Starting from South America, speeding through the world

Chapter 284 Manifest Destiny
There is no moon at night in Saratov Oblast.

It was pitch black.

The wind came from the northwest through the forest, swept across the abandoned road, and made one's bones tingle.

Katya tightened the scarf again.

Her hands were so cold they were almost numb, and her steps became increasingly unsteady.

Anthony followed behind, swaying like a ghost, barely managing to maintain his balance by holding onto a tree trunk.

“Ahead,” Kaja’s voice was hoarse, “it’s just a few kilometers away.”

no respond.

Anthony was speechless and could only grit his teeth and keep up, his legs feeling like lead.

He couldn't remember how many sleepless nights this was.

The supplies were cut off the day before yesterday, and we've been surviving on a few pieces of hard bread and a small amount of dried beef until now.

They were unsure whether the destination still existed.

The map was found in an abandoned village; it was so rough it looked like a child's drawing.

Whether it was truly a contact point, or whether those people were still alive, no one could say for sure.

But they had no other choice.

It makes no real difference whether you die in this forest or in some bunker.

Reconnaissance planes roared overhead.

Katya immediately fell to the ground, her cheek pressed against the frosty soil.

Anthony also hurriedly bent down and almost simultaneously fell onto the dead tree roots.

The light swept across the vicinity twice before finally disappearing into the distance.

The two remained motionless until the roar completely subsided before getting up again.

"There's a broken canal over there."

"Once you climb over it, you're no longer part of the Empire's directly administered territory."

Kaja finally regained some strength and spoke softly.

"and then?"

"Then, we prayed."

They continued on, but their pace slowed down.

Anthony fell to his knees several times, but each time Katja pulled him up.

The woodland gradually became messy, and the sound of dead branches breaking was constant.

The two completely lost their sense of direction and moved forward solely by instinct.

That's why, when that shout rang out from afar, Kaja didn't even have time to react.

"Stop! You!"

The moment she turned around, she saw five or six figures rushing down the slope.

Before the other side could get a reply, they fired their guns.

"Run!" Anthony growled.

Kaja then seemed to wake from a dream and dashed out, staggering as she ran.

Bullets whizzed past, shoes sank into the mud, and bushes tore at arms.

She couldn't see the road ahead, but rushed towards the collapsed station platform based solely on her memory.

My breathing became shallow, and my chest felt like it was about to explode.

Katya slipped and fell into a pile of damp leaves.

With almost no time to think, she struggled to her feet and pulled Anthony forward.

The ditch is blocked ahead.

The dilapidated cement structure was covered with moss and frost.

The two practically crawled through.

Behind them came the shouts of pursuers, and ahead lay an increasingly thin layer of snow.

Finally, Katya couldn't hold on any longer.

She collapsed completely under the half-tree stump.

The moment his knees touched the ground, he immediately lost his support, his whole body convulsed, and his ears rang.

The gunshots were still ringing out, but they seemed so far away.

The lights danced before her eyes, as if she had returned to that summer night when she first saw Jupiter.

Brighter than any other star, it hangs in the dark sky.

Now, it has reappeared before my eyes.

Katya wasn't sure if it was a hallucination or a final burst of energy from her collapsing body.

She wanted to say something, but her tongue was stuck to her palate, making it difficult even to breathe.

Then--

A more urgent sound pierced the night sky.

Katya instinctively thought that the enemy had hit Anthony.

But the next second, a language that was both strange and familiar came to my ears.

The language that has haunted my dreams for ten years.

Kaja struggled to open her eyes and then caught a glimpse of several dark figures appearing in the surrounding woods.

Someone shouted out a command.

But the brain is no longer capable of understanding its meaning.

All she knew was that those people didn't fire at them, but instead returned fire in the direction of the pursuers.

In the moments before losing consciousness, Katya sensed someone approaching quickly and crouched down. Their clothes were covered in mud, obscuring their face, except for the red star on their collar that gleamed.

"Still alive," the man said softly.

The world was then plunged into darkness.
But she knew they had found it.
-
In the spring of 1955, the weather was fine and sunny.

Tokyo, Kasumigaseki, West Hall of the Main Headquarters.

A faint scent of incense lingered in the air.

There were seven people seated.

Representatives from the Army, Navy, Naval General Staff, and Ministry of Foreign Affairs were present, all dressed neatly and wearing complete cap badges.

Lieutenant General Okabe, Deputy Chief of the General Staff, rose, tidied himself slightly, looked around, and then spoke:
"Gentlemen, the supplies have arrived."

Across from him, Vice Admiral Sato nodded slightly, then added:
"Transshipment from Bludenz via Udine, along the Indian Ocean route."

"Arrived at Yokosuka Port two days ago. Has now been transferred to Kamakura Third Control Facility."

"Is this correct?" someone asked.

"The technical officer's evaluation is complete, and the trial run was successful three days ago."

"Although it is an old style, the structure is intact."

"quantity?"

"There are thirteen items in total, of which twelve are more severely damaged and can be used immediately."

A low gasp came from the last seat, then silence returned.

Okabe reached out and unfolded the map in the center of the table.

There are six red dots drawn in vermilion ink, resembling scars:
Lanzhou.

Xi'an.

"Chongqing."

Chengdu.

Guiyang.

"Kunming."

He spoke at a steady pace, as if he were reading some insignificant memo.

"Since 1943, the war in China has dragged on for a long time."

"Although our Imperial Army occupies thousands of miles of territory, the enemy's guerrilla warfare, infiltration, and re-emergence have never ceased."

"With its vast territory and large population, it cannot be subdued by the blatant display of righteousness."

"Only by completely severing its national lifeline can the calamity be permanently quelled."

As soon as he finished speaking, Okabe looked up again, his gaze fixed on his right front.

Upon receiving his signal, the army general sitting at the head of the table finally moved.

The man stood up slowly, took off his hat, and placed it in front of his chest.

"I am Shigenori Kase, Army General."

"This proposal is hereby put forward in order to completely end the war and formally put into use the special equipment we have acquired."

"His Majesty the Emperor has bestowed upon us the weighty responsibility of governing the land. Overseeing all directions, we wage war across thousands of miles, with only one heart."

"After twenty years of bloody battles, the soldiers and civilians of the Empire have made outstanding contributions."

"However, the country was exhausted day by day, and the number of soldiers was not enough to keep up with demand, so the national expenditure was barely maintained."

"If no decision is made today, the world will doubt the will of our imperial nation."

He paused for a moment, then took half a step back and saluted the chief aide-de-camp standing on his left.

The man pulled a neatly folded envelope from his inner pocket and said loudly:
"This is an imperial edict personally issued by His Majesty."

"As ordered, the deployment of its troops and equipment shall be decided by the General Headquarters at its own discretion."

"Whatever it does must be attributed to the fundamental strategic considerations of the Empire."

"Do not act rashly, and do not slacken your efforts."

After he finished speaking, he unfolded the paper.

The letter contained several lines.

This was a personal edict from the Emperor.

—If the men of my imperial nation dare not sacrifice their lives for righteousness, how can we expect the whole world to bow down to them?
These words, once spoken, resonated like the tolling of a bell and the striking of a chime, lingering endlessly.

There was a moment of silence in the meeting room. Councilor Honjo Hiroshi asked softly:

"If we make the first move, is it possible for the West to respond?"

"The intelligence agency has reported that there is widespread chaos within Dade."

"The SS and the Imperial Army are locked in a fierce standoff and are too preoccupied to help each other."

"As for the United States, its domestic policies are skewed and isolationism is on the rise, so it is not a cause for concern."

"If we hesitate now, we will surely lose the mandate of heaven."

Upon hearing this, the officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs all looked solemn, but none of them raised any objections.

There was silence in the field.

Seeing this, Kase smiled with satisfaction.

"Gentlemen, the decision has been made—"

"We are willing to take the Emperor's grace as our banner and, with the ambition of unifying the eight directions, complete the final battle."

"With attacks from six locations simultaneously, the people's hearts are shaken, and their forces will surely crumble in no time."

Everyone stood up in silence and said in unison, "Destiny is in our hands!"

Outside the window, the wind had stopped and the clouds had gathered, with what seemed like the faint sound of thunder.

(End of this chapter)