April, 1936
Japanese Military Headquarters, Tokyo
The 8-Millimeter movie projector flickered repeatedly, showing grainy, black and white images move upon the projection screen. Seven men in all, watched the film, sitting around a large wooden table. Four Generals of the Emperor's personal staff. Two men in standard western business suits. And finally one army Colonel. All sat in silence. The film showed what looked to be dozens of men being butchered in a rather hastly manner by a single soldier in a blood soaked open field. Explosions raped the army tanks and other various military weaponry. The lone soldier tossed guns and bullets aside and continued the killings. The soldier soon began to finish off the last of his cowering victims in a disturbing fashion. What the camera caught before the picture of lost was a glimpse of one man's head bursting apart.
"That's enough. Turn off the projector!" a General shouted. The one suited man named Otoma shut it carefully and nervously down while the Generals began to bicker back and forth
"Gentlemen, please calm down." The bearded man, Yoshida, said sternly to the squabbling officers, but not too harsh, fearing their reactions to such behavior. "Colonel Nagoshi will explain what you have just witnessed here. Colonel, if you would please." Colonel Nagoshi stood up and quickly made his way to a nearby podium. After clearing his throat, he began to speak.
"Thank you Katsuhiko." Nagoshi paused. "Gentlemen, what you've seen here is the new method of Imperial Army. This is Project Oni."
"Well, it is what you'd call a new method." One General stated. "Unless this is all just some cheap fantasy movie."
Nagoshi smiled arrogantly, narrowed his eyes and continued. "I assure you sir, the film is authentic. As you could plainly see, it took only a minute and a half for two equipped squads to be completely terminated." Nagoshi was about to continue but another General felt it was the opportune moment to cut him off.
"These Oni, or "Demon Soldiers"...you want to incorporate them into the regular army, right?" The General eyed the aging Colonel for a moment. "That's absurd!" he shouted before Nagoshi was going to answer.
"No sir. I never planned on having the Oni soldiers become equals in the army. They're weapons. Little more than slaves. They're only purpose is to serve their human master." Nagoshi paused. He glanced around the room to see if anyone would interrupt him again. To his pleasure, all eyes were on him. "While they posses remarkable physical and mental qualities, they have very little free will, which makes them all the more easier to control. Now, with the army's funding, and the permission of the Emperor, I'd like to begin mass training of Oni troops."
The same General from before stood up. His face hard, eyebrows slanted, eyes cold and lip curled. "You truly are an idiot Nagoshi. How would we explain to the rest of the world about these freaks as our new soldiers?!" he bellowed.
"Sir, you're missing my point." Nagoshi pleaded, obviously annoyed by the General's lack of approval for what was to be his shining moment of his entire career. "What I'm suggesting is that they be used as secret weapons from behind the lines. They could move squads of tanks and-"
"Enough Nagoshi!" The General shouted. There was silence. "Oni troops. Feh." He said mockingly. "You make it sound like they have horns and tails and sharp fangs. You're a complete idiot Nagoshi. It's sad that the army now allows morons, like you, who spend more time thinking about perverted experiments to test on our fighting men rather than coming up with useful weapons, can make it to the rank of Colonel." He said as his face turned red with rage. "Generals, the project will be a disaster for Japan if you spend the money the Colonel is asking. I say we disband this whole ridiculous pipe dream right now."
"I second it."
"I third it."
"I fourth it."
After a few moments of silence, Nagoshi hastily instructed Yoshida and Otoma to pack up the camera and meet him in the hallway. Nagoshi then turned to his superiors, saluted and left. In the hallway, while walking, Otoma began to speak.
"I feel like a damn fool. Why did we even come here?" he sounded resentful and confused. "We should have had a complete unit to show them instead of this pile of shit. This was a complete waste of time."
"To hell with the Emperor. We'll find a new source of money." Nagoshi said in his normal cold voice. Otoma's wrinkled face lit up.
"What do you mean 'To hell with the Emperor'?! You don't know what you're saying!" Otoma shrieked, his eyes grew wide behind his glasses.
"He never does. That's why he blew it with those Generals." Yoshida said smugly. "You should have let me handle it Colonel. I would have given them the straight facts, told them the advantages and disadvantages, kept them interested. But you however, rambled on about mythical crap. About how your relationship with them is an almost homo-erotic one. And what the hell was with you saying 'they're little more than slaves'?! We both know they aren't your little toys."
"That's your problem Katsuhiko. You treat them as they're like your superior. I however, see them for what they really are." Nagoshi responded as he tried to keep in control.
"I know why they wouldn't want to buy those things." Otoma said sharply. Nagoshi and Yoshida turned and gave him their attention. "Don't tell me you to forgot about that soldier going berserk and killing more than six members of the production team before he combusted himself and."
Nagoshi's face quickly hardened and cut him off by shouted "Otoma! Don't you ever mention that again. Am I clear?" Otoma nodded. "We only have a few minor glitches with the treatment. Those will become irrelevant in the near future."
"But Colonel, we still have a major setback on our hands. No military branch will even listen to us now, after that embarrassing performance." Said Yoshida flatly, unimpressed by Nagoshi's mood.
"Simple Kasuhiko. Haven't you heard of foreign investors?" Nagoshi asked when he reached the exit, opened the door and walked toward his car.