Something Else is Coming

December 28, 1897.

Tokyo, Japan – The Imperial Palace.

The grand chamber of the Imperial Palace was filled with tension so thick it could have been cut with a blade. The Japanese Imperial Court, led by Emperor Yoshihito's closest advisors, had gathered alongside Amerathian diplomats and military officers. Lord Nakamura, still weak from his captivity but stabilized after medical treatment, sat in a heavily guarded section of the room.

At the center of the dispute stood Matthew Hesh and Japanese Minister of Justice Hiroshi Takamura, locked in a heated debate over who had the authority to interrogate the captives taken from the smuggler ship.

"The attack happened on our soil," Takamura said firmly, his voice carrying across the hall. "Under Japanese law, we have jurisdiction. These men were captured in our waters, near Kyushu. Their crimes are an affront to the Imperial Throne, and thus, they must be judged under our laws."