"You've never lived until you've almost died. For those who have fought for it, life has a flavor the protected shall never know."

― Guy de Maupassant

1LT. Kaori Arima

3rd (Mech) Platoon, 3rd (Kirin) Company, 11th Tank Regt. - OPCON 32nd Infantry Regt.
5th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Division "Nerima" JIGDF

Kaepung-2 Settlement, several km South of Kaepung, Kaesong Province, DPRK (partially under ROK Control)

1900 KST

Thirty minutes ago, Division HQ hollered. "Be advised, we got a message from the theater air headquarters!"

"Be advised, the party is about to begin"

The tone change was sudden, and a perplexing one, to be honest, with schedules are slipping away thanks to heavy resistance, even with free fireworks show for the last two days, courtesy of friendly cruise missiles, all sorts of artillery duels, and even ballistic missiles including hypersonic models that the Coalition had.

The answer was there in form of jet engine roars. We can't see it overhead, but the evidence was undisputed, as from the high altitude above 30 thousand feet the payload of death rained down the concentrations of forces of Chinese and North Koreans alike.

My platoon sergeant quipped. "Now that's what I call air support." as B-52s above continued to unleash hell using a temporarily safe-ish corridors opened by our fighter force, manned and unmanned alike. Yet, we're not to just watch!

"Sergeant Fujiko Osaki - 4th Engineer Camouflage Squad is reporting for duty"

"Sergeant Rina Fujimoto - Security Squad 1, reporting for duty"

Command had promised us support for tonight's security and resupply operation at the same time as the big air operation, plus entrenchments as a backstop. And they had fulfilled it.

Our current position, called simply in our map as Settlement Kaepung-2 used to be a bedroom community for workers in Kaesong Industrial Park, hence its predominantly consists of hostels and cheap apartments, plus some agricultural plot of vegetables and paddies. Very much a position of interest, hence the incessant shelling. And when it stopped...

"At ease"

A quick orientation, and they began to work, with some of my unoccupied troops also have to do their part in fortifying our position, and camouflaging, simultaneously with the resupply operation.

"Whoa, look at them."

I saw Chen nudged Yashio, as they were looking at a hulking figure, and three more with hydraulic sounding hisses in each step, drowning even the buzz of overhead drones protecting our position as well as hum of the ground robotic carriers. Both the hulking men and ground drones were hauling the much needed pallets of ammo, food, medical supplies, other priority consumables including drone and radio batteries and jerrycans full of fuel, plus one or two auxiliary hydrogen fuel cells predominantly used as fuel for charging our tactical computer batteries. Speaking of electricity generation on the field, other than the standard issue-fuel cells, good old fossil-powered generators, and small reactors in select installations, solar power was also involved, particularly in the form of foldable portable origami-based solar panels commonly used by campers and off-grid enthusiasts originally developed in the US based on a NASA research, given mostly as crowdfunding donations by civilians.

"Exoskeletons, people". Nakashima told them.

Meanwhile I kept my watch while continuing my planning work with my squad leaders and vehicle crew in a separate dugout not far from the platoon's resupply point - in which Nakashima, as my platoon sergeant, had set up. But I can't help but to beseech His name, as the hardy logisticians were doing their thing. The apparatus on their body made their mission more bearable, especially for older reserve logisticians who got either recalled or reenlisted and assigned to our division logistics.

I then head for the resupply point to check things with Nakashima and the representatives of my mechanized squads.

"Otsukaresama, minna-san!" (Thank you for your hard work, everyone)

The sergeant in charge snapped into quick attention with no salute, then he replied at me "Doitashimashite... glad to hear it. Just doing my part to keep things running smoothly. Noisy, but this thing makes a difference with every second we have here... Remember, If you ever need anything else, don't hesitate to ask, ma'am!"

Meanwhile as the engineers and security troopers continue their work, they also got new augmentations, this time from the Koreans. Speaking of the leader of the security troopers, I learned that Sgt Fujimoto was a Kozushima Islander, while a deputy squad leader is a leading private who hailed originally from Osaka, Hachiman Koshigaya.

A college educated Korean speaker, slightly less fluent compared to Colonel Yong-su, yet Koshigaya was still able to coordinate with the augmentees given to the security squad from a Korean auxiliary unit called Korean Service Corps Regiment. Formerly a battalion under US Forces Korea, the wartime needed means that they got expanded in strength.

During the first Korean war the KSC were mostly civilian porters assisting the back then- American led United Nations troops with security and supply, and today, side by side with us Japanese, they did their work, and more. Other than combat-centric International Legion of Korea, I heard from our Korean liaisons that non-citizen in South Korea were also eligible to join the KSC.

Also, there should be credit for an experimental brand of stim that we troopers simply referred as 'special injection', rolled out just before we head to Kaesong, with strict limits on it's use as told by our leaders. Furthermore, to credits of those R&D folks, some of these security troopers and auxiliaries had their life easier by exos similar to the logistic troopers allowing them to move and lift with better precision.

"Move and disperse now, we got enemy swarms!" called someone on the radio - our regimental air defense attachment. Great.

"Free to engage!" I said. Airburst shells were now engaged, either from our nearby Type 87 SPAA - or the troop carrier with it's 40mm.

"AI-power won't safe you! Do you hear that, commies?" I can hear Tsubaki's curse inside one of the troop carriers, when she and her crew eliminated up to five kamikazes, two heavy multicopters with attached rifles, and two munition dropping models, all with the autocannon. It's good to have great troops!

Yet the night was not over yet, as crack of small arms echoed through the area, with Indians who still trying to wrest control of the hills in front of Kaesong, night shellings from their artillery, and for us?

Well, the answer came from the Ryesong riverbank area.

"Take cover! RPG!"

One of the troop carrier was directly on the path of the rocket, luckily it's Seki APS did it's magic!

Enough is enough, I hopped on the closest Type 22 IFV and made the driver to push it forward,

"Enemy infantry, 8 o'clock, keep them in front of us!" I commanded. The driver obeyed, and adjust the orientation. The gunner, Sgt. Nagayoshi suddenly froze.

"Those shooting at us wore Sokor uniform" he told us.

Any doubt was quickly dispelled as a transmission entered my frequency. "This is Blue Cross leader, we have a drone linked to your system, be advised, those who firing at you are North Korean light infantry infiltrators, We're nearby your location and ready to assist, over and out."

"Engage, but keep moving!"

Scream and curses echoed through the air as the Type 22 ripped them apart, only some semblance of space when the driver had to pull back due to heavy RPG fire.

"Move fast, there are drones everywhere"

Another Type 22 appeared on my sight, its 40mm scattered several more North Korean light infantry on it's way, followed by one Type 10 who had it's gun traversed right and fired, possibly at a long-range anti-tank position.

However, the conclusion of the engagement was taken by the "Blue Cross" from South Korean 701st Commandos.

"Japanese armor, great job today, we took over from here"

"Thank you" that's my reply. Added with the Captain's order and artillery cover, I finally gave the order to return to base. At the company team's officer gathering point in an existing bunker beneath Kaepung-2, the overall situation were made clearer by our Capt. Kawashima. It's 0400 of the next day.

"The attacks were part of area-wide North Korean infiltration effort. They did damage to our artillery batteries and rear line supply and assembly nodes, unfortunately. Added with their artillery shellings, there were also chaos inside Kaesong which gave an opportunity for a North Korean armored column supported by Chinese drones and aviation to force their way to the city, only to be stopped by the Indian element occupying the nearby hill, and from the lowlands, a frontal counterattack led by the Indonesian disciplinary company [penal unit], with the high cost typical of such unit, half of them were now a casualty, A particular case worth mentioning are two of their own [Indonesian] disgraced footballers. Those poor souls ended up there due to their conviction of bribery and match fixing, but today, they had redeemed themselves by paying the ultimate price. Another worth mentioning among those redeemed were four men, former customs officers of that country convicted of malfeasance and corruption, young enough to carry arms... It served them best..."

"...It bought time for the remainder of their parent 4th 'Diponegoro' Division as well as Korean White Horse Division and (I Corps) 30th Armored Brigade to rally and reorganize, and even secured some section of the Kaesong-Pyongyang Highway several kilometers north thanks to timely arty and air support. That should make work of Korean VII Corps a little bit easier....

To all of you... let's close this session with a moment of silence."

....................................................................................................................

0600 KST Next Day

Early morning mist.

Those security troopers and auxiliaries, they still had to dig alongside us inside this settlement, not far from the two hills currently occupied by one platoon worth of robot combat vehicle including anti-tank variant alongside regimental armored scout platoon, relieving the tanks. Yet, like a true Japanese, the predominantly National Guard-affiliated security regiment under our divisional combat support and protection brigade did so without complaining, matched by the Korean auxiliaries assigned to our command, in return of my drone zappers and the constant overhead cover of friendly drones kept hostile ones off their back, and the valuable mini one point five ton unmanned excavators and other robotic construction means - such as loaders from the engineer regiment used to fill the barriers with earth - that were augmenting their work.

Back to present. the tell-tale distant thunder rips through the silence.

"Incoming!"

"Get to shelters!" commanded the security trooper squad leader, and the auxiliaries did their best, too.

"Move!"

And at the conclusion of the shelling, I tucked not far beside my troop carrier. It also means the upcoming ground assault, again...

"Hostile scout, knock them out!" I commanded.

"Yes ma'am." Squad sharpshooters went to work, again, as several detachments of foot scouts identified as North Koreans were sighted by the platoon level small drone organic to my unit - to be more accurate, damaged detachments, those who survived hits from small kamikaze drones, tank gun fire, AT missiles, or longer-range sniper work, especially the lead unmanned robots - those were our main means for long range work as our division artillery were now engaging hostiles across the river, as well as augmenting Indian artillery supporting the advance of their 5th "Ball of Fire" Division supported by our fresh 1st Brigade Combat Team, now fully committed. Meanwhile the task of overwatch were currently on us, Team Kirin, as part of the larger 5th Brigade effort, in concert with Free Korean and Indonesian troops in support within Kaesong urban area.

My attention then went on to look at one particular exploding drone targeting various sensors of the commies, and those who homed on jamming signals emitted by supporting electronic warfare vehicles.

"Ouch, that's gonna hurt" I quipped as one such kamikaze drone with a particularly heavy warhead slammed into a hostile radar-equipped armored personnel carrier, despite attempts to mask it's electronic signature.

Even with the firefight were still ongoing.... "Hostile assault team sighted... they dispatched more! Must be convict mixed in it!" reported one drone team from the brigade tactical UAV company - prosecuting them now..., Koreans had theirs in the air, and also the Indonesians."

"Americans?" I asked.

The operator answered "They're preparing theirs, and some ground ones, in case some of our folks have to withdraw, no intention to ruin the party."

Why those drone operators mentioned convict? Well, from the Free Koreans, we learned that sometimes assault units being thrown at the Coalition were drawn from the lowest of the low in Chinese or North Korean society.

"Enemy ID'ed as four VTT-323 APCs and two M-2002 Tanks. Second assault team, same formation, trailing behind..."

"Those f-ckers are heading straight between our lines, they are trying to encircle Kaepung or do a flanking attack on the Indians, to cut their egress and ingress route to the hills." reported my platoon sergeant as the observation phase continues.

All of these, coupled with further data from drones related to the state of the river itself, was in service of our next phase of operation, contested mass crossing of Ryesong river.

"To all Cicada callsign" it's the division HQ. "Be advised, South Koreans had reported that they had set up a detachment for river-capable marine drones - it should be helpful to further securing enough obscuration and suppression, as well as the landing site for the pontoon bridge later on."

In the meantime I managed to call for the Type 22s in my disposal to move into other prepared positions, just as one 125mm tank shell hit one of the previously occupied positions.

"Darn!"

Without wasting more time I called my designated LMAT team to be ready in firing position. Also to the mounted section, I commanded. "All carriers and RCVs, free to engage the Shin Chu-MATs as needed"

"Yes ma'am" replied Nakashima on his troop carrier. Similar acknowledgement came from the leader of the attached UGV platoon.

Not long however a loud crack, and our eyes watched as the offending tank exploded. Our tanks saved the day, however at this point the Nokors managed to disembark most of their infantry before a quartet of heavy octocopters passed overhead, and proceeding to fire it's carriage - three assault rifles and one light machine gun, chipping down their numbers. Sneaking behind the armored transporters and the surviving tank were the kamikaze FPVs guided by our company recon drone detachment, which subsequently immobilized them all, despite the overhead anti-drone grills.

Right at the same spot as days before - the wrecked and burned Red armor of various models, mostly personnel carriers, served as evidence.

"Kirin White 6, we're coming at your position, we're in general support alongside the Free Koreans."

That's the way Kousei contacted me, further proven by a section worth of our tanks went closer to the hill and the bridgehead in support of a Korean platoon of K1A2 tanks - part of a tank battalion of the 30th Armored Brigade, barrages accompanied them.

And so the rest of the day was, quoting a game character, "itsumo doori" or "same as always" on how despite their efforts, the Reds won't regain further ground, and everyone was eager for the counterattack!