REIWA JIGOKUHEN - Chaotic Disturbance of Reiwa Era

Chapter 48 - Operation Development

Hino City, Tokyo: near Hirayamajōshi-kōen Station

After having lunch at a restaurant that had become a food distribution site, office worker Honoka, who is on indefinite standby, headed to a former supermarket. She secured canned food, pouches, and cat litter for her Russian Blue, Chori, with a generic ration ticket. Despite the outrageous rumors circulating around the time since the time-space cataclysm began, the supply of pet food had not yet been cut off.

"That's all thanks to the fishermen," said Mina, a fellow cat owner who stood in line with her.

The area was just as the news specials had said it would be. Fishing boats all over Japan were working at full capacity to catch the fish, and they serve salted grilled fish, sushi, and even whale cutlets for meals. The surplus was used to produce pet supplies.

"I saw on TV yesterday that there is a lot of fish in the sea at this time."

"Really? Why is that?"

"Because of the war, it was hard to fish everywhere, so there were more fish."

"Ah, I see," Honoka nodded.

There is no sign of going back to the old days, and the war is likely to continue, but that may be a blessing in disguise.

"And I hear they are going to be fishing in the northern seas, like Okhotsk."

"Eeh... won't Russian patrol boats and such be shooting at them in there?"

Immediately after she asked, her smartphone suddenly vibrated with a jolt. She wondered what it was, but it turned out to be a notification from a news app. It said that the Soviet Union—Russia of this era, was certain to enter the war against Japan, and that a UN force would be formed with Self-Defense Forces and United States Forces Japan to bomb the country preemptively.

"Uh, we're going to war with Russia, too...?"

"Yeah..."

Mina looked at the screen and sighed.

"The Prime Minister said he would give pardons if they made reparations for the bombing, but why is there war everywhere?"

"It's really crazy."

The two of them were talking to each other, receiving a can of cat food from the lady in charge.

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Misawa City, Aomori Prefecture: Misawa Air Base

The Strike Fighter Squadron 27 of the US Navy in Japan has completed its deployment to Misawa Air Base. Operational preparations were also in full swing. As soon as the Security Council gave the go-ahead, the squadron would launch with the Air Force's 35th Fighter Wing and the Air Self-Defense Force's 302nd Tactical Fighter Squadron to pound Soviet forces in the Fat East.

"It's no different from a bombing exercise. It's just a picnic, go out, drop some bombs, and come back."

That's what the squadron leader described the mission as. It had to be true.

But his voice was also one of desperation: the supposedly US-led Operation Peace Maker had failed in the worst possible way, not to mention the complete lack of contact with their 21st-century home, and President Roosevelt had blasted his war of extermination speech to the nation. It was difficult just to maintain one's sanity in such a messed-up situation.

"In that vein... Tom, are you alright now?"

A Super Hornet sat in the hangar. The maintenance chief, who was in charge of the plane, asked.