NOVEL NEXT Chapter 27: Tokyo - 27
1530 , Japan front
Soviet General's POV (Soviet Player), Sapporo - Hokkaido.
The invasion of Japan is progressing well. My sub-commanders deployed in Tokyo and Niigata report successful landings.
The Soviet main fleet is engaged with the Pacific Front fleet and has initiated blockade protocols from Hokkaido. This blockade is designed to intercept any incoming American reinforcements.
As my landing force approaches Sapporo, Hokkaido—a strategic airbase and rumored headquarters of the Pacific Front general—Premier has ordered me to capture it. This mission will ensure the Soviet Union's dominance in the skies once more.
I sit inside the Mobile Construction Vehicle (MCV), which is securely positioned on a Zubr amphibious transport craft. Guarding our landing are Seawolf gunboats, four Typhoon submarines, two Akula missile submarines, and the formidable Kuznetsov Dreadnought.
Looking out, I see the main command ships of the Soviet Navy. Their twin missile turrets glisten under the sun. I exhale deeply, preparing myself for the battle ahead.
"General, battlefield link established," reports my comm officer, swiveling his chair to face me. The tactical display lights up, showing the battlefield in real time.
"Time to make the Soviet Union proud," I mutter as the operation begins.
Kappa squad leader's POV , Tokyo - Japan.
"They're everywhere!" screams a voice through the comm.
Peering out through the camera port of my floating Kappa tank, I spot torpedoes skimming the water, fired from Soviet submarines.
("Hold the line! Kappa-3, head to bearing 75 and rotate with Kappa-5! Over!") I bark into the radio.
Where is our commander?! There's no coordination between the units at all. I can only direct my squad of Kappa tanks in a skirmish against the Soviet fleet that's breached Tokyo Bay.
Tat tat tat tat!
Russian gunboats spray machine-gun fire at our hull. No serious damage, but it's aggravating.
"Cannon, target that gunboat!" I yell. The gunner locks on.
Boom!
The shot connects. The gunboat isn't down, but its engine and flak cannon are damaged.
"Maintain evasive maneuvers! The torpedoes are the real threat!" I order the driver while monitoring the port cameras.
("Kappa-2 hit! Main hover engine down! Gun turret operational—we'll try to make it back to shore! Over!") shouts another voice.
I see the damaged tank, barely staying afloat, firing its cannon at an approaching gunboat.
We're losing ground. After holding the main part of landing fleet at bay for a few hours, our defenses are breaking.
("The shore has been overrun!") cries a nearby GI squad through the comm.
I glance at my exhausted but determined crew as torpedoes close in from the right.
"Heading 270! Now!" I yell.
The driver reacts instantly, rotating the tank left and pushing the engine to evade another surface torpedo.
Boom!
I spot Black Eagle jets overhead, taking out Soviet transports. Meanwhile, gunboats below shoot into the sky.
Tat tat tat tat!
More gunboats. Great. Boom! Our cannon fires again.
But we can't hit the submarines launching the torpedoes. Then I see it—something massive in the distance.
A Soviet missile dreadnought.
("Kappa-1 to all Kappa units! High-value target spotted! Clear the gunboats for our air force! Go, go, go!") I yell into the squad-wide comm.
How did our fleet fail? How did a ship that size get through already?
Powersuit GI Operator's POV
tat tat tat
"Get into the station! Move! Move!" I bellow over the chaos, my voice raw from shouting. My mech's twin machine guns roar as they spew bullets, cutting down Soviet conscripts who dare to advance on the civilians scrambling into the underground rail system. Their bullets ping harmlessly off my mech's thick armor—most of them, anyway. A few rounds smack against the protective glass, leaving spiderweb cracks that obscure my vision.
I swing the mech around, metal joints groaning in protest, and let loose another volley. Flak cannons bark from the Soviet line, and my mech shudders violently as a round slams into its left leg. Warnings flare up on my HUD. The leg's integrity is compromised, but it holds. For now.
Blood trickles down my chin as I cough, tasting iron. Dammit. Internal damage. Focus! The comm crackles.
("Tsu-4 reporting! The tunnel collapsed! We're sealed inside! Only way out is back!")
Back? Back where? Toward the burning ruins of the city or back into the teeth of the Soviet assault? Neither option is good.
Another wave of conscripts surges forward. My hands tremble, but I grip the controls and steady my voice.
("Tsu-7 reporting—Soviets rushing my position! I'll will try to seal the entrance go the other way!")
The ground rumbles. My mech's sensors pick up movement—something big. I pivot and spot it. A Soviet tank lumbers into view, its barrel swiveling toward me.
"Damn it!" I snarl and switch to Mist missiles. Anti-air missiles against armor? Desperate times. Two shots. Gotta make them count.
The mech rocks as another flak round strikes its leg. Sparks fly inside the cockpit, and alarms blare. The left leg collapses. No! I grit my teeth and ignore the pain as my mech sinks to one knee as I try to position myself to block the station entrance if my mech fully collapse over.
The tank's barrel locks on. I lock on, too. My finger hovers over the launch button.
"Come on!" I scream and fire. The missiles streak out just as the tank's gun flashes.
Light fills my cockpit.
"See you soon, daughter..." I whisper through bloody lips.
BOOM!
Black Eagle Pilot's POV
I yank the control stick down, narrowly avoiding another burst of flak fire. Smoke and shrapnel trail behind me, but I keep the plane steady. Below, Kappa squads battle Soviet gunboats, their hover engines kicking up spray as they dart around torpedoes and machine-gun fire.
"Hold the line," I mutter. "Just hold a little longer."
I scan the battlefield. There it is—the Soviet Dreadnought. Bristling with missiles and guarded by six AA gunboats. It's a fortress on water. And I've only got four cryo missiles left. No margin for error.
I push the throttle, weaving through incoming flak. Explosions bloom in the air, rattling my cockpit. Below, the Kappa tanks buy me time, chipping away at the gunboats.
The Dreadnought's launch rail rises. My gut clenches. It's now or never.
("Eagle-2 moving in!") I radio command.
Static. No response. Did the airbase go dark? No time to worry about that.
I dive low, skimming the waves as flak bursts above me. The Dreadnought looms larger. I lock onto its missile racks. Not yet.
I juke left, drawing fire, then cut right. The gunboats pivot to track me.
"Come on... follow me..."
The missile racks align. Now! I squeeze the trigger. Four cryo missiles streak out.
BOOM! BOOM!
The first two slam into the racks, igniting the warheads. Fire and smoke erupt. The third missile misses—damn flak interference. The fourth hits true, splitting the deck with a final explosion.
"Hell yeah!" I shout, yanking the stick to climb.
BOOM!
Flak shreds my right wing. The plane tips, and I fight to level it out. Controls are sluggish, but she's still flying. Barely.
"Hold together, baby. Just a little longer."
I weave through more flak as the burning Dreadnought slips behind me. Below, the Kappas press their attack.
("Eagle-2 to all units! The Dreadnought is down! Repeat, the Dreadnought is down! Keep pushing!")
Static again. No response.
I scan for another target, but my plane groans under the strain. Time to head back—if there's even a base left to return to. I bank toward the city and pray my luck holds out a little longer.
Yuki - Pacific Front commander's POV
Boom!
Another Kirov down is good news! "How many more?!" I shout into the comm as the Stallion helicopter I'm riding in sways slightly mid-flight. My base was hit hard last night—MCV destroyed, radar wiped out, and my co-commander is missing in action. Communication lines to General Command are completely cut off.
("Four more Kirovs incoming. Coordinates and headings sent over,"), my scout team reports over the comm.
I glance down at the makeshift map pinned up inside the chopper. The scribbled notes and marks are barely legible under the dim cabin light. "Tsu-squad, status report!" I bark into the comm.
I haven't slept since the attack, but caffeine keeps me going.
("Third AA squad reporting! All five Powersuits operational. Ammunition is down to 40%. We can take down two more targets."), one of the squads reports in.
I nod to myself. "Intercept the two middle Kirovs. Coordinates incoming." I relay the data to their onboard systems.
("Second AA squad reporting! We've destroyed a Soviet tank in the Old Town region that was trying to collapse the evacuation tunnels. We've got enough ammo left to down one more target.")
I grit my teeth. "There's a Kirov heading west. Intercept it before it reaches critical targets!" I order, rubbing my face to shake off the fatigue. The Stallion banks slightly as we continue skimming over the northern outskirts of Tokyo.
With my co-commander out of reach, I can't access the coastal defenses they controlled. What was supposed to be a safeguard against enemy infiltration and mind control now feels like a trap, splitting our forces in half.
I sent a rescue team to retrieve the co-commander—or, in the worst case, recover their access codes. The entire city is under siege, and my forces are stretched thin between fending off air and sea invasions.
("First AA squad reporting! We've activated two Blizzard tanks from the research lab. All three Powersuits operational, and no enemy forces in sight for now.")
Good. At least one squad is still intact. "Intercept the Kirov heading east. Coordinates incoming." I add, "Once done, link up with the other squads and sync to the radio network."
("Affirmative!")
Another comm channel lights up.
("This is Rescue Squad! We've found Commander Tar! He's unconscious, but we recovered the access codes!")
Not ideal, but it's something! I quickly upload the codes, and suddenly, the network springs to life.
("This is Commander Yuki! Assuming command over the Tokyo Front! All available units, report your current locations immediately! Over!") I yell into the comms.
One by one, reports flood in.
("Third Kappa squad leader reporting! We're holding the line at Tokyo Bay! Over!")
("42nd GI squad reporting! We're pinned down in the metro tunnels on the east side of the city! tat tat tat Requesting backup! Over!")
("37th GI Squad reporting! The docks have been overrun! Requesting reinforcements! Over! Boom!")
("Fourth Guardian GI Squad reporting! We've lost over half our squad but are still in fighting condition! Over!")
("Second Rocketeer squad here! We're low on fuel and hunkered down near the city center. We've got enough left for one more flight! Over!")
("13th Tsu squad reporting! We're guarding the metro station on the east side! We're down to two Powersuits and are under heavy Soviet attack! Requesting immediate assistance! Over!")
("Second Shore Defense Grid nonoperational! The guns are intact but we've got no power! Over!")
The reports keep pouring in. I quickly mark positions on the map, hastily sketching routes and forming a plan. There's no time to hesitate.
Soviet Admiral's POV
Boom!
Another Allied ship sinks beneath the waves as I stand on the bridge of the Kuznetsov Dreadnought, peering out over the ocean. The wreckage burns as our fleet pushes forward. Gunboats form a defensive perimeter, keeping Allied UAV drones at bay.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Shells from enemy battleships splash around us, rocking the deck. Those Typhoons better move faster.
("Kuznetsov-7 has broken through!"), the comm officer reports. Good. Another Dreadnought joins the blockade around Tokyo. It won't be long before the city's defenders lose their fragile morale.
"Admiral, Typhoon squadrons report success in sinking another Allied battleship," my comm officer says.
"One more down. Only a handful of capital ships stand between us and completing the blockade." I lean back, satisfied. Victory is within reach.
Suddenly, alarms blare.
"Admiral! Unknown flyers detected from the southeast! Rear guard fleet reports contact!"
I frown. Their response time shouldn't be this fast. But the rear guard wouldn't alert us without cause. "What's happening?" I demand.
The comm officer scrambles to patch through. Static crackles over the line. "N-No response, Admiral."
I grip the edge of the console. "Get me visuals. Now."
Raptor's Sister POV
'Well, that was fun. They noticed us too late,' I thought with a smirk as I hovered a few hundred meters above the water, holding a smoking laser cannon in both hands. I scanned the area—no ships left afloat, all radio signals destroyed. My sister had wiped out the amphibious transports. Looked like this was just a logistics fleet.
I gazed at the sinking Soviet Dreadnought, riddled with gaping holes in its hull. The amphibious carriers and gunboats hadn't fared any better—they were destroyed in single shots.
("Sis, let's go! These ships are done for.") My sister's voice crackled through the comms.
I nodded, shifting my stance before angling my thrusters forward. She hovered a few hundred meters away, her laser cannon still humming.
We both shot forward, our thrusters kicking up ripples across the water as we closed in on the sound barrier.
BOOM!
We broke through. Aqua's voice came through the comms.
("Okay, I've got a line to the general. Switch over to Abyssal IFF signals, clear out the fleet around Tokyo, and take down the incoming Kirov bombers from the north. Then, head for Hokkaido.")
("Affirmative,") I responded as the Soviet fleet came into view. I lined up my cannon on their largest ship and fired as we blasted past.
BOOM! BOOM!
The missiles onboard detonated, crippling the ship as it began to list. The boiler room was out of commission.
Swinging my cannon toward the surrounding boats, I fired a quick succession of shots.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Three hits! Two boats narrowly dodged the lasers. I flipped my body mid-air, reversed my thrusters, and de-summoned my cannon, pulling out my Lunar&Solar sword. My sister, meanwhile, picked off submarines beneath the surface with precise laser snipes.
Apparently, the Soviets lacked battleships, unlike the Allies which is weird in my opinion. I shook my head, focusing back on the fight. Angling my thrusters, I descended onto a gunboat and sliced it clean in half. No blood—nitrogen froze the crew, and plasma reduced them to ash.
I dashed toward the next ship, cutting through one vessel after another until the water was littered with burning wreckage. My sister grinned at me from a distance before speeding ahead toward Tokyo Bay.
"Oh, not so fast!" I muttered, pushing my thrusters to catch up as we reach Tokyo's bay as the burning city are in sight. Switching back to my cannon, I fired at a damaged Soviet Dreadnought that appeared unable to launch its missiles due to a rail jam and its bridge burning but still floating nonetheless.
BOOM!
A direct hit on the boiler room caused it to erupt in flames. Meanwhile, my sister kept herself busy sniping submarines. I turned my attention to the chaotic skirmish unfolding between hover tanks and Soviet gunboats.
Lining up my cannon, I let loose.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The explosions scattered the Soviet forces. I noticed a Kappa tank grinding to a halt in the middle of the battle.
"What?! Why stop now? There's still more to fight!" I shouted, shaking my head. Ignoring it, I surged toward the docks. Several structures under construction caught my eye—were the Soviets trying to establish a base?
Nope.
I fired my cannon at a half-finished radar tower.
BOOM!
"No radar for you!" I said, taking aim at the nearby transports.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Direct hits. I looked over and noticed soldiers not wearing red but blue uniform—they were Pacific Front troops. One of them waved at me while his team set up a perimeter.
"What?!" I said again as the soldier pointing toward his radio on his shoulder.. fine I use my nanoswarms to touch those radio and I'm in.. as I share the com link with my sister who fighting at the coast at the moment
"What?" I asked, floating down toward them. The soldier pointed to his radio. Fine. Using nanoswarms, I interfaced with their comms and patched in my sister, who was still busy at the coast.
("Raptor sisters reporting,") I said.
("This is Commander Yuki! I don't know who you are, but thanks for the help at the shore. I need you to clear out the Kirov bombers coming from the north side—over!")
"Got it," I muttered, firing up my thrusters and heading north. The skies were thick with Kirov bombers, their massive frames lumbering toward the city. Anti-air batteries below fired volleys of missiles, but they weren't enough to stop the swarm of Behemoth.
I prepared my sword and sped up breaking the sound barrier again.
ZOOM!
BOOM!
I tore through the right side of the first Kirov, slicing cleanly through its frame. Flipping my body mid-flight, I angled toward the next one. The sudden drag from the wing resistance knocked me off balance for a moment, but I pushed forward, aiming straight for my next target.
BOOM! The hull split open—a clean kill. Two down, and many more to go.
I spotted a Pacific Front helicopter flying below with their emblem on the side. Slowing down briefly, I waved at them before rocketing back into the fight.
Yuki - Pacific Front commander's POV
I stared in disbelief at the carnage unfolding above. It hadn't even been a full minute since my brief comm exchange with someone calling themselves the Raptor sisters, and yet, there they were, slicing through Kirov bombers like paper. Two down in under ten seconds? What the hell?
"Commander!" My shoulder shook as my GI bodyguard—one of the few female soldiers assigned to me—snapped me back to reality.
"Think about those girls later! The entire front still needs you!" she barked.
I nodded quickly, snapping back into command mode.
("Report combat operations—over!") I barked into the comms, already scrambling to update the map. These two girls had just changed the entire course of this battle.