May 8, 2112
Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture
After the Golden Week holidays, school life had returned to normal for the students of the world, and in the 22nd century, Japan was a peaceful place, separated from the war-torn countries out there. In a room of a luxury condominium in Yokohama, Ryuji Hasena was slowly awakening from his bed at the time of waking up at his home.
"Ngg......"
He held up his hand to the mobile terminal on the bedside table. Then a hologram of an AI-equipped avatar appeared in the air.
"Good morning. Today is Sunday, May 8th, 2112. The weather is clear. You slept for 7 hours and 25 minutes last night, and your sleep may be a bit shallow. Let's work on improving the quality of sleep."
The avatar hologram explained the results of Ryuji's sleep depth and sleep time measurements. He rubbed his eyes and asked the avatar.
"...What's going on today?"
"Today you're scheduled to meet up with Mogara-sama and Tsutsumi-sama from the laboratory at the Yokohama Waterfront at 10:00."
"Okay, thank you very much. And can you open the window for me?"
"Yes, master!"
The deformed dragon avatar then disappeared. Immediately after, the dimming filter was removed from the large window pane, which looked like a wall, and sunlight entered the room all at once. Bathed in sunlight, Ryuji woke up clearly, yawned, and left the bedroom. He washed his face in the bathroom and walked down the hallway toward the living room, where the smell of coffee wafted through the air.
"...Good morning!"
"Morning."
Upon opening the door, he saw Teru wearing an apron. On the table was already this morning's main dish, Eggs Benedict, and a salad as a side dish.
"Today's breakfast is 400 calories. This is my first time cooking this dish, but I put a lot of effort into it! I hope it will please your palate..."
Eggs Benedict is a traditional English breakfast dish. Of course, it is not something that can be cooked in the automatic cooker installed in the kitchen, but something that Teru herself purchases the ingredients to make. In this age of automatic cookers, it was very rare for someone her age to be able to cook.
Ryuji sat down on a chair and brought Teru's dish to his mouth. At that moment, he marveled.
"...This is good! As expected of Teru."
"Alright!"
She gave him a big smile. Seeing her expression, a smile lit up Ryuji's face as well. Immediately after, he fiddled with the smartwatch on his left arm and turned on the TV.
"...The next news. At around 02:00 yesterday, an unmanned frigate of the Imperial Navy Coast Guard spotted a suspicious vessel in the Sea of Japan that appeared to be illegally entering Japan's territorial waters. No illegal immigrants have been confirmed to have landed. The Coast Guard will continue to investigate.
Since the beginning of this year, 15 cases of suspicious vessels have been detected, and exclusion measures have been enforced in 11 of them. All are believed to be illegal refugees from northeastern China and Primorsky Krai, and may have been influenced by the Black Dragon Army, which has repeatedly engaged in guerilla-style looting in the region. The Japanese government has issued a statement calling for the strengthening of security in the northeastern part of China and proposing military assistance measures..."
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.
Fifteen years later, the Iturup Government returned to Earth and found their homeland, the Russian Federation, in ruins, having fallen due to economic collapse and a series of civil wars and conflicts. They chose the path of incorporation into Japan, which they had once rejected. The government of Iturup suddenly refused to communicate with the government of the Russian Federation, attacked the Russian border guards stationed in the Kuril Islands, and captured the entire island chain. This was a surprise to the Russian government, which had been struggling to settle a civil war on the continent. The Japanese government repeatedly stated that it hoped for a peaceful resolution to the civil war that had erupted on Etorofu, taking no sides.
Later, the Iturup Government established the Kuril Supreme Assembly, which held a vote for all the residents of the Kuril Islands, and with their support for independence, declared the establishment of the new Republic of Kuril. The Russian government dispatched its military forces for the first time to capture the Republic of Kuril.
The Japanese government, which had been quietly watching the situation, dispatched the Self-Defense Forces to the Kuril Islands in response to a request for help from the Kuril Supreme Assembly, under the guise of "defense of the people of Kunashiri Island." Japan's aggressive military action against Russia was a shock to the international community, but Japanese public opinion, which had been repeatedly victorious in a series of wars in the other world, was not so concerned about the military sortie. The Japanese government then deployed the flying battleship Fusō, a superweapon of the 28th century.
As a first strike, the Fusō unleashed a 28th-century electronic attack. The Fusō's EMP was like a powerful solar flare, shutting down the Russian warship's electrical equipment and immediately disabling it. In addition, it fired a warning shot from the neutral particle cannon, destroying without a trace one of the islands that made up the Kuril Islands. The Russians then returned to Vladivostok, relying on their sextant and compass, in August 2041.
On September 1, 2041, the Republic of Kuril passed a resolution requesting to be annexed to Japan, and the Japanese government announced its policy to accept the request. After the signing and ratification of the annexation treaty, the Republic of Kuril was annexed to Japan. Thus, the Kuril Islands were restored to Japan after 96 years.
The Russo-Japanese conflict in the Kuril Islands and annexation of the Kurils made the existence of the flying battleship Fusō known to the world. The International Federation (IF) declared the Fusō a weapon of mass destruction and demanded that it be placed under joint international control and that Japan join the IF. The Japanese government firmly refused to submit the Fusō.
In response to the Japanese government's refusal to show any signs of relinquishing the Fusō, even though it was making enemies of the international community, the IF made a concession, and in 2042, when Japan joined the IF, the submission of the Fusō was postponed in exchange of a pledge to ban all military operations, including mounted aircraft.
"The Fusō must have been traumatic for the Russian government. That ship is the very heart of Japan's national defense today."
Even though the international community has forbidden its military use, the Fusō sits in Yokosuka, staring skyward. The Fusō's search-and-intercept capability, which was built on the premise of fighting in outer space, is something that the military power of the 22nd century can never hope to compete with. The existence of the Fusō plays a major role in the national defense of Japan, which has become a virtual enemy of the United States.
And the countries of the world are thirsting for the Fusō and the technological power of the 28th century that is hidden in this ship. And this will become a conspiracy involving the demi-humans, which will attack this country.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tokyo Station, Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo
Tokyo has undergone a major transformation since the beginning of the 22nd century. The redeveloped city is filled with holography and projection mapping, creating a futuristic and fantastic cityscape. Among them were three members of the Astronomy Club. They were hurrying to the platform of their destination, following the arrows on the electric board projected in the air.
"The Yamanote Line is this way?"
"Even so, there are a lot of people here."
Koba and Yadoya were annoyed with the crowds of people crowded into the Tokyo Station. On the other hand, Teru was somewhat excited to be in Tokyo for the first time.
A train arrived at the Yamanote Line platform. In this era, unmanned operations of trains, including Shinkansen and linear trains, were the norm, and the role of the train driver was mainly to monitor the automatic operation equipment. The role of the train driver who actually drives the train has survived only in a few regional private railways that have not introduced automatic operation.
. . .
1st High School of Magic and Witchcraft, Arakawa Ward, Tokyo
It has been more than 70 years since magic was brought to Japan from the other world of Terralus, and the population of people who can use magic, mainly demi-humans and descendants of mages, has greatly increased. In the meantime, laws concerning magic and demi-humans have been steadily being developed. One of these efforts was the establishment of the "High School of Magic and Witchcraft," an educational institution where students learn the correct use of magic and the laws and penalties associated with it, so that the power they were born with will not be misused.
There are eight of these schools throughout Japan, and they are called "number schools" in reference to the fact that they were established in the cities where the first high schools were established. The 1st High School of Magic and Witchcraft was located in Arakawa Ward, Tokyo. The school has a sister school agreement with Yokohama Hisui Gakuen High School.
"Here we are...!"
A Tokyo bus arrived at the stop in front of the school. Koba, Yadoya, and Teru got off the bus. The main gate of the 1st High School of Magic and Witchcraft was decorated with various decorations, and in front of it, students were recording the number of visitors and handing out pamphlets.
"Welcome to the First High School Cultural Festival! Here is the brochure for the festival."
"T-thank you very much."
Yadoya waiting in line received the pamphlet from the female student at the reception desk. At first glance, the female student appeared to be no different from a human being, but upon closer look, her canine teeth were pointed like those of a beast, and snake-like scales could be seen on her neck.
"C'mon, let's go in!"
Koba called out to Yadoya and Teru, who had received the pamphlet, to enter the school. Passing through the decorated gate, the three entered the High School of Magic and Witchcraft.
"Woah...!"
Stalls lined the grounds of the school, and banners and drapes hung from the modern school building. Live sound could be heard coming from the gymnasium and auditorium. In addition to school students and their parents, the school was crowded with visitors who, like the three of them, seemed to have come from other schools. In the sky, winged races such as angels and fairies were flying around touting their wares, and on the ground, school students with additional features were putting their best foot forward in their respective classes and club activities.
Koba, Yadoya, and Teru made their way through the crowd, pamphlets in hand. Teru spotted an eye-catching display among the pamphlets.
"...Umm! I want to go to this one!"
"Huh? Let me see... fortune-telling?"
What she pointed at was "fortune-telling." Koba looked at the description on the pamphlet she was holding. It said that fortune-telling by a female student of mage's lineage, or a real "witch," was available.
"Sounds interesting."
Yadoya agreed with her suggestion. The three of them then went to the "Fortune-Telling Pavilion," which was located in the second-grade classroom of the high school.
Located on the second floor of the school building, the Fortune-Telling Pavilion was a presentation using the second-grade classroom. When they entered the room, the windows were closed with curtains, and the room was dimly lit. The classroom was divided into seven sections by curtains, and one fortune teller was stationed in each section. A male student in charge of information called out to Teru, who was standing in line.
"This is the Fortune-Telling Research Society exhibit. Miss... come on in."
"Y-yes."
The student ushered her to enter the pavilion. Yadoya and Koba were about to enter together, but were stopped by another female student who was in charge of guiding them.
"From this point onward, this is a private space for our guests. Even if it is your best friend or lover, you are not allowed to go together..."
"I see..."
Yadoya and Koba backed away. After seeing Teru off, the remaining two decided to wait outside the classroom. Koba, chewing on a piece of chicken he bought at an outdoor stall, gazed at the demi-human students passing by in the hallway. Most of the demi-humans have some characteristics that are different from humans, and if one looks closely, one can tell that they are different from humans.
'.........'
Koba, who at first glance appears to be no different from a human, has smooth body hair like a weasel when he rolls up his sleeves, and his nails become sharp like an animal's as soon as he neglects to take care of them. By all rights, he should have attended this school, but since it was not obligatory, he and his best friend from middle school chose to go internally to Hisui Gakuen High School.
People like those who attend this school, who are not human like those from Terralus, and their blood relatives, are called demi-humans by the government. Some of the general public refer to them as "yōkai" or "monsters." It is known that when a demi-human marries a human and has a child, the child almost always inherits their demi-human characteristics, regardless of generation. The population of demi-humans and those with magical powers have steadily increased over the years.
Most of the demi-humans are beastmen, a group that has the physical features of an animal in some part of their body and has no special abilities. However, there are some subgroups, such as the Kamaitachi and Lorelei, that possess special abilities. The National High School of Magic and Witchcraft was established to discipline the children of those people.
List of National High Schools of Magic and Witchcraft:
- 1st High School of Magic and Witchcraft (Tokyo)
- 2nd High School of Magic and Witchcraft (Sendai)
- 3rd High School of Magic and Witchcraft (Kyoto)
- 4th High School of Magic and Witchcraft (Kanazawa)
- 5th High School of Magic and Witchcraft (Kumamoto)
- 6th High School of Magic and Witchcraft (Okayama)
- 7th High School of Magic and Witchcraft (Kagoshima)
- 8th High School of Magic and Witchcraft (Nagoya)
In addition, there is a very small percentage of demi-humans who, because of their powerful magic, are far more powerful than humans and have a far-reaching lifespan. The Ryūjin that Teru serves is the best example of such a group, and Koba was somewhat troubled by this.
"...I think that Teru-chan's feelings toward the Daiyōkai are the realm of worship."
"What's with this sudden talk?"
Yadoya was puzzled by the topic that Koba suddenly presented.
"I, too, have a slightly longer lifespan than ordinary humans, but us Kamaitachi cannot be compared to the Ryūjin. Therefore, the relationship between the long-lived race and humans is bound to end in tragedy, with one dying much earlier than the other. I am honestly worried."
Koba was concerned about the future of his friend, who adores a long-lived race, even though he was aware that he was meddling in her affairs. Because he is a demi-human, he knows how difficult it is to keep dealing with humans.
"...I don't know. But from what Teru-san told me, it's not bad. I'm sure she won't regret it."
Yadoya was surprised that the usually nonchalant Koba was thinking seriously about the consequences she would face.
"I don't really know. The long-lived races are full of people who look down on humans and other demi-humans. There is even a possibility that they think of Teru-chan as nothing more than a useful tool for housekeeping."
"...!?"
The long-lived race has an enormous lifespan and powerful magic power, so there are those who look down on humans and even other demi-humans. Koba was well aware of this too.
"...And when that happens, we'll just do our best to protect her. Right?"
Teru is a dear friend to them. Yadoya is willing to risk everything for his friend. The strong will that comes with youth, without thinking about the future, was the driving force behind their resolve. Their fears proved to be unfounded when they later meet Ryuji Hasena.
"...Sorry to keep you waiting!"
Just then, Teru came out of the classroom. It seemed that she had finished her fortune-telling. She felt bad for making them wait.
"Sorry, it took a little while."
"No, it's no problem at all."
Of course, Yadoya could not have cared less. Hearing his words, Teru sighed in relief.
"...By the way, Teru-chan, what did you have your fortune read?" Koba asked.
"...Fufu, that's... a secret," Teru said, somewhat embarrassed.
After that, they enjoyed the school's cultural festival to the fullest. In addition to the usual stalls and exhibits, there were also performances that made full use of the special abilities of the demi-humans, and other offerings that were clearly different from those at ordinary schools, which made their hearts soar.
The National High School of Magic and Witchcraft... truly a community separated from the human world.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Night of the same day
Imperial Japanese Navy Facility, Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture
The naval facility in Yokosuka is lined with a number of warships belonging to the Imperial Navy. Although the Imperial Japanese Navy has greatly expanded in size and strength since the days of the Maritime Self-Defense Force, the number of personnel has remained flat due to the automation of naval and aircraft operations. There are 7 Escort Groups and 12 Escort Squadrons under the control of the Self-Defense Fleet.
With an emphasis on stealth, the shape of the vessels is designed to be much less rugged than that of the 21st century. With the withdrawal of US Forces Japan and the United States became a virtual enemy of Japan, the significance and role of the Japanese military has become extremely important.
The port has a seaside park where citizens can view the military port and relax. Mixed in with these people, two men were looking at the naval base from the observation deck. They could see a huge ship returning to Yokosuka Harbor from the open sea.
"...What's that?"
"That's the aircraft carrier Shōkaku."
The other man answered the man's question. The Shōkaku is a nuclear-powered carrier that was built as the successor to the Hōshō-class aircraft carrier, which was built as the successor to the Akagi-class aircraft carrier.
After the Hōshō-class, they began using a small nuclear fusion reactor that appropriated the technology from the Fusō, and it adopts an electromagnetic catapult system. Four ships of the class have been built (the fourth ship is under construction), including the namesake Shōkaku, Zuikaku, Yakumo, and Un'yō, protecting the seas of Japan.
As for the old Hōshō-class ships, the Hōshō was based in the Republic of Palau, the Taihō at the former Russian military facility on Etorofu Island, and the Zuihō at two former People's Liberation Army naval bases in the port of Hambantota, Republic of Sri Lanka and in the Republic of Djibouti.
Beyond the Shōkaku, an even more massive ship can be seen. It is over 500 meters in length and has an appearance that is clearly distinct from the existing Imperial Navy vessels.
"I see... and that is the Fusō, right? What a magnificent beast."
The man gushed with a wide smile. On the other hand, the man who mentioned the Shōkaku's name is a tall man of about 180 centimeters or more and gives a heroic impression. Both were in their early twenties.
"It is hard to believe at first hand, but if the circumstances are right, that one ship may or may not be able to take on the world... No wonder the IF and the United States are so keen on Japan..."
The gushing man talked about the Fusō.
"...But that ship is a threat to us as well. To correct this distorted reality in which humans, who are supposed to be weak, are deluding themselves as the rulers of the world, that ship needs to be suppressed... Do you understand?"
"Yeah..."
The tall man nodded.
"Of course! Alas, many of the demi-human groups are spoiled lapdogs of mankind. Your family is no different. They have great power, but instead of wielding it, they are holed up deep in the mountains of Suwa and are content with being discriminated against. What a shameful display...!"
The gushing man repeated the statement with exaggerated gestures that agitate the tall man's inner feelings. The tall man clenched his fists, his fury boiling over.
"That's why, I'm going to ask you to keep your family home in check, which I'm sure will act in the government's interest... When the time comes, please take care of them, Ryoichi Hasena-kun."
"I know, Lord Devil King of the Dreams. It is us, the demi-humans that should rule the world."
They dream of ruling Japan.
A rebellion by demi-humans hostile to mankind is about to begin in secret.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hōshō-class aircraft carrier
A nuclear-powered aircraft carrier. The lead ship, Hōshō, was commissioned in 2068 as the successor to the Akagi-class aircraft carriers. It was the world's first nuclear fusion aircraft carrier developed by Japan, which had perfected the practical application of small fusion reactors, based on the fusion pulse engine used in the battleship Fusō and the small fusion reactor installed on the ship's onboard planes. It is 335 meters long and has four EMALS catapults. Currently, the class is active overseas and in border areas.
Ships in class:
- Hōshō
- Taihō
- Zuihō
. . .
Shōkaku-class aircraft carrier
A nuclear-powered aircraft carrier. The lead ship, Shōkaku, was commissioned in 2090 as the successor to the Hōshō-class aircraft carriers. Like the Hōshō-class, it was developed as a nuclear-powered ship using a nuclear fusion reactor. It is 337 meters long and has four EMALS catapults.
Aircraft carried:
- 56 fighter planes
- 4 early warning aircraft
- 13 patrol helicopters
- 4 onboard patrol aircraft
- 4 electronic warfare aircraft
Ships in class:
- Shōkaku
- Zuikaku
- Yakumo
- Un'yō (under construction)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Next, "The Girl with Midas' Hand"
- Bokutotsu Zen'u