REIWA JIGOKUHEN - Chaotic Disturbance of Reiwa Era

Chapter 37 - Day of Rage

Saitama Prefecture, Toda City: Sports Izakaya

At 22:00 Japan time, the President of the United States will give a speech to the nation, which is said to be broadcast live on the radio all over the world. The news traveled throughout Japan, and everyone was filled with anticipation. Once peace is established, the trade will resume, and oil and coal will come in. Wheat and meat would also be available for purchase. Everything may not be back to normal immediately, but normal days of going to work and school, eating lunch at restaurants, and going for drives on weekends and holidays will return. Certainly, the air raid on Tokyo is unforgivable. But many wanted to do something about their daily lives first.

"The President calls for peace, right?"

"Yeah. The SDF has defeated the old American military."

"They're going to want the products we have now, for sure... I mean, wouldn't it be a cheat to do business over there?"

"I bet every company is thinking the same thing."

Due to the food control measures that have already begun, no takoyaki or beer is served at this sports bar. Even so, the regulars gathered around the large 80-inch plasma TV, chattering away about trivial matters. A girl at a store with nothing to sell handed out mugs of ice water to customers who could not afford to buy anything. If Mister President proclaimed peace, the ice water would instantly become as good as sake.

"Tom, what are you going to do when this crazy war is over?"

A young guy in the rowing club asked his fellow clubmate from America. His family had arrived in Japan on the day of the time-space cataclysm and had been assigned a room in a business hotel near the station, so the muscular German descendant called Tom was in reasonably good health.

"Honestly, I don't know," Tom replied in broken Japanese. "I've always wanted to travel through this era, but I'm not sure if I should."

"Well, there could be another time-space cataclysm."

"Tom, we are about to start. Translate for us, please!"

"Okay, I'm not going to let NHK get the better of me!"

Tom winked with a carefree smile at the request of the girl he actually liked. He is ready to simultaneously translate President Roosevelt's speech for NHK's special broadcast. Tom is ready to take on the challenge with a receiver and earphones borrowed from the university's radio club. He was convinced that if he could compete well with his real job, she would realize that he was more than just a muscle-bound jock.

When 22:00 passed, the izakaya was quiet. Everyone was waiting for the moment. Then the long-awaited sound came over the speakers. Everyone in the store, and even the entire nation, held their breath as Tom and the NHK interpreter competed to translate the greeting.

"'I have made a decision today—' Wait, what!?"

Tom froze. Even the NHK interpreter did so as well. Then the shock spread one by one to those who understood English, at least a little.

"What, what is it!?"

"He says he wants to wipe Japan off the face of the earth..."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Washington, D.C.: White House

A crowd of more than a hundred thousand had gathered. They were participants in a massive demonstration in support of the war. Wives and parents of soldiers were holding placards with powerful sentences. Tens of thousands of Marines and Army soldiers whose whereabouts are still completely unknown and unaccounted for. The placards were filled with thorough and vehement appeals for war, mainly from the bereaved families of these soldiers, such as "BOMB FOR BOMB, GAS FOR GAS," and "DESTROY JAPAN."