ASAHI NO NISHISEI - Rising Sun Goes West (1)

19 Heads Conference

November 5

Lithianburg Red Cross Hospital

"Uuuggh...! Director, you're late... what happened!?"

Toinai, a gastrointestinal surgeon sitting in the back of the Type 73 heavy truck with other staff members, muttered as he looked at his watch. His right leg continued to shake uncontrollably, probably from impatience.

"Ah... look!"

Iijima shouted frantically. His face turning pale, he pointed to a blurry cloud of dust. Everyone looked in the direction he pointed.

"...It's the pursuers! It's the Imperial Army!" Anesthesiologist Jojima exclaimed.

In the middle of the cloud of dust was the sight of a wall of people rushing toward them.

"This is not good... we have to get out of here!"

The sight of the army approaching to capture them filled them with a fear that was unparalleled in their hearts. If they were taken prisoner for the assassination of the late emperor and his family, no matter how they tried to prove their innocence, the only thing that would be waiting for them would be execution after horrific torture. When the impending death is clearly etched in their minds...

"Sorry for being late!"

With these words, the director of the hospital, Nagaoka, came out of the hospital door. In his hands were the communication device he had been using to contact Kanzaki and the others.

"You're too late! What were you doing!?"

Toinai scolded Nagaoka, who jumped onto the back of the truck with a dubious expression.

"Sorry! I couldn't contact Kanzaki-sensei and the others."

"...!?"

. . .

A group of Imperial Domain Army troops under the command of Alphon was running across the land, raising a cloud of dust. Their next destination, after capturing the Japanese embassy, was the Red Cross Hospital located outside the walls surrounding the capital.

"Catch every last one of the criminals who murdered the former emperor and his family!"

Jorde Cronkite, the commander holding the reins of his horse, raised the sword at his waist and urged his men to follow him. The soldiers shouted in response. Soon, an alien building, clearly out of place in the rural landscape on the outskirts of the capital, comes into view. In front of the buildings are three self-moving carriages, different in shape but used by the Japanese, called 'cars.'

"Hm... what's that!?"

Jorde noticed something unusual. He looked at the back of the cart and saw many Japanese people sitting in them.

"Could it be... they're escaping!" Jorde shouted.

He will not let the emperor's murderers get away. He kicked his horse in the belly and increased his speed. The footsoldiers, who had been running on their own feet, were approaching the hospital at full speed, trying not to be left behind by the commander and his cavalry. Just then, an unfamiliar sound reached their ears, and a plume of black smoke billowed out from the back of a car in front of their eyes. Immediately after, the car, which was not being towed by anything, began to move.

"Dammit! Don't let them get away!"

Jorde sped up his horse even more, trying not to let the Japanese doctors leave the capital. The cavalry also increased their speed, but the distance between the cavalry and the infantry begins to widen, as they are running out of energy. Jorde did not care about such things and increased the speed of his horse more and more. However, there was no way that the horses' legs could keep up with the vehicles, and they were being pulled further and further apart.