ASAHI NO NISHISEI - Rising Sun Goes West (1)

Eve of the Battle

January 3, 2026

Custefai, Altian Empire, Wirenia Continent

Several merchant ships and numerous sailing warships lined the harbor of Custefai, the capital of the Altian Empire, a powerful nation in the east. Emperor Uvarito IV had decided to invade the mysterious undeveloped nation in the Far East, and under the direction of the Military Bureau, each ship was preparing to go into battle, bringing in supplies.

"...A sortie of 520 ships and 250 dragons? That's quite an excessive force for a frontier nation in the Far East."

Aphra Atelliol, a commander in the Altian Imperial Navy, looked up at the sailing warship Arsacus, which was preparing to launch, a puzzled expression on his face.

"I don't know what happened in the Far East, but we're dealing with a country that has completely defeated the Empire. I'm sure the Chief of the Navy and the Minister of Military, Lord Sitos, don't want to make the same mistake again."

Tema Sympathetic, a navy general, guessed the upper echelon's intentions.

At present, at each port city in the Altian Empire, including Custefai, is preparing to launch warships, dragon cavalry, and army soldiers to fight a landing battle in order to invade Japan. In total, there were 520 sailing warships, 250 dragon riders, and nearly 150.000 men. This was a tremendous mobilization of forces reminiscent of the invasions of Genko and Koan. This was clearly an excessive force for a Far Eastern country that was technologically inferior to the continent, but it showed the will of the Military Bureau to avoid a repeat of the unprecedented defeat off the coast of the Rovania Kingdom.

"The scheduled date for the sortie from the capital is ten days from now, after which we will join the fleets sailing from various places."

"Yes, sir... I understand."

Tema, who has been appointed as the commander of the Japanese invasion force, informs Aphra, the captain of the warship Arsacus, which is to be the flagship, of the future plans. At that moment, a soldier came running up to them. He saluted his superiors, Tema and Aphra, and reported the news he had received from the military station.

"Reporting, sir! Of the fleet dispatched to the Rovania Kingdom, the three ships, the Zusa, Remus, and Nemia, have just arrived at the southern port!"

"...What!?"

The soldiers announced the names of the surviving ships that had escaped from the Battle off Rovania. The two who heard the news, Tema and Aphra, headed for the southern front where the three ships had appeared.

. . .

Capital City Military Base

The three warships that returned from what appeared to be a crushing defeat, and the nearly 700 soldiers aboard them, were met with cold stares. The three captains of the three ships, Gorta Carthyridge, Courbeil Baumgarden, and Murphy McBurney, were summoned to the military station as soon as they arrived in port. The three of them were standing in front of the Milister of Military Affairs, Sitos Sphinoid, in the Minister's office, waiting for Sitos to make his first statement under the scornful gaze of the many generals gathered in the Minister's office.

"...So, why did you come back defeated? Tell me what happened in the Far East, and don't misrepresent it!"

Sitos' voice, filled with anger, echoed through the room. In the tense air, one of the three, Colonel Gorta, opened his mouth.

"A-as I have already informed you. The Far Eastern Union has been joined by a force that calls itself the Japanese—"

"I am aware of that. I'm not asking for the name of the enemy, I'm asking why we lost!"