December 1923
Kawashima Yoshiko visited the Space Force immediately after being discharged from the hospital. Tokyo had yet to fully recover from the effects of the Great Kantō Earthquake, and normal life was still far from restored.
"I'm here to see Captain Takashiro."
Yoshiko bluntly told a non-commissioned officer of the Space Force who came out to greet her. Though she wore a military uniform, she was clearly a woman.
"So the Space Force has female soldiers…"
Even for Yoshiko—who had resolved to abandon everything until she reclaimed her homeland—the sight of a female soldier seemed strange and foreign.
"And you are?"
"Kawashima Yoshiko. Captain Takashiro told me to come here."
"Oh right, so you're Kawashima Yoshiko… I've heard about you. Come this way."
She was led past the training grounds to a barracks located deep within the compound.
"This will be your room. Change into the uniform there immediately and report to the west side of the training ground within two minutes."
And from that day onward, hellish training began.
Yoshiko had been assigned to a highly specialized unit within the Space Force—known as the R'lyeh Division , an organization specializing in espionage and assassination.
Personnel belonging to the R'lyeh Division rarely interact with other members of the Space Force. They devote themselves entirely to studying martial arts, survival techniques, and assassination methods. In addition, they were required to achieve at least basic proficiency in Russian, English, French, and German.
After two years, those who performed exceptionally well were sent to Karafuto. There, they underwent further training within the Russian intelligence agency — the KGB .
"You must be Kawashima Yoshiko. I've heard about you from Captain Takashiro."
The head of the KGB was Duke Arima Katsumi. Yoshiko had heard of a Japanese noble married to a Russian imperial, but she never expected him to be the head of the intelligence agency.
Her training sharpened even further while facing off against physically imposing Russian soldiers. She also completed solo infiltration missions across enemy bases during harsh winter conditions.
As an intelligence operative and assassin, Yoshiko demonstrated remarkable growth.
Two years later…
"Sergeant Kawashima, this is your graduation exam. Use your skills to kill that man."
A Russian instructor informed Yoshiko.
Inside a windowless concrete room stood a man wearing a thin, dirty shirt. He was around 175 cm tall with an average build.
"That man is a Soviet spy. He failed in an attempt to assassinate Empress Anastasia and was captured. He's already been sentenced to death, so don't hold back."
The man, said to be a Soviet spy, glared at her. Just like her, he had probably carried out the assassination attempt on orders from his superiors. A soldier could not disobey commands. Perhaps, Yoshiko thought, this man might have been her future self.
"If I fight and kill this kid, they'll let me go home, right? Kid? No, wait—it's a woman, huh? Hey, they really will let me go, won't they!"
Apparently, if he killed Yoshiko, this man would be released. For him, this was truly his last chance.
"Yes, we'll keep our word. After all, we're not communists."
"Hmph! Then let's get started already! HYAAAAAH!!"
Suddenly, the man lunged forward toward Yoshiko. He reached out his right hand toward her slender neck.
In an instant, Yoshiko grabbed his outstretched right arm, twisted it, and stepped into close range. While locking his right elbow joint, she shifted into a seoi nage (shoulder throw) position.
Bakiii!!
With a sharp sound, the man's right arm bent in a direction it was never meant to, and his body lifted slightly before crashing face-first onto the concrete floor. At first glance, it appeared to be a simple throw—but this technique wasn't just a "throw." It was a killing move: a fall executed in such a way that the opponent couldn't take the impact properly, slamming their face into the ground.
His neck twisted at an unnatural angle, and he appeared unconscious.
Yet, without hesitation, Yoshiko seized the man's left arm and transitioned into an ude hishigi juji gatame (armbar). Without pause, she broke his left arm.
If she had a weapon, she would have slashed his carotid artery. But unarmed, she opted instead to neutralize both arms first, leaving him defenseless. Then, she moved straight into a rear naked choke .
Three minutes passed.
"Good. You pass."
I endured this hellish training. I will reclaim my homeland.
———
June 1927
"Your Majesty. The Japanese government is planning to restore the Qing Empire in Manchuria. We humbly request that Your Majesty issue a declaration calling for this restoration."
"Can Japan truly bring about the revival of the Empire? The Beiyang Clique possesses an army of 250,000 troops. Could it be that Japan is merely inciting me to stir up chaos in Manchuria and reap the benefits?"
"Your Majesty. Japan has its own motives. Restoring the Qing Empire is not an act of charity. It serves Japan's interests for Your Majesty to govern Manchuria as its central figure."
"Xianshi… You speak almost like a Japanese person. Where exactly does your loyalty lie?"
"Your Majesty, my loyalty is unquestionably to you. However, to ensure the revival of the Qing Empire, I am making full use of my background and position. That is why I acquired a position within the Japanese military. Your Majesty, please issue the imperial decree restoring the Qing Empire."
"I see. So this is truly my final chance."
Thus, Puyi of the Aisin-Gioro clan issued the imperial decree and proclamation announcing the restoration of the Qing Empire.
Meanwhile, in secret, the Manchu Army of the Qing Empire , trained covertly in Karafuto, was mobilized. The Qing Empire officially declared war against the Beiyang Clique.
The advance of the Qing Imperial Army was swift. The 70,000-strong force landed in Liaodong Bay and immediately set its sights on Fengtian. Their objective: capture Zhang Zuolin and Zhang Xueliang.
The Qing Imperial Army was generously supplied with the latest weaponry by Japan. Logistics support was handled by Japanese volunteer forces. Moreover, Japan strictly forbade the Qing Army from committing atrocities such as massacres or looting against civilians during combat. Should the Qing Army violate these rules, Japan would turn against them.
Thank you for reading Chapter 55.
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