REIWA JIGOKUHEN - Chaotic Disturbance of Reiwa Era

Chapter 19 - Encountering the Past

Fussa City, Tokyo: Yokota Air Base

Lieutenant General Fargo, commander of United States Forces Japan and the Fifth Air Force, who had also assumed command of the Indo-Pacific Command as a temporary measure, was meeting with the commanders of the Army, Navy, and Marine Corps via videoconference. The situation was inexplicable and inexcusable, and there was nothing but confusion, exhaustion, and dismay. That is why they had to quickly orient themselves, assess the situation, and take action. If they just keep their heads in the sand, everything will fall into a downward spiral.

"That said, I wonder what's going on..."

Fargo was racking his brains. They will maintain a cooperative relationship with the Japanese government and the Self-Defense Forces, and work hard to end the state of war with the Allies. That basic policy remained unchanged, but the question was what exactly could and should be done.

They considered flying to America by aircraft, but it would be a complete one-way ticket. They might be intercepted as suspicious aircraft or detained as soon as they landed. He also had to consider the possibility that the Japanese government might suspect his escape, and above all, he lacked too much information about the world as it was in March 1945.

"And as for yesterday's intelligence-gathering mission, several of the officers who participated in it have been rushed to the psych ward."

"Even in the Navy, there are long lines at the counselors' and priests' rooms," said Rear Admiral Albert Trost, Commander of the Seventh Fleet.

In terms of the aftereffects of the time-space cataclysm, the Seventh Fleet was the one that was hit the hardest. A task force led by the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan was heading for the North Pacific to counter the Russians who were moving suspiciously, and then simply disappeared. It was not clear which one was missing, but the sailors had lost not only contact with their home country, but also their comrades.

"Frankly, I'm losing my mind."

"In that sense, Okinawa already looks like a complete mess."

Lieutenant General Raymond Knox, commander of the III Marine Expeditionary Force, contorted his face, "The SDF's ARDB is scheduled to arrive tomorrow, and rumors are spreading like wildfire that their objective is to detain and dismantle the US military. Moreover, there are demonstrations all over the island, and even violent incidents have occurred frequently, and even the prefectural governor has shouted at them. They're trying to turn Okinawa into a battlefield again or something."

"Trouble is, those concerns are absurd, but correct."

Fargo glanced over the latest report.

"After all the air raids, it's not unreasonable to expect some kind of tension between the USFJ and the SDF. To make matters worse, if today is indeed also March 11 of 1945, then... as you are all well aware of the military history, the landings on the Kerama Islands will begin in about two weeks, and then on the main island of Okinawa early next month."

"Oh, my God."

The same grunts were heard in every mouth.

"Moreover, the order to launch Task Force 58 has just been confirmed. This is the Fast Carrier Task Force that raided the Japanese mainland prior to the Battle of Okinawa. The SDF is aware of this order, and they are already considering how to deal with the Task Force."

"By 'deal with it,' you mean sink it, right!?" Trost paled and shouted, "If they are hit by modern missiles and torpedoes, our naval vessels of that era will be no match for them... our grandfathers and great-grandfathers, and tens of thousands will die before they know what happened!"