RM Vol 4: War – Interlude: Japan still exist this far in?

RM Vol 4: War – Interlude: Japan still exist this far in?

Laputa, Japan. As rolling clouds cover the peak of Mount Fuji, and with it most of the Castle in the Sky, tension is high in the great hall of the Japanese Pantheon as worldly news comes in droves.

"Nearly two weeks!" A disgruntled deity raises his voice. "Nearly two, full weeks for us to receive these reports!?"

The deity, sitting in the lower rungs of the Heavenly Court, throws the stack of documents and pictures down at the kneeling Yokai woman. The woman, not reacting to the papers hitting her military coat, calmly replies.

"Milord, we have long since failed to get meaningful intelligence reports whenever it concerns the Belkans. The intel we have in this chamber right now is compiled by the sacrifices of our remaining agents in Erusea and Ustio Loyalist territories. Nevertheless, it painted a picture that-"

"The Intelligence Bureau is fucking competent!" The same male deity rages. "You're paid good money to replace the Tengus that cost us ten years of funding! Yet, the best thing you could offer us after our years of patience was something that could be dismissed as newspapers peddled by children!? WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU!?"

They've lost it. The war hawks in the Heavenly Court have truly lost it after years of being passive against the Belkans' expansion in Europe. The Belkans have been unfettered in their ambition, yet their very own is being stifled at every step. There was a time when the war hawks admired the Belkans, but nowadays, they're downright jealous and irritated that Belkan superiority is crushing them in the rounds of cloak and dagger. They know better than to target the Belkans either directly or indirectly though, so they direct their negative emotions on their fledgling Intelligence Bureau instead. Susanoo makes no attempt to stop his hawkish faction, composed of both Divines and mortals, from airing their frustration at the recently reformed spy agency of Japan. The God of Sea and Storm is content with sipping his bowl of finest sake while the brainchild of the moderate faction receives a dressing down. The head of the Intelligence Bureau, the very same Yokai woman who is still kneeling on the floor, accepts the harsh criticism with unmovable grace.

To this, Susanoo himself grunts in acceptance. Indeed, while the Moderates and the Hawks seek to expand Japan's influence, one with harsher means than the other, both factions can agree that they need proper justification for their force deployments. Sardegna is a prime example of why things shouldn't be done without a solid enough explanation... Or not, that nation was just unlucky enough to be a convene butt for every superpower to build up their resumes.

While Amaterasu is still busying herself with hosting the Heavenly Court, down in the lower levels of Laputa, a certain Mad and Miraculous Magician is throwing herself into another heap of wonderous experimentations. Vill-V has achieved her proudest works in these few years... Well, maybe nuclear radiation isn't the most sacred of things to be proud of but still, it's something big she crafts for Japan's repertoire. The Magician's next goal is to build Japan a series of nuclear power plants to solve their constant power shortages. Though it's a big goal, Vill-V is confident that it can be achieved in the span of a few years. However, the process may be hastened if she can get a new influx of radioactive materials, preferably from where that's close to Japan.

Then Vill-V remembers that Japan is not yet at war with China. Great.

Now that kinda put a bummer on her Mad Magician spree, but Vill-V can't just go about launching a war for resources. That particular job, well, she will leave it to the war hawks. Vill-V, with her big brain, can see at least ten possible ways that the Hawks will be able to dig up a just cause. Some are stupid, some are direct, while others require some massive research, patience, and eloquence... Though knowing the Hawks, they will no doubt go for the most direct approach.

Military exercises at the borders. A shit ton of them, in fact.

And then Vill-V shrugs. Meh, it's not Vill-V's job to think about such things, unless Amaterasu requires Vill-V to do so, which she isn't right now. Vill-V should focus on fine-tuning more of Japan's arsenal. She also needs to check another pet project of hers and Yamamoto Isoroku later. It will be a long flight then, ah. Vill-V truly wishes she had the resources and facility required to draft up a teleporter or something That way, she can save more time to cook up even more things. Unfortunately, Vill-V and Amaterasu find themselves on the wrong side of the map. It won't be until the future that they both bemoan how lopsided the game truly is. The future them will one day hear the infamous quote.

Truth is... The game was rigged from the start.