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Chapter 17 part 2 – The Beginning of My Fifteen-Year War

“!!! You can see inside my head?!”

Shocked, I blurted out my question, but she remained completely composed.
That ever-present air of ennui never wavered.

“Only a little—just fragments of the knowledge and thoughts that surface. After all, you are inside my body. Though, unfortunately, I can only communicate like this on rare occasions.”

“I-I see. That makes sense. So, as the one who was called, all I have to do is enjoy life in your place?”

“That’s right.”

She placed her index finger on her lips, seemingly lost in thought.
Then, in the very next moment, she suddenly leaned forward, bringing her featureless face right up to mine.

A little creepy.

“Do as you please. I find you rather likable. Besides, I no longer have much interest in the living world. I’ve already had my revenge on that wretched woman twice.”

(Yeah, right. Like I’d believe that.)

“And your real intention?”

“My, how suspicious of you.”

With that, she sank back into the sofa, striking an elegant, queen-like pose once more. 

Am I supposed to act like that in the future too?

“Well then, let’s make this interesting. Let’s play a game, shall we? Let’s see if you can keep dancing until the very end. The time limit is 15 years from now. If you manage to avoid ruin and dance through it all successfully, you win. After that, you may live however you like.

But if you lose, destruction awaits you. However, that would be too tragic, wouldn’t it? So in that case, you’ll simply disappear from this body. I will summon someone else and repeat this era all over again.”

(So basically, it still means my destruction, doesn’t it? And why 15 years?)

Just as I had that thought, she seemed to have read my mind and smiled seductively.

“Based on my experience, exactly fifteen years from today, the Second World War will begin. By that time, the Empire’s war in China will already be mired in a quagmire. With just a few days after the German-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact was signed, making Japan the sole immediate enemy of our long-standing foe, the Soviet Union. The Comintern worldwide will conspire to direct America and China into focusing their attacks on Japan.

There will be nothing left but despair. And when you inevitably lose our little game, I shall mock you to my heart’s content. Moreover—”

After her taunting words, she flashed a wicked, yet bewitching smile.
It was only an impression, but I had no doubt about it.

“Fifteen years, huh… And?”

“Oh yes, this is where it truly begins. On that day, I will be exiled from my family. No, this time you will be. Betrayed by that wretched woman and the traitors within the family who sided with her.”

With that declaration, she let out a refined, high-pitched “Ohohoho!”—the perfect noblewoman’s laugh.
It suited her so perfectly that I had the sudden urge to record it on video.

But there was something else I had to say.

“That part actually sounds easy. You’ve lived through multiple lifetimes, and you still don’t get that?”

I had only teased her lightly, but I could immediately sense her irritation.
Looks like she wasn’t very good at handling provocation.

Still, she seemed to have some composure left.

“Hmph! Those fools were once nothing more than pawns dancing in the palm of my hand. I have no need to understand them. But go ahead, keep acting so confident. Even if you survive being exiled from the family, the destruction of the clan awaits you. And in the worst case, Japan itself will be doomed. You’ll struggle in vain, powerless to do anything, filled with nothing but regret.”

(I mean, I’ve already started struggling, though?)

I wanted to say that, but instead, I kept my expression neutral, suppressing my inner thoughts while locking eyes with her.
I made sure to put as much defiance into my gaze as possible.

“Fine, then. I’ll struggle as much as I have to. And just you watch—fifteen years from now, you will be the one crying in defeat! Oh, and you’d better not go back on your word.”

“Hmph! I would never sully my honor by breaking a promise! If you manage to survive it all, I shall quietly disappear completely. This is a contract of the soul!”

She stood up, thrusting out her chest and placing a hand over it, proclaiming her declaration with grandeur.

She looked every bit the quintessential villainess.
No, actually, she had just mentioned something about a soul, so maybe she was more of a demon. 

Even though she was the one who made me sign the contract.

And yet, more than anything else, one thought dominated my mind.

(She really suits this role. I should remember this.)

Even as I felt exasperated, I had to give her credit—her natural acting ability was truly impressive.
Even a seasoned stage actress would pale in comparison.

But at the same time, something she said caught my attention.

“Hey, what do you mean by ‘completely disappear’?”

“Ah, well, if I gather enough power, I can appear like this again—at your bedside, no, in your dreams. But I’m saying that I’ll stop even that and vanish completely. Do you understand?”

“How long does it take to gather that power?”

“A few years, I suppose. It took me four years this time. Ah, it seems our time is almost up.”

“Then, one last question. Why did my consciousness awaken on the day of the Great Kanto Earthquake, when I was three?”

For a brief moment, she hesitated.

“…That’s because my unavoidable grief at my father’s death acted as a trigger. And as for the nightmares, they were triggered by my great-uncle’s death. I had hoped you would awaken before the earthquake and prevent the tragedy, but…”

“I-I’m sorry.”

She seemed genuinely dejected, and without thinking, I blurted out an apology.

To my surprise, she gave me an unexpectedly sincere smile in return.

“It wasn’t your fault. Ah, it seems time is up. Well then, farewell. I look forward to our next meeting.”

Before I could even finish hearing those words, I felt my consciousness slipping away.

The sensation was strange—though I was in a dream, it felt slightly different from a normal one.
Perhaps the space where I had spoken with the true owner of this body was something separate from an ordinary dream.

(Somehow, ever since I reincarnated, I feel like I’ve become unfazed by all these occult-like experiences… Well, whatever the case, this marks the beginning of my fifteen-year war…)

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Fifteen-Year War (Juugonen Sensou)

A term encompassing Japan’s fifteen-year-long external conflicts from the Mukden Incident (Manchurian Incident) on September 18, 1931, to the acceptance of the Potsdam Declaration in 1945. 

This includes the Manchurian Incident, the Second Sino-Japanese War, and the Pacific War as a whole.

In China, it is referred to as the “Fourteen-Year War of Resistance”.

That said, the term is not commonly used in Japan nowadays.

Still, considering the actual time frame, the whole thing lasted less than fourteen years, making the name somewhat arbitrary.

As for its connection to this work, it should only overlap with a little over half of that period—probably.

And most importantly, the title is finally tied into the story.