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

Cultural Festival Season is Here!

"...A group of demi-humans who plan to challenge human dominance, will it be a gospel for us, or will it be a fire that engulfs the world itself?"

The discussion concluded with the words of Lian Zhangjing, the warlord army's supreme leader.

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September 13, 2112

Yokohama Hisui Gakuen High School

Yokohama Hisui Gakuen was preparing for its big autumn event, the "School Joint Cultural Festival," in four days, and each class and club was steadily preparing for the event. The three members of the Astronomy Club were now in the main cultural hall.

The Astronomy Club's main event was an exhibition of the astronomy photos taken during their activities up to now. They plan to use mini-projectors to project still and moving images of the starry sky and meteors on the screens and classroom walls. In the main hall, members of various other cultural club activities are hard at work preparing for the festival. Teru was talking to a member of the Chemistry Club.

"What is this white water?"

"It's cornstarch water. We're going to put it on display."

The Chemistry Club was filling a huge tank with water dissolved in starch. They were planning to exhibit the experience of "walking on water" using a phenomenon called dilatancy.

"Ooh."

Teru dipped her hand into the cornstarch water. Of course, the sticky liquid stick to her right hand.

"...Oh no, it's sticky."

"Hey! Don't do that!"

Teru, whose hand was soiled with cornstarch, instinctively swiped it on Koba's pants next to her. This unexpected act caused the boy to yell at her indignantly.

Class 3C

Meanwhile, several boys were hanging out in a third-grade classroom. They were gossiping about a certain first-year student. At the center of it all was a guy who is the vice-captain of the baseball team.

"Y'know, there's this really cute girl in the first grade. Her name is—"

"Teru Kadoma."

"...Yeah, yeah! I heard she doesn't have a boyfriend."

Michiomi Saura, the baseball team's vice-captain, brightened when he heard the name, which he could not recall for the life of him. Rumors of a beautiful Ice Queen had reached the third-grade classrooms.

"...Man, don't you know? She is a mistress of a yōkai."

"I've heard some strange rumors too. Something about being the property of a dragon yōkai."

There are rumors flying around the school at the moment about Teru, which have been greatly influenced by the fact that she is living with a young Ryūjin yōkai. This has become a reason why other students find it difficult to approach her. The Astronomy Club with this girl as a member and Tsukigami as its advisor, has attracted the attention of the school in many ways.

"...It's just a rumor, right? Are you guys seriously scared of that shit?"

"Ngah!? Then what about you!?"

Saura seemed to be unaffected by the rumors surrounding Teru. He boasted in front of them.

"I don't care. More than that... that 'Ice Queen' who rarely smiles is so beautiful..."

Saura muttered wistfully. Behind the mask of his usual neatness, there was a maelstrom of incredibly vile emotions.

Astronomy Club Room, Cultural Festival Hall