The Tokyo International Airport was quiet and scenic. As a part of his plan to rework Japan's infrastructure, Admiral Yamaguchi, proclaimed Emperor of the Neo-Japanese Empire, had rebuilt the airport with beautiful temples and indoor rivers to improve the country's image. Yet, such projects still weren't enough to hide the misery that lingered in his Empire. During the Cleansing Crusade, due to Japanese brutality in the invasion of China, the Chinese retaliated by bombing Japan into oblivion, with devastation similar to the firebombing of Tokyo in WW2, but across almost all major cities in the country.
As McCree arrived inside the airport terminal, he noticed how empty the whole place was. Since relationships with Judge's New National Empire were nearly hostile due to Yamaguchi's expansionist ambitions, tourism was nearly halted by a travel ban to the Japanese islands. Meanwhile, due to the country's authoritarian regime under Yamaguchi, most aren't keen to experience the political brutality for which he was reputed.
While walking through the path to the passport control area, McCree noticed how there was an unusually high number of cops and soldiers patrolling such an empty airport. As McCree stepped toward the immigration counter, the young lady was abruptly awakened by his arrival.
[McCree] - "Howdy, partner! I ain't sure what you guys say in ya language, but I made sure to pick the English-speaking counter here. "
Said McCree as he leaned toward the lady and handed her his forged passport.
After gently rubbing her eyes, the woman was shocked to see a passport from the United States in her hands.
[woman] - "You are brave for trying to visit us from the United States. Our nations have been enemies ever since the war. "
Said the woman as she scanned his documents.
[McCree] - "I don't get why ya called it the Neo-Japanese Empire. On the map, I saw it's just Japan like before, and even minus that island below called... Oki– Okinay-wa... "
Said McCree as he struggled to remember the island's name.
The woman rolled her eyes before handing him back his stamped passport. Below the table, the woman signalled to the guard beside her with a thumb up, to which he nodded and lowered his weapon.
[woman] - "It's Okinawa. Thank you very much, and enjoy your stay. "
Said the woman with a formal bow.
McCree's eyes went wide as he didn't think it could be so easy and quick, considering the political climate. However, as he looked more carefully at his passport, he realized that it had the forged recognition stripes of the Japanese Secret Service. Basically, the system recognized him as a spy working for Japan in the United States.
[McCree] - "Ivanovich... Ya clever bastard! "
Said McCree with a grin as he walked away.
As the taxi carrying McCree rolled through the main city of Tokyo, he was disappointed to see how most of the sights he saw in anime seemed not to reflect reality. Instead of high skyscrapers, he only saw buildings still in the process of being built. Instead of the clean, well-paved streets, many spots were still under construction. However, most strikingly, there was a high number of military vehicles and personnel patrolling the streets.
[McCree] - "What the hell happened here, partner? It ain't like the way I imagine it would look in this city. "
Said McCree as he turned to his taxi driver.
[Saitama] - "The war did this. The government tell us it's the Chinese being evil, but we all know the truth. "
Said Saitama as he closed the vent to prevent dust from entering the car.
[McCree] - "What's the truth? "
[Saitama] - "The 13th fleet, supposedly the pride of our country, did some pretty awful shit in the war. Think about it, why would the Chinese waste time reducing our harmless cities to pieces when those missiles can be used to fight their enemy? I saw the videos of the awful stuff we did to them, and I can't blame them for wanting revenge against us. "
Said the driver as he made an abrupt stop to avoid some heavy tractors on the road.
[McCree] - "How awful are we talking about? "
The driver showed an uncomfortable expression while considering his response.
[Saitama] - "It involves civilians, especially children and women. That's all I want to say. Honestly, shame on those bastards in the army. If they had been honourable instead, our country wouldn't be this mess right now. "
Said the driver with frustration and anger in his voice.
[McCree] - "That's a very mature way to look at things, partner. If it were to us Americans, we would've blamed the heck out of the Chinese instead of ourselves. "
[Saitama] - "Well, I'm from the more reasonable group of people. Most in the country still blame the Chinese for this, despite us being the ones to invade and commit evil. "
Said the driver as he pressed on the gas pedal.
As the taxi rolled through the denser parts of the city, the tall buildings no longer obstructed the view of the sky from below. However, it opened up the way for a horror McCree wasn't expecting to see.
[McCree] - "I thought your country was run by that Yamaguchi guy with the 13th fleet. Why are there two carriers in the sky? "
Said McCree as he pointed at the sky.
[Saitama] - "Well, that's the Four Seasons Blossom, watching over Tokyo from the Imperial Palace, since that's where Yamaguchi decided to live– that arrogant bastard. "
Said Saitama before he paused at the end.
[Saitama] - "Wait! What do you mean by two? Are you sure your eyes are ok? "
Exclaimed Saitama as he leaned to check the sky.
Unmistakingly, afar, indeed another carrier arrived in the city. Soon, the whole city began to scream as air raid sirens came alive. As Saitama's taxi passed by an intersection, he narrowly avoided a Vortex railgun tank rushing past his car. Soon, the speeding tank stopped at the next intersection before the men riding on it jumped off and blocked traffic.
After hitting the brakes, Saitama, as well as several other drivers, were forced to halt at gunpoint by the soldiers, clearly marked by the Roman numerals of the 13th fleet. As one of the soldiers approached his window, Saitama rolled down his window and presented his document as if it were routine.
[Saitama] - "Yeah, yeah, here you go. Just get on with it. "
Said Saitama, annoyed, as he handed his papers to the soldier.
[soldier] - "No need! Please evacuate toward the nearest shelter! We are under attack by the Chinese fleet. "
[Saitama] - "Huh? The Chinese fleet? Weren't they defeated already? "
Exclaimed Saitama in shock.
[soldier] - "There is one on the Imperial side as well. Anyway, just move, citizen, before it gets ugly over here! "
Said the soldier in a hurry.
As the other drivers were briefed by the different soldiers, Saitama quickly put his car in reverse before making a U-turn. Just before he drove away, Saitama got a look at the arriving carrier and saw the distinct Roman numeral XVIII, or eighteen, on the massive carrier that was approaching the city centre.
Inside the Imperial Palace, Admiral Yamaguchi was abruptly awakened by two Samurai Marines bursting through the doors. In shock and anger, Yamaguchi sat up while the royal princess beside him recoiled in fright.
[Yamaguchi] - "Bastards! Don't you know to knock before you enter? I'll fucking have you two executed, you sons of dogs! "
Yelled Yamaguchi as he tried to cover his body with the blanket.
[1st Marine General Tojo] - "Supreme Emperor, we are under attack by the 18th fleet, the Heavenly Warriors. We require your presence for our next course of action. "
Said Tojo as he kneeled before Yamaguchi.
Shocked by what he had just heard, Yamaguchi quickly pressed a call button on his nightstand to summon his servants. As soon as he was getting out of bed, three beautiful servants arrived in the room with a fresh set of clothes, wet towels and breakfast.
[Yamaguchi] - "Get that shit out of my face, I don't have time for this! "
Screamed Yamaguchi as he slapped the breakfast plate out of one of the servants' hands.
Soon, the Supreme Emperor of Japan was in the hallway, followed by his cabinet of military leaders and officials. With different reports in hand, each of the men tried to grab Yamaguchi's attention, but he was beyond overwhelmed by that point.
[Yamaguchi] - "Why aren't we attacking them? How did you dogs let their fleet reach Tokyo without shooting them down? "
Yelled Yamaguchi as he rubbed his hands nervously.
The servants quickly caught up to Yamaguchi and began to brush and put gel in his hair.
[Tojo] - "You were the one who decreed that no officers below you can make orders without your approval. Then, since you said waking you up is also a capital offence, none of my men dared to intrude on your room until I did. "
Said Tojo, unimpressed with the Emperor's outburst.
[Yamaguchi] - "This better end well, or I swear, I'll fucking cut your head off, Tojo! "
Yelled Yamaguchi, his spit coating Tojo's shiny breast plate.
[Vice-Admiral Kurita] - "Supreme Emperor! What should we do? Should we attack them? "
Screamed Kurita as he pushed through the crowd to reach Yamaguchi.
Before Yamaguchi could scream out another bout of random insults, Tojo quickly stepped in.
[Tojo] - "Don't bother! We are outmatched at this point. The 18th fleet has enough firepower to completely destroy our 13th fleet in a matter of days. Not to mention, we have barely 280,000 soldiers and 60,000 Samurai Marines active. Their fleet has over 650,000 soldiers and over 170,000 Tianbing Marines. "
[Yamaguchi] - "I don't care! I'm not about to be humiliated by some fucking Chinese savages thinking they can just barge into our Empire as if we are nothing! Launch an attack on them now, you cowards! "
Yelled Yamaguchi as he coated Tojo in another bath of saliva.
Just as Yamaguchi almost burst his veins in anger once again, the ground trembled with the force of an earthquake, followed by another immediately after. The group quickly gathered at the window to see that the Tiangong, carrier of the 18th fleet, had deployed two Storm-class titans right in the middle of the city.
Just as the colours drained from the faces of Yamaguchi and his officials, the Tiangong began to launch drop pods at the Imperial Palace, creating a trap specifically to prevent Yamaguchi from leaving. While Yamaguchi breathed heavily in a panic, Tojo remained in the crowd as the only one who was calm, even as he stared at the Storm-class titans towering over the city.
[Adjutant Sakura] - "Supreme Emperor, the Chinese request an audience with you. "
Said Sakura, adjutant to Tojo, as she arrived with a report.
Subtly, Sakura stood beside Tojo before handing her tablet to Yamaguchi without bowing. With a look outside of his window, then a look at the tablet before him, Yamaguchi swallowed before shakingly snatching the screen off Sakura's hand. After reading through the message, Yamaguchi wiped the sweat off his face before turning toward his servants.
[Yamaguchi] - "P– Prepare a room. And– And call in Fleet Knight Champion, Prince Ozawa. "
Said Yamaguchi, his lips trembling with fear.
[servant] - "Hai, Supreme Emperor! "
Said the servant before bowing at Yamaguchi.
Meanwhile, down in the streets, a tense face-off occurred as many streets were blocked off by the freshly deployed Tianbing Marines of the 18th fleet. In a row, the Tianbing Marines stood with their foot stabilizers deployed and without raising their weapons. On the other side, against orders, Japanese soldiers threatened the Marines with their guns while civilians hurled objects and insults at the invaders.
Yet, the Tianbing Marines didn't respond or move at all. Surprisingly, they quickly formed a passage for the civilians and their vehicles to pass through. The only exceptions were the Japanese police force, the home defence force or the men of the 13th fleet, which the Tianbing Marines held at bay with violent prejudice.
As the populace was gradually relaxed due to their enemy's seemingly non-violent attitude, the anger in the crowd also died down. Since there was simply nothing anyone could do against the Marines' invincible armour, the crowd gradually got tired of yelling at statues. As the exhausted population reluctantly resumed their normal lives, the fanatical soldiers of the 13th fleet quickly took offence to this.
[soldier] - "How dare you shameless people just let them stand in our streets like this! Stand up and fight with us! "
Yelled one of the soldiers as he pointed his gun at the civilians.
[old man] - "They're not doing anything to us either! It's you, the soldiers tasked with defending our country, that should be expelling them, not us! What can we do anyway against those statues? "
Protested one of the old men trying to walk past the Marine wall.
During this time, McCree and Saitama carefully maneuvered their taxi toward the blockade, where the Tianbing Marines easily let them through without needing to check their papers.
[Saitama] - "Huh! I think I like these guys better. At least they don't need to verify my papers or take me to a tent for questioning. "
Said Saitama sarcastically.
Suddenly, the two heard a soldier's shout nearby as he shouted at the old man to stop.
[soldier] - "If you dare cross that barrier, behind the enemy, you are a traitor to the Japanese people! "
Shouted the soldier as he aimed his muzzle at the old man.
[old man] - "My wife needs medication for her heart. If they let me pass, I will. At least they don't check my papers and force me to confess to crimes I didn't commit. "
Said the old man as he defiantly crossed the barricade.
[soldier] - "Traitor! "
Yelled the soldier as he opened fire.
One of the Tianbing Marines quickly moved forward and intercepted the bullet using his body. The crowd stopped and watched as the soldier now trembled in fear before the massive Marine turned toward him. With one swift motion, the Tianbing Marine bent the barrel of the soldier's gun before yanking it away. Though everyone expected the soldier's demise, the Marine instead simply returned to his line in silence.
Thankful but still scared, the old man gently tapped on his saviour's armour before hastily moving away. With a satisfied smile, Saitama restarted his engine and drove away with McCree.
[Saitama] - "I wish they would overthrow that bastard Yamaguchi. It really pains me how the enemy is more merciful than our own government. "
Said Saitama before banging on his stirring wheel.
[McCree] - "God damn, I wasn't expecting to arrive in ya country right in the middle of a revolution. "
As the taxi drove for another while, they were stopped, this time by Samurai Marines of the 13th fleet instead, in their own blockade. Looking ahead, Saitama could only see one of the Marines shouting orders at a driver before abruptly losing his temper and ripping the door off the car's hinges. In one brutal motion, the driver was pulled out of his car onto the asphalt before being kicked by the Marine.
While Saitama remained reluctant to intervene, McCree quickly stepped out of the car and discreetly rested his hand on the hidden revolver in his back pocket.
[Saitama] - "Sir! It's better if you don't interfere! "
Said Saitama with a worried face as he got out of his car.
[McCree] - "I'll be careful, partner. "
Said McCree as he blended in with the crowd.
Ahead, a young salaryman lay bloodied on the ground, as the Samurai Marine leaned over his battered face.
[Samurai Marine] - "You, alongside many here, have chosen not to resist the enemy as they stand in our streets! Civilians or not, you are a subject of the Neo-Japanese Empire; it's your duty to fight against anyone who shows hostility to the Japanese people! "
Said the Marine as he pointed his finger accusingly at the crowd.
McCree could feel the panic in his surroundings as the people began recoiling in fear. As he shifted back with the crowd, the row of Samurai Marines suddenly advanced before raising their Chimera carbines at the populace. The scream of fear quickly spread around McCree as he finally pulled his revolver out of his pocket.
[Samurai Marine] - "All of you, without exception, had crossed the Chinese barrier earlier without standing shoulder to shoulder with our soldiers! Therefore, you are traitors to the Empire. May the Supreme Emperor forgive you for your sins in death! "
Yelled the Marine as he also raised his carbine with the rest of his men.
In their fanaticism, the Samurai Marines opened fire without hesitation, their large-calibre 12.5mm bullets often tearing multiple bodies apart in a single shot. As the civilians ran for their lives against the unrelenting rounds that chased after them, McCree took cover at the car with the missing door. With his hand extended, he activated his ability.
[McCree] - "Guilt Extension: Southern Hospitality! "
As soon as McCree uttered these words, the missing car door was reformed by his ability, creating an invisible barrier against the hail of rounds. Suddenly, McCree felt a tug on one of his arms as Saitama tried to drag him away.
[Saitama] - "Come on, sir, let's move before they shoot us! "
McCree quickly pulled Saitama near him and forced him to duck down.
[McCree] - "Stay here with me, we are safe! "
[Saitama] - "Safe? We are exposed without protection here! "
Suddenly, three rounds smashed into the invisible car door and shattered into small explosions. Just as McCree tried to return fire, he suddenly froze and held himself back from doing so. From his first encounter with Imperial Marines before being saved by Kadyn, he understood just how precise and deadly those soldiers are. With a touch, he could still feel the missing gap where his ear used to be before it was shot off by the Leaf Marines he encountered beforehand.
[McCree] - "Do not run, stay still and close to me! If you try to peek, they'll shoot ya damn face off before ya can register it. "
Said McCree while Saitama trembled with fear.
At that moment, McCree knew there was nothing he could do to harm those Marines in their advanced armour. It was simply a helpless situation where they could only wait until the Marines decided to finish them off at melee range.
[McCree] - "God damn it! If only you were here, Senju! "
Whispered McCree as he breathed heavily.
Looking back, McCree only saw the scared taxi driver and a sea of corpses. With how precise these soldiers are, the screams of panic and fear were long silenced before any of it could spread. All that was left were McCree and Saitama behind the artificial door created by his ability. Looking ahead, McCree saw the Samurai Marines pointing at him while whispering to his comrades. Then, after some discussion, two of the Marines drew their swords and stepped toward him.
In a panic, McCree tried to move before a round smashed against the door, reminding him that he was trapped with nowhere to go. Maybe this is it, he thought. Maybe all this trouble, this trip to come bring the crew back together, was for nothing. Maybe his adventure will end at the very start. Maybe he was too naive to think he could save Kadyn by bringing help when he couldn't even save himself.
As the first Samurai Marine raised his sword over him, ready to strike, McCree defiantly raised his revolver and blasted a few shots at his enemy's chestplate. However, the rounds simply bounced off harmlessly, just as expected. At least he tried. As McCree closed his eyes, he waited for the strike that would finish him off. Yet, the pain never came as the Marine abruptly fell to the ground. Upon opening his eyes to the sound of metal hitting the ground, the second melee-armed Samurai Marine also fell with a flash of red that struck his chest.
In rapid succession, carbine fire erupted above McCree as a squad of Tianbing Marines arrived at the scene with their weapons smoking. Caught somewhat off-guard, the last of the brutal Samurai Marines soon met his end as the same 12.5mm round he used to execute civilians slammed into his neck, practically decapitating him.
[Tianbing Marine] - "Not so tough now when fighting someone your size, bastard! "
Said one of the Marines in the background as he double-tapped one of the downed enemy.
As one of the Tianbing Marines stopped before Saitama and McCree, the two were initially tense as the super soldier looked coldly down at them.
[Tianbing Marine] - "Are you two hurt? "
Said the Marine in a deep voice.
With a few slight shakes of their heads, Saitama and McCree nervously raised their hands in surrender. Without paying them further mind, the Marine simply walked away without a word. While Saitama slowly stood up with trembling legs, McCree turned his attention to the dead Samurai Marine near him. With one last look at his obsolete revolver, McCree quickly threw it away before looting the dead Marine's side pistol from his belt as well as a few magazines of ammunition.
Later, as the taxi rolled through the outskirts of the city, Saitama remained silent with a thousand-yard stare. As much as he tried to pay attention to the road, he simply couldn't ignore the gore that coated the front of his taxi. McCree, meanwhile, remained silent out of respect. Though not as traumatized due to his past experience with similar situations, he nevertheless felt anger for the Marines' murder of civilians out of fanaticism.
As he began cleaning his newly acquired pistol, the car abruptly stopped in front of a gate that guarded a massive dojo in the back. With a glance at Saitama, McCree wanted to ask the price for his ride, yet the driver simply cut the power to his taxi metre.
[Saitama] - "Whatever you did today, you saved my life. That's enough payment for me. "
Said Saitama, still in a state of shock.
With a compassionate look, McCree abruptly pulled a small pouch out of his pocket and handed it to the driver. Slowly, Saitama opened the bag to find a stack of bills totalling one million yen. Shocked, Saitama tried to return the cash to McCree. With a smile, McCree promptly closed the door and pushed the money back toward Saitama.
[McCree] - "I'm a man capable of fendin' for myself. Meanwhile, ya live in a world that constantly threatens your existence. Ya need this money more than I do. "
[Saitama] - "I can't take this much, man! I seriously can't accept this. "
Said Saitama as he tried to hand the pouch back to McCree.
With a heavy sigh, McCree abruptly raised his pistol and pointed it at Saitama.
[McCree] - "Take the damn money. I know ya people don't have this tipping culture and all, but today I insist. "
With the barrel of a gun staring at his face, Saitama reluctantly pulled his hand back and stored the pouch in his tool cabin.
[McCree] - "Ain't that hard now, ain't it? Sometimes, everyone needs a bit of American culture shoved in their faces. "
Said McCree as he pulled away from the taxi.
With shock still on his face, Saitama bowed his head toward McCree before stepping on the gas and driving away. As McCree watched the taxi disappear in the distance, he spun his pistol before putting it back into his holster. Turning around, McCree approached the gate to the dojo and breathed heavily before giving it a few loud knocks.
[McCree] - "I wonder what you were up to all this time, old friend. "
Whispered McCree as he waited for a response.
To be continued...