Batavia, Island Nation's Army Southern Army Headquarters, the office of Southern Army Commander General Terauchi Juichi.
After the operational conference ended, the commanders of the various army groups and armies under the Southern Army had hurried back to their respective defense zones, preparing to meet the German military in battle. By all rights, the Southern Army's morale was soaring now; they had not been cowed by the German military. As its commander, General Terauchi Juichi should naturally have been able to set his mind at ease.
But could General Terauchi Juichi truly rest easy? This time, the German military had concentrated its main forces in the South Seas and Australia, pressing down upon him like Mount Tai bearing down from above and placing immense pressure upon him as Southern Army Commander. If he could have chosen, General Terauchi Juichi would not even have wanted to serve as Southern Army Commander. Unfortunately, this was not something he could choose. After becoming Southern Army Commander, only two paths lay before him: either lead the Southern Army in holding back the German offensive and realizing the Island Nation government's strategic vision, or fight to the bitter end and commit seppuku when the Southern Army was wiped out. There was no third path to choose.
"Commander, all our units are ready. The Germans are strong, but it is not as if we have no chance of victory. Besides, we do not need to defeat the Germans. We only need to hold back their offensive and make them suffer as many casualties as possible in the attack," Southern Army Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Tadaichi Tsukada said.
In Lieutenant General Tadaichi Tsukada's view, there was virtually no possibility of the Southern Army defeating the German military. However, holding back the German offensive and making them