Tiger of Siberia

They say that the need for a 'hero' is not when a fight is won, but when it is lost.

Military Command has been bogged down by the guerilla warfare in Siberia so far, endless attrition while achieving little tactical or strategic objectives.

Tired of seeing constant reports of dead, wounded, and soldiers freezing to death, the victory achieved by Renya bolstered the Army's spirits.

With a platoon of 50 men, Renya was able to achieve a record of inflicting 132 enemy casualties; 41 kills, 91 captured. Meanwhile Renya's platoon suffered 'only' 6 deaths and 23 wounded, in the military 20% casualties mean annihilation, but these trivial details mattered little to command, didn't Renya defeat a force almost 3 times his own?

What's more astonishing is the detailed reports of his subordinates. The fact that Renya ran forward brandishing a sword in a field of bullets was by modern standards, absolutely crazy, but this is 1919 Japan, Bushido spirit is in full swing so this absolutely praiseworthy.

Renya's story, as if the samurai of old had descended, would be enough to excite the bushido crazy military establishment. Not to mention he shoots the enemy commander from distance, then runs towards the deputy decapitating soldiers on the way, and captures him to induce surrender.

I can't stand this. Hahahaha!

Naturally, Renya's report was 'accidentally' leaked to the press. It 'accidentally' flowed into one of Japan's biggest newspapers, Mainichi Shimbun, and immediately became headline news.

As soon as a media giant started promoting Renya's criminal record, other newspapers started pouring similar reports, the story becoming more and more exagerrated.

The story of a lone samurai, prowling the vast Siberian woodland, valiantly charging against an enemy 3 times its number and overwhelmingly defeats them, and his soldiers of 50 men dominating the woodland.

Anyways Renya had inadvertently created a myth not dissimilar to that of modern manga characters.

***

September 1919

Fast forward and my platoon and I are currently on our way back to base.

5 months since becoming Renya, I've completely assimilated to my new lifestyle, shooting reds, decapitating partisans, committing war crimes (At least I haven't massacred innocents... yet).

My platoon and I have expanded our criminal record twice so far, we destroyed a nearby communist base inflicting 43 casualties and ambushed an enemy company twice our size inflicting 87 casualties.

Its safe to say that my platoon, hardened by combat and retrained using modern military exercises is the best in the entire Japanese Army. Meanwhile my sword skills have improved rapidly, I tried to do a bunch of crazy stuff by imitating anime fight scenes, half the time they were garbage with me nearly dying, but some of the useful stuff was integrated into my fighting style.

Hahahaha! Anyways I've become absolutely crazy, the higher ups probably see me as some kind of Miyamoto Musashi reincarnation. But even though I still use my unreliable pistol sometimes, I've become much more comfortable with a sabre. Charging at the enemy with a sharp sword basically forces me to gain courage through madness. But it works.

Of course I still have lots of worries for the future, but I can't afford to think about complicated stuff like that for now when Ivans are out to kill me.

Approaching the base I see an NCO running towards me.

"Captain Mataguchi! A letter from command sir!"

I salute him and open the letter. Curious at what the bigwigs have in store for me I read the letter.

"What the... A promotion? For selling my face, does that make sense?"

"Congratulations, Major."

My adjutant Satō congratulates me with a teasing grin.

"Shit... this feels like a 'special' promotion though"

"Its not sir, haven't we done like 300 casualties on the reds, if the Major doesn't deserve a promotion I don't know who does."

"Still... I wasn't excellent in Staff College either, plus I'm only 26, do you think my 'seniors' will respect my position."

"They'll probably see me as some brat and treat me as 'Captain."

"Tsk! It'll be enough for the Major to shove a sword up their throats, then they'll understand why you're called the Tiger of Siberia."

I continue to read the letter and jolt when I see that I was being personally called by the commander of the expedition. General Ōtani Kikuzō, anyways I still don't understand the current form of the Japanese Army, General Kikuzō is basically a 4-star general in modern senses, but the current IJA only has three general officer ranks.

If I become a Major General (1-star General in the IJA) do I command a brigade or division? I don't know, its not yet time to think about getting a star on my shoulders.

Like Kolchak's Army, my hairline was retreating at a rapid pace. I really don't want to go bald like the original Renya Mataguchi, but the stress of the battlefield doesn't help, meanwhile I have to deal with the baggage of my 'heroism.'