February 25th, 2021, 10:30

  Tsuruga, Fukui Prefecture, Honshu, Japan (the 2nd expeditionary force’s logistics support brigade’s encampment)

  The 2nd expeditionary force’s logistic support brigade was camped at Tsuruga’s large fields. They were supplying numerous types of military supplies to the Corean forces that had landed on Japan. Moments ago, a dozen transport ships and logistics ships entered the Tsuruga Port under the escort of Corea’s destroyers and the Chungmugong Lee Sun-shin (CG-1101) cruiser.

  From one of the docked logistics vessels, a man wearing thick sunglasses and a heavy backpack was disembarking. Then, he got on to the C-160 Hummer mini-tactical vehicle standing by at the outer port region.

  “Welcome. I am Sergeant First Class Na Sang-hwan from the logistics support brigade’s headquarters,” the good-natured man introduced himself to the person who had just got on the back seat after taking off his backpack and reached in for a handshake. Sergeant First Class Na Sang-hwan seemed friendly.

  “Hello. I am team leader Nam Goong-won from the NIS.”


  “Yes, nice to meet you. Everyone else is in a rush to leave this area, but you are heading straight into the heart of the battle, ha ha ha. Are you by chance here on a special mission?”


  Sergeant First Class Na asked with a curious look on his face.

  Namgoong-won answered curtly, “I am here for a personal matter.”


  “Ah…… for a private affair……,” Sergeant First Class Na noticed that Namgoong-won did not want to go into further detail. He gave up on asking anymore and started the car.

  Four days ago, Namgoong-won had decrypted the communication logs of the Scorpion agents who murdered his family and friend. He found out that Agent Sergei Haritonov, a Russian American agent who killed his friend Kang Jung-ho, had arrived at Yokosuka Port this morning for a top-secret mission.

  With Hocula’s help, he developed a program that could detect the location and specific wavelength that the Scorpion organization was using within a 30km radius and had installed it in his smartphone.

  After finding out the identity of the Scorpion agents, Namgoong-won asked for help from Deputy-director Ahn Yeon-woo from the anti-terrorism bureau. Deputy-director Ahn attempted to persuade him to give up and live his new life, but since he was well aware of Namgoong-won’s tragic past, he ended up helping him.

  Namgoong-won lied to his girlfriend, Assistant Manager Lee Hye-jin by telling her that he was going to visit the underground research facility. He boarded the logistics vessel bound for Tsuruga Port and arrived here.

  Vrooo~ Creeeeak!

  Namgoong-won sank into thought while feeling the late winter’s ocean winds through the open window. After 10 minutes of cruising along the ocean side highway, they arrived at the logistics brigade’s camp. The rather large encampment of the logistics brigade came into view.

  “Right there! Number 3 is the Skybus that you will need to take, Team Leader Namgoong. Just show the soldier this,” Sergeant First Class Na Sang-hwan handed off the credit card-sized permit and smiled brightly. The place he pointed to was full of the CMV-100 Skybus vertical takeoff transport planes loading supplies and preparing for takeoff.

  “Ah, thank you, sergeant first class! Stay safe and be in good health until the war is over.”


  “Yes, I hope you can take care of your business smoothly as well.”


  “Yes, thank you.”


  Namgoong-won grabbed his backpack from the back seat, put it on, and walked up to Skybus 3. He showed the soldier who was in charge the permit he just got.

  “Uhh, I’m Namgoong-won.”


  “Ah! Yes, we heard about your arrival. Please get on plane 3. We will take off in 10 minutes.”


  “Thank you.”


  “Man, Deputy-director Ahn went all out for me,” Namgoong-won thought.

  Namgoong-won smiled since he felt grateful for Deputy-director Ahn doing all that he could for him to travel to Tokyo, and got on to the Skybus. Namgoong-won placed his backpack on one of the folding seats located at the large freight area of the plane and sat on another. He started to stare out the window.

  Tsuruga was peaceful despite a war raging on, just like Corea, except for the few collapsed buildings and burning houses from the artillery strikes that he saw.

  Soon it was time to take off, and the 10 Skybuses including Skybus 3 on which Namgoong-won was aboard started to rise from the ground. The planes started to turn in the direction of their destination and speed up.

  The Skybus Namgoong-won was aboard also flew at a speed of Mach 1 and flew towards the 20th armored division’s encampment, Hachioji.

  February 25th, 2021, 11:30

  Fuchu city at Honshu, Tokyo, Japan

  The 712 tank returned to the 26th armored battalion. It joined the 1st platoon under the 7th company and marched into Fuchu city with its comrades. Just as the 61st armored brigade reported, the U.S. Marines had all left the city. Japan’s 1st armored division’s tanks would ambush the 26th armored battalion at times, but they were the ones to face annihilation instead and retreated.

  There were only 25km left between the Corean military and the heart of Tokyo. Resistance from the Japanese military became fiercer as they got closer to Tokyo, but Japan’s Type 10 tanks could not take out the C-3 White Tiger tanks, let alone the C-23P Hyun-mu armored vehicles. The tanks were equipped with 120mm cannons, but they were no concern for the Corean army’s vehicles.

  Vroooom. Vrooooooooom.

  Moments ago, the 7th company’s 1st platoon (Crimson Ox) moved along area 38 and destroyed four Type 10 tanks under Japan’s 1st armored division. The 712 tank moved at the back of the convoy and the platoon moved through the center of Fuchu city in a line. If the platoon moved 2km more and safely occupy area 33, then they would complete the mission for the morning and take a break until lunch. They were 30 minutes ahead of schedule.

  The tanks under the 7th company’s 1st platoon turned their turrets to their sides while moving through the city. There were some citizens of Fuchu wandering the streets, looking for food. When they saw the Corean tanks, they all fled back into the buildings they were hiding in. In their eyes, the Corean military must have seemed like invaders and murderers of their own families.

  Beep! Beep! Beep!

  The LWR (Laser Warning Radar) aboard the leading 713 White Tiger tank started to ring while the entire platoon navigated the densely packed concrete forest full of low-rise buildings. The main turret automatically turned in the direction of the source, and with a small explosion, the photon cannon launched its red photon round to the enemy.

  The photon round launched by the 713 tank precisely hit the Japanese soldiers hiding and attempting to fire their anti-tank missiles at the 5-story building’s roof in the 2 o’clock direction.

  Pew~ Boooooom!

  The roof of the 5-story building exploded once the photon round reached it. The soldiers of the Japanese army who attempted to launch their missiles all turned to a pile of ash from the photon round’s high temperature and vanished.

  “This is Crimson Ox 1, Crimson Ox 3, and 4, move 500m ahead of us and guard our front. Crimson Ox 2, guard our rear at your current position. Everyone, stay sharp and look out for anti-tank missiles.” The platoon commander, who was also the 711 tank’s vehicle commander, gave orders to his platoon through his headset.

  “This is Crimson Ox 2, confirmed, over!”


  “This is Crimson Ox 3, confirmed, over!”


  “This is Crimson Ox 4, confirmed, over!”


  Originally, the 712 tank was supposed to take the lead and guard the platoon, but since it was not in the best state, it instead was tasked with the 714 tank’s task of guarding the platoon’s rear. In truth, there was no front or rear in an urban battle, unlike one at a plain. Numerous buildings and roads were all intertwined with each other and there was no telling when or where the enemy would attack from. Guarding the rear did not mean that the 712 tank was in less danger.

  Beep! Beep! Beep!

  After the anti-tank missile forces stationed at the roof of the front building were taken out, the LWR alarm of the 712 tank guarding the rear started to ring. The 712 tank could no longer automatically target due to its broken turning plate.

  Master Sergeant Oh Young-taek glanced at the digital map shown on his display and shouted once he checked where the laser signal was coming from, “Sergeant Yeom! Anti-tank missiles 90 degrees to our left at 180m away. Turn our tank around. Hurry!”


  “Yes, sir.”


  The 712 tank at the rear of the convoy turned left by 90 degrees from its position to compensate for the turret being unable to turn. The turret pointed in the direction that Master Sergeant Oh was looking at.

  “Sergeant Yeom! Turn 5 more degrees to the left!” Sergeant First Class Kim Young-joo, who was checking the shadow of the enemies attempting to launch the anti-tank missiles through his aiming scope, shouted.

  “Yes, sir.”


  Creaaak~

  Woosh~ Woosh~

  Two anti-tank missiles started to rise into the sky while spraying white smoke from not too far away. Then, they started to fall towards the 712 tank’s main upper turret. The 712 tank responded by firing its photon cannon.

  Pew~

  The photon rounds struck the 1st armored division’s heavy weapons infantry who had attempted to flee after firing their anti-tank missiles. They had been hiding and waiting for an ambush for the past 30 minutes. The men who targeted the 712 tank turned into ash and vanished without a trace.

  The two anti-tank missiles had rose 50m above the surface and fell on top of the 712 tank.

  Boom! Boom! Boooom……

  Flames and black smoke erupted around the 712 tank after two explosions rang out. However, the 712 tank’s powerful SECM jamming waves made the two anti-tank missiles miss their target and explode after crashing onto the road.

  “That’s what I’m talking about! I told you it would work, Sergeant Yeom! Ha ha ha.”


  “God! Sir! Do we really need to fight the enemy like this? My hands and feet won’t move from anxiety.”


  “Hey! I believe in your maneuverability, Sergeant Yeom. Turn the tank around after I give you the targeting info like we did just now!”


  “Are we really going to operate a 5th generation tank like the ones from the First World War, sir?” When Sergeant Yeom Hoon-gi started to complain, Master Sergeant Oh cut him off.

  “Stop complaining and get the tank back to its original position!”


  “Goddamn it! Yes, sir.”


  During the First World War, the early model tanks had a fixed turret that moved with the body. To attack enemy tanks, the vehicle itself had to move left and right to aim its gun. The 712 tank sadly had to mimic the method used by tanks from 100 years ago.

  February 25th, 2021, 11:20,

  km west of Hachioji, Tokyo, Honshu, Japan (the 20th armored division HQ’s encampment)

  Namgoong-won arrived at the 20th armored division HQ’s temporary encampment 30 minutes after taking off from Tsuruga. He got off of the Skybus and greeted the commanding officers while shaking their hands.

  “We heard from the higher-ups. Please follow me.”


  An officer with the rank of captain took the lead. Namgoong-won silently followed him with his backpack.

  After walking for about 100m, the officer pointed with his finger, “That’s the vehicle.”


  The vehicle that the officer pointed to was a white IS250 Lexus sedan.

  “Here, take this too.” The captain handed Namgoong-won the car keys and a tablet PC. “The digital map on here shows the areas our military has occupied. Use this as a reference until you reach Fuchu, after that, you must be careful. Outer regions of Fuchu city still host fierce battles against the Japanese, so you need to move about carefully.” The captain pointed at the numerous areas on the digital map on the tablet PC and explained.

  “Thank you. I hope I didn’t take too much of your time despite being so busy.”


  “Ha ha, it’s nothing. The joint chief of staff gave an order to aid you in every way, Team Leader Namgoong-won.”


  “What? The joint chief of staff?”


  “Yes! Didn’t you know?”


  “Ah! I see. Thank you.”


  It would be difficult for Namgoong-won to get aid from the military to enter Tokyo for a personal reason. Deputy-director Ahn Yeon-woo, who first heard Namgoong-won’s request, concluded that this was outside his jurisdiction and requested help from Director Na Bong-il. He in turn requested aid from the joint chief of staff, and they promised to cooperate as much as possible.

  Vroooooooom~

  Namgoong-won turned on the program that detected the Scorpion organization’s communication line frequency as he watched the map on the tablet and drove along the roads that the Corean military had taken over. There was no clear signal being detected. However, Namgoong-won was sure a signal would be detected once he entered downtown Tokyo and stepped on the gas.

  February 25th, 2021, 14:00

  The Yokota underground bunker at Chiba Prefecture, Honshu, Japan

  At the Yokota underground bunker where the Japanese cabinet and U.S. Army’s command headquarters resided, a bearded Caucasian man wearing a U.S. Army uniform approached the gates at the surface. Security at the Yokota underground bunker was held by the U.S. armed forces in Japan, so the bearded man was allowed to pass through after a simple identity check. Unlike other people, the bearded soldier entered the bunker easily.

  “You can take elevator 3 to go down.” One of the sentries at the gate informed him as he handed him his security card back. The bearded soldier only waved his hand to signal that he understood, and headed towards elevator 3.

  The bearded man took elevator 3 and moved 100m below the surface before getting off. Then, he started to walk towards the hallway on the left side without any hesitation. It was as if he already knew the layout of the building.

  The hallway he was walking towards led to the place where the prime minister’s cabinet members and the military commanders of the joint military command were staying. There was a syringe shaped like a pistol inside his uniform.

  Then, he started communicating with someone with his smartphone-

  This is codename FF225, I have reached my destination. –
-

  This is codename AX001, take out the targets within 06:00 today. –
-

  This is codename FG225, confirmed, over. –


  The bearded man was codename FH225, the Scorpion agent Sergei Haritonov.