PSA: Thanks for all the comments and feedback.
Overlord will not be canon on Earth, so the JSDF won't know what they're in for.
Less memes this time.
Akira is actually Akira Tomita's first name, which I have been calling him by even though I have called the other JSDF members by their last names so far, but oh well. You may have also noticed that the gate characters aren't 100% accurate, but I think most people here are more into overlord anyways. (Let me know if it bothers you)
btw, let me know if you'd like to see a version of this where the JSDF's portal appears just after the events of the most recent overlord LN volume rather than at the beginning
Steel and Sorcerers - Chapter 2
Emerging onto the other side they were met with a similar sight of a lit-up tunnel and security checkpoints. Passing through these, they eventually made their way out into the outside. A whole new realm rife with possibilities.
Dense tree branches and leaves obscured the sky, which cast rays of light onto the encampment. A perimeter wall had been set up around the gate made up of two layers of concertainers (mesh containers filled with dirt) stacked three metres high. A small number of soldiers kept lookout, although the dense forest obscured their vision. The space within the perimeter was fairly small, composed only of a number of portable buildings and an area where a few APCs and jeeps were parked. Many of the trees within the compound's area had been left standing. It wasn't much, but would be more than capable of repelling an attack of similar magnitude to what invaded Ginza.
A group of officials clad in camouflage approached their group. The one in the centre spoke in a cheerful voice, "Welcome soldiers, and our most esteemed experts to our humble outpost. You may have noticed that we're a little light on staff. I assure you that's not a result of the declining birth-rates hahaha."
Seeing no one laugh, he died a little inside, "Just a joke my friends."
However, he continued on with a grin, "As I hope your superiors have made you aware, the long-term health effects of being within this region are unknown, so not everybody's as keen to head on in as us lot. Anyways, we're short on time. We have some additional equipment for you in the form of radios and body-cameras. Head on over to the jeeps there, the drivers are waiting there with your equipment. Good luck out there!" Itami and the others gave him a salute before making their way to the parking lot.
They travelled through the forest in a convoy of three vehicles. There were 5 people in each Komatsu LAV with one from each vehicle manning a mounted M249 LMG. The vehicles followed a set route through the forest marked out by reflective markers, but numerous tree roots and other obstacles ensured it was a very bumpy ride. Patrolling soldiers waved to them as they passed by. It wasn't long before they emerged from the forest into a vast open plain populated by lush green grass. 'Now this is the isekai life' Itami thought to himself. Looking over at Kurata who was in the same LAV as him, he looked rather dejected. "Hey what's up" asked Itami, "Did you forget to do your daily summon?"
"No" he replied, "I just kinda wish they'd let me drive."
"Ah, I'm not really a car person but I sort of get it" said Itami. "This wide-open space would be nice to just let loose."
Kurata looked away, "Yeah, I guess. I just feel like my skills aren't being put to use…"
"Hey, I think I can see the village!" shouted Itami excitedly. However, that excitement soon became concern. What he saw was a dark plume of smoke reaching up amidst the orange backdrop of the late afternoon sky, far more smoke than what one would expect from a 'small village'. As they drove closer that concern turned to horror.
Knights clad in blue and grey armour were massacring what Itami assumed to be the village's inhabitants and setting fire to the buildings. Many were on horseback, cutting down the fleeing villagers using their superior speed. They were merciless, slaughtering not just the men, but the women and the children too. The squadron commander's voice cracked out through the radio on the LAVs, ordering them to halt while he radioed back to HQ to plan their course of action.
They came to a stop a just a few hundred metres away from the village, the thrum of the engines and smell of exhaust cluttering up the air. "Hey, what do you think HQ will say?" Kurata asked Itami. "We should be helping them right? There's no we can just watch this happen!"
Before Itami could think of an answer, Akira spoke up. He had been in a different vehicle, but initially came over to their vehicle to listen in on their conversation. He spoke in a matter-of-fact manner. "Article 9 of the constitution prevents us from establishing a military, or solving international conflict through violence."
Kurata looked crestfallen. "Then…"
But Akira continued, with a slight smirk. "However, judging by our current appearances it would seem that article 9 is up for interpretation, wouldn't it? Just like the Geneva convention…"
"So maybe we can help!" exclaimed Kurata. "Thank god."
"Don't get your hopes up just yet, we still haven't heard back from HQ after all," said Akira.
A few moments later the commander gave the announcement. "We have been given permission to render aid to the villagers, but do not fire unless you are fired upon! Ah, they don't have guns... Do not fire unless you are being attacked! I know it may be hard to watch as civilians are being killed in front of you, but for diplomatic reasons we cannot directly intervene! Now let's head out!"
The slow rumble of the engines became a deafening roar as they jerked forwards, speeding across the grassy plains towards the village. The clatter of loose equipment resonated in Itami's ears as he clutched his assault rifle close. As they approached, a few of the knights on horseback gathered on the outskirts of the village as if to meet them.
The group commander ordered the vehicles to come to a stop just before they reached them. "You're up Itami, take your squad and the linguistics expert and try to figure out what the hell they're doing out here." Itami's squad, composed of himself, Kurata, Akira and two female members disembarked along with someone Itami guessed was the linguistics expert.
They created a formation with Itami in the front and the linguistics expert in the rear as they approached the five knights on horseback, weapons at low-ready. They were currently stood in what looked like a wheat field. It wasn't time for harvest so the dense stalks only reached up to the horses' knees. The knights seemed cautious of them, keeping their swords at the ready but not in an offensive posture, and they were very still as Itami's squad approached him.
One of the knights spoke first, voice cracks betraying the anxiety in his voice. "Hey you, who are you!" he demanded. His voice was muffled slightly by his helmet, which made him seem even more pathetic. It covered the entirety of his face, with only small slits to see out of. Nevertheless, Itami and the rest of the Japanese personnel were surprised. The inhabitants of this world also spoke Japanese? Naturally, this brought up a lot of questions. Glancing backwards, the linguist seemed equally baffled.
'Well,' mused Itami, 'This was a common occurrence in isekai stories to make things more convenient for the protagonist.' However, what was about to come next wasn't something that Itami was prepared for in any way. He was about to introduce himself when a dark figure burst out from behind a house to the back of the knights.
It was brutality incarnate. It stood at around two metres tall and was about ten metres away, but seemed to tower over them. It held a large tower shield and flamberge in dark gauntleted hands, with black armour inscribed with crimson veins and vicious spikes covering the rest of its body except it's head, where a horned helmet framed a rotted face, it's eyes filled with an intense red glow. In those eyes, Itami saw a ferocious desire for the extermination of all life. His eyes were drawn to its flamberge, which was coated in a pulsating reddish black fog, which agitated him like a constant heartbeat. On an instinctual level, he knew that this was on a totally different level compared to the goblins and ogres they had seen before.
The next few moments unfolded so quickly that even Itami with his special forces trained reflexes had little time to react. He shouted at his squad-mates to fall back to the LAVs, as the monster rushed forwards, closing the distance in just a couple of bounds. The knights had no idea what had happened when one was bisected at the waist, the massive flamberge tearing though his plate armour and showering them in blood. As the knight's upper torso tumbled to the ground like a puppet who had been cut in half, the creature let out a bloodthirsty roar. The remaining knights realised what had happened and panicked, desperately trying to escape.
Itami and his fleeing colleagues looked over their shoulders where they could see the knights being mercilessly hunted down one by one. Luckily, they didn't seem to have been targeted yet. After executing the last remaining knight, the undead monster briefly glared over in their direction before re-entering the village and disappearing from sight.
"Hey, uh, Itami" asked the taskforce commander, his voice trembling, "What the hell was that?"