World Invasion: Battle Tokyo - A GATE Story

Chapter 3

The next morning, a shy but present sun had risen over the Asaka military base. Already very early on, the recruits had been awakened by the ruthless instructors and the training exercises had started a long time ago. Fortunately, it was not too cold and it was not raining.

Tuka, as usual, was going to practice archery on the shooting range set up especially for her, in the hope of strengthening her arrows and making more and more deadly shots. Lelei, insatiable for knowledge of this world, had returned to the computer room to learn. As for Rory, as a good apostle of her god, finished her morning prayer in his room, before going out, her halberd in hand and leaving in search of something to do to pass the time. She passed several soldiers from the base who greeted her respectfully, before finally she decided to go see Lelei in the computer room. The young mage was so engrossed in her research that she didn't even look at her when she arrived.

_ "Hi Lelei. Tell me, do you know where are Itami and the others? I haven't seen anyone." Rory asked, coming to her.

_ "Yes. He and the Third Recon Team had to get up very early to participate in maneuvers on the training ground. They should be back around lunchtime." Lelei replied without looking away from the computer she was working on, and looking really puzzled by something.

_ "What are you looking at this thing?" Rory asked, coming over to her side and glancing at the screen.

The image on the computer showed radar scans and satellite images showing the meteor cluster that had been spotted earlier in space.

_ "Since yesterday, a group of meteorites have been detected, and they seem to be getting closer and closer. According to estimates by researchers at the base, these rocks will fall from the sky as of today."

_ "Rocks falling from the stars? Well, that should spice up this day a bit." Rory replied.

As the two women were chatting, the door to the room opened, and they saw Tuka hurrying in and showing a concerned expression.

_ "Tuka?" Lelei said.

_ "Ah there you are." Tuka hissed. "You must come quickly. The soldiers must all assemble in the briefing room. They say this is extremely urgent."

Lelei and Rory shared the same puzzled look, but trusted Tuka and her tone of voice to know it was serious. Rory followed the elf immediately, and Lelei, after one last glance at the meteorites image, had a very strange and unpleasant presentiment, before deciding to follow her two friends.

***********

Ignoring everything that was going on at the Asaka base at the moment, Itami, equipped with all his military gear and closely followed by the 12 members of the Third Recon Team, had been trotting for several hours now in the middle of the training ground, made up of hills and dunes of a mixture of sand and wet dirt, simulating the devastated terrain of a battlefield.

But as they reached the top of one of the dunes, the group saw, with some astonishment, several JSDF jeeps and trucks, arriving by the dirt road and stopping a few meters away.

_ "Team, forward!" Itami then ordered despite the confusion, which was also shared among the team members.

Kuribayashi and Kurata exchanged a few words, as did Kurokawa, Wataru and Furuta.

A captain got out of the jeep and began to move forward. Itami knew him well. His name was Hiro. Itami motioned for his group to halt and went to the captain, whom he greeted with respect.

_ "Captain Hiro? What's going on?"

_ "First Lieutenant Itami. You and your squad must immediately return to the Asaka base for a urgent reunion, ordered by Major Yamata."