Author's note:
First off, I'm not following the canon strictly for various reasons. Mostly cause lots of it is underwhelming and very fleshed out. Expect a lot of changes in the upcoming chapters.
Second, I'm working on realistic approaches and multiple POV's again to the battle of Arnus Hill since I believe that it would make it more interesting. Example: Hazama won't be blasting the Allied Kingdoms without a warning...why? The JSDF is not a military that is well funded like the US and less well funded than Canada. As such, his superiors would appreciate him not expending too much ammo and fuel. Also, the JSDF come from a officially pacifist country and is meant for self-defense...
Third, Managed to get this out on the eve of my birthday!
Fourth: Special thanks to F-14 Tomcat, Faust1812 and The Tundra Fox for their beta-reading.
Finally, as always, GATE and its characters do not belong to me. Same thing goes for the real world organisations. President James Kelly Grey belong to F-14 Tomcat Lover while Lt. Jack Johnson is an idea given to me by The Canadian Patriot. As for Ronny Marinin, that would be an idea from The Tundra Fox. The M1A1 Here We Go Again belongs to Faust1812 (Do go check out his fic of the same name! It's awesome.). Many thanks them for the characters.
Gate: Thus the Van Doos Fought There!
Chapter 6: Special Region Coalition versus Allied Kingdoms
Allied Kingdoms Main Camp, Arnus Province, March 2nd, 1000
The allied lords were gathered inside their command tent and were going over the maps of Arnus Hill and various fragmented reports.
"How is this army a threat?" smugly asked King Artemis of Mudwan, "There are only 40 000 of them atop Arnus Hill."
"They have barely moved from the hill," remarked King Foerost of Alguna, "Have they been digging their own graves?"
"Something is not quite right here," noted Duke Hadrian of Ligu, "If there are only 40 000 enemy atop that hill, why hasn't the Imperial armies been able to drive them back across the Gate?"
"Pff... Molt's armies have grown soft ever since Prince Zorzal's conquest of the Vera kingdoms," explained the King of Mudwan. "That fool probably tried to have his little friends take command of the Imperial Army."
"I doubt that even the most foolish Imperial commander would have trouble taking a single hill."
It was King Duran that had just arrived in the tent.
"Welcome King Duran!" greeted Duke Hadrian as he shook the king's hand. "We were discussing the enemy army on Arnus Hill before you arrived."
"And how the Imperial army has had trouble taking back the hill from them." completed Duran. "How is this possible?"
"We do not know why the Imperials have had trouble," replied King Foerost, "The enemy is few in numbers with scouts stating they are merely 40 000 men."
"Perhaps the attacks were poorly led?" suggested King Artemis. "40 000 men would mean that there are two or three enemy legions atop Arnus Hill."
"Two well dug-in legions could give any unprepared attacker a lot of trouble," stated Duke Hadrian, "The hill is the highest point around here. Any piecemeal, uncoordinated attack would be easily driven back."
"Do we have word of the Imperial forces?" asked Duran, "Have they arrived yet?"
"A messenger arrived this morning. According to him, the Imperial forces should arrive tomorrow at damn on the eastern flank of the enemy's position. He will return when the Empire's troops will be in position"
"Thank you King Artemis."
The Allied Kings began to work out a plan for the assault on Arnus Hill. From what their scouts had gathered, the outworldly enemy had dug in and transformed their position into a massive network of earthworks and trenches. The enemy also flew in metal firebirds that roared through the skies as well as riding in flying chariots and iron pegasus. Something had them worried though. King Duran voiced his concerns first.
"I cannot but worry about this enemy," he said as he looked over the reports. "The scouts reported finding mass graves, abandoned Imperial weapons, a shattered camp and corpses."
"You make a good point King Duran," replied Duke Hadrian, "I cannot help wonder what kind of foe we face. The graves are well dug with some bearing the names of those died, whether commoner or noble which mean they have some honor."
"Yet the weapons and armour we found are in terrible shape," cut in King Foerost, "The damage done to them, we've never seen anything like it. Even the most gifted mages can't shatter and break metal in such fashion."
"They probably command dark magic seeing as how they consort with demons," theorized King Artemis, "The graves must be a ruse to lure us in a false sense of faith in their honor. If they have such power at their fingertips, they must not advance any further."
The other leaders agreed at this and returned to their work. After a few hours of planning and heated debates over the course to take, the kings were interrupted by a soldier entering their tent with a surprised expression on his face.
"Your highnesses!" greeted the man as he got on one knee and bowed to his lords. "I come with an urgent message."
"You may speak," demanded calmly King Foerost, "What is this urgent message?"
"My lords, the other worlders have sent a group of men to speak to you!" answered the soldier. "They would like to discuss with you."
"Discuss? What is there to discuss!" exclaimed arrogantly King Artemis. "Perhaps their surrender!"
"Perhaps it would be wise to listen to them," proposed King Duran, "It is strange that they have sent emissaries to speak to us on the eve of battle."
"I do not like the looks of this," replied Duke Hadrian, "The outworlders have, according to what we know, consorted with strange demons. Perhaps it is a ruse to kill us and destroy our armies' leadership."
"Duke Hadrian has a point, King Duran," added King Foerost, "If the outworlders are willing to bargain with demons, who knows how foul their ruses can be?"
"I understand your worries."
King Duran then looked at the waiting soldier.
"Tell them that the Allied Kingdoms and their Kings do not wish to speak to them."
"Yes your Highness!"
The messenger then bowed his head and left. As for the Allied Kingdom leaders, they returned to their planning. The first attacks would take place in two days since they would wait for the arrival of fresh Saderan forces as well as the armies of four other nations that had not yet fully arrived before launching a well coordinated assault on the hill.
Special Region Coalition Planning Room, FOB Arnus, 1200
Hazama, Hancock and Maxwell were gathered in the planning room along with their aides and were looking at a map of the area as well as quickly going over the scouts' reports. Their envoy to the newly arrived armies had returned moments earlier with bad news. The newcomers, now identified as the Allied Kingdoms Army, had flat out refused to discuss with the Coalition's envoy.
"Arrogant bastards," remarked Hancock, "These idiots are gonna get themselves killed."
"Arrogant or not... we're gonna have to fight them." pointed out Maxwell.
The three officers and their aides began planning the defense of the hill. As they looked over the map, something odd came up. A fact that Hazama pointed out quickly.
"They appear to be massing on our western flank yet the eastern flank of the hill is completely clear."
"Maybe they forgot about it?" asked Maxwell. He wouldn't be surprised at this. The enemy's tactics and strategies in the past months were rather lackluster.
"I'd doubt it," replied Hancock, "Some of our boys have driven back some of their scouts in the past few days."
"Maybe they're waiting for reinforcements to attack from there?" proposed Hazama, "Try and encircle our position."
"Even so, we have more than enough firepower to get them before they reach our positions," stated Maxwell, "Maybe the infantry will get to fire a few rounds."
Hancock was looking at the map of the hill, his face in deep concentration as he devised a plan before suggesting his idea.
"Hmm, if the eastern part of the hill isn't covered by their forces, we could probably use that as a spring board to encircle them and force their surrender."
Hazama nodded in approval before giving his idea as well.
"Perhaps a show of force against them would be enough to persuade them to retreat. Have some of our armoured and air assets approach their camp and broadcast loud messages."
"That could be an interesting idea there Kōichirō. Perhaps a few warning shots from the artillery batteries if they don't turn away," added in Maxwell, "followed by a 24 hours ultimatum."
Hazama grunted in approval before looking over to his subordinates.
"Did the scouts note anything interesting?" he asked, "Anything important?"
Seeing his chance, a Lieutenant Yanagida began reading from a report and pointing various locations on a map.
"General, the Allied Kingdoms Army have their artillery placed here in their camp. As for their dragons riders, they are quartered in pens located here and here. Scout teams also reported large number of cavalry assets and war elephants. The pens and artillery depot could make prime targets for an pre-emptive artillery or air strike should we attack them or to weaken their forces if they attack us."
"Excellent thinking Lieutenant Yanagida!" praised Hazama.
The commanders and their staff then began planning the show of force as well a counter-offensive should the Allied Kingdoms attack.
Arnus Base Airstrip, March 3rd, 0700
The roar of jet engines could be heard as fighters took off from the recently assembled airstrip. A group of JASDF F-4EJ Kai were taking off followed by a group of American and Canadian Hornets and Super Hornets. They were headed for the western flank of Arnus Hill where a possibly hostile camp had appeared.
Allied Kingdoms Main Camp, 0710
The men of the Allied Kingdoms were starting their day. It had looked normal until a massive roar rang through the camp. The various men at arms of different kingdoms turned their eyes to the skies.
The sight awed them. A dozen of great metal birds of various shapes flew in tight formations. They seemed to ride on magical fire that pushed them gracefully through the skies. The dragon riders were the most shocked as they saw these metal birds of fire fly higher and faster than they could ever even dream. The allied kings and lords were awed as well. They had heard about some of this enemy's capabilities from their scouts but to witness it beforehand... it was humbling as well as terrifying. What would these invaders do to their kingdoms and people?
In this skies above, Captain Lamarre led his group of CF-188E's. They executed various manoeuvres over the camp part of the show of force that was planned against the Allied Kingdoms. If these idiots didn't turn away... a few thousand pounds of bombs would make them turn way.
That and the approaching armoured units. Lamarre spotted said units approaching the camp.
In the camp below, the men of the Allied Kingdoms heard various loud sounds coming from the front of their camp facing Arnus Hill. They heard the wail of a powerful gale mixed with mighty constant roars. It was followed by loud metal clanking. The kings and lords quickly mounted their horses to take place at the head of their forces and ordered their men to form up for battle. After a few moments, a loud voice filled their ears, speaking in their language.
"Turn back or stand down immediately!" demanded the voice, "We have no quarrels with the Allied Kingdoms but only with Emperor Molt and the Saderan Empire!"
The kings looked at each other in confusion. It was strange to say the least. But as they rode out of their camp, the sight in front of them was awe-inspiring. Large metal beasts of various colours and sizes were pointing their great snouts at the camp. Above them, flying metal chariots were flying in formation.
"You have until the next day to turn back, negociate or face the consequences of defying us!"
Just then, men poured from the back of some of the smaller beasts. They carried strange black staffs that they pointed towards the skies.
POW! POW! POW!
The strange staffs' tips flashed briefly as the sound of thunder came from them. Some of the men at arms and their kings recoiled at the loud noise. The ground then shook as the beasts unleashed their fire magic. Large plumes of dirt were kicked up by fireballs that appeared near the Allied Kingdom's army followed by other blasts that caused thick white smoke to appear.
The metal beasts and their men then turned around and left but not before leaving another message.
"Turn back or stand down before we destroy you!"
For the Allied kings, this was unsettling. Many of them had been tested in battles before but never had they faced such an enemy. One that ruled the heavens with such ease and commanded such might on the ground.
The kings and their armies quickly turned back to their camp, shaken by what they witnessed. A meeting between the leaders took place in the main command tent. It soon degenerated into heated arguments between them.
"It is obvious what we must do," declared King Artemis, "We must fight them despite all. We cannot risk them marching over our lands, plundering and enslaving our people!"
He was joined by King Foerost and Duke Hadrian.
"I agree with King Artemis! What terrible fate will they bring to our kingdoms? We have seen what they can do. It would be massacre after massacre if they bear their power against our people."
"As Duke of Ligu, I fear that we have no choice but to fight them here. At least slow them or stop them here. With the might of the Imperial army massing on their eastern flank, we should overwhelm them, magic or not."
King Duran did not share the same feeling as their counterparts. Something didn't quite work in his mind.
"It is rather strange that they have not attacked us earlier," he stated, " With all this might in their hands, they could have easily crushed us before hand. It's also rather unusual for an invader to attempt to open discussions on the eve of battle."
"Perhaps it is a ruse to divide us," suggested Duke Hadrian, "Convince us to abandon our oaths to the Empire and leave them to die against the invaders. Afterwards, they would attack each of our lands separately while our armies would be far apart."
"Duke Hadrian's argument makes a good point," reasoned King Artemis, "Better we fight them here and avoid bring the battles to our lands. Especially as the harvest is coming soon."
King Foerost grunted before throwing in his opinion
"If such a war could reach our homes, the devastation could bring untold starvation to our subjects."
"Have you not thought of what would happen should many of our men not return home?" argued King Duran, "The fields would not have enough men to be tended and harvested them and many of the crops would be wasted."
"Are you suggesting retreating in the face of the enemy King Duran?" sneered Duke Hadrian, "Has the Lion of Elbe gone soft in his old age?" he mocked.
"Duran, are you foolish enough to forsake your oaths to the Empire?!" exclaimed King Artemis, "I do not wish to draw swords against you should Emperor Molt bring you to justice."
"King Duran, your army is renowned on the continent for its discipline and iron might," declared Duke Hadrian, "If you are to leave now, it would surely weaken our forces and bring defeat to us."
"I am not retreating in the face of a dangerous enemy that threatens our lands," defended Duran, "However, I am not one to charge in blindly at the enemy! Such recklessness only leads to useless losses to our armies."
The other lords fell silent at this declaration. They knew that the Lion of Elbe had lost his eye in a catastrophic defeat in his youth. Ever since then, he had worked himself hard to master strategy and tactics to avoid another similar incident. As such, he had earned a well known reputation as a brillant and cunning leader as well a fierce one.
"I suggest that we take a more cautious approach." suggested Duran, "We should start with small probing attacks before committing the entirety of our forces. As such, we can see exactly what their weapons and creatures can do. Afterwards, we can adopt a more proper strategy that is adapted to our enemy."
His counterparts nodded in approval at his suggestion before Duke Hadrian spoke.
"King Duran, the Imperial courier should have arrive tomorrow morning. We should inform him so that he may transmit our plans to the Imperial Commander."
"A wise idea," complimented Duran, "Let us hope that he is smart enough to understand our decision."
FOB Arnus, March 4th, 1200
The Coalition troops were on high alert. Their enemy had launched an attack with roughly 10 000 men. Meanwhile, a few jets had been scrambled, loaded for bear while the artillerymen were calculating their firing solutions. Meanwhile tank crews were readying their vehicles as they looked through their targeting optics for targets to engage. The infantry poured into their trenches, weapons ready to repel the approaching foe. Anti-aircraft pieces were manned and prepared for enemy air attacks.
In one of the trenches held by the Van Doos, JGSDF infantry and Marines, Itami was readying himself to fire. In the past weeks, he and some of his fellow Japanese had grown to envy his American and Canadian counterparts for their rifles and optics.
'Have to admit they got better weapons then we do'
He was snapped out of his musings by the sound of artillery being unleashed. His iron sights were proving to be inadequate for the task at hand unlike the Marines' ACOG and the Canadians' Elcan C79. But his Type 64 had to make do. Itami could also hear speakers broadcasting appeals to the enemy army demanding their withdrawal.
It didn't deter their foe as soon after, the sound of heavy artillery fire could be heard.
10km from FOB Arnus, 1205
The Allied kings were observing the advancing vanguard of their armies as well as Arnus Hill from atop a nearby hill. They sound heard the sound of thunder come from Arnus Hill after seeing brief flashes of light. Before any of them could understand what had happened, large fireballs had erupted in their advancing forces tearing them apart and driving them back. Great clouds of black smoke covered the battlefield as the ground continue to erupt for a few moments.
"Has Arnus Hill erupted?" asked a shocked Duran.
"I think not, the hill is still intact." answered Duke Hadrian after throwing a quick look at the hill, "This must their sorcery!"
Suddenly, metal birds roared above the vanguard. Some had cause more fireballs to appear in the Allied armies while others roared and unleashed a trail of lightning that ripped through the mass of men and creatures that formed the Allied vanguard.
"What have they done to our men?!" cried out King Artemis, "We must see what happened to our men. Come!" he ordered as he took off on his horse followed shortly after by his counterparts.
After a short ride, the kings found themselves before the retreating vanguard. The sight shocked them. Of the 10 000 men at arms that had formed the initial probing force, only 1000 returned. They were covered in soot, blood and dirt and many were carrying their horrendously wounded comrades. One of the unit captains, eyes wide after seeing such devastation, limped to the kings. His dirty face was contorted in barely contained pain as he began to describe the fate of the initial vanguard.
"Your highnesses, I cannot find words to describe the horror that befell upon us."
There was tears in his eyes and a brief groan before he continued his painful description.
"Our men were torn apart before they could understand what happened. Our shields and armour were useless, the fire tore through them like a knife through cloth. Testudos were shattered with ease. Many fell not knowing what hit us and many still litter the ground around the hill."
The kings gasped at the description of the horror that the captain gave.
"What of the Imperial army?" urgently asked Duke Hadrian, "How have they fared against this foe?"
"Your Highness, the Imperial army is missing," answered the captain before he was met by another question from the duke.
"Missing? Surely you mean destroyed as well?"
The tired man shook his head before answering.
"Your highness, we have not seen a single Imperial soldier take part in the battle."
"How is this possible?" asked King Foerost. "Have they abandoned us against the enemy?"
"I do not know your Highness but I wish to rest now."
King Duran motioned for the man to leave before turning to the other allied leaders.
"The situation has gotten graver then I first thought. We must return to the camp and plan accordingly."
The others nodded in agreement before urgently heading back to their camp.
After another urgent ride, the kings reached their destination. More thunder could be heard from Arnus Hill. Many of the vanguard survivors were the first to jump for cover, whimpering in fear of the enemy's wrath. The blasts came but instead of great fireballs, it was thick, white clouds of smoke that covered the camp. After, strange bits of white parchment could be found on the ground.
King Artemis was the first one to pick one up and began to read from it as he realized it was written in impeccable Saderan while the others lords looked at him.
"We are the armies of the sovereign nations of Ja-Pan, the United States of A-merry-Ka and Ka-na-da. The Empire of Emperor Molt Sol Augustus has attacked the land of Ja-Pan and thus our coalition was formed to bring him to justice for the deaths of our people."
"What are they talking about?" asked Duke Hadrian, "As far as we know, Emperor Molt didn't attack or declare war on anything recently. Not after the conquest of the Vera lands."
"Emperor Molt would not stoop as low as to attack a nation without declaring war on them before them." added King Foerost. "He is power hungry but not mad or foolish. Perhaps a ruse to divide and weaken us. What else do they say?"
King Artemis resumed his reading.
"We do not wish to bring needless bloodshed to the armies of the Allied Kingdoms. It is instead with the Saderan Empire that we are at war. Turn back now, negotiate or prepare to be annihilated."
Duran let out a grunt of disgust before talking.
"Annihilated? I would rather die here fighting them then let these monsters march over the lands of Elbe or be tricked by these serpents' lies into abandoning the field to them.
The others nodded in agreement.
Coalition trenches, Arnus Hill, March 4th, 1430
It had been over an hour since the Allied Kingdom launched a small scale attack that had been repelled by the Coalition artillerymen. Kinh was sitting in a trench, annoyed. Despite the enemy being beaten back, the brass had forced them to stay in their defensive positions.
In order to make time pass, he decided to write in his small journal. His last entries were rather dull to read. The journal entry he was writing summed the situation so far and how exciting it was.
March 4th, 20XX
Roses are red
Violets are blue
I'm stuck in fucking Falmart
AND SO ARE FUCKING YOU!
Such was reality in the Canadian Forces. You were paid to wait for something to happen so that when something happened, you were paid to wait to do something about it. Kinh knew that reality and just grunted his annoyance as he closed his journal.
FOB Arnus, March 5th, 1000
The sound of artillery batteries firing resounded through the Coalition's base while jets were being scrambled again. Amongst them, four A-10's were preparing to take off. They had instrumental in defending the Coalition's positions. According to forward observers, the Allied Kingdoms were preparing to launch a coordinated, large scale attack.
Meanwhile, in the Allied camp, men were readying themselves for battle. Armor was being put on, swords and spears checked one last time. Battle mages quickly revised their spells. Dragon riders, horsemen and elephant riders prepared to get on their mounts. The artillerymen and siege engineers were readying themselves as they did last minute inspections of their catapults, onagers and ballistae. Suddenly, the sound of thunder followed by whistling could be heard coming from atop Arnus. The men of the Allied Kingdoms knew what this meant. It was the enemy's fire magic... Very quickly, the men at arms and their leaders threw themselves to the ground, hoping that death would not claim them.
Loud explosions and fireballs shook the camp. The sound of men screaming and wood shattering could be heard as well followed. After a few minutes, the bombardment ceased and the damage was evident to the kings as they rode around their camp, surveying the damage done. They saw what the enemy had done their camp. Their artillery had been reduced to little more than firewood while their crews and siege engineers lay dead or cried in pain. The horrified kings rode to the other part of the camp that had been hit.
They realized it was the dragon pens and dragon rider quarters that were the other target. As they rode there, they saw that most of the dragons had been reduced to a pulp while their riders fared no better. In the minds of the allied kings, they had lost the control of the skies to the enemy.
Meanwhile, their men were working to get as many of the wounded to already overloaded surgeons. The kings could only look powerlessly at the scene unfurling before them.
Despite this, however, they wordlessly agreed to carry on their plan. No matter the cost, the monsters that appeared atop Arnus Hill needed to be stopped with or without the Imperial legions.
Coalition Trenches, 1300
The Coalition troops manning their trenches were on full alert. The enemy had launched a full scale assault with 300 000 men towards their positions. Unlike the previous attacks, this one was well organised with the enemy forces attacking from three directions and scattered as to mitigate the effects of artillery and aerial bombardment.
Meanwhile, American and Japanese attack helicopters were taking off from the helipads and headed towards the Allied Kingdoms Armies, loaded for bear. The Coalition jets were already raining hell on the enemy. The now familiar roar of the A-10's Avenger cannons filled the air as they poured death into the Allied Kingdoms' ranks.
Despite this gauntlet of heavy ordnance, some of the Allied Kingdoms' troops had managed to make it through, thanks to sheer weight of number. Soon, the first enemy soldiers were in range of the Coalition's small arms. However, they could move no further as they ran into strange hedges of metal coil that impeded their movements. Those who tried to move these hedges realized that they were sharp and cut through the flesh of their hands. Before they could figure out a solution, loud, continuous bangs could be heard from the top of the hill crest and brief but multiple flashes of light could seen followed by lightning that streaked downhill.
The men closest to the wire fell first, dead, dying or injured as the enemy magic punched through their shields and armour with impunity.
One of the Elbe kingdom's battlemages saw a massive iron monster from atop the hill that threw fire at his fellow soldiers. Thinking quickly, he summoned a fireball and threw it at the creature.
A squad of entrenched Marines were pouring fire into the oncoming hordes of men and beasts, supported by a tan M1A1 Abrams named Here We Go Again, suddenly saw a fireball head towards their position.
"INCOMING!" shouted Jimmy before he and his fellow Marines threw themselves on the ground. They felt the heat of the fireball pass over their heads before impacting the front plate of the tank. Quickly coming back to their senses, they realized that there was only a black scorch mark and that the tank was otherwise undamaged.
"WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT?!" shouted Dick as he, Jimmy and the rest of the Marines resumed engaging the enemy.
Whoever threw that was going to have a very bad day as the 70 ton behemoth swung its main gun towards the source of the offending magic and began unleashing a salvo of suppressive fire before throwing a HEAT shell downrange.
The Elbian battlemage was shocked when the beast kept on throwing its magic despite his most powerful fire spell. He threw up a shield bubble only to see the lightning punch through. The next thing the nearby Elbian soldiers saw was a massive blast engulfing the unfortunate wizard and those around him. Just what power did these outworldly invaders command?
The Allied Kingdoms troops that assaulted Arnus Hill broke and began fleeing for their lives. Many dropped their weapons as they ran for their lives, not caring for the punishments they would have to endure afterwards. The routed men could hear the sound of their wounded crying for help. Many were left behind as there were simply too many injured. The valleys around Arnus Hill had rapidly become killing fields were death claimed the lives of the Allied soldiers with frightening ease and where the sound of agonizing men were only interrupted by the sound of the enemy's magic.
On a nearby hill, the kings could only stare in horror as their assault faltered and their armies. It was incomprehensible as each one of their thrusts were being crushed with ease, no matter from where they attacked. The initial plan was to assault the hill from three different angles with scattered formations of men and beasts but it was falling apart before the lords' eyes. They could see the same great metal birds that appeared earlier reap the souls of the men with terrifying ease and insatiable appetite awhile the lightning that appeared from the sides of the hill torn apart entire formations. The deadly fireballs were still doing their gruesome work.
'What kind of mages are we facing?' wondered Duran as he saw the carnage unfold before him. He dreaded what would happen to his people once this army started marching from Arnus and over Falmart.
'They must not be allowed to march over my lands.'
Images of his burning capital and dying people ran through his mind. The mere thought hardened his resolve to continue fighting.
Dragons, battlemages, monstrous creatures and war elephants were absolutely irrelevant in this battle as they were cut down by the invaders' might. In some case, larger creatures such as the ogres and elephants proved to be more dangerous to their own men then their foes as the sheer terror overwhelmed their instincts causing them to panic and run amok in the middle of the Allied Armies' ranks.
"Iron pegasus, flying chariots, and metal firebirds... just we have provoked into open war?" asked a horrified Duke Hadrian as cold sweat drenched him, "How can we face such might?"
"I do not know Duke," calmly answered King Duran. He hid his own fear as he spoke yet there was a slight tremor in his hands. "We must do whatever we can to prevent them from marching over our lands."
After an hour, the Allied Kingdoms Armies had retreated to their camp, badly mauled by the powers that held Arnus Hill. As for the Coalition troops, after the initial adrenaline rush of being attacked wore out, it merely turned into large scale target practice.
Kinh was walking down the trench he was in. It was filled with troops being rotated out. His platoon was being relieved by another unit. As he exited the trenches, he spotted Itami and Jimmy. Both looked weary as they trudged out of their positions.
"Hey guys," called out Kinh awkwardly, "Hum, how are you guys holding up?"
Jimmy drew a cigarette from one of his pouch and lit it before taking a long puff.
"Man, I feel like I did the biggest turkey shoot in my life," he sighed, "This is a joke bro. They can't even fight back."
"Meh, at the rate they've been losing men, this war's gonna be in a few weeks." quipped Itami. "How many more casualties can they take before their armies are all gone?"
"That's the thing Itami..." tiredly replied Kinh. "They'd probably just throw whatever unfortunate dumbasses they can get at us. You've probably just jinxed us and made this war longer. Thanks tabarnak!"
Itami got a slap on the back of his head, courtesy of Jimmy.
"HEY! What was that for?!"
"Moron... stop jinxing us."
The two North Americans laughed a bit at Itami's predicament as they moved back to their transports.
Special Region Coalition Planning Room, Arnus Hill, 1600
The Coalition commanders were revising their final plan. For the past few hours, they had been working on their counterattack against the Allied Kingdoms. The plan was fairly simple and would take advantage of the Coalition's speed and technological superiority.
The Coalition ground troops would launch an attack from the eastern slope of Arnus Hill and advance as quickly as possible and catch their enemy's unguarded flanks during the dead of the night.
The assault would led by the Leopards of the Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians) and the Abrams of the Marines' recently arrived 2nd Tank Battalion. They would be followed by infantryman from the JGSDF's 1st Division, 3rd Marine Regiment and finally the Van Doos.
Casualty estimates for the Allied Kingdoms had been staggering as their large scale assault faltered in the face of modern firepower. Conservative estimates had estimated 90 000 enemy casualties. However, UAVs had reported that the enemy was not letting go and that their camp was still present.
Allied Kingdom Main camp, 1700
The Allied kings were once more reunited in their command tent. Despair and helplessness were apparent on their faces. They had witnessed the destruction of their armies' core in brutal fashion and had so little of their initial strength left. They were now stuck in a heated debate about the next course of action.
"This is absolute madness! We cannot stay here!" shouted King Artemis. "Half of my army is dead or wounded!"
"We cannot withdraw!" yelled back King Foerost. "The enemy is still in control of Arnus Hill. From there, they can still threaten our lands!"
"Curse you Molt for sending us here!" cursed Duke Hadrian. "Coward wants us to die here!
"Gentlemen, we must calm down!" demanded Duran as he raised a hand. "Arguing right now only wastes our time and strength."
The others uneasily calmed down before Duran started speaking again.
"Tonight is a new moon, therefore any night attack would be obscured. If we attack swiftly enough, our forces should be able to reach the eastern side of the hill and surprise them."
"But Lord Duran, I do not think we have enough able leaders to command such an attack." stated dejectedly Duke Hadrian. "Too many of our skilled officers are dead or wounded."
"That is why I will lead the attack myself." declared boldly Duran. "If I die and join my ancestors, it will be because I fought to keep my people safe."
The other leaders were silent for a moment as they looked at him. Finally, Duke Hadrian was the first to answer.
"King Duran, I would very much like to follow you into such an attack."
He was soon followed by the other kings pledging to do the same.
Eastern slope of Arnus Hill, 2130
The sound of tank engines could be heard as Coalition armour and mechanized infantry advanced on the slopes.
Sitting atop a hatch in one of the Lord Strathcona's Leopard 2A6, Major Charlotte Martins received a transmission from Command.
"Arnus Command to all units. New information. Enemy forces are advancing on the Eastern flank of the hill and are headed towards your position!"
"This is Bravo squadron actual, solid copy! Preparing to engage!"
It was soon followed by detailed reports on the enemy's movements. The major quickly started issuing orders and coordinating manoeuvres with the other units involved in the assault.
Meanwhile, the Allied Kings were riding alongside their respective armies. They were doing their best to move as quietly possible. Various captains and sergeants whispered to their men to be careful in their steps. No one carried torches as they did their best to make sure that they would not be seen.
Unfortunately for them, the Coalition had night vision technology and flares. Said flares had been launched and now exposed the advancing Allied armies.
The men were momentarily surprised before being broken out of their stupor by their kings urging them to move faster. They could also hear strange chopping sounds from the skies drawing closer.
Basked in the unnatural light that appeared in the sky above him, King Duran had pushed on his horse and began yelling orders at his men.
"All units advance! Knights advance! Footmen advance!"
The Lion of Elbe had taken the lead of his army which was beginning to catch up. The sound of musicians and unit leaders ordering a rapid advance broke the silent march of the Allied armies. To their horror and surprise, flashes of light appeared on their flank while flying chariots began to attack them as well.
Duran's luck ran out as his horse was caught in barbed wire and thrown off. His men rushed to his aid. They ingeniously placed their shields on the wire as an improvised bridge. As they picked up, he pushed them aside and ordered to run.
"Retreat you fools! Retreat!"
His orders were lost in the chaos and a few units had formed shields walls in front of them. The sound and light of the enemy's sorcery began to rain down, piercing through the formations.
His men were dying around him and Duran was powerless to stop them. Out of anger, he picked up a bow and arrow from one of his fallen men before moving forward and launching an arrow.
"BASTARDS!"
He could only watch powerlessly as the arrow fell short.
"How could this have happened?"
He began to laugh at the madness of the situation before him before he felt heat engulf his body and pain hitting his left limbs before his world went black.
Behind him, the other Allied kings were faring little better. Duke Hadrian was riding amongst the ranks of his men, trying to restore order. His horse gave under him and pinned him beneath the dying animal's weight. The surviving men around him were starting to run for their lives while the cries of the wounded could be heard.
'Is this how I die?' briefly wondered the Duke while he lay there. He had seen King Artemis fall from his horse earlier. The man had been struck down by an enemy projectile and was agonizing as well.
King Foerost had managed to reach the wire and was urging his men to push beyond the enemy's metal hedges only to realize his terrible mistake. His troops had managed to make crossings by pressing down on the hedges with the shields but their enemy had concentrated their fire on the crossings, mowing down his forces like wheat. He suddenly felt a sharp jab of pain hit his arm while his horse collapsed, dead.
Seconds seemed to turn minutes and minutes felt like hours for the wounded kings and their men. Amongst them was a wounded Elbian soldier named Oswin lying on his back. He had been hit in his arm and chest.
'To think that I joined for adventure and riches,' he bitterly thought, 'Now I'm dying against outworldly monsters.'
He had witnessed the carnage inflicted on his fellows over the past hour. It was simply a nightmare. The farmer's son merely cursed the Gods for his fate. The enemy's death magic suddenly ceased. Had they grown tired of killing, having claimed enough souls to slake the hunger of their gods?
Instead, he heard some kind of howling mixed with the sound of metal clanking. Were the outworlders bringing their beasts to feast upon the injured and dead? He turned his head to the source of the commotion. He saw human-like silhouettes that carried long staffs in their hands that were accompanied by horseless wagons with bright lights. Some had unnatural eyes that brightly glowed green while others had light coming from their hands.
'Mages? Just what kind of mages are they?' he wondered. 'Why have they come?'
His train of thought was interrupted when he heard a strange chopping noise coming from the skies. He saw large flying chariots that landed in front of the mass of wounded and dead men. Oswin heard strange voices shouting. It was the otherworlders and they were getting closer.
Kinh and Brisebois had been walking through the field with their platoon. It unnerved him to see so many wounded or dead men. He had already seen a dead man once before but a whole battlefield worth of them? It was a whole other thing that made him sick. He managed to keep himself from throwing up.
'How the hell did Dad use an M60 on people?'
"Allright people!" he ordered, "Try to help as many as you can! Command's sending helicopters and ambulances to bring the wounded back to base for treatment!"
As he looked around, he could see his men helping out the wounded, many of whom were terrified.
"Sir?"
"Yeah?"
"Tabarnak! What we just done?"
"La guerre (A war)! La fucking guerre!" answered Kinh. He noticed a wounded man in front of him. He was bleeding from his arm and chest.
"MEDIC! WE GOT A WOUNDED OVER HERE!" shouted the Vietnamese-Canadian before he moved over to the injured man. He looked at the unfortunate man, pitying him.
Oswin was petrified and surprised at the same time when one of the outworlders was standing next to him and looked at him. The outworlders were human! Strangely dressed and equipped but still human. To his surprise, the mage had begun to bandage his wound. He then began to talk to him.
"Don't worry, we are going to help you my friend," promised Kinh. "You'll be all right."
"Thank you," croaked Oswin. It made very little sense to him that an army would spend so much time helping their wounded enemy. He suddenly saw two other of the mages come up and the first mage talking to them in their language. He assumed the first one was a leader of some kind.
The other mage began check Oswin's body and asked him questions about his injuries. Oswin did his best to answer before he asked his own.
"Who are you?"
The three looked at each other. The first to answer was the man that was bandaging him.
"I'm Corporal Frederic Tremblay."
"Corporal André Brisebois."
"Lieutenant Kinh-Luyên Huynh. We are from the Royal 22e Régiment of Canada. What's your name?" kindly asked the Canadian officer.
"I'm Oswin Co Adernach."
"Well Oswin, you'll be allright now." reassured Corporal Tremblay. He turned around and signaled to a pair of soldiers carrying a stretcher.
Not far from there, Jimmy and his men were getting a dead horse off a blond man in ornate pale green armour with gold trimming after confiscating the man's weapons. He was considered a VIP judging by his elaborate armour. After the horse was removed, the VIP was rapidly taken into custody by helicopter.
Interrogation room, FOB Arnus, March 6th, 1000
Duke Hadrian was sitting despondently in a bright lit, white room with mirrors on one of the walls. He had spent the past days since his capture after the disastrous night assault on Arnus Hill in a holding cell. Thousands of questions ran through his mind ranging on what could have they done better to what fate awaited him.
After his capture, he had been stripped of his armour and had replaced it by bright orange clothes. He was checked by the enemy's healers for his injuries before being thrown into a holding cell and asked a few questions about his identity. It surprised him. The cell was well lit, had decent accommodation and strange devices from which water flowed freely.
'Probably to better ransom me,' he grimly reflected.
Earlier this morning, however, he had been escorted by two of the enemy soldiers to this room. He was told that he was meeting important people from the other world. The door opened, revealing two green clothed mages followed by three older men wearing far more elegant clothing. Their clothes varied greatly as well as their appearance.
Leading them was a brown haired, yellow skinned man with a thick mustache. He had the aura of a leader and was dressed in simple but elegant green clothes with a few insignias and medals adorning his chest. On his head sat a green hat with golden embroidery and large badge in the center of the hat.
On his left side stood a very dark skinned, grey haired man. His dark skin made Duke Hadrian briefly wonder if he was a Dark Elf but his round ears and rough face said otherwise. The dark man wore a far more elaborate set of clothing. His set of clothes was a magnificent black with evenly spaced gold buttons that shone brightly and had a white cap with an ornate crest. On his white pants, two bright red stripes ran down the length of his leg. What impressed Duke Hadrian was the man's many medals, ribbons and decorations. Whoever this was, he was clearly a proven leader.
Finally, the last man was a pale skinned man with dark hair and sharp grey eyes. He wore glasses and was dressed in elaborate dark green clothes. Underneath his dark green jacket was a light green shirt with a black piece of cloth tied in an elaborate knot while the collars of his jacket had insignias on them as well. His sleeves were adorned with small insignias written in a different language. On his head was a strange fur hat with a badge on it. Though nowhere near as many as the dark skinned man, he too bore many marks of honor on his chest that indicated his skill and experience as a leader of men.
The three men took their seats in front of Duke Hadrian while the two other mages took their seats on the side. The leader began to talk and one of the mage began to translate what he said.
"I am Lieutenant-General Kōichirō Hazama of the JGSDF and commander of the Special Region Task Force," spoke the general before introducing his other colleagues, "This is Lieutenant-Colonel Arthur Hancock of the United States Marine Corps and General Francis Maxwell of the Canadian Armed Forces."
"I am Duke Hadrian of Ligu," nervously answered the prisonner.
"Very well, Duke," replied Hancock, "We have questions for you. Why have the Allied Kingdoms attacked us?"
Sensing as he had no choice, the Duke swallowed his pride before he started talking.
"We had been summoned by our liege lord, Emperor Molt Sol Augustus of the Sadernan Empire. He told us of an army that marched alongside demons that threatened Falmart."
To his surprise, the enemy leaders looked at each other in curiosity for a brief moment and muttered something to each other in their language. Whatever they said, it sounded that they were surprised.
"Very well," started Maxwell, "What can you tell us of Emperor Molt's attack on Japan?"
The duke's face took an expression of confusion.
"Of what attack do you speak? The Saderan Empire has not been at war for a few years."
Hazama let out a grunt before explaining the situation.
"Nearly six months ago, a strange Gate appeared in the capital of my country, Japan. Men and beasts poured from that Gate and attacked my people as well as many others from our world. Many have been taken by his armies. The unknown army was defeated by our three nations. We identified them as being from the Saderan Empire led by Emperor Molt Sol Augustus. Three months, we crossed the Gate to seek reparations and have been fighting the Empire ever since. We suspect that most of their armies have decimated by our forces with ease in the past months."
Duke Hadrian let out a shocked gasp at the implications and the pieces started falling into place. If what this man said was true...
"The Allied Kingdoms have been sent to their deaths. We have been lied to and sent to die so that Molt could sleep at night without worrying about us turning upon him."
"It appears so," stated Maxwell, "You have been caught in a war that was never yours."
The noble nodded at this.
"Yes," he sighed tiredly, "What is going to happen next? Am I to be ransomed along with my men?"
Hazama gave a kind smile before talking.
"Ransoms are no longer used by the civilized nations of our world, Earth. We would rather have your nation become neutral in our war against the Saderan Empire."
"Surely you deceive me!"
For Duke Hadrian, such an offer was unheard of. No victor would forfeit the chance of breaking his enemy and make a vassal out of him.
"We are sincere in our desire for peace," stated Hancock, "There are too many dead around Arnus already and we do not wish to increase that number."
"Surely, there's must be something I can offer you? Perhaps my Duchy could become a vassal of the nation of Japan?" proposed the duke. To him, Japan was a liege nation that had summoned its vassals and dependant nations to its aid. The next thing he would hear from these otherworlders would surprise him.
"No, the concept of vassals is not longer used on Earth," explained Maxwell, "We only have allied nations. However, seeing as how we have fought mere days ago, our governments would not accept an alliance for the moment."
"Perhaps you could give us information?" suggested Hancock.
"Information? What could I possibly offer you?" The duke was perplexed. These otherworlders commanded such might. How could they need information?
"We haven't had much chance to explore this world since we were stuck fighting here for the past few months. It would make our task much easier your Highness," explained Hazama, "We would also like to have any news that you may have or will hear about slaves that were taken from our world."
The duke weighed his options before giving his answer. He was in a bad place and couldn't make many demands but his enemies seemed to be rather merciful so far.
"Very well, I will offer you what you want," finally answered Duke Hadrian, "However, I want something in exchange."
"Yes?" asked Hazama.
"I would like to have all the men of the Allied Kingdoms released. It is soon harvest season and many of them are farmers. I would also like to know the fate of the other kings."
The Coalition commanders smiled before Hazama reassured the man.
"Duke Hadrian, you do not need to worry. We have taken many of the wounded under our care including the other kings. They are to be treated as per our Geneva Convention. We'll release them to your care after they are properly healed. Unfortunately many were seriously injured and will need to stay under our care before they are released."
"Gen-nee-va convention?"
"It is a sort of treaty in our world that all the nations of Earth signed. It means that any enemy combatant taken prisoner is to be treated humanely and obliges us to aid any non-combatant." explained Hancock.
"Hu-ma-ne-ly?" The term was completely foreign to the Duke. He received his answer from Maxwell.
"It means that we treat them as if they were our own people, soldiers, kin and family. As such, all the Allied Kingdom leaders and soldiers have been receiving the best of care for their injuries both physical and mental. We were forced to end many of their lives as many were in such a bad shape that we could not heal. Letting them agonize would have brought unneeded suffering for them. Unfortunately, there are many that have been severely wounded and will have to remain in our care much longer seeing as we possess much better means. Without offense your Highness."
"None taken, General Maxwell." chuckled Duke Hadrian. If these battlemages were telling the truth, they would be well amongst the most honorable men he met. "Would it possible for me to visit some of the wounded and the other kings as well?"
"That can be arranged." replied Hazama. He motioned to the two JGSDF soldiers and gave them orders before turning back to Duke Hadrian. "These two soldiers here will escort you through our base to our field hospital so that you may visit your wounded."
"Thank you."
The three officers then left the interrogation room while the two guards led Duke Hadrian to the field hospital. While they walked there, the noble was awed by the sights he saw. From the strange material that composed the walls to the strange glow coming from the ceiling that brought light to the building, the duke knew that these people were far more advanced. He could see other of these mages working in small square offices. He decided to risk asking his guards a question as they walked in the hallways.
"Where did you learn to use such magic? None of our mages can do such feats of magic."
The two guards looked at each other, clearly confused as to what to answer the man. Finally one spoke up.
"No your Highness, it's not magic, it's called science and technology."
"Sci-ence? Tech-no-lo-gy?" asked the duke. The two Japanese looked at each other, uncertain how to explain the two concepts and tried to find the words on how to explain the concepts.
"How the hell do we explain science and technology to this guy?"
"Beats me man." answered the second soldier. "Never thought I'd be explaining that to someone when I joined the military."
The noble looked in confusion at the two mages were speaking in their own language, clearly trying to figure out what to say to him. Finally, as they exited the building, one attempted to explain the concepts of science and technology.
His explanation stunned the Duke of Ligu. These men were soldiers... not mages. Their magic wasn't really magic but just very advanced weapons that they made using the knowledge from their science and technology. Their honesty surprised him as well as the sights outside the building he was in. He presumed it was some sort of prison.
As the three men walked outside, Duke Hadrian could see what kind of enemy he was fighting. Men wearing various different uniforms were marching around the base, tending to their daily tasks while roars came from the enemy's flying metal creatures that streaked through the skies above him. He saw three different flags hanging from flag posts. He asked his guards what nations flew them. The two men explained that they were from the nations of Japan, who led this coalition, the United States of America, the most powerful nation of Earth that was a long time Japanese ally and, finally, Canada, a close ally and the northern neighbor of the United States.
He was finally led to a large building with two large red crosses on a white square that painted next to the entrance that he presumed was their field hospital. The two soldiers guarding him confirmed this. When they finally entered, the sight he saw amazed him. The wounded Allied kingdoms soldiers were lying on simple beds that had been arranged in neat rows. Many had strange devices and masks attached to them while healers wearing various uniforms were helping them. The duke could see some of them feed what seemed to be warm food to men that were too hurt or weak. It was also extraordinarily clean.
Two of these healers approached and greeted them the duke and his guards. Both had strange, flexible tubular devices hanging around their necks. One was an older man with dark, greying hair while the other was a very tall, dark haired woman with kind blue eyes. The two guards quickly talked to them and turned back to the duke. The woman introduced herself while the two guards served as translators.
"Your Highness, I am Sergeant First Class Mari Kurokawa. I have been told by my superiors to have you visit our main hospital and take you to the other kings."
"Very well," answered the duke before asking a question that had been on his mind since his capture. "Are they well?"
"They are mostly doing well and resting after surgery," explained Kurokawa, "One of them has been severely injured. According to what we know, he is King Duran of Elbe."
The duke gasped at this new information. First of all, what was surgery and second, what happened to King Duran?
"Can you tell happened to him?" urgently asked the duke.
"He was caught in an explosion that tore off his left arm and leg," stated the sergeant, "Some of our soldiers found him and brought him to us. He has been unconscious since then."
"But will he live?"
"Surprisingly, yes," replied Kurokawa, "He's extremely resilient."
The duke chuckled at this remark. King Duran was a man that survived terrible battles against the barbarians and monsters that threatened his land.
"Very well, follow me your highness."
FOB Arnus, March 12th, 1300
A large group of reporters had just arrived from Japan. They had finally been authorized by the Coalition to arrive in Falmart to keep the folks informed about the going on. Amongst them, stood the CBC's East Asian correspondent, Ronny Marinin and his cameraman Eric Wong.
"This is Ronny Marinin. I am currently live from the Special Region Coaltion's base of Arnus Hill. We are waiting for General Hazama's announcement."
From his earpiece, he heard his colleague and news anchorman of The National, Peter Mansbridge, talk to him.
"So Ronny, what can you tell us so far about the situation in the Special Region."
"We've only arrived this morning. From what I've heard from the troops that I managed talk to, they've been pushing constant attacks for the past three months with no casualties what so ever so far."
"Any news from the kidnapped people?"
"From what I can understand, they haven't been able to move from here since they have arrived... Wait! General Hazama has just arrived with the rest of the Coalition commanders!"
The cameraman turned his camera towards where the general was. The commander began his announcement.
"As you may have already heard, the Saderan Empire has been attacking our position for the past three months with signs of weaknesses appearing only this week. They have summoned other nations of their world to engage us in battle."
He paused to point towards a series of captured banners.
"These are the banners of the Allied Kingdoms. They are led by three states: The Kingdoms of Alguna, Elbe, Mudwan and the Duchy of Ligu. In the past few days, their armies have been routed with ease and we have captured their leaders after a disastrous assault. They are currently in our custody and have revealed much information about this world and its politics."
The sound of cameras taking pictures of the banners could be heard.
"As it would seem, none of these vassals of the Saderan Empire have knowledge of the Imperial attack upon Japan during the Ginza Incident. Unfortunately, that means they do not know the fate of the people that were kidnapped during the incident. Interrogation of their leaders have revealed that they have been tricked into attacking our forces. After discussions, they have agreed to stay neutral in our war against the Saderan Empire and have expressed their wishes for further discussions with our world. I will now take any questions you may have."
Various reporters began raising their hands for questions. Ronny had an important question for the man.
"How can we trust these kings? The Coalition have been fighting them during the past days."
"With the casualties that we have inflicted upon their respective armies, they are not in any way capable of threatening us. They also do not wish to see their kingdoms destroyed by our firepower."
An Japanese reporter raised his hand and asked about the Coalition and enemy casualties.
"We estimate that the Empire has lost 200 000 men and beasts in repeated assaults while their former vassals have suffered 100 000 all together. As for us, we have suffered no casualties so far."
The crowd was silent for a moment. Such casualty rates hadn't been heard off since the Second World War. However, it was extraordinarily lopsided which led to the next thing the reporter had to say.
"General, you are committing massacres!" exclaimed the shocked reporter.
"That is because the enemy we have been facing is simply outmatched technologically," explained Hazama, "They have been fighting stubbornly and despite throwing war creatures, dragons, men and magic at us, they have not been able to make any progress against our positions."
An American reporter raised his hand before the general pointed him.
"Magic sir?"
"We have received a few reports that the enemy has militarised magic but it is utterly ineffective against us. It is inaccurate and can't do much damage. We are however currently starting work on making sure that our men dispose of the means to thwarting any magical attacks."
The general continued answering various questions for half an hour before putting an end to the Q&A session. Ronny was rather pleased at himself when he finished the broadcast. He managed to get a few more well placed questions for his viewers. He addressed his viewers before signing off.
"As we have just seen, the situation in Falmart has evolved greatly with the meeting with the recently encountered nations. Stay tuned for more news as the situation progresses. This is Ronny Marinin for CBC News signing out!"
As he finished his broadcast, Eric looked at him before speaking.
"Yo bro, you think we'll see anything interesting like Ginza again? This is fucking dull."
"Ginza was a one in a million. We got lucky and got there at the right moment." shrugged Ronny. The CBC reporter and his trusty cameraman were lucky during the Ginza incident. They were merely passing by Tokyo when it happened and ended up filming the ensuing chaos and counterattack. They had been part of those lucky first reporters that made it to the Gate to catch images of the victorious American, Canadian and Japanese troops in front of the archway.
"I was hoping we could some see of the fireworks eh?"
"Let's just hope we get fucking lucky again then."
"Word."
Itami Youji and Risa's appartment, 1300
Risa turned off her television as the press conference finished. The otaku and graphic artist sighed as she sat back in her couch. Who could possibly have told her and her husband that he would travel through some kind of magical gateway to a fantasy world filled with fantastical creatures and magic. It was like living out a manga or an anime. At least, he was safe right now from she saw on television. For now anyways...
Looking over her living room, she could see their collection of various otaku merchandise ranging from various posters to books to DVD cases as well as action figures. She wondered what kind of things her husband saw. Did he see other things than monsters such as dragons, ogres or trolls? Things such as the elves and monster girls that she liked to cosplay with him.
It was hard not seeing him but the American and Canadian women she had befriended after the initial crossing helped her cope. They would schedule video calls via Skype despite the extreme time zones difference. The fireball gym coach that was Annabel Fletcher was in California while the caring teacher, Marie Duguay-Delorme was in Quebec. It was difficult but the three women easily found the time. It helped them cope with their loved one being off to war.
Risa had also learned many things from her new found friends in North America. Most interestingly was the concept of family support groups. Since the Americans and Canadians had been to war many more times than Japan since 1945, their families banded together to help each other out. It was an interesting idea.
An interesting idea that the JSDF could use.
