A/N: Title means: "Don't let them get through" or "They shall not pass"

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D-Day of Operation Taki, August 7th, 2025

00.00 JST

2/LT Kousei Arima

"Incoming drones, take cover!!"

At the company's assembly area, the howl of air raid klaxon means only one thing as the rattle of vehicle-mounted anti-aircraft cannons shook the entire block out of their bed.

"You're lucky!" boomed Kawashima, whose tank was parked beside me. "Others back in Korea or Taiwan lost some of their vehicles, depend on how well they concealed, before they even started moving!"

"Get your asses low before those things struck!" That was the no-nonsense command of Sergeant Minato. Ever since they met, things were fine between two tankers; I did the thinking, gave the orders, and led the platoon while Minato led the training and did the motivating, discipline, and the ass-kicking, which to the latter were all one and the same.

Six descending fireballs lit the pitch-black sky, followed by a rush of jet engine roaring as nearby fighters and drones were sanitizing the skies.

As the clear signal blared, canteen, protective mask, weapons, everything bounced and banged against my body as Okazaki commanded from the radio "All unit, mount up!"

I broke into a sprint straight to the tank number 11, my war horse.

"All units start your engines!" boomed Okazaki again. From my commander's station, my eyes were on Kaori as she ensured that her infantry platoon boarded their pre-assigned Type 89s in the manner called by the Force as "an organized and timely fashion".

Or in this scenario, more like "a controlled chaos" with explosions erupted all over the horizon.

It's not an absence of fear... That voice of my love echoed though my head. Then I put my helmet on, and I'm fully ready to face a certain death.

"Watari, bring this beast to life! Kitazawa, check the computer for the last time, and keep eyes on any troubles."

"Yes, sir."

"Yes, sir!"

Amongst the ensemble of diesel motors I keyed the mike. "First Platoon, this is your commander speaking. Follow me."

"Artillery incoming! Move now!!"

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2nd Lt. Arima Kaori

I had myself secured inside my assigned Type 89 Kai, numbered 41  just in time as the Reds began humping down arty over the Japanese' heads.

As the march commenced, the force is keeping tab on development outside Iwakuni.

"The 10th Division's 22nd Brigade, is still defending the area around Atago Hills with what was left of the US 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team - 25th Infantry Division. while the 100th Gaikokujins reinforced by a company of heliborne 9 Sikh Light Infantry of the Indian Army are currently defending the hill. Our objective is to reinforce them and relieve enemy's pressure from the bridges before we counter-attack. Meanwhile, using E2 Expressway; British battlegroup and 32nd Infantry is approaching to reinforce our right flank around Kintai Bridge and engage Chinese airborne troops there. From Matsuyama, Navy's 3rd Amphibious Regiment has been slotted to attack the town of Yanai, further south, time not determined, with the element of 14th Brigade in order to threaten the Chinese rear as well as to relieve the besieged Yashiro Island garrison. Simultaneously, the element of the US 3rd Marine Expeditionary Brigade are on it's way to reinforce our defenders in Kyushu..."

The gunner will take over my duty as vehicle commander upon I dismounted, hence a need for a relief gunner to sit inside the passenger compartment.

Sure thing, being slender in frame, when artillery began to pound us it will be hard for my body to absorb.

"Ma'am."

"Yeah?" The one who wanted a word from me was the first gunner/relief commander, Sergeant First Class Subaru Katayama. "Tell me what do you want and make it quick."

"Ma'am, you can answer this later, but do you think we are going to bring this war to their soil?"

On the intercom I put on my reply.

"Your question is too early this time, Sergeant. Not even our higher ups know what's next."

"I understand, Ma'am... wait, identify, enemy scout squad. They have not yet seen us and the convoy."

"Contact confirmed." Kaori acknowledged at her gunner using the information from her helmet. "Engage before those robots call for help! They must be got that parachuted or dropped by helicopter behind our lines!"

Modernized Type 89s have better stabilizers on it's turret allowing it to fire on the move as accurately as the tanks and ground drones.

"Firing 35mm."

The hum of the turret being slewed towards an abandoned house covered the entire vehicle, and then slow thuds of 35mm autocannon burst around the area. Short, but enough to ensure its neutralization.

"Identify, more hostile UGVs with anti tank weapons, engaging." reported a second vehicle behind me.

"Engage the sensors first! I'll call our own to assist." Sure enough, the combined force of Type 89 and Type 23's cannons, both from the my platoon as well as element of the regimental scout platoon, further aided by heavy machine gun fire from the tanks nearby were too much for the opposing force which was identified as Chinese-made Sharp Claw IIIs airdropped behind our lines, with it's corresponding operators. Smaller than our Type 23, the Sharp Claw III was nonetheless deadly in their own right.

I put on a short breath, upon realizing how we had won our first battle with enemy robots, but it won't be the last time.

"Excellent job, everyone."

"Thank you, ma'am!" Katayama's gleeful response reminded me on a much more innocent times, with examples are many, like a teenager who had just allowed to drive the family's car.

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2nd Lt. Arima Kousei

From my night vision I could make the figures of raising smoke from bombardments ahead.

The 22nd Brigade was an all-wheeled force with Mitsubishi Type 20 8x8 infantry combat vehicles armed with a new 40mm autocannon supplied by a Franco-British joint venture, and Type 16 "Maneuver Combat Vehicle" wheeled light tanks with 105mm or 120mm tank guns. The attached Foreign Volunteer Regiment on the other hand was given less armored support. Instead, it's soldiers deployed either by helicopter or by armored mine-resistant trucks like Australian Bushmasters or American supplied-Oshkosh JLTVs. Overall, Rapid Deployment brigades and divisions, colloquially called "mediums", were less well-suited for prolonged direct engagement with Chinese tanks.



Mitsubishi Armored Vehicle prototype. In this story were adopted into service as the Type 20 8x8 Wheeled Infantry Combat Vehicle. Strongly resembles the British-Dutch-German Boxer.

The battle symphony has become more and more varied. The initial massive bombardment was replaced by irregular target of opportunity, while hums and explosions overhead signaled the presence of drones from both sides.

The anti-drone crewmembers were earning their stripes, on the ground and in the air.

"Incoming missile!" It seems that a couple of Chinese attack drones had Tank 11 on its sight. However, the Hitomaru Kai was not completely helpless against such threat thanks to Seki, or Barrier, a vehicle active protection system developed in Japan in technical cooperation with an Israeli defense contractor Elbit Systems. Here's how it works: it used multiple radars and explosive rocket interceptors to engage and destroy RPG rockets, anti-tank missiles, and even high explosive shells fired from tank guns.

"Missile intercepted," called Kitazawa, as outside cameras confirmed the report. "They better run or get wrecked, sir."

"Sure" I focused my eyes on the helmet and cameras outside as it caught glimpses of our own drones charging ahead to engage it's Chinese counterpart.

The drones gone, but it quickly changed as two hums, growing rapidly into roar of jet engines came screaming toward the small hill from the east just as the others had that night.

Suddenly an alert came from the regimental net. "Enemy aircraft incoming!!" Without assistance or organic air defense of it's own, the column stood little chance of hitting fast-moving jets.

"It could be the Chinese's own' derivatives to the Russian Flanker." I muttered.

A Type 91 PSAM man portable short-range anti-aircraft team somewhere in the scout cavalry's sector inside the city area had no hesitation about engaging, however. Their mobility using Kawasaki off-road bikes or American supplied electric bikes for quieter insertion was really helpful in breaking through forested and mountainous terrain on their route. I watched through the night vision as white smoke trails of the Hand Arrow, it's colloquial name, raced upwards after the second jet, which turned out to be Chinese J-16s. But it did not find its mark.

The Chinese pilot dropped small flares and made a hard turn and dive. The missile detonated harmlessly in midair as the second jet turned to join the first, and both disappeared up the small hill.

The problem for the communists had just started as a larger smoke trail from a Type 11 mobile short-medium range SAM somewhere on the outskirts of Iwakuni, were captured by the thermal reading, added by tracers from anti-aircraft cannons. As if to underscore that point, two more hums emerged from the north. But they had made a mistake by passing the same area as the first pair of J-16s. Two PSAMs raced up to greet the Chinese jets, one found its mark causing the jet to tumble over as if kicked from behind, then disintegrate in a rolling orange ball of fire. The first jet kicked in it's afterburners, and turned back.

Kitazawa, who had also been watching the engagement, let out an "Ah, neat! Hey, Private Ryouta-kun, you missed it!" if he was watching fireworks in Sumidagawa (1) instead of the destruction of a fighter aircraft worth multimillion renminbi.

The gunner then gushed the action to Watari in his own colorful way. I have to admit that it was quite neat.

"One less enemy jet to worry about, right?"

I replied to my erstwhile best-friend. "Indeed, private."

Several friendly buzzing overhead, signaling our overhead unmanned cover in the form of multicopter swarms from brigade, followed by a crackle. It's a message from the Colonel "This is Eagle 6, the cavalry's ETA to the bridgehead, 20 minutes!" 

It's also when radio chatters from the embattled medium regiments start coming in.

"... The Commies are renewing their attacks with wheeled armor and drones towards our main bridgehead near the coast. Get them off the leading company!"

And from the net, Captain Kawashima had Team Kirin know that the Colonel had decided to commit us first into the main battle after the scout cavalry unit were currently taking position along the bridgeheads.

I keyed on the mike. "Welcome to Iwakuni. Buckle up, people, this is going to be a rough ride to us all."

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2nd Lt. Arima Kaori's POV

3rd (Mechanized) Platoon

Iwakuni, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan

"This is Eagle 6... Be advised, the 1st Company of the 14th Infantry Regiment had been reinforced by the element of their second company and 10th Cavalry (3). They had repulsed two waves of enemy medium armor so far."

"To all Kirin callsign, head straight for Phase Line Masamune. We are showing you on your map right now. Importantly, the National Hospital Organization Iwakuni Clinical Center and Atago Hills is straight on that line. We cannot afford to lose there else we lose the bridgehead. I repeat, we CANNOT LOSE it"

"Roger that, sir, Kirin is on the way." I could hear the Captain's acknowledgement to the order.

It took up to seven Chinese ground robots knocked out, as well as a failed swarming attack from the sky, for us to finally break through the city into the bridgehead.

"Kirin Yellow 6 Actual here, all units disembarked."

Part of my platoon were sent to a school nearby National Iwakuni Hospital, Takamizu Junior and Senior High School, already occupied by the element of what must be the 14th Infantry, looking at their Nagoya Division Insignia.

"Thank you for coming, we are just getting started. Chinese armor should be here by any minute now." That's what the lieutenant in charge of the platoon told us as I got myself known to the one in charge. "I'm Captain Yutaka Kawaguchi, 1st Company, 14th Rapid Deployment Regt 22nd Rapid Brigade or 'Aika Team'." His tablet showed us the disposition of his forces and allied ones, mostly anchored around the school and the surrounding commercial area as well as Kizuna Baseball Stadium. In front of the 14th was the element of the 100th/442nd Infantry of the US Army, or what was left of them, predominantly holding the train station and the lush vegetable farms facing the sea on the left side.

"2nd Lieutenant Kaori Arima." No salute was needed, but suddenly, came an ominous warning from the radio...

"GET DOWN!"

BOOM!

Everyone knew what to do as the barrage of heavy 120mm mortars rained down the streets. As my troopers scrambled to their stations, I called my radioman."Uesaka!"

"Yes, ma'am?"

"Get me the company HQ, report our position, and ask for updates from the drones."

The answer came a few minutes later. "Enemy identified as ZBL-08s. That's another counterattack that Aika was talking about, Kirin 4-6" the raspy voice from one of the UAV operators went through my headset.

The ZBL-08 could easily rip through Japanese troop carriers with it's 30mm and vice versa, and if it managed to fire it's turret mounted ATGM, it can also penetrate a Hitomaru from its side and back.

"Incoming!"

"Smokescreen, people, get ready, and hold your fire until I give the word!"

As pictures of Chinese mechanized infantrymen disembarked from their vehicles were getting clearer.

"On my signal, open fire."

"Yes ma'am"

I gave the signal, and Tsubaki opened fire first followed by her squad that had taken position on the neighboring residential area. decimating the first wave of Chinese infantrymen and supporting UGVs, thanks to the always vigilant Type 23s and Type 24s, however, the Reds regrouped and turned tail. I made a quick run to Tsubaki's position with another squad, led by Sergeant Morishima.

Their determination was such that I opened fire on the second wave of enemy infantry. Only two shots were needed to score my first Communist kill.

"Good shot at that commie, LT." exclaimed Uesaka as through my night vision, I could recognize my second kill, another Chinese rifleman.

Calm yourselves... Reality hurts, but it has to be done. "No redemption without blood, kill or be killed." I solidified my grip on my rifle as one Chinese sergeant aimed his at me. My hands reacted faster and the sergeant who tried to implore his men to seek cover laid on his own pool of blood in front of an abandoned coffee shop.

As I covered myself behind an abandoned car while taking a long breath, I kept myself alert by listening to the radio chatter. "Is this so, Sansou?" (Sergeant in Japanese)

"No!" On the radio, she heard Tsubaki is correcting one of her squad members.

The overall situation means that the platoon can't afford to waste more time with the Chinese vanguard, so I called Uesaka to get our heavy armor closer.

"Also get on the line for some attack drone support. Hayaku! (hurry)"

"Yes ma'am."

"Incoming Chinese wheeled light armor!" bellowed Sgt. Morishima.

"Get the Gustav." commanded Tsubaki.

Two wheeled ZBL-08s rolled around the corner and advanced through the main road backed by more infantry, it's 30mm autocannons ripped through two Type 20s and barely missed my platoon sergeant's Type 89 which gunned its throttle to retreat while firing it's 35mm.

However, those things quickly fell right on where we want them to be.

"Engage."

Carl Gustav anti tank gunners opened fire which quickly overwhelmed the charging wheeled Chinese IFV.

The ruined enemy troop carriers were used as cover for the infantry but not for long as I called the 41 into action. With it's wingman 42 and one Type 23 mediums, the tracks cut down what was left of Chinese infantrymen with their cannons and machine guns.

"Ma'am, we got an incoming second wave of armor, the good news is, our tanks had caught up and are currently engaging them."

"Acknowledged Uesaka. We can't stay here for long." replied as troopers from the 14th were slowly advancing.

"Ma'am"

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2nd Lt. Arima Kousei

"Gunner-APAM-PC (armored personnel carrier), our 2,"

I put on an address to my crew. "They don't know that we're waiting for them, they think that they would only face our mediums."

"Let's crash their party, sir," reported Watari. Then Kitazawa reported, "APAM (multi-purpose anti-personnel, anti-material round) loaded, Identify PC!"

"Fire!"

"ON THE WAY!"

Without stopping, the gunner brought the gun to life. On my left flank, my wingman on board Tank 12, Sergeant Fuji Kirigaya and his crew followed suit, knocking out two ZBLs in the process.

"Great shot, White 2"

Tanks and IFVs worked in tandem, and as soon as we finished engaging the Chinese troop carriers, drones reported that the Chinese decided to commit their big guns mounted on wheels.

One vehicle tried to flank us, only for us to see it first, and so 11 was the first to fire. Boom.

I commanded Kitazawa to change the ammo type from the high explosive to Sabot armored piercing dart round, anticipating enemy heavy tanks. Not long the tank's sight laid bare the targets for us to see.

"Gunner-Sabot-Tank!"

Kitazawa exclaimed "Up!" In the meantime Watari had pushed 11 forward. Our first real tank vs tank battle with the Reds were sending their first element of ZTZ-96 tanks and it's supporting ZBD-04 tracked vehicles has began.

They know that we're about to counterattack so their early commitment of their tracks.

To make things interesting, the ZTZ-96 that we're encountering was the most modern variant of it, the ZTZ-96B. Those things were cheaper than our Hitomarus which allowed the Reds to amass it up to five thousand mark, but from our intel, we also knew it's downsides.

The gunner's sight and mine came down on one of the enemy tanks as it raised its main gun towards the Atago Hills and that's where 11 reached a good, unobstructed range on its flanks.

"Fire."

Before they knew it, Kitazawa had pushed the fire button. Behind me, Kirigaya engaged the second tank that was trying to flank me in return, from roughly my two. Engagement successful, the attacking ZTZ was out of the way.

We're not out from the woods yet, as the commander of Tank 14, Sergeant Yumi Hanazono, the only female tank commander in the whole regiment sent a video feed from her own sensors about another set of heavies to kill, similar as what we had encountered.

Rolling back and forth through the debris-littered road, I silently burst to a prayer of gratitude for the dozer blade installed on my tank.

"Gunner-Tank-Sabot!"

I issued the fire command and watched as Kitazawa laid on the ZTZ who had just finished crossing the river. Hitting it would not be a big problem. Killing it was my concern. The gunner hit his laser range finder button with his thumb. The range return digits in the bottom of my console extension showed 750 meters. We sat and watched the tank advance. It rumbled along, straining to hold back behind the line of infantry. The gunner ranged again.

720 meters and closer.

From our position in an intersection 1-Chome 20-45, we decided to let them advance until it's closing on Kizuna Baseball stadium, which had been repurposed as a point of supply drop. A large inanimate object whose sole purpose was to kill Japanese and its allies. Including Kaori and I.

Even if refugees from Afghanistan and the Middle East who filled the foreign regiment's ranks behind us were somehow regarded as semi-expendables, something popped up in my mind, about how in this situation I could finally understand what they had been through before some of them ended up here in Japan.

700 meters. It's time for me to call for fire order.

"ON THE WAAY!"

The flash, the recoil, and the blast broke the silence. Target! But the Chinese kept coming, turning his gun on me.

"TARGET! REENGAGE-FIRE!"

The autoloader did its job as usual. It required only two seconds for the autoloader to feed a new round to the main gun - the fastest in the world.

"SABOT UP! ON THE WAY!"

Again the flash, the recoil, and the blast announced the firing of the main gun round, Once more 11 scored. Everything inside was shaken in almost the same instant that the Type 96 providing overwatch had us in our sight and opened fire. Watari looked and yelled, "WHAT'S THAT?"

"NEVER MIND." I answered. Tank Number 11 has taken the full brunt of the Chinese' punishment, but it's still standing. If it was a side hit, the story would be different...

"All's Okay," Kitazawa called, then he went back on the gun.

"ON THE WAY!" The efforts were finally rewarded as the third round had found its mark. The tank commander's hatch on the ZTZ was blown open. A fireball rose above the city block and was followed by a sheet of flame followed by the turret ejected upwards, down into the ruined chassis of the ZTZ-96

A radio call from Kirigaya confirmed his own success in destroying one ZTZ. I ordered Watari to hit reverse, only for another ZTZ-96 sighted just as its gun opened fire at someone else.

I hope it's not Kaori. Then, I saw that Chinese tank attempted to reverse only to be disabled by what turned out to be Minato's tank.

Not long Hanazono reported that the last Chinese tank was downed in a combined effort of Tank 14 and ambush sprung by it's supporting infantry including local Guardsmen. It's followed by a message about incoming friendly artillery called from the Atago Hills, and the foreign volunteers were ordered to advance first, followed by the Indians.

The night looks like dawn as the first shell raked all roads and paths leading to the city used by the Chinese and it's foreign allies to feed more troops, with scores of vehicles were wrecked or abandoned; plus multiple casualties from the opposition. Not just tube artillery from land and sea; Type 22 MLRS - a license built Korean Chunmoo multiple rocket launchers for Japan, American-made HIMARS and Indian Pinaka - a celestial bow from Hindu mythology according to the weapons identification book we all must learn - placed on small islands by Navy landing crafts and chartered vessels also added to the mix of inferno, with their primary mission was to suppress the Red's own artillery, communication, air defense, and electronic warfare assets.

"If we keep this up we'll throw out the Chinese from this land faster than we hoped for." I thought to myself, looking at the havoc that we unleashed on those interlopers, as the shouts of Banzai echoed through the city.

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Glossary:

(1). A fireworks festival held on the last Saturday in July, over the Sumida-gawa (Sumida River) near Asakusa, in Tokyo as a competition between rival pyrotechnic groups, attracting up to 1 million spectators each year.

(2). Cavalry Regiment: In real life JGSDF, Type 16 "Maneuver Combat Vehicle" wheeled fire support/light tank units are called Reconnaissance Combat Battalion, but in this story, to simplify communications with allies the units were subsequently designated as Cavalry, Kihei in Japanese.

(3). ZBL = Chinese wheeled 8x8 armored personnel carrier

(4). ZBD = A designator identifying any one of several types of Chinese tracked cannon-armed infantry fighting vehicles from the ZBD-86 (Type 86), a license-built BMP-1 from Russia, air-droppable ZBD-03 (Type 03), general-purpose ZBD-04 (Type 04), and amphibious-optimized ZBD-05 (Type 05).

(5). ZTQ-15 or Type 15 = A model of Chinese light tank with 105mm gun turret. Crewed by three personnel with an option of a fourth crew.

(6). ZTZ-96 or Type 96 = A Chinese tank with a three‑man crew and mounting a 125mm smoothbore gun, a 12.7mm and a 7.62mm machinegun. Similar to South Korean K2 and Japanese Type 10 as well as Russian designs such as T-72 and T-90, the elimination of the fourth crewman is achieved by using an automatic loader for the main gun. Well-armored, difficult to stop.

(7). ZTZ-99 or Type 99 = A further development of ZTZ-96 with more sophisticated fire-control system and better armor. Fewer in number than the Type 96.

(8). Thermal sight: A sight that detects the heat emitted by an object and translates that heat into a visible image for the gunner or commander of an armored vehicle.

(9). Shenyang J-16: A Chinese two-seat strike fighter aircraft derived from Russian Sukhoi Su-30, manufactured by Shenyang Aircraft Corporation.

(10). HIMARS : Abbreviation for High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, an American multiple rocket launcher system.

(11). Pinaka : multiple rocket launcher similar in function to HIMARS, developed and manufactured in India for its military.