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**[1/2]**

The Rome Treaty Organization had to deliver its declaration of war to Dogo Shigenori, who was waiting in Moscow for the Tsar’s response.

Litvinov from the Foreign Ministry, who was pretty much in custody and unaware of the outside situation, called Dogo Shigenori of the Japanese delegation.

Dogo Shigenori had noticed the presence of the White Army watching the delegation for some time now.

That alone was already hinting at some bad news.

It was clear that being called in like this could only mean something unpleasant.

Feeling on edge, when Dogo met Litvinov from the Russian Foreign Ministry, he sensed something strange about Litvinov’s cold, stiff face.

After staring at Dogo for a while, Litvinov cautiously opened his mouth.

“Japan has committed barbaric acts of slaughter to deceive the anti-communist nations by branding the Chinese as communists under the pretext of avenging the Emperor’s death through the invasion of China, claiming to protect the South from communists despite objections from Britain and France.”

Dogo Shigenori had to doubt his ears for a moment.

He hoped it was just a hallucination borne out of anxiety that a new front might not open.

But Litvinov continued his statement with a somewhat cold expression, as if mocking Dogo’s expectations.

This time, he looked genuinely annoyed.

His face twisted in a way that belittled the other party in diplomacy.

“To be frank, our Tsar’s gracious offers have been ignored multiple times, making it difficult for our Rome Treaty Organization to continue treating Japan as a civilized nation. Therefore, I won’t bother to make an elaborate declaration of war. I shall forward this declaration of the treaty organization to General Tojo Hideki at the Imperial Headquarters. Henceforth, I declare that the Rome Treaty Organization and Japan have entered a state of war.”

“Rome Treaty Organization’s declaration of war? I’ve heard Europe united to form an international organization, but why are you declaring war on us?”

Dogo halted, feeling intimidated.

Litvinov’s expression resembled that of someone staring at something loathsome.

While he somewhat understood the chaotic actions at home, it was still shocking to hear that Europe was about to reenter the war.

“Well, they must have already started heading south. Just like your country did in the Russo-Japanese War, we’ll attack first and declare war afterward.”

“!!”

Had the attack already begun as well?

This could lead to the collapse of the main force of the army, the Chinese expeditionary corps.

“Tsk.”

Litvinov seemed to think there was no longer any value in continuing the conversation. He simply left the embassy.

That implied he would no longer regard you as a civilized nation, nor treat you as civilized people. And after that, Japan would have to fight the entirety of Europe.

Fighting against the Americans was already tough, but now they had to contend with Europe too.

If rumors were to be believed, a massive army equipped with weapons capable of erasing cities would pour in through the Siberian Railway, coming from Russia.

Just imagining it sent shivers down his spine.

Japan still didn’t even have proper tanks. While they had received some tank technologies from Russia through tech exchanges, those were outdated compared to European standards.

Thinking about the whole of Europe, the number of enemy forces was staggering.

Dogo Shigenori had to give up thinking.

**[2/2]**

Harbin Balhae Republic Provisional Government

The Provisional Government of the Balhae Republic also heard about Europe’s declaration of war against Japan.

Feeling that the time had finally come, I-woo and the Provisional Government sensed that Russia, along with its former colonial empires and all of Europe, had declared war on Japan.

It was time to reclaim the homeland, to finally take back the Korean Peninsula after long years of diligent preparation, with the army they had nurtured through suffering and hardship.

There was no need to hold back any longer.

“The time has finally come.”

Inherited from his father, Prince I-gang, the central figure of the Balhae Republic, I-woo declared a declaration of war against Japan together with Prime Minister Ahn Chang-ho and the military of the Provisional Government of the Balhae Republic.

“Japan has resorted to violent acts, creating colonies from surrounding nations and staining the Chinese continent with blood while they engage in countless battles against the United States at sea, consuming themselves. However, numerous great powers in Europe, having reached their limit, have finally declared war on Japan, so it is time for us to reclaim our nation! We will swiftly march south into Southern Manchuria and cross the Amnok River to liberate the Korean Peninsula! We will not let our descendants suffer under the shame of having lost their country! We will rescue the thirty million Koreans suffering from the oppression of Japanese rule!”

The soldiers of Balhae, who had been educated under Russian advisors and established as a regular military force of the Balhae Republic, shed tears at I-woo’s declaration.

With the declaration of war against Japan by the world’s notable powers, Japan found itself in a position of waging war against the entire world.

If not now, when would they reclaim their nation?

The Balhae Army, which had long been part of the Russian-controlled Northern Manchuria, finally became independent, raising the Balhae flag high.

“Now, let’s return to our hometown! Our land! Our home!”

**Waaaaah!**

With a thunderous cheer in Harbin’s square, the Balhae Republic officially declared war.

**We hereby congratulate the declaration of war against Japan made on behalf of the thirty million Koreans and the government. This is the most effective means of breaking Japan and recreating East Asia. We thus declare the following:**

**1. The entire Korean populace has already joined the anti-invasion front and hereby declares war on Japan as a single combat unit.**

**2. We repeatedly declare that the 1910 annexation treaty and all unequal treaties are null and void. Furthermore, we respect the rational vested interests that anti-invasion nations hold in Korea.**

**3. We will achieve final victory through bloodshed to completely expel the Japanese pirates from Korea, China, and the South Pacific.**

**4. We swear not to acknowledge the Qing regime established under Japan’s protection.**

**5. We resolutely demand the principles of the Rome Declaration (decolonization declaration of the treaty organization) and apply it to realize Korean independence, anticipating the final victory of the democratic front.**

**I-woo, head of the Korean Empire’s royal family, Ahn Chang-ho, Prime Minister of the Balhae Republic Provisional Government, and Jo So-ang, Minister of Foreign Affairs.**

Simultaneously, the declaration of war against Japan by the Balhae Republic was officially recognized as a sovereign state by the Tsar of Russia, and with the approval of Russia, all member states of the Rome Treaty Organization also recognized it, joining together against Japan.

Finally, the Russian White Army that had crossed over on the Siberian train began to march south, joining forces with the Mongolians and the Northern Manchuria army, as approximately 80,000 Balhae troops mobilized.

Under the command of General Ji Cheong-cheon, the Balhae army swiftly moved south with commanders like Lee Beom-seok, Kim Jwa-jin, and Kim Gyeong-cheon leading their troops.

“It’s hell in China, yet this place is peaceful and nice~ Huh? Hey. Hey hey. What’s that?”

“What’s what? Uh. Huh? Why is there a Russian army? And what’s that, the Korean flag?”

“Prepare for battle! Damn it, where are the weapons?!”

**Uraaaah!**

The Southern Manchurian army of Mutaguchi Renya, who had been doing nothing as the Southern Manchurian Shogun for a while, could hardly respond when the combined forces of the White Army and the Balhae Army surged forward.

The Southern Manchurian army’s disarmament resulted from a rather complicated situation.

Despite being the main force that decimated the 2 million Chinese warlord coalition, they hadn’t indulged much, but since the declaration of war from Russia hadn’t yet reached Japan, they were caught off guard by a surprise attack from their supposed ally Russia, and the Chinese expeditionary army had diverted all the weapons in Southern Manchuria to themselves for exterminating their opponents.

Even though the Southern Manchurian troops had access to the latest Russian weapons, everything had been transferred to the Chinese expeditionary forces, rendering it ineffective.

Naturally, Southern Manchuria was swiftly overpowered by the White Army and Balhae Army, with the scattered Southern Manchurian forces unable to engage in proper combat, quickly turning into prisoners instead.

And then—

“What… what the hell! Why are those Russian bastards here?!”

Mutaguchi Renya, always surrounded by women, found himself caught naked.

**[2/2]**

Governor-General’s Office of Korea

The Balhae Republic government’s declaration of war against Japan.

“When did those Koreans build such an army?”

“Damn it, we can’t stop them!”

“Kill the bastards and liberate the homeland!”

The Japanese army, tasked with stopping the Balhae Army from crossing the Amnok River, found their numbers ridiculously small and couldn’t stop the crossing at all.

This news served to ignite the oppressed Koreans living under Japanese rule on the Korean Peninsula.

Although Japan tried to ease the integration a bit more to unify Korea into their realm, as the war worsened, the oppression in Korea intensified, causing friction between Koreans and Japanese people to escalate.

Amidst this, the Balhae Republic’s Korean independence war, the declaration of war against Japan, acted like an oasis in the desert, stimulating even the educated classes, including scholars who had been forgotten.

Among them, the first to act were scholars who longed for a past that resembled the ancient empire.

On the front page of the newspaper, photos of I-woo declaring war in Harbin alongside soldiers properly equipped with military uniforms and weapons sparked a revolt from those scholars.

“The true rulers of Korea have finally come together in Arasa and raised their army; thus, we must fulfill our duty as subjects and help. Let’s gather the righteous soldiers to welcome the Emperor.”

“Let’s do it!”

Having just been waiting for the day to die, the aging scholars planned to gather righteous soldiers to greet the Emperor who was raising an army from outside to reclaim the country. However, they were swiftly arrested by the intensified surveillance of the Japanese police.

They were executed in public as a warning by the Governor-General’s Office.

“Those crazy Joseonjins! How dare they plot a rebellion!”

“Hahaha! The realms of Arasa, Oji, and Yeonggilli are rushing in from land and sea to capture you bastards! Our Emperor has also raised a great army in response; we shall reclaim our nation and sweep you all away!”

Even in their dire situation, despite being arrested and facing execution, the scholars laughed maniacally.

“Show them what happens when you dare to resist the Empire! Kill them all!”

“May the heavens assist our Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Korean Empire!”

Despite being bullet-riddled by the soldiers as they cried out, the scholars envisioned a future where their homeland would be liberated.

“May the Emperor live long…”

At last, the last scholar fell, and the Japanese police aimed their guns at the Koreans.

“Did you see! If you refuse to become subjects of our Empire, you’ll end up just like these crazy old men! You’ll die like those Chinese bastards!”

Though the Japanese military and police threatened the Koreans, for some reason, the eyes of the Koreans were now different from before.

Having been reduced to despair in a land they had lost, Koreans who couldn’t die began to find hope from the news that their compatriots were racing to liberate their nation. They were enraged upon witnessing the deaths of the scholars who had sought liberation.

Although the scholars clinging to dreams of recreating a dynasty were not favored by Koreans who had moved on from the imperial aspirations, the public executions and the Balhae Republic’s declaration of war against Japan ignited the embers of anti-Japanese sentiment in the hearts of the Koreans.

“It seems they still think it’s their world? I can’t stand this anymore!”

“Comrades, our army is rushing in to liberate our homeland! Let’s take back Seoul and welcome them!”

A rebellion began across the Korean Peninsula, starting from Gyeongseong, primarily among the intellectuals opposed to the pro-Japanese faction.

The same was happening in China.

“How dare you treat the Emperor disrespectfully! The Emperor does not bow his head to mere Japanese officials!”

“Cough!”

The King of Qing, Aisin Gioro Puyi, called out to the Emperor and struck a disrespectful Japanese official with his cane, killing him and igniting a war for independence.

“Though I am the ruler of a puppet state, I hope the hell that is unfolding in Southern China does not happen! But I can no longer bear it! Expel all the Japanese bastards from Qing!”

Even as a puppet state, the regime was crafted to maintain Qing, so when Puyi ordered an attack against the Japanese army, they complied.

Meanwhile, in the Pacific, the U.S. fleet was preparing to retake the Philippines upon receiving news of an increase in the treaty fleet.

More specifically, the U.S. fleet was planning to draw the Japanese combined fleet to come forth while targeting the Philippines for reclaim, intending to team up with the Rome Treaty fleet to annihilate the combined fleet in a single battle.

Until now, both sides had been grinding away at each other in naval battles, but they were determined to turn the tide with this one single match.

The Japanese combined fleet couldn’t allow the U.S. fleet to retake the Philippines and risk further isolation in the south. Consequently, the combined fleet was preparing to strike the U.S. fleet to prevent its recovery of the Philippines.

However, the combined fleet was unaware that the Rome Treaty fleet was approaching.

Even if they did, they needed to put up a fight, even if it meant tears.

Thus began the Battle of Leyte Gulf.

At this time, the U.S. fleet had barely achieved supremacy in its naval battles against the combined fleet, yet this battle would not be easy.

After all, the aircraft carriers Shinano, which was supposed to be short-lived in history, and Yamato, which should have remained on the rear lines, were now participating in the fight.

“It’s ready to go.”

However, Japan, having run low on fuel, knew that losing the south would spell certain doom.

In other words, they had to secure a tangible victory in this battle.

So they brought out what little resources they had.

The battle at Leyte Gulf kicked off, with the Japanese combined fleet firing the first shot. The U.S. fleet and the combined fleet engaged fiercely in naval combat.

**Kaboom!**

Although the battle unfolded evenly at first, the U.S. fleet began to falter.

“Could we actually lose this?”

The combined fleet, confident they could win against the weakened U.S. fleet, began to chase down as the U.S. fleet attempted to retreat.

But then, a large-scale fleet appeared behind the combined fleet.

The combined fleet was drastically outnumbered by this new force which outclassed them. While the treaty fleet was undertaking its very first real battle, the language standardization hadn’t occurred yet, leaving them without a unified command. This left them susceptible to being flanked.

“What… what is that fleet? I’ve never seen that flag before!”

“I don’t know!”

Despite the ongoing war, the treaty fleet, bolstered by the commissioning of new aircraft carriers, had eight standard aircraft carriers, alongside escort carriers, battleships, cruisers, over 400 torpedo boats, submarines, and 2,000 aircraft participating in the battle.

The very idea of being ambushed in such a manner sent shockwaves through the already beleaguered combined fleet.

“Kill all the Japs! Don’t give them a moment’s rest!”

Without intending to give the treaty fleet any opportunity to resist, they unleashed a relentless onslaught against Japan.

The combined fleet, already heavily engaged in fierce naval combat with the U.S. fleet, collapsed instantly. The combined fleet’s carriers, Shinano and Zuikaku, were forcibly sunk to the bottom by the world’s renowned bombing squadrons.

The combined fleet had completely disintegrated as a result.

The few surviving ships, notably Yamato, managed to make a narrow escape. However, with the inclusion of the treaty fleet in the mix, the Japanese combined fleet was no longer in a position to battle for maritime supremacy, and with the southern supply line effectively cut off, Japan found itself in dire straits.

“What… what is happening? Why are the Russians… Europe… Aaaah!”

With the Chinese rebellion and movements of the treaty army, the Imperial Headquarters had to tear their hair out upon hearing the news of their fleet’s disintegration.

Following the fleet’s collapse, Japan had to revise its strategy to focus on defending its homeland.

Japan was in the process of instant collapse.

 

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