[CLOSED] Prefectural Elections Thread

( The following is a selection of excerpts from Der Angriff, a Lieseltanian newspaper with the subtitle "For the Oppressed against the Oppressors". )

Extra: Maginot and Tres Españas Announce Solidarity with Axis Powers!
Eclair orders massive buildup of artillery across the channel from Roselia.
Posted: 7:51 PM, September XX, 20XX

Image no longer available
Above: Maginot citizens express their joy at Chancellor Eclair's public address.

Europe's political landscape underwent a major shift earlier today as Supreme Chancellors Eclair and Francisca (of Maginot and Tres Españas respectively) signed a military alliance with Lieseltania and several other like-minded nations. This comes mere days after the entry of Sweden and Finland into the Axis Powers, and secures nearly the entirety of Western Europe as allies of the Fatherland.

...

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Above: Marine National's Richelieu, one of two state-of-the-art fast battleships constructed by Maginot.

Maginot (and to a lesser extent Tres Españas) were two of many European powers to acquire external territories during the height of the Abyssal Crisis. Their current holdings in Africa and the Middle East encompass the third and fourth largest claims on these regions respectively, following Italy and Lieseltania, which has allowed French citizens to enjoy an unprecedented standard of living compared to neighboring Roselia.

...

As expected, North America has pledged support to its puppet regime in Roselia. Besides materiel aid, Washington has publicized the redeployment of two "Tennessee"-class battleships to the European Theatre, as well as the aircraft carrier "Ranger" and an unknown number of smaller vessels.


Above: The North American battleships "Tennessee" and "California". (File photo.)

The Lieseltanian government has advised all citizens residing on the coast to remain on alert. If any individual sights these vessels, they are expected to contact the relevant authorities immediately.

The current major factions and their constituents are as follows:

 

Axis Powers
Lucian Empire (Japan)
Lieseltania (Germany)
The Copper-Black Cross (Italy)
Sweden
Finland
Maginot (France)
Tres Españas

 

Comintern
For those nations who have adopted authoritarian interpretations of socialism.

Pravda
Polska
Mongolia
Persia

 

Western Bloc
For those countries who prefer libertarian socialism.

North America
Roselia (Great Britain and Ireland)
Mexico
Socialist Federation of Central America and the Caribbean
Gran Columbia
Peru
Chile
Argentina

~***~

( The following is a selection of excerpts from Akahata, official newspaper of the Lucian Democratic Socialist Party. )

Abyss Fleet Embarks on Landmark Series of Army Reforms
Grand Admiral Taylor cites need to check "Imperial aggression" throughout the Pacific.
Posted: 8:16 AM, September XX, 20XX


Above: Abyssal Infantry clad in the Destroyer-class small arms combat-rig.

Politicians throughout the Home Islands woke up to an unsettling revelation as the Unified Territories of the Abyssal Fleet unveiled their new line of small arms spirit-weapons. This action, announced in a a public address by Grand Admiral Ivy Taylor, stands in direct violation of the disarmament treaty drafted following the Abyssal Crisis.

...

"It is with great regret that I must say, our commitment to [the disarmament treaty] was a mistake," spoke Taylor on national television, "... As Grand Admiral I have been entrusted with ensuring the security of our waters, our people, and the individual. Yet there are still those that would deprive us. Terrible, fearful women who would visit upon us a manner of suffering that no living being ought to endure."

...

"I must applaud our North American comrades for maintaining our safety for the past decade, but it has become obvious they can't do it alone. If we Abyssals wish for peace, I'm afraid we must once again prepare for war."

...

Perhaps predictably, the rearmament campaign has attracted near-universal condemnation from politicians throughout the Axis Powers. Representative Hibiki Jana (Socialists, Militarists) has condemned the endeavor as "tantamount to a declaration of cold war", and reaffirmed her dedication to rebuilding Japan's military. Admiral Houki Shinonono and her flagship Yamato have yet to release an official statement.

Representatives Haruka Arinori (Okinawa, Libertarian Socialists) and Saori Kumi (Saga, Social Nationalists) could not be reached due to typhoon recovery efforts in their prefectures. Rep. Fujimoto (Niigata, Democratic Socialists) declined to comment.

...

Although greatly hindered by the Navy's victories at Pearl Harbor and the South Pacific, the Abyss Fleet struck a crucial blow against Axis navies in the Second Battle of Midway. The astounding materiel loss (as well as the near-complete destruction of the North American Pacific Fleet) necessitated a ceasefire from all belligerents.

Grand Admiral Taylor publically criticized the circumstances of the treaty, remarking that "This is no peace, it is an armistice for a hundred days." As countries worldwide arrange themselves into power blocs and race to rebuild their military might, the Admiral's words have begun to sound to sound eerily prophetic.

>Lucia Konohana and her company from the previous few days discuss about the future of the nation at stake, and to her surprise, the efforts of mobilization had put in place a lot faster than she ever anticipated. She barely smiled that her progress in the election has gone very smoothly, only hoping that her chance of taking the throne are worth all the years she yearned for.

>After the devastation left by tropical storm Talim that hit all four islands, the Royalists are unhindered in their destined goal to restore the current dying dynastic system to its full, former glory. She phones in on all the other Royalist leaders in her bid to accelerate her ascension.

>On a sunny, warm day in Aichi prefecture, Tanji, the current heir to her older sister Genji, who is currently absent but is due to return soon, will travel to neighboring Mie. At around the same time, on a cloudy day in Ishikawa, Joruri, a school principal wanting to restore order to national level schools and better, stricter education, begins her trek to Toyama, Gifu and Nagano prefectures. Her success rate in Nagano unfortunately did not bode her well, though.

>In the far north, Ai of Aomori in her speakeasy decides that the other parties are too much of a concern to be dealt with peacefully, so she hires a small group of highly trained assassins to get rid of her opponents within the Touhoku region. So far, she has reserved herself away from politics, preferring not leaving her prefecture in fear she would be caught by local authorities.

>While Terada is busy dealing with recovery efforts within Hokkaido, Miyabi heads south for Fukushima but staying clear of the nuclear power plant. Her parade has been interrupted by scores of hatred voices and a lengthy riot, splitting the prefecture into two. It seems the conservatives’ party is not willing to give themselves in as easily as she initially thought.

>Lucia’s next speech takes place in Okayama, hoping that she would convince the voters there to support her in her company’s stead. At this point in the election, right before she even get started proper, several Conservative citizens attempt to boo her and even threaten death if she cannot leave their turf. This prompted her three guards to intervene.

Lucia: “Guards, protect me!”
Kan’u Unchou: “I shall protect Your Majesty!”
Bachou Mouki: “Get off my spear, damnit!”
Ryuubi: “Back off, you’re interfering with Lucia’s official business!”

>The three guards stand back to back, surrounded by an angry crowd of Conservatives.

Kan’u Unchou: “There’s just too many!”
Ryuubi: “Majesty! What should we do!?”
Lucia: “Just hold them off while I find a safe exit route!”
Bachou Mouki: “You got it! We’re gonna pin you down if you don’t relent!”

>Lucia’s attempt in taking Okayama has failed and forced to retreat to her hometown.

>Yukimura then gets her chance at Okayama, and the crowd has subsided a bit, allowing Lucia’s guards to retreat. Her speech mannerisms are more alluring and elegant and have a higher support percentage than Lucia, thus easily influencing the last bit of western Honshu. Lucia is happy enough that she'll arrange a meeting with all the Royalists in a Kyoto rally sometime by Friday.

The following status updates as of 16:00 on Sept 19:

>Okayama, Mie, Gifu, and Toyama are under control of the Royalists; however, Fukushima fared worse and are now disputed between the Royalists and Conservatives.
>Okiku, Rie, Aguni and Koyama are eliminated from the race, bringing the number of potential candidates down from 42 to 38. 
>Nissho, a new capitalist leader from Nagasaki has just entered the competition after a couple of weeks of job interviewing, bringing the number of candidates back up to 39.
>The Royalists party now has the most prefectures, with Konohana tying for three with Joruri and Yukimura, and the runner-ups are Miyabi and Tanji.
>There is now a much larger active civilian militia in place across six affected prefectures: Yamaguchi, Hiroshima, Tokushima, Osaka, Miyagi, and Hokkaido. The total number of active troops including the civilian militia within Japan is now at 600,000 and still rising.
>2 Japanese KanMusu ships, Kawakaze and Verniy are nowhere to be seen and have been defected to the enemy.

8 days later

Genji is not happy about what is happening lately, so she just made her return to Japan briefly to address the whole population. Perhaps a little bump might get this thread going again?

Genji: "People of the Rising Sun, this is an official message to you, the citizenry from your Empress, regarding the 'bipartisan political alliance' across our homeland. From the doorsteps of my palace to the farthest ends of our islands that I call it home, I won't allow such a mixed party joining hands with each other risking my rule into collapse."

"In my utmost response to these people, they are separate beings operating on their own goals, yet they strongly refuse to give in to my words. To bring this election I called forth barely even weeks ago to remain fair and just, those two parties of greatest concern, the Liberals and Conservatives must be split and part their ways immediately."

"I will however, regardless of who wins this election, mutually agree to step down as your faithful Empress and resume life back in Aichi, the city I was raised from by early December. I will also authorize a peace meeting in Geneva with Lucia's enemies to put an end to this unnecessary conflict next week. It's too bad we don't have the resources we used to even before the expeditions began back in mid-July, which would make me consider the smarter and safer path away from war entirely. What if they decide to refuse for talks with us, then what else are we to do? Chances are, let's just hope they have at least second thoughts before this already overwhelming global war gets too serious."

Pravda Offers Non-Aggression Pact to Axis Powers
Katyusha cites matériel and manpower losses, impending economic collapse.
Posted: 10:32 PM, September XX, 20XX


Above: Katyusha and several high-ranking ministers. (File photo.)

People around the world breathed a collective sigh of relief earlier today following Comrade Premier Katyusha's declaration of her desire to pursue a non-aggression pact with the Axis Powers. This comes mere weeks after considerable military buildup on both sides, as well as the redeployment of several North American naval assets to the North Sea.

...

"Comrades, countrymen! Lend me your ears! Over the past three weeks I have spoken of our readiness to combat the fascist wolves to the west. This is true - our combined armies, navies, and air forces are available at the minute's notice to launch the assault" spoke Katyusha on national television. "Yet have we forgotten the horrors of our most recent conflict? Have we forgotten so quickly - all too quickly! - the carnage at Kursk, the cataclysm at Midway, and the devastation in Warsaw and Danzig? Now the fascist demands we discard those memories and prepare to destroy each other in this final, greatest clash of ideals. This cannot stand."

...

"The power of nations comes from the land and the people. But the land has been laid threadbare by fire, and the people, they suffer! I demand that all powers throughout Europe and East Asia take a good, hard look in the mirror and end this senseless policy of aggression, lest we be forced to attend your burials."

Despite the manner with which she delivered her public address, the Comrade Premier has used considerably more respectful verbiage in her official message to foreign governments, Japan's included.

...

Akahata's analysts have pointed out several probably reasons for Comrade Katyusha's change of heart. For one, though the far east was untouched, the Pravdan defensive strategy of "scorched earth" has left gaping holes in the country's infrastructure. What's more, a quirk in the region's seasons makes the clay-rich soils of the country's west impossible to traverse save via tracked vehicles and aircraft, further hampering rebuilding efforts.


Above: A Lieseltanian supply column immobilized in mud.
Morasses such as these are common sights throughout the Pravdan autumn.

Evidence is unclear as to whether (acting) Empress Genji's public address had anything to with it. However, it's more than likely the decision was made long beforehand.

...

Regardless, the Comrade Premier has earned universal approval throughout the Home Islands, even from Socialist-Militarists such as Hibiki Jana.

"There will come a time when we clash again. Indeed the entire purpose of my militarism is to be ready for when that day comes," she spoke to Akahata, "but the time has come to rest, to rebuild, recoup our losses. Though I'm not entirely sure how long this peace will remain, I must admit I wouldn't be unhappy if it lasted a long while."

Lucians becoming desperate at home, Royalists Party becomes more aggressive amid gut-wrenching power struggle to keep dynasty system from imminent collapse.
Posted: 11:00PM, September 27, 2XXX AD

>As the election is nearing its end with a little over a week to go, several events have occurred right in the Empress' eyes. Even Konohana can't even comprehend the sheer amount of support coming from all her friends across the country capable of seizing large portions of territory by a combination of speeches, parades, live fire demonstrations in open fields, and the like.

>From north to south, Miyabi has grown even more confident and started amassing parade after parade in formal fashion across the northern mainland region, taking away Niigata, forcing Fujimoto to leave her post, as well as Tochigi and Fukushima. With the Conservative resistance suppressed, Miyabi won't stop at anything to get at the throne with her five prefectures under her belt.

>Tanji, the Empress' younger sibling has only come so far as Shizouka with her cheery, vibrant speech with a crowd of thousands. She is now on Homura's doorstep, just a few kilometers away from Mitakihara City.

>Kugimiya, a tomboy with a 'kuudere' attitude, secured Fukui and driving out the lone capitalist Seiki from the central Honshu region, wanting the nation to be quieter than what Konohana intended.

>In Kyushu, Yasue's approach to politics is far stricter and radical, so she takes her chances very seriously in achieving the most densely populated areas as a priority. The swing prefecture of Fukouka has met with similar incidents that occurred back in Okayama and Fukushima prefectures, like Miyabi and Yukimura; she is capable of securing that area, forcing Mino to take her leave.
>However, in response to said takeover, Nissho, the new capitalist leader from Nagasaki, wanted to expand her influence across the island and start taking Kumamoto, forcing Komatsu going home. At around the same time, Tengan, a high school class president with an iron fist and being sassy, her travels to visit some smaller islands south of Kagashima has net her universal acclaim, stopping short of Okinawa, a swing prefecture.

>Things don't fare well on the other side of central Honshu. Joruri's attempt to take over Nagano with her disciplinary logic has caused the ire of Mayako, a former princess of the Royalists party before she started having right-wing tendencies prior to the elections, which makes her so angry she takes back Toyama and Gifu for herself. She always seen carrying around her custom-made Type 38 rifle, and is the only leader in the election armed with a weapon.

>In Shikoku, Hironaka is angry that Kanbayashi had betrayed the Royalists-Statists party, and she wants her out. She storms through the bridge that connects between Hiroshima and Ehime with her own troops, usually civilian militia from schools that encourage military conscription, storming through Kanbayashi's place in protest for hours.

>Back in northern Honshu, Teika showed the Capitalists that the Conservatives party is serious. Terada is still trying to cope with the losses sustained since Talim, but she gains confidence by having all of the small islands surrounding her swing prefecture. While it won't help much, she might one day descend southward to Honshu all by herself to get adequate amount of voters to support her.
>Unfortunately, due to her insecurities and her defective genetics, she is starting to experience the first stage of becoming an Abyssal due to her pale white hair and unusual yellow eyes. She distances herself from civilization as far as possible, whilst still trying to lay down her next moves as a politician. If such a transformation occurs, Hokkaido will be lost to Abyssal territory, and not a territory under any party.

The following status updates as of 22:35 on Sept 27:

>Many leaders are eliminated, particularly some Liberals and Conservatives and half of the Capitalist party.
>Terada is feeling mysteriously ill; she won't be doing much for the remainder of the election and is risking becoming an Abyssal if she doesn't seek out a cure soon, even if she isn't a KanMusu shipgirl.
>The election is becoming more competitive, almost every leader is now taking part.
>Violent crime rate is going down a bit, but there are still a few ongoing protests around certain areas of Japan.
>The 17th KanMusu Fleet is fully decommissioned under the Empress' orders, however there are still a few ships awaiting retirement, so they will still be in active duty within coastal waters.
>All territories in the Pacific that were previously taken by the 17th Kanmusu Fleet are given back to its respective nations.
>There are now only 29 candidates left.

< OOC: My sincerest apologies if I seemed lax in my contribution to this simulation. I've been enduring some major health issues since the start of the month, so it's been rather difficult to write. I'll still try my best though. ^^ >

Socialists rally behind Hibiki Jana!
As the election draws to a close, many members of the Socialist bloc declare allegiance to the Tokushima militarist.
Posted: 10:51 AM, September XX, 20XX

In a somewhat unsurprising turn of events, Socialist-sympathetic representatives throughout the Home Islands have conceded their authority to Hibiki Jana (Socialists, Militarists). Jana's initial goal had been to turn Japan into a tightly-knit federation a la Pravda or North America. However the recent chaos has forced her to aim for Empress instead. It is assumed that she shall transition to such a government once attaining the throne.
Jana herself was unavailable to comment due to her rallies in eastern Kyushu.


Above: Irregulars of the Hard Hat Army show off their clubs.

In response to Hironaka's march on Ehime, thousands of students and proletariats have arrived to align themselves with the "Hard Hat Army", an anarcho-communist militia with chapters throughout the Home Islands. Though armed and certainly angry in Ehime, their humanitarian efforts in the wake of Typhoon Talim earned them widespread praise and even official commendations in Saga and Okinawa.
The atmosphere is tense in the great lawn before the Kanbayashi's mansion. While militia riflemen and prefectural police stand ready on makeshift guard posts near the mansion (they are disallowed from entering), untrained irregulars form a battle line before the rightists. They bash their homemade metal shields with clubs, creating a thunderous cacophony that echoes throughout the city.


Above: Factory workers and their families occupy a country road in Agano, a suburb of Niigata.

Meanwhile, Fujimoto is disgruntled by her sudden ejection from Niigata. She's not alone either: Many poorer citizens who suffered under Minarchist rule have taken to the streets to protest the new government. The reaction is somewhat tempered by the Royalist-Statists' promise to rebuild Northern Honshu, but it won't be long before the protests spread across the region.
Fujimoto remains the youngest member of Jana's socialist powerbloc, as well as among the most radical. Like most consummate socialists, she has little compunction about using violence as a last resort.

Kumi of Saga has flown to Kanagawa to solidify that prefecture as a Socialist stronghold. Homura, who's stayed neutral throughout the election, has won significant praise throughout her terms for socially-liberal policies. Under the guidance of Jana's bloc, she has proclaimed herself as a Libertarian Socialist.

Among the remaining Socialist representatives, only one remains on the fence regarding Jana's new coalition. Haruka Arinori of Okinawa, critical of Jana's leans towards conservativism, has remained independent despite close ties with the powerbloc. Unlike Homura (Socialists, Libertarian Socialists), her political position is essentially unassailable due to her native Okinawan lineage.

In other news, a trio of female monks has arrived in Sapporo to profess their fledgling school of Buddhism. They have attracted local curiosity for being being completely blind (as evidenced by the thick wraps over their eyes), as well as deathly pale from years of meditation in the Himalayas.

Status updates for the morning of September XX:

The following prefectures have declared allegiance to Jana: Tokushima, Kagawa, Ehime, Kochi, Saga, Oita, Miyazaki, Kanagawa.
Arinori remains independent, albeit with strong ties to Jana and her socialists.
Kanbayashi bides her time in Ehime, hoping cooler heads will prevail in front of her mansion.
Fujimoto leads populist protests throughout her home prefecture.

>With more than half of Japan under the Royalists' grip, Konohana is more than pleased that she is now holding a meeting with all of her friends who have supported her in Kyoto prefecture. The meeting is long and tiring, a few snippets of their dialogue from a few lucky journalists eyeing on them like spies from a distance have managed to convert these audio files into a 20-minute mixtape. Here's how it turned out:

Konohana: "Thank you for coming, all of you. Here is what used to be a symbol of the all-powerful Toyotomi Hideyoshi before this place was burnt down from a war centuries ago. Now, in its place is a city filled with few million people enjoying the modern-day cycle of life unaware of what's happening outside of this municipality. Now, what we are going to do is we are setting up the core values of every living citizen in this forthcoming new generation of the human race unlike any other nation has ever done. We are going to start the 'Carbon Fire' project, a multi-billion yen project that should help protect this nation from under direct attack, whilst also helping new-coming tourists by deploying 'companion robots.'

Yukimura: "Lucia, what will these new robots is going to do once the Empress authorizes the deployment?"

Miyabi: "Like, can they do things humans normally can't do in the confines of normality, or should their emotions be regulated to serve their high-quality purpose?"

>Konohana shows all of them as she walks through the newly installed cryo chambers of the facility that won't be finished until 2024. If she were on her own planet the whole time building this colossal skyscraper, given that time of day actually goes by at five times the normal rate than Earth, it wouldn't be even finished due to extremely high costs, taxes, and mixed opinions concerning the project until around 2257.

Konohana: "These new robots are larger than life beings that would be outfitted with these microchips she shows them the green bio chips that holds the basic necessities and functions for the robot about one-tenth the size of a penny so that the robot at least knows what to do if commanded by ordinary citizens. It also has an on/off button and is solar-powered, so these chips have limitless battery life."

Tanji: "So what those bio chips have to do with the human population, Lucia?"

Konohana: "We won't place them on humans, because these will only fit on robots, and these behind me do the thing. Though these robots aren't tested right now, not without the Empress' authorization, we do however have constantly performed tests on machinery for faster efficiency, less accidental slipping, and better accuracy of their tasks. The A.I. system of these chips is a true marvel, if it were placed on ourselves; we would have easily kicked the shins out of innocents or otherwise alter our genes unpredictably, so for safety reasons, they only fit on machinery and robots."

Yukimura: "What else does this huge project have to do with the nation's infrastructure, besides robotics?"

Konohana: "Some old idea from science fiction that's been centered on for years will soon turn reality if we are going to survive a nuclear winter or an extraterrestrial invasion. While no such things have happened yet, we will place down a huge shield dome that should be able to stop even an ICBM from reaching our soil, or near it, as well as energy blasts. Vehicles of any size and people can enter and exit with no side effects, but projectiles too small to hit it will get deflected."

Tsukiyama: "How powerful that dome can withstand?"

Konohana: "Given the size of our nation surrounded by water, it should be powerful enough to withstand at least one nuke, a huge laser beam, or multiple explosive attacks simultaneously hitting the dome. However, anything that occurs inside the dome bypasses this, and even then, monsters can still somehow go right through it if they want to and destroy it from the inside. We won't have the dome built until after the building is finished, and I would be even happier if they can get it done faster."

Yukimura: "We will have to see, our people are just as concerned as you are, if not, more so."

Konohana: "You're right about that, unless we secured like three-quarters of the nation, someone else is going to have the seat soon enough, perhaps by next blooming season, and that's why I made such a big invitation for all of us to get as much of our citizens' support as quickly as we can."

Yasue: "What of Kyushu, I can take care of the needy, but unbeknownst to us the whole time, a shadow organization might have sent in someone to assassinate the Empress."

Konohana: "There's no need to convey me such news about organized crime, Yasue. It might be best to leave that to her administration."

Yasue: "I hate to say this in the middle of a stressful situation, but someone operating under the radar wants to seize the throne for nefarious purposes, or to cause a scare knowing we are still part of the matrix system. This crap-sack reality system is far more powerful to the point we cannot underestimate its complexity, it comes from out of nowhere from ancient times to enslave us. They know way more than we do, and even if we wipe them out, some other organization might take their place. Trying to intervene in their affairs somehow and they'll wreck your life!"

Konohana: "YASUE! Please... calm... down! she sighs Just... leave your concerns to Genji and no one else."

Yasue: "..."

Kugimiya: "Is there a way we can do to improve the project, miss?"

Konohana: "Absolutely, while there might be more features that could be used to inform the citizenry within earshot of the facility's radio frequencies, at the moment the Genji administration haven't yet confirmed anything extra coming into place until after this election. Perhaps the next administration change would very likely going to scrap it and render us vulnerable to nuclear war and such. We can only hope that once I take the seat, I can rest assured this project will do wonderfully, saving us lots of yen and not have to worry about military expenditure, ever."

>Following the meeting, Konohana sets her up a slow march across the world's longest suspension bridge to Kagawa to continue rallying as many voters as she can before her rivals. In wasting no time for another speech, she and her large army of civilian protestors went right up to Himi's estate and demand that she take her leave.

>Hironaka continues her conquest to overtake Kochi, removing the presence of nekos completely. This however caused a lot of ire from the kingdom of Nyutopia, an island kingdom southwest of Shikoku to retaliate by converting some of the population into their own using their 'True Soul' gifts. Not even an Olympian athlete can overcome a neko because of their small bells that can't be taken off that grants them nigh invulnerability, only gravity magic can stop them.

>In Kyushu, Tengan captured Nagasaki, sending Nissho packing whereas Yasue overtakes Fukuoka, Miyazaki and Oita. Genji's sister is in deep trouble, as she is back to where she started due to Mayako's continued land-grabbing spree. Tengan then take on Mayako's strategy to retake whatever Yasue just did, forming a republic in her name. Yasue retreats to Yamaguchi, having nowhere else to go but to defend the strait that links Honshu and Kyushu. Tokyo is having a festival in progress, in which Honda uses it as an opportunity to crowdfund her campaign with as many people as possible, and then moving on to overtake Chiba and Gunma, because she is now the only Capitalist leader left in the nation, and the type of leader not wanting to back down anytime soon.

>Ai of Aomori reluctantly didn't go to Konohana's invitation and has since avoided politics for so long has now started taking prefectures for herself, starting with Akita. She even hired Neru on a mission to takeout Teika in the dead of night.

>Terada tries her best to feel better with help from the three Tibetan monks, she is now under supervision as she is given daily meditation lessons, aromatherapy, diet cleansing, along with dealing with depression.

>The Empress is still angry with the continuing bipartisan alliance movement, so she has ordered state police to patrol the streets of every major city in the country. She repeatedly said that she wants to keep the election 'fair and just' but they won't give in to her words. Nonetheless, Niigata, Gunma and Saitama are won back by the Liberals, however the latter two will have new leaders taking their oaths: Azuma and Mokuami.

The following status updates as of 15:30 on Sept 28:

>Mayako is now in the lead with 7 prefectures, with Tengan in second place with 6, and Konohana along with Miyabi tying for third place with 5.
>There is now only one Capitalist leader left, which is Honda. She is stubborn and is willing to put more effort to a now solo campaign to turn the nation into a moneymaking powerhouse, at the expense of the citizenry's free will.
>Mitakihara City for the first time in six years has been fortified.
>Only Homura and Arinori are the last two Liberals standing, whereas Jana, Kumi, Mayako, Tengan, and Teika are the only five remaining Conservatives left. However, after some hard-fought protests within a very short time frame, Fujimoto is placed back in office, along with two new Liberals: Mokuami of Saitama and Azuma of Gunma, both are loyal friends of her. This brings the number of Liberals back to five. Mokuami is the only leader as of now with red/purple heterochromia.
>The entire island of Kyushu is now under Conservatives control, with Tengan automatically forming the Tenganese Republic.
>Terada is too ill to continue her office duties; she has to let her sister Hagiwara to assume control of Hokkaido until she feels better.
>Yoshinaga is the only Royalist annexed with Konohana, and has decided to resign, resuming normal life tending to Nara Temple.
>The race is getting even fiercer, with only 21 contestants left.

5 days later

In case if you are not aware of the major status updates, we now have only three days before the election ends, unless it is a tie for the pole position.

As of Oct. 3, the following status updates have taken effect:

>Honda has retaken Saitama, and then she proceeded to take away Tochigi and Ibaraki.
>Mayako is still in the lead with 9 prefectures, she is now closing in on Kyoto. Tengan is in second place with 7, Konohana, Yukimura, and Honda are tying for third place with 5.
>Tengan is now in full control of Kyushu.
>Shikoku is lost to the Royalists, kicking Jana out of the election, replacing with Remilia as the new leader. Konohana and Hironaka in mutual agreement gave away some of their territories to her. Gensokyo is now recognized on the map, with Remilia assuming total authority in that area.
>Neru has taken out Teika and Fujimoto and has claimed both Yamagata and Niigata for herself. She takes back her prefecture; she is now the new leader representing Akita under the Royalists.
>The Yukimuran Empire is formed with only five prefectures and three small islands by Yukimura, whereas the Mayakan Republic is formed by Mayako with 9 prefectures under her control.
>There are only three Liberals, two Conservatives, a lone Minarchist, and nine Royalists remaining in the roster, totaling 15 candidates.
>Having ignored the numerous warnings the Empress has given to the bipartisan alliance over a week or so, Genji has authorized the use of the state police to patrol all major cities within the country for the remainder of the elections.

< OOC: My apologies for dropping off the face of earth, but my health has been truly awful lately. It's become difficult just to keep up with my schoolwork, much less any manner of creative writing.

I'll do my best to write at least one more article before time's up. >

< OOC: I coulda sworn this was on till the 9th, guess I musta misread. Ah well, no worries.

This ain't my best writing, but it should help us wrap things up right. ^^ >

Royalists and Conservatives Rally Behind Lucia Konohana!
Authoritarians of all stripes clamor for the return of their old empress.
Posted: 9:14 AM, October XX, 20XX

Serious fracas ensued across the Home Islands today, when Representatives Keiko Tengan (Conservatives, Nationalists) and Konomi Mayako (Conservatives, Fiscal Conservatives) conceded their political domains to Lucia Konohana (Royalist-Statists, Imperialists). This appointment, which oversteps any sort of due process, has invited the wrath of the zaibatsu corporations, who fear Konohana's promise of stiff taxes.

Along with this came the simultaneous announcement of a coalition between many remaining Royalists, all in favor of the former Empress.

...

"Our people long for a strong leader," spoke Rep. Miyabi in a public address, "But furthermore we crave a return to more peaceful times. ... A shining future in an -authentic- Japan, helmed by none other than our most august Empress."

However, this praise has not been unanimous. As her last-ditch attempt to secure the throne, Rep. Nanako Yukimura has found a strange bedfellow in Honda to the east. Meanwhile @remilia Scarlet (Shikoku) has been ambivalent towards the display, mentioning that she could "Walk in and take [the throne] whenever she saw fit."

As usual, the Socialists have been quick to offer their own makes of scalding criticism. Rep. Hibiki Jana, who earlier today returned to her station as Governor of Tokushima, had this to say:

"'Strong leaders, peaceful times.' This reads like a propaganda piece. ... Comrades, while I strongly condemn Lucia Konohana and every one of her newfound allies, I cannot say it was unforeseen. The proletariat is conscious - our early victories are proof enough of that - but their rulers are frightened, scared of the future that may lay ahead. They seek to concede not only their responsibilities, but their freedoms along with! All whilst clinging to the foolhardy belief that their life's problems may be solved through a return to traditional values."

...

"Economics would have been the only viable route. Whereas as your Governor I have always championed liberty and the embracing of the human spirit, the Royalist-Statists call for its suppression. And while the pragmatic portion of my character must commend Konohana's adherence to nationalization and high taxes, make no mistake: This is no proletarian revolution. If anything, it is a revolution of the middle class."

~***~

Breaking: Haruka Arinori Declares Independence from Mainland!
The southernmost islands of the Kagoshima Prefecture have also joined the independence movement.
Posted: 9:51 PM, October XX, 20XX

In a bold and highly unprecedented political maneuver, Representative Haruka Arinori (Socialists, Libertarian Socialists) has declared full independence from the Japanese mainland. In the wake of the Okinawa Prefecture, she has announced the foundation of a "Revolutionary Republic of the Ryukyu Islands".

...


Above: Members of the Hard Hat Army listen to Arinori's declaration. Their elation is tempered by fatigue from the last of the rebuilding efforts.

Arinori's independence claim is legitimized by the relevant referendum held one year prior. As of this writing, tens of thousands of thousands of newly-minted Okinawan citizens have taken to the streets in celebration, waving both historical flags and the previously-proposed banners from the 2016 referendum.

...

"Okinawa has always stood apart from the Japanese. Though they have denied it for centuries, we posses our own language, our own culture! Thus it is with great prestige that today, we celebrate an historic occasion for our peoples."

...

"As your new President, I shall not lull you into complacency with honeyed words. Rather, I say we embrace the trials ahead! For through our struggles we shall create a shining future for all of Okinawa's peoples; Ryukyu, and otherwise."

...

UPDATE: Approximately six hours after the writing of this article, North America has declared its recognition of the new state in Okinawa. Eyewitness reports claim several American fleet girls making full steam for the Islands, including the battleship West Virginia and the aircraft carrier NAS Langley, as well as a squadron of Abyssal I-class destroyers.

Image no longer available
Above: The North American Battleship West Virginia. (File photo.)

Akahata will continue to monitor the situation as it unfolds.

~***~

Many events have occurred within the past twenty-four hours. Akahata sums them up as follows:

Arinori has declared independence from Japan, founding a new Socialist state on Okinawa and the surrounding isles. Its waters will soon be guarded by North American and Abyssal naval assets.
Almost all of the Royalists have rallied behind Konohana, along with Tengan and Mayako. This gives her control over the vast majority of Honshu.
Remilia has maintained her independence, as have Yukimura and Honda.
Hagiwara is one of the few Royalists that have abstained from the coalition. She will remain that way till taken by force, or until Konohana guarantees the proper treatment of the Ainu. It is worth mentioning that Hagiwara is half-Ainu herself.
Homura and Azuma, the two remaining Liberals, have opted to abstain from the election.
As for everyone knocked out of the race, almost all of them have returned to their positions as Prefectural Governors.

Martial Law in Japan, State in Full Control of Everything!
Prefectural Elections reaches peak tensions as two governors begin post-election rallies!
Posted: 10:00AM October 6, 2XXX

Above: JSDF tanks patrolling a closed off Japanese city.

Genji: "I tire of your insolent wishes to remove us from this land, and this... is all your fault. To any who read this, we are no longer feeling safe roaming freely within our peaceful country. The cities, the villages, the mountains, and all who dwell outside of our mainland, there's emptiness. In every campus you see, students going about their daily lives fully loaded, yet hidden behind ourselves readying to pull out at any moment they mess with us. Not even a single acre of this land is truly safe from what's going to happen for the tens of millions of us here."

"As you can see, we see the approach of our sworn enemies wanting us gone, and for what reason? We see expansion of your forces encroaching on our very doorsteps, threatening the very existence of the state, and in return you are in fact see this as enemies of the state. In wasting no precious diplomatic words I previously tried since my visit in Geneva, that option was worthless."

"We are through! You brought your very militaristic existence where it isn't warranted, and we will... right here, right now end this by officially declaring alongside our Italy and Germany against the Allied nations. It is our time for revenge! Children of the Rising Sun, we must defend our honor, our heritage, and our traditions! In the name of Amaterasu, this is war!"


Above: Japanese Chi-ha Tanks authorized by the Empress hours after declaration speech against Pravdan forces in battle of Hokkaido.

Above: A lone girl deep within enemy territory able to defend herself against Pravdan infantry and local wildlife.

Above: In Battle for Stalingrad, a German girl is hiding in the trench just outside the city limits taking a brief rest from fatigue.

Above: A similar battle, Battle of Vladivostok, three girls from various countries on a special operations mission to capture high-ranking Pravdan officials whilst eliminating enemy troops in this bombed city.

Above: Battle of the English Channel begins, some Kriegsmarine ships taking a heavy beating from Roselian Spitfires.

Post-election rallies have just begun, thanks to a tie from two prefectural governors Konohana and Honda having 11 prefectural votes. We will use the swing prefecture Tokyo as a starting point for our final polls. Simply say the leader's name and pick a ward from the map provided here. The one with the most wards will eventually win the whole election.

We have until October 20th as the final deadline.

Konohana - Pink (22)
Gray - Neutral (16)
Other (10)
Honda - Red (5)

If I want Konohana to win, she needs at least 27 out of 53 to win. I am rooting for her and Okutama will be her first stop.

Here's the shortlist of updates as of 11:59 PM, October 8th:

Honda has launched an aggressive campaign to sweep the election from under Konohana's feet. Her first targets are the Special Wards of Shinjuku and Chiyoda, both major hubs for commercial and financial markets throughout the country. In other words, it's Honda's home-turf.
The wards' denizens, ranging from upper-middle-class to the super-rich, were easily enamored by Honda's promise of weaker governement and the most minimal of taxes. Regardless, this has secured her an early lead against rival Konohana.
In the meantime, Hibiki Jana and many prolific Socialist politicians have coincidentally traveled to the capital for various reasons. Perhaps we'll run into them sometime?

Latest status updates of our post-election is here as of 22:00 on Oct 11:

>Konohana's efforts have stepped up, her speeches has allowed her to take Ome and Hinode.
>The ward votes stand at 3-2.

LucianDreamer wrote

We got one week left!

Guess it's up to us, then! I had a flash of inspiration for a log entry just now, but I'll require some sleep to properly pursue it. In the meantime, here's the shortlist of events as of current. ^^ \

One of Honda's secretaries launched a campaign on Nerima earlier today, banking on its proximity to the city center and its famous animation studios for support. Unfortunately, the ward's denizens are almost exclusively lower-middle-class, who didn't take kindly to Honda's plan to abolish unions, particularly Animators' and Teachers' unions.
The ward has since walled itself off from both candidates. In their stead, the most popular write-in candidate is Hibiki Jana (Tokushima, Socialists - Militarists).
Shibuya, similarly dissatisfied with both candidates, has also written in Hibiki Jana. Despite being knocked out of the race de facto, she's still running de jure and technically remains eligible for the seat of Empress.
On the flipside, Honda successfully acquired Chuo and Minato in a series of aggressive propaganda campaigns and at least one buyout of a minor automobile firm. She has denied all allegations of bribery.

As of this report, Honda has secured four districts within Tokyo, edging out Konohana's three.
Luckily for Konohana, the Special Ward of Bunkyo has erupted into a hotbed of debate between its many national and private universities. A timely visit just might win over an uncertain populace.
Both candidates continue to face face stiff opposition from Socialist sympathizers in the more modest central districts.

>Konohana has laid out the plans for a future empire to many wards along her path to the Special Wards, and her speeches worked like a charm. Yet she still has to hurry up, because she does not want to lose her place against a lone Capitalist trying to defend her prefecture. Genji approved the move, but she's still concerned about Okinawa and she wants it back. She gives out a stern warning to Okinawa's representatives:

Genji: "Your recent secession is an affront to our progress, and I demand that I want the archipelago handed over to the Japanese people. Your very strong, monstrous fleet and allies may have crippled us of our finest resources, but we will NEVER back down anytime soon, not even your biggest arsenal can make us surrender! We will put all ourselves to the forefront and push you back out to where you came from! We will definitely amp up our ante by sending everything we throw at you by the hundreds of ships, the tens of thousands of planes, and the millions of our brave militia to blot out the daylight out of you, thinking you're better than we are, but in fact think again. The Empress has spoken."

>Genji then sends out a warning to Pravda as well, regarding the three KanMusu destroyers she wants back: Verniy, Kawakaze, and Fumizuki:

Genji: "Such a misfortune has befallen on our three girls, which is of great concern to me and our empire. In order to operate efficiently as a nation, I strongly warn you that your recent human trafficking exploits behooved me to have you return these three back immediately, or we will reinstate open hostilities. We can't afford to lose any more ships to foreign superpowers for their own purposes."

The missing girls' images scattered around Japan are found here. The amount of yen upon sighting any of these three is undisclosed to the public:

Verniy was last seen a month ago in Wakkanai Base before she departed from Japan prior to the elections.

Kawakaze was last seen a month ago enjoying one of the festivals in Sapporo moments before her disappearance.

Fumizuki was last seen just a few days ago hanging out with her sister Satsuki prior to her voyage.

Due to a boycott in the Bunkyo ward where the state media newspapers originated from, state officials cannot write up articles at the moment. Regardless, we have the latest status updates as of 04:00 on Oct. 15 are as follows:

>Konohana has secured so far seven wards, she needs about 20 more to win the post-elections.
>Nerima and Shibuya are the only two going for the other candidate, noted by the dark blue stripes and Bunkyo is disputed by the pink-red stripes.

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[size=xx-large][size=large]OFFICIAL DISPATCH[/size][/size]

FROM: Comrade Klara, Minister of the Interior

TO: Genji Konohana, Acting Empress of Japan

Greetings, Miss Konohana. You must forgive my speaking on the behalf of Comrade Nonna, for she is currently occupied securing a trade agreement with the Axis Powers.

I must advise you refrain from idle threats. While I may understand your personal apprehension at losing several fleet girls, I'm afraid the matter's out of my hands. They have found comfortable lives here, Miss Konohana. A fulfilling existence, free from the inhumanity of imperialism, and harmonious with both nature and the community. To extricate them from such a life would be simply inhumane.

I have heard through official channels that at least one destroyer, comrade Verniy, has expressed wishes to visit your country over the holidays, but fears she'll be branded as a traitor and scrapped the moment she sets foot on the dock. Until you can assure us that this is not the case, I cannot in good faith permit her to go.

Good day, Miss Konohana.

  • Klara

~***~

Here's the latest news on the last phase of prefectural elections:

Owing to the Socialists' diligent efforts to promote class-consciousness, Honda has had a tough time making headway in the city's less-affluent districts. Her only gains this cycle are Shinagawa and Ota, both major commercial centers.
In the meantime however, Nerima's solidarity with her cause has convinced Hibiki Jana to take temporary leave from her post of mayor and travel to Tokyo for one final round of rallies. She's since made major headway in the heavily-suburbanized middle city, with Hino, Setagawa, and Fuchu all exploiting the write-in option.
The debate in Bunkyo continues to rage. Unfortunately for the Socialists, their efforts to sway the student populace has been largely futile there.
Nonetheless, with five districts compared to Honda's six and Konohana's seven, it's clear that they're still a force to be reckoned with during the election.