"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
Over Tokyo Bay, the German Expeditionary Fleet's warships roared with ferocious cannon fire, each shell screaming through the air before crashing into the heart of Tokyo.
The city was already shrouded in thick smoke and consumed by raging flames. Though it was broad daylight, the billowing black clouds blotted out the sun, casting the city into a grim twilight. The once-prosperous capital of the island nation, now under relentless bombardment, was being methodically reduced to rubble.
Tokyo, despite being the nation's capital, was no different from other cities in its reliance on wooden structures. This made its buildings devastatingly vulnerable to fire, which now spread unchecked, turning the city into an inferno. Under ordinary circumstances, a well-trained firefighting force might have been able to contain the blaze. But now, panic-stricken residents fled for their lives, leaving the flames to engulf the city unchallenged. The ultimate fate of Tokyo was left to the whims of Amaterasu herself.
"General, although Tokyo is the largest city in the island nation, many districts lie beyond the range of our main guns. Completely destroying the city may not be feasible," Rear Admiral Mauve observed.
"Even so," replied Vice Admiral von Spee, "if we can annihilate most of Tokyo, that would suffice. I believe our actions have delivered a stark message to these islanders—they now understand the dire cost of provoking the Empire. If they have any sense, they should promptly accept our terms."
"And if they persist in their obstinance?" Mauve asked.
Von Spee's eyes flickered with cold resolve. "If they remain defiant, we will have no choice but to embrace the title of 'slaughterer.' I will order the obliteration of every coastal city in their nation, large or small. Let them all be reduced to ash."
Though Von Spee hoped it would not come to this, his duty as a soldier of the German Empire left no room for compromise. To protect the Empire's interests, he was prepared to bear even the most damning infamy.
"But such actions would result in countless civilian casualties," Mauve said with a sigh.
"We can no longer concern ourselves with such matters. A few more deaths among the islanders are a lesser evil than compromising the Empire's interests," Von Spee replied firmly.
Mauve nodded. "General, perhaps we should consider targeting the Imperial Palace. Such an attack might have an even greater psychological impact."
"The Imperial Palace?" Von Spee frowned.
To avoid irreparable escalation, he had deliberately spared the palace in earlier plans, aware of the emperor's near-divine status in the eyes of the Japanese people. Killing their emperor could provoke an unending vendetta.
"General, the bombardment has gone on for some time. I believe the Japanese emperor has already taken refuge in a safe place. Even if we shell the palace, it's unlikely to harm him—at most, it will frighten him," Mauve pressed.
"Very well. Order all ships to direct fire at Chiyoda District, where the Imperial Palace is located," Von Spee commanded.
"Yes, General!" Mauve promptly relayed the order.
A pause fell over the fleet as battleships recalibrated their targets. Moments later, their cannons roared anew, unleashing a torrent of shells toward the Imperial Palace.
"Fire!"
The first shell struck within the palace grounds, obliterating an artificial hill and killing several people with the scattering debris. More shells followed, tearing through the palace buildings. Courtiers and attendants fled in panic, unable to take shelter in the fortified bunkers reserved for higher-ranking officials. Their survival now rested on divine intervention.
Inside one such bunker, Emperor Taishō's face was ashen.
"How dare they! How dare they attack the palace!" he bellowed, his voice trembling with fury and fear. Dust rained down from the ceiling as the explosions overhead shook the ground. The closeness of death left him on the verge of collapse.
"Enough! Tell the cabinet to negotiate with the Germans. We surrender—we cannot fight on. If this continues, I will surely be killed!" the emperor shouted hysterically.
His attendants hesitated, knowing full well that the emperor held no real authority. The nation's power lay in the hands of the elder statesmen and the cabinet. Still, they would relay his desperate plea to Prime Minister Ōkuma Shigenobu.
In another bunker, where Yamagata Aritomo, Ōyama Iwao, and other senior leaders had taken refuge, the news of the palace bombardment caused their expressions to darken.
"Damn those Germans! To shell the Imperial Palace—is this not a declaration of unending hostility?" Ōka Ichinosuke raged.
"This war is lost," Yamagata said gravely. "If the Germans are willing to target the palace, they will not hesitate to destroy all our coastal cities. We cannot bear such losses any longer."
Ōyama nodded in agreement.
Meanwhile, in yet another bunker, Prime Minister Ōkuma, alongside Matsukata Masayoshi and Inoue Kaoru, looked utterly dejected upon hearing of the attack on the palace.
"The Germans are arrogant beyond measure, treating the Empire with such contempt as to endanger His Majesty's life!" Matsukata fumed.
"They are the world's foremost power and have every reason to disregard lesser nations," Inoue said bitterly.
"Regardless, this war must end. Revenge, if it is to come, will have to wait until we are stronger," Ōkuma declared solemnly.