Codegease: Air and Land Warfare 1946

Page 196

"Why don't you speak, Mr. Atlantic? I hope our plan can get your help."

Meanwhile, Clark took out a pen and a piece of paper, drew a summary of what the fan had just said, and then he went completely mad.

"My God... You're not doing any underground activities, are you? You're trying to turn me into a defector, aren't you?"

Fan and Toudou, who was sitting on the other side of ZERO, looked at each other, wondering what the other person meant.

"Come on, lend me a stick, a broom will do." Clark was so angry he looked right at the screen. "Look, you're starting from the front bridge, so you're bound to pass over Tokyo. First, a KMF hanging under a helicopter will definitely affect its speed. Second, as far as I know, a KMF has never been seen hanging under a plane in the skies above Tokyo except during wartime. Isn't that conspicuous? A squadron of soldiers could come looking for you any minute, and you wouldn't be able to escape or fight back. Do you think the Britannian soldiers in the Tokyo Concession are blind or deaf? Or are all the residents of the Tokyo Concession people who never look up?"

Clark was so angry that he threw the broom on the ground and broke it in two. Yes, to give you an example, imagine an American flying out of some corner of Pearl Harbor with a dozen or so Zero fighters, each carrying a Panzer IV tank on a long steel cable, and all the bigwigs in the harbor and on the warships completely unaware. Are these extras paid for?

“Well, perhaps you overestimate our opponents.” Fan tried to reassure him as much as possible. “In fact, we have found that the Britannians are sometimes lax in their defenses when we are carrying out some operations.”

"Let me calm down, let me calm down." Clark returned to his seat, panting. "Okay, maybe I haven't been in Area 11 long enough to understand your operations... but I have to remind you, Mr. Ogi, the Tokyo Concession isn't the public toilet of the Black Knights anymore. The name Aryan Special Forces still exists in Area 45. You should understand what I mean. These days, your missions on Honshu Island are frequently failing, yet you're still using the old methods. What happened to 'a loud drum doesn't need a heavy hammer'?"

The room fell silent instantly. ZERO and Toudou remained expressionless and silent throughout, while only Sen was muttering to himself.

"Well, I won't make things difficult for you, nor will I shirk my responsibility. We're all in the same boat, so I'll try my best to lend a hand." Clark scratched his head. "First, you're going to the sky. Second, you either have to be quick or hide well. So, I'll give you two choices."

"First, from the air, I can help you get a Britannian armed transport plane, which you can use for airlift. Second, I can help you get a cargo ship; you can park the KMF and helicopters in the target area beforehand, and then use the cable-stayed aircraft to lift them into the air... But speaking of which, don't you have naval forces? Why not use them?"

“They can’t dock for the time being, you don’t need to ask about that.” ZERO finally spoke again. “Then, Mr. Atlantic, do you have a specific plan for this project?”

"I think you guys should resolve your internal questions first, such as technical issues in combat, like whether KMF can jump onto a moving skyship. You guys discuss it carefully. I'll go take care of my own business now. Excuse me."

……

In the afternoon, he sent a few of his men to the port to inquire about the cargo ships that were about to depart, while he himself went to the city hall.

"Well, you're lucky, sir. There are a few transport planes that might fit your requirements recently." As one of the military's drug suppliers, Clark didn't have much trouble getting a few words out of the captain under the pretext of transporting medicines—that's right, the purpose of the large armed transport plane he specifically requested was naturally to cramm a number of Black Knights' KMFs into it.

"How many do you need me to take over?"

"Uh, let's not rush it for now. The Black Knights have been causing quite a stir lately, and I can't guarantee that we won't have a few boxes trampled by the Iron Knights on the day we set off, haha." Clark paused. "What I'm curious about is, don't we have a lot of troops in Area 11? Why haven't we been able to catch them yet?"

“This is impossible… Oh right, since you know about Sector 45, I won’t hide it from you then.” The captain spread his hands. “Many of these units are going to fight in another world. Her Highness Elizabeth was in a hurry, so they left quickly, which has left us short-handed. Fortunately, we have organizations like the Aryan Special Forces to share the burden. Of course, those few American and Soviet officers and soldiers who surrendered also played a significant role.”

“Hey, that’s funny.” Clark almost laughed out loud. “But it can’t be that bad. Not long ago I saw three Skyships parked around the Tokyo Concession. Now one has passed through District 45, and there are still two left.”

“Dear Uncle Sam, General Upson took those two Calian-class ships yesterday, saying they were to be given to Her Highness Elizabeth after escorting Princess Nunnally. You forgot?”

[Author's Note: In the original work, the commander of the Sky Fleet in charge of Nunnally at that time was this General Upson Thomson. I finally found his name on the official wiki.]

"Oh, I see. Nobody told me..." Clark couldn't help but feel secretly pleased. "You're really lucky, Lelouch. You've got the timing just right. Just don't let Hans catch you next, then you'll be all set."

"Is there anything else?" The captain stood up and pulled a dazzling silver box from under his desk. "I'm going to see General Upson now."

"Oh, no problem, but whose box is this?"

"It's General, haha, you're no stranger here, so let me tell you about it."

……

The captain turned his gaze to the television in front of him, which was broadcasting a news report: "It's raining in Sasebo today, but that can't dampen the high spirits of the Britannian military and police. Long-escaped criminals will finally fall into the net of justice."

"Have you heard, sir? The notorious thief Kenjiro Tobita, who has been committing crimes for many years, recently surrendered to the police in Sasebo."

"I'm in District 11 pretty late. I have a cigarette. Do you have a story to tell?"

"Tobita, this scum from Area 11, is the leader of a gang of black market thieves. He has been roaming around various parts of Honshu for several years, often stealing our military supplies and weapons from military factories in various places and selling them to the Japanese Liberation Front. He also provides technical equipment to those ungrateful Area 11 people. After the Black Knights appeared, they also became one of Tobita's clients."

"My God!" Clark exclaimed in disbelief. "This guy is definitely a master thief."

“He joined a gang as a henchman after the fall of Japan. Later, he became more and more brazen in his thefts, often targeting Hiroshima Prefecture. The last two times I heard of him was when he robbed a brand-new Vincent Ward from a military warehouse in Kure City Port.”

“Jesus…” Uncle Sam was stunned. What kind of magical story was this? “So can you tell me what the connection is between this guy named Tobita and the box in your hand?”

"Take a look." The captain opened the lid, revealing a somewhat dirty, colorful cloth bag embroidered with some patterns.

"People in Area 11 and Chinese call this a sachet. Tobita claimed that he had to surrender because he was suffering from a serious illness due to long-term exposure to the elements. This was found on him. General Upson intends to give it to Princess Nunnally to show that the security situation in Area 11 will improve."

"Heh, things are getting better. How chaotic was it before Tobita surrendered?"

"I'm not entirely sure how chaotic it is, but there's a lot of mystery involved." The captain pushed up his glasses and pulled over a female officer next to him. "Come on, this gentleman would also like to hear you tell the story of the Tobi-Tian bandits."

"Ah? Okay... The gang that Feitian was in at first, those thieves were quite powerful, but we happened to catch them one time and wiped them out in one fell swoop. The whole gang was caught except for Feitian. After that, wherever Feitian went, the gang was doomed. In the end, he had no choice but to form his own gang and become its leader."

"Then?"

"Then, as everyone knows, every time we try to surround Feitian and his gang, we can never catch them all. Either a few of them escape, or Feitian is the only one who gets away. In any case, we can never catch the most troublesome and the biggest boss. Not only does Feitian always manage to escape, but he also always secretly sends some living allowances or a keepsake back to their relatives after they are caught."

"So, miss, what's the story behind this sachet?"

"Tobita's hometown is Rikubetsu in Hokkaido, which is said to be the coldest place in Japan. According to Tobita himself, this sachet is the only keepsake he had before he was separated from his mother after the fall of Japan. His mother, a geisha, sewed it for him as a talisman to protect her son. Because Tobita was very healthy every winter, he believed that the wind in his hometown was the embodiment of the gods."

“Well, the Japanese talk about ‘eight million gods’ in their daily lives, right? ...Then what does this Japanese word mean?” Clark pointed to the hiragana “ゆきかぜ” embroidered on it.

"As for the meaning of this Japanese word, it's quite simple." The young lady took out a sachet. "Yukikaze translates to Snowy Wind in English. 'The snow wind is sharp and never stops.' Hmm, I wonder if Princess Nunnally will still like to wear this sachet after she knows the meaning of this word."

"Hmm..." Clark scratched his head, "I'm suddenly a little worried about whether Lelouch can perform well under pressure..."

Chapter 249, Section 329: Hearts United Across the Seas: Bonfire

Charlie Zoo is located in a somewhat remote area near Shinjuku in the western part of the Tokyo International Settlement. It is not crowded with tourists; it is only moderately famous.

Having fewer people seems to have some advantages, such as making it much more convenient to organize events.

Today marks the 3rd anniversary of the zoo's founding. The zoo director invited nearby residents and frequent visitors to gather together in the square in front of the zoo's main gate. Tables, colorful lights, chairs, and benches were set up, and a lively party was held.

There were specially hired actors and tourists improvising, but the most exciting circus performance only began after a large iron cage was placed on the stage in the center of the venue.

For some reason, this zoo has inexplicably developed a connection with bears, and coincidentally, it's also the circus that knows best how to handle bears—well, two bears, standing at different heights, swishing paint to draw chicks, riding bicycles, driving motorcycle taxis, even boxing with gloves on. What? You can't even ride a unicycle? Noob!

"Aha, thank you to these two adorable black bears for the wonderful performance." The zoo director, who was hosting the evening, came up into the cage on the stage. "As you all know, bears and our Charlie's Zoo have always had many connections, perhaps related to bears, or perhaps to people connected to bears! So, who's coming up next? You must have guessed it, right?"

Amid cheers, Stasevich, accompanied by Chicherin and Ivanov, scurried onto the stage, accordions slung over their shoulders and clapping their hands. Oh, and there was a bottle of vodka tucked behind them. The two black bears stared at him, then suddenly plopped down on the ground, looking utterly docile.

"Ah, it's an honor. These three patrol guards from the Tokyo Armed Security Corps were invited to participate after I contacted their superiors. I'd like to ask Mr. Stasevich, everyone has been wondering what you were thinking when you were wrestling with a bear on the street in the Tokyo Concession?"

"You've been away from home for days, and you've just taken out your keys," he chuckled. "Then you hear your pet dog running up to you asking for a hug. What would you do?"

"Hahahaha!" Amidst everyone's laughter, the three soldiers stepped forward without saying a word and stood back to back with the black bear. The honest and sturdy beast was now like a water-filled leather bag, letting them push and shove it, its face showing a mixture of fear and happiness.

"Okay, next up, these three will perform a song for us... well, I bet most of you haven't heard it before. It's supposedly a folk song from Siberia called 'Kalinka.' What does that mean?"

“Snowball Flower, Mr. Director,” Stasevich waved politely. “Now please remove the bear cages as soon as possible. We are reliable comrades and do not need them.”

……

"Beautiful snowball flowers,"

"Snowball flower, oh snowball flower,"

"The garden is full of snowball flowers..."

Stasevich deliberately sped up the tempo a few beats, causing the two people next to him and the audience to clap along with the rhythm.

The accordion is truly a treasure trove of musical instruments. It is not as bulky as the piano, nor does it need to be carried in a special bag like the violin. When walking, it can be carried on the back, and when playing, it can be turned around and put in front of the chest. The melodious notes that spread out are like willow catkins in the spring breeze and snowflakes in the winter night, drifting into the hearts of every listener.

Alright, as planned, it's Ivanov's turn to sing next.

"Ah, cough..." The young comrade was quite nervous; he even held the microphone upside down.

"Under the pine trees, a cool breeze made me sleep peacefully on the grass."

"Green pine tree, please don't make a fuss, don't disturb my sweet dreams."

"How charming, how beautiful, love me now, good girl. Ah, liulili, liulili, love me now, good girl!"

The accordion's rhythm grew faster and faster, and the audience couldn't help but stand up and clap along. This square seemed to have shed the constraints of the city and returned to the wild coniferous forest.

"Is it time, comrade?"

"Go, Chicherin! Now it's your time!"

Then, Chicherin boldly tossed the vodka bottle he had been blowing into the air behind him, did a side somersault, and leaped off the stage, where he began dancing a Cossack dance among the audience.

Seeing this, what was Stasevich waiting for? Without saying a word, she did a somersault and jumped down, spinning around with ballet steps, pulling in all the spectators who were completely absorbed in the moment, creating a sea of ​​joy.

As the saying goes, dance is perhaps the simplest and most effective way for humans to communicate.

……

"They're dancing so energetically, I really want to join them..."

Meanwhile, on a road on a distant hillside, Philip, who was on guard duty with Davis, saw this scene through his binoculars.

"This is really interesting." Davis stood at the hatch of his police KMF, chuckled, exhaled a puff of smoke, and stubbed it out on the overhead binoculars.

“I want to learn too, sir.” Philip’s hand, still holding the binoculars, couldn’t move. “That squatting and kicking motion is so funny. Don’t these ideologians have gravity?”

“If not, I’ll still believe it.” Garcia joked, “I won’t parachute anymore, I’ll just jump out of the plane. The enemy won’t find me at all. Let me be Captain America again and see how it goes.”

"Hey, Sergeant?" Davis noticed that Nagayama, who was with them, hadn't moved. "Could you please come out for a moment?"

"I don't like dancing, thanks for the invitation."

"No, I mean, don't you young people in Japan have dances or anything like that?"

Suddenly, the KMF's hatch popped open, revealing Nagayama's extremely disgusted face.

"What did I say wrong?"

"I don't mind if you call me a Japanese guy, but... please don't have too many expectations of Japanese men, especially regarding their social skills due to their introverted nature. Although there are some outgoing ones... let's not even talk about their character."

"Oh, that's a real shame."

Tossing away the cigarette butt, Davis pulled out a piece of chewing gum and started chewing—on a chilly night, there are only two things that can bring pleasure: the sweet taste on the tongue and the warm, inviting light. Perhaps the rest of the time will pass by amidst distant Slavic songs.

But in an instant, another ray of light flickered faintly in the distant slums, which made Davis's heart tighten - flickering, it was clearly the look of a fire. When did the people of District 11 start having bonfire parties, burning higher than the factory buildings?

"Hello? Commander Davis? Sergeant Nagayama? Can you hear me?" It was Taylor's voice. He was now in charge of patrolling the streets with the newly "defected" Allied soldiers. "Suginami Ward needs reinforcements! Come help us!"

"What happened, buddy?"

"Bring all your weapons and help suppress them! The people of District 11 are fighting with the German civilians!"

……

When they arrived on the street, there were already several patrol teams ahead of them.

The street scene was chilling. Alarms blared everywhere, and on the already dilapidated roads and sidewalks, large groups of civilians, some fighting and others injured, huddled together, clutching their head wounds and covering their aching stomachs, limping away from the center of the road and the conflict zone. There were even a few Asians with gunshot wounds lying motionless on the ground.

The road was brightly lit because it was littered with burning Molotov cocktails thrown by both sides, and several cars were on fire. The bloodstains reflected in the street created a scene reminiscent of the Yomiuri Shinobi (the underworld).

"Hey! Where's Taylor?" Davis grabbed a soldier, who calmly pointed to a young man carrying a large iron bar, smashing it against the District 11 people lying on the ground.

"You bunch of Japanese bastards, always acting like idiots? You dogs, jumping around like crazy? Are you even going to die? Are you even going to die?" The cursing and beatings spread everywhere with the soldiers of the suppression personnel, but only in Taylor's place were there bloodstains and powerless bodies, as well as the spittle that the former had spat on these people from Area 11.

"Anyone who gets in my way, I'll beat them up too! ...Hey boss?"

Davis looked at the soldier whose face was covered in sweat and blood, and helplessly pushed him out.

"Were you the one who killed those Area 11 soldiers?"

"Nonsense! With so many troublemaking Japanese devils, wouldn't a few of them have to fight back with real swords and spears? They deserve it!"

"Whether you get punished or not depends on your luck... First, tell me what happened in the first place?"

“He was one of the first to arrive.” Taylor led them to an ambulance and found a somewhat chubby German man.

……

"That's right, look how bright it is, isn't it beautiful?"

This was an ordinary street in the ruins of Tokyo, but over time it was given a special meaning. That's right, with the row of buildings on the left side of the street as the boundary, the south side was the residence of the 11th district people born on Honshu Island, while the north side was assigned to the 45th district people who didn't even belong to this world.

This mother holding her child is one of them. She was fortunate enough not to be separated from her two-year-old daughter when she was brought into this world. Now she can work here like any other citizen and buy her daughter a shiny fluorescent toy. The light illuminates a work pass on her chest pouch—Harkry Clothing Mall, Martina Muller.

"Mommy, why do we have to live here? When are we going home?"

“Listen, Sandra, other uncles are repairing our house and making our old house look beautiful again. So we need to come here first and wait patiently. When Sandra grows up and Mommy can't carry her anymore, we can go back.”

"Yes, I will grow up."

"So you must eat well and sleep well, understand?"

As they walked, the mother suddenly froze, standing in the middle of the road, instinctively wondering if she had taken the wrong turn.

"Hey you!" Caught off guard, she was stopped by several young men who threw a rock at her, thankfully missing her head. "Don't come here! Don't you know the rules!"

"who are you?"