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Ayafumi and what remained of his group lead the way down the hill and deeper south into the old city. Walking all the way there was not the most pleasant of experiences. In fact, the state of Aki reminded me a whole lot of Osaka, back when I was still trapped there.

Buildings bombed into millions of debris, streets littered with corpses, one every five steps, the atmosphere choked with the sheer amount of dust particles from the result of artillery strikes. On the bright side, such thick dust clouds, along with the thick morning mist provided ample cover for our tracks. Though, there was quite a worrying lack of enemies, concerning those people we met earlier.

And we are here, standing in front of the ever characteristic gates of the Miyajima shrine, a landmark that practically defined Aki since the city’s foundation. Its monolithic presence was only amplified farther by the deep morning mist that coated the air in a bluish hue. Quite exactly how one could describe as a “Gate to the Afterlife.” The only thing that could make this even more of a set piece would be if a river ran across it.

Aki’s old town, or what was left of it, was no different from the rest of the city. Most of the wooden structures in the area were either set ablaze and reduced to ashes, and those not were reduced to little more than rubble. However, one thing stood out amongst the destruction - the arch of the Miyajima shrine. While everything around it is but a wasteland, including the shrine itself, the Torii alone appear unscathed from all the fighting.

And that was not the only surprise it held for us.

“The sun has risen.”
Noticing our presence, the old man lifts his head and mutters in a deep, calm voice, stood up, sheathed katana in hand.
“Endo-sama!” Ayafumi sputters as he races towards the silhouette sitting under the arch, this was followed by the last half a dozen of his men, who mimicked the exact same words as he did.

“That’s Koki Endo, Marshal of the Army…” Yanagi comments, slightly overwhelmed by Ayafumi and his crew’s reaction.
“And the last one still alive.” Satoru comments, looking at the corpses that littered the area. There was a significantly greater number of fallen soldiers on our side compared to the roads that we walked before. And if the mountains of dead enemy troops and busted tanks were of any indication, some particularly fierce fighting that took place here not long ago.

“My friend?”
“I’m fine. It’s just… I don’t want to stay here any longer than needed.”
As if this scenery couldn’t be even more unnerving for me. For some reason, it feels like we are actually standing before the Sanzu River, staring into the land of the dead. Whatever this hunch is, something just felt not right, and the more I thought about it, the more this chill begins freezing down my spine.

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“Yeah, I feel the same.” Yanagi reacts. “This place gives me the worst kind of goosebumps.”
“Haruta-dono, Endo-dono, we should be moving now.”
“Kurokawa, how dare you to speak in such a way to…”

“Get down!”

While my group had no reason to follow Endo’s commands, the old man’s words rang like a thunderous voice of the Raijin, the sheer volume and pressure hitting right into our souls we all reflexively complied to his order.
What follows is the explosion of a high explosive shell right next to the Torii, narrowly missing the last standing structure in the wasteland.
“Airstrike?” Yanagi says, ducking and covering her head.
“No, just more enemies.” Satoru pats off the dust that fell on his coat. “What a perfect time they decided to show up.”
With a clear resounding whistle at a distance, silhouettes of soldiers emerge from the pile of bodies that covered the ground not far away from our position, and a few more tanks crushing through the debris. It was hard to make out their exact numbers due to the still present mist, though to tell the truth, I was rather relieved to know that it was some more barbarians as opposed to airstrikes.

“Take cover and wait here.” The marshal says as he walks forth, drawing his Katana and throwing the sheath aside and walks forth, disappearing into the mist while the rest of us took cover behind the brick walls of some worn down building.

“Haruta-dono, let’s get out of here!” I yell at his small group.
“Never!” Haruta says, unsheathing his own katana and pulling out his type-A pistol. “A true man would rather be shattered jewel than a shameful intact tile!”
“And these fools want to die with their leader.” An exasperated Satoru sighed heavily. “How very surprising.”
“I thought you would suggest us to make a run for it?” I say, reloading my Type-97 to prepare for engagement.
“Yeah, but I’m not going back empty-handed.” he clips back. “But that old man, is he seriously going to charge into the enemy lines just like that?”

While Satoru spoke, I heard more shrieks of agony and anguish coming at a distance.

“Provide cover for the Endo-dono! Aim at the silhouettes coming over the top!”
Thinking about it, there was really no reason for me to lend my hand to these soldiers in their pursuit for a suicidal cause, nor was there a reason for Ayafumi and his people to follow my orders, yet we all did so regardless.

The screaming continued for a while, only to die down all of a sudden.
As the mist clears, I can barely believe the events unfolding before my eyes.

Not far ahead is a newly formed pile of severed dead bodies in an ocean of blood, with the old man, standing tall on top of a wrecked tank that has its main gun chopped into pieces in the center of it all. If anything, the vision resembled the mythological hell, and the marshal himself the Kishin, the keeper

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>>2305214
It suddenly appeared clear that the mountains of body and wreckage of tanks before us were none other than the marshal’s doing, and most likely of his alone.

“What in the world…” Satoru’s glasses were about to fall off his face
“...Is he even human?” Yanagi can only stare in awe with both hands clasped on her mouth.

Marshal Koki Endo took a noticeable long breath before turning back at us.

If Captain Suwabe was the epitome of an officer who can easily connect to the common man, then Marshal Endo was the epitome of the officer who can effectively bring out every man’s bravery and dedication to his nation. While I do not exactly approve of the army’s doing, I could at least see how and why people are so willing to follow the man in his warpath for glory.

Yet even this person has his limits.

With the mist cleared allowing closer inspection, I realized that the Marshal’s body is covered with injuries old and new, and bandages drenched in the blood of both his enemies and his own.
But he did not display the slightest expression of pain, not even a single grunt. Even with injuries enough to kill lesser men several times, he still had the little strength to stand tall and proud.

“Kurokawa, is it?”

It was almost as if the man took his last breath to say those three words before losing his footing. Yet his voice is calm and clear, his figure resembling the Dharmapala Nioh, solemn but powerful.

“Are you here to bear the future of Zipang?”
His implications were crystal clear, almost as if he already knows of our plans.

“Yes.”

The old man smiled upon hearing my answer.
“Then go. Your battlefield is elsewhere.”
“What about you, Endo-dono?”
“The old tree must fall for the sun to shine upon the saplings. ”

“Take us with you, Endo-sama!”
“We will follow you, even across the Sanzu River!”
Ayafumi and his men were nevertheless eager to follow the guy to the ends of the world. Which was why Endo’s response to them was completely unexpected.

“NO!” The old man beams, the volume of his voice made everyone take a step back. “Your time has yet to come.”
“Take them with you, Kurokawa.” He addresses me, “These fledglings might be hard-headed, but they possess the spirit of bushido.”
The morning sun rises out from the east, and with its all-clearing light and morning breeze, parts away from the deep mist that covered the town earlier, revealing even more bodies of fallen soldiers littering the town’s streets.
“It is time.” The old man muttered, noticing the change in the environment.

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As the mist continues to part, Aki’s port came into view. Once a bustling trading center, the port was now completely devoid of life or any significant infrastructure, both perishing in the all-consuming flames of war. What was more breathtaking, however, was the source of that cannonade…
“The Beiyang fleet,” Satoru mutters, anxiety seeping out his eyes.
As if the countless destroyers that blockaded the port wasn’t impressive enough, further down the horizon floated a battleship, a fortified behemoth as large as an island, with distinct patterns recognizable by a single glance.

“Taishan…”

Yamato’s ‘sister’, flagship of the Beiyang Fleet. With the cover of the mist now gone, it was only a matter of time before their shore bombardment and precision bombing turns this place into a literal scorching hellscape.

“Endo-sama! Come with us! We-”
Ayafumi gave his last-ditch effort to convince Endo, but the old man shook his head.
“This here is my battlefield.” He said with steel-hard determination, standing upright with his katana at hand. “Never forget what the samurai stands for. Now go!”

There was nothing more to be said. Leaving Endo, everyone picked up their legs and raced out of the old town. As we ran, a hail of heavy shells flew across the sky above, their arches bring them to the area we were not long ago. The place instantly became nothing more than smoldering craters, with the resounding shockwaves making all of us lose our footing.

“Everything alright there?” A muffled, distorted voice emitted out of Satoru’s portable radio system.
“Oh and only now you call.” My friend yells into the microphone.
“Hehe, I assume you are in trouble, aren’t you?”
“Akasaka-san?” I ask over the device.
“I saw what happened. You might want to get out of there before they fire the next volley.”

How very easy is it for her to say that.

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“But truth to be told, we ran into some problems as well.” She continues as we reach the steep hill from earlier, besides the wrecked APCs. “Denisov was about to go pick you guys up all by herself. But obviously, we cannot expose her in such dangerous conditions. Worst part? If she insisted there is no one here capable of stopping her from doing whatever she wants, so some of our guys volunteered to go in her stead. Your extraction team should be somewhere near.”
“Extraction team?”
“Ah yes, are you guys near the warehouse? If so then they should be there…”
“There!”
Tracing my line of sight towards where Yanagi pointed, there stood among the empty streets was some worn down civilian vehicle haphazardly reinforced with some steel plates. Honestly, it appears to be a miracle that this thing actually managed to resist automatically disassembling itself.

Manning such a pathetic vehicle, on the other hand, was no other than...

“Shirataki-senpai! Koishimizu-senpai!”
“Special delivery for one trip out of the gates of hell!” Itaru stands with his arms crossed, a foot on the wheel. “This one’s on the house, as my gratitude for saving my men!’

Naturally, we all raced to their direction. However, upon reaching the car, there appears to be one problem.
The vehicle itself had enough capacity to carry five people, eight if we decided to squeeze in a little. There was no way Ayafumi’s entire squad can fit on this sorry scrap of tin.

Not that it stopped them from climbing on the vehicle.
“Koishimizu-senpai, I thought you wanted no part of this?” I said with a smile as I sat next to her.
“I said I’m not wasting any time for army dogs. You bunch are no army dogs, are you?”
I shook my head, to which she responded with a faint grin, much to my surprise. Could this be the ‘other side’ which Itaru mentioned before?
“Good, then you’d better be gracious to your generous senpai for saving your asses! Speaking of which…”
Quick to return to her normal self, Hibari stood up and turn around to face Ayafumi, who was busy climbing onto the vehicle from behind. She proceeded to mercilessly kick him square in the face, sending the poor guy tumbling off, accompanied with a shell-shocked reaction from his squad. Harboring absolutely zero remorse for her actions, Hibari proceeded to address these people while looking at them as if they were the most disgusting of pests.
“There’s no room for you on this ride, vermin.”

“Sorry boys, I guess you’d better start running!” Itaru starts the engine, whistling in an all too jolly tone, which did not help the situation a single bit.

Yanagi shoots me quite the uneasy look. Even Satoru, who got into some scuffles with Ayafumi earlier, was quite frankly disgusted by the senpais’ behavior as well.

>Are we still going to do this when we are all about to die?
>Shirataki-senpai, is everyone else safe?
>Actually, maybe Denisov would've been a better choice
>Write In

>>2305244
>Are we still going to do this when we are all about to die?

>>2305244
>Are we still going to do this when we are all about to die?

>>2305244
>Are we still going to do this when we are all about to die?

>>2305244
>Are we still going to do this when we are all about to die?
>Actually, maybe Denisov would've been a better choice

>>2305244
>Are we still going to do this when we are all about to die?
Fuck tsunderes

>>2306718
Hibari is literally trash. Even if she goes full dere, there's no justification for her bullshit.

>>2306763
> not understanding the rivalry of the branches

>>2305244
>knock it off or I run alongside the transport

>>2307026
>not understanding that there are limits to the rivalry of the branches

>>2307036
>limits
>Thatsnotthewayoftheweeb.jpg

>>2306718
>>2306763
I am glad my first attempt at writing a character of such archetype is working out as intended.
Also, update coming through

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“Navy backstabbers! Were your orders not to assist us!?”
“That’s the decision of these three idiots here, not us,” Hibari shouts back. “Feel free to go back and join that old geezer in crossing the Sanzu River. No one’s stopping you!”

Even I can’t take this anymore.
“Really? We have the entire Beiyang fleet on our asses, and we’re still doing this? ”
“You are in no position to complain, you little brat!”
“Koishimizu-senpai, stop this right now or I’ll run alongside the transport.”
“Then you are free to do so, golden child!” Her leg came flinging in my direction the instant she finished. Anticipating the blow, I managed to block the kick with both hands, only for Hibari to put far more force into her next strike.
“Hibari, enough!” Itaru bawled to stop us before Yanagi prepared to hold Hibari from behind. “We haven’t got all day.”
“Well, since he ain’t drinking the toast, he drinks the forfeit!” Drowning in the moment, Hibari prepares another brutal kick in my face, only to stop as Yanagi forcefully yanks her by the collar.
“What, ”
Yanagi did not speak, choosing to keep staring down at Hibari as another volley of shells fell from the skies and landed right on the old town, sending heated sparks and earthquake-like shockwaves in our direction.
“Don’t worry, he could always count on his gaijin girlfriend to save him! She’s dying to get to him-”
Mentioning Margaret only made Yanagi grip even tighter. Different from the jokingly banter between us friends, this time she appears to be genuinely angry, something I have not seen in quite some time.

This confrontation, however, was also put to an abrupt end as Itaru fired up the engines and reared the vehicle sharply… backward? Whatever his reason was, this act threw both girls off balance, with Hibari almost falling off the car.
Now facing Ayafumi’s squad, who were tending their squad leader, Itaru releases whatever volume his lungs were capable of carrying.
“FIRST ONE TO CLIMB ON GETS TO STAY ON THE CAR!”

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The folks of the army, though surprised by this act, quickly made the move to carry their leader onto the vehicle.
“Why are you doing this!?” It was no surprise Ayafumi cannot bear to accept this form of altruism.
“Don’t worry, we’ve all made the same vow to Endo-sama.”
“So we’ll need you to lead us again once we get out of here.”
“If the head falls, the rest of the body follows.”
“So please take care of our leader!”
That last sentence was explicitly directed at me, and no one else, as they back off after placing Ayafumi into the last empty seat.

“Wait!!”
“Alright, no time for more words, we need to get out of here, now!”
With another sharp rear, the hastily pieced together car zooms off at full speed towards the northeastern junction.

“Fools, none of them are going to survive this,” Satoru mutters quietly under his breath.
“Don’t you speak lightly of my men!” The masked man demands, apparently hearing this little comment within such insane volumes of noise. “They can survive anything.”
It did not take a genius to see the watery texture of his eyes, though he did quite a good job holding it back.
The rest of the ride was strangely tranquil considering we’re in the middle of a war zone and experiencing enemy shore bombardment, with little other than the occasional explosion coming from the old town area. By the time we crossed the junction bridge and back into the forests, we could hear the additional sounds of propellers coming from a distance.

>Find Margaret and Akane
>Check out how Ayafumi is doing
>Settle things with Hibari
>Huddle with Yanagi and Satoru.
>Write in

>>2309722
>Find Margaret and Akane
We're giving Hibari the cold shoulder from now on.

>>2309722
>Find Margaret and Akane
Even though they are alright we haven't met them in a while

>>2309722
>Huddle with Yanagi and Satoru
Especially for what they did earlier.

>>2309722
>huddle with yanagi and satoru

>>2309722
>Huddle with Yanagi and Satoru.

>>2309722
>Find Margaret and Akane

>>2309722
>Find Margaret and Akane

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>>2310017
>>2310221
>>2309844
>>2309769
Some hours later, the carriage reaches the entrance into the mine. Above us, obstructed by the forest leaves, an entire air group soars by as the enemy’s air wing coordinates with Beiyang’s shore bombardment to turn Aki into a wasteland. It was also here where Itaru suddenly decides to hop off the car.

“I’m going to stay here and receive the rest of the survivors.” He declares confidently. “Take care of the juniors for me till then eh, Hibari-chan?”
“What a redundant order.” She comments with a faint smile, taking the wheel. “Fine, I’ll take these brats.”
With that, Itaru takes one final look at Ayafumi.
“Lieutenant Haruta, do have faith in your men, you are their squad leader isn’t it?” He strikes a cross-armed pose. “I’ll be here to receive them, take a rest for yourself.”
The masked man did not respond.

A short drive later we were back in Kure, or to be exact, that part of Kure where all future operations for the time being resides on. And while it was nine in the morning, the kickback and exhaustion from the sudden decline of adrenaline were already at work trying to put me to sleep. In fact, I found my vision already blurring as of the moment I got off Itaru’s vehicle.

I would love to huddle together with Yanagi and Satoru, celebrating the fact that all three of us made it out alive again.
Or settle the score with Hibari, who I felt by now has me placed on her shit list for eternity.
Or talk a little with Ayafumi, the guy who pretty much suffered the most losses during this campaign.
But instinct compels me to crash, and since the conscious can only go that far when it comes to fighting it, I decided to do the only rational thing that could be done in this situation: Report to Captain Suwabe, then crash in whichever bed I’m assigned to.

Wait, my family home is in Kure… but, am I allowed to spend the night there?
No, I shouldn’t be thinking about something like…!!!
I felt my body pressed onto something soft and warm as if I am wrapped around in a blanket. My head appears to be buried between two pillowy humps, its texture reminding me of the finest of silk produced only by the rare Zipang silk moths…

“Kurokawa-kun, I’m so glad you’re okay!”
Her voice was husky, self-assured yet gentle. It was the voice of someone who longed the return of the person she treasured.

Wait, but I do recognize this voice.
“De... Denisov-san!?”
I found myself in the Valkyria’s deep embrace. Her arms were locked around my body, squeezing the two of us together tightly. This, combined with her inhuman strength, created an inescapable lock that was quite embarrassing, but yet irresistible.

"Welcome back."
Her angelic smile only made my head appear more like a red volcano ready to erupt.
"I...I..."
My own voice faltered and stumbled, lost and alone in a void.

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“Kuku.. Do I need to get you two a room?”
“Akasaka-san?”
Despite my vision being blocked entirely by Margaret’s voluptuous physique, that chilling, ghoulish voice can only belong to one person.
“I advise you to take more caution, Kurokawa-san.” She jabs playfully. “You’ve just returned from your tour hell tour. It would be tragically funny if you died from an accidentally crushed spine, wouldn't it?”

The next thing I felt was a terrifying yank with my entire body being ragdolled as Margaret turned to face Akane, still holding me close, only this time her expression was that of a pronounced pout.
“Akasaka-san, where’s Object 128?”
“Ah...hahaha, about that…”

Margaret responded with a sigh as she gave a tiredly look at Akane, shrugging.
“The turret hydraulics busted, so I blew it up with the bridge during the final retreat.”
For once, I could feel her grip loosening, and taking this chance, I placed a bit of distance between the two of us. Margaret did not appear to particularly care, as her attention is now focused entirely on Akane’s little blunder.
“It could have been fixable, Akasaka-san…”
“Oh come on, surely you do have a spare one, right?”

>Maybe you shouldn’t have rammed it into the enemy?
>Well, guess we’re back to driving tin cans.
>There’s a spare one?
>Write In.

>>2319164
>There’s a spare one?

>Maybe you shouldn’t have rammed it into the enemy?

>>2319164
>There’s a spare one?

>>2319164
>There's a spare one?

>>2319164
>Maybe you shouldn’t have rammed it into the enemy?

>>2319164
>There’s a spare one?

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>>2319178
>>2319248
>>2321511
>>2322253
“There’s a spare one?” I ask, having to cock my head up in order to even look at her in the face.
“Not a spare, but another prototype from the same OKB.” Margaret responds with her arms crossed. “But it’s not on the mainland.”
“So I was correct.” Akane grins, thrilled to receive another toy she could break. “Where is it then?”
Margaret certainly did not mean it’s back in the Empire, she wouldn’t be bringing this up otherwise.
“Formosa, the plan is to pick it up along with more allies following the first part of Operation Ten-Go.”
Down south? Wasn’t Yamato supposed to sail back to the Empire up north? As much as I want to inquire more about this, I felt it would be better to take it to Captain Suwabe in my report.
“But I’m not sure if I should allow Akasaka-san to ride it.”
“Let’s see, how many Zipangnese tankers has records of taking out multiple Tengar armor again?” Akane smugly raises her right hand, extending three fingers “That’s about it. And guess how many are still alive?”

Margaret can only narrow her eyes in displeasure as she stares at the squad tanker.
“You know, your kind that I know of back home at least tend to take care of their machines.”
“Too bad this country does not have a population of uncultured, greasy Darcsens.” Akane chuckled.

Between their lighthearted banter, I could also feel my conscious gradually fading away into a blur…
“Kurokawa-kun, are you alright?” comes the voice of a worried Margaret.
“He’s slipping away.” follows the voice of a disinterested Akane. “The time in Aki has really taken a toll on him.”
“Ah! In that case…”
I feel Margaret’s strong grip on my back and thigh, and the next thing I know I was lifted off the ground and was now carried in Margaret’s arms,
Pri-Princess Carry!? As if being embraced by her as if we were some lovely couple wasn’t embarrassing enough!

Well...Normally I would protest against this, but…
Fuck it, a chance like this can only appear once in a lifetime.
“Sleep tight!”

November 15th 1942 EC

“To our good and loyal subjects...”
From what would be known as the Jewel Voice Broadcast, the Miko-hime spoke for the first time directly to the public via live broadcast, and declared Zipang’s unconditional surrender to the Tengar Khaganate.

>>2325108
WTF, are we the love interest side character in Margaret's story?

>>2325132
Congratulations, you are the princess now.
In this relationship

Also, I'll have another update coming in shortly.

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This is taking a bit longer than expected, so I'm just going to upload the first half today and work on the rest.
-----------------------------------------

“Subaru Kurokawa, reporting for duty!”
At some point, it appears someone had already done the briefing of the last operation in my stead. If I am not wrong, chances are that it’s Satoru who filled that void.

“Kurokawa-kun, you certainly are quite the sleeper, aren’t you?”
“I am very sorry!”
I should have been the one giving the report, yet I’ve snoozed off and for two days no less. In Ayafumi’s words, a shameful display.
“No need to apologize,” he responds, trying hard to hold back a smirk “You earned your rest.”
Even if this might have looked silly for the Captain, I was very much assured that he did not take my last minute failings as an offense.

“Anyways, Kurokawa-kun, are you familiar with the Miko-hime’s broadcast?”
“Yes captain, it was the very first thing I got wind of the moment I woke up.”
This way, Zipang has officially capitulated to the Khaganate, as if the extremely low morale of the people within this complex wasn’t obvious enough. Suwabe himself did not appear too concerned with the contents of the broadcast, after all, it meant nothing for him.

“Good,” He shifts into a steepling pose. “Now we start with the first phase of Operation Ten-go: espionage.”
“Espionage?”
“There’s a safe house within the city, disguised as a bar and acting as our forward base within Kure. Our soldiers will be scattered around the city posing as construction workers to gather intel.”
The captain placed a hand on my shoulder.
“Kurokawa-kun, I will entrust you and your group of young ones with the operation of the bar.”
Wait, I’m running a bar?
“Sir, I’m honored, but… I have no experience with this kind of operation.”

“Don’t worry, the city is in shambles and everyone needs a drink to drown their woes. They won’t be too picky.” The captain said with a wide grin. “Besides, you will have all the support you need to run it as smoothly as possible.”

When Captain Suwabe brought up espionage, I was expecting spy work… sneaking around, sabotage, eavesdropping and the like, but running a bar?
Could this be the captain’s way of preparing me for the role?

“Kurokawa-kun, your ride is waiting outside.”
“I’ll be going!”
I can’t believe this, is this supposed to be an elaborate prank? Captain Suwabe isn’t exactly known for pulling off good jokes, but even then I cannot believe he would try something like this in the name of the operation.

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“Shirataki-senpai?”
Receiving me outside the captain’s office was no other than the lieutenant commander in his casuals. With the war officially over, the rank that he held had lost all meaning.
“Yo, Kurokawa!” Itaru waved in my direction. “The rest of the guys are already there. Let’s not make them wait much longer!”

Apparently, there was a tunnel that leads directly from this hideout all the way into the city and to this cafe/bar. This would be where Margaret and Yanagi came through during our initial escape from Osaka. For convenience sake, we took the same route back, ending up in some garage of a collapsed alleyway.

Kure, spared from immolation, remained far more intact compared to places like Osaka and Azuchi where the all the inhabitants were slain and the city razed to the ground. With the war over, most of the native inhabitants retreated back to their homes to quietly contemplate the consequences of the outcome.

As such, the streets were filled with soldiers from the Khaganate, most of them originating from the former Yu Dynasty. Since Kure is a port city, I would assume that nearly all of them were from the Beiyang Fleet.

“For enemies, they show a surprising amount of decency.” Itaru comments, entering from the back door.
True to his remarks, the sailors have not harassed the local populace, as opposed to places that were directly under the steppe barbarians. This sort of good discipline can only be attributed to the Admiral in charge of the Beiyang Fleet, which from what I know of happened to be a descendant of the last Yu Emperor.

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“I, taking the role of a BARMAID!?”
This was the first thing that screeched into my eardrums the moment I entered this undercover cafe. Without a doubt, my mind flashed to the one person I know would object to this with such harsh animosity.

“Aww, but that outfit looked good on you.”
I entered the scene with all the familiar faces present. With the exception of Ayafumi and Margaret, everyone was standing around a rather displeased Hibari with a maid outfit on the ground, facing off with an Akane who was all too happy to pick on her some more.

For once, Hibari Koishimizu is making others happy, at the cost of her own.

“Eat shit, car wrecker. I am a pilot, not some pathetic housemaid who serves alcohol to the enemy!”
Compared to Itaru, who had no problems accepting this arrangement, Hibari was far less pleased with it. Yet, what could she really do?

“Are you sure it’s only alcohol?”
Akane was… well, being herself. Unfortunately for her, that ghoulish appearance makes it easy for people to misinterpret playful jabs as actual malice.
Though, I do believe she’s playing it up a bit harsher than normal.

>Break them up
>Koishimizu-senpai, patience might be bitter, but its fruit is sweet. (impersonating Ayafumi)
>Leave them to their own devices and ask about the two who are not here
>Ask if they've planned on setting up shifts yet.
>[Write In]

>>2327039
Let's not bring Ayafumi into it, we could provoke even more hatred on him from Hibari.
>Ask Hibari whether she intends to ditch her duty to the country and Emperor over personal appearance.
Hibari deserves everything btw.

>>2327039
>Koishimizu-senpai, patience might be bitter, but its fruit is sweet.
Also this>>2327152

>>2327039
>Break them up

>>2327039
>Break them up

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To prevent the situation from escalating, I took it to myself and stepped between them.
“Ugh, you again.”
Needless to say, she wasn’t in the best of mood to see me around.

“Are you going to ditch your duty to this country and the Miko-hime over personal appearance?”
I tried to squeeze out the sternest glare I could and directed it at Hibari, yet I felt her returning stare even more intimidating.
“Hmph.”
Picking up the uniform, Hibari Koishimizu stormed out of the cafe, not intending to entertain us any farther.

“What’s her problem?” Yanagi shoots the leaving Hibari a disapproving look as if to tell her to get lost forever.
“No worries, Morishima-chan.” Itaru answers with a cheeky smile. “She’ll be back soon enough wearing that full gear and doing her job. That’s just how she is.”

“Furthermore.” He continues, bearing a more melancholic tone. “Hibari-chan is as devastated as the rest of the everyman of this country following the broadcast.”
“Well, I guess.”
Thanks to that, the mood within the cafe fell to an all-time low. While this conflict is a still ongoing one for us, it is over for the rest of the people of this nation, and to the rest of the world at large.
Zipang has been conquered, and from now on will cease existing as a country.

It’s just hard not to feel washed out when everyone around you was.
And thankfully, there was always someone who could break this atmosphere in a way only she could.

“Everyone! How do I look?”
Without warning, the missing Margaret bursts out from the dressers in her full maid uniform just like the one Hibari wore. The difference is, she’s much more delighted by the circumstances. Like a little girl who just received her first dress as a birthday present, she blissfully swings the outfit to a tune, quite eager to show it off to everyone.
And indeed, she was pretty, no one would object to that… however.

“Ms. Eirene, please stick to shooting photos.”
Quick to crush whatever dreams the Valkyria had, Akane went back to her rigid, unforgiving ‘Rise’ persona.
“Fii-ine,” Margaret sighs, and took off the maid dress, revealing the original ‘war photographer Eirene’ outfit she was apparently wearing underneath.
“Ms. Hauser, you’re going to raise a lot of unwanted attention if you were to work here,” Satoru explained.
Of course, nothing stands out more than an unnaturally tall, platinum-haired foreigner working as a waitress of some bar in a war-torn country.
“But don’t worry, Ms. Hauser, you’re always welcomed to be our honored guest!” Yanagi continues, handing Margaret a pair of shades that completed her disguise.

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With a tug on her arm, ‘Rise’ proceeds to pull ‘Eirene Hauser’ out of the store, presumably to go on playing their role for the rest of the day.
“I’ll make sure to come often!” The tall one waves.
“I’ll come with a useful friend next time. You guys can wait for the surprise.” The short Darcsen promises, ultimately leaving only the four of us in this unopened store.

“Aye, we might as well get to playing our roles as well.” Satoru sighs, raising up the blinds and letting the sun in. “Let's set up this place first, then we can decide the shifts."

I suppose I can work with...

(Pick Two)
>Yanagi
>Satoru
>Hibari
>Itaru

>>2330557
>Yanagi
>Satoru

>>2330557
Yanagi and Hibari

>>2330557
Itaru and Hibari
While these two haven't given us the best of impressions, there is no harm to try improving our relationship with them. Everyone is on the same team at the end of the day.

>>2330557
>Hibari
>Yanagi

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>>2330599
>>2330610
>>2331922
In the end, I winded up on the same shift as Yanagi and Hibari.
The latter, for all purposes, did indeed return to the cafe after an hour, and reluctantly got into her waitress outfit. Despite that rotten personality, she was surprisingly agreeable once that steam has gotten off, though it was clear her animosity towards me and the situation she was placed in haven’t wavered a bit.

Oh well, that wasn’t the most important thing, that goes to...
“What’s the meaning of this?”
Displeased and confused, I held up one of those waitress uniforms and placed it over my body. My own waiter’s suit appears to be missing, replaced by this. What’s more bizarre was how this dress managed to fit my sizes just right.

To clarify, ‘just right’ was an estimate, I did not actually try this on in the dressing room, that would be the dumbass thing to do.

“Isn’t it obvious?” Satoru adjusts his glasses deceptively. “There are people who would rather see you as a pretty barmaid running around serving customers.”
“With the correct makeup, you might even surpass the girls in the beauty department!” Itaru adds, dousing fuel into the fireplace from afar.
I’m not sure whether or not to take that as a compliment or an insult.

“So this was your bright idea?” I ask, staring at my friend like a judge onto a prisoner.
“Nah. I’m not that bored to cook up some lame prank like this,” he shrugs, “though I am interested to see how it will turn out for you.”

Well then, if Satoru wasn’t the one behind this, that cuts down the suspects to only…
I eyed Yanagi from the edges of my view to see her pretending to have nothing to do with this, while at the same time trying hard not to crack a laugh.
“It was you!?”
“But Subaru,” my friend nags innocently. “You’ll look good in it! Plus, it adds more flavor to this place more than just a cafe in the morning and bar by night!”

On the other side of the store, Hibari had just finished donning her uniform and stepped out into the main service hall. Judging by how petrified she stood and how that natural expression gradually contorted into one of disgust, I could safely assume that she saw and heard everything.

The fact that I was still holding that ‘dress’ most likely didn’t help either.

>I… I guess I can try…
>No, I still have something called dignity within me
>Write in

And pick your shift
>Day shift (cafe)
>Night shift (bar)

>>2333604
>I… I guess I can try…

>Night shift (bar)

>>2333604
>No, I still have something called dignity within me
>Night shift (bar)

>>2333604
>No, I still have something called dignity within me
>Night shift

>>2333604
>I… I guess I can try…
>Night Shift

>>2333604
>I… I guess I can try…
>Night shift (bar)

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>>2333750
>>2333653
>>2333621

>>2333604
>No I won't try it on you faggot
>night

>>2333604
>No, I still have something called dignity within me
>Night shift

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>>2333632
>>2333643
>>2336373
>>2334399
“I refuse.”
A short, sweet rebuttal to those who want to strip me from what was left of my dignity as a man, as if Margaret’s actions weren’t enough for these people.

“Aww, that’s too bad.” Yanagi takes the uniform away. “I figured the customers would find the gimmick endearing.”
“Well, sorry for having something known as dignity,” I say, coughing into a fist.
“Don’t worry, I’m not going to force it on you.” she winks back.
“And… please don’t reveal this to Denisov-san.”
“I know.”

If Margaret got wind of this, she would come here to personally strip and shove me into that outfit whether I like it or not, then proceed to carry me around like an oversized trophy plush she won in those summer festivals. When that happens, I seriously wonder if I could ever look at myself in the mirror again.

In the end, we took the night shift while Satoru and Itaru handled the day.

“Have a good night, sir!”
With a warm, angelic smile, Hibari Koishimizu sends off what was supposed to be the final customer of the night, a complete 180 from how she usually conducts herself in public.
In fact, this has been her attitude throughout the first day. Given such jarring performance. Yanagi and I even questioned if this person really was Hibar. Unfortunately for us, the way she violently threw her headdress onto the counter as the last batch of customers left was all the confirmation we needed.

“Thank you for your cooperation, Koishimizu-senpai.” I say, feeling the need to appropriately shower her with praise this time around.
“That was amazing for your first time!” Yanagi adds, cleaning up the counter.
“Hmph, I only did what I am tasked to do.” The ex-fighter pilot responds, not even bothering to look our way.
“Is it really?” I ask, shining a champagne glass. “I feel you actually enjo---”

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“HEY WAITER!!”
The door on the entrance quite literally bursts open as a powerful kick dislodged the wooden frame from resting position with a thunderous bang. From there enters a…

A young girl?
She appeared very much like a highschooler, except I would classify her as a delinquent. Her hair was a mess, doused with a dirty, blonde dye, and while this customer did have the appearance of a highschool girl, her body was covered in a thick, disgusting stench of alcohol so toxic I could smell it from here.
“Miss, we are closed for toda…”
“CLOSED?” she cries with intermittent hiccups. “Don’cha know who just whooped your sorry island monkey asses just a day ago? Ya’ll fuckers serve me! The great Chu Fuxiang!”
The wasted girl took an uneasy step forward while she continued rattling gibberish. With one misstep, she spun around like a ballet dancer and crashed her upper body onto the counter. her arms saving her from a complete impact that would have broken her jaw otherwise.

Yanagi looked at her, then back to me with a wry smile.
Hibari responded with a prolonged, disgusted moan and went back into the dressing room.
I buried my face in both my palms in desperation and gestured Yanagi to take her leave.
“Subaru, but she…”
“Don’t worry, I’ll handle this from here. Go get some rest.”
…
...
“Alright… I’ll wait for you back there.” She concurred after weighing in on the circumstances.”
With Yanagi gone off to the dressing room, I took it upon myself to face this problem customer who was barely capable of supporting her own weight.
“Sorry,” I intoned gently, “but we cannot serve minors”
It took Fuxiang approximately three seconds to process my message. In slow motion, her droopy eyelids open as wide as an owl. Her mind, briefly cleared again, quickly readjusted the body in a more normal, balanced stance, and her expression twisted into one filled with displeasure.

“I’m 23 you jackass!”
Her voice was loud enough to shake the various wine glass hanging from the cellar. I myself had to bear the full force of the Banshee’s scream in zero distance.
“You know what, fuck this.”

With a forceful slam on the counter, the drunken girl yanked me by the collar, the forward pulling force knocking my forehead right onto hers, our face nearly sticking onto each other in this awkward position.
“Look, I’m here to get shitfaced, but I ain’t got no dough.”
Like the dragons from old Europan legends, Fuxiang’s rum-riddled breath was just as toxic and flammable, and I can only curse my own misfortune for being given the privilege to be her first victim.

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“Say, What about you and I make a deal?” The brute asks in a sultry, almost arousing tone. Her dim, crimson pupils threatening to put me under her spell.
Using me as an anchor, she decided to violate my personal space even farther, pressing her lips onto my right ear. I had no chance to react as she began whispering her conditions.
“I suck you off and you get me drinks free. Not a bad deal, ay?”

>P...Pardon me!?
>Ma’am, please show some respect for yourself.
>Uh… fair enough?
>I need an adult.
>Write in

>>2337959
>Ma'am, please show some respect for yourself.
QM, do you have a thing for aggressive, dominant women?

>>2337959
>Ma’am, please show some respect for yourself.

>>2337987
Not exactly, but I do very much love writing femme fatales

>>2337959
>Ma'am, I'm actually a girl. It's this establishment's gimmick.

>>2337959
>Ma’am, please show some respect for yourself.
And if she insists, then
>I'm actually a girl. It's this establishment's gimmick.

This is editor kun
Do anons not like lewds? Is editor kun wrong to think anons want lewd?
You're tearing me apart, anon!

>>2339897
we love Lewds, but not being bitch

>>2340020
What does anon mean by being bitch?

>>2340049
Don't be dommed by some random whore who most likely been the school yard bike.

>>2339897
If that was a lead-in to lewds, it was the most stupid lead-in I've seen outside of actual porn (and even many IN actual porn). You're beating the Hollywood level of shoehorned sex scene here with a huge lead.

>>2340604
Editor kun here.
You're right, it's shoehorned in, but for one reason: there is going to be a long, long time before there can be any character-driven lewd scene that can fit into the story.
It's placed here because we were trying to test the waters, see what anons think of having lewds as well as if we can handle writing said lewds

As for the lead-in being stupid, I personally think a substance abuser exchanging sexual favor for said substance makes a tad bit more sense than mind control, blackmail or drugging. Considering the two persons in question are total strangers, that is.

By the way, incoming update. (editor is actually with me, btw) From now on he'll be getting his own trip.

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“Ma’am, please show some respect for yourself.”
Just… what’s the deal with this person? I thought those from the Beiyang Fleet were more disciplined than this? Then again, she did not wear their insignia.

“Fuck off, faggot! If you can’t handle this, then shut the fuck up and get lost!”
Denied from the alcohol she so desperately craved, Fuxiang progressed onto the logical next step for someone in her state: Releasing the pent up frustration by throwing a tantrum.

“Shit!”
After banging on the counter, she went over to kick some chairs and flip over tables. Fortunately for us, the girl was so liquored up she couldn’t even destroy a second table before unceremoniously crashing herself onto the floor.

“Are you alright Ma’am?”
She responded by flipping me a finger, then surrendering herself to intoxication and fatigue. This brute, who moments ago was throwing destructive tantrums and trashing the cafe, was now snoring loudly on the floor surrounded by broken chairs.

With the threat neutralized, the two girls were finally safe to emerge from the dressing room.
“What should we do about her?” Yanagi asks, poking Fuxiang’s cheek with a fork.
“Toss her out onto the streets of course,” Hibari crosses her arms, staring down at the drunkard. “We serve humans here, not pigs in human clothing.”
That was the sort of harsh comment I would expect from Hibari, and in this one rare case, I fully agreed with her.

“Chu Fuxiang!” Another voice booms from the cafe’s entrance. Though it wasn’t as loud compared to Fuxiang’s yelling, it was sufficient enough to catch our attention.
“Oh fuck me, there’s more of them!?” Hibari curses, only to freeze in place as the owner of that voice stepped into the cafe. And just to her, Yanagi and I did so as well.

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Her natural blonde hair and clear blue eyes aside, the woman who appeared in front of us bore all the curves and tall delicate features only found among continental Europans- specifically, those from East Europa. If that wasn’t enough, her uniform was modified directly from the Empire’s navy, only with the insignia of the Beiyang Fleet. Unlike Fuxiang, this woman was pretty much an exemplar of an officer.

Following her from behind was a slightly taller male officer who was obviously from the Orient, presumably a continental. Different from the overbearing authority his colleague exuded, he was silent, and retained what appears to be a perpetual poker face at all times. If it weren’t for the fact that I saw him walk in, I might mistake him as a statue.

“There you… Oh, dear heavens.” The woman sighs after seeing the state her ‘target’ was in.
She then turned to the three of us “I would like to apologize on behalf of my… colleague, for the mess. May I speak to the one in charge of this establishment regarding reparations?”

“That would be me.” I step forward, noticing the instant change of her demeanor.
“Yo...You?” The initial surprise slowly turns into… disgust?
Yes, there was no mistake, she for some reason held the same contempt for me as Hibari did for the army, and I am pretty sure it had something to do with my heritage.
Nevertheless, the foreigner took out a small wad of cash, and placed it on the counter.

“That should cover all your losses. Again, please allow me to… apologize on behalf of my useless colleague.”
She pinched the bridge of her nose, silently cursing her companion for throwing her into such situation.

“Mr. Cho, would you kindly lend her a shoulder?”
Cho? That was neither a Tengar nor a Yu surname, but a Goguryeo one.
I see, so the Khaganate even deployed those from the late Goguryeo Kingdom as well.

The Goguryeo Kingdom rested on a peninsula that jutted out from the east of the main Asuwan continent. Despite being sandwiched between Zipang and the Yu Dynasty, this country ended up beating back every single attempt at subjugation from either neighbor, and only really fell when the Tengar Khaganate rose into superpower after absorbing the Yu Empire. Other than their people’s tenacity, they were also known for producing some of the most sophisticated aircrafts alongside skilled pilots among the entire Asuwan continent, if not the world.

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The Goguryeo man nodded silently, then proceeded to hurl the passed-out Fuxiang over his shoulder, and just as he was about to leave, shoots a glance at Hibari.
Hibari on the other hand looks ready to pull out a gun, except she didn’t have one, and neither did us.
“What is it?” inquired the foreign officer.
“Thought I saw a familiar face.” he replied ever so monotonously.
“Hmmm..” The foreigner takes a puzzled look at our direction. “Well, we could worry about that tomorrow. We still have our hands tied.”
“Agreed.”
Taking away the troublemaker, the three Beiyang officers disappeared into the deep November night.

With the last of our guests gone, I locked up the front door and began wondering what to do about the mess.
“These are hundred Ducat bills!” Yanagi exclaimed upon checking the wad.
While Hibari remained mildly interested at what we received, the only thing I feel now is fatigue.

>I need a break…
>The show must go on. Let’s patch up the store.

Forgot to add:
Break means a day off, and thus spending time with characters in your inner circle
Patching up the store continues introducing the next batch of antagonists

>>2340798
You don't exactly have to have lewds. Especially if the story suffers for it.

>>2340848
>The show must go on. Let’s patch up the store.
Being Subaru is suffering.

>>2340848
>I need a break

>>2340848
The show must go on. Let’s patch up the store.

>>2340848
>I need a break…

>>2340848
>I need a break…

>>2340848
>The show must go on. Let’s patch up the store.

>>2340848
The show must go on. Let’s patch up the store.

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>>2341735
>>2342919
>>2340865
>>2341250
“So, what exactly happened yesterday?” Satoru questioned us over the dining table.
My attention, however, was focused exclusively on my plate of fried fish and rice.
“We had our fair share of weird customers in the day, but none really caused this amount of damage.”
I ignored him and wolfed down my fish within two bites.
…
...
“Did the three of you even sleep!?”

Hibari rubbed her eyes.
Yanagi snapped herself back into consciousness.
And I still focused on finishing my breakfast.

“No, but we did patch this place up as much as we could,” I finally opened my mouth to speak, swallowing the last bite of rice. “Akasaka-san is bringing her friend today, we can’t afford to shut down the cafe just one day after its opening.”

We spent the rest of the night cleaning up the mess Fuxiang caused, while the broken table and some chairs weren’t replaced, the amount of ‘reparations’ the foreigner gave us were more than enough to cover all the costs.

“So just who was it that stopped by at midnight?” Itaru asks, popping a sandwich in his mouth. “You guys told me it’s apparently someone not much older than Hibari-chan. But it’s really hard to believe.”
“It’s exactly what happened,” I replied sleepily. “The name was Chu Fuxiang, or something like that.”

“Chu Fuxiang?”
“Hm?”
Surprised by Itaru’s sudden attentiveness to the topic, I only responded in kind.
“As in the Mad Dog of Palawan, Druglord of the Southern Sea? That Fuxiang?”
“Well, she did look quite intoxicated....”
Itaru practically jumped out from his seat, walked over, and made a careful examination of my face.

“Kurokawa, you just brushed past one of the most wanted criminals of the Eastern Hemisphere, how in the world are you still alive?”
Wait a minute, he's serious?

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Archived and this will be the last update for this thread.
http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive/2305199/

As always, I want to ask for some feedback as to my writing, and the way this quest is in general. I'll try addressing them as long as this thread is still alive, and if not on the next thread.

And last but not least, I hope you enjoyed the run and see you on the next thread.

>>2343520
Thanks for the run boss, and damn.

>>2343488
It's just like the Tengar dogs to employ drug lords in their army!

Thanks for running!
And as a feedback, please don't try to bend the story to insert lewds. The story will suffer, and the lewds are unlikely to compensate for that.

Looking forward to the next thread, qm

>>2343653
Well, the initial introduction for Fuxiang stayed mostly the same. I intended to have a character act so out there it leaves a strong impression.

The lewd was mostly Editor's idea for a bonus but yeah that would be unnccessary and out of place, which is like Anonkun tier.