The Imperial Palace in Kasumigaseki is located in Chiyoda Ward. Before 24:00 on the evening of the 25th, the Revolutionary Army had surrounded Chiyoda Ward and began attacking the Imperial Guard Division defending the Chiyoda area.

Besides the Inspector General of Military Training, who lived in Chiyoda and whose whereabouts were now unknown, the remaining two of the Three Chiefs of the Army—the Army Minister and the Chief of the General Staff—had already entered the Imperial Palace to guard the Emperor.

Vice Chief of the General Staff Nagata Tetsuzan stood on the rooftop of the Army Ministry building, with Okamura Yasuji standing beside him, listening together to the sounds of battle coming from all directions. The sound of guns and cannons, especially the location of the artillery fire, made Okamura clinch his fists involuntarily.

Four years ago, when they fought against the Northeast Army together in Korea, Okamura believed his tactical ability was not inferior to Ishiwara's. Now, just by listening to the positions of the gunfire, Okamura once again felt Ishiwara's familiar offensive style. Compared with the battle four years ago, Ishiwara's tactical ability was even better today.

Nagata also listened wordlessly to the gunfire in the battle. Both the attacking and defending sides around Chiyoda used a large amount of artillery, especially Ishiwara's troops on the offensive side, whose artillery quantity was almost double that of the Imperial Guard Division. Currently, both warring sides were using mainly 75mm artillery.

At this moment, Major General Obata Toshishirō ran to the roof, walked to Nagata and Okamura, and stood for a moment. Major General Obata Toshishirō then gritted his teeth and said hatefully, "Ishiwara is truly crazy! To actually use so much artillery! Exactly how many divisions are standing on Ishiwara's side?"

The question raised by Obata Toshishirō was also the problem Nagata was considering. The establishment of the Imperial Guard Division was naturally fixed. The number of artillery pieces in Ishiwara's hands was related to the number of divisions completely controlled by Ishiwara. Now there were officers and soldiers supporting Ishiwara in every division. These officers and soldiers could choose to leave their stations and go to Tokyo in the scale of platoons, companies, battalions, or even regiments. When coming to Tokyo, they could carry rifles and machine guns.

But to carry artillery, they needed to seize the division's armory. That is to say, how much artillery Ishiwara had meant how many divisions he completely controlled. So far, the number of artillery pieces had not shown a comprehensive overwhelming degree. In other words, Ishiwara's strength was not yet enough to crush the Imperial Guard Division.

That Ishiwara dared to launch an attack besieging the entire Chiyoda proved that his troop strength far exceeded that of the Imperial Guard Division. Now the possibility of escaping from Chiyoda was minimal. If Nagata and other current government personnel still wanted to be saved, they could only hope that the Imperial Guard Division could persist in fighting for two days. Once the battle time exceeded two days, other divisions loyal to the Emperor would come to Tokyo to rescue the Emperor. That was the only chance for Nagata and others to be saved.

Major General Obata Toshishirō was filled with fear and anger at this time. After muttering a few sentences to himself, seeing that neither Nagata nor Okamura answered, he felt somewhat bored. He could only light a cigarette and stand on the rooftop with Nagata and Okamura to observe the battle situation.

For military experts, the location, distance, and density of the gunfire outbursts all contained a large amount of intuitive combat information. Just relying on these, military experts could construct the scene of the engagement in their minds. So just listening and watching from afar, they felt no boredom at all.

Unknowingly, more than half an hour had passed. The once intense gunfire eased temporarily, and the three people upstairs couldn't help breathing a sigh of relief.

In the previous battle, Ishiwara's troops had a firm will to attack and fought without restraint. Facing such a fierce offensive, the Imperial Guard Division's defensive will was equally tenacious. Although forced to shrink the defense line, they still defended steadily.

If it went on like this, when the Imperial Guard Division's defense circle was small enough, its defensive intensity could be further improved. The possibility of the Imperial Guard Division defending itself for 48 hours completely existed.

Feeling a bit more settled, Obata Toshishirō remembered his purpose for coming up. Initially, Obata Toshishirō wanted to ask Okamura to intervene in commanding the Imperial Guard Division's defense. It was recognized in the Japanese Army that Nagata was number one in strategic ability and Okamura was number one in staff work. Although Ishiwara's strategic ability and staff work might not be worse compared to Nagata and Okamura, they definitely didn't surpass the two.

What made Ishiwara comparable to Nagata was his courage to go against the current when other Japanese troops were defeated. This courage, combined with his excellent ability, allowed Ishiwara, who was originally not valued, to gain an evaluation equal to Nagata in a short time.

So Obata Toshishirō hoped to invite Okamura to intervene in the Imperial Guard Division's defense. With an excellent staff officer like Okamura participating in the defense, plus the firm willpower Okamura displayed in the Sino-Japanese War, it would enhance the sense of security of those big shots in the Imperial Palace.

But both Nagata and Okamura continued to remain silent. Judging from their intentions, they were prepared to continue watching the battle. Obata Toshishirō couldn't find an opportunity and could only continue to wait.

A pause on the battlefield most often meant that the subsequent battle would be more intense; Obata Toshishirō naturally knew this. Sure enough, the exchange of fire weakened for less than half an hour before the sound of guns and cannons rang out violently again. Both sides' 75mm artillery were firing fiercely, trying to suppress and destroy the opponent's fire points.

A few minutes later, heavier artillery fire sounded from the direction of Ishiwara's troops. Nagata turned around without a word and walked towards the stairs going down. Okamura's fists clenched even tighter! If Okamura's fingernails hadn't been cut short, they would probably have pierced into the flesh of his palms by now.

Obata Toshishirō's eyes widened. Fear filled Obata Toshishirō's heart, so much so that he asked, muttering to himself, "Nagata used 150mm artillery; is he preparing to blast down the Imperial Palace as well?"

Okamura continued to listen to the artillery sound without a word. The main combat artillery on Ishiwara's side had changed from 75mm artillery to 150mm heavy artillery. The sounds of the Imperial Guard Division's 75mm artillery and 100mm artillery became fewer and fewer. From a combat perspective, this was inevitable. 75mm artillery moved relatively fast and could shoot and scoot. But no matter how it moved, as long as a 150mm shell landed within about 40 meters of a 75mm artillery piece, that artillery position was basically useless. Even if the 75mm artillery wasn't destroyed, the 75mm artillery crew would hardly survive.

In the Sino-Japanese War, Okamura had seen scenes of 150mm artillery bombardment countless times. What Obata Toshishirō said just now was right; Ishiwara meant to turn the Imperial Palace into scorched earth.

Thinking of this, Okamura found he wasn't surprised at all. Ishiwara was such a person. During the Sino-Japanese War, facing the situation of total defeat, when Ishiwara set foot on the road north to Pyongyang, Okamura couldn't feel a shred of fear in Ishiwara. As long as Ishiwara felt it was the correct strategy, even if there were mountains of corpses and seas of blood ahead, even if the battlefield ahead would claim Ishiwara's life, Ishiwara wouldn't waver in the slightest.

At this time, running footsteps came from behind. A thick layer of snow had accumulated on the top platform of the Army Ministry building, making a crunching sound under the visitor's feet. The visitor stood behind Okamura and said loudly, "Reporting to Excellency Okamura, Excellency Nagata asks you to go down and see him."

Okamura didn't answer, nor did he care about Obata Toshishirō beside him, turning around and walking towards the stairway on his own. The battle wasn't over yet, but the result of the battle held no surprises; there was no point in watching any longer.

Arriving at the Army Minister's office downstairs, Nagata was already sitting inside. Seeing Okamura come in, Nagata said calmly, "Okamura-kun, please take the others to the Imperial Palace to guard the Emperor together with the Imperial Guard. Go now."

Okamura couldn't quite understand what point there was in Nagata staying alone in the Army Ministry building. Did he want to rely on this building to organize a defense?

If Ishiwara used 75mm artillery, this sturdy reinforced concrete building indeed had defensive value. Now that Ishiwara was even using 150mm artillery, under close-range bombardment by 150mm artillery, the time the Army Ministry building and all such buildings outside Sakuradamon combined could delay was only a few hours. The time for Ishiwara's troops to breach the Imperial Palace wouldn't exceed 48 hours.

So Okamura asked straightforwardly, "Nagata-kun, I think we should go guard the Emperor together."

Nagata shook his head. "Okamura-kun, Ishiwara-kun might spare you, but he will absolutely not spare me. As a soldier, I don't want to kneel on the ground and have my head chopped off. So I want to stay here."

Okamura only felt the muscles on his face twitch uncontrollably, so much so that the corners of his mouth were twitching. Nagata was right; Nagata was Ishiwara's political enemy, so Ishiwara could absolutely not spare Nagata. Even if Nagata surrendered, he couldn't survive.

At this time, the roar of 150mm artillery in the distance became more intense, and the floor of the Army Ministry building was trembling slightly. The vibration made Okamura make up his mind immediately. He raised his hand to salute Nagata, "Nagata-kun, this subordinate is going to defend the Emperor!"

After speaking, Okamura walked out of the Army Minister's office without looking back.

Watching Okamura's back disappear outside the door, Nagata stood up slowly and closed the door of the Army Minister's office. Looking at the chair behind the desk, a ridiculous feeling arose in Nagata's heart. If he hadn't suffered blows from He Rui, in at most five years, Nagata would have sat in this position. There was even a chance to go further and become Prime Minister after finishing his term as Army Minister. But everything was over; Nagata's ideals were completely shattered under He Rui's overwhelming ability.

Thinking of this, Nagata walked to the Army Minister's seat and sat down. Since it was over, Nagata prepared to end his life here.

The sound of artillery outside gradually paused. It seemed Ishiwara's troops had destroyed the Imperial Guard Division's defense line with heavy artillery and began to break through comprehensively, approaching the Imperial Palace.

Various footsteps sounded in the corridor. Some officers shouted for people to defend the Army building. Some officers shouted loudly for the officers of the Army Ministry to hurry into the Imperial Palace; if late, they wouldn't be able to get in.

Nagata smoked a cigarette, completely ignoring these sounds. The shouts and footsteps gradually left. From beginning to end, the people in the Army Ministry knew the Army Minister and others had already entered the Imperial Palace one step ahead, and absolutely no one came to the Army Minister's office.

After a while longer, the human voices on the street also gradually quieted down. Just when Nagata thought another battle was needed, he heard shouts with a Kansai accent coming from the street, "Army brothers, we are the Revolutionary Army. Gentlemen, you have been surrounded. No matter how bravely you fight next, you cannot reverse the battle situation. You have already failed!"

Nagata hadn't expected this guy persuading surrender to be quite knowledgeable, actually describing the reality quite elegantly. Standing up, Nagata walked to the window and pushed it open.

He saw a person holding a torch standing in the middle of the street, shouting at the Army Ministry building. In the dark night, the person holding the torch became the brightest spot on the street. Being all alone, amidst the nearby buildings, that Revolutionary Army man looked very small.

And this person, holding a Chinese-made or Japanese-imitated electric megaphone, continued to shout at the Army Ministry building, "Gentlemen, our Revolutionary Army fights for the entire Japanese nation. The Japanese nation includes your families, and also includes you. After the revolution succeeds, everyone can eat white rice, have jobs, and won't have to worry about being dragged abroad to fight wars, let alone selling sons and daughters. It was to let the Japanese people live such a life that we launched the revolution! Gentlemen, you have exhausted your loyalty; this is your glory. But now, please lay down your weapons honorably. The battle is over!"

Nagata hoped very much that someone could shoot this person dead at this moment, but after waiting for a good while, no one fired. Now Nagata remembered that most of those officers had retreated into the Imperial Palace, and the troops left outside to defend were combat officers and soldiers of the Imperial Guard Division.

Before long, several flashlight beams lit up. Some soldiers walked out of several buildings. They walked to the Revolutionary Army soldier holding the torch high and talked with him.

Not long after, some officers and soldiers walked out of various buildings. Several teams of officers and soldiers also came from the direction of Ishiwara's troops' attack and conducted a handover with those defending troops.

Nagata could feel that someone in the Ishiwara troops below was already looking at him standing by the window, only no one fired for the time being. Nagata closed the window and sat back in the Army Minister's seat. The Army Minister was undoubtedly the highest position in the Army. Nagata regretted somewhat that if he could have sat in this position earlier and truly grasped power, the situation should have been vastly different.

Thinking of these things, he heard rapid footsteps of many people in the corridor. Soon, the footsteps stopped outside the door. The handle turned, and the door was pushed open violently. But Ishiwara's troops outside didn't rush in; instead, they immediately dodged to the side.

Then, a light flashed, making Nagata squint his eyes slightly. That should be a small mirror clipped to the head of a rifle, used to observe the situation inside the room. The Northeast Army used them extensively for trench observation during the Sino-Japanese War, and the Japanese Army learned these too.

Confirming there was only Nagata in the room, the soldiers outside rushed in quickly. Someone aimed a gun at Nagata, while others quickly checked various places. After confirming there was only Nagata, many soldiers withdrew, leaving only four aiming their guns at Nagata. Before long, someone strode in. Nagata looked up and saw it was actually an acquaintance, Aizawa Saburō.

Originally, Nagata and Aizawa Saburō had no personal relationship, only knowing each other. But a few months ago, after Nagata left Saionji's house, he encountered 'Heaven's Punishment' by lawless Ronin on the road, and it was Aizawa Saburō who saved Nagata. Since then, the two considered having some personal friendship.

Aizawa Saburō entered the room and saluted Nagata sitting in the Army Minister's seat. "Excellency Nagata, good evening."

Nagata just nodded. He heard Aizawa Saburō continue to ask, "Excellency Nagata, are you ready?"

Nagata wanted to say he was ready, but when it came to life and death, he couldn't say this sentence. This made Nagata suddenly feel a burst of shame; as a Lieutenant General of the Great Japanese Empire, he was actually too scared to speak when facing death. This was truly a disgrace!

But a moment later, a strong desire to live surged in his chest. Dying bravely was indeed glorious, but if he could live, glorious death seemed to have little attraction.

Just as Nagata's heart was shaken by life and death, he heard Aizawa Saburō say, "Excellency, Sayonara."

Two soldiers stepped out from behind Aizawa Saburō, aiming submachine guns at Nagata's chest and began to strafe. Countless hot things poured into Nagata's chest; Nagata only felt a strong impact at first. At this moment, a thought popped up: perhaps he should have entered the Imperial Palace with Okamura.

But after being strafed by dozens of bullets, Nagata's cardiovascular system ruptured comprehensively within seconds, and his brain lost blood supply, making his vision go black quickly. In less than ten seconds, Lieutenant General Nagata Tetsuzan, the number one strategist of the Japanese Army, died by execution.

Aizawa Saburō let out a long breath. He never thought he would have saved Nagata, nor did he expect Nagata would eventually die by his hand. This marvelous intersection of fate gave Aizawa Saburō some emotion for the first time tonight.

But Aizawa Saburō quickly pulled himself back to reality. The Imperial Guard Division's defense had already disintegrated and ended under the 150mm heavy artillery bombardment. At this time, the last fortress of old Japan was only the Imperial Palace. The Future Society had long determined that the Imperial Palace must be taken completely, and all actions preventing the revolution must be crushed! Even if it meant turning the Imperial Palace into ashes, they would not hesitate!

Just as he wanted to turn and leave, Aizawa Saburō saw Nagata's corpse move a little. It wasn't that Nagata had reanimated, but under gravity, the head of Nagata's corpse drooped down. Just looking at the posture, ignoring the blood gushing from his chest, Nagata seemed to have fallen asleep sitting in the chair with his head down. But Nagata's military cap fell due to the vibration.

Aizawa Saburō felt this made Nagata's corpse look unappealing, so he stepped forward a few steps, picked up the military cap that had fallen on the ground, and put it on Nagata. He ordered the comrades beside him, "Let him be like this." Then he strode out of the Army Ministry building.

The Army Ministry building was just outside Sakuradamon. At this time, lights were blacked out inside the Imperial Palace. Looking from the street, the tall Sakuradamon close before their eyes stood like a monster in the snowy night, giving people outside Sakuradamon a strong sense of oppression.

Thinking that as long as they conquered Sakuradamon and the Imperial Palace it belonged to next, the first stage of the revolution would be victorious. The flame in Aizawa Saburō's heart, which had temporarily subsided due to the execution of Nagata Tetsuzan, burned fiercely again. Holding the military sword at his waist, he shouted loudly to his comrades, "Gentlemen! The enemy is inside Sakuradamon!"

"The enemy is inside Sakuradamon!"

"The enemy is inside Sakuradamon!"

Outside Sakuradamon, the Revolutionary Army soldiers all raised their arms and shouted. On top of Sakuradamon, Okamura, who had been urgently assigned here, only felt uncomfortable as if his heart was being gripped by a hand. But apart from waiting for the final fate to descend, Okamura had absolutely no other way.