The Dragon Strikes

[Vladilena Milizé]

Ryousuke "Dragon" Nishiyama, Ryo to his sister and the Dragon to everyone else, was an infamous member of the Inagawa-kai. As a feared member within one of the largest Yakuza clans, that came with a lot of status is Japanese society. Ryo loved the Yakuza, they had taken him in when he was just 12 and because of that he had been able to support his family in their most difficult times. In return for that he had specialized in taking care of problems for the Clan. Whether that was a rival organization or an uppity investigator or even a judge who didn't know their place. In recent times however the attacks on his second family had grown. First the LDP governments had ostracized the Yakuza from more and more segments of society, and now the so called New Japan Movement had vowed to wipe them from Japan entirely. This couldn't stand, Ryo had to send them a message. And what better message than putting down the mutt that held the Prime Minister office.

Yokohama, Kanto

Ryo walked through the streets of the city just south of Tokyo as with every step he took people stepped aside, as he approached a hostess club more and more of his brothers joined as the facility was surrounded. The people inside had no idea what they were in for, they had been lured there by hostesses for a very special reason. However despite being the only legitimate guests there, they were far from the guests of honour. Girls working for the Inagawa-kai had approached those members of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department that had been identified as vulnerable. They had tried to get into the Security Bureau or the Security Police directly, but the people in there were just too clean. One didn't need an inside man however when capable of bringing overwhelming force to bear. One just needed information. As Ryo stepped inside the Club, men behind him would lock the door while others had done the same to all other entrances. Once inside he could already hear the pigs engorging themselves on Yakuza alcohol, drugs and women. No these were not the highly trained elite protection officers that kept the country's politicians, diplomats and other trash safe. Yet in the Public Security Bureau they had access to just about as much information.

Once up the stairs when the other 'patrons' recognized Ryo the mood in the club changed as the women would step away from the officers and Ryo sat down in front of them. Three officers of the TMPD PSB, they were old and fat, they were disgusting. One of them not realizing in how much shit they were spoke up. "Where did the whores go? Hey you, boy, get me some drink and bitches"

However the other two quickly pulled him back, having recognized the Dragon. Ryo couldn't hide a little smile, it had been years since had blown up those police vans with the pigs still inside, but they clearly remembered.

"Chief Inspector, I will help your subordinates. I am the Dragon" Once he spoke those words the man's face would turn from annoyance to fear.

"Good, we are all on the same page then. All three of you work in the General Administration Division of the Public Security Bureau. By working in that division you have full access to the itineraries of the Security Police. There are two ways tonight can go. The women and the booze can return, and you can even get extra services from them. When you wake up tomorrow you will go to your work and give my man the next two weeks of the Prime Minister's itinerary as well as profiles on all her guards and the vehicles they will be using. Alternatively you can decide that you are honourable, and resist. In that case my men will castrate you and throw you into the Pacific. Choose wisely" He said as he got back up and left the club without even a second thought. He already knew how these men were going to respond, they had no honour.

Minato, Tokyo

"Therefore, while I am Japanese first, I will never forget the sacrifice of my mother or the suffering of my grandmother. The Kankoku are part of Japan and will forever be part of Japan. I promise you that as long as I rule this country will be as much your home as it is mine as its any citizen's!"

The crowd erupted into loud cheers as Kasumi finished her speech. Though frankly she could have just stood there silent for 20 minutes and she likely would have gotten a similar response. The Korean community in Japan had been perhaps the most excited having someone who shared their blood in the highest office of the country. Her ascension had miraculously even begun healing the divide between the Mindan (loyal to the South) and the Chongryon (loyal to the North). While she would have loved to stay with them, the agenda of a Prime Minister allowed for very little fun to be had. When she saw the Chief Cabinet Secretary in the corner of her eye she already knew what time it was. "Thank you so much for hosting me, while I would love to stay longer I unfortunately have to attend to matters of state. I promise I will return as soon as I can. Until soon" She concluded before stepping away among loud applause. As soon as she was off the stage she was surrounded again by her security and her aides. "Madam Prime Minister, we must hurry to your residence, the Joint Staff are waiting on us to hold a briefing about the role of the JSDF in dealing with the gangsters" Tetsuya, the Chief Cabinet Secretary said.

"Do you think he ever gets bored of telling me what to do?" Kasumi asked jokingly of Yumiko Karata, a tall black haired Japanese woman in suit with the Security Police badge. Yumiko couldn't help but laugh. "I don't think so, your Excellency" She replied, feigning seriousness. Yumiko was one of the few women working in the Security Police. While usually there was a healthy rotation to make sure that the guards and their charges didn't get too attached, they couldn't really put a male Officer in a position where he could see the Prime Minister in various states of undress. As such to protect the Prime Minister's dignity, Yumiko had become a de facto permanent guard. This was not a development Kasumi minded as she had managed to get along well with the woman, only about two years her senior. "The convoy is ready and the TMPD has cleared traffic for us, we should be able to get there much faster than usual with current conditions" She added more seriously to put the Chief Cabinet Secretary at rest. As they left the building she would immediately place the Prime Minister and the Chief Cabinet Secretary in the SUV before looking around her to make sure all was clear. Once she had she pressed her earpiece. "Cherry blossom secure, all clear. Return to base" She instructed as she would join the two government officials in their car. Her job meant she would be with Kasumi at all times while on duty. The convoy would take off at high speed, as had become common due to the security threats within the city, both from criminals and political activists.

While the convoy took off Ryo looked through a telescope in a nearby skyscraper. Just as planned. One had to admire the Japanese insistence on punctuality at times like these. Ryo would grab his SakuraPhone and dial a number. "They're on the move. Proceed as instructed"

There was a moment of silence on the other side until a reluctant 'Yes, sir' followed. Everyone knew how high the stakes were and what would happen if they didn't get it right.

"It was a good speech, Prime Minister. However I must caution against further provocations against the uyoku dantai. We can't take them on simultaneously as we deal with the Yakuza" Tetsuya said before they could hear a loud explosion and the SUV braking immediately. Before they could even get back up, a second explosion rocked through them, this time from the other side. Kasumi rubbed her fore head as she felt some blood. "What the hell is going on?" She asked in shock and fear. Yumiko didn't answer at first. "Your Excellency, two car bombs have exploded in front and behind us. We have been locked in and are looking for an alternate route out. This car is armoured so it can withstand an explosion but the roads are blocked right now" Yumiko spoke as she unholstered her sidearm and readied it to fire.

"All units, Cherry blossom unharmed. Secure exit immediately" She instructed while now gunshots appeared into the mix. "Stay inside" Yumiko instructed both Cabinet members as she stepped out of the car and locked it behind her.

Once she was outside, even with all her experience she was in shock. The full security convoy was in combat with what seemed like nearly 200 men armed with rifles and machine guns. "Home Base, this is Raven. Code red. Cherry blossom under attack by more than 200 armed combatants. Bring in all available reinforcements and send air support." Yumiko first relayed back to the TMPD HQ. Now she would turn to the Officers on site. "All units, converge on Cherry blossom. Protect Cherry blossom at all costs until reinforcements arrive"

The next 10 minutes would be close to a massacre, while the Security Police took out many more than they lost, the numbers were still against them. This would finally change when she could hear the sound of helicopters in the distance bringing in Special Assault Teams and even Imperial Guard who had been re-assigned from their normal obligations to protect the Emperor to aid in the protection of the Prime Minister. As these hundreds of highly trained and effective counter-terrorism forces came in they would wipe out the Yakuza that were attacking them. Her sense of relief however came to an end when in the distance she could see someone holding an RPG. As she saw it fire she immediately ran for the SUV and pulled the Prime Minister and Chief Cabinet Secretary out with likely more force than appropriate. She would be just in the nick of time too as only seconds after she pulled them out the car exploded. Things would go black and she felt a sharp pain in her stomach and a heavy weight on her chest.

 

[Vladilena Milizé]

"Yes, sir. I understand. We will be ready." Dr. Emi Yoshida said as she looked over the floor. The University of Tokyo Hospital was the designated hospital for any medical emergencies involving senior government officials or foreign diplomats while in Tokyo. They trained for this moment every month, but she had never expected it would actually be needed. As she put down the phone she pressed the button on the microphone to broadcast hospital wide. "Code White-1, this is not an exercise, clear the wing and prepare all teams" With that single line she had instructed the entire hospital's staff that the Prime Minister was inbound and that she was wounded. From this point an entire wing of the hospital would be cleared and the hospital itself would go in full lockdown with no one allowed to enter or leave. The police would soon take over security duties with even the military becoming involved in securing the facility and protecting the Prime Minister from all further attempts on her life.

Less than five minutes later a helicopter would land on the roof. The Prime Minister was taken off and to the reserved wing for observation. As the attending trauma specialist this would be Emi's second moment that evening to act.

"Madam Prime Minister, I am dr. Emi Yoshida. I will be taking care of you today" She said, introducing herself to the injured woman on the bed in front of her. Apart from torn clothes and surface wounds she couldn't immediately see anything problematic. However considering they were dealing with the aftermath of an explosion here, there could be a lot going on that they couldn't see.

"Thank you doctor, but I'm fine. Please just let me go so I can get out of here" The woman in charge of the country replied. Emi had great respect for her considering what she had already achieved at her young age.

"I am afraid I can't do that, Your Excellency. We need to make sure that you have no serious injuries first" She said as she nodded at some nurses to begin cutting away what remained of her clothes so they could inspect her entire body. After concluding there were no significant external injuries, now came the time to check for internal ones.

While all of that was going on Emi noticed the presence of the Chief Cabinet Secretary and the Minister of Internal Affairs pushing at the door to get in. She wanted to send them away but before she could she would be interrupted by Kasumi. "Let them in, I will cooperate with your treatments but I need to speak to them first"

Emi reluctantly agreed as one of the nurses let both of the Cabinet members in. "Madam Prime Minister, it is good to see you" Keiko Suzuki, the Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications started. "I am sorry to interrupt you but we need your instructions on how to proceed"

Kasumi sighed. "When all this is over we are reworking our emergency measures and order of succession. Keiko, do you have a State of Emergency order ready?" She said before coughing up some blood.

"Yes, and the Cabinet has voted in favour of it, though there may be issues with the Diet" Keiko replied as she handed Kasumi the paper. She read it over and couldn't notice any problems, except one. With a pen she would attach an additional instruction before signing the law. "Publish it like this" She said, before sending both away so they could return to her treatment.

 

[Vladilena Milizé]

As the Prime Minister was subject to the wide panel of tests and scans it became clear the situation was a lot more dire than the lack of serious injuries and her cheeriness would have implied. The final explosion of the car had done a number on her internal organs and internal bleedings were everywhere. Another discovery would cause horror to the doctors treating her. But that had to be ignored for now. The focus was the woman on their operating table. After hours of surgery Kasumi was finally taken out of the OR and to a recovery room. She would spend another several hours asleep before slowly waking up.

"She's awake!" She could barely hear a young woman's voice say. She felt foggy and both hearing and sight were only slowly coming back. "Your Excellency" She now heard more clearly as she saw Dr. Yoshida approach the bed. "How do you feel?"

Kasumi sighed for a moment as she struggled for her brain to give her an answer. "Like I was hit by a truck, but I didn't wake up in another world as a sandwich with magical powers" She said, commenting on the state of popular anime.

"That is probably the sedation wearing off. The surgery was a success and we managed to heal the internal injuries. Unfortunately I also have some bad news. We were unable to save the baby and you have had a miscarriage" Emi said, causing a mix of shock, horror, sadness and surprise to appear on Kasumi's face all at once.

"Miscarriage? I was pregnant?" Kasumi asked, startled by the news and struggling to believe it.

"I am sorry, your Excellency. I assumed you knew as you were five months along. But yes, you were pregnant and the damage of the final explosion meant we could do nothing to save the baby"

Kasumi needed a few minutes to let it settle in; she had been seeing someone for a few years and the conversation of children had come up but they had never actively tried and so far used protection every time. Regardless this was now a reality she had to live with. The cowards that had struck at her had missed, but in so doing they still had hit her child. If anything this made her more vengeful. "Thank you doctor, may I have some time alone" she said without emotion.

She hesitated for a second, seeing the look on Kasumi's face but she could also understand the request. "Of course" She said before motioning for the nurse to join her in leaving the room and closing the doors behind them. They would also inform the two Security Police standing guard not to let anyone in.

Kasumi looked out the window over the city as she let everything process in her head. She would do that for hours until finding the resolve to do something about it. She grabbed the phone and dialled the Chief Cabinet Secretary. "Tetsuya, I want to hold a press conference... From the hospital"

There was a pause for a moment, likely Tetsuya overthinking if this was a good idea and even if he concluded it wasn't deciding how big the chances were she'd actually listen if he said no. "Yes, your Excellency. I will get things ready"

The next hour would be a bit of a circus as her staff negotiated with the hospital how best to get her in front of the cameras without it affecting her treatment and in a way that she could project strength to the country. In the end they figured out a way to get her into a suit and leave any medical equipment out of the view of the cameras. While all of this was going on representatives from the various Security and Police organizations also briefed her on the current state of the investigation. They knew for certain which organization was behind it but had not yet managed to pinpoint it to specific names. As she 'stood' there she turned to face the cameras and press assembled. This would be a simple statement without the press being given the chance to ask questions.

"Thank you all for coming here. Yesterday cowards tried to attack our country. They did not do this with a military, they did not do this with political involvement, they did this with bombs. Hundreds of them tried to take my life, but they failed. Yet in doing so they killed ten sons and daughters of Japan, and they killed my child. Japan mourns for all those losses. Unfortunately for them they failed in their mission, and in doing so they have only strengthened my resolve to take them down.

So this next part I address to the violent groups commonly known as Yakuza. Your reign of terror is over, this is the last time you will have managed to strike at Japan so cherish whatever victory you think you have achieved. I will hunt you down, every single one of you and you will be placed before a court to face the maximum sentence. The gallows will be running overtime.

To those individuals and organizations doing business with them, I do not care if you think you need them for your protection or whatever justification you have to work with them. If you are found to have any ties with them, we will find them and we will prosecute you as well.

To the National Diet, I expect you to give me the tools to clean the streets of Yakuza filth. If you do not give me those tools the next attack by them will be on you.

To Japan, their reign of terror will be over soon. You chose me to create a New Japan and that is what I will do. A Japan clean of their filth. Thank you very much"

Despite the earlier announcement, the nature of the statement still made many rise up to ask questions as clarification but with the subtle help of her Security Police she stepped away from the stage and back to her room to finish treatment.

 

[Vladilena Milizé]

Ryo had to be careful, the new government measures had made business a lot harder on them. They struck and they missed and now his brothers were dealing with the consequences. Ryo however wasn't out of options yet. While the idiots that had given them the data had easily been caught by the new NID and in the process revealed enough to burn just about every connection his clan had to the police services, there was still one connection left that would surely stir enough trouble. The Chongryon had long worked within Japanese society to defend the interests of North Korean citizens, however in recent years the government had begun persecuting them more and more and even the support from the home country had dried out. Chongryon was one of two organizations, much like the Korean peninsula the Korean population in Japan was divided into one side that supported the Democratic People's Republic and one that supported the Republic of Korea. Generally the latter group was much more integrated while the former was not. Ironically the Yakuza had often fought against them but war makes for strange bedfellows. As he stepped into one of the few remaining Yakuza compounds the NID and the Japanese Army hadn't tracked down yet one of his men informed him that their guests had arrived. Feigning his fakest smile Ryo walked into the office. "Madam Yun, welcome to my humble abode" He said as he approached the young Korean woman, no older than 30. "I hope it wasn't too hard to find."

"Not at all, mister Nishiyama. Or do you prefer Dragon?" Min Yun replied.

"A lady like you may call me whatever you want" Ryo said flirtingly before offering her to sit down and then sitting down on the other side of the desk himself. "Pardon me for foregoing the usual pleasantries but there is little time left if we want to make the intended splash. I trust we are still in agreement on what is to happen?"

Min nodded. "Yes, we have secured the supply from our contacts in the home country and your contacts in the Port have come through. The compound is currently in our facility and will be transported here when I give the say so"

"Perfect, while our numbers have dwindled in recent weeks, we still have all needed people in place. When the clock turns midnight the people will be in for a massive surprise and they will know that whore cannot protect them".

Zojoji Temple, Minato, Tokyo - 31 December 2002 23:30:00
Kenji was exhausted. Today had been quite a rush. For weeks it had been uncertain whether New Years celeberations would even take place, but relenting to heavy pressure from the opposition the Prime Minister had granted a 48 hour exemption to the ban on assembly. Regardless of this he had still been uncertain whether to go. There were soldiers and police everywhere but with the amount of people on the streets it would be impossible to truly watch everything. However seeing the look of disappointment on his little girl's face when he was telling her they couldn't go just about broke him. The effect was strong enough that against his feelings he agreed to go after all. With that Kenji, Reina and Ayana Moriyama now found themselves at the temple entrance. There were many ways to spend the New Years Eve in Tokyo, but the ringing of the bells was always an impressive experience and no more was this the case then at Zojoji Temple.

"Daddy! Daddy! Can I ring the bell?" Ayane asked as she turned to her father.

Kenji first turned to his wife Reina who gave an approving look and then back to his little angel. "Of course you can sunshine, we'll buy a ticket"

As time passed the temple would get busier and busier. Unbeknownst to the Moriyama family there were also several Yakuza. Each of them had been handed a small container and instructions to place them at positions close to the public but out of sight. Throughout the largest cities of Japan there were numerous like them. Each package containing a timer set to go off at exactly midnight.

As midnight approached one could feel the excitement rise throughout the complex, the Moriyama family was in line to ring the bell when the clock hit midnight and the fireworks set off. As Kenji witnessed the fireworks show on display he suddenly felt a growing difficulty to breathe. Soon he felt weak in his knees as his arms turned heavy. "D... Daddy. I don't feel so... good" His Princess said as she put her arms around his leg. Kenji tried to pick her up but he didn't even have the strength for that. All around him people were showing similar signs as even the police protecting them fell to the ground. Only minutes had gone by but by that time he was barely holding out to life. With what strength he had he desperately tried to shake Ayana awake. He couldn't even scream for help, and Reina wasn't doing anything better. As the final life left his body his only remaining thought was 'If only we had stayed home'.

Thirty minutes after a message would be posted on 2channel, one shocking enough that even the usual edgy users relayed it to the authorities.

To the so-called government of Japan,

Your efforts to strike us down were worthy, but you have failed. We will never go away. Consider this a warning. No matter how hard you go after us, we will go after you ten times as hard. The age of terror has begun unless you meet the following demands.

1. The Cabinet resigns immediately
2. All laws passed empowering the security services, armed forces, or targeting any organization will be rescinded
3. All our brothers and sisters in jail or prison are given a pardon and released
4. You will pay 100 trillion Yen to the Inagawa-kai

Failure to meet these demands will lead to more attacks.

The Dragon

Sōri Kōtei, Tokyo, 1 January 2003 0:00:00
The mood in the Residential Quarters was one of excitement, while they had only been in charge for the past month, much had already been achieved and 2003 was going to be the year of not just the NJM but Japan as a whole. Still Kasumi was worried, she had relented in the spirit of the holiday to temporarily allow more freedoms but she also had read the security briefings that said while they were inflicting heavy losses on the gangs they were far from victorious as of yet. When a group of Solar Guard walked into the residential areas of the Residence Kasumi knew something was very wrong. "Yumiko? What is wrong?"

"I'm sorry, madam Prime Minister but I need to take you to the bunker. You will be briefed there"

Her staff looked up in shock but Kasumi knew the secrecy could only mean that it was something big enough she had no choice but to relent and wait for an explanation. She also knew Yumiko Karata enough now to see the look on her face and from there see what was going on. As she stepped away from her chair she followed Yumiko and the other guards who would take her through a tunnel directly to a bunker built underneath the Residence next to the Sōri Kōtei. Once there the heads of her Security Services, the NPA, the NPA NID, and the Chiefs of Staff of the JAF were all assembled.

"Okay, can somebody finally tell me what the hell is going on"

"Madam Prime Minister, our apologies for taking you away from the festivities. There has been a massive and seemingly coordinated terrorist attack. The attack has affected Tokyo, Yokohoma, Kyota, Osaka, Kobe,..." As the head of the PSIA kept listing the cities Kasumi turned nauseous. "They have used some kind of nerve gas. We suspect Sarin but are still investigating."

Kasumi had to sit down at this point. "How many?"

"Excuse me, ma'am?"

"How many dead?"

"We are still counting, ma'am, and this is a preliminary number as more information rolls in it can go down and as time goes on more may be added. But by our initial estimations. At least 20,000 dead and upwards of 150,000 wounded." The head of the NPA replied instead of his NSIA counterpart.

"Do we know who did it?" Kasumi asked.

"Not yet for sure. We did find a message posted on the internet claiming to be responsible for the attacks and listing demands to avoid future attacks. It was signed The Dragon. This would imply Ryousuke Nishiyama, the same person that tried to assassinate you is behind it"

Kasumi felt pure hatred grow inside of her. First he had taken her child and now he wanted to take her other children. "What were the demands?"

"The resignation of your cabinet, the reversion of all laws relating to his organization, the release of all Yakuza members and 100 trillion yen paid to his clan"

"I don't care what you have to do. Arrest his family, arrest his friends, arrest everyone who has ever known him and their families. I want his head"

 

[Vladilena Milizé]

Iruma Air Base

The Dragon had made his demands, but the governmental response would end his reign of terror once and for all. While initially it had been assumed he would lie low in one of the many hard to reach rural areas of the country, the PSIA's investigation instead managed to trace him to the city of Kobe. Ironically the most critical source of this intelligence had been one of his very own Yakuza brothers, as it appeared the New Years Massacre was a rogue action and the Yakuza were about ready to distance themselves from him. That being said, he still had a lot of support. In fact enough support that a direct deployment of the Special Assault Team was deemed too dangerous. The officers themselves would probably be okay, but the firefight simply was too risky to neighbouring civilian homes and traffic. Instead an approach was chosen that would bring in the Japanese Air Force. After final visual confirmation of the compound two F-15Js were to fly to the area and fire JASSMs to destroy the buildings identified as holding most of the terrorists, then taking advantage of the reduced numbers and the shock value the Special Assault Team (for this operation all prefectural SATs had been called up into a single national unit) would storm the compound and arrest the Dragon. Or if arrest proved unfeasible execute him. The Team commanders however had insisted that capturing him alive was the desired outcome so that he could stand trial and be executed the proper way.

Part one is what had brought the operation to Iruma Air Base. Captain Yukiko Mizutani and her wingmate First Lieutenant Shion Shibuya took to the sky in their F-15Js after having received the final sign-off from Command. As much as it was deemed critical to national security, the use of the Japanese Armed Forces on Japanese soil was controversial. Especially the Japanese Air Force. Not since World War 2 had Japan been subject to aerial bombardment. Additionally the concept of involving the JAF in what was essentially a civilian matter was extremely controversial to begin with it as it brought back memories of the complete domination of all factors of Japanese society by the military. Unlike those times however, the commands ultimately came from the civilian government of which no member was active military.

As the two aircraft came within range of the target Captain Mizutani would request one final confirmation. "Base this is Mizutani, requesting final confirmation of orders and permission to engage"

"Mizutani, you and Lieutenant Shibuya are to launch 4 AGM-158s to destroy the designated targets, after firing them you are to confirm targets destruction and report back. We have confirmed the package is on site and you are cleared to engage" Command would call back.

"Shibuya you take targets B and D, I will engage A and C" Yukiko then said directed at her wingmate.

"Understood Captain, will fire on your mark"

She waited until they were a bit closer but with the target locked in there was nothing holding them back.

"Mark" She said as she launched her own missiles, followed immediately by her wingmate doing the same. As they were designed to do the JASSMs would impact the targets with extreme precision and annihilate them entirely. Due to their precision and the limited warhead, while their targets had been destroyed the surrounding buildings had almost no damage.

Yukiko and Shion would make two passes over the site before calling back.

"Base this is Mizutani, targets have been destroyed."

"Well done, come back home"

As the fighters prepared to return Yukiko had a weird feeling in her stomach, a feeling her subordinate would be able to put into words perfectly.

"Did you ever think the first shot we would fire would be on our own territory?" Shion asked, using the short-range communication link that existed between the two jets.

Yukiko hesitated for a second how to answer. "No Shion, I did not. But whether they are on our territory or somewhere else, if they attack Japan we will destroy them"

Kobe, Hyōgo Prefecture

With the message from JAF Command that the air strike had been a success now would be the time for the Special Assault Team to shine. Taking into account the impending air assault and to avoid premature detection the forces had decided to maintain some distance from the compound. With the final go ahead from command they would move onto the compound. While the total force deployed consisted of about 300 officers, only 60 of them would actually storm the compound with the rest guarding the entrances and the area in general to arrest anyone who managed to escape or who wasn't on site at the time. The Yakuza in the compound were entirely overwhelmed. Apparently still dazed from the air strike they had trouble knowing what was even going on and failed to pose much of a threat. That being said, their orders had been clear. The Dragon was to be taken alive, the same did not apply to his people and the SATs did not have the time to focus on dealing with arrestees so even if they didn't fight back they still got a bullet. The rules of engagement had designated every male that appeared older than 12 a valid target. Women and boys younger than 12 would however be arrested with the small number of those present. One by one the SAT would close in on the centre of the traditional style Japanese villa where they had confirmed the Dragon to be.

Ryo for his part knew very well there was no escaping this and it would not make sense to fight them either. He had bet that the sheer scale of death would turn the government into compliance and he had bet wrong. There was a first time for everything he thought. With even the Japanese populace enraged more against them than the government, the Yakuza truly were lost. Heck, with even his brothers turning against him there really was nothing left to fight for. And he certainly wouldn't let that bitch parade him around as a prisoner only to be hanged in the end. All of this had made him put on traditional clothing and get his katana. Just as he positioned it to his chest a loud bang and bright flash stunned him. Feeling a kick in his dazed state, when he came to he lay on the ground with multiple men screaming at him. The Dragon had been caught.

 

[Vladilena Milizé]

Sōri Daijin Kantei, Tokyo 3 January 2003 22:00

With only the studio lights, the cameras and the teleprompter in front of her Kasumi breathed a short sigh of relief at the news she was going to present, still as ironic as it was for a public servant she still wasn't a fan of being in front of cameras. Perhaps a natural phobia for someone who had been harassed by cameras her entire life as the descendant of one of the most powerful industrialists in post-war Japan.

As a yellow light turned on, she redirected her focus to the camera knowing it indicated they had 30 seconds until the recording began. For this address to the nation they had opted to mirror the American model by having her sit behind her desk in her office.

Once the light turned red it was as a switch turned in her own head as well and the more cautious even shy Kasumi turned into the fearless Prime Minister of Japan.

"Citizens of Japan,

A great horror has befallen this great nation. I spoke to you about the threat of unchecked crime before and while I wish I had been proven wrong we unfortunately all had to suffer this lesson in the most painful way possible. 25,000 of our people have died. Another 180,000 are fighting for their lives. I want to give special thanks to all the doctors and other medical personnel working tirelessly to save as many people as they can. Both the Japanese and those sent by our international friends. It is said that in times of incredible crisis one sees who their true friends are. I guess we now know which countries we can certainly count in that list.

While it may be a small comfort considering the scale of this disaster, I am glad to announce we have arrested the person responsible. In a perfectly executed joint operation by the National Police Agency and the Japanese Air Force we have arrested Ryousuke Nishiyama, or he is also known the Dragon. In the same operation we managed to decimate his organization and render them powerless. Thanks to a large number of sources that have come forward since the New Years Massacre out of sheer disgust for their action we were able to perform this operation, and as we speak the NPA is working to arrest the remnants and their contacts that provided them with the gas they used.

We will never forget what we lost, and we will never forget the danger of terrorism that looms over every peace-loving democratic nation that places the interests of its citizens first. To honour the dead I am declaring a national state of mourning to last 31 days from this day. I am also preparing legislation to mark January 1st as a memorial day. It will be a long time before we will feel normal again, but we must move forward.

Because of this and because of the elimination of the greatest threat facing our nation I am issuing a Cabinet Proclamation to rescind Proclamations 2002-2 and 2003-1, the 24 hour curfew ends now, as do the specific restrictions for the Shizuoka Prefecture. The National Police Agency will however take over command of the Shizuoka Prefectural Police to clear it of its rampant corruption. Beyond that we will open our airspace to non-medical and and non-emergency flights again and removing the final restrictions on our ports.

Our security services are more vigilant than they ever were before, our police services are on top of any possible threat and if push comes to shove the Japanese Armed Forces are there to help. Mourn the dead, care for the injured, but live your lives. The terrorists will only have won if they succeeded in their goal of leaving you in terror. Do not let them win."