REIWA JIGOKUHEN - Chaotic Disturbance of Reiwa Era

Chapter 123 - Clue

Kitahiroshima City, Hokkaido: Residential Area

Recently, the term "gaijikkei" has become common. It refers to organizations created by Japanese people who lived in foreign lands in this bizarre world. Miura Shipping, a company that is growing its market share, was founded by naval officers who fought off the coast of Alaska, and you can also find cheap fruit cans from Takagiya at convenience stores. The clothes they wear are sewn in Keijo, and there are light novels written by a former army colonel on the table.

'And my own work is also related to gaijikkei.'

Tajima, who used to work in a coal mine during the war, now tests large special construction machines for a living. In Manchuria, which has become a paradise for the "Fifty Races Under One Union," there has been a rush for resource development and construction, and sales of related equipment are very strong. In the midst of all this, the company has developed custom-made construction machines that are too large for use within Japan, and Tajima is actually testing the prototype and identifying any issues.

'If that's the case...'

While watching a news program in the living room, Tajima pondered a little. The conservative party, which is part of the ruling coalition, is proposing to relax some of the restrictions on the "return" of gaijikkei Japanese people. The differences in the times in which they lived are often referenced in popular anime such as "Hino Maruko-chan," but perhaps it is time to consider this issue seriously.

Then, the screen showed a gaijikkei child dressed in traditional Japanese clothing. The member of parliament said that they must respect the homesickness of their compatriots, against the backdrop of their own family, which had become overly international due to his wife's Russian heritage.

"On the contrary, I want to go abroad," said Ken, Tajima's second son who was about to enter university.

"Even gaijikkei is fine. Didn't you say that you could go to nearby places for a few tens of thousands of yen back then, Dad?"

"That was a few tens of thousands of yen in the past. And what if another Time-Space Cataclysm happens while you're traveling?"

"Oh, they say it won't happen again."

"Huh?"

Tajima was taken aback by his son's natural tone. When he asked what he meant, he was told that such rumors were circulating. A famous scholar had used an analogy of not touching a boiling pot after getting burned to illustrate the point.

"Well, I wonder if that's really the case."

Tajima tilted his head and responded with skepticism. However, it might not be a bad idea to learn from experience, even if it is a national body or something similar, since even humans can learn from their experiences.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Pacific Ocean: off Aogashima Island

"Hmm, what's this...?"

A bewildered voice echoed through the cabin of the oceanographic research vessel Wadatsumi sailing on the open sea. It belonged to Kihara, who had transferred from the Air Self-Defense Force to the Strategic Self-Defense Force and then seconded to the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology due to his involvement with the wide-area ocean surveillance system. He had become a man of the sea since then. On his laptop screen, the results of scanning the seabed with state-of-the-art water measurement equipment were displayed, revealing something amazing.

"What's wrong?"

Excitedly, Kihara showed the screen to Dr. Higuchi, who had rushed over wondering what was going on. At a depth of 1.200 meters where no light could reach, there lay something that was clearly a metallic artificial object amidst a mysterious ecosystem that would spread out.