February 10, 2021 16:30

  Exterior of the Japanese cabinet’s private building, Adachi, Tokyo, Japan

  The entourage of Secretary Randy Johnson, who was flailing and continuously vomiting on the floor, closed in and surrounded him for protection. The agent also did so, and then lowered himself, grabbed the still-flailing Secretary Johnson by the nape of the neck, and spoke to him discretely.

  “Secretary Johnson, get a hold of yourself. In this situation, you could also have become a target. We must exit this area.”


  In response to the agent’s words, flat and devoid of anything that could be called emotion, Randy Johnson stopped retching and gathered himself together.

  “L-let’s do it. Let’s get out of here.”


  His pupils had dilated by almost half, as if he had suffered quite an intense shock.

  “We’re going to move.”


  With the agent leading the way, the rest of the entourage held up Secretary Johnson and attempted to leave the office of the prime minister which was in chaos. At the same time, officials from all the different floors of the building who had been in the middle of their jobs heard news of the prime minister’s death and came running, their eyes wide with shock.

  “Mr. Prime Minister.”


  The very first to arrive was Minister of Defense Shibasaki, who ran down the stairs from the 11th floor. After him came several other officials lined up and pushing into the office, but the ones with weak stomachs just ended up vomiting.

  “Prime Minister Abe! How could something like this happen?”


  As Minister Shibasaki saw a body that appeared to be Prime Minister Abe’s sitting in a chair, with his entire throat section twisted to the side and spouting blood like it was pouring from a fountain, he collapsed where he stood, completely stunned.

  “Where did the Head of Security go?!”


  As soon as Minister of Defense Shibasaki screamed this, someone ran up huffing and puffing.

  “Here I am.”


  The Head of Security Katsura Kinmochi responded, calming his surging breath.

  “What on earth have you been doing?! How did this happen to our prime minister?!”


  “I apologize, sir. I was examining the status of security at the entrance on the first floor,” Head of Security Katsura Kinmochi grimaced as he answered, as he also witnessed the brutal scene.

  “Deploy everyone to the prime minister’s office at once, and get control of the interior of the building. Then coordinate with the National Police and devote all your energies to the search for the perpetrator.”


  “Yes sir, I understand.”


  “What about the party of Secretary Randy Johnson?”


  “He was escorted by his bodyguards down to the first floor……”


  “We’ll need to question them, too. Go detain them at once. Not one person must be allowed to leave this building starting now.”


  “Yes sir, I’ll get on it.”


  February 10, 2021 17:30

  The underground bunker of the private building of Japan’s cabinet, Adachi, Tokyo, Japan

  After news of the unthinkable event of the sniping of Prime Minister Abe broke out in Tokyo, the members of the Tokyo jurisdiction of the National Police Force and even the soldiers of the Army Self-Defense Force were put into action to do a thorough search for the perpetrator. And in the basement bunker of the cabinet’s private building, Deputy Prime Minister Aso Taro, who was also the finance minister and currently the second in the chain of command, was leading a meeting.

  Prime Minister Abe’s assassination and death had come in the midst of Japan’s total invasion by the special forces of Corea, and this serious event brought a very heavy and dark atmosphere into the meeting room.

  “Where is the US Secretary now?”


  “Currently he’s detained in the waiting room of the underground bunker, sir. Secretary Johnson’s condition was not good, so he’s receiving treatment from the cabinet’s medical service.”


  The Head of Security for the cabinet gave this answer, with a facial expression that looked like he had committed a crime worthy of grave punishment.

  “There’s a chance that our unilateral detaining of the secretary could metastasize into an international incident, so just ask them to temporarily cooperate as we search for the culprit, and see to it that they’re not uncomfortable while they’re detained here.”


  Randy Johnson and his entourage had been caught by security guards in the lobby of the first-floor entrance 40 minutes ago and were currently being detained in the waiting room of the underground bunker.

  “I see, sir.”


  “Right now, Japan is facing a crisis like no other. How is the search for the shooter progressing?”


  “Currently, all the officers of the National Police Force and even soldiers from the army have been deployed to Tokyo, and all roads that lead to the outskirts of the city are being thoroughly surveilled through a checkpoint process to make sure not even a single ant larva could get out. We also began the process of searching lodging facilities, starting with hotels.” This time, Minister of Defense Shibasaki rose from his chair to answer.

  “Whatever happens, we must catch them.”


  “Of course, we’ve deployed the first division of the Eastern Army, even up to the 12th airborne brigade. We plan to even put the forces of our upper-level independent division into action.”


  “Minister Shibasaki.”


  “Yes, Mr. Deputy Prime Minister.”


  “Should we look to Corea as the group behind the shooting of the prime minister?”


  “If not Corea, what other country would it be? Right now, there are 20,000 of their special forces’ operatives, the epitome of their special force units, deployed throughout our territory. Obviously, there’s no way to look at this but as another act by the special forces of the Corean military which has invaded Tokyo.”


  Minister Shibasaki spoke firmly, and he was filled with a sense of surety. From the perspective of a third party, this was certainly a situation where Corea could be suspected. Looking at it another way, this event of the assassination of the prime minister could be the card that Japan could use to pressure Corea within the international community and shake up the prospects of the war, where they were currently at a disadvantage. This was why Minister Shibasaki pushed ahead with saying that it was undoubtedly the doings of Corea.

  “We need the bare minimum of proof that this was an act of Corea to prove it to the UN Security Council and the international community.”


  “We will be sure to find clear evidence and bring it to light, Mr. Deputy Prime Minister.”


  Minister Shibasaki responded in a resolute voice and stood from his seat.

  February 10, 2021 18:50

  The B2 Bunker (meeting room of the military’s Combined Command and Control Center), Yongsan-ku, Seoul.

  Just after the president had received a report on the status of the special forces deployed in Japan and was taking a short break, he received a phone call from the Head of National Security Na Bong-il. It was the report that two hours earlier, Prime Minister Abe had been shot by an unidentified assailant and died.

  The president went directly to the B2 Bunker in Yongsan to hold an emergency meeting with the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

  “I will just ask you one question, Mr. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs.”


  “Yes, Mr. President.”


  “Has there been any instance where you carried out an operation without my knowledge?”


  “What do you mean, sir……”


  “I’m asking if an order was given to assassinate Prime Minister Abe through the special forces troops that are deployed in Japan.”


  “No sir, Mr. President! Tokyo was a target we did not include in this current airborne operation in Japan. Additionally, I myself never sent down such an order,” Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Kang I-shik answered and looked over to the Head of Special Forces.

  General Kang Jung-hyun then responded. “Just as the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs indicated, the Tokyo region was excepted from the current air operations. There is not one special force agent currently in the entire area, sir.”


  “Is that so? I understand. I asked for your own good. If we are not careful, this development could put us at a disadvantage.”


  “Mr. President, even if Japan’s government tries to accuse our country as the one behind the shooting of the prime minister and appeal to the international community, we are still clearly in the midst of a war. It’s to be expected to attack the top-level officials of your enemy during a war. Even when we were in a ceasefire, the evidence that Japan set up some kind of plot with Russia was confirmed, wasn’t it? Even just based on these underhanded acts, we need to push forward concerning Japan in a head-to-head contest, meaning some kind of forceful attack.” Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Kang I-shik hardened his expression as he spoke.

  “That is the case. It seems I was temporarily thinking weak thoughts. Considering that I was the one who gave the order to end this war in the next ten days.”


  “No, sir. It’s hard to avoid thinking about multiple things as the commander-in-chief of an entire country, isn’t it?” The Minister of Defense King Hyun-soo inserted himself in the discussion.

  “Yes. Proceed with the operation we have prepared.”


  “Yes sir, in that case, we will continue to carry out the operation as we planned without fail.”


  February 10, 2021 21:30 (08:30, U.S. time)

  The exterior of a building (the villa of the USSC), Washington, D.C., U.S.A.

  In the spacious meeting room of a dark and dreary building, two people in black masks were seated and engaged in a secretive discussion that had been going on since earlier that morning.

  “The task has definitely been taken care of.”


  The one nicknamed Seven Star answered briefly.

  “Hm, well done. But, now that the fact that there are others besides Prime Minister Abe that know our secret becomes the problem.”


  “The results of what we confirmed suggest that there is a total of two people who know our secret. The first was Prime Minister Abe, and the other one was an advisor to the prime minister, Yagumachi Genzo, someone you probably saw a few times. In any case, it appears our secret has leaked out through this man Yagumachi.”


  “Yagumachi Genzo? Who visited four years ago?”


  “That’s correct, madam.”


  “If that’s the case, then shouldn’t Japan have to take care of him as well?”


  “He has currently gone missing in Moscow, Russia, madam.”


  “In Russia?”


  “That’s correct, madam. So, we have now deployed Scorpion agents to Moscow.”


  “Gone missing in Moscow…… how?”


  When the subject of Russia was mentioned, Victoria, the Leader of the USSC, recalled the phone call she received from President Donald Trump a few hours before, and let out a slight groan as some kind of connection between the two came became associated in her mind.

  “What is the matter?”


  “I received a communication from President Trump early this morning. He says that the reason why Corea broke their promise with the US and sent their special forces troops to Japan is that Japan’s government made a secret agreement with Russia during the ceasefire, and Corea found out about it.”


  “Really? But what does that have to do with it?”


  “Think about it. If the government of Corea found out about the secret agreement between Japan and Russia, and then Yagumachi Genzo, who went ahead with that agreement, has gone missing in Moscow?”


  “Then, that would mean that he was kidnapped by agents of the government of Corea in Moscow, is that what you mean?”


  “Wouldn’t that be the case?”


  “Then our secret could also pass over to the Corean government through Yagumachi Genzo.”


  “That is precisely the point. This problem has truly gotten out of control.”


  Under her black mask, Victoria’s face was not visible, but it was extremely contorted.

  “Seven Star! Whatever happens, Corea’s government cannot find out about this.”


  “Yes madam, I understand. We will deploy all of our Scorpion agents in Europe and Russia to Moscow.”


  February 10, 2021 23:50,

  The Naval Base in the Port of Mokpo, Jeolla-do South Province

  As the plans for a landing invasion in Japan had been stopped, the soldiers of the 10th Landing Fleet that had come into port in Mokpo had taken a rest in temporary barracks for two days, but now the marines were speedily boarding their designated boats in full combat gear following the order to do so two hours before.

  Then, after two hours had passed, the troops of the Second Marine Division, the Third Marine Division, the Sixth Marine Brigade, and four of the Airborne Divisions had all completely boarded their various landing ships and carrier ships.

  Five Hercules destroyers of the Seventh Carrier Task Group took the lead in a wide and loose formation escorting the 10th Landing Fleet in the waters of the Port of Mokpo, with the fleet’s 20 amphibious assault ships as well as combat support ships, carrier ships, and civilian vessels following after. Lastly, the destroyer ship of the Second Fleet sailed in the back, taking on the rear guard.

  The scene one hour later as the group of about 100 surface vessels came out through a few dozen large and small islands and passed over into the wide-open Southern Sea, sending up white spray as they sailed through the heart of the dark waters, was truly an awe-inspiring sight.

  The leader of the 10th Landing Fleet, Admiral Oh Seung-hwan, who had vocally expressed his regret at the sudden cancellation of the landing operation five days earlier when the fleet was in port in Mokpo, now sat in the chair on the bridge of the ROKS Dokdo (LPH-6111), and glanced slightly at his wristwatch.

  “In just three hours from now, a historic operation will begin.”


  “That is true, Admiral, sir! And we were concerned if for some reason it should be canceled entirely.”


  “Our long wait paid off! Don’t you think so, Captain Yoon?”


  “Yes sir, Admiral.”


  The upcoming landing operation was planned to take place in two spots. With the 56th Landing Fleet at the lead, the Second Marine Division and Sixth Marine Brigade would make a landing in the waters off the southwestern edge of Hirado Island off of Kyushu and then carry out a capture of the entirety of Kyushu from there, while the 53rd Landing Group (which could be called the central base) along with all the other carrier ships would land on the island of Hamada in the waters near Honshu. Then the plan was for the four airborne divisions to take over each area, and to move to the final assault on Tokyo with the swift advance of the Third Marine Division.

  About 30 minutes later, as the fleet entered the waters off of the eastern edge of Jeju Island, a message came from the Naval Operations Command.

  “Admiral! A multi-person video conference from the Naval Operations Command, sir.”


  “Bring it through.”


  Salute! This is Admiral Oh Seung-hwan of the landing ship.

  Salute! This is Commander of the Seventh Carrier Task Group, Ahn Hyung-oo.

  Salute! This is the Commander of the Destroyer Squadron, Kim I-won.

  Salute! Nice work, all of you. This is the Head of Operations Command.”


  The Admiral’s personal monitor was partitioned, and he could see each leader of the fleet’s divisions.

  Starting now, the 53rd Landing Group and the 56th Landing Group will shift course and greatly accelerate on the way to their designated points of landing. The time of the landing is precisely 5:00 AM!