strictlysupreme Chapter 895 On the Eve of Trial
Chapter 895 On the Eve of Trial
Tokyo, Sugamo Prison.
This place, which was once used to hold important political prisoners and thought prisoners, was abandoned after a brief period of disuse.
Now, it's become "lively" again.
The cold, damp air was filled with the smells of rust, mold, and lingering blood.
It barely illuminated the long, narrow corridors that seemed to have no end.
In each cramped single cell containing only a hard bed and a simple toilet, are locked up figures who were once incredibly glamorous and arrogant in Japanese society.
They were members of the old aristocracy, the old financial magnates, and high-ranking officials of the old government.
But now, they are all wearing the same dirty blue and white prison uniforms, huddled in their respective corners, shivering.
Every face was etched with an expression of unease, fear, and immense humiliation.
"Squeak-"
The iron gate at the end of the corridor was slowly pushed open.
Two tall young men, dressed in standard Chinese military uniforms but with "Sakura National Guard" armbands, led in a ragged, bruised and battered new prisoner.
The nobles in the prison cell instinctively turned their gazes toward the newcomer.
"That's... the young master of the Mitsui Group?"
People were whispering among themselves.
"Yes, that's him. I saw photos of him attending a ribbon-cutting ceremony on the economic news yesterday..."
"My God... even the Mitsui family members have been arrested?"
A barely suppressed commotion arose from the crowd.
Such scenes have been playing out almost every day for the past two weeks.
The flames of the "New Sakura Revolution" are burning fiercely across the entire Sakura Four Islands.
More and more members of the old forces, who had been hiding among the people and thought they could live peacefully, were dragged out one by one by the angry masses who had been fully mobilized, like rats being searched for in a gutter.
Some of them, like Gen-kun, were madmen who directly participated in the "Kyoto Massacre".
Some, like the young master of the Mitsui family, were parasites who, though not directly involved, had committed countless crimes over the years by abusing their privileges.
What made these self-important old nobles increasingly uneasy were some "special" neighbors who were imprisoned with them.
For example, in the cell next door, there was a refined old man who looked like a scholar.
However, according to some well-informed nobles, he was the "professor" in the infamous Black Sun Army who was responsible for conducting live human dissection experiments.
For example, in the serious offender cell at the end of the corridor, there is a bald old man who looks very inconspicuous.
But his name, Shiro Ishii, is enough to send chills down the spine of anyone who knows even a little about that period of history.
These should have been nailed to the pillar of historical shame during the Tokyo Trials.
But the real Class A war criminals who were secretly protected and even "lived peacefully" because of the various dirty political purposes of the United States are now being sent back to this prison, just like them.
This sent chills down the spines of these former nobles.
They had a vague feeling that a purge far more thorough and brutal than they had imagined was about to begin.
Two weeks later, the heavy iron gate of the prison was pushed open again.
This time, the identities of the people brought in plunged the entire prison area into a deathly silence.
Leading the way was an old man wearing a worn-out military uniform. Although his figure was somewhat hunched, his eyes still revealed the stubbornness and fierceness unique to soldiers.
"Okamura... Admiral Okamura Neiji?!"
A nobleman who had once served in the former Ministry of the Army cried out in disbelief.
Behind him, dragged in like a dead dog by two even taller militiamen, was an old man who looked completely devoid of energy, with only empty eyes remaining...
His appearance was so striking that everyone who recognized him gasped in shock.
That was Prince Asaka Yasuhiko.
Emperor Showa's uncle, a former army general.
And, the Nanjing Massacre, which shocked the entire world and remains etched in the hearts of the Chinese people to this day, was planned and ordered by the highest-ranking individuals!
These two were supposed to be great figures, one executed as a war criminal and the other revered as royalty.
Surprisingly, it was also dragged out from some unknown dark corner!
When Prince Asaka Yasuhiko's empty, lifeless gaze swept over the surrounding filthy prison cells.
Those old nobles who had just been anxious about their fate suddenly stood up from their cold, hard beds in unison.
Then, through the cold iron bars, he knelt down and kowtowed heavily to the former prince.
"Your Highness..."
Prince Asaka Yasuhiko's previously empty eyes finally stirred with a ripple when he saw the scene before him.
A smile full of "emotion" appeared on his withered face, which was as dry as old tree bark.
He slowly raised his withered hand, which resembled a chicken claw, and pointed at the group of ministers before him, whom he still considered "loyal and devoted."
In a hoarse, emotional tone, he spoke to Okamura Neiji beside him:
"Did you see that, Okamura-kun?"
"The country still has loyal ministers."
"Unlike outside, where everywhere you go, there are a bunch of treacherous and disrespectful scoundrels who don't know their place!"
He let out a long sigh.
"Alas, my great Sakura Empire... If only all its citizens could be as loyal to the emperor and love their country as you all are."
"How could the nation have fallen to such a state as it is today!"
Hearing His Highness the Prince's heartfelt words, all the nobles present seemed to have found a pillar of support and an outlet to vent all their grievances and resentments.
They could no longer hold back and began to wail and cry in despair before this former member of the royal family.
"Your Highness! You must do us justice!"
"These Chinese people and those lowly commoners, they... they are not human!"
In an instant, the entire prison area was filled with the sound of weeping.
The former rulers and ministers of the Cherry Blossom Kingdom wept bitterly in this dark and damp prison.
A darkly humorous "apocalyptic tragedy" unfolded.
However, while they were still immersed in this self-indulgent sentimentality...
"Squeak——!!"
The iron doors of all the cells in the prison ward opened simultaneously in an instant.
A group of fully armed Japanese National Guard soldiers, carrying rifles, walked in expressionlessly.
They looked at the scene of weeping and wailing before them.
But only a hint of undisguised cold disdain flashed in his eyes.
The militia captain at the head of the group simply smiled dismissively.
Then, he waved his hand behind him.
"take away!"
……
Tokyo, central plaza.
This place was once the city's most bustling landmark.
Now, all the surrounding buildings have long been reduced to ruins in that catastrophe.
But at this moment, this huge open space was completely filled with a dark, endless crowd.
Hundreds of thousands, or even more.
Almost all the surviving residents of Kyoto came here spontaneously.
Their faces were solemn, but their eyes held a raging fury that was about to erupt like a volcano.
In the very center of the crowd, a huge platform temporarily erected with scaffolding had already been set up.
Above the platform hung a huge white banner with a line of eye-catching words written in blood-red ink.
—The final public trial of Japanese war criminals and crimes against humanity.
Soon, under the gaze of countless eyes filled with deep-seated hatred,
Okamura Yasuhiko, Prince Asaka, and all those former nobles and Class A war criminals who were brought out of prison.
They were then pushed and shoved onto the high platform by the militiamen, who treated them like livestock.
Then, someone kicked them hard in the back of the knees, causing them to kneel down on the dusty wooden planks.
"You...you lowly people! What do you want to do?!"
Prince Asaka Yasuhiko, the moment he was kicked to the ground, finally snapped out of his reverie, his mind still immersed in the fantasy of "loyalty to the emperor and love for the country."
When his gaze fell upon the banner that conveyed a sense of judgment, his withered old face instantly became more grotesque than that of a dead man.
"Public trial? You...you lowly commoners who have almost forgotten what your own names are, what right do you have to judge me?!"
He roared hysterically, his voice sharp and filled with an unbelievable sense of absurdity.
“I am a descendant of Amaterasu! I am a prince! How dare you…”
Okamura Yasuji, standing next to him, appeared much more "tough."
Although he was kneeling on the ground, his back remained perfectly straight.
He raised his head and coldly surveyed the sea of people below the stage with a disdainful look.
"A rabble."
He let out a disdainful snort from his throat.
"War is a matter for us soldiers. It's all about the victor and the vanquished. What right do you ants, who can't even hold a knife properly, have to point fingers at me?"
However, they were met with neither angry curses nor stones thrown onto the stage.
Instead, on the high platform, an even larger electronic screen slowly lit up.
Immediately afterwards, one image after another, images and videos about Nanjing, the Black Sun, and the countless crimes they committed, were restored in high definition using China's powerful technology.
Then, it was clearly presented to everyone.
In that instant, the hundreds of thousands of people in the audience fell completely silent...