Chapter 72 – Second Time at the Dream’s Edge (3)

“Huh? That’s it?”

“Yes, that’s right. Does the war in your world still continue after that?”

“Not exactly. It’s just that there’s one more nightmare left unresolved. The one where the US military lands in Shonan.”

“Ah, that. That’s the third time. I’ll talk about that now.”

“Oh, I see. But for the third time, even though they dropped the genbaku (atomic bomb), Japan still goes through with a mainland battle? Isn’t Japan’s morale way too high?”

“Excuse me? I have no idea what you’re talking about. What is this ‘genbaku’? Since it ends in baku, is it some kind of bomb?”

She asked with surprisingly genuine curiosity, clearly with no hidden intent.
In other words, she probably really doesn’t know. 

But then again, in the first round she was exiled from the mainland before the war, and in the second, she died during an air raid before any bombs were dropped—so it makes sense that she wouldn’t know.

(…So in the third round, does that mean America didn’t develop the atomic bomb?)

Normally, if an atomic bomb is dropped on a city, a country would surrender.
And if over a year passes from August 1945, several would likely be dropped.

In other words, in the timeline where a mainland battle occurs, America hadn’t developed the atomic bomb.
And perhaps, after repeating history many times, that kind of outcome can also happen.

This is information I should definitely keep tucked away in a corner of my mind.

“Um, would you mind answering my question?”

While I was lost in thought, going in mental circles, she was staring at me in a puzzled way. Even though she didn’t have eyes.

“Ah, sorry. In my world, it’s a powerful new type of bomb the US military used. It can blow up a city with a population of hundreds of thousands in a single hit. You’ve never heard of it?”

“No, I haven’t heard anything about such a terrifying bomb. It might be a secret weapon that hasn’t been widely disclosed to the public. But more importantly, may I continue?”

“Oh, yes. Please go ahead.”

After that, even listening to her was painful.
It was apparently information passed on from a Soviet political officer, so it could be biased, but the sheer level of detail was almost irritating.

The third round followed the same course up to the end stages of the war.

Then, on September 6, 1945, US forces landed in Okinawa.
Ten days later, using the cover of the massive Makurazaki Typhoon, Japan carried out what felt like a scripted event: a final kamikaze fleet centered around the battleship Yamato was dispatched.

However, because they moved under cover of the typhoon, they weren’t hit by air raids from the American carrier fleet.
Instead, it turned into a naval gun battle between battleships.

There, the Yamato went head-to-head with a group of old-model US battleships that had been lying in wait.

Despite being outnumbered 7 to 2, they managed to sink four enemy ships and damage three others, forcing the entire group of old-model battleships to retreat.
It was said that the high waves, which reduced American accuracy, and the limited number of escort ships were major factors in that outcome.

After that, they reached the waters off Kadena Bay.
They began long-range shelling of the Okinawa invasion fleet, which was in a frenzy and scattering in panic. 

But shortly after, a group of new-model American battleships forcibly entered the battle, triggering a second round.

Yamato managed to take down another battleship in a brutal exchange, but that was the limit.
Exhausted along with her escorts, the fleet perished without ever reaching Okinawa.

As for the American losses in Kadena Bay, they were reportedly within acceptable limits, and after more than three months of intense fighting, Okinawa finally fell by the end of the year.

Meanwhile, from the north, the Soviet Union launched a furious advance—invading Manchuria, Korea, and even North China.
They also attacked Japan from the sea, advancing steadily southward, and by spring of 1946, they landed in Hokkaido.

Even then, the war didn’t end. 

In the spring of the following year, the US military landed in southern Kyushu, and in June, Soviet forces landed in the Tohoku region.
By that time, every city across Japan was reduced to scorched ruins.

The navy no longer existed, and although the air force had been preserved for the final homeland battle, it had largely ceased functioning by then.

On September 6, US forces landed in the Kanto region, and by winter, the imperial capital was in ruins and fell.
The US and Soviet forces met and shook hands somewhere around the border between Kanto and Tohoku.

Thus, the Empire of Japan fell.

The scenes from Shonan were from that time.

At the time of my body’s host’s death, the estimated number of Japanese casualties was said to be the highest among all countries in World War II, in terms of proportional loss.

(I shouldn’t have asked… What a truly depressing ending. But still, something doesn’t add up. Even without the atomic bomb, based on what Great-Grandfather and Grandfather—well, Father—have said, if the Soviets were invading and there was a risk of Japan being split in two, then no matter how foolish the Japanese government was, they would have chosen surrender.

Otherwise, preserving the national polity—keeping Japan united as a single state—would be threatened, and their entire foundation would crumble. The Potsdam Declaration had already been issued too. So what’s different from the history I knew in my previous life? I’ll have to investigate this further.)

It’s enough to send me into a depressive spiral, but there are still so many things I want to ask.

“…Thanks for telling me all that. Can I ask you a question now?”

“Of course. We still have time.”

Despite having just recounted such a tragic course of war, my body’s host remains calm and composed.
Maybe it’s because it’s all in the past for her.

“That’s good to hear. Um, first of all—why were you being shown documentary footage by the Soviets in your third life? Were you exiled in that one too?”

“Ah, that. Because of the air raids and the looming homeland invasion, I used my previous knowledge and evacuated to Shanghai instead of Manchuria in 1945. And yet, just when I thought I’d heard news of Japan losing the war, I was betrayed by the local yakuza, sold to the Communist Party, and then handed over to the Soviets. Truly infuriating.”

(So even using knowledge from the last time around wasn’t enough. This feels like karma.)

“Is something the matter?”

“No, nothing. My condolences. By the way, in all three of your lives, there was always a predecessor to the ‘Dreaming Miko,’ right?”

“Of course. Otherwise, that wretched woman wouldn’t be called the ‘Second Generation,’ now would she?”

“…Hey. In your second and third lives, what happened to that wretched woman?”

“I don’t know anything after she went to prison.”

“So that means…”

“I filed the charges appropriately, so I didn’t do anything as vile as what you’re imagining. However, since she was a threat to the Ootori family, it was only natural she was apprehended.”

(If it weren’t for that last sentence, I might have actually believed her. But now it sounds like it could’ve been a false accusation—or worse, a delusional fabrication.)

Still, this person—she’s died three times and her mental strength is off the charts.
Why didn’t she use it for something more positive? 

…Well, I guess she did use it in a positive way, in the end, by calling out to me.

“Is something the matter?”

Because I kept staring at her while lost in thought, she kept snapping me out of it.

I should probably say something.

“Um, do you know how the wars ended in your first and second lives?”

“I don’t know about the second—just like in the nightmare. As for my first life, I think I died sometime between 1946 and 1947 according to the Western calendar, but I was told the war ended at the point I spoke of earlier. Still, no one ever explained the details.”

“Even so, tell me what you do know. I think it’ll be helpful going forward.”

“And what exactly do you intend to do with that knowledge?”

“I want it for reference—after I win our little bet.”

“…Well, very well. The war itself ended just after what I described, on August 15, 1945. The Soviet political officer seemed oddly fixated on September 2, though.”

There was a slight pause. My body’s host probably assumes I’m going to lose that bet.

“What about the Battle of Okinawa?”

“No, like I said earlier, during the first time I’d never even heard of it. But your world—despite only going through one round—had that new bomb dropped and even Okinawa became a battlefield. That must have been terrible.”

She surprisingly meant it sincerely.

But more important than her sympathy was finally understanding the end state of the war in her first life.
The game never went into much detail about the war, so I can’t clearly say how it differs from my previous world—but one thing is now certain. 

And at the same time, a new question had emerged.

(The first life matches the game. In the second, she died mid-air raid, so she doesn’t know how the war ended. In the third, she fled to Shanghai and effectively disappeared from Japan—yet Japan itself still fell. Could this actually mean that the main heroine is more closely tied to this than the villainess? Or is it that both of them disappearing from the “stage” spells doom? So what about me, then? I’m a different person inside, but will the outcome still be the same? As long as I don’t fall into darkness, am I safe? Ugh, I’m just full of questions now.)

“You’re ignoring me again—what are you thinking about this time? And more than that, what you’re thinking lately has become almost completely unreadable. Did something happen?”

“Ah, sorry. But I’m not really doing anything, you know. All I’m doing is stirring up the zaibatsu and Japan a little. You already know that, don’t you?”

“Yes. To some extent.”

“Not everything?”

“That’s right. My consciousness tends to be faint most of the time, so probably only about ten percent, I’d say? It mostly feels like I’m asleep.”

“Hey, don’t tell me… you’re gradually losing awareness or something like that?”

“Oh my, you catch on quickly. Can you tell what my condition is like?”

I shook my head at that.
I had only been speculating that this might be a typical kind of situation.

Like maybe, due to aging or something, I was slowly taking over this body.

“I don’t know. But don’t disappear before our match is settled, okay?”

“Of course not. Ah, but it seems our time is just about up for today. Well then, take care. Let’s meet again—some years from now.”

As the master of my body said that, just like last time, I felt my consciousness fade into darkness.