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

Attack on Titan

Hidden behind this inspection were the secret motives of the International Federation and the Japanese government. It was to implant the harshness of natural environments and the fear of natural disasters into the minds of these alien colonists who only saw Earth as an "ideal paradise." The choice of scheduling this inspection during the summer when typhoons and intense heat struck the Japanese archipelago was also for this purpose. As a result, in line with the Japanese government's intentions, many members of the Earth inspection group were worn out by the harshness of Earth.

"........."

Listening to his colleagues' conversation, Niwatsukino grimaced slightly and slowly stood up.

"...I'm going out for a bit."

"Oh, sure... take care."

His colleagues bid farewell to Niwatsukino as he headed outside. They couldn't help but feel a slight sense of unease about his demeanor.

Though it was summer, the night after the sun had set was cool, with a pleasant breeze. Niwatsukino loosened his tie and let out a deep sigh as he looked up at the night sky. He could hear the faint hustle and bustle of Tokyo's dazzling cityscape. At that moment, he suddenly heard his name being called.

"...Master Niwatsukino?"

When Niwatsukino turned toward the direction of the voice, he saw Chura, the Queen's attendant. The two had become familiar faces even before the Queen's arrival on Earth.

"Hey, Chura-san. What brings you out this late at night?"

Niwatsukino quickly put on a forced smile and asked Chura. Their conversation was instantly translated by an automatic translator and delivered to each other's ears via directional sound.

"...I couldn't sleep because I'm reluctant to leave Earth on our last night here."

Chura, who had an especially strong longing for Earth among the members of the Earth inspection group, hadn't changed even after experiencing the typhoon. Seeing her like this, Niwatsukino couldn't help but feel a faint sense of guilt.

"Chura-san... How do you find Earth?" Niwatsukino blurted, words coming out almost unconsciously.

Chura tilted her head as she carefully chose her words. "...I still want to live on this planet. I've heard that our ancestors' planet, Lainer, was once as rich in nature as Earth is said to be. Disasters, heat... the lives of the people rooted on this planet, I love all of it."

".........!"

Niwatsuki squinted his eyes and looked at Chura. At that moment, Niwatsukino felt his heart pounding stronger than ever.

After months of interaction, he had developed special feelings for this woman.

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

Same day

Mars

District 4, Suiryu

Meanwhile, the planet Mars, where 1,4 billion Earthlings reside, was still under the occupation rule of the Space Drifters Union. However, during the press conference held by the Union Queen on her last day in Japan, she announced the withdrawal from Mars within a month. As a result, the momentum of the people's protests dwindled, and life began to return to the days before the attacks. In an area where many Japanese immigrants lived, there stood a destroyed church and prefab houses erected in its place. This was where the pastor of the church, Sumiichiro, and his assistant, Itsuki, lived.

Itsuki was currently outside the prefab house, cleaning up the debris from the destroyed church. At that moment, Sumiichiro returned carrying shopping bags.