Holding the original shares, they fought all the way to the Korean War!

at the same time.

Headquarters of the Japanese East China Expeditionary Army in Shanghai.

Shunroku Hata sat behind his desk.

A combat report that had just been reviewed lay before him.

He picked up the teacup on the table, took a sip, and was about to turn to the next document.

Just then.

A series of hurried, almost frantic footsteps came from the end of the corridor, getting closer and faster as they approached.

The footsteps stopped abruptly outside the door, followed by two or three hurried knocks.

The rhythm was completely messed up; you could tell something serious had happened just by listening to it.

"Come in."

Hata Shunroku's tone was flat.

The door was pushed open, and his adjutant, Colonel Terada, stood in the doorway, his face ashen.

That face, which was usually as calm and composed as a mountain no matter what the situation, now had a tense look that was almost twitching.

A fine layer of cold sweat covered his forehead.

"Your Excellency Commander."

Colonel Terada strode to his desk, stood at attention, and his voice trembled slightly, a tremor he himself could not suppress.

"The inspection team from headquarters... has run into trouble."

Hata Shunroku's gaze lingered on his face for a moment, his brows furrowing slightly, but his tone remained calm.

"What is it?"

Colonel Terada's Adam's apple bobbed up and down, as if he were trying to swallow something stuck in his throat.

"The inspection team's convoy was attacked by unidentified snipers when it arrived at the main entrance of the headquarters."

He paused for a moment, as if what he was about to say was heavier than all the groundwork laid before him.

"Lieutenant General Naito Ichiro was killed on the spot."

"Major General Kazuo Yamada, who was traveling with us, also perished at the same time."

The office fell silent for a moment.

That quiet was unlike ordinary silence.

It was more like something suddenly taut in the air, stretched to its limit, and could break at any moment.

Hata Shunroku's pupils suddenly contracted.

But the expression on his face didn't change much.

But the fingers of the hands resting on the table unconsciously tightened.

He was silent for three seconds before speaking, his voice lower than before, carrying a calmness that came only after great effort to suppress it.

"What did you say?"

Colonel Terada repeated it again.

"Lieutenant General Naito and Major General Yamada were shot and killed by snipers at the main entrance of the headquarters."

"Two shots, two targets, less than two seconds apart."

"The murderer has escaped and is currently in full pursuit."

Hata Shunroku slowly stood up.

He placed his hands on the table, leaned slightly forward, and stared directly into Colonel Terada's eyes.

"At the headquarters entrance?"

His voice was very soft, but every word seemed to be squeezed out from between his teeth.

"The inspection team sent by headquarters was murdered right under my nose?"

Colonel Terada lowered his head, not daring to meet his gaze.

"Yes."

Hata Shunroku stood there, silent for a few seconds.

Then he straightened up, walked back to the window, turned his back to his adjutant, and silently gazed at the city of Shanghai outside the window.

His face was reflected in the windowpane.

That face, which had been calm and composed in countless battles, was now filled with an intense, suppressed rage.

His shoulders were slightly tense, his hands were behind his back, and his fingers were tightly clenched together.

He suddenly remembered something else.

That was a few months ago, in Taiyuan.

Kiyoshi Katsuki, former commander of the First Army.

On the same day as the handover ceremony, he was shot and killed at Guangshe Airport.

The murderer also vanished without a trace, leaving no clues.

Two things.

The same method.

Precise long-range sniping.

They were all at the same target level, both generals of the empire.

The same clean and neat, leaving no trace.

Hata Shunroku clenched his teeth.

He turned around, his gaze returning to Colonel Terada.

"Terada, how did the investigation into the Taiyuan incident go?"

Colonel Terada was taken aback, clearly not expecting the commander to bring up something that happened a few months ago, thousands of miles away, at this moment.

He quickly searched his memory for relevant information and then answered truthfully.

"Reporting to the Commander!"

"Taiyuan authorities ultimately did not confirm the killer's identity."

"The assassination of Lord Kiyoshi Kazuki remains an unsolved case to this day."

Hata Shunroku's gaze grew even colder.

"Unsolved case?"

He repeated the word, his tone carrying an indescribable mockery and resentment.

"An Imperial Army lieutenant general was assassinated at an airport, and the killer remains at large."

"Now, the same thing is happening again in front of my headquarters."

"Four shots took down three generals and one junior officer."

He suddenly raised his hand and slammed it on the desk.

The dull thud echoed through the quiet office.

Colonel Terada tensed up instinctively.

"Baka!"

Hata Shunroku's voice finally erupted.

It carried a kind of anger that had been suppressed for too long and was suddenly released.

His gaze swept over the documents, maps, and telegrams on the table, and then over the military knife that had been lying on the corner of the table.

I glanced at the huge operational situation map of East China on the wall.

At that moment, those things seemed to be silently questioning him.

What exactly are you doing on your own turf, in your own territory, right under your nose?

He took a deep breath, trying to regain his usual composure.

But this time, the breath he took in didn't seem to quell his anger much.

It was only temporarily pushed into the chest cavity.

He walked back to his desk and sat down, placing his hands on the table and looking directly at Colonel Terada.

"The entire city of Shanghai is under lockdown, with checkpoints set up at all roads, stations, docks, and ferry terminals."

"Hi!"

Osaka Terada stood at attention and responded.

"besides."

Hata Shunroku lowered his voice even further.

"A joint task force composed of the military police and the Special Higher Police will conduct a city-wide manhunt."

"Focus on investigating all high points, abandoned buildings, and places with unusual recent activity around the Japanese concession that could be used as sniping positions."

"Search every house, leaving no one out."

"at the same time."

Hata Shunroku said, word by word.

"Investigate this incident together with the assassination of Kiyoshi Kōzuki in Taiyuan."

"Compare the modus operandi and escape routes of the two cases to see if we can find any commonalities."

Colonel Terada hesitated for a moment before asking:

"Commander, the Taiyuan authorities were also unable to confirm the killer's identity before. If it was the work of the same group..."

"Then we should arrest them even more."

Hata Shunroku interrupted him, his gaze carrying an undeniable resolve.

"A man who could kill Kiyoshi Katsuki in Taiyuan and Naito and Yamada in Shanghai cannot be allowed to leave this city alive."

"If this person escapes, the Imperial Army will have completely lost face."

Colonel Terada responded again.

"Hi!"

Hata Shunroku leaned back in his chair, remained silent for a moment, and then slowly spoke, his voice a few decibels lower than before.

"Send a telegram to headquarters to report this matter."

"The wording should be accurate, neither exaggerated nor concealed."