February 21st, 2021, 19:30

  The eastern side of Tsuruga at Fukui Prefecture, Honshu, Japan (the 20th Armored Division’s temporary encampment)

  The 20th Armored Division that boasted the greatest military power within the entire Corean military had finished their landing mission in the early morning. Now, their one thousand armored vehicles, tanks, and self-propelled guns were all lined up at the fields in front of the cultural hall, taking their well-deserved breaks.

  The men had slept aboard ships for two days, and they conducted the landing operation until early morning without getting any sleep. The soldiers were given a break for the whole day to rest and maintain their morale.

  Meanwhile, at the general’s tent, all the battalion commanders and higher-grade officers were gathered to establish a strategy.

  “If you take a look at the map here, you can see Japan’s 1st Armored Division has established a defensive line along Tokyo.”


  The 1st Armored Division, Japan’s most powerful army force, was split into two groups and stationed at the roads leading to downtown Tokyo.

  “Also, the 6th Motorized Infantry Division and the 9th Light-Armored Infantry Division were stationed in Tokyo to defend the area. Ten infantry divisions have been organized through the emergency draft and are spread out evenly across Tokyo. Half of the 10 infantry divisions consist of men who were only trained for a week before being deployed to the field. They are basically green boys who know how to hold a gun,” Brigadier General Huh Jin-woo, who wanted to lighten the mood, cracked a joke while reporting in.

  “I thought only the Chinese would have such untrained men, but I suppose they have them here in Japan as well,” Brigadier General Kim Joo-myung, who was Brigadier General Huh Jin-woo’s cohort from the academy and commander of the 60th Armored Brigade, chimed in.

  “Yes, I suppose the 60th Armored Brigade, the specialists in taking out poorly trained soldiers, could take care of them.” When Major General Ahn Gook-jin, the commander of the division, also cracked a joke, the tent was filled with laughter.

  Operations Director Huh Jin-woo, who started the jokes, suddenly dampened the mood. “The issue for us is the MEABs, sir. Yesterday, six out of the eight MEABs were placed along the Tokyo area. We are tracking the remaining 2 and their locations. Japan’s 2nd division stationed at Camp Zama, the 8th division at Yokota, and the 31st Marine Mobile Division at the Yokosuka navy base are all being sent into Tokyo as well. It will be a formidable force to contend with.” [1]

  Brigadier General Huh Jin-woo pointed to multiple locations on the map of Tokyo.

  He continued, “Then how many men have been deployed to defend Tokyo in total?” Brigadier General Na Dong-taek, who was the new commander of the 61st Armored Brigade after Brigadier General Hong Kyung-joon died in battle in China, asked. He was Brigadier General Huh’s junior of one year from the academy.

  “There are about 160,000 men in total.”


  “That’s a considerable number.”


  “Numbers are one thing, but the weapons the MEAB forces are using are the larger issue, sir. Based on our current intel, the MEAB forces are operating M-4 Warthog tanks equipped with the 16MJ class railguns, M5 Hussar armored vehicles, M-2001 Crusader self-propelled guns, and M-1203 NLOS-C self-propelled guns with 32MJ class railguns. We do not know the specifications of the weapons, but they will be like nothing we have faced before. Also, the marine forces will deploy 100 AH-66 Comanji stealth attack choppers across Japan with their aircraft carriers.”


  The light mood of the commanders started to darken, and many started to lose the smile on their faces.

  “America’s technology has improved to the point where they can attach railguns to tanks and armored vehicles. Can our White Tiger tanks and Hyun-mu armored vehicle’s armor withstand a strike from a 16MJ class railgun? Did the Joint Chief of Staff send in any test results?”


  “The White Tiger tank’s armored plating can withstand a direct hit from a 16MJ railgun. However, the issue is our Hyun-mu armored vehicles. Since it has a weaker armored plating, if it would be hit at the sides or rear, then it will be taken down.”


  When Brigadier General Huh Jin-woo finished speaking, a few of the commanders’ faces turned grim. They were the mechanized infantry battalion commanders who were operating the Hyun-mu armored vehicles. So far, the Hyun-mu armored vehicles won against enemy tanks 9 times out of 10 without sustaining any losses. However, the thought of them being burned to a metal crisp while facing off against the enemy made the commanders shudder.

  “I suppose we should hold back from marching into Tokyo with our Hyun-mu armored vehicles unless it’s necessary.”


  “I have changed our strategies with that in mind, sir.”


  “Great.”


  “There’s another issue.”


  “What is it?”


  “The White Tiger tanks must also look out for the M-1203 NLOS-C self-propelled guns equipped with 32MJ class railguns. If the tanks would be hit directly at the upper region, then they will be taken down as well.”


  When Brigadier General Huh Jin-woo finished speaking, the faces of the commanders of the battalions operating the White Tiger tanks became grim as well.

  Major General Ahn Gook-jin, the division commander, glanced at the battalion commanders and said while smiling, “I suppose that could happen. Hey, why the long faces? Did we fight while relying on superiority in weaponry alone?”


  “It seems our men became too used to using powerful weaponry throughout the war against China, sir. Ha ha ha.” Brigadier General Kim Joo-myung must have found everyone’s grim looks to be amusing and cracked a joke.

  “We will now start discussing the strategies involving our march toward Tokyo.”


  * * *

  February 21st, 2021, 22:00

  Downtown Osaka, Hyogo Prefecture, Honshu, Japan

  The battle against Japan’s 3rd Motorized Infantry Division was getting fiercer as the Corean marines entered deeper into Osaka.

  The offensive side was at a severe disadvantage in an urban battle, unlike one in a field. The 3rd Mobile Marine Division, which consisted of armored vehicles and tanks, was greatly affected. They compensated by combining armored battalions and mechanized infantry battalions to receive aid from infantrymen and slowly moved deeper into the city.

  As the battle became fiercer, civilian casualties for Osaka became greater. Several citizens were dying from the turret rounds, rockets, and rubble falling from the buildings. Some were killed by bullets from rifles and heavy firearms as well.

  However, the Corean military could not engage in battle while being concerned about the safety of the enemy nation’s citizens. If the Japanese government were indeed concerned about the safety of their citizens, then they would have ordered the citizens of Osaka to evacuate from the city. However, the Japanese government took no such measures. Just as the Corean government feared, it had used its own citizens as a shield to defend Osaka. If the casualties started to mound up, then Japan would use that to pressure Corea through the international community’s criticisms.

  However, the political sphere of the world was changing. Corea was no longer the same nation that it once was in the world of politics where powerful nations held sway. After North and South Korea unified into one nation, Corea had won in 2 months the war against China, which had once boasted and called Corea their subject state. The nation had reclaimed its ancestral territory and took lands three times greater than its original size. Right now, the other nations could not pay attention to Japan, since Corea was fighting a war that was favoring them against the world power, US.

  Therefore, the Corean military did not engage in the battle at Osaka half-heartedly in fear of the international community like Japan had hoped. Also, the news of the 7th company’s vehicle commander being injured by an elderly Japanese man using a heavy firearm had traveled across the entire marine forces. They did not show any mercy.

  After the battle broke out, four Hyun-mu armored vehicles under the 12th company’s 2nd platoon and four C-3 White Tiger tanks under the armored ranger battalion’s 7th company 2nd platoon moved toward Osaka from Kawani by moving through Toyonaka. The vehicles had moved along the eight-laned road for four hours. Once they reached the city hall at Osaka, they moved into position while looking out for enemies.

  “Infantry crews, dismount!” Lieutenant Kang Tae-oong, the commander of the 221 armored vehicles and the 2nd platoon, gave the orders for his men to dismount their vehicles and move out. The rear hatch opened, and the men started to pour out.

  The infantrymen changed their shield glasses to infrared mode after dismounting from their vehicles and started to run toward the Osaka city hall building.

  At the position of 3.17km south of the number 25 road, the 3rd Mechanized Infantry Division and the 3rd Armored Battalion’s Type 10 (Type 10 BMT) tanks and Type 96 armored vehicles (Type 96 Wheeled APC) emerged. Sergeant First Class Kang Kyung-hyun, the vehicle commander of tank 722, was watching the enemy vehicles through his periscope and alerted his platoon.

  – The number 25 road, azimuth 180, distance 3, over 170 enemy tanks and vehicles have been detected. Their numbers are still rising.

  The number 25 road snaked along the southern area of the city from the city hall and turned right at 3.2km away from the building. The Japanese tanks and armored vehicles had moved along this road and had finally emerged.

  – Tank 722, take care of the Type 10 clunkers at your own discretion. Orders from the platoon commander came in.

  – Sir! Are you serious?

  – Yes, Commander.

  – I understand. Since we are the battalion’s top gun, we will take care of them-

  Don’t stray too far.

  The vehicle commanders of tank 721 and 722 were in an officer and non-commissioned officer relationship, but since they were the same age, these two men were closest in the entire company.

  “Sergeant Kim, let’s go!”


  The 722 tank standing in line next to the 721 tank moved forward.

  “Sergeant Lee, we will set targets continuously. As soon as they are set, just pull the trigger.”


  The 722 white tiger tank zig-zagged along the eight-laned road and started to set the first Type 10 tanks moving up from the southern side as targets.

  There were multiple broken-down cars along the 3.2km stretch, but the 722 tank had no issues targeting the enemy Type 10 tanks up to the 3rd line.

  “Staff Sergeant Lee! Fire up to target 3. Fire at will.”


  When Staff Sergeant Lee Ho-jun stepped on the trigger, the photon cannon lit up. The red photon round slammed into the Type 10 tank.

  Boom!

  The photon rounds started to fly toward the enemy tanks and directly struck the turret of the enemy tanks. The Type 10 tanks were engulfed in black and red flames before collapsing on the road.

  “Target 1 is down! Taking out target 2, sir.”


  “Great! Keep going!”


  The White Tiger tank once again spat out photon rounds. When the leading Type 10 tank collapsed on the road after catching fire, the second and third tanks behind it started to scatter left and right and retaliated.

  Boom! Boom!

  The second Type 10 tank fired its rounds from the 120mm gun, but was struck by a photon round and exploded. On the other hand, the 120mm round was affected by the powerful SECM jamming the waves of the White Tiger tank and missed. It landed on the front entrance of a bank instead and broke down the doors.

  Boom!

  As the dust cloud started to rise, a round fired by the third Type 10 tank landed on the front plating of the 722 White Tiger tank. However, it did not pierce the plating and ricocheted to the ground after creating sparks.

  “Not bad?”


  Sergeant First Class Kang Kyung-hyun, who heard the sound of the enemy round crashing into the plating, shouted, “Staff Sergeant Lee! Send two rounds for our third target!”


  The 722 White Tiger tank, which boasted a fire rate of one round per second, launched two photon rounds toward its target.

  Boom! Boom!

  When the two photon rounds dug into the body and turret of the enemy tank, the turret became dismantled from the body and flew off by 5m. The turret struck the Type 10 tank behind it.

  “We got two birds with one stone!”


  Sergeant First Class Kang Kyung-hyun, who was watching the scene through his periscope, started laughing.

  Suddenly, with a loud crash, an enormous shockwave struck the left side of the 722 White Tiger tank.

  Boom!

  It sounded as if their plating had been pierced, and the shock had caused the 722 White Tiger tank to lose balance and almost crash into the pedestrian road on its left. Sergeant First Class Kang Kyung-hyun and Sergeant Lee Ho-jun both screamed from the shockwave ringing throughout their interior system.

  “What the—? Did we get hit by a missile?”


  Staff Sergeant Kang Kyung-hyun looked at his periscope while bearing the pain on his side.

  Through the periscope, a black and aggressive tank that they had never seen before showed up between the burning Type 10 tanks.

  [1] Marine Expeditionary Activation Brigade (MEAB)