bless us with your instruction as soon as possible."

"We cannot remain just seated right here, General. Please decide for us already."

"…"

Inside the strategic meeting room of Naka castle, the commanding officers of our army is hounding me for instructions about how we will handle the situation ahead of us.

"Kise has started to bombard and invade Yukonami… I still can't believe this report."

"As much as you wish to not believe it, sir… That is what our air scouts has sworn to have seen."

"I know, I know… But it really doesn't add up at all."

It makes no sense at all to me… Why is Kise starting a war with Yukonami when both of them are signatories to the Southern Quartet Alliance? I don't understand at all how these adds up.

"General Ishida! Please stop looking at this as if this is still a debatable fiction!"

"That's right! All of us in here has seen the photos! Undeniable and unreasonable number of military encampments and artillery equipment has been set up in the mountainous border of Kise and Yukonami!"

"If this isn't an invasion army, I don't know what else this would be!"

"…"

I don't know why all of this is happening… None of us know why.

"…Do we still have no stable line of communications with General Shimura or Chamberlain Aoyama?"

"Still nothing, sir. The jamming site in Kise is still in full swing, disabling our radio-communications with them in the Imperial Capital."

"How about our landline communications with Shinka or Hashidate?"

"Those has just been returned to working order, sir. Turns out, someone has cut our lines which crippled our ability to contact them."

"Cut? Alright, I'll ask about the details of those later. First, can you contact our people in Hashidate so they can send a messenger or something like that to our leaders in the capital?"

"I've already contacted our consulate in Hashidate ahead of this meeting, sir. It was an order from Misanagi-sama."

"Misanagi… you mean, Misanagi Jirou?"

"Yes, sir. After hearing rumors about Kise's invasion yesterday, he came to the Military Communications office and asked us to contact our consulate. Did he not inform you about it?"

"N-no… He didn't."

None of what is happening right now makes sense to me… Kise's sudden invasion, someone cutting our landline communications, the jamming site in one of our allied states and most of all, the reason why the old man from the Misanagi clan is issuing orders to our men without my knowledge.

"Anyways, we're getting too sidetracked right now, General Ishida… Give us our instructions already and let's be done with this!"

"Right!"

"…Alright. Let's not waste our time any further then."

Just before I can announce an order for the mobilization of our troops, a messenger dressed in Shinka's new combat fatigue uniform knocked on the door and entered after a moment.

"General Ishida of Kiko, I bear news from Chamberlain Ishigawa of Shinka."

"The interim leader…?"

"Why did he not use our communications in the embassy for this?"

"Sir?"

"Your interim leader, why did he not use our ambassador to send this message?"

"But sir, the embassy said that their radiophones and landline phones are unavailable."

"Alright… forget that I asked that for now. Tell me the message that he wants to be told to us."

"Yes, sir! Chamberlain Ishigawa is requesting Kiko's army to be deployed in the northern frontier of Shinka where Kise's army is expected to encroach after they set up a foothold in Yukonami."

"Deployment… Does he wish for us to send reinforcements?"

"No, sir. He wishes for Kiko to help in the border security and offensive operation towards Kise's Kingo city."

"Offensive operation-?!"

"Is he telling us to attack our own allies?!"

As my subordinates raised their voices and complaints, I thought deeply on the possible reason why Ishigawa-dono would request such an unreasonable thing.

"…We will send two infantry divisions. Although I am in charge of our military affairs right now, I do not have the authority to declare war or order a major military movement. Please communicate these words to Ishigawa-dono."

"I will, sir! Please excuse me."

After the messenger left, I looked around the room and saw shocked expressions on the faces of my subordinates. It seems like they feel nervous about the possible implications of breaking the terms of the alliance.

"Don't feel too guilty, gentlemen. Right now, we still have the moral high ground."

"Do we really have that, sir?"

"Yes, we do… Whether the Daigo clan is facing an internal strife where the military has overtaken the leadership of the province, or this is a deliberate action done by the Daigo clan themselves, we must not falter in the midst of this confusion…"

"…"

"Let's discuss which infantry division to send and wait until either General Ishida, Chamberlain Aoyama or if the heavens would allow it, Lord Iwasawa comes back to take over the helm for us."

I am also a general of my land, but offensives are not my expertise nor is it something that I wish to play with. If anything, I am a military man who protects his land.

And so, I became unaware of the truth that is being hidden by our allies-turned-enemies about the true reason why they have suddenly rose up against us.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

"Make way! Make way!!!"

"The train to Mutsuki province is ready for you, Lady Kusanagi. The Shogun has already prepared the carriage that would bring you to Hashidate's railways too."

"Good. Send him my appreciation and tell him to help those two get back to their feet."

"As you wish, my lady."

In the middle of the night when the railroad would usually no longer be in operation, a top-of-the line locomotive was put into the rails by the depot turntable for a special trip.

"Load up! Load up!!!"

"Don't laze around! Get into the cabs stat!"

The reason for all this hubbub? A news from a certain person who was caught in the attempted assassination of one of the Shogun's guests from the south. A news that rattled everyone and forced the delegates and even the leader of Shinka to immediately go back to their lands.

"Reika-nee… why are you doing this…?"

Amongst them, the one who really can't accept her current situation as truth was Kusanagi Kyoko, the lord of Shinka and master of the lord of Yukonami which is currently being attacked by their longtime ally.

"All aboard! All aboard!"

*Fweeeeeeettttt-!!!*

In a matter of minutes since the locomotive came with a few cabs to be ridden by her and her soldiers, it left the station and went full-speed ahead to the station in Mutsuki province where the Shogunate-owned railway will end. From there, it would be a few hours of a carriage ride to the Alliance-owned railway in Hashidate before they can finally arrive in Shinka.

"Lady Kusanagi."

"Mitsuhide… Are you alright?"

In their private cab, Ayanami Mitsuhide sat in front of her master with a sullen face. Because of this, Kyoko asked if she was doing alright.

"I… If I am going to be honest, I am not alright."

"…"

"Just the last day, I was told that I have no hope to be with him… and now, we are told that our homeland is in danger just a few hours after the woman that he loves was confirmed to no longer be able to wake up again."

"Mitsuhide…"

The news that their land and its inhabitants are in danger from a war started by a close ally was enough for them to sideline the fact that the two of them who had just been turned down by the man that they both loved.

"Say, Kusanagi-sama…"

"Yes?"

"Do you remember the night before the crowning ceremony of the lord of Mizuki province? When the three of us spent the entire night confessing how we love Iwasawa-sama and promised to fight fair and square for his heart?"

"…Of course, I do. That was the first time when I actually felt like I am willingly fighting someone on unequal grounds. Unlike every other battle that we fought, fighting over the love of someone and losing at it seems to be…"

"…more painful?"

"…Yes. More painful."

"…"

To say that the two of them had nothing but passing crushes or simple admiration to Iwasawa Hiroshi would be a blatant underestimation. Because even though they had only been personally with each other for a number of times, they saw how he treats his people and even those who are not with him but wishes not to harm him or those around him.

In this age of great men bearing great ambitions, it wouldn't be uncommon for said men to also have little to no care for those who are under them if it will bring them nearer to their goals. As such, many women of high birth have accepted the truth that whoever man they would marry, it would be nigh impossible for their relationship to be one formed through mutual love and care and instead, their marriage, life as husband and wife and even childbirths would just be a means to an end by their ambitious husband.

Both Kyoko and Mitsuhide are not immune to these thoughts. They are aware that even though they are women in high positions, and it would not be necessary for them to marry and have children, their human hearts still yearn for such an experience especially in hard times such as the one they are living in where having a family can secure one's safety and happiness in their older days.

Because of that, the allure of the young man who has treated them kindly in their times of need and instead of pushing them away because of the grievances between them, retained his place beside them as they faced their own difficulties, became greater and greater until it bloomed into a feeling of peace and tenderness towards him.

"He's quite a fool, isn't he?"

"Kusanagi-sama…?"

"Hiroshi… I can't help but want to call him a fool because of what happened during the last few days."

"Can you still not come to terms with the truth that he didn't choose us?"

"…I guess I am, if I am still having these kinds of thoughts."

It was at this moment that Mitsuhide noticed that her master's eyes are becoming moist and barely holding back her tears. Because of this, she too, became unable to hold back hers.

"Like I'm one to talk… Hk! I'm… I'm pretty bad with dealing with my own emotions too anyway…"

"Seems like… it was futile for us to even hope, huh?"

"Yes… We didn't win. And I don't see any reason why I shouldn't feel frustrated about it."

For a while, these two young women would let their tears flow and console each other about the things that transpired beforehand, seemingly doing it for the sake of letting go of the pain, but also in order to come to terms with it before they face the hard decisions ahead of them in their homeland.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

"MRGH-! MMMM!!!"

"Tell your master that I am done tolerating his charades and that I will make sure to slaughter him from his body and into his wretched soul until even Yomi will puke him out so that he can be tormented in the endless void."

In one of the dungeon cells underneath the Shogunate estate in Hitachi city, one of the greenhoods that was caught by the Shogunate soldiers was brought to their master who spoke those words to him with a bloodcurdling gaze on the man's eyes. Enough to make the person to shake and piss himself in fear.

"Throw him outside of the city and execute the rest… One messenger carrying such a threat would let me test how much that animal fears me."

"As you wish, Master."

"Endou. Are you there?"

"I am. Whaddya want me to do?"

"Send some of your men to Yamato ahead of us. Tell them to alert the Officer Legion about our situation so that they can prepare for our surprise attack."

"Shogun-sama… that's…"

"Wouldn't that be too much…?"

"I know why you're saying those words… but I cannot afford to half-ass things now."

"Heh…If that's what you say, I'm all for it."

"Thanks, Endou… I'll leave it all to you."

As the Shogun decided to seriously face his enemies this time, the mention of the Shogunate Officer Legion made his subordinates fear for their enemies.

"I will not let that pest to sink his fangs on this world again."

"Sora… please don't let yourself be affected too much. You've gotta mind your own health if you want to fight that guy."

"I know… I'm sorry for worrying you, Chia-chan."

"Nn, nn… No need to apologize. So long as you are alright, I have no complaints at all."

With his wife leading him by the hand, he and Chiasa climbed up back to the surface where they found out that it was already daybreak.

"How are the preparations for our journey going?"

"Endou and Garou's men has already set up a safe route for us. Travelling through the plains using the railways would make us susceptible to hijacking and enemies disguised as the crew, so those two said that we should secretly board a ship with the train being a decoy."

"I can't believe it… We're really being cautious against the people who willingly took our side and accepted our rule…"

"I get why it leaves a bad taste in your mouth since you are their leader… but I promise you, this is something that we have to get used to until we bring that fiend down."

"I know… as much as I hate it, I need to accept this as fact."

After a while, they arrived at his office where his wife carefully made him sit down on a couch before going to the tea table to prepare a batch for them.

"Haah… I really am getting old…"

"Stop saying that, Sora… You'll make me conscious about my age too, you dummy."

"Why would you be conscious about your age? You were transported here… unlike me who lived into a ripe, old age before being reincarnated and living a new life again."

"That's exactly why I'm conscious!"

As she shouted back her reply, she placed the tea set on the table in front of the couch and looked at her husband with a strict expression.

"My, my… Is this jealousy that I'm seeing?"

"Jealousy? Why? Do I have anything to hear from you that may require me to be jealous?"

"…"

"Tell me, did you get on with other girls after I was transported? Did you think I left you out of the blue, so you went skirt hunting, you gigolo?"

"Chia-chan. You're pulling on my collar…"

"I'm doing this so you'll look at me straight and I can see if you are lying… So, I ask again, did I somehow got replaced when I was taken to this world?"

Even with his wife strangling an answer out of him and looking straight into his eyes, Sora was as calm as spring water as a smile formed on his lips.

"It's exactly because I know you'll do this if you find it out otherwise, that I spent the rest of my life yearning for you and only you. And look at us right now… you really went all jelly and pouting when I brought it up."

"Ah."

"Come here, you tsundere…"

"Mm-!"

With their faces close enough that they can feel each other's breaths, Sora planted a passionate kiss on his wife's lips, not parting at all until he was sure that his wife has been consumed by the surprise.

"Do you know how long I've waited just to see you? How much I avoided to lose hope that we will see each other again?"

"That…"

"We just got married and haven't crossed off anything in our checklist yet when you became transported… Do you know how sad I was during those times?"

"…"

From her solid, standing position from earlier, Chiasa ended up slowly climbing up the sofa with her knees and sitting on her husband's lap while facing him. He held her tightly by the waist, securing her in his bosom as the two of them stared at each other's eyes.

"We've got a second chance in this world to fulfill all of that… and I don't intend to dilly-dally around anymore, lest we lose time to actually bond with each other…"

"Sora…"

"That's why I want to ask you to support me and give me strength for my tribulations ahead… because I know that I cannot do what I must do unless you are with me and correcting my wrongs."

Hearing her husband's wish, Chiasa wrapped her arms around her husband's neck and whispered her response.

"Of course… You are the person that I promised to love and be with after all…"

"…Thank you, Chia-chan. I'll be doing my best for our and our people's future."

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

In the northern border between Shinka and Kise, the trenches have been dug that will soon become the killing grounds in the last war in the Southern Triad.

"Secure the cannons! Don't let them be moved later when we need them!"

"Yes, sir!"

"Place the barbed wires properly! We need to funnel them into our bunker's line of fire!"

"Sir! We need more men in this line! The ground it too dense!"

"Call another platoon and do it quickly! We need to have a foothold before they come here!"

"Roger!"

10 kilometers of ditches was dug in a single day. That was how much manpower and efficiency that the Shinka army placed into this area in order to protect it from the encroaching army.

"Artilleries! Calibrate your rangefinders and prepare for early bombardment! We can't afford to be the one that will be fired upon first!"

"Yes, sir!"

The limited number of cannons on their arsenal is the most vital piece of equipment in their formation. A fact that the enemy could've known as well, so it was decided to only use them in the beginning of engagements to avoid having their locations detected.

"Wow… we've dug so much already."

"We have a lot more earth to move. Stop talking and dig, private!"

"Yes, sir! Wait… Lieutenant…"

"What?"

"Those birds…"

One young private who was digging a trench with his platoon pointed at the sky where he noticed some pigeons flying in strange patterns.

"Why are they flying like that? Do they have a broken wing?"

"No. They're flapping them properly but…"

"But?"

"It seems like they're dizzy or something."

The birds flew in random paces and direction for a while before one by one, they dropped to the ground lifelessly.

"What on earth-?!"

"The birds just died!"

"Lieutenant… isn't it too early in the afternoon to have mist around here?"

"Mist?"

Such words were their last before a thick cloud crawled nearer and nearer to them… silencing them as they dropped down, limp and lifeless as if their very souls were taken from them.

This was the beginning of the atrocities that the Kise army inflicted on their allies whom they have betrayed.