Rising Rays of the New Century: Tale of the Japanese Empire

High School of Magic and Witchcraft

The newscaster reads from a news transcript. Illegal refugees from the mainland to Japan had become a serious problem not only in Japan but also in China and Russia.

Ryuji put his fork down on the table and spoke to Teru, who was sitting across from him.

"...I think I told you last week, but I'm supposed to go to a corporate training session this morning with a colleague from the same lab."

"Yes, I have heard about it."

He is majoring in agriculture and biology at a university in Yokohama which is closely related to his family's business. His laboratory sometimes collaborates with agricultural companies to provide off-campus training for students like this one.

"As I recall... you will go out this afternoon."

"Yes, I am going to the cultural festival of our sister school, First High School of Magic and Witchcraft, with the members of the club. I will be back by dinner before Ryūjin-sama returns."

Teru was planning to go out with her Astronomy Club mates to coincide with Ryuji's outing. For her, it was the first time in her life that she was going out with friends. She was acting as usual, but inwardly she was nervous.

"Then be careful. It's okay if you're late, just try to have fun."

"...Right!"

Since the incident with the Siren girl, the relationships between Yadoya, Teru, and Tsukigami had became closer considerably. Ryuji was happy to see her tendency to regain normal adolescence.

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

Same day

A large conference room of the Ministry of Defense, Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo

In a room at the Ministry of Defense in Ichigaya, a meeting is being held to discuss border security. The moderator, Shunsaku Goto, a defense bureaucrat, was reading materials and explaining the agenda for the meeting.

"Since the beginning of this year, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of vessels carrying illegal refugees entering our territorial waters. We have repeatedly demanded that the governments of Russia and the Chinese Communist Party maintain strict border security and security on their territory, but the Black Dragon Army is fierce, and Harbin and northeastern China are under their control."

Goto explained the situation surrounding the Eurasian Continent. In front of the participants gathered at the conference, individual virtual screens were projected in front of them, and some of them participated remotely by projecting holograms of themselves.

"Also, there has been a sharp increase in the number of Russian air force planes approaching the Kuril Islands. The Russian government still does not recognize the Kuril Islands as Japanese territory. However, perhaps out of concern for Fusō, they seem unable to go so far as to invade the territory."

Goto mentioned the Chishima, the Japanese name for the Kuril Islands, as Japanese territory. In the 22nd century, Japan's borders were undergoing major changes.

In the past, the Northern Territories Dispute, in which Japan and Russia disputed territorial rights, ended in the form of the "return of three islands," in which Japan effectively gave up most of the Etorofu Islands, as the Russian government and Japan strengthened their military power after the East Asia War.

Later, when the Japanese archipelago was transferred to another world, Etorofu/Iturup, which had officially become Russian territory, was also caught up in the process. The administrative agencies, the Russian military stationed there, and the Russian residents of the islands, who were cut off from contact with their home country, rejected the Japanese government's proposal to annex the island and established a Russian Federation (Iturup Government) in the other world on the island, on the condition that they would mobilize their forces in accordance with the Japanese government's request in the event of an emergency.