Ch. 42: Wings of Justice
9:00 PM, October 22nd, 1920, Black Army Training Facility, North of Hongwon, Chōsen
Zero and his immediate staff were all assembled in one of the lounge rooms within the mansion now serving as a regional base. The Black Army commanders were all seated in rows of chairs. Several lights hanging from the ceiling lit up the while a large flag of Korea and the Black Army hung on one of the walls. At the front of the room in front of the room was a projector screen while the projector was at the rear behind the rows of chairs. Cold, howling winds could also be heard outside battering into the structure of the building. However, due to the new heating system installed by Black Army engineers, the room was warm.
Once Zero, Gang, and Dietrich stepped into the room, everyone who was seated immediately got up and saluted. Zero then instructed them to sit back down. The three men proceeded to walk to the front of the room so everyone could hear and see them.
"I thank you all tonight for coming here on such short notice." said Zero. "As to why I have located us here for the time being."
Zero then nodded to two soldiers in the back of the room. Seeing Zero nodding, one soldier went to the light switch to turn off the lights while the other soldier turned on the projector. A map of the Korean Peninsula was suddenly projected onto the large screen at the front of the room.
"As you know, our ships managed to intercept a large delivery of Japanese munitions and vehicles heading to the city of Busan. However this only managed to knock out approximately a third of their resources and has only delayed them by 5 days at max. Recent intelligence indicates that all shipments upon arrival are being delivered via railroad to the city of Wonsan." explained Dietrich as he used a long stick to trace the railroad line linking Busan and Wonsan.
"Recent reports from the Korean Provisional Government and our underground networks have reported that yesterday the Northern Military Administration Office Army under the command of Korean anarchist Kim Chwa-chin and the Korean Independent Army under the command of Hong Beom-do has lured and attacked several groups of Japanese soldiers in the Qingshanli region of Manchuria." said Zero.
"So far we have heard that the battle has been in our favor due to the two armies' heavy usage of guerilla tactics in the densely wooded region." added Gang.
"However, intelligence seems to indicate that reinforcements are going to be sent soon to assist in the battle." said Dietrich. "And we believe some of these reinforcements is in the form of the recent shipment of armaments."
"But if the fighting is in Manchuria, how come the shipment stops at Wonsan, which is hundred of kilometers South of the Korean-Chinese border?" asked a Black Army officer in the audience.
"Well, as you can see on the map here, Wonsan is a major port city on the East Sea, meaning that the shipments of armaments can easily be distributed anywhere along the East side of the Peninsula." explained Gang. "We believe the Japanese are intending to ship the armaments and supplies from Wonsan to Chongjin."
Gang then traced his finger on the map from Wonsan to Chongjin, a port city that was located near the Russian and Chinese border in the Northeast.
"The railways leading from Chongjin extend all the way North, right by several roads that lead directly into Manchuria. It is therefore important to prevent these reinforcements to reach Chongjin and sent to the front lines." said Gang.
"With this information in mind, the location of our next objective is Wonsan." said Zero.
He then signaled the projector operator to turn to the next image. The projected image of the map went away and a map of Wonsan harbor with x's drawn on it, along with several newspaper photos of destroyed docks, railroads, and buildings appeared.
"You see, three days ago I instructed some of our informants in and around the city to use dynamite to blow up key targets, such as docks, railroad tracks, customs offices, etc. These photos here, which were taken from a Japanese newspaper printed two days ago, shows that we managed to get the enemy's attention." explained Zero.
"Zero, I'm sorry to interrupt, but how is this advantageous to us exactly?" asked Kae.
"Our intelligence indicates that a large military base and airfield was recently built outside the city. It has been determined that should this base be fully functional, Japanese surveillance over the area nearly doubles at least." answered Dietrich. "But we're going to kill two birds with one stone. By sabotaging the key facilities, not only have we delayed the shipments even further, but we have made the Japanese more hesitant to make the shipments. As a result, the most likely action the Japanese took was to store the armaments somewhere safe until the city has been fully secured."
"Oh, I get it, the Japanese will hide the armaments in the military base, giving us the chance to destroy the base and the armaments simultaneously." said Roh.
"Exactly." Zero responded. "However, information from an informant has stated that with this new battle going on in Manchuria, the Japanese are going to go ahead with the shipment tomorrow. Action must be taken tomorrow."
He then signaled the projector operator to change the image once more. Now an image of a seemingly empty piece of land outside the city appeared on the screen.
"This area outside the city may appear to be empty, but it's actually where the base is located." said Zero. The image changed once more and showed the same area, instead this one had markings indicating buildings, watchtowers, airfields, hangars, etc. "This map here is based upon thousands of observations made by civilians, spies, and scouting teams. You can see that large plains surround the whole base, meaning a surprise, offensive assault on them is almost impossible. Therefore the plan is to hide several platoons and companies in the wooded areas while also using several lines of artillery to attack the base." explained Zero as he pointed at some forests located on the other side of the plains.
"Meanwhile the Zero Division with their newly built airplanes will attack the base and any resistance from above. Hopefully this will force the Japanese to send forces into the forests, where guerilla tactics will give us the advantage." added Gang.
"Tomorrow we'll review the rest of the battle plans before we go into battle. As for now, I want all of you to get a good night rest." said Zero who proceeded to salute everyone in the room.
Everyone in the room immediately stood up and saluted back. The lights in the room slowly came back one and everyone proceeded to exit the room or talk to one another.
Kae, who was surrounded by a small crowd of people, tried to approach Zero.
"Zero!" she yelled. Zero immediately turned back and excused himself from Dietrich and Gang.
"Oh Kae, how are you tonight?" asked Zero.
"Just haven't seen you one on one in a while." said Kae.
"Well the growth of the Black Army, along with the renewed offensives have been consuming most of my time." answered Zero. "By the way, how are things on your end?"
"All we've been doing various aerial drills. The Zero Division seems to really get the hang of piloting the planes." Kae replied.
"That's good to hear. I assume all the experimental bombers have been constructed as well?" Zero asked.
"All of them are completely finished. Also we installed the prototype radios into the important planes." Kae replied.
"Excellent. This slightly puts us ahead of schedule." said Zero happily.
"Nervous about tomorrow?" Kae asked.
"Like every commander of the battlefield, I am prepared to raise my guard at all times in case of unpredictable events." answered Zero. "What about you?"
"Of course I'm nervous. This will be the first time I will be using an airplane in combat." Kae replied. "However, even if the path you take leads to death, I will always follow you."
Suddenly Zero had a flashback to the moment where Kallen was willing to stay behind and help him despite the fact that death was potentially imminent. The image of him promising her he wouldn't die so that she would get to safety played in his head. Though he didn't die, he had disappeared from his world, meaning he was probably dead to everyone he left behind.
"I'm sorry Kallen, I couldn't keep my promise." muttered Zero.
"What did you say? Something about a promise to a person named Kal-len?" asked Kae.
"It's nothing. Just something I remembered." answered Zero.
"What is it Zero? Perhaps I can help you..." said Kae.
"It's nothing!" said Zero as he snapped. "Sorry, but it's something that I think should be told to you when the time is right."
"Very well Zero. If that's your decision, I shall abide by it." said Kae, despite wanting to know what was bothering Zero.
Zero and Kae then saluted each other before parting ways.
"Zero, you have done so much for me, my friends, and the Korean people. I respect you highly and I pledge my loyalty to you with all my heart. But who exactly are you? Who is this Kal-len person and what is this promise you made to this individual? When will be the time for me to learn about what's beneath the mask of Zero?" Kae thought to herself.
9:50 AM, October 23rd, 1920, Somewhere outside of Wonsan, Chōsen
Located on an empty, flat piece of land was a large military base that was as big as a small village. The base was full of wooden buildings of various sizes, along with a three-storied brick building in the exact center. Four tall, wooden watch towers kept surveillance over the base, which was heavily surrounded by barbed wire fence. Behind the ring of barbed wire fence were trenches constantly patrolled by Japanese soldiers.
Only one road could be seen in the area and it directly led to the heavily defended gate leading into the base. Several railroad tracks also led into the base via another nearby metal gate. However, the two significant structures that could be seen were several large hangars next to a runway and a large unfinished metal tower surrounded by wooden scaffolding.
Across the long stretch of empty land was a forest, which the Black Army was currently using for cover. Gang, who was observing the base with his binoculars, examined the exact positions of all the bases' defenses.
"That's one hell of a base they constructed. Makes the first one we attacked in the mountains look like nothing." said a Black Army Colonel.
"Yes it's indeed impressive. However the one thing that concerns me is that large metal tower that's being constructed." said Gang.
"Wonder what they are building?" asked the Colonel.
"Well there's only one thing I can think of. It's a radio tower." responded Gang.
"A radio tower? But if that thing is constructed then it could potentially..." said the Colonel.
"Broadcast messages over the Northern section of the peninsula." said Gang.
Gang and the Colonel then proceeded to walk deeper into the forest until they reached the rendezvous point. The forest was full of Black Army soldiers, boxes full of equipment, tents, artillery guns, and trucks.
"General, how's the transportation status going?" asked Gang as he approached Jo.
"Very well. The last shipment of soldiers and guns just arrived here via truck." answered Jo.
"It's amazing you were able to move this much without the Japanese noticing." said Gang.
"Well, I had the trucks use the back routes that only we really know about. Also disguised some of our men as prisoners being sent to a nearby detention center." answered Jo.
Meanwhile Dietrich, who was sitting in the back of the radio truck, was adjusting several knobs and wires on the radio.
"Hey General, just established communications with Zero! He would like to speak with you!" Dietrich yelled.
Jo approached and entered the back of the radio truck. Dietrich then gave him the telephone handset.
"This is General Jo speaking. How are you doing up there Zero?"
Zero, who was in the sky, was flying in the Shinkirō. Nearby was Kae piloting the Hongyeon, which due to it's unique red paint could be identified from a distance. Roh, Seo, Park, Jeong, and ten other members of the Zero Division were flying right behind in standard biplanes. Three modified Vickers Vimy biplane bombers also accompanied the squadron. Each bomber had two propellers on each wing along with several bombs attached to the bottom. Machine guns were positioned in both the nose and mid-fueselage of the bomber.
All the planes had the silver Black Army symbol painted on it's side. Due to the cold, high altitude environment, each of the pilots wore heavy, black jackets, gloves, a scarf, a flying cap with headphones on the sides, and goggles.
"I'm doing great up here Jo!" Zero yelled due to the wind hitting against him. "Were just about ten minutes away from where you guys are! Remember, do not engage the enemy until we make the first move! Also do not go on the offensive! Stay in the forest!"
"Will do Zero! Good luck!" replied Jo. Zero then turned a knob on the small radio in his cockpit and brought the radio microphone back to his mouth.
"Everyone, remember our objective to target the enemy facilities, namely the airfields, hangars, and garages! We need to do this as quickly as possible if we want this mission to go smoothly! Any questions?!" asked Zero.
"No! I'm ready to go!" Kae responded.
"Me too. Been waiting to test this thing out!" Roh replied.
"Hey, can't let you have all the fun out there!" Seo replied.
"If there aren't any questions, then let us begin!" Zero replied.
Inside the military base, a steam locomotive connected to various empty boxcars and platform railcars were waiting silently on the tracks while the several Japanese soldiers were putting boxes of ammunition, guns, and artillery parts onto the railcars.
"Lets move it! This train has to make to Gensan within the next hour or so!" yelled a Japanese officer.
The Japanese soldiers proceeded to load the train faster. A large crane could be seen slowly hoisting modified versions of Medium Mark A Whippet, Renault FT, and Mark IV tanks onto the railcars.
"Major! Message from the Gensan Garrison!" yelled a young sergeant as he approached the officer.
"Read to me." said the officer.
"The Gensan HQ says the city has shown no signs of insurgents or sabotage meaning we are all clear to go." answered the sergeant.
"At least we know those damn saboteurs won't delay us a second time." said the officer.
It was then the two men could hear a faint buzzing noise coming from somewhere.
"Do you hear that?" asked the officer.
"I think I do. Can't point my finger on what it is though." replied the sergeant.
More and more soldiers suddenly stopped upon hearing the buzzing sound, which slowly grew louder as each second passed. Soldiers were looking left, right, up, and down, trying to find the source of the mysterious sound.
High above the base, the Shinkirō led the Hongyeon and the other planes as they prepared to pass over the base.
"All right! Fighters, prepare to drop bombs in 30 seconds! Bombers, drop one heavy bomb approximately 10 more seconds after the fighters drop theirs!" Zero said into the radio microphone.
Zero then looked at the second hand of his pocket watch slowly move from the 15 to the 45.
"4...3...2...1...DROP!" Zero yelled into the radio before grabbing a small bomb and dropping it over the base. The rest of the fighter pilots then proceeded to grab and drop their bombs. Ten more seconds passed before the bomb aimer in each bomber pressed the release cable, which subsequently released a large bomb clipped onto the bottom.
As the Japanese soldiers below looked at the planes passing over them, the bombs suddenly hit the ground.
"BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!" could be heard all over as bombs impacted the ground and exploded. Soldiers who were unfortunate to be nearby were thrown into the air due to the force of the explosions. Other bombs crashed into some of the warehouses, causing the stored ammunition and fuel to combust. The wooden warehouses then exploded, resulting in soldiers suffering from massive burns or puncture wounds from flying debris.
The three large bombs that were dropped managed to hit a barrack, a garage, and a watchtower. Each of the structures were practically destroyed and turned into flaming ruble. Corpses and tank parts could be seen strewn all over the ground.
Up above the Shinkirō and the other planes prepared to turn around in order to drop a second round of bombs. As he was turning the wheel, Zero changed the channel on the radio and proceeded to speak into it.
"First bombing successful! Prepare for bombardment!" Zero yelled.
"Very well sir!" answered Gang who was listening to the radio in the radio truck. Gang then immediately ordered General Jo and his forces to commence with the artillery bombardment. Jo transferred his orders to the line of artillery guns at the rear. The gun crews instinctively adjusted the each gun's position and prepared to load a shell. The guns were then aimed according to the calculations made by scouts.
"FIRE! FIRE! FIRE!" yelled the artillery commanders. Each gun then gave out a deafening sound as they shot their shells into the air.
The Japanese Base Commander, a man in his fifties with a beard, was watching the chaos from his office on the top floor of the brick-layered building in the center of his base. The sounds of sirens going off could suddenly be heard.
"Give me the current status report Colonel!" yelled the General as the ground shook slightly due to the artillery shells making impact nearby.
"Hostile aircraft along with artillery bombardment from the Northeast have already damaged several buildings along with inflicting casualties." reported the stressed Colonel.
"Anything else?" asked the General.
"Well Garage #2 and #4 along with their contents have been destroyed." the Colonel added.
"And what were these contents?" the General asked.
"A dozen or so tanks along with their fuel and ammunition." the Colonel said.
Suddenly the ground shook violently for a second.
"Colonel! Prepare all offensive and defensive forces!" ordered the General.
"Sir!" said the Colonel before he slightly bowed his head and exited the room.
"This has to be the work of the Black Army! No one but them could pull something like this off with so much precision and secrecy. They must be trying to continue what they did on the Tsushima Strait. However Zero, Marshal Tōdō has told me about your style. I assure you that if you want to fight me, you have to come here. And I have some tools that will pry you out of your shell!" thought the General.
He then walked over to the telephone on his desk and picked it up.
"Deploy the secret reserves!" commanded the General.
"BOOM! BANG! BOOM! BANG!" could repeatedly be heard by the Black Army scouts observing the base from the edge of the forest. Chunks of dirt could be seen shooting up into the air due to the artillery shells.
"So, how's everything looking here?" asked Jo.
"Well General it seems that the planes successfully dropped their first payload and the artillery shells are adding to the destruction. I can see that some buildings have been completely destroyed or were burning." reported a scout carrying a pair of binoculars.
"Good. Now Zero and the rest of the squadron should be just about ready to make another sweep over the base." Jo replied.
"General, you better come see this!" yelled another scout.
"What is it Private?!" yelled Jo as he approached the second scout.
"Unknown objects spotted coming towards us from the left and the right!" reported the second scout.
Jo then grabbed the scout's pair of binoculars and scanned the flat piece of land that separated the forest from the base. After adjusting his vision, he could see what appeared to be vehicles coming towards them. After a few seconds, Jo could see that some of the vehicles were actually Renault FT-looking tanks.
"What the? How did they survive both the bombing and the shelling?" Jo asked himself. It was then he saw the small flashes coming out of the guns of the tanks.
"EVERYONE GET...!" yelled Jo at the top of his lungs. Several shells shot right passed him and exploded. The blasts from the shells managed to wipe out two machine gun nests.
"General are you ok?" asked the scout.
"I'm fine, I'm fine!" Jo replied. "Just get me to a telephone!"
"Yes sir!" said the scout as he led Jo to a nearby field telephone. Jo then quickly picked up the phone.
"This is General Jo! Urgent report, enemy tanks have been seen approaching us! Enemy has already retaliated." Jo said into the phone. "I see, I see. Very well. I'll be over this instant!"
Jo then hung the phone up and started to walk deeper into the woods towards Central Command.
"What is it General?!" asked the scout.
"Central Command wants me back there so they can figure out what the hell is going on." answered Jo. "Meanwhile telephone the artillery the approximate coordinates of the tanks and tell them to fire immediately."
"Sir!" said the scout as he saluted.
Imperial Keijō Guest House, Keijō, Chōsen
Tōdō, wearing a black kimono, was quietly sitting on a zabuton cushion as he was reading through several files and papers on the table in front of him. A calming aroma filled the room due to some burning incense.
The room around him was a traditional Japanese-styled room, with a tatami-matted floor and sliding doors. Several valuable dishes, statues, and vases made of either jade or porcelain decorated parts of the room. A long wall scroll inscribed with the Japanese character for "loyalty" hung on the wall right behind the stand that held his prized katana.
"Interesting. Seems like Prince Konoe has been talking with Count Katō and Baron Wakatsuki. Both men are leading figures in the pro-reform Constitutional Party. The party is also backed by the Mitsubishi zaibatsu, which isn't surprising since Katō is son-in-law to the company President.
On the other hand, Prince Kotohito has been seen communicating with General Uehara much more often lately. It also seems Uehara has called several meetings with members of the War Ministry and the Army.
There's also the Kojima Group. They have been increasing production and investing in more projects. Several politicians, officers, and businesses are tied to them via loans, stocks, and other backdoor deals. The fact that President Ichiro Kojima has been invited to the Aoyama Palace recently just adds more suspicion to them.
There's only one common factor in all these cases and it's him. There's no doubt in my mind that he's positioning his pieces in order to make a giant move. But the question is how. Could it be a planned coup d'tat against his Majesty the Emperor, his own father? No it couldn't be. Such an idea would be unthinkable and rejected by the everyone, from the highest noble to the lowest peasant. But then again, perhaps he would..." Tōdō thought to himself until a knock on his door interrupted his train of thought.
"Come in!" answered Tōdō.
The sliding door then opened and man wearing a suit walked in and slightly bowed his head.
"Pardon me sir, but I have just received an urgent message from Yōkai Base. There have been reports of aerial bombings and artillery bombardments. Several weapon caches and garages reported to been destroyed. Backup reserves have been deployed." said the man.
"I see. Not surprising though." said Tōdō calmly.
"Sir?" asked the man.
"The Yōkai Base was built with the utmost secrecy we could afford. The Kojima Group even paid for most of the expenses in order to cover our tracks. It's even manned by that newly created, confidential Imperial Guard Brigade. Yet it's still discovered and is attacked on the day a shipment of weapons is supposed to aide our forces in Manchuria. But think, who would have that kind of ability to find all this out without being caught?" asked Tōdō.
"Wait a minute, you think this is the work of Zero and the Black Army?" asked the man.
"I don't think, I know." Tōdō replied back. "He's the only person that I have ever known who is organized and sly enough to pull off such a feat. Of course, taking this information into account beforehand, I already came up with a plan in case an event like this happened."
Tōdō then stood up and walked to the stand holding his katana. He picked it up and pulled the sharp blade from it's wooden scabbard. He then gave it a few swings in the air.
"Mobilize the Jorogumo Battalion. If they live up to their name, they should have no problem trapping Zero in their web. Also, since the enemy is reported to have aerial capabilities, deploy the 4th Air Battalion from Pyonggang." said Tōdō.
"As you wish sir." replied the man as slightly bowed. He then exited the room and slid the door shut.
"Zero, this game ends now. I will personally bring you to justice and protect His Imperial Majesty even if it means loosing my life." thought Tōdō as he swung his katana in the air a few more times.
General Jo, coming from the front lines, approached the Command HQ tent set up by the radio truck. He proceeded to enter it only to the senior Black Army officials sitting at a long table frantically arguing with one another.
"EXPLAIN HOW THIS HAPPENED?" yelled Gang.
"INTELLIGENCE LOOKED OVER ALL REPORTS AND NO OBSERVATIONS WERE MADE!" Dietrich yelled back.
"IF WE LOOSE THIS BATTLE, THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT." yelled General Rozhkov.
"HOW IS THIS MY FAULT!? THIS IS PARTIALLY YOUR FAULT SINCE NORTHERN OBSERVATIONS ARE HANDLED BY YOUR MEN!" Dietrich yelled back.
"DON'T PIN THIS ON ME!" Rozhkov yelled back.
"EXCUSE ME!" yelled Jo. Everyone at the table immediately stopped arguing and looked at Jo. "I believed I was called here."
"Yes General. Please take a seat." replied Gang.
Jo then proceeded to take his seat at the table. The ground then suddenly shook due to nearby artillery.
"General, please explain what you saw specifically." asked Gang.
"Tanks. They were no doubt tanks. They were approaching us slowly from the West. They appeared to be Renault FT tanks, however they looked different." answered Jo.
"Recent intelligence indicated that the Japanese were working on Renault FT tanks they bought from Europe. They must've redesigned them in order to improve their performance." said Dietrich.
"Other vehicles I saw included some armored cars and Mark A Whippet tanks." Jo added.
"But that doesn't answer the question at hand. How the hell did the Japanese prepare that many tanks in such a short period of time?" asked Rozhkov.
"Rozhkov is right. By my estimate, about at least a third to a half of the Japanese tanks were damaged or destroyed in the bombardments." said Gang.
"But they couldn't have appeared out of thin air." said Dietrich. He then pulled out a birds-eye map of the area and placed it on the table. "This map is the result of various scouting missions, spies, and observations. The only areas where a large number of tanks could be properly stored would be within the base."
"Is it possible that they came from another nearby base?" asked Rozhkov.
"That's highly unlikely. The nearest base is in in Wonsan, and any tank traveling from there to here wouldn't be able to reach here in the amount of time the tanks actually appeared." said Gang.
While the other senior officials continued arguing over the current situation, Jo suddenly noticed something on the map.
"Excuse me but what are these markers indicating?" Jo asked as he pointed to some x's drawn on a mountain West of the base.
"If I recall, our intel indicates that these are abandoned coal mines. You can even see on the map what used to be buildings and railroad tracks." Dietrich replied.
"So let me get this straight, you're saying there are abandoned mines nearby, which can potentially be used for storage or hiding, yet you did not investigate this any further?" asked a somewhat frustrated Jo.
"The possibility ran through my head, but due to our limited resources, I figured it wasn't worth investigating any further since those mines aren't big enough to store vehicles and weapons." answered Dietrich.
"However from an engineering point of view, if one were to use enough dynamite and physical labor, one could theoretically expand the interior of the mines without damaging the overall structure." Ronan, chewing on the end of his pipe, added.
"But the amount of labor required would've somehow been picked up by..." Dietrich responded.
"Look everyone!" yelled Jo. "All we know is that enemy tanks and armored cars are headed this way, meaning we must prepare all defensive measures available!"
"The General is right. We must concentrate on the problem on hand." replied Gang.
"Very well Minister, I'll have our armored cars and mobile artillery units ready to head to the front lines." Rozhkov responded.
"I'll update Zero via radio and ask for his advice regarding the overall battle plan." Dietrich replied.
"I'll move the 23rd Platoon and the 49th Company from the rear to our left and right flank respectively. Hopefully that will counter the enemy's advance." Jo replied.
Everyone in the room then got out of their seats and saluted one another before proceeding to their duties.
In the skies above, the Black Army's squadron of planes proceeded to drop their next set of bombs once they were over the base once more. The Shinkirō and the planes following it then prepared to turn around once more.
"Two bombings gone successful." thought Zero as he turned the plane's steering wheel and pushed on the accelerator.
"Ze-Ze-ro! U-u-pdate!" said a slightly gargled voice coming from the radio. Zero immediately picked up the radio microphone and adjusted the radio's settings.
"This is Zero!" he said.
"This is Dietrich! New intel! Enemy has hidden armored forces in nearby mines and has them advancing towards our front lines! Defensive measures being prepared as we speak. Any alterations to the overall plan?"
"Damn it. I should've known the Japanese wouldn't hide all their eggs in one basket. The artillery and the new vehicles R&D built for us should hold them back. Our remaining bombs could be used on the advancing armored forces, meaning we give up on the third waves of bombs and..." thought Zero as the cold wind rushed around him.
Suddenly the sound of ricocheting bullets could be heard all around.
"Zero, what was that?!" asked Dietrich over the radio.
"Not exactly sure, but I think it might've been bullets..." answered Zero.
A loud "KABOOM!" echoed across the air as one the Black Army's biplanes suddenly went on fire and exploded. More sounds of bullets ricocheting off the metal framework of the plane could be heard again.
"Zero! Being hit by enemy fire! Fuel is about to..." yelled a voice until it was cut off by static.
"Engine been slightly hit! Engine power slightly decreased!" yelled Roh over the radio.
"Punctures in wing been detected Zero!" Seo yelled. "Plane performance overall ok though!"
Down below, the Japanese soldiers set up their new Lewis anti-aircraft guns. One soldier aimed the swivel gun while another soldier monitored the ammunition feed.
"DUH-DUH-DUH-DUH-DUH!" was rapidly heard as each anti-aircraft gun rapidly shot into the air.
"Anti-aircraft fire huh. Really puts a dent in my plan." thought Zero.
"Zero! Zero! Are you there?!" yelled Dietrich.
"I'm here!" answered Zero as he spoke into the microphone. "Alright maintain defensive position and halt all enemy advancements! Position half of our artillery in Sector 44G and have them direct their shots toward enemy positions within the base! Have the remaining half of the artillery to maintain bombarding enemy armored units! Also try to outflank the enemy via our mobile artillery!"
"Very well! I wish you the best of luck!" said Dietrich before he left the radio.
Zero then adjusted some knobs on the radio once more as sound of whizzing bullets mixed with the plane's propeller.
"Kae, have the Hongyeon and the Zero Division to drop remaining bombs on advancing enemy forces and positions. Bombers I want you to maintain higher altitude and proceed with normal bombing routine!" Zero commanded.
"Sure thing Zero!" Kae yelled into the microphone to her radio. She then relayed the order to the other planes, which proceeded to follow the Hongyeon.
While the bombers were still trying to make a full turnaround, the more maneuverable fighter planes descended slightly and headed towards the enemy defenses and armored forces moving across the empty land that surrounded the entire base. Each of the pilots then made sure they had the machine guns mounted on their planes were locked and loaded. They also made sure the remaining bombs they were carrying were easily accessible.
"Now let's see what this thing can do!" yelled Kae as the Hongyeon descended towards the enemy like a hawk preparing to catch its prey.
Author's Note: The second phase of the Black Army's operation has now began. The Black Army is ready utilize it's new airplanes, vehicles, and weapons in order to deliver a decisive blow to the Japanese forces. However, Japan's defenses may prove to be more difficult than what was originally thought. Meanwhile Tōdō is preparing to send in reinforcements, making the battle even more difficult. Also, Tōdō, as a loyal protector of the Emperor, starts seeing a pattern in Japan's behind-the-scenes politics, starts to become more suspicious of them and their relation with the Emperor.
The base is called Yōkai Base because Yōkai means approximately "ghost" or "phantom" in Japanese, which fits since the base is secretive and only known to a select group of people in the military and the government.
Jorogumo is the name of a mythical Japanese spider that can transform into a seductive woman, who uses this quality to catch and devour unsuspecting victims. This is why Tōdō says that the Jorogumo Battalion are good at catching people in their webs.