Dragon's Progeny: Chapter 50
When I made the decision to start this war, I knew that there would be losses. It came with the territory. No sane commander started an open conflict with their enemy without expecting to lose their own soldiers.
And yet despite that, the loss of Kon was definitely felt.
I was acutely aware of the lack of his presence standing beside me as I sat in the War Room, something that I would admit to growing accustomed to in the past few months. The man had been by my side consistently since I had become Yosei and I had never expected to lose him like this, or at all really. Though his fate wasn't nearly as bad as Tammi's, I was still worried about the man who had quickly become one of my closest friends.
I thought back to the moment I had learned of Kon's sacrifice. He had let his team get away in favor of staying behind and engaging Alabaster all on his lonesome. When I heard the news, I had been furious, worried, and a bevy of other emotions that I could barely even recall in the heat of the moment. All that had been important to me in that moment was my desire to match straight into Kaiser's kingdom to snatch my friend back from whatever gruesome fate had awaited him.
It had taken quite a while for me to come back to my sensei and see reason, thanks in no small part to Spook and Nana, and instead of throwing out victory in the war into the garbage, I had sent Lee in my stead to discover what might have become of my loyal subordinate. And what he had found had both relieved me and filled me with an odd sense of pride.
Alabaster was dead. The news had come as a shock to me and would likely be the source of numerous rumors and whispers around the city for years to come. He had been touted as unkillable, the perfect regenerator who could come back from almost anything. Keyword, almost. It seemed that once again, Bakuda's bombs had proven themselves to be worth their weight in gold, and not for the first time I found myself wishing I had kept the woman around in some capacity. Or at least her knowledge of explosives.
While it had been fantastic to hear of Alabaster's death, it was even better to hear that Kon had somehow managed to survive performing the feat. Somehow the man had managed to put down one of the most resilient capes in the city all on his own and come out on the other side alive, though according to Lee, he had been detained by the PRT shortly after the battle and taken somewhere more secure than the bloody street.
Lee hadn't been able to follow the transport due to interference by Dragon who had spotted him the moment he made his appearance and drove him away, but he had seen more than enough to assure me that Kon was still breathing and at least somewhat stable as he had been loaded up into the van.
It was a blinding relief to know that Kon wasn't going to be lost forever as a result of the war, and though I would much rather have him by my side I knew that the PRT was probably the second best place for him to be at the moment. At least with the heroes I wouldn't have to worry about him undergoing cruel treatment or torturous interrogation. He would be safe there.
And when the time came and the dust had settled upon the Empire's grave, I would have all the time in the world to break him out. And with Tammi by my side once again, there wouldn't be anything in this world that could stop me.
But that was in the future. For now, there were much more pressing matters to attend to. I straightened in my chair, focusing on the present once more.
My Faces had once again convened in the War Room to discuss important developments, though unlike before, the atmosphere in the room was much more optimistic and some could even say hopeful. Spook and Lee were both present as well, standing on either side of me with Spook taking the place of Nana who was currently busy playing her trade
Several Officers were also present, those who have something useful to add to the situation or merely ones who had taken more active roles in the short conflict. I didn't know them all by name but each of them looked vaguely familiar to her such as Hiashi's Officer, Teruo and Takumi’s officer, Muto.
Normally they wouldn't be allowed in the war room, but this was a special occasion and I felt I might have need of their input. Even if they weren't Faces, several of them had already added several talking points to the meeting and each of them had respected the position they had been given so they were given the privilege to stay.
“...and with the recent destruction of Empire fronts, we have enough space to make a proper staging ground inside of their territory without fear of reprisal.” Hiashi finished his report succinctly. Approving murmurs followed his words and I nodded thoughtfully, taking in what the man had said.
As Hiashi took his seat, Takumi stood, clearing his through, “Ahem. We've also nearly doubled our weapon stockpiles thanks to our raids. Ammunition is being replenished faster than it is being spent and the Empire's registry strikes have been mostly negligible though that is looking to change soon. We've used or ost a few hundred thousand worth of explosives and small arms but the bulk has been replaced by what we've stolen.”
That was good. Ammunition had been one of the main concerns when we entered this conflict. I inclined my head towards Takumi as he took a seat, before turning to the man by his side, “And how is our budget looking, Sadao?”
“Well, we've lost quite a bit of money because of the war. It's driven off quite a few customers and most are too afraid to start buying from us unless they were already regulars.” The man explained, making me nod, “We've pretty much paused our drug trade at this point, but I believe once everything is said and done, what we've managed to acquire will more than make up for it once everything is said and done. We may even make a profit this quarter.”
His joke garnered a few smiles from those around the table and I gave him a thankful nod, “Excellent. I'm glad we aren't straining our resources too much.”
“Apart from a small hiccup here and there, this entire war has been much easier than we could have ever expected.” Aoi spoke up, “We should have done this a long time ago, back when he Empire thought we weren't worth a second thought. We could have shown them how wrong they were if Lung-sama hadn't been so obstinate in his neutrality.”
Some of the Officers clearly agreed with him and even Takumi seemed to be on his side. I however, shook my head, “My father knew that war with the Empire would have been a lengthy conflict. You forget that all we have done is thanks to a variety of factors that simply weren't available to him, such as Bakuda's bombs or even my own powers.”
“Lung-sama could have defeated Kaiser and his entire gang by himself.” Takumi said, “ The Dragon of Kyushu never knew defeat until that fateful day.”
“He was powerful, but even he knew that his power wasn't absolute. It could be circumnavigated quite easily if someone knew how to do so, and once he fell, so too would the ABB.” I said, “My own power isn't infallible either, as shown by recent events. Where we differ though, and what has allowed us to come so far in this conflict, is that I chose to create allies within the city, while he remained alone. Had he done the same, I am sure that the ABB would have been running the city by the time I joined.”
I shook my head, “But we're getting off topic. Let us refocus. This war has stretched on long enough, and we need to discuss a way to end it before our momentum is lost. The PRT is getting antsy and with Dragon by their side, they are a much more potent threat than before. We need to end this before we have to fight the heroes as well as the Empire.”
“If I may ask, have you managed to find out, comrade?” Hiashi asked and I shook my head.
“Not just yet, though I expect that will change very soon. I am working with someone who will take care of the issue. The timing of which will hopefully coincide with what I plan to do.”
“And what would that be, Yosei-sama?” The faces of those around the room ranged from curious yet wary to openly eager, and I steepled my hands in front of my face as I gazed at them all seriously.
“As I'm sure you all know, throughout the war, Lee and our constant raids have done significant damage to the Empire's infrastructure. Combined with the fact that they are now out over half a dozen of their capes, Kaiser’s domain is noticeably faltering. He will have to make a move soon or it will crumble to dust within his grasp.”
“I assume we aren't simply going to wait for it to do so, are we?” Hiashi asked rhetorically and I shook my head.
“No, we are not. So far we have managed to keep them on the defensive and that isn't going to stop now. Once I receive word on the situation regarding Tammi, we will be making our move. One which will hopefully put an end to this war.”
Pausing for a moment, I took a quick sip of water to moisten my parched throat. Everyone around the room we're waiting eagerly for what I would have to say, and I was struck with an odd sense of dysphoria as I realized just how natural this situation seemed to me. These men who had lived my own life thrice over, all looking to me for guidance.
I could still remember when I had been dreading taking over my father's mantle as head of the ABB, but now it felt like second nature. How much had happened to me in the last few months, I wondered, that I had gone from a young adult living in her father's shadow without daring to step out, to ordering hundreds of men to fight and possibly die on my behalf? All for one girl. Love truly was a mysterious and dangerously powerful force, wasn’t it?
“My plan involves a large, overwhelming attack against the heart of the Empire, right on Kaiser's front door step, larger than anything anyone in this city has seen before.” I spoke, my voice unwavering as it carried to all those present, “A massive force, so large that the streets themselves would seem to be painted in our colors from high above. Or at least, that is what it will appear to be to the enemy.”
“In reality, the main force will simply consist of myself, Spook, and a handful of men to keep up the illusion of a force much larger than it actually is. Faced with the appearance that we are throwing everything that we have at him in a bid to crush him completely, Kaiser will have no choice but to respond in kind and finally leave his gilded castle.”
“While all eyes are on the main conflict, several strategic strike teams will attack the key points deep in his territory that we haven't been able to touch.” I smirked slightly, “By the time that he realizes what is happening, it will be too late. As his empire burns in the background, I will deal with Kaiser and the rest of his capes and finally bring an end to this war, all while leaving our own territory completely untouched.”
The plan wasn't flawless, but I was rather proud of it nonetheless. I had put quite a bit of thought into it and had bounced it off Nana and even Hiashi more than once. It counted on several things to work flawlessly and left little room for error, but if it played out well, then it would be the final nail in the coffin for Kaiser’s little regime.
While several people were on board with my plan, I could see that a few of them weren’t quite as sold. Aoi cleared his throat, speaking first, “It seems like we’ll be putting a lot of eggs into one basket, Yosei-sama. If you’re taken out during this plan, then we don’t have a hope of coming back from it. There’s no guarantee that you’ll be rescued if things go south.”
“Especially if Purity gets involved.” Takumi added on, looking concerned, “She hasn't been seen so far, but if she were to join at this late stage then there is no telling how much damage she could do.”
That had been a thought that had crossed my mind whilst I had been planning. Purity was right behind the likes of Legend when it came to ‘flying artillery’ capes. Her concussive beams could level buildings in a single shot if properly placed, and if she should happen to show up, then I would doubtlessly be forced to give her all of my attention before she did too much damage.
Luckily, I had it on good faith that that wouldn’t be an issue.
I shook my head, “We can't fold the winning hand because of factors that may not even appear. Purity has been completely silent so far despite her close relationship with Kaiser which leads me to believe that she likely won't make an appearance so long as we don't seek her out ourselves. Right now we need to focus on what is right in front of us and attain the victory that we have earned.”
I gazed at them all, imparting my confidence in my plan and even them with my gaze alone, “Here is a chance to end the war once and for all in a single, decisive strike. We will take the fight to Kaiser and end his reign just as my father would have. With power so overwhelming that not even ashes remain when the fires have burned themselves out.”
And once the Empire was gone and Tammi was finally back with me, perhaps I would be able to rest for a week or two.