Galveston, Texas: Urban Area

It was clear to everyone that winter was harsh and difficult. Both food to fill people's stomachs and fuel to keep warm were being sent to Japan from all over, but due to the physical destruction of administrative organizations by precise bombing and the lack of information about who was where, the chaos continued with no end in sight. Furthermore, in various parts of the world, a collision of famine and riots was occurring. The United States, which had almost no damage to its homeland during World War II, had become a food warehouse for the Allied countries, including the UK and France, but that premise was shattered overnight.

It was none other than himself who had created such a world. Lieutenant Fanning, of the Navy's VFA-27, couldn't help but think so as he alternately watched the convoy of the Self-Defense Forces and their ancestors with empty eyes. There was no other way, and the possibility of things getting worse was very high. It was true if one thought about it rationally. However, words were powerless in the face of the cruel and harsh scene before his eyes, and he couldn't blame the members of the provisional government for the decision they made with a heavy heart. His mind was backed into a corner and thoroughly beaten.

"So..."

In the midst of eerie glances, Fanning headed towards the Catholic church that had been spared from the war. He was going to confess his sins, which included his patricidal deeds. If he couldn't be judged by the laws of reality, he had no choice but to leave it to God, even if he didn't know whether he would be forgiven.

Of course, he was aware that it was a thoughtless action. He would likely be accused of betrayal and being a devil's agent, and in the worst-case scenario, he might die. But if that happened, it would be God's will. At least, he thought it was much better than giving up his duty and shooting himself in the head or crashing his plane into the sea. However, as soon as he put his plan into action in the solemn confessional, an unprecedented chill ran down his spine.

"Oh, holy one. Lieutenant, you are undoubtedly one of the saviors sent by God."

"Huh!?"

Fanning couldn't believe his ears. The voice of the priest on the other side of the wall was not hesitant and was pure, but for that reason, it led to the abyss of fear.

"Until just recently, we were like wild beasts writhing in the depths of depravity. The vulgar incitement of popularly elected politicians and media outlets with a fundamentally lacking sense of ethics, led us astray and enabled abnormal and cruel slaughter. Sanity was nowhere to be found, and there was only a perverse affection for pouring hatred and contempt for people of color, and setting fire to innocent people's heads with glee. How can this be expressed without using the word 'hell'?"

Even if he tried to refute it, his voice wouldn't come out. The world in front of him twisted in a non-Euclidean way, and miasma filled the air. The confession room became like a torture device, tightening around his body. His mind cried out like a baby.

"If that's the case, then this Time-Space Cataclysm was surely the will of God, and this war was undoubtedly a punishment from God for us who had fallen into beastliness. There were certainly many victims. However, it was only through the purifying flames of the God Army of the beautiful and harmonious era that we were saved from hell without an exit. If you think about it, even if we were not destroyed like Sodom and Gomorrah..."

"Stop, stop it!"

Trembling uncontrollably, Fanning strained his voice.

"Who in the world would force such a thing on us?"

"Lieutenant, that's not true. We have all listened to the word of God and followed His great will. Isn't that something that even you, the Savior sent by God, should know?"

"AAAAAAA...!"

He instinctively covered his head, blocked his ears, and tried to drown out the loud and vulgar curse words. Even so, the priest's voice, which sounded genuinely concerned, pounded against his ears like chaos creeping up on him. Fanning couldn't help but flee the confession room. He stumbled and fell, feeling like he had been struck on the top of his head with a hammer. The gazes of several people who had gathered to pray were fixed on various parts of his body. Their expressions were completely ordinary, but everyone looked like a strange monster in human skin.

"This... this can't be happening!"

Fanning screamed as he ran away like a rabbit. It was a world where the understanding of reality was refused, where the world was distorted from top to bottom, like a crazy dream in the grip of a fever. It showed an endless expanse, with no way to escape, and Fanning's shadow cackled with laughter.

In short, hell was right in front of him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

San Jose, California: Temporary Command Post

The remains of the beautiful city on the south coast of San Francisco Bay were covered in a strange atmosphere. It was extremely rare for members of the Self-Defense Forces, auxiliary personnel, or UN troops with blue helmets to be attacked, and even rarer for such attacks to be successful. However, while the security in the area had improved compared to the Cotton Belt region, which had been partially neglected due to its low strategic value, it still raised eyebrows. Captain Mizukami of the Amphibious Rapid Deployment Brigade was experiencing a glimpse of such a situation.

"Captain, we've accomplished a great feat," said the hairy man with a vulgar smile.

The man and his entourage, along with a young woman whose focus was completely unfocused, had come to a temporary command post. On the table, there was a skull that appeared to be of Asian descent.

"This shit amateur got his hands on the skull of one of your compatriots. About two years ago, her crazy boyfriend, who was deployed to some island in the Pacific, did something insane like cutting off the head of a Japanese soldier who had died in battle and boiling it in a pot, and then gave it to her as a Christmas present or something."

"I see."

"Well, we thought it was unacceptable, so we took it back and brought it here."

"I understand."

The lieutenant nodded in a business-like manner in English. Then, in Japanese, he ordered his subordinate to store the skull as evidence. The young sergeant clasped his hands together and recited the Nembutsu before carrying the skull away, staring resentfully at the empty space.

Then, he peeked at the screen of his notebook PC and quickly read the contents of the text chat. The person he was communicating with was a temporary legal officer named Takashina, who was secretly monitoring the room and would contact him if anything happened. Currently, the SDF and the "UN forces" were acting as a substitute for the US martial law, which was completely unexpected. In order to give the military government at least some legitimacy, they employed a large number of legal professionals as legal officers and somehow managed to shape it. It should be noted that although the revision of Article 76 of the Constitution, along with Article 9, is scheduled to take place soon, there is still no military court or anything similar in the Self-Defense Forces. Many people are likely to be dismayed by this fact, but in the end, it was a war.

"So," he said, glancing at the woman who had been brought in. "This woman was in possession of the remains."

"Yes. She's a lunatic who enjoys skulls, so we punished her. Please shoot her or do something like that."

"Punished her... what did you do specifically?"

"Captain, you're a man, you should know."

"I see."

He held back his nausea and pretended to be calm. He ignored the absurd demands for rewards since they had captured the criminal, and continued to communicate with Takashina through text chat. As for the possession of the desecrated remains of war dead, it would normally fall under Article 190 of the Penal Code. However, it was a complicated matter because they had to respect the laws of the United States mainland to some extent, and the advisors to the temporary American government were too busy to catch them.

Meanwhile, the thugs began boasting about their crimes, and believed earnestly that they could get a reward for it, which made it impossible to deal with them. These people were undoubtedly using completely different language until at least July of this year. Violence against people of color was said to have been extreme even in California, so they may have been striving to create some strange fruit.

Completely insane... with a sigh full of disgust, Mizukami continued his work.

"You may be charged with the crime of corpse desecration."

He first informed the woman of this.

"It is certainly not an ethical action. However, in consideration of the fact that this is a special case in wartime, we will leave it at questioning for now. Second Lieutenant Tashiro, take her to another room."

"Understood."

His subordinates responded quickly and the woman was taken out of the room in a daze.

The bearded gang looked at the situation in genuine wonder, speaking to each other in ear-splitting English, wondering what on earth was going on.

"And now, I will arrest you all on suspicion of rape and injury," Mizukami declared as if he were purging evil. "Everyone, restrain them. Prepare for a military tribunal."

"What... Captain, are you kidding!?"

The words, full of disbelief, rang powerfully in Mizukami's mind. It was a tone of voice that had been repeated over and over again, using every means to turn it into an unquestionable way of life, of taking what was borrowed and adding one's own share before openly pushing it onto others. It was even more detestable than being directly insulted as an invader, and it made him feel as if he were seeing something that embodied the evil side of human nature.

However, what was most terrifying was how vivid and close it felt. People of the same kind as the scruffy, faded-bearded group were posing as spokespersons for the "Japanese army" and killing former US military officers, as well as burning the homes of those who were said to have been supportive of the war, not just in San Jose but throughout North America. These were the same people who had become pacifists at the end of the war, the Parisians who shaved the heads of prostitutes who had been with German soldiers, and the scoundrels who led the violence against repatriates on the continent. They were savage ghosts wandering aimlessly through society, seeking defenseless sacrificial lambs and unilaterally throwing stones to secure their position. And this is by no means a thing of the past. There were plenty of easy converts who joined the Unity Party, and there are still those who misunderstand the top-down structure of military organizations. Perhaps even within their own hearts, such violent tendencies may be lurking.

"I want to go home as soon as possible."

Around the time when the pitiful and pleading voices of the thugs had faded away, Mizukami muttered vaguely. Unlike in some novels, there was no sense of superiority among the conquerors. Perhaps it was because they had seen nothing but scenes like this that a certain army general named whatchamacallit in the UN command had recently suffered a mental breakdown.

It was also a temporary measure for the ARDB to deploy to San Jose, so their wish to return home was granted relatively quickly. However, as for the woman in question, while she had been ordered to be protected by the local police, she later went missing, and that information did not reach Mizukami's ears. If there was any consolation, it was that the remains that were brought in were authentic and were delivered to the elderly relatives.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Minato Ward, Tokyo: United States Embassy

"Miss President, the Japanese government has expressed its disagreement with the convening of a special military tribunal."

Reporting as a temporary proxy, Secretary of Defense and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman, Lieutenant General Haddington, conveyed this message.

His predecessor, Lieutenant General Fargo, had been busy with his duties since Operation United States and had remained in Washington D.C. in 1945. Many others had also been assigned to the United Nations Command, so the interim government had become somewhat quieter.

"With regard to the prosecution of war criminals, the policy is to limit it to actions that are not contrary to existing legal customs... There is some discussion regarding the crew members of the planes that carried out the indiscriminate bombing in Tokyo and the officers who ordered the operation, but most are likely to not be prosecuted. Of course, politicians, including President Truman, will not be held accountable for any crimes."

"That's strange," the interim President, Patterson, tilted her head. "I thought they would want to do something that reflects the Tokyo Tribunals."

"The Japanese government, or rather a considerable portion of the Japanese people, do not see any value in associating this war with universal international justice. They see it as a result of seeking survival and the restoration of their daily lives, nothing more and nothing less. While there were many who called for revenge for the air raid on Tokyo... Instead of getting double revenge, it turned into 500 times revenge, so it is generally recognized that sufficient revenge has been achieved."

"But... didn't they originally demand the extradition of those responsible?"

"In a sense, that's the frighteningly cunning part."

Reflecting on the information they had obtained so far, Haddington continued.

"The Japanese government may have been seeking a relationship based on international laws and conventions up until they attempted negotiations. However, when that completely broke down, the relationship with the homeland of that era transitioned to a Hobbesian state of nature, and Japan embarked on a thorough path of self-reliance – that's the summary of this war. And because it was a war of self-reliance to the bitter end, unilaterally judging the loser with retrospective international justice could ultimately lead to denying one's own choices and all efforts in prosecuting the war. Justice and law are inherently binding on all people equally, so once you choose self-reliance, you should not bring it up after the war."

"In other words, everything related to the war should remain within the war, and anything beyond that should remain beyond that, resolving everything in that way without introducing any unnecessary ideas. That's how the legitimacy of that merciless war is maintained. Is that what they're thinking?"

"That seems to be the case," Haddington nodded in agreement, recalling the words of the strong-willed Muto.

"I would like to ask you not to insult our war, as a high-ranking government official leaked."

"I feel like I've just experienced the most sophisticated rudeness."

A melancholic and somewhat self-deprecating tone escaped from Patterson's lips.

"Prime Minister Kato's words at the previous summit, stating that the defeat did not invalidate the previous way of the nation, may have come from his sincere beliefs."

"Yes, and they may have had a conviction that it was for their own good."

Haddington also smiled faintly. Although it was somewhat difficult for those who stood by the lofty ideals of a community rooted in history and tradition, it may not be necessary for a nation to reinforce its self-existence with international justice. In that sense, Haddington had some inexplicable concerns, but they were overwhelmed by the impending crisis.

"At any rate, Miss President, the Japanese government's policy will undoubtedly benefit our ancestors. Therefore, we should watch how our great predecessors fulfill their duties. It's almost time."

"Yes, let's do that."

Patterson and Haddington left the office and headed to the crowded conference room.

Amidst the nationwide turmoil and confusion, President Truman was scheduled to tour various places, ready to be pelted with stones, and explain and repent to voters. The first one was about to begin shortly, and it was planned to be broadcast live around the world through the communication and broadcasting infrastructure hastily built by the self-defense forces and auxiliary forces.

"It will surely go well," someone murmured. He cited the tour of the Shōwa Emperor in postwar Japan as evidence.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In Chapter 117, the political monsters of political science started to thrash and seep into various things.

Chapter 118 is scheduled to be updated around March 12th (Friday) to 15th (Monday). Thank you very much for your comments, bookmarks, ratings, etc.

This work contains elements that can be described as a kind of inverted mirror image of history. In such a world, there are many things that can be established as they are by simply reflecting them in a mirror, but there are also things that cannot be reflected in a mirror and things that are undesirable. Some may be surprised by the response to the Special Military Tribunal, but if you can imagine what they are and what they lead to, it would be greatly appreciated.

As for the handling of remains under US law, I honestly don't know much about it. It is said that the act of dismembering and desecrating the body of a soldier who died in battle was punishable by death under military law at the time (although it is not known if anyone was actually punished for it). However, it is unclear whether the recipient of such remains could be held criminally liable. If anyone has more information about this, please let me know.

- Kujaku Aoi