"Alright, Shadows, another gig well done! Now go get some chow and a cold one, you boys and girls have earned it!" Colonel Philip Graves said to his subordinates with a grin.
"YUP-YUP!" Came the spirited affirmation from the soldiers wearing black combat gear and balaclava.
Waving them away, Colonel Graves proceeds to head further inside the Covert Operating Base that belongs to Shadow Company. They have been stationed for quite some time in Spain, long enough to build a sizeable base with an airstrip. The base, Sombra, is the nexus from which Shadow Company and its Spanish Inquisitor ally operate. For months now they have been eliminating many Demons and Sardegnian infiltrators, bagging any and all intel or evidence that can help Belka build up a just cause against the Papacy. So far, Sardegna has been trying to keep the matter under wraps but they're slowly losing their patience with their so-called underling which is Spain. When the time comes for Sardegna to outright invade its former subordinate, they will be in for a rude awakening, regardless of the fact they have supersoldiers hiding in their sleeve.
"Hey, CJ!" Graves called out to the African Inquisitor that acted as the liaison between him and Lord Inquisitor Camati.
"Hey man!" Holding his fist out, CJ and Graves did a fist bump. "How's the op?"
"Like usual, rains down fire from the sky and watch the place burn." Graves commented. "The Spooky gunships proved their mettle, once again, against a nest the Demons have been spawning from."
At first, he said it with a smirk but then Graves turned somber. "Couldn't save a convoy of refugees in time though. They had been evacuated from a nearby village when the Demons got a jump on them. Now, half of them are buried in unmarked graves."
Placing a sympathetic hand on Graves's shoulder CJ gives it a few pats. "But you did save the rest, that's what matters here. Don't let the things you can't control burden you, my friend. Sometimes, it's better that you leave it to the Lord to decide."
"Tsk. Look at me all moping now." Shaking his head to clear away the depressing thoughts, Graves changes the subject by asking. "So, how's our POW? Been talking yet?"
"He's been singing." With a smirk, CJ opens the door leading to an observation room where there's a see-through glass installed. Behind the glass is the interrogation chamber where an agent serving Sardegna is being put through mental torture by a nun. "I must say, lady Aponia has a... magical way of making people speak."
The nun, Aponia, is closing her eyes with her hands clasped in a praying posture, yet, the agent in front of her is soundlessly screaming as his tear-stricken eyes gaze at something far away.
Seeing the sight, Graves comments. "Better not get on her bad side, I don't think anyone can stand being disciplined by her. Do you know what happened to the previous POWs being interrogated by her when she was still in ONI Section 1?"
"Now you are making me curious, say it man." CJ turned over to Graves. The latter explains it with a grin.
"Believe it or not, they're now converted to be pious believers of the Yggdrasil Pantheon, doing charity and farming works at day, praying and teaching poor people at night."
"...You're not pulling my leg, aren't you?" CJ looked incredulously at Graves' words. What kinds of mind-breaking torture were they put under to break them down into bonafide good guys!?
Knowing his Spanish comrade's inner thoughts, Graves adds. "The Aponia kind. Seriously, you don't ever wanna cross her." Pointing at the POW, he then says. "I doubt the guy will escape the same fate that has befallen his predecessors."
Unknowingly, they both shudder at the prospect that Aponia's discipline may be used on them if they misbehave.
"... So she's a mysterious yet approachable nun by the day and a mysterious yet dangerous nun by the night. Good to know." CJ tried to liven up the mood.
Graves can't help but go along with it. "To put it mildly, yes."
They then continue watching until the Yggdrasil Pantheon's missionary successfully break the mind of the POW. After that, Aponia moves out and hands over the task of asking questions to Graves and CJ. They both thank the nun wholeheartedly before moving in to collect intel, ignoring the weirdly content smile of the POW.
It's better for their sanity if they don't question it.
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17 years old and counting, Yuki never thought that she will be complaining to herself about the fact that her physique remain youthful... Too youthful in fact. She hasn't grown an inch even after two years! The old clothes from years ago still fit her perfectly, damn it!
Weird stray thoughts aside, she is now inside her office in ONI headquarters, reading up on the newest intelligence to keep herself up to date with the rest of the world.
Erusea has been very active in its trading with the Ustian Loyalists, arms trade is not the only thing they have been dealing with. Commodities from the colonies, limited as they may be because of the ongoing civil war, have been making their way onto the shelves of Erusean storefronts. This provided the Loyalists with an influx of cash to stabilize its economy, somewhat. They're still rearing from the loss of hundreds of thousands of young men and able-bodied. Their economy is in shamble if not for the investment from Erusea, and unsurprisingly, America. The former is because they want to slowly usurp Ustio, and the latter is because of profits. Typical capitalists and their money-making scheme.
The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
Rosa and her Reformists have been doing well though. The windfall they made earlier in the Months of Demons has netted them a not-so-small support from the colonies. With her promise of improving the condition in the colonies, with the help of Belka of course, Rosa earned herself a lot of sympathizers especially after she has proven herself in leading her faction. And with the recent influx of manpower and armaments, Rosa's army can compete on equal footing with the Ustian Loyalists, given the right conditions. Erusea still hasn't made a move with its military, yet.
As for the Long Dynasty and its rivalry with Japan. Of course, stupid as they may be, the Japs realized that something was very, very wrong when the Dynast's navy now have a few more battlecruisers and whole fleets to back them up. The sudden increase in military might from the Dynasty had effectively forced the leadership of Japan to go back to the drawing board, costing them a few years of planning. Japan, as expected, sent envoys to me to see if I could rescind our trade agreements with the Long Dynasty. Yet, because I pulled the capitalism card, saying that we need the arms trade to fund our ongoing projects. And the fact that as our ally, Japan has no right to interfere with our national decision. Not when, on paper, Japan is not at war with the Long Dynasty, hence, we can safely sell our equipment to the Dynasty which is also on closed terms with Belka. Yes, I know, my hypocrisy knows no bound.
Anyway, they could only accept my reasoning, begrudgingly, of course. The envoy returned without much to show to their Emperor and Shinto Gods while the Long Dynasty and Belka laughed behind their back. They did, however, commit a pretty serious faux pas on me. A Japanese zealot officer had the gall insult me for being, and I quote, "Short-sighted kid that plays at being a Marshal. You truly haven't seen the world so you can't recognize friend and foe!"
Wow, right? Anyway, if only you could see the panicky faces of the Japanese diplomats after the zealot uttered the words. Though I do understand the man was angry because of my standing in this situation but seriously? Has he not been briefed on what to know and what not to do? The faux pas had only given me more bullets to fire at the Japanese and that I did. I sent the envoy back with an official complaint, one that was signed by not just me but both of my mothers and Yggdra herself. And because we broadcasted complaints to the entire world, Japan faced an unprecedented protest from its own people. Why? Because in their eyes, Belka is their close ally and the holy land of the Shinto Gods. Though the Shinto Gods have been living far away from home and with different ideals than us, they did not forget to teach the populace about their root which is Yggdrasil. We used that teaching against them this time, forcing Japan to drop the matter of us selling to the Dynasty and having them make an official apology. My aunt, Amaterasu, even sent me gifts and a letter to let me know that everything was a mistake on their part. She hoped that I, and by extension, Belka, won't let the incident sour their relationship.
Though the hatchet is buried, for now, I can just dig it back up in the future.
Moving on to our recent intervention into Spain, Shadow Company led by Colonel Philip Graves has been racking in success after success. The man and his soldiers have proven themselves to be invaluable assets in unorthodox warfare. A petition from General Belladonna has just arrived to try and convince me to retain the Company after the mess that is Spain is dealt with. I am much of the same opinion as the General, Shadow Company will be another valuable tool in ONI's shed, especially when Section Head Quellec is still occupied in Rusviet.
By nature as a mercenary company, Philip Graves and his men and women aren't equipped with the now modernized standard equipment of the Belkan military. They are running around in Spain with Kar 98s, MG-34s, C96Ks, Mp-35s, etc... Their heavier equipment is much of the same as those used by the Long Dynasty and the Reformists, Panzer III Ms, 221 armored cars, Ju-52 gunships, and the newer Bf-110 Hs... Though they do have a pretty large covert base, Sombra, tucked in the middle of a mountain range. Aponia, my former caretaker, has been sent over as part of a missionary group for the Yggdrasil Pantheon. She is also the main interrogator for any prisoner Shadow Company comes across. Yggdra blesses the poor souls for Aponia shall have none.
Because of their help and our support, the Spanish Inquisitor is regaining lost ground and the Spanish people finally see who is their real friend in times of need. That friend sure as hell isn't the Sardegnians. Now, public support for Belka in Spain has been at an all-time high. This is also a result of a recent musical concert Eden and Elysia have made. The pair has caused a sort of miracle to occur, saving a few souls just by their music alone. This warrant some investigation on our part, even if it was a positive event.
As for Sardegna, the investigation of the inhumane experiments has reached a deadlock even with the Einherjar involved. This is both frustrating and concerning, yet, it does confirm one thing. The mysterious helpers are, most probably, god or godlike beings. Even if they are suppressed by Alaya which is the Will of the world, they can still use their expertise to hide from prying eyes. This is especially true for gods that deal in shadier Divinities. We are currently investigating just who may these gods be.
Moving back to Rusviet and Section Head Quellec, he has set up a medium size factory in Stalingrad. The man has been competing in the arms market against Degtyaryov and has hooked up with a number of major players in the Rusviet Union. He reported that he is now being looked at by Stalin himself, whether this will result in anything remains to be seen. Of course, the weapon designs he offered to the Rusviet Union, though modern by 1937's standard, is nowhere near comparable to ours. An example will be his design of a 10-round semi-automatic rifle chambered in 7.62x39mm while we are using Einstein's G1 which is full-auto and used 8x57mm.
The 7.62x39mm bullet has been tested against our body armor and failed to penetrate. Meaning our soldiers won't have to fear much about the rifle.
Something else of note is that the USA welcomed its first Jewish Senator, James Iverson. With the backing of the Jewish tycoons and oppressed African people and gangsters, and subtle support from us. This former gang leader is now a powerful Senator for his view of a truly free America. An America where none are oppressed and are free to pursue their dream. Though he will have to compete with the monster of a President that is Franklin Delano Roosevelt. We will have to keep a close eye on the situation in the American continent.
With that said, I must now turn my attention to the internal reports. Sigh, work, work, work.