PSA: I should be studying for exams but here I am. This chapter's a big boie, and there's plenty of politics stuff for you nerds out there.
It has come to my attention that chapter 1, and some of the other earlier chapters are a bit wack, or low quality. So, I'm thinking of re-writing them at some point.
I've also been wondering whether I should respond to people's reviews/comments via PM or by writing my own reviews which everyone else can see.
Steel and Sorcerers - Chapter 6
It was a dark rainy evening in the streets of Ginza. Labourers toiled amongst the buildings and on the roads below, erecting barricades and performing construction work. They seemed unfazed by the downpour, working through the night to complete their tasks.
Yotiaru sat alone in a dark apartment, gazing down at the scene below as rain lashed against the windows. She began to feel faint vibrations begin to shake the room, steadily growing in strength. Looking down the street she spotted a convoy of vehicles approaching. They didn't have their lights on so it was hard to make them out in the darkness of the storm. They stopped at a checkpoint in the road, and the faint ray of a flashlight could be seen for a brief moment before the gate was opened and they were allowed through.
This was the fifth convoy tonight. Checking her phone, it was only 11pm. Far busier than usual. No doubt they were using the cover of the storm to transport materiel into the inner restricted zone.
There was a sudden flash, and the sound of thunder rang out across the city as the storm intensified. It was supposed to be the middle of summer, how did things end up like this.
It was only a week ago, although it seemed a lot longer when the sun was shining down upon the streets of Ginza. Yotiaru was attending the anime convention scheduled that day. She was an avid cosplayer, dressed as a female version of Light Yagami from Death Note. It always proved wildly popular, and was a welcome distraction from her looming summer university work assignments. She was just in the middle of taking photos with people when the sounds of panicked screaming could be heard in the distance. She paused taking photos to see what was going on, the number of panicked cries increasing and getting louder.
Suddenly a large crowd rounded the corner from down the road, running in her direction. Her and the people around began taking a few tentative steps away, when she heard a loud cry, "RUN, MONSTERS ARE ATTACKING!"
'What the hell?' she thought. 'Was this some kind of special event?' As the crowd began to flood past her, she craned her neck, trying to get a better look. That was when she saw them, short greenish humanoid creatures. They were extremely ugly, dressed in dirty rags and carrying make-shift weapons. An elderly man had fallen over in the rush to get away, crying out for help as he lay helplessly on the ground. One of the creatures walked up to him and buried a rusty axe in his chest, causing him to cry out in pain. Looking around at other bodies strewn about the street, it was at this moment that Yotiaru decided to go with her instincts and run. She made it back to her apartment and locked the door, processing what had just happened. The sound of gunfire and yelling could be heard erupting throughout the streets.
Later in the day the government sent out a warning that there had been a terrorist attack in Ginza, and that they had used biological or chemical weapons. It was followed by a message instructing those that had been in the area at the time to undergo mandatory quarantine and await further instructions.
She had some food in the fridge, so she waited in her apartment for the time being. She was wondering if anyone else knew what was going on, so she opened up her laptop to check her chatgroups. However, there was no internet service. Checking her phone, there was no reception either.
It was then that a sudden thrill came over her. She had been waiting for something like this for a while. This was no doubt some kind of conspiracy. It wasn't anything like Death Note, but there was great potential here. She would have to get to the bottom of this.
A sudden knock at the door brought her out of her thoughts of the past and back into the present. It was 11pm at night and there was a storm outside, who on Earth could that be? 'Ah!' she thought. The government must've finally realised that she had caught onto them. Still, they couldn't prove anything, so she should just act natural.
She rushed to turn all her lights on, before moving to the door. Looking through the peephole, an ominous figure in a dark rain-jacket stood in the hallway, drenched in water.
"Who is it?" she called out.
The figure let down the hood of their jacket, revealing they were wearing a black facemask.
"Is this Imaga Yotiaru?" they asked.
"Yes?" she responded.
The figure responded, "I'm a representative from the Chinese embassy, I was wondering if you would be interested in working with us?"
They then dug around inside their jacket before extracting what looked like a business card, which they bent down to slide under the door.
"Please contact us via that number or email if you are interested."
"Oh, okay, thanks" replied Yotiaru, picking up the card.
They then pulled their hood back up and left.
'Yeah… so the Chinese government totally want me to spy for them' thought Yotiaru. It was probably because she had been born in China, and grew up there before moving to Japan.
Looking out the window she could just make out the figure from before sneaking around in the darkness. They vaulted over a fence, but their pants snagged on something causing them to faceplant in the mud.
Did she want to spy for China? Well it's not like she was a big fan of their government, although it was a great source of conspiracy material. The authoritarianism there was one of the reasons why she had decided to move to Japan. However, this could work in her favour. She already wanted to figure out what the Japanese government was up to, and it couldn't hurt to have some support from a foreign government. Besides, at her parents' insistence, she still had to go to, and pay, for uni.
Across the city, Boshihide Suga (I'm just going to put a B at the start of their names) sat at the desk in the official residence of the prime minister. He was currently reviewing the speech he would eventually have to give when everyone found out the truth of what had happened in Ginza.
He felt rather guilty at having to suppress information like this, and all the cover-ups that had been implemented, but understood the importance of maintaining secrecy for a matter such as this. Monsters launching an attack on his citizens through some sort of interdimensional portal was unprecedented to say the least, and could change everything, even upset the current world order if they weren't careful. He had read the newspapers that morning and saw several articles speculating about what had happened, dubbing it 'The Ginza Incident'.
The area surrounding the 'gate' had subsequently been locked down, and a restricted zone established while the area was renovated to support increasingly larger operations in the special region. Citizens that had been involved in the incident were quarantined and forbidden from leaving the area in order to control the flow of information. This went well with the current cover story of terrorists deploying biological and chemical weapons. The renovations and increased activity in Ginza could be explained as them 'decontaminating' the area.
Still, there was real potential for an outbreak of disease. These creatures had come from an unknown world, which could harbour unknown pathogens. It had only been a couple of years since the BOVID-19 pandemic, so the importance of preventing the outbreak of infections was still fresh in his mind.
Looking out the window across the street he could see the building of the National Diet through the dark and rain, Japan's parliament. Just earlier today there had been a group of people standing outside the gates protesting about the situation in Ginza. Indeed, it was a highly populated and built-up area, and this crisis had caused many to lose their jobs and livelihood.
In some ways, as much as he hated himself for it, this incident served his interests. At least in the short term. One of his objectives as prime minister was the further revision of article 9 of the Japanese constitution, which outlawed the use of military force to solve international disputes. 'Japan has one of the largest militaries and economies in the world, it's about time we took greater responsibility for the safety of our own, and friendly citizens. Especially with the rise of China…' he thought.
Speaking of which, it had only been 7 days since the Ginza incident, yet sources had indicated that foreign governments may already be aware of the general situation. He had thought that the restricted zone was fairly restricted though.
To be honest, even he wasn't entirely sure what was going on with the gate, and what lay on the other side. That was why he was scheduled to be picked up by some agents in less than an hour, who would take him into Ginza itself to brief him on any new developments.
'Oh, hold on', he had almost forgot. He got down on the floor and began cranking out some sit-ups. Even though he was 72, this was part of his daily routine. In the morning he would do 100 sit-ups and a 40-minute walk, then a further 100 push-ups at night (I'm not kidding).
Just an hour later he was in the back of a Lexus LS 600h L, on his way to Ginza under cover of the stormy night. Due to the sensitivity of the information that would be discussed, this was a covert visit. A small motorcade of a Toyota Celsior ahead and behind his vehicle escorted them on the way there.
They passed through numerous checkpoints before turning left into the underground carpark of a department store. Through his heavily tinted windows he could see workers opening and unloading numerous supply crates, illuminated by fluorescent lighting. Where shoppers would usually park, armoured vehicles instead occupied the spaces. An entourage flanked by agents approached his vehicle before stopping at a respectful distance.
Suga exited his car, flanked by agents of his own and approached the group.
A figure in the centre wearing a suit and tie introduced himself, bowing deeply. "Good evening your excellency, my name is Kenichi Yamato, acting as the current director of operations relating to the special region. If you would please follow me, I would be honoured to give you a brief tour of our operations here."
"Then I will be in your care" replied Suga.
He walked with Yamato, surrounded by an entourage of agents to an escalator, which took them up to the main floors of the department store. Looking around, it was quite unlike what one would normally see. Workers and scientists in lab-coats transported crates up and down the escalators to various floors of the complex.
They waited for a worker pushing a trolley filled with spare parts to go before they ascended the escalators up to the third floor. There were five floors in total, excluding the carpark, and armed members of the JSDF could be seen standing guard on each.
On the third floor, Suga was taken past a series of tables and enclosed labs. The first one he was taken to had chunks of rock and dirt that were being studied by scientists in make-shift laboratory set-ups.
"As you can see, we are still in need of more equipment to better study what we have recovered from the special region. Ideally, we would be able to send the samples out to various labs throughout the country, but as you know, secrecy here is paramount. All the individuals you have seen here have had extensive background checks done. What we're looking at" Yamato said, gesturing at the piles of dirt and rocks "is from the special region. We've already found trace elements and compounds uncommon to Earth, and are evaluating their properties."
Walking across to the other side of the floor, there were a number of what looked like operating theatres.
"For safety reasons we cannot enter, but I can show you some images of the kinds of creatures we have encountered in the special region." Yamato nodded to a researcher sitting before a computer, who brought up a series of horrific images on his monitor.
There was what looked like a huge leech about a metre long, a giant beetle, massive spiders, huge worms with giant jaws, as well as the goblin and ogre looking creatures from the Ginza incident.
"Now, we actually have some live samples," said Yamato. "You may have been informed about this already, but we actually managed to capture three goblins during the Ginza incident. We also captured two more within the special region, but they are being kept there for now."
Suga then followed Yamato up another escalator to the fourth floor, the second highest storey. There were a larger number of JSDF personnel standing guard here compared to the other floors.
They walked through into what had once been a large clothing store. The shelves had been mostly cleared out, and in the centre of the room was a conspicuous looking structure that seemed to have been hastily constructed out of concrete. As they approached, Suga could see goblins in what looked like jail cells. There was a window made of rebar and reinforced glass for each cell that they could see them through.
Upon reaching the structure, which was surrounded on all sides by armed guards, one of the goblins let out some incoherent cries.
Yamato explained "These creatures here have been given the name goblin, due to their resemblance to those from the fantasy genre. They are smaller and weaker than humans, and have shown limited intelligence. For that reason, we have regrettably had to use… enhanced interrogation techniques in order to extract information. They say they are from 'the southern goblin tribe alliance'."
"If you would forgive me, but how were you able to find out the name of the group they are affiliated with, this goblin tribe if they are unable to speak Japanese?" asked Suga.
"Ah, forgive me your excellency" replied Yamato. "Within the special region, all language is automatically translated. So what sounds like incoherent rambling here on Earth is actually comprehensible on the other side of the gate interestingly enough. Now, that concludes our little tour. There will be a meeting with other department heads shortly to discuss future policy concerning the special region, so before that, I have prepared some documentation on other matters I haven't mentioned so far. If you would follow me."
They then travelled back down one floor, before walking a cross a skybridge connecting it to an adjacent building. Travelling back up another escalator to the second-highest floor of this new complex they entered a recording studio, which had a table and chairs set up inside.
"The other officials will be arriving in 30 minutes. Please familiarise yourself with this dossier summarising key findings about the special region," said Yamato, presenting him with a thick folder.
"I'll return shortly with the other officials, but before I go, I should mention that this document is not to leave this building under any circumstances, is that clear?"
"Of course" replied Suga.
Yamato then departed, leaving behind two armed guards at the door.
30 minutes later right on time, Yamato and a number of high-ranking officials entered the room, taking seats around the table. They were each provided with their own copies of the dossier. Yamato sat at the opposite end of the table to Suga, where he acted as the adjudicator, starting off the first topic of the meeting.
"I would first like to briefly discuss the legality of using the JSDF to explore and establish a base in the special region," announced Yamato. "Regarding article 9, It is my understanding that since the Ginza incident and subsequent investigation cannot seriously be considered an international dispute, there is no issue?"
The other officials, including Suga voiced their approval.
"Onto the next topic then. That being the restricted zone around the gate and its long-term sustainability."
Biroshi Kajiyama, the minister of economy, trade and industry put up his hand to speak. Yamato nodded to him, indicating he should speak.
"Ginza was highly populated and was an economic centre. The location of the gate is thus rather unfortunate. Is there any possibility of re-locating it?" he said.
Yamato replied "We are currently unsure of whether it is safe to move or alter the gate without losing connection to the other side. Finding out more about how this construct came into being is currently a top priority."
Bobuo Kishi, the minister of defence was the next to speak. "The checkpoints and security measures have thus far seemed effective, yet there has been many reports of attempted infiltration. It is possible that some of these infiltrations were successful, so it is likely that certain foreign governments or organisations have some knowledge of the activities at Ginza. I would recommend careful monitoring of the activities of these groups. Until it is absolutely necessary, we should also do our best to maintain secrecy, especially regarding the existence of… magic, as going public may result in major instability. This could result in the loss of the current Japan-US monopoly over the special region or worse."
"Thank you Mr Kishi, that actually leads us well into the next point of discussion, the current Japanese-US partnership with regards to the special region" said Yamato.
Boshimitsu Motegi, the minister for foreign affairs was the one to speak this time. "Currently, we are sharing all information and cooperating in securing objectives. The US must also have our explicit approval before engaging in any operations of their own. I understand that the US has been sending some samples gathered in the special region back to the US for study. We have been assured that these samples are not unique, and that the US will share any information they discover about them. It is of my opinion that this is an acceptable arrangement. In fact, if other countries were to learn of this joint-partnership and not granted equal status it could sour relations."
"Indeed" said Yamato, "Now, I would like to discuss some of the possible benefits to Japan that the special region offers based on what we have discovered so far."
The minister of economy, trade and industry put up his hand to speak again. "Speaking in simple terms, there is huge economic potential. I have been informed that the special region contains many of the raw natural resources such as wood and ore that are present in our own world in addition to new exotic materials. Japan is currently about 50% self-sufficient in terms of food due to the scarcity of arable land. We are also lacking in deposits of many raw materials such as oil. Thus, the special region offers the potential for Japan to become not only self-sufficient, but perhaps even an exporter of raw materials. However, I understand that there are nations within the special region which would need to be negotiated with first. What I have mentioned here is of course only a fraction of the true potential of the special region, there are other factors such as trade, tourism and magic which would also play a major role."
"Thank you Mr Kajiyama, now onto the final topic. Current operations and objectives in the special region" stated Yamato. "Although, I will only discuss a couple of them here."
"Of primary importance is the investigation of 'magic', and its operating principles. We have confirmation from multiple sources of the existence of magic, but are currently unable to perform our own experiments. After questioning the goblins captured in Ginza and the special region, we discovered that certain members of their tribe are able to use magic. Thus, we have tasked operatives with locating and capturing at least one of those individuals alive."
"The second operation I would like to mention is the insertion of multiple black-ops teams into various nations. Of particular interest are the Re-Estize kingdom, the Baharuth Empire, and the Slane Theocracy due to their close proximity. It is key that we understand how these countries function, what their objectives are, and how powerful they are."
"Lastly, I should mention that due to recent information gathered, we have been taking a slightly unusual approach to our investigations. I'm sure all of you will have noted the odd similarity of the creatures and nations found in the special region to those of the fantasy genre, and the effect that language spoken there is automatically translated. Due to this, we can better anticipate what kind of entities and powers we may encounter within the special region."
"And let me say one last thing, a word of caution. Depending on what kind of fantasy world we expect this to be, our prospects of success range from having an overwhelming advantage, to being utterly annihilated."