“I’m gonna kill you.”

She said it with the kind of look you’d give trash.

“I was joking! Don’t kill me!”

“You’re such a weirdo, Kenya. What’s so great about a girl like me…?”

With that, Kaguya placed a hand on her chest.

In the game’s lore, she was supposed to be the classic template girl with a complex about her small chest.

So, I put on my most suave face and said,

“Flat chests are a status symbol. I like ’em—small tits too.”

How’s that? The capable guy who gently covers her insecurities.

With this kind of包容力, Kaguya would… Huh? Kaguya?

There was no blushing, cute girl embarrassed there.

She was trembling like a volcano, like molten magma bubbling up.

Mikazuki Kenya, age 16.

No-girlfriend history equals age. His knowledge of women was nothing but biased scraps.

So yeah, he made mistakes now and then—like thinking teasing physical features counted as communication.

“Kill!”

THWACK! CRACK! SPLURT!

From that day on, Kenya swore never to touch Kaguya’s chest again.

…

“Ta-da. And with that, the curry’s ready.”

Kenya ladled out the curry, sporting a massive lump on his head.

He’d taken Kaguya’s flying knee kick full-on, but hey, all in good fun.

Skinship, or maybe her way of hiding embarrassment.

“Thanks…”

Kaguya took the curry, and the two sat at the small table.

“Kaguya, why’d you join the military?”

Kenya asked as they ate. That was the reason he’d called her here today.

Not to lure her in for some opportunistic fun. Definitely not.

…Okay, total lie. He thought about it a little.

“…Well, for my goals… I guess.”

He knew what she meant. Her activities as a resistance fighter.

“…Revenge against the Empire?”

Kenya said it, and for a split second, she looked shocked, staring right at him.

“It’s okay. I’m on your side.”

He hated the Empire too, but as long as he was in their military, he had to obey.

So even as fellow Japanese, she couldn’t just come out and say she wanted revenge against the Empire.

For people like them, it was join the organization and potentially get killed by it, or stay out and live a restricted life scraping by.

No other options.

But Kenya knew.

This country still had plenty of groups labeled terrorists, clamoring for Japanese independence.

And the leader of the biggest one, Amaterasu—his daughter was Kaguya.

“…Kenya, what happened to you?”

Kaguya asked him.

“They killed someone important to me.”

(Not a lie, and at this rate, it’ll become the truth.)

He looked at her with gentle eyes.

The two who’d become his reason for coming to this world—one of the people he had to protect.

If it meant protecting this girl, he was ready to fight in this world.

She was that much of a true love for him, the heroine he’d fallen hard for.

Seeing that look in his eyes, Kaguya bowed her head and stayed silent for a while.

Then, as if steeling herself, she lifted her face.

“…Do you want revenge?”

“Of course—if it’s possible.”

(More precisely, he wanted to stop the war.)

“…I see.”

And with that, Kaguya quietly began to speak.

“What I want is to take this country back.”

“Mind if I ask why?”

“I can’t just sit by while things are like this, but… my life isn’t just mine. My big brother’s soul is with me too. I want to fulfill his wish.”

“Your brother?”

“Yeah. I had an older brother. It’s a bit of a dark story… but will you listen?”

“Yeah, of course.”

And so Kaguya began her tale.

The Japanese government collapsed, and the war came to an end.

The Earthguard Empire had crushed this country’s military, forcing their surrender.

Japan had fought to the bitter end.

But with KOG’s mass deployment, they were utterly trampled, helpless.

Outmatched in technology, with national power over ten times greater.

There was never any real chance of winning.

The EU flipped at the last second, scrapping the security treaty.

No military support came.

The Japanese government never surrendered officially, but death meant defeat.

Military personnel were slaughtered wholesale, and real control fell under de facto rule.

“Alrighty then, time to go hunting for some fun today.”

“You really love this stuff, huh? Well, enjoy your freedom while it lasts—just a bit longer.”

Japan wasn’t yet functioning as an Earthguard Empire colony.

The occupying soldiers ran wild, doing whatever they pleased.

“Feels damn good, doesn’t it? Forcing yourself on ’em. It’s a crime back home, but here? Legal—no, lawless paradise.”

His filthy teeth yellowed from tobacco, beard unkempt, dandruff in his hair.

His hobby: raping girls from a defeated nation, especially the youngest ones.

…

“Kaguya! Got the water?”

“Yeah! One full bucket, big bro!”

The war was over, but the country no longer functioned as one.

The siblings went to the river to fetch water, just to survive another day.

“It’s not too heavy?”

“No sweat! I’m ten already! Hey, where’s Dad?”

“Out looking for food. Let’s wait here a bit.”

All around was a mountain of rubble.

A few others were there, drawing water too.

The two sat atop the debris.

Grrrrumble…

“Th-that wasn’t my stomach! It wasn’t!”

“Haha, no need to hide it.”

She hid it because it was embarrassing.

Hearing her tummy growl in front of her kind big brother…

“Here, chocolate. Just a little, okay?”

He smiled gently and forced half his share on her.

“N-no, I don’t need it!”

“Idiot! You won’t grow if you don’t eat!”

“I’m still growing… Guh!”

Her brother shoved the chocolate into Kaguya’s mouth.

“Tasty?”

“Y-yeah… tasty…”

“Someday, I’ll feed you till you’re stuffed.”

Her brother smiled kindly; his sister looked guilty.

Every day was hell, but they had family.

Supporting each other, gritting their teeth to survive—surely happier days would come.

“Big bro…”

“Hm?”

“…Thank you.”

As long as she had her one beloved, kind big brother, Kaguya could endure this hell.

Unaware a soldier with a sleazy grin was approaching.

“Found ya.”

…

“Kyaaah!!”

“Heh heh heh. So cute. Right up my alley.”

“S-stop!”

The soldier grabbed Kaguya, dragging her off.

Soldiers snatching women had become rampant lately.

“Outta my way, brat—or I’ll kill you.”

Her brother desperately clung to the soldier’s leg to stop him.

But the guy was military.

No way a mere student could win.

“Big bro!!”

He was beaten bloody, collapsing face-down.

“C’mon now, let’s have some fun with uncle. Till you drop dead. Geh heh heh!!”

“N-no…”

The trembling Kaguya was seized by the Earthguard soldier.

“Guh! Let go of Kaguya!!”

Her brother staggered back up.

“Haa… annoying. Ruining my mood. Just die already.”

A gunshot rang out, the dry crack echoing across the rubble wasteland.

“Eh?”

Blood poured from her brother’s gut.

“That’s what happens when you resist, you little shit… Oops.”

Kaguya thrashed free of the soldier’s grip.

She ran to her brother.

“Big bro!”

“Kaguya… run…!”

“No! Nooo!”

“Please… cough… do it!”

“Her name’s Kaguya, huh? C’mon, let’s go.”

But then a man came running at the sound.

“Kaguyaaaa!!!”

Kaguya’s father, Isshin.

One of the few Japanese military survivors, a lieutenant general who’d fought countless battlefields.

“You!!”

In an instant, he pinned the Earthguard soldier, drew his knife, and slit his throat.

The soldier died without a sound.

“Hah… hah… Takashi!”

Isshin rushed to his son, checking the wound.

The blood loss meant it was fatal already. Quick treatment might save him.

But in this country now, no place could do that surgery.

And carrying a dying adult-sized body while fleeing? Impossible.

Especially with soldiers’ voices coming from afar right after.

“Hey! Gunshots from over there!”

Several Earthguard Empire soldiers in the distance.

Isshin shut his eyes tight, then slowly opened them, resolve set.

He had to decide. Otherwise, they’d all die.

So.

“Takashi, I’m sorry. I looked away…”

“N-no… Dad, it’s not your fault. Without food, we’d just starve…”

It had to hurt like hell.

Yet he smiled nobly, not worrying Kaguya.

Isshin and Kaguya gripped his hand tight.

“Takashi, this is your end. You protected your sister well. You’re my pride.”

“‘Cause I’m your son… Now go—take Kaguya and run.”

Isshin pressed the knife into Takashi’s hand.

He gripped it hard, tears spilling.

“Forgive me. I love you!”

“Eh? Dad? No! Don’t!”

Isshin hoisted the struggling Kaguya over his shoulder.

“No! Big bro! Big brooo!”

They fled at full speed.

Kaguya, slung over his shoulder kicking, watched her brother fade away.

The last sight: her brother raising the knife high.

“Heh… so this is the end, huh… Dying to protect my sister. Not bad…”

Several soldiers ran up then.

They saw their comrade dead with throat slit, and the bloodied-knife boy.

“Hey, you do this?”

“Yeah, I did it alone. Killed your filthy rapist ass.”

“Kid’s got guts. You know what happens next, right?”

“Hah! Think you invaders can do whatever you want? Dream on!”

He gripped the knife tighter.

The soldiers got it—too late.

“!? Hey! Stop him!”

“Someday, someone will take this country back. Wait with your heads on the block, you shitheads!”

“Stop him!!”

(See ya, Kaguya. Live on. Dad… proud to be your son.)

“Japan! Banzai!”

He plunged the knife into his own chest and died.

The blade pierced straight through his heart.

“Nooooo!! Big brooo!!”

The last sight: the knife jutting straight from her brother’s chest.

The girl’s agonized scream faded into the rubble mountains.

Such tragedies happened every day.

Lives snuffed out like insects, human rights nonexistent.

The victors took all; the losers lost everything.

For the defeated, it was like living in hell.