Ch. 29: Spark of Revolution
2:20 PM, March 1st, 1919, Office of the Governor-General of Chōsen, Keijō, Chōsen
Viceroy Hasegawa stood at the window of his office. Despite being inside, he could hear the faint sound of chanting in the distance.
"So, is this what it has come to?" thought Hasegawa. Suddenly the sound of someone knocking on his door could be heard. "Come in!".
The door slowly opened and a man wearing a suit walked into the room holding what appeared to be a sealed envelop. The man bowed his head slightly before proceeding with what he was going to say.
"My Lord, a message has suddenly arrived for you." said the man.
"A message? From whom?" asked Hasegawa.
"We're not sure. It was just found in our incoming mail." the man answered. He then handed the paper to Hasegawa. Wondering who sent it, Hasegawa opened the envelope and took out a piece of folded paper. He unfolded it and proceeded to read it.
"So they've gone all the way..." Hasegawa replied with a grin on his face.
"What is it my Lord?" asked the curious man.
"Those so called nationalists have actually gone through with their declaration of independence. And they have the nerve to send me a copy!" said Hasegawa as he crumbled the piece of paper before throwing it to the ground. "They're really pushing my buttons with this move."
"I thought they were simply dreaming about going through with a declaration." replied the man. "The higher ups won't be happy with this."
"If I fail here, the higher ups will be crawling all over me. This situation must be contained at all cost. But if I act too soon, this demonstration could grow even bigger." said Hasegawa with frustration.
Another man in a suit suddenly ran into the office.
"My Lord!" yelled the man.
"What is it! Can't you see I'm busy here!" bellowed Hasegawa.
"You have a call on line 2! It's apparently very urgent!" said the man.
Hasegawa grunted before heading back to his desk to pick up the phone.
"Connect me to line 2 immediately!" Hasegawa yelled into the mouthpiece.
A few seconds of silence passed before a voice could be heard on the other end of the line.
"My Lord! Are you there my Lord?!" said the voice.
"I'm here damn it! Who is this?" Hasegawa responded.
"This is Police Chief Noguchi. I just received a call from the Taehwagwan Restaurant. The caller stated they were the signers of the declaration and would not be crushed by authorities." said Chief Noguchi.
"Those dirty Chons and their defiant behavior!" yelled Hasegawa. "Send whatever force is necessary to the Taehwagwan Restaurant and arrest these conspirators on the spot!"
"As you wish my Lord!" said Chief Noguchi before he hung up.
A third man, also wearing a suit, ran into the room as soon as Hasegawa hung up the phone.
"Sorry to intrude my Lord but communications office is going insane!" said the third man, who was out of breath.
"Give the status!" said Hasegawa.
"Reports from various outposts and stations all around the city and the peninsula are flooding the lines. Currently crowds have been seen heading towards the late Gojong's palace along with both the American and French Embassies. Another source says that a crowd was also seen heading here. Meanwhile similar declarations have erupted in Busan, Gensan, Heijō, Sinŭiju, Gwangju, along with several other smaller communities." said the third man.
"I HAVE HAD ENOUGH OF THIS! CALL TŌDŌ AND TELL HIM TO BLOCK EVERY CROWD WITH EVERYTHING HE'S GOT!" Hasegawa roared.
"My Lord, won't that result in violent riot?" asked one of them men.
"No because I am hereby declaring a colonial state of emergency. I want every police officer we have to disperse every crowd that exists. Refusal to do so will be interpreted as violating colonial decree. Hopefully that will satisfy anyone questioning the legality of my actions." explained Hasegawa.
"And what about the Shinigami? Are you sure we'll be able to trust him?" asked the third man.
"Tōdō has been given strict instructions. He is not to have the police engage the crowd unless its in self defense or an imminent threat is noticeable." said Hasegawa.
"Very my Lord. I will alert him right away." said the third man before he bowed his head forward slightly as he left the room.
"You two! Get me in touch with Tokyo this instant!" Haseagwa yelled.
The two other men bowed their heads before heading off to the communications room.
Hasegawa meanwhile went back to the window, where one could feel the growing vibrations from all the chanting occurring in the city.
Zero and Kae followed the crowd as they were marching towards the colonial capitol building. The sound of people chanting "MANSEI!" was the only thing you could hear. People from nearby buildings came out to join the crowd in their. In the middle of the crowd, a Korean flag the size of a boat sail could be seen raised up high in the air from a long, thick pole. The flag proudly waved in the air as the crowd moved on.
As the crowd continued marching, a dozen or so Japanese police officers dressed in their high collar, black buttoned uniforms and black police caps, formed a line so that they could stop the crowd. Each officer held a rifle in their hand along with a saber on their belt in case they needed to use physical force.
Once the crowd saw the wall of police officers blocking their path, the crowd en masse immediately stopped and the chanting ceased. Both sides stared at one another in silence for a moment until a higher ranking officer emerged from behind the wall of police officers. This officer who had just emerged stepped forward and raised the megaphone he was holding to his mouth.
"Halt! You are in violation of colonial decree and committing treason against His Imperial Majesty! Disperse immediately, or else we will use whatever force necessary to maintain order!" yelled the officer.
Suddenly the whole crowd started whispering to one another.
"Zero! What's going on? What are the police doing?" asked Kae as she tried to look over the shoulders of the people in front of her.
"I can't fully tell." said Zero as he too tried to look over the crowd.
Meanwhile at the front of the crowd, an elderly man dressed in a hanbok and a gat walked forward.
"You will never destroy our pride!" yelled the old man.
"We won't tolerate being your slaves any longer!" yelled another man wearing a suit and glasses.
"Our families may starve due to your policies and we may have our culture suppressed, but we will always have our fighting spirit!" yelled a woman.
"You take our land and raise our taxes, yet we receive the same services as before! Korea will not be a victim of thieves anymore!" yelled a student.
"Independence for Korea will happen no matter what!" yelled a scholar.
Everyone then proceeded with chanting the phrase "MANSEI!" once more.
As the crowd chanted, the officer with the megaphone headed back behind the line of police officers.
"Sergeant! Disperse the crowd and arrest anyone who opposes!" said the officer.
"Yes sir!" saluted the Sergeant.
The Sergeant then instructed his men to march forwards and disperse the crowd, along with arresting anyone who resisted with whatever reasonable force. The police officers simultaneously raised their rifles in front of them before they started walking forwards toward the chanting crowd.
It was then that Zero could see the line of armed police officers coming closer towards the chanting crowd.
"This doesn't look good Kae." said Zero.
"What do you mean?" she asked.
"I need to get up at front and try to convince the crowd to not confront the police." he explained
Zero then tried to walk towards the front of the chanting crowd.
"Zero where are you going?" asked Kae.
"I'm heading to the front. I need to get these people to safety before it's too late." responded Zero as he disappeared into the dense crowd.
"Too late? For what?" thought a confused Kae.
"I can't let these innocent civilians get hurt. I have to reach the front so that I can geass the police to stand down before things get out of hand." thought Zero as he pushed by several people as he walked forward."I feel bad not telling Kae about the SAZ Massacre and how I don't want to cause another one. But she's not ready for the truth. It would simply complicate things for her."
Zero continued passing through the dense crowd so that he could reach the front. However, the prideful crowd made it more difficult to pass through.
"Almost there. I must get there before the police manage too..." thought Zero.
"BOMB!" yelled a voice in the distance. Zero couldn't tell if the civilians or the police said it, but it didn't matter. Immediately several gunshots could be heard along the screams of people nearby.
"NO!" thought Zero as he ran.
Finally reaching the front of the crowd, Zero saw several of the police officers kneeling down on the ground with their rifles aimed forward. He then turned to his left and saw several dead civilians covered in blood lying on the ground.
"MURDERERS!" yelled a Korean woman.
Insults towards the police officers started filling the air while a few other civilians started throwing rocks and other debris at the officers.
"ARREST ALL OF THEM WITHOUT QUESTION! NOW!" yelled the Sergeant. The police officers, while holding their rifles, immediately ran towards the crowd.
Upon seeing the line of officers charging towards him, Zero knew he didn't have enough time to geass the officers and he needed to get back to Kae so he could make his next move.
As Zero ran towards the back of the crowd, the line of police officers was against the front of the crowd. Using their rifles as clubs, the police officers knocked down various civilians to the ground. As their bruised and bloody bodies started to get up, the police officers either kicked them or they used the butt of their gun to repeatedly bash them.
Screams of fear, panic, and pain replaced the patriotic chanting that filled the air before. The crowd started separating as the police officers started chasing them. Some civilians managed to outrun the authorities, but others were knocked onto the ground and severely beaten. Another group of police officers aimed their rifles at some of the civilians, which resulted in them raising their hands in the air and surrendering.
As people fled the area, Kae suddenly saw Zero running towards her.
"What's going on? Did you have anything to do with this?" asked Kae.
"No, this surprised me too." Zero replied. "Someone yelled "bomb", which resulted in quick retaliation by the police. Couldn't tell who said it, but the police are advancing at arresting anyone they can find. We need to relay this to the council and our forces surrounding the city immediately."
"Ok then." replied Kae. As she and Zero suddenly ran with the fleeing crowd, Kae quickly looked behind her. She could see the beaten, near-lifless bodies of civilians littering the street. Despite being on the verge of death, the police were still beating them up.
The bodies of the civilians included the men, women, young, elderly, workers, and intellectuals. Even the civilians who had surrendered were beaten up severely to the point they were immobilized or dead. Tattered banners and blood-stained flags filled the street as the atrocious beatings continued.
Not wanting to see the barbaric carnage anymore, Kae looked forward and continued on.
Somewhere outside Keijō
Various Black Army's makeshift camps, each one consisting of some soldiers, artillery, and communications, dotted the forests and hills surrounding the city. At one of the camps, General Jo was looking at the city in the distance while the rest of the soldiers were awaiting further orders.
"I wonder what's happening in the city?" asked a nearby Sergeant.
"I don't know. All we can do is wait." responded Jo.
Meanwhile a Black Army soldier was sitting at a little desk within a large tent. On the desk was a telegraph, which was connected to a nearby main line.
"BEEP-BEEP-BEEP" was all of a sudden heard. The noise instantly caught the soldier's attention and he proceeded to decode it.
"General! General!" yelled the soldier.
"What is it Private?!" asked Jo.
"Just got a message from one of our divisions in the city. States Japanese forces are going on the offensive." said the soldier.
"They did what!" yelled Jo. "They attacked peaceful civilians?! What's the damage?"
"Can't tell, but it sounds real, real bad." responded the soldier. "Reports vary from civilians being shot or beaten up."
"This is beyond any barbaric act the Japanese has ever done!" said Jo. "Relay this report to the Dangun immediately. I want their opinion on the situation before I start acting."
"Sir!" said the soldier as he saluted. He then ran off to the telegraph and relayed the info.
The Dangun
The various telegraphs that were set up within the ship on Dietrich's orders were all busy beeping as various communication workers were decoding the messages.
"Reports are coming from the Northern cities of Japanese police officers brutally beating civilians!" yelled one of the workers.
"Mounted police officers seen dragging people in the Western District of the city!" yelled another worker.
"Shooting heard in Busan, Gwangju, and various other cities all over the peninsula!" yelled a third worker.
"Relay all info to the council immediately." Dietrich responded.
Suddenly Zero and Kae both ran into the main cabin room. Both of them were out of breath.
"Zero! Kae! What's exactly is happening?" asked Dietrich.
"The situation is currently bad!" said Zero.
"I know. I'm receiving reports by the dozens from the various divisions we have hidden around the city and the rest of the peninsula." Dietrich responded.
"Have the Black Army had any open confrontations with authorities?" asked Zero.
"Not so far. All forces in reserve are still on standby and awaiting orders." Dietrich replied.
"And what about Kim Gu, the council and the 33 activists?" asked Zero.
"Kim Gu reported he and the council has fled to one of our safe houses outside the city. He said they managed to escape before Japanese authorities came to arrest them. As for the 33 activists, they chose to stay and we presume they were arrested." Dietrich said.
"Tell the council to regroup at Emergency Base Theta!" commanded Zero.
"But what about the rest of the Zero Division?" asked Kae. "We can't abandon them."
"I know Kae. Dietrich, send out an order for all forces inside to retreat to Emergency Base Theta! We can reorganize our chain of command there." said Zero.
"Wait, we're retreating?" asked a stunned Kae.
"For now yes. This situation is sudden and beyond our control. We need to come up with an organized plan before we strike back." explained Zero.
Dietrich send proceeded to send the order out via the wireless telegraph network while other Black Army soldiers managed to start untying the ship. Chugging sounds from the ship's underside could be heard as the engine started up. Black smoke rose out of the smokestack while the ship propelled itself forwards.
Zero stepped out onto the deck and looked out at the city, only to hear the sound of gunshots and screams in the distance as the ship started heading towards the Black Army's emergency base.
"I couldn't stop it. I had the chance. I had the chance damn it! I'm sorry Euphie, I tried, and I failed." thought Zero has a tear fell from his eye and into the river water below.
4:35 PM, Colonial HQ, Keijō, Chōsen
Hasegawa, Tōdō, along with several other colonial officials, were having an emergency meeting regarding the stability of the peninsula. Hasegawa sat at the head of the table while the others sat on the sides.
"Tōdō, what the hell happened!" yelled Hasegawa. "It was your job to oversee the police!"
"Which I did according to your orders." answered Tōdō.
"Then why the hell did the police start attacking?! I give you strict orders to not engage the protesters..." said Hasegawa.
"You told me to only use force when it was absolutely necessary! I made sure those words were ingrained in every police officer in the city!" yelled Tōdō. "The police only retaliated when they deemed the situation was going to grow out of hand. Therefore this mess is your fault Viceroy!"
"MY FAULT!?" roared the angry Viceroy. "WHO WAS THE ONE ACTUALLY COMMANDING THE POLICE?!"
"AND LIKE I SAID BEFORE, I WAS SIMPLY FOLLOWING YOUR ORDERS! THE CROWD WAS DEEMED AN IMMINENT THREAT TO STABILITY!" Tōdō yelled back.
"My Lord! Marshal! It doesn't matter who's fault it was now!" interrupted a man with a mustache wearing a suit. "As we speak various engagements with activists have erupted in almost every major city."
"I've also received word that various communities in the countryside have become aggressive and retaliated against our forces." said another man sitting at the table.
"What about here? Is the capitol stabilized?" asked Hasegawa.
"Police Chief Noguchi has reported that despite the massive arrests and confrontations, sections of the city are still showing signs of opposition." answered an older bald man wearing glasses. "The Chief also tells me that his forces are overstretched and he can't secure any more areas."
"Damn it!" yelled Hasegawa as he slammed his fist on the table. "I want all our reserve forces to be deployed now! Also what is the status of the military and naval support from the home islands?"
"Tokyo has told us they have deployed various divisions and ships to assist us in containing the situation." said another man.
"Good. Once those extra forces arrive, the Chons will stand no chance." Hasegawa replied.
"But what Zero and the Black Army?" asked Tōdō.
"What about him?" Hasegawa replied.
"I fear Zero will exploit our lack of manpower and the chaos in order to launch a full strike on us." Tōdō explained.
"Zero isn't going to humiliate me again! I'll make sure I find him this time!" yelled Hasegawa.
Suddenly the phone on table in front of Hasegawa started ringing. Hasegawa immediately answered it.
"This better be important!" Hasegawa said.
"My Lord, call for you on Line 1." said the man on the other end.
"Tell them I'm dealing with something a LOT more important!" Hasegawa angrily replied.
"Sir, the call is from the Aoyama Palace." the man once more.
"The Aoyama Palace?!" said Hasegawa with a stunned look on his face. "Connect me."
A few seconds went by as the phone lines were being connected in the communications room.
"HELLO! HELLO! WHO THE HELL IS THIS?!" Hasegawa kept yelling.
"Viceroy, don't you recognize my voice?" asked the person on the other end.
Hasegawa's eyes immediately widened upon hearing the voice on the phone.
"Oh, uh your Highness. I'm so sorry." stuttered Hasegawa.
"Enough with the formalities. We have bigger issues at hand. I'm quite aware of the situation occurring on the peninsula. Now listen, if you want to contain this problem before it spreads, I suggest you follow everything I say." said the voice.
"Very well. What should I do?" asked Hasegawa.
"I've been investigating this Zero guy along with his activities for a while. By looking at Zero's previous tactics and movements, I think I know what he's going to plan next." said the voice. "The most likely plan that Zero would be willing to implement would probably be a strike on the colonial capitol."
"Damn it! That son-of-a-bitch Tōdō was right." thought Hasegawa.
"But your Highness, the Black Army is estimated to not have enough resources to launch an assault on Keijō. If he did have the resources and the manpower, he would've done so before."
"That's where your wrong. As you know, various communities and towns in the countryside are taking up arms and fighting back. Zero will probably try to gather all of them so that he can use them as a potential source of manpower, which shouldn't be a problem for him." explained the voice.
"So you're saying we need to go after the smaller movements in the countryside and prevent them from gathering into an army?" asked Hasegawa.
"Not exactly." said the voice. "Patriotic fervor and nationalism is spreading like wildfire. Simply stopping and arresting the revolutionaries will not be enough to snuff out the flames."
"Then what do you want me to do?" Hasegawa asked.
"Use whatever force and option you have to ensure these armed fighters get the message. And I mean whatever force. We also need to throw a wrench into Zero's schemes before he acts." explained the voice. "Northeast of Keijō along the coast is an abandoned port town. According to my sources and observations, the movements of resources and increased activity within the area indicates a large Black Army force is gathering there."
"You have access to such info?" asked a surprised Hasegawa. "How come you didn't present it earlier?"
"Let's just say I need to keep some things secret for the interests of the Empire." answered the voice.
"Very well." said Hasegawa.
"I also am deploying some Gekka prototypes from one of the various military projects I am funding. They will probably be very useful for you in the battlefield." responded the voice.
"Thank you very much your Highness. I appreciate the assistance greatly." said Hasegawa before he and the voice on the other end hung up on each other.
Once he hung up, Hasegawa instructed Tōdō and the others to snuff out any forms of armed resistance through whatever means is necessary. He then called up various divisions of the reserve army to prepare for an assault on the Black Army.
Aoyama Palace
"Your Highness, are you sure you should've told him that much? He might actually get wind of our plan." said Prince Sadanaru.
"Hasegawa doesn't suspect anything suspicious about our "independent" investigation. He follows the commands he his given without question." said the figure who had just called Hasegawa.
"You do know that the Gekka prototypes will take at least a week to be fully ready for battle. Are you sure you want to wait that long?" asked Prince Aritomo.
"A week you say. We can afford it. If Zero wants to plan an assault on the capitol, then it's going to take him a lot longer before he can get his forces in order. Such an assault is complex, and I'm sure Zero knows this." said the figure as he adjusted his glasses.
"But what if Hasegawa doesn't manage to catch Zero? What if he escapes?" asked Prince Konoe.
"So far it doesn't matter if Zero gets away or not. Besides being a chance for the world to see Hasegawa's performance under extreme circumstances, this will also be a chance to see if my theories on Zero's style is correct." said the figure.
"And you outsmarting Zero and the Black Army will be a huge blow to the morale of the rebels." said Prince Kotohito.
"Indeed yes. Zero is great player at games of strategy and tactics. Have any of you ever played a Western game called chess?" asked the figure.
All of the men in the room nodded their heads.
"This battle we are facing is like the game of chess. Zero and I are using our pieces to constantly put the other in check. He moves a rook, I move my bishop. He takes a knight, I take his queen. This fight is a mental one, one that forces two minds to fight for supremacy, and ultimately one will still have their king in the end." said the figure.
Author's Notes: Well things have really turned for the worst in this chapter. Revolutionary fever erupts throughout Korea after the Japanese use force to stop the unarmed crowds. The Black Army is as of now in somewhat a disorganized state, meaning Zero will have to reorganize everything before he can assess the situation. As for the mysterious figure at the Aoyama Palace, we'll now see why he is Schneizel's counterpart of this world, for he has observed Zero enough to determine his next moves.