Hana, Earth's Japan
At Tokyo, Hana and her group of friends was walking around the city of Central Tokyo after their class. The friend group was still in their uniforms as they immidiately went to the city to hangout
One of the boy turns around to face Hana. The blonde boy looks at the black haired petite and Hana's face went flustered despite having a expressionless face
"Yo! Hana! Have you decided where to eat yet?". The blonde boy named Izayoi Ayato says with excitement on his voice as they were able to finally hangout after excruciating exams and the group was able to finally enjoy the coming weekends. "I dont know...anywhere sounds good". Hana replies with a very expressive of a montonous, dull tone
One of the girls teases her from Hana's consistent colorless behavior and speech. "Come on Hana, dont let your voice be like your chest, flat. Try to be more expressive". Kaede Isami, Hana's closest friend threw a friendly banter to her cup size in a friendly manner which made her eyes grow into a stare which did get her into some form of other expressions other than nothing
"Now now, Kaede, dont flatten her self-esteem". Makoto Hanuma, another friend of Hana, these two girls have a uncommon way of throwing friendly banters to the whole group and it was quite uncommon for them to joke about Hana's breast size
"Alright alright! Knock it off you girls". A black haired boy named Hikaru, next to Ayato, help calm the girls down before anything goes sour. The girls qiuets down and Hana became overly-conscious about her chest area. Looking down on it with a blank stare as Kaede's words did get to her
"So! Since we can eat anywhere we want, what would be your preference of establishments, Hana!". The blonde boy notices Hana's sudden mood change despite not being clear on her face, decides to cheer her up by letting Hana choose the destination of lunch
Accepting the kind gesture, it took her a few moments to think of a answer until she spokes up. "A Barbeque House sounds delicious right now". The whole group smiled in agreement of Hana's idea of a BBQ House and the Blonde Boy raises his fist into the air in excitement
"Alright! Grilled Spicy Beef here we go!". Running to the streets with blind excitement is where the Blonde Boy expected a green light for pedestrian crossing was in fact green light for vehicles and he had stepped into the road unknowingly of a speeding truck heading his way, fast
The panicked passerby and his friends yell at him to cross the rest of the road or comeback to the sidewalk but the blonde boy was too scared to move as his brain didnt process the information that is going on right now
"Ayato!!" Hana screams desperately, it was one of the rare occassions where she had expressed some form of emotion, and this one is out of fear and concern
Hana threw her bag away and ran towards her crush, successfully pushing her blonde friend away out of harm's way yet taking the hit for him. The truck collides with Hana's body that threw her into the air and Hana had lost consciousness the instant the truck struck her at above the speeding limit
New World
The sounds of birds chirping and the sounds of busy chatter was heard outside. The peaceful background noises woken up Hana from her rest and she looks at her surroundings. A familiar yet unfamiliar East Asian Architecture greets her from the time she woke up. Her body immidiatley ached as if she felt hard as a sledgehammer hitting her body causing her some discomfort
It lasted for a few seconds until the pain went away before she lays back down to relax after her few seconds of discomforting pain, taking a look at her surroundings, she's in a unfamiliar house of a traditional minka or a traditional Japanese house. The house characteristics had Tatami Mats flooring and sliding doors
Not to mention her school uniform was replaced by a Red Kimono, she looks around but her head felt numb. Very confused at the situation but before she could process more, the sliding door opens to reveal a woman in her mid 50's by the doorway with a tray of water and a loaf of bread
"Oh my, it seems you're awake". Says the old lady as she walks to Hana's laying body. The old woman sits down on her knees and faces Hana who she has her sit down on her Futon. "Where am I? What happened...?". Hana asks with her motonous voice and the old woman simply answered. "You were unconscious by the river bank. Thank goodness I found you first before bandits did". Hana turns to the old woman upon hearing the word 'bandits' and she immidiatley knew something was wrong
Standing up to check outside for a moment while the old woman advices her to rest for a bit more but Hana didnt listen. She comes across a Japanese style engawa and went to the front of the house where the chatters of outside could be heard louder and louder as she approaches
Until suddenly stopping at the sight of Edo Period style of Japan in front of Hana. Greeted by the sight of none existant of urban buildings nor city scapes but instead of villages made of wood and light materials without a shed of the modern world in sight
Nothing...not even the simple clothing of t-shirts, jackets, baseball caps, leather pants, business suits or anything as it was replaced by old clothings like the Kimono and Yukata
"Wh-Whats happening...Ayato, Kaede... anyone...where am I?". Hana mutters to herself completely afraid of what is going on, she's nowhere near anything with a sense of familiarity
For a day and a half, Hana has isolated herself inside the Old Woman's house while the Old Woman had let her, she cant help but feel concerned on what has happened to such a young girl all alone
Hana felt hopeless, she's not just faraway but given that she was transported in another world from an information relayed to her in a dream made her chance of going back went to zero percent. Her plans, her future, everything was taken away from Hana
Hana didnt ate, let alone come out from the room provided by her until suddenly...
"Ah! My back! It hurts!". The old woman cries out in pain and Hana heard the commotion and see whats going on, walking through the hallway and to a living room, she sees spilt Matcha tea and the old woman laying on the floor holding her back with her face clearly in pain
"Obaasan". Hana says in worry as she approaches the old woman but upon checking out her condition, the old woman grew a grin and her pained face no longer visible. "I knew you'd come out". The old woman says while grinning at Hana
After that, the old woman and Hana had a serious conversation about her situation. Hana lied about being in another world and made up a story about her situation
The Old Woman is convinced from her story and Hana finishes her Matcha Tea. "Thank you for letting me stay here for such a time but I shouldnt bother you more than I already have. I will take my leave-". As Hana was about to stand up, the Old Woman grabs her hand and looks into the red eyes of the petite girl. "The outside world is such in no place for a gentle soul like you. How about this, I will adopt you as my granddaughter and let you stay here, you have nowhere else to go and it will be shameful of me to leave you all alone. Plus, having the company of a cute granddaughter makes me less lonely myself"
Hana remained expressionless but her eyes glistered with joy. The old woman saw this and gave a light smile as things were official now
A month later
Hana was familiarized by the large town that houses 7,000 people by the coast. Their main source of income was fishing and a moderate crop yield of rice grain
Hana's chores was simply help with the laundry, cook and help with shopping daily needs at the market
Things were peaceful it a clan of a different warlord took over the city in a skirmish that damaged the population and the nearby settlements including the town where Hana is currently. Harsh quotas were enacted at the to have the clan that took over replenish its number such as conscripting able body men as young as 15 into their ranks and looting food to feed their army
"Hurry it up! The Lord will not be pleased at this horrid productivity!". A man with a Naginata shouts at the towns folk loading foods at the carts but after counting, the soldiers were displeased by the result. "What is this?! Didnt we told you to fill 30 carts with food! Only 13 are filled!"
"Scoundrels! Dont you know that winter is just a few months away! Are you gonna let us starve?!". The Old Woman says and Hana immidiatley grabs her arm and shakes her head as a signal to not cause trouble but it was already too late as the Samurais know who had said that and approaches Hana and the Old Woman. "Do you have a problem with how we run things?"
Hana grabs her grandmother's arm and pulls her inward with the crowd to help blend in but both of them were stopped. A samurai grabs Hana by the hair and throws her into the muddy dirt while a few more went to her adoptive grandmother where she is forced to watch what was gonna happen
"Granny...". Hana looks at her grandmother with forming tears as she sees her grandmother beheaded due to being non compliant. Rage, despair, and hatred was on Hana's mind, not only she lost her old life, her new one is being taken away from her again
She didnt want to be chained up by fate's cruel doings. She wanted to be unchained from this harsh fate
A premonition hits Hana, she sees two outcomes on her mind and forced her to see both. The first one was the town turned into slave labourers to produce food and whatever the warlord needs. The second was Hana standing ontop of a Japanese palace overseeing a peaceful city
Her heart skips a beat but briefly, her hopes reignited and she looks up to see her dead adoptive grandmother's head being showcased to the crowd. "I want someone to kill them! I want to kill them! Dont touch Granny!!". She says with hatred on her voice, briefly losing her calm, expressionless face
Everyone looks at Hana before the samurai begins to laugh at her while approaching Hana. "Non compliant girls like you need to be taught a lesson". One of the samurai says with his imagination running wild while looking at Hana with extremely lively eyes
Hana didnt waver as she stares down the samurai while portions of her body covered in mud. Suddenly, a loud bang was heard and the Samurai who was approaching Hana was struck in the head and fell limp
Several other shots was heard and the townsfolk was thrown into chaos while the warlord's men was being cut down by who knows where
"Hana!!". A familiar masculine voice calls out to her, a voice that Hana has not heard in a month and she turns around and her eyes went wide. She looks around for the source of the voice but the hysteria of the citizens threw her off balance until someone catches Hana before she loses her balance
The gentle grip of a familiar hand was all too real and Hana looks up and her eyes went wide. "A-Ayato...?". A blonde boy in the same age range as Hana stood next to her with a Nambu Pistol at his left hand and a Katana at his right
250 IJA soldiers Hana unknowingly summoned has surrounded the Warlord's men trapping them like a fish in a barrel. Arisaka Rifles and Type 100 Shiki SMG's fires upon at the cornered samurais
She looks around her and see her friends from Earth were somehow there with Hana. Ayato, Hikaru, Kaede and Makoto fighting together along with the Japanese Army of the 1940's
But...something was off about them but Hana didnt care much as she was glad that she no longer is alone
It took them a few minutes to kill off the rest of the warlord's men and after a few seconds of silence, those who were hiding came out. The townfolk saw Hana grieving at her grandmother's beheaded corpse. Tears ran down her face while a gust of wind passes by which made her hair float
"Granny...Im sorry...if only I had knew sooner about this power of mine". This time, Hana stood up and wipes away her tears and looks at the townsfolk. "Everyone...from now on, you will be in my care. I promise that no harm will ever come to you"
A Month Later
Warfare ravage the whole island nation which is to unite it under the banner of Japan. Hana has ascended into the power of Shogun and became the supreme ruler of the island nation. The IJA crushes every warlord that dares to stand against Hana's reign of power, the IJN dominates the sea turning warships of old into wreckage and causing mass surrender of her foes as the sight of the IJN Fleet
And now, her premonition has came true. She stood ontop of the capital, rebranding it as New Tokyo. She stood at the palace balcony overlooking the city ahead
Behind her was her "friends" or thats what she used to call them
Despite her "friends" were a look alike to the original ones back on Earth, they were not the ones she used to know...the boys and girls, who she used to know as the cheerful and compassionate, were no longer as they serve her and help run the IJA and IJN
No more were the casual hang outs, no more does Kaede and Makoto makes friendly banters, no more does Hikaru keep his friends in check and acts as the older brother figure
Especially Ayato, the cheerful, humorous and optimistic of the bunch was reduced as a General that only plans for war and manages his divisions, no longer was he the loud and happy go lucky person Hana loved the most back on Earth
It pains her to see her friends so close yet so far away
Right now, she sat alone in her room. Her face clearly shows pain in a silent expression
No matter how good her food was, no matter how beautiful the palace garden was, no matter how peaceful the day was
No longer she could enjoy the company of her so called "friends". And now, Hana is lonelier than ever than she previously was
Present Day
There was a meeting between the ministers and military staff. It was of urgent matters and Hana was on the sidelines spectating the people she summoned to help her run the goverment
Admiral Makoto of the IJN stood up, she wore a black coat and underneath it was her white naval uniform which clearly states that she belongs to the Navy. A girl with medium bob cut hair and silver eyes and one of Hana's friends
Makoto states her report to everyone in the room. "The Kinu along with the Atago has been struck by a 15 inch shells and 203mm shells. Both vessels have been damaged and is currently under extensive repair, they have been struck at the eastern part of the ocean 60km away from Tokyo itself"
Makoto's patrol fleet has recieved major damages and is nervous about what was happening. In near territorial waters was the Japanese Navy been struck by a fleet that belonged to someone else's
"Who did the ship's belong to?". Hana raised her voice to gather everyone's attention and Makoto gave a confident reply along with a hint of nervousness. "That would be the Germans". Makoto handed the file report to Hana and there she flips it open and find a peculiar photograph taken by a crew member of the Atago. The ship was large and carrying what it seems to be a 380mm gun with the Kriegsmarine Flag
The German warships trespassed inside Japanese Waters and the crew of the ships resulted in firing first to deter the trespassing ships
She closes the report as the people bicker on what to do. Some of them resort to do payback as there was no way for the German Navy to beat the IJN, others resort to a diplomatic route. They were unable to get into a resolution of the problem
"I think its best for the Navy to decrease the actvities and stay near Japanese Waters for the meantime". Makoto says, trying to convince the others that they shouldnt be provocative but also go into a defensive if the Germans were to get aggressive. "No! We need to strike back, send our carriers, this shall not go unpunished! We have the initiative here!". Another admiral shouts having the pride of the IJN humiliated by a nation that has such a weaker navy than theirs completely ignoring Makoto's and Hikaru's non-provocative words
The room erupts into a loud debate amongst themselves on what approach should they choose, whether to play it safe or take the initiative
"Everyone, qiuet down". Hana says with her expressiveless voice but it was enough to gather back the attention of the people in the room. "Send a letter to the German government, I want to meet their leader"
The room was silent and Hana didnt look bothered at the silent critiscism and she was trying to avert a crisis. "Right here, in Tokyo, I want to meet their Chancellor"
A few days later
The sound of footsteps on wooden floor was heard and Hana waits patiently for her guest to arrive. She was inside the room, patiently waiting for her guest to arrive with her thoughts running and pondering how the German Chancellor would be
Will he be aggressive or will he be diplomatic, Hana cant help but feel nervous, for the first timenshe felt the nervousness of anticipation creeping on her since a month ago
Suddenly, the sliding door opens and she was greeted by the sight of a man in the age of 20 wearing a business suit. His prominent feature was a absurdly long hair for a boy that he could be easily mistaken as a girl if he was seen from behind
The blonde man had his coat off and sits down across Hana where Matcha Tea is served to both people. As Hana was gathering her thoughts on how to introduce herself, the man spoke up
"Führer, Elias Rosenkreuz, nice to meet you". Elias says as he extends his arm for a handshake. And the petite woman nods and extends her hand to accept the handshake
"Empress, Sorasaki Hana, pleasure to meet your acquaintance". Hana says with a expressionless face but Elias knew she was happy to meet him as well. Both of them wasted no time and immidiatley went to business about their meeting. "I've heard the German Navy fired on Japanese warships on our territorial waters"
Instantly getting down to business was Hana saying the incident that could lead to war between Germany and Japan but Elias was lax and had a confident smile. "Of course, the Kriegsmarine unknowingly entered Japanese Waters and that would be our fault for stirring up a conflict and I would like to diffuse the situation"
Hana felt relieved, happy and amazed by how Elias held no form of resentment to Japan and he immidiatley sought to solve things diplomatically
"The Reich will pay double the amount of damages we have done not only that, we'll give you surplus weapons like armored vehicles, anti tank weapons and such if you desire". Elias offers his generosity along with the acceptance of apologizing instead of throwing a tantrum. Hana bows her head in acceptance and spoke up. "Your kindness is greatly appreciated but I do think you're taking the blame too much. The Navy fired unprovoked causing your warships to fireback"
Hana couldnt bear to have Elias take all the blame to himself and offered her own faults as well. Elias smiled at how easily cooperative both can get
Unlike a certain nation
"Since you are here, would you perhaps like to discuss more at lunch?". Hana offers Elias an invitation for a meal and Elias couldnt possibly resist such a kind gesture through Hana's lack of emotions on her voice. "That would be very nice. Thank you"
Japanese Character Arts
Sorasaki Hana
Izayoi Ayato
Isami Kaede (No, its not Morgan from FGO, just a look coincidental alike)
Makoto Hanuma
Shirogane Hikaru
End of Chapter