Gate: In the Company of Shadows
Chapter 3
Crossing the Threshold
[REDACTED] VALE [REDACTED]
SHADOW COMPANY FACILITY, MARYLAND
April 2, 2022 - 06:45:00
Vale eyed the massive gate structure in front of him. He knew it was big, but he never realized the full scale of the thing until he was standing so close to it. It towered above him.
"Makes you wonder how the hell such a thing even got here…" A voice spoke up from nearby, drawing Vale out of his thoughts. Turning to his left, he saw Angel standing next to him. Right now hundreds of Shadow Company operators stood in formation, waiting for Commander Graves to arrive.
A few weeks after Shadow Company had repelled whatever forces came through the gate, Commander Graves pulled every operator and their unit on base aside for an impromptu briefing. That's when the news spread like wildfire.
Different units were assigned roles in preparation for a venture through the gate. Why? Because Commander Graves decided that Shadow Company needed to expand its business and that the best way to go about it was to send Shadow Company operators into an entirely new world.
Vale could somewhat understand where the commander was coming from. An entirely new world meant a massive potential for new contracts, plus the vast amounts of untapped resources that the company could profit from.
The only main concern stemmed from the political ramifications of all of it.
Vale highly doubted that Commander Graves ran this through with any major standing political figures. The fact that there was no news about it was already telling enough. Unless of course, they were on the company payroll and that it was such a well-kept secret that they didn't even want to risk other countries finding out through official communications logs and documents.
A real country would probably have diplomats to send through. Shadow Company wasn't exactly too keen on diplomacy unless it stood to benefit them in some way, mostly financially.
Tanks, Humvees, MRAPs, and a various assortment of other heavy-duty vehicles were parked nearby, the operators assigned to them finishing up as they loaded ammo and food supplies on board.
I guess we're the diplomats…
A construction crew was also staying at the facility with much of their equipment stored in the empty hangers. It looked like the commander wanted to establish a base on the other side as well.
Vale's attention was then drawn to the sounds of rapidly approaching vehicles. A convoy of black SUVs made its way down the airstrip before slowing to a halt nearby. The man of the hour, Commander Graves stepped out from the middle vehicle, causing all the quiet murmurings to cease immediately.
Judging by his gear, it seemed that Commander Graves was once again operating close on the field with his men. Not too surprising, especially considering that the commander had pulled him aside and personally put him and his squad in charge of spearheading the operation.
Vale almost protested the idea, before realizing he couldn't say no to his superior. If Commander Graves saw something in him and his squad, then surely he knew what he was doing.
Commander Graves made his way up the temporary podium, standing behind it and preparing to address all the operators in front of him. He began by clearing his throat.
"Shadows, I'm not going to bore you with some fake speech about being duty-bound and patriotic. The whole point of this expedition is so that we can establish a strong foothold into unknown territory. This is purely for business and to further our own agenda."
He looked out across the sea of masked faces, ensuring that any would-be glory seekers and their plans were immediately squashed.
"We've already had people scout the general area surrounding the gate, so when we cross through, we'll eliminate any hostiles that stand in our way, and then after that, we'll begin construction of our main operating base. Afterward, we'll be escorting our gracious VIP, Count Colt Formal, to his home city of Italica."
The last time Vale saw Count Colt Formal, he had struck a deal with Commander Graves to act as a noble puppet for which Shadow Company would pull his strings. Such a thing was easily done by simple persuasion and manipulation, using the Count's familial ties as an incentive. It was a little scary how routinely the commander had done it, almost as if it wasn't his first time doing such a thing. Maybe it was the CIA ties…
"We'll then plan from there. For many of you, the other side of the gate will be your new home for the foreseeable future. Don't be too surprised if rotations have you there for an extended period of time."
If anyone had a problem with being in another world, they certainly didn't speak out against it. They knew what they were signing on for when they joined the company.
"With all that being said, I want nothing but professionalism from you all. There's a reason you were all to learn as much Latin as possible. We do not want to be on the locals' shit list right off the bat. Use your best judgment, be smart, and be flexible. Any questions?"
"Sir," An operator spoke out from amongst the crowd, "What about the other gate?"
During the briefings, Commander Graves made sure to notify everyone that there wasn't just a single gate for them. It helped to make sure that there were no surprises but it only raised more questions, especially after he mentioned it opening to another populated city.
Unfortunately, because the Count wasn't there at the siege of the other gate, he wasn't much help in telling who exactly was on the other side. The only useful knowledge was important names and locations throughout the continent of Falmart.
Commander Graves looked at him before sighing, giving an almost resigned response. "We'll cross that bridge when we get to it…"
Eyes glanced around, meeting each other in silent communication.
"I'll be joining you all on the front lines. Now get those engines revved up!" He ordered, and the moment he finished his sentence, all the operators began rushing to their assigned units and vehicles as chatter quickly built up. "We're Oscar Mike in five!
The commander's eyes snapped to him, difficult to avoid as he was standing front and center of the podium area. "Bishop squad, you're riding with me!"
Commander Graves made his way down the podium area and to a nearby MRAP, the rest of his squad following suit.
The large steel doors in front of the gate screeched loudly as they rolled back, once again revealing the gate that the fantasy army had come through just months before. Some blood still stained the pristine white columns, turned into a noticeable shade of brown, likely due to oxidizing for so long.
"C'mon Vale, up and at 'em." Bristol's outstretched hand greeted him from the back of the MRAP as he winked. "We've got a job to do."
Vale rolled his eyes before grabbing onto his hand and getting hoisted up. Once in, Viper, who was chewing on some gum, looked at him before tilting his head to his left and drawing Vale's attention to the seat next to him.
Sitting in the seat closest to the driver's side, Commander Graves had his head turned as he looked outside the windshield, waiting for the steel doors to finally come to a halt.
"Commander Graves," Vale spoke up, getting his attention. "It's a pleasure to have you here with us, sir!"
Commander Graves looked him up and down, before nodding to himself in apparent satisfaction. "Pleasure's all mine, Vale. It's not often that remnants of the old Shadow Company and its ways are still around to this day."
The team all looked at each other, "What exactly do you mean by that, sir?" Viper asked.
"I know you all used to be Butcher squad, way back when." He smirked at all of them. "I was the one who gave you boys the all-clear to… deal with the locals. I must say, you all made quite the mess, stirring up the hornet's nest like that. Luckily, we covered it up before it blew up into a massive stain on the company's name."
Vale looked confused, not really knowing how to respond in this situation. "Uh… thank you, sir? I apologize, but where exactly are you going with this?"
"Where I'm going, is that when I read over your files, I was intrigued to find how well you all operated, especially with your fields of expertise. Disregarding the incident report, I need men like you on the frontlines, it's precisely why I assigned you to be in charge of spearheading this operation. You may be Bishops now, but sometimes the Butchers need to come out and work, yeah?"
Commander Graves didn't even give Vale a chance to open his mouth and respond. "If that means bending the rules of engagement… you'll get the job done…"
"All stations, the gate is open!" A voice announced over the radio.
Graves diverted his attention back out the driver's window, seeing that the steel doors in front of the gate had now stopped.
"Alright, that's it, Operation Odyssey is a go…" Graves pointed out, telling the driver to begin moving. He reached for his radio before broadcasting to all net channels. "All shadows, prep for contact and stay on comms. Push to your hard points! Let's make a grand entrance!"
The tanks rumbled as they slowly began moving, disappearing into the darkness beyond the gate. Soon enough, the rest of the vehicles began driving through. Bishop squad quietly kept to themselves as Graves looked forward. Moments later, the vehicle and its crew onboard drove through the darkness, becoming bathed in an ominous blue light.
As the vehicles got closer to the other side of the gate, the light brightened in intensity. Vale tried to get a read on his boss' face, but his expression was set in stone. Who knew what Graves was thinking at that point in time.
This was it… the team was now finally crossing the threshold. The first humans to enter a new world, and it was a group of mercenaries not loyal to anybody but themselves. How funny…
"All stations, this is Mastiff-1. We've got contact!" The voice of their tankers spoke up as they emerged on the other side.
Out in the distance, thousands of the enemy could be seen carrying torches as they slowly converged on their position.
Strykers, Humvees, and MRAPs came to a halt, allowing squads upon squads of contractors to rush out as they got into position. For the Imperial forces, it looked as if a large ant hill had been disturbed.
What they didn't know was that the pain they'd feel moments later would be much worse than the tiny stings of an ant bite…
"All Shadows…" Commander Graves began, "Weapons free…"
MARQUIS CASEL EL TIBERIUS
IMPERIAL SENATE, SADERA
IMPERIAL CALENDAR, 687 - 12:37:09
Marquis stood up from his seat. Now that everyone had arrived, the senate meeting could commence and he'd be able to report the unfortunate news to Emperor Molt. He took a deep breath before exhaling, his chest slowly rising and falling as he prepared to step into the center of the room.
"My Lord, please forgive me for my bluntness… but the gate situation has been utterly catastrophic."
Marquis expected hushed murmurs to begin, but thankfully none had started yet.
"This rings true for both gates. The Empire has lost thousands of troops from the enemy on both sides. Over sixty percent of the Imperial Army has been wiped!"
Now the murmurs and whispers began, and Marquis could understand why. The Saderan Empire has been undefeated for centuries. They had the strongest military fighting force on the continent, and it couldn't be rivaled by any others. To hear that over half of their strongest assets were gone was a shock to many.
Regardless of the whispers, Marquis carried on. "How do you intend to lead the people in the face of such events?"
Emperor Molt replied, putting his hand up to rub his temples. "This is not the first time that our people have gone through such things. In the face of adversity, we have pulled through countless times. I doubt that this is any different."
"Over half of our military fighting power is gone!" Marquis pointed out once more.
Emperor Molt sighed to himself, "Calm yourself, Senator Marquis. While I do agree that the loss of so much of our military might is devastating, I do believe you're focusing on the wrong problem here."
Marquis looked at him expectantly. "And that is…?"
"The other nations. The ones who are allied with us, but not part of the Empire itself. What do you think they'll do once they realize we've lost so many men, hmm?" Molt questioned rhetorically. "I'll tell you. They'll turn their backs on us the first chance they get and side with the enemy in fear."
The Emperor waved off any further concerns. "Now my dear Marquis, I think we should really be focusing on that, rather than holding senate meetings for such trivial matters, while unknown enemy forces arrive on our lands from two different gates."
"But what exactly is your plan, your Majesty?" An older voice spoke up from nearby.
Everyone's attention turned to face Godasen as he made his way to the center of the room.
"I have never in my life seen an enemy force take over so quickly. Not until now. The gate at Alnus hill was seized from our control in just two days. Now the enemy is establishing a foothold on our land and if messenger reports are to be believed, the gate East of Italica has also experienced the same as well!"
Godasen, an experienced mage, was in charge of the Imperial Army leading the assault on Alnus Hill. For him to speak of the enemy in such a way made them a very deadly threat.
"They cast fire upon us from afar, and there was nothing we could do about it!"
"Then we must fight back! The Empire cannot be backed down like this. We have allies for a reason!" Podawan, General of the Imperial Army's Wyvern Corp, yelled out. "We can use their soldiers to build up our army once more!"
"Are you insane, General Podawan?!" Another senator called out as he stood from his seat. "You've heard what happened to our soldiers! If we force our vassal states to fight the enemy in such a way, they'll no doubt be against us for sending them straight to the butcher's shop!"
"And we're just supposed to sit here and wait for the enemy to arrive at our walls?!"
"Do you want our only allies to be decimated as well?!"
"You just want to break bread with them to save your own skin!"
The Emperor raised his hand, immediately gaining everyone's attention as they quieted down to hear what he had to say.
"Sitting here and bickering amongst ourselves aims to accomplish nothing. The enemy will get closer day by day until they are standing inside the throne room itself. Therefore I have decided… we must stand and fight!"
Hushed conversation amongst the senate started again. Some were in favor of the decision and some were against it.
He ignored their voices as he continued, "Send messengers on horseback to our allied states as soon as possible. We must inform them that we'll need assistance in repelling the enemy forces from our lands!"
Emperor Molt stood proudly from his throne. "We'll have the backing of King Duran and his army. It's time we retake the gates!"
The senate reactions were split. The majority of voices broke out in cheers, shouting things such as "Glory to the great Emperor Molt!" While others silently grumbled to themselves.
Senator Marquis stepped forward as the senate was still lively with voices. He cleared his throat once properly close enough at the bottom of the stairs.
"Your Imperial Majesty, is this really the wisest decision? I fear that we'll only be sending more men to the slaughter…"
Emperor Molt looked down at him. His only response?
A sadistic smirk…
KING DURAN
KINGS MEETING TENT, WEST OF ITALICA
IMPERIAL CALENDAR, 687 - 20:18:08
"I don't understand, why would they send my forces here instead of Alnus Hill? Elbe Fiefdom is much closer to the gate at Alnus."
"I wouldn't worry about it, Duran," The king of Alguna said to his right. "I'm sure that our other allies are having a dreadfully boring time dealing with Alnus."
"Well, hopefully, that leaves more glory for us, eh?" The Duke of League nudged his shoulder, causing King Duran to shake his head before turning to the Imperial messenger in front of him.
"So why isn't the commander of the Imperial Army coming? King Duran asked.
The Imperial soldier kneeling in front of him raised his head, "The Imperial Commander and the other half of the allied forces are assaulting Alnus Hill right now, milord. After the battle at Alnus Hill is won, only then will he arrive to support you and your men."
The kings could only make varying noises of concern.
"Emperor Molt requests that you attack the enemy tomorrow at sunrise. After the Imperial Commander has finished at Alnus Hill, he will be here, awaiting your arrival."
The Imperial messenger stood up to leave, allowing the kings, dukes, and commanders to discuss matters amongst each other. What exactly was discussed?
Who would be leading the assault on the gate?
The king of Alguna stood up from his seat, "Very well then… my army shall be the spearhead of this attack!"
The king of Mowdwan stood up in protest, "Hold it! Let my army take the lead this time!"
"Now wait a moment, I think my army should be at the forefront of this victory!" The Duke of League spoke up.
Naturally, the discussion devolved into debate…
After everyone had calmed down, they began to make their way out of the tent and settle in for the night, excited at the prospect of glory that would come tomorrow.
The Duke of League was disappointed at having to share such glory with the others. "What a shame, and here I thought it'd be our time to shine…"
"Is it?" King Duran asked. He appeared to be in deep thought as he held his hands in front of him. "We outnumber the enemy by a landslide. Leading the assault against a massively outnumbered foe isn't exactly the most distinguished of acts."
"You must be joking!" The Duke of League exclaimed. "Sitting at the back lines while our allies lead the charge isn't very much distinguished either!"
King Duran narrowed his eyes slightly, "Something is very different about our foes. If the enemy force is so small, then why did the Saderan Empire have to request the help of its vassal states? It simply makes no sense. They should have had no troubles at all against the enemy…"
"Hahaha, you're going soft, Duran." The Duke of League laughed him off. "Are you sure it isn't your old bones?"
THE NEXT DAY
"Forward!" The king of Alguna ordered his troops. They let out war cries as columns upon columns of horses, shields, and archers marched forward. Wyverns flew overhead, spotting the enemy and the gate in the distance.
King Duran stepped out of his tent, shielding his eyes from the sun's rays as it sat at the highest point in the sky. "The others should be meeting at the battlefield now…"
The sound of armor rattling, drew his attention down as he and his soldiers turned to face one of their men. He looked tired, having likely exerted himself to reach him.
"My Lord!" The soldier called out, kneeling as he panted.
"Yes soldier, what is it?"
"Your Majesty, it's the other kingdoms. They've departed to assault the enemy at the gate, Lord Reigoux is joining them…"
King Duran sighed to himself. He had advised the Duke of League to not rush off in such a way. Only a fool would do such a thing. No matter, at least they'd be backed by the Imperial troops.
"And what about the Imperial Army? Have they sent us the necessary amount of men?" Duran asked.
The soldier in front of him raised his head, looking slightly worried. "My Lord, no Imperial troops at all. We haven't seen a single sign of them…"
His single eye widened in disbelief, "What did you just say?!"
King Duran rushed up the hill with an entourage of his men on horseback. He hoped to arrive quickly enough to catch up with the others.
Those fools… what were they thinking, rushing off like this without the support of the Imperial Army?
Large explosions erupted over the hill in front of him, kicking up massive clouds of dirt and causing his horse to rear back in fear.
"What in the blazes?!"
He gestured for his men to move further up. He eventually came to a stop at the hilltop finally able to see through the smoke. What he saw caused his jaw to drop. All of the men were dead, obliterated by the hail of explosions. Not a single man was left standing…
Some of the soldiers around him made varying noises of disgust, one of them even cupping a hand to his mouth to prevent himself from emptying his stomach.
King Duran frantically searched around. Where was the king of Alguna, the king of Mowdwan? Where was Reigoux?!
ALLIED KINGDOMS' FIRST OFFENSIVE: ELIMINATED
AA guns shot down wyverns as the men attempted to push forward with their shields. Unfortunately, they were no match for the heavy weaponry.
The tanks let off thunderous booms as they fired their main canons at the approaching enemy. The bursts of fire and the resulting shockwaves threw men off their feet.
ALLIED KINGDOMS' SECOND OFFENSIVE: ELIMINATED
"I don't understand…" Said one of the Lords. He looked tired as he held his head in his hands. "We outnumbered the enemy by so much, and yet… they've completely held us back without sustaining any casualties of their own! Where the hell is his Majesty's army?"
"Do you honestly think the Imperial Army can stand a chance against that?!" Scoffed another from nearby. "The enemy won't even meet us head-on! We'll need to fall back!"
"Fall back?!" The last Lord shouted. "How do you think his Majesty is going to respond when we come back battered and beaten?!"
"He was the one who sent us here without any support from his own troops in the first place! Troops, which I'll remind you, were promised to join us!" The Lord gestured back outside the tent. "Well, where the hell are they?! I say we retreat!"
King Duran looked back up from the shattered remains of Reigoux's helmet. "We cannot retreat, gentlemen. It would be a massive disservice to the realm if we left our brethren unavenged…"
"You can't seriously be expecting us to risk our lives to get their deaths off of your conscience! We don't have the same strength we arrived with. It'll be impossible!"
"Hmm, maybe we don't need strength…" King Duran mused. "Maybe, all we'll need is smarts."
The Lords all looked between each other, "What exactly are you talking about, Duran?" One of them asked.
King Duran looked up in thought. "The new moon is tonight. That means all of the night light in the sky will be blotted out. Their night sentries should have trouble seeing anything in these conditions. This will allow our forces to silently get close enough, and then we'll strike with an ambush…"
The remaining Lords glanced at each other once more, before turning to King Duran and nodding in approval.
"This plan of yours better work, Duran. For all our sakes…"
In the dead of night, King Duran and his troops quietly marched their way to the enemy position. Most of the enemy at the gate would be asleep by now, and with the lighting conditions present, he doubted that any of them would be seen until it was too late.
He had yet to see the enemy forces up close, but with the way they fought from range, they must have been unconfident in their ability for an up-close fight.
The darkness seemed to be working well so far. A little too well…
Every once in a while, a soldier would trip over a rock they couldn't see or ankles would be stepped on. Luckily, his men were smarter than to complain and cause a commotion right now.
The enemy encampment was also up ahead, but it was completely dark. Not a single torch burned out in the distance. That was concerning…
Did they not leave any guards on watch duty? King Duran asked himself. Are they all asleep?
Suddenly an almost imperceptible boom sounded off in the distance with several more right after. Seconds later, bright orbs of light fell from the sky, embers trailing behind them.
The troops had no idea what they were witnessing. Chatter erupted amongst the confusion. Was this magic? An act of the gods?
King Duran stared at the falling flames before his eyes widened in realization.
We've been spotted!
He immediately sent his horse into a full gallop forward, barking orders to his men. "All troops, We've been spotted! Move, don't let them hit you!"
As the enemy began firing upon his men, the bright explosions lit his face orange as screams of death sounded all around him.
"Don't stand still! Charge! Charge!" He called out. As he got closer to the enemy position, his horse leaped, not noticing the barbed wire fence in the way. As the horse got closer to the ground, it got caught in the wire where it would sit in pain for a few more minutes.
"My Lord! Wait right there, we'll help you!" He heard one of his men call out from behind him.
"Hurry and get to the king!"
"We need to cut through this tangled barrier!"
The soldiers made their way past the barbed wire before the shields formed a turtle formation in front of their king.
Suddenly, more illumination rounds lit up the sky and the area around them, causing everyone to look up. Moments later, a seemingly endless stream of red tracers are shot in their direction, cutting through shields and armor alike. The men didn't stand a chance as they were mercilessly mowed down from afar.
He stared in absolute shock, only shaken out of his stupor when a round pinged against his cheek plate.
He looked at the battlefield around him. His horse was dead in the entangled wire, troops collapsing all around him, and pieces of armor were scattered all over the ground.
In one last futile show of defiance, he walked forward and picked up a bow and arrow before firing it at the enemy. From the distance he stood, it was pointless, landing nowhere near the enemy at all.
"Dammit…" He uttered, seeming resolute at the outcome, knowing he wouldn't be able to escape from this fight.
His thoughts returned to the Imperial Army. Emperor Molt promised to send his men to help, but instead, he sent the vassal states to their deaths. If this was how his forces ended up, it was safe to say that those at Alnus Gate suffered the same fate.
"Why…?" He asked himself before beginning to laugh maniacally, realizing that the Emperor had really just wanted him and the other states leaders gone.
A mortar shell whistled above him, before hitting the ground and erupting nearby, causing the once great king to fall back with severe injuries.
[REDACTED] OXIDE [REDACTED]
SHADOW COMPANY SITE HOTEL GAMMA, FALMART
IMPERIAL CALENDAR, 687 - 06:00:00
Oxide was making his way from the command room, walking at a brisk pace. His destination being Commander Graves' tent. He just recently found some intel that would most certainly be of help, and he'd definitely be in for one hell of an ass chewing if he didn't report it immediately.
As he made his way through the dirt paths of the hastily constructed Site Hotel Gamma, he came to a stop as he passed by the infirmary tents.
Rushed voices going through what appeared to be an emergency health checklist came from Shadow Company medics. On the stretcher that rolled past him was what appeared to be one of their enemies. Judging by the armor, he was most likely of a higher status and judging by the wounds, was in critical condition.
Oxide wasn't too surprised at this point. He had seen many crazy things in life while operating. If Commander Graves wanted another political puppet under his control, then the man would surely get what he wanted.
After a brief walk, Oxide had finally arrived. The tent in front of him had a sign nearby, simply labeled as 'Commander Graves'.
He brushed the tent flap aside, stepping into the room. Tables and other logistics supplies sat nearby, waiting to be used.
Graves looked up from his laptop monitor, a friendly smile on his face as he greeted his subordinate.
"Ah, Oxide… I wasn't expecting to see you here today." He said, swiveling his seat to face the man directly. "Whaddya' got for me?"
"New intelligence data, sir." Oxide said, handing a manilla folder over to him. "You're not going to like what you see…"
Graves quirked a brow at his comment. "I think I'll be the judge of that, Oxide… besides, you're not really hyping this up for me…
He opened up the folder in front of him, reading through it carefully before he squinted at the papers inside, likely having trouble believing what exactly it was he was seeing. He reread it once more at a quicker pace to ensure he saw it right. A second later, he dropped the file onto the table in front of him and looked back up at Oxide.
"You've got to be shitting me… was this verified?"
Oxide nodded. "Several times over, sir. Avatar-1 was scouting the area with the UAV drones when we spotted them. The pictures are proof enough."
Graves leaned back in his chair, rubbing a hand down his face as he groaned in exasperation. "This is just what I needed…"
"So what are we going to do about this, sir?"
Graves sighed before planting both hands on the table and rising from his seat. "What we're going to do… is get into the right mindset to deal with this problem. And for that, I'll need some caffeine in my system and some time away from this damned table. Would you like to join me for some coffee?" He offered.
Oxide didn't really know how to respond to the offer, so he just took him up on it. "I… I could go for a cup, sir…"
"Perfect! Well, come on! It's not gonna brew itself!" Graves called out, stepping around the table and walking out of the tent.
Oxide could only shake his head before following along, flap falling shut behind him. He caught up to his boss as he waited for him along the path. Once close, Graves started to walk with him.
"If you don't mind me asking, sir…" Oxide began, "Shouldn't we really be getting started on this problem right away?"
Graves simply gave him the side eye. "We are getting started on the problem. With coffee…"
At Oxide's unconvinced look, Graves massaged his temples. He'd probably sigh too, but he had a feeling that he'd been doing that way too much the past few days.
"Look… if it really worries you that much, just remember. Japan only has a Self Defense Force. How much trouble could they really cause for us?"
Oxide said nothing, turning to face the break tent ahead of them.
That coffee better be good…
Author's Notes
Commander Phillip Graves has realized that they're now sharing the region with the Japanese Self-Defense Force. His response? Coffee!
Coffee usually makes a horrible day better, and if not? Less horrible…
Now I know what you're thinking. Krueger, so far this was just a retelling of what happened in the Anime! To that I say, you're right. Except there's one difference!
Emperor Molt sent the Vassal states to fight an unwinnable battle in the hopes of retaining power as the one true ruler. King Duran ended up wounded and in the hands of the JSDF, who took advantage of his state of weakness to negotiate for the resources Elbe Fiefdom held. He accepted, so long as he was able to return and reclaim his throne in Elbe.
In this story, I've decided to have Duran end up in the hands of Shadow Company. This will shake things up as Japan will eventually realize that they've lost a beneficial asset in the Special Region, and to foreign mercenaries no less…
As a result, Princess Pina doesn't find a wounded Duran warning her of what occurred at Alnus Hill or the other gate, causing her to head to Italica earlier than expected.
Reviews:
For'Sleep 3rd: The JSDF, being inexperienced and under-equipped for combat will obviously make some decisions that will get in the way of Shadow Company's goals, but they won't be completely unprofessional. Once they realize that they share turf with another military force, they'll start to cautiously tone back their operations, in fear of the repercussions from angering them. Of course, the Japanese government and soon the entire other world will soon get wind of them and will start eyeing them like hawks.