World War: Battleship Arms Dealers

Koji folded the newspaper and stuffed it into his schoolbag. More and more people were walking on the street, and trams clattered past. At an intersection, he saw a group of people gathered around a makeshift wooden platform.

Standing on the stage was a middle-aged man in an old military uniform, missing his left arm, the sleeve empty. But he stood ramrod straight, waving with his only remaining right arm:

"...I served in the 3rd Division and fought the Russians in Port Arthur! Now, my son is in France! He wrote last month saying he had been promoted to sergeant and received the Iron Cross! The medal was awarded to him personally by a German general!"

The crowd gasped in amazement.

"The Empire needs more men like you!" the veteran roared. "We're not sending you to your deaths, but to achieve great things! To let the world see the spirit of the Yamato people!"

"But..." a bespectacled man in the crowd whispered, "the newspapers say more than 40,000 people died on the Somme..."

"That's a glorious death!" The veteran glared at him. "To die for His Majesty the Emperor, for the Empire, is the highest honor for a samurai! And—" he changed his tone, "the government guarantees that the families of fallen soldiers will receive a monthly pension of thirty yen, their children's education will be free, and they will receive tax breaks! Those who return alive will be given priority for civil service positions!"

The crowd stirred. People started asking about the registration process.

Koji didn't stop and continued walking. Around the corner was the torii gate of XX Shrine. It was still early, but over a hundred people had already gathered in front of the shrine. Most were young people around Koji's age, with a few looking to be in their thirties. They chatted excitedly in small groups, their faces radiating an almost sacred glow.

"Have you heard? The salaries in Germany have gone up again! The basic monthly salary has been increased to thirty yen per person!"

"Britain is offering more! But it has to be shipped by sea, and there are supposedly German submarines along the way..."

"What is there to fear! To be loyal to the empire, what is there to fear even in death!"

Koji searched for familiar faces in the crowd. Sure enough, he saw his classmates Nakamura and Yamaguchi. The two saw him too and waved excitedly.

"Koji! You're here too!" Nakamura ran over, his face beaming. "I knew you'd come! Seven people from our class have already signed up!"

Yamaguchi leaned closer and lowered his voice, saying, "My uncle works in the Ministry of the Army. He said the selection process is quite lenient this time. You just need to be over 1.55 meters tall, have good eyesight (able to see the first three lines of an eye chart), and not have any serious illnesses. The training period has also been shortened—it used to be six months, now it's only three months, and then you can go straight to the ship."

"So soon?" Koji frowned.

"The front lines need men," Nakamura shrugged. "But it's good, the sooner they go, the sooner they can earn merit. Koji, do you want to go to Germany or England?"

"What's the difference?"

"The German route is overland, through the Persian Gulf and the Ottoman Empire. It takes longer, but it's safer. The British route is by sea, which is faster, but there's a chance of encountering German submarines," Yamaguchi explained knowledgeably. "However, Britain pays more, and—I've heard they have tanks! You know, those iron armored vehicles where you can ride in and charge forward, bullets can't penetrate them!"

Koji's eyes lit up. He had seen pictures of tanks in the newspaper; they looked like mobile fortresses, imposing and awe-inspiring.

"I want to go where there are tanks," he said.

"That depends on the allocation," Yamaguchi said. "But I can ask my uncle to put in a good word for me..."

As they were talking, several military officers emerged from the shrine. The leader was a major, carrying a sword, and with a serious expression. The crowd immediately fell silent.

"Gentlemen!" the major's voice boomed. "Thank you for answering the nation's call! From today onward, you will bid farewell to your families and embark on a journey to fight for your country! This is a path of glory, and also a path of hardship! But I believe that the spirit of the Yamato men will surely shine brightly on the world stage!"

The crowd erupted in enthusiastic applause and cheers. Koji clapped along, his palms turning red from clapping.

"Begin the physical examinations now!" The major waved his hand. "Those whose names are called, enter the shrine's side hall in turn!"

The physical examination was simpler than Koji had imagined. Height and weight were checked, followed by a undressing examination for any obvious disabilities or skin diseases, a vision test, and a heartbeat check. The doctors' movements were mechanical; each person's examination took less than three minutes.

"Pass." The doctor stamped Koji's form without looking up. "Next."

Outside the side hall, qualified young men lined up to receive their uniforms—not formal military uniforms, but dark brown coarse cloth training uniforms with soft caps. Koji received a size S, but it still looked loose on him.

"Put these on first," the sergeant distributing supplies said impatiently. "You'll get properly fitted ones at the training camp. Now, go over there and get your ID tag and 'Soldier's Handbook'."

The identification tags were two oval aluminum plates engraved with the name, place of origin, and serial number. Koji's serial number was "EU-1916-047329". EU stands for European Theater, 1916 is the year, and the following numbers mean that he was the 47,329th soldier sent to Europe in this mission.

"Soldier's Guide" was a thin booklet, crudely printed. Koji opened it and found some basic rules: obey orders, cherish weapons, respect officers, and... "Fight to the last moment, never surrender."

"Did you get everything?" the major reappeared. "Now, come with me to the station! The train is already waiting!"

The crowd surged toward the plaza outside the shrine, where several military trucks were parked. Koji, Nakamura, and Yamaguchi squeezed into the same truck. As the truck started moving, he glanced back at the shrine's torii gate. In the morning light, the massive wooden torii gate appeared solemn and majestic.

He suddenly remembered what he had learned in history class: the XX Shrine enshrines soldiers who died for the Empire since the Meiji Restoration. Now, he was going to become one of them.

"Koji! Look!" Nakamura pointed excitedly to the roadside.

The streets were lined with people seeing him off. Mothers held babies, elderly people leaned on canes, and young girls waved handkerchiefs. They called out indistinct words, their faces streaked with tears and smiles. Some children chased after the truck, shouting, "Banzai! Banzai!"

As the truck drove through Ginza, Koji saw a new suit displayed in a department store window. The price tag read: 85 yen. He thought that if he hadn't gone to war, after graduating from university and getting a job, his starting salary would have been about 25 yen a month. To buy a suit like that, he would have to save for three months without eating or drinking.

Now, he only needs to fight in Europe for a year to earn more than 600 yen. That's enough to buy seven suits like that and build a new house for his family.

"It was worth it," he murmured to himself.

"What did you say?" Yamaguchi asked.

"It's nothing." Koji turned his head away, no longer looking at the shop window.

Tokyo Station was under martial law. A green military train was parked on the platform; the carriages had no windows, only a few small ventilation openings. Armed military police stood on both sides of the platform, expressionless.

"Get off! Get on in order!" the officers shouted.

Koji followed the group into the carriage. Inside were two long rows of wooden benches, already occupied by many people. The air was stuffy, filled with the smells of sweat and musty wood. He, Nakamura, and Yamaguchi found a seat on the side.