There he laid, hopelessly on the ground, staring at nothing except for pools of blood and corpses, understanding this was the end. Armored vehicles ran over the soldiers as they growled in agony. He tried his best to keep his eyes open to continue witnessing all the casualties, but his eyes shut out…

Flashback

Nothing was more important than family. Shigeru was a 43-year-old man who was born in the early 1900s. He never sought to live luxuriously; he only wanted time and place to be with his wife and child. The world that he lived in was a disaster; people went to war, sought to conquer other nations, and killed each other for pleasure. He knew his country, Japan, was one of the worst nations involving warfare.

His family lived in a rural area in the mountains, farming and feeding animals. He worked every day on the farm, which caused wrinkles all over his face and burnt skin because of the blazing sun. Working every day in a large field made him feel exhausted and weak. He looked like an old man.

It was 1937; he had just gone outside to milk his cow when he heard shouting, "All men must gather before me!" The man who had spoken was a military official, and he was standing in the middle of the village square.

Everyone was confused and hesitant, but they knew it would be better to listen.
The advisor said, "We will invade China since they bombed our railroad. We must show the world we are a powerful nation that cannot be provoked. We are not vulnerable. If we don't defend, they will continue to attack us. We can expand our territory and defeat them once and for all. This will bring glory to the future of Japan!"
"One man from each family must be conscripted into our military. Do not think about excuses, and this is an important business. You are being honored."
Shigeru was shocked to hear this news. His stomach dropped. His parents were way too old, and no one else could join the military. He realized he was the only choice.

A few days later, he packed all his stuff slowly and regretfully and left home for the military training camp. He wished time would listen to him and just stop so that he could stay with his family forever. But this wouldn't happen.

The advisor returned by riding a large truck. His family cried. He couldn't help himself much either. He promised them that he would return soon; in that time, they would be even happier altogether. His family disappeared as the truck he rode moved further away. He could see nothing.

After a few hours of an exhausting ride, he arrived at the camp, crowded with dozens of other soldiers. He saw a whole series of tents arranged in a circle, surrounded by soldiers in uniforms cleaning up the weapons. Shigeru walked into the camp, only carrying his stuffed backpack. The whole place looked empty. This camp was nothing like home. The sun shone brightly, spreading beams of light across the entire plain. Shigeru could hear the loud, wheezing sounds of airplanes and tanks. The environment seemed very unfamiliar to Shigeru, and he thought to himself, "What will I do?"

The other recruited soldiers seemed young, stable, and happy because they were involved in warfare. The advisor returned, "Thank you, gentlemen, for joining us. Now, here are your uniforms. They are the representation of the Japanese military". The bags attached on the front are a mini-bag for food supplies because you won't be able to eat much here."
He then went on explaining about the daily schedule. Shigeru shivered as though a bolt of electricity were circuiting his whole body. He wanted to speak, but the words didn't come out because defiance would have unpleasant consequences.

It was 5:00 am, and he heard loud sounds telling him to wake up. Everyone else dressed and gathered quickly, but he took some time changing. He arrived late, and everyone else stared at him with a frantic facial expressions, some exhaling air, avoiding eye contact with Shigeru as if he were a freak.
"You have to be here on time." The advisor said.
"I am sorry." He replied.
The soldiers practiced shooting their guns. Shigeru wasn't even able to make any proper shots. The soldiers trained painfully daily, running for hours in the mountains, using different types of guns such as pistols, and even practicing parachutes. Every training session felt overwhelming and life-threatening to Shigeru. He just wasn't meant to be a soldier.

Throughout the next few weeks, he repeated the same mistakes repeatedly, continually being criticized by the advisor. He could imagine every moment he trained. The moment he failed, a vision appeared in his eyes. He saw his young daughter drinking her daily milk in his home, crying for more. He also saw his wife going to the Cowpen to extract milk from the cows.
The moment he reached his hand across, everything disappeared like a pile of sand being blown away by the wind.

"Hey, why aren't you getting up?" Are you not training?" shouted the advisor.
"I have to get home. I miss my family so much. Please." Shigeru replied.
"What are you talking about? There is no GOING home!" "One more nonsense, and there will be consequences, do you understand?"
He eventually got dismissed at night and went back to his tent. Why couldn't he see his family? He kept thinking to himself, "I can't be here anymore."

Still, he couldn't go home. He crawled up on his blankets, taking out his family photo, and tears began to drip from his eyes. The people in the picture seemed so real in his mind as if they were right before his eyes.

The inevitable day came. The advisor announced that today was the day to invade China. Shigeru was so shocked he lost the ability to speak. His hopes turned out to be worthless.
Everyone began swarming the camp, preparing all weapons, and packing their stuff.
Planes were activating and heading toward China. All the soldiers except him felt proud, loyal, and desperate to invade China.

His memories were flashing through him once again. He saw everything again: his beloved family. But everything was gone again when he opened his eyes. His imagination wouldn't return anymore. He knew this was goodbye and the end…

They started heading to China. Death was approaching right in front of him.
He kept thinking to himself of the chance that he might even be able to make it out alive. He genuinely didn't have the desire to conquer other nations, only wishing for a peaceful life with his family. For days and weeks that passed, the soldiers ate food suppliers and trained whenever they could. Suddenly one day, they were ambushed by the Chinese army before he could even blink an eye. The Japanese soldiers immediately began fighting back, and the battlefield became chaotic. Bombs exploded, sending out a fat fire gas, killing many troopers. Shigeru fought hard as well, continuously attacking enemies.

But before he could take a peak, a bullet went straight to his back, causing a massive soundwave. He was shot perfectly right in the center of his back, where he tripped over flat.
There he laid, hopelessly on the ground, staring at nothing except for pools of blood and corpses, understanding this was the end. The battlefield was overrun by vehicles and soldiers, all attempting to kill their enemies. He tried his best to keep his eyes open to continue witnessing all the casualties, but his eyes shut out…