Fog of War

Sakuramon Gate, Osaka Castle  //  Chuo Ward, Osaka

A thick morning fog cloaks the ancient stone walls of Osaka Castle. The neighborhood streets beyond the castle walls are quiet, disturbed only by the occasional whir of bicycle tires and the stomping of joggers’ feet running along the outer moat. Once used to keep enemies out, the moat now serves as a tranquil park for the locals. Aside from the skeletal steel scaffolding that clings to the main tower, it is otherwise a picturesque, peaceful morning.

The peacefulness is cut short by the wailing sirens of Enforcement cruisers. Officers shepherd civilians away, clearing the area around the outer moat. Roadblocks spring up, cordoning off a ten-block radius around the castle.

A rumbling of heavy engines fills the air as Enforcement gives way to a massive convoy of white and olive-green trucks and armored personnel carriers. Their giant wheels and caterpillar treads tear marks in the pavement.

The United Army, the Council’s so-called peacekeeping force, has arrived.

Platoons of soldiers in heavy green and white armor spill out of the open rear doors of the personnel carriers. They march in tight formations, boots thudding in rhythm against the pavement.

Soldiers wielding large, rectangular shields form a frontline, backed by rows of spearmen array themselves along the inner moat in precise, unwavering lines.

Below the fading decorative carvings castle's infamous Sakuramon Gate, the entrance is choked with a barricade of splintered wood, overturned carts, and rubble. Spikes, jagged pieces of metal and sharpened bamboo, stud the barricade. A hasty fortification.

The fog obscures finer details. The United Army’s numbers seemingly thinner under the limited field of view, giving them a slight advantage.

In the rear lines, Jade and Dell watch the activity unfold with detached fascination. Dell clutches a giant square shield in one hand, his broadsword sheathed at his back.

The open areas surrounding the Hokoku Shrine become a staging ground for Army command. Inside a command tent, Field Commander Steyr pores over a battle map projected onto the table. His silver hair is immaculate beneath his beret, his white and green fatigues decked to the nines with his many medals and ribbons.

A lanky grunt snaps a salute as he enters. “Commander, Inspector Bradshaw of Interpol Unit 7 is here.”

Steyr’s stern face switches to a delighted grin as he sees Bradshaw entering, holding back the tent flap. “I was wondering who was responsible for all this ruckus.”

“Steyr.” They exchange a hearty, jovial hug.

“It’s been too long,” Steyr says through a chuckle. “Have you gotten remarried?”

“Yeah, renewed my vows to my job. How are the wife and kids?”

“Joseph's at Army Academy. Francis is in high school, straight As.”

“Already? Has it really been that long?”

“Wife’s still upset, though. Recapturing that island took longer than expected.”

“The Sardinia campaign?”

“Dissidents put up quite the fight.”

“Then I hope you’re ready for this one.”

“I read the brief.” Steyr shakes his head. “Assassination of a Councilor. Never thought I'd see that in my lifetime.”

“First time for everything.”

Steyr, already knowing, hands Bradshaw a microphone. “The good news is this fog will cover our advance. These Accel Order cowards won’t last face-to-face with a thousand men.”

Bradshaw snatches it without breaking eye contact. “Just make sure you get that close.”

He exits the tent, gazing over the fog-shrouded castle.

He speaks into the microphone. “All members of the Accel Order: You are occupying a national heritage site,” his amplified voice echoes across the moat. “Surrender and exit the castle unarmed, or we will use lethal force. This is your only warning.”

Inside the castle tower, Icarus kneels before a shrine, his hands clasped together in prayer. Despite being a man of science, this is the time he turns to God.

Locke approaches with silent footsteps. “Icarus-sama. The Army is gathering at the south gate.”

“As expected,” he responds while rising to his feet. “Buy us as much time as possible. Are the archers in position?”

She nods.

“Send out the bait, then the message.”

…

Outside, the tension is palpable. Ten minutes pass, and no response comes.

Inspector Bradshaw nods to Commander Steyr.

The Commander blows his whistle, piercing the air. he front line of troops begins funneling across the stone bridge. They methodically dislodge spikes and tossing debris aside, clearing a path towards the main gate.

Through the fog, a sudden volley of arrows rains down. The arrows arc across the bridge, falling short of the command center and landing harmlessly in the inner moat. The shieldmen raise their shields as one, forming a protective wall against the drizzle of arrows. A few arrows slip through the gaps, piercing flesh.

Jade ducks, and Dell’s shield rises in response. An arrow slices into Dell's shoulder but he doesn't even flinch.

The whistle blows again as the volley ceases. The Army platoon continues its steady march across the bridge.

Then the sharp crack of gunfire erupts. Shieldmen on the bridge crumple, falling instantly. The spearmen falter, the line breaking as they search for the source in horrid confusion.

Army archers in the rear unleash their own volley, but the arrows fall short, barely clearing the wall. A few find their mark, but the fog obscures the impact.

The fog begins to dissipate, revealing the full scale of each side’s operation. Accel Order riflemen, their faces hidden behind black visors, perch end-to-end on the castle walls, firing their weapons with deadly accuracy.

Shots ring out from the castle walls, and despite the range, Army archers fall, struck with chilling ease. More soldiers fall, felled by these new projectiles, not just on the bridge, but those behind the protection of the moat. Their neat formations break as the shieldmen are rendered useless against the new weapons.

Bradshaw ducks and braces himself against an armored command vehicle. Commander Steyr rushes back inside the tent as soon as he witnesses his mug shatter in his hand from a stray projectile.

Two sharp whistles. The soldiers fall back, scattering for cover. Rocks, army vehicles, any shelter from the high-speed projectiles piercing through Army-standard protection.

Giant flatbeds roll into the staging area, unloading a row of T-74 mechanized trebuchets. Teams of four men quickly mount their stations on every trebuchet. Heavy cranes swing into action, lifting massive tungsten spheres and dropping them into the trebuchet’s buckets. With a whine of motors, the counterweights are cranked back, tension ready to release on command.

A military officer shouts into his radio. “Fire!” Operators pull levers, releasing electromagnetic brakes with a thunk and a screech. The counterweights launch the tungsten spheres aimed directly at the castle walls. The spheres whistle through the air, arcing over the moat before slamming into the walls, crushing the Accel Order riflemen. One plunges into the moat, throwing up a huge splash.

More cracks of gunshots follow, ripping through the Army lines. After the volley, a whistle sounds and the soldiers break from cover and retake their positions.

“Reload! Right two degrees!” the officer yells. The crews scramble to reset the trebuchets, rotating them to their new angle.

“Hey, let me try!” Jade snatches the radio from the officer and yells “Fire!”

The trebuchets thunk in succession as their counterweights are released. The spheres continue to collide into the wall, weakening it.

Soon, the wall begins crumbling on its own. A massive cavity is formed, and enemies who were posted at the weak spot fall into the moat.

An Army bridge carrier trundles forward and slowly unfolds its massive structure over the moat, ending at the breach in the castle wall. Now, there are two paths to invasion.

“Fire!” Jade shouts into the radio once more.

Order minions scatter, the unlucky ones flung aside as the massive tungsten sphere barrels into the Sakuramon gate, leaving behind only a splintered wood and twisted iron in the historical defenses. The carefully preserved and restored ornate woodwork of the gate, painstakingly maintained for generations, is now destroyed in an instant.

The whistle blows again, and United Army platoons surge in a full sprint across the two bridges. Accel Order riflemen hastily form a defensive line in the breaches, firing sporadically. Some of the advancing soldiers tumble forward as the projectiles pierce their shields, slowing the advance.

But the platoon presses on, their spears and halberds skewering the enemy as they surge into the wall cavities.

The wall has been breached. With the United Army now inside the castle grounds, chaos erupts in a maelstrom of skirmishes.

“Can’t let them have all the fun.” Dell pushes Jade forward behind his shield as they enter the fray with the invading troops.