by <unknown>
Novel Illustrations
Prologue - The King of Pestilence
Clear and colorless liquid was flowing from the water fountain designed with a god figure. The pure water fell vertically, melding into the blue sky as splattering water droplets sent a refreshing breath into one's nose.
The maiden of pure white bent her knees gradually, removed her full-length glove and dipped her hand into the water.
The cold water felt especially refreshing in midsummer. At the bottom of the rippling water sat corroded one yen coins and rusted ten yen coins.
Turning her submerged wrist, she enjoyed playing in the water with child-like innocence, feeling as though all the dirt and dust of the mundane world were washing away. Unfortunately, this brief respite did not last long.
The sound of shoe soles against the stone-tiled floor could be heard from behind.
"It is time, Your Highness Seitenshi."
"Has the 'Head' and 'Solomon's Ring' been located, Honorable Kikunojyo?"
The Tokyo Area's head of state—Seitenshi—replied without looking back. The premier counselor behind her answered without any change in expression:
"The search is still in progress."
"Mr. Satomi is still uninformed regarding the matter?"
"On that point, I am personally opposed to entrusting the matter to him."
Seitenshi looked back while standing up, only to see the elderly white-bearded yet muscular gentlemen expressing anger through his dignified countenance.
"Would it be too untactful if I were to ask why?"
"That guy is merely a CivSec. Your Highness Seitenshi, you are entrusting important positions to him too much."
"Andrei Litvintsev's subordinates have already entered the Tokyo Area, isn't that right?"
"Indeed."
Seitenshi sighed.
"What a disaster-filled future."
"The summit meeting at hand is the first priority."
"..."
"Are you uninterested in it?"
Seitenshi kept her eyes closed for a while before opening them slowly.
"Let us be on our way."
Following Kikunojyo, she traversed the path of stepping stones. In front of the neatly mowed lawn and the trees, a rumbling wall of water appeared.
However, when Seitenshi stood right in front of the wall of water, the water ceased flowing to reveal a passage. This was achieved using a motion sensor, activating the entrance as soon as it sensed someone.
Passing through the cold and humid wayside pavilion and emerging from the other end's artificial waterfall, Seitenshi had to hold down her hat when a sudden gust of wind blew.
The grass swayed while the leaves rustled. Looking up at the sky from under her hat, Seitenshi saw a building with chalk walls, towering under the cloudless clear sky.
This was the Akasaka Palace, also known as the State Guest House.
Although it had been expanded and renovated after the Gastrea War, neither its yellow-gray color scheme of granite nor its symmetrical design had changed.
Walking past the security guards in black uniform who surrounded the building and entering from the front, one would be greeted by the magnificent interior decor that was like the Sacred Residence's. Under one person's lead, Seitenshi arrived at the main door to the White Phoenix Room.
"Here comes the critical moment."
"...Based on how things develop from this point onwards, the Tokyo Area's future may be altered."
Under the gloves, her palms were moist with sweat. Holding both hands against her chest, she felt an intense beating.
I must not be careless, Seitenshi reminded herself. Besides, every one of them was a sly old fox adept at setting traps for others.
She took a deep breath. She originally intended to push the door quietly but the door opened with an unexpectedly loud noise.
The talking in the room stopped while everyone shot their gazes at her.
This was the expected reaction, hence Seitenshi felt no fear.
Inside this room that imitated French style from the late eighteenth century, the silence was enough to prick the skin painfully.
The ceilings were painted with pictures while the curtains were threaded with gold. A spectacular chandelier, possibly weighing 800kg, was producing bright light capable of searing eyes.
Walking over to the table occupying the center of the room, Seitenshi sat down on the chair that Kikunojyo pulled out.
"Did you go flower picking, Your Highness Seitenshi?"
This was probably a sarcastic jab at her as a woman. Confronted with an opponent who would resort to jokes of such ill taste, Seitenshi found it even more necessary to work hard in order to main the calm expression on her face.
"Apologies for my tardy arrival, President Saitake. Please continue."
This man, whose face was as fierce as a lion's, was the Osaka Area's head of state—Sougen Saitake. After making a look of disappointment, he snorted with displeasure.
Seitenshi swept her gaze across the participants of the summit, all of them senior to her in age, sighing quietly at the distinguished lineup.
The Osaka Area's head of state, the Sendai Area's head of state, the Hakata Area's head of state and the Hokkaido Area's head of state were all present.
—A summit meeting between the five principal Areas.
Since there was no precedent, it was anyone's guess whether this could be called the Japanese version of the G5, but with the Tokyo Area as the chairing state, Seitenshi's responsibilities were definitely not light.
"In any case, there is the matter of the Japanese flag!"
The one who suddenly slammed the table and stood up should be the Hakata Area's—
"Prime Minister Kaihoku, may I ask what do you mean by that?"
Mildly suntanned skin with a wide lower jaw. His hair was speckled gray. With especially memorable thick eyebrows, Masamori Kaihoku, Prime Minister of the Hakata Area, spoke in a rage:
"Right now, the flag of Japan is the circle of the sun. But that red circle is easy to associate with the red eyes of Gastrea, which is why it isn't popular in my Area. So I'd like to use this chance to change the color, whether yellow or black or whatever, I don't care."
"In that case, choose black. As our nation is a producer of varanium, black is an excellent match."
The one who readily concurred was the newly elected prime minister of the Hokkaido Area, sitting next to him.
The prime minister of the Hokkaido Area played with his black-rimmed monocle every now and then. With clear traces of stubble remaining around his lips, that elongated face looked like cockroach's when he smiled.
But back to the topic at hand, this was not an issue that Seitenshi could ignore given her position.
"Prime Minister Juujouji, there is definitely significance in the things our ancestors have protected. Please consider the meaning of tradition."
"Then the feelings of the citizens don't need to be considered?"
Seitenshi turned towards Kaihoku again.
"If memory serves me correctly, Prime Minister Kaihoku, your next election is imminent. But wouldn't capriciously catering to the whims of the citizens affect the integrity of the state?"
The Hakata Area's leader closed his half-opened mouth in shock, infuriated to the point of raising one of his eyebrows. Seitenshi noticed him cursing "this little bitch" under his breath.
Subjected to profanity despite her moral high ground, Seitenshi calmly replied "I am glad that you understand this principle."
It looked like she might actually get through this summit smoothly, surprisingly. The way she was now, she might be able to hold her own against these experienced politicians with the likes of Kaihoku or Juujouji.
At this
moment, Saitake raised a bony hand, glanced around, and spoke gruffly.
"Well, I have another matter to raise. Regarding the Cassiopeia Project..."
Here it comes—Seitenshi immediately responded.
"On that note, I wish to advance the project as much as possible."
The Cassiopeia Project was a proposal to link the five Areas of Japan using shield machines to dig tunnels for a massive subterranean rail network. It was the mainstay of Seitenshi's policy and also her ambition, a wish that she hoped to actualize no matter what.
Gazing at everyone's face in turn, Seitenshi spoke sonorously:
"Once the underground rail starts running, not only will economic activity be stimulated but it will also serve as proof that the five Areas are coexisting in peace and prosperity. In addition, it can serve as the signal for humanity to counterattack the Gastrea, bringing substantial hope to the citizens of the various Areas."
"However, I am opposed to it..."
Seitenshi felt a chill down her spine.
The one who murmured to interrupt this conversation was the Sendai Area's prime minister who had kept silent until now.
His hair, facial hair and even his eyebrows were snow-white in color. The hairline had receded so far that the only remnants were around the ears. Severely balded, his head was smooth and shiny. The pair of tiny eyes under that wide forehead made him look like a gorilla, meanwhile exhibiting an intense light of suspicion.
Seitenshi subconsciously straightened her back.
Sougen Saitake, suspected of hiring the assassin who had made attempts on her life. Masamori Kaihoku, inferior in comparison to Saitake but conspicuous in his radical and offensive comments. Tsukihiko Juujouji, whose abilities as a head of state were yet unproven. Just these three alone were difficult enough to handle already, but in fact, Seitenshi believed that sole candidate for the eye of the storm in this summit would perhaps be Muramaro Inou, prime minister of the Sendai Area.
Inou muttered every single word pretentiously.
"I believe this proposal is far too unrealistic. Has Your Highness any idea exactly how expensive and time consuming this construction project will be? Perhaps it might be fine for Your Highness Seitenshi, but by the time of the completion ceremony, the rest of us will be too old to move."
These words sounded like an attempt of a joke, but amidst the stiff atmosphere, it ended with a cold reception.
"Prime Minister Inou, perhaps you may not know, but technology is constantly making advances. Suppose both the Tokyo and Sendai Areas use shield tunneling machines, the two Areas could become interlinked in the near future."
"Yes... However."
Inou scratched his head gravely. Just as Seitenshi feared, he did not agree.
Once the five Areas became interconnected through underground railways, the cost of transport would drop dramatically. The Hokkaido Area's cheap agricultural products, the manufactured products of the Osaka Area which specialized in heavy industries, as well as raw varanium from the world's biggest varanium exporter, the Tokyo Area, would out-compete all the other Areas' own domestic products.
The Sendai Area's agricultural and industrial communities must have applied pressure while the think tank on which Inou relied surely wanted him to move towards protecting existing interests.
Seitenshi could not help but feel a wave of irony.
Merely ten years earlier, Japan was still a unified country but now, in the year 2031, one could hardly describe the Japanese people as of one heart.
No matter what, Seitenshi wanted to accomplish the reunification of the five Areas within her lifetime, so as to revive the nation of Japan. However, the greatest obstacle to this goal may very well not be the Gastrea at all.
Perhaps Inou's prior assumption could be said to have come true? The Cassiopeia Project could not reach an agreement and ended up shelved.
Although the other four had cited "deciding everything during this conference would be too early" as a reason, declaring they would bring the proposal back to their respective states for discussion, seeing as they could not reach a conclusion despite holding the power to decide, who else could approve the project?
Once other issues on the agenda including economic and energy matters and a brief discussion of global warming had been covered, Inou raised another issue by saying "by the way" as an opening line after keeping silent the whole time.
—Perhaps he was trying to target the moment when Seitenshi's guard was lowered.
"Your Highness Seitensnhi, about the Tokyo Area's 'Legacy of Seven Stars.'"
Seitenshi stared wide-eyed, exchanging glances with Kikunojyo who was standing beside her.
"How did you come to know about the Legacy?"
Inou made a sinister smile.
"We do have the likes of intelligence agencies over here after all. Although I find it to be a ridiculous notion, according to information that has come into my possession, by using a mysterious object called the 'Legacy of Seven Stars' as a catalyst, the Tokyo Area is capable of summoning Stage V Gastrea—in other words, the Zodiac Gastrea. This wouldn't be true, would it?"
"No comment."
Seitenshi replied without pretense. However, the depths of Inou's eyes flashed with suspicion.
"What's with Your Highness? If what I just brought up was utterly ridiculous, feel free to dismiss it with a laugh."
"No comment."
"Oh dear, despite lobbying for cooperation between the five Areas, Your Highness is hiding things from everyone else."
Seitenshi did not know how to answer.
The conference's atmosphere was brewing into an interrogation, making Seitenshi feel very worried.
"I am truly sorry but this concerns the confidential matters of the Tokyo Area."
Ending the subject on her own, Seitenshi lost the ability to think calmly, not even bothering to slightly ease the tense atmosphere at the scene.
Without pursuing this matter further on the spot, the summit meeting ended, unable to reach a compromise.
—The result of this slight dispute between two leaders would develop into an incident that would shake the entire world a few days later.
"Don't stop working, hurry and get back to your posts!"
Urged by the foreman's scolding, echoing inside the cavern, Hitoshi Kamisu was holding a rock drill's hand grip, pushing the hard chisel against the ground.
Pressing the throttle lever, the compressed air sent into the rock drill drove the chisel, shattering the bedrock beneath. A suffocating smell of soil and the intense reaction force on the arms was making him close one eye.
The hot and humid air was causing an extremely high humidex, forcing Hitoshi to release the hand grip on several occasions to wipe the sweat off his brow.
Under the faint illumination from naked incandescent bulbs, other men were wielding rock drills like him with extremely frightened faces while moving the shattered rock onto the conveyor belt.
Inside the dark cavern, it was impossible to tell whether it was day or night, even.
To Hitoshi, this kind of environment was like having one's entire life falling into a trap dug by an antlion.
Hitoshi's location was outside the Monoliths, in other words, a varanium mine in "unexplored territory."
The Gastrea War broke out in 2021. Working in the import industry and selling foreign cosmetics for a living, Hitoshi became unemployed with the arrival of war.
After war, the law mandated that civilian aircraft were obliged to hire CivSec escort planes for protection when outside the Monoliths, where Gastrea roamed everywhere, so as to avoid attacks from avian or flying insect Gastrea. The costs of air transport rose dramatically ever since, thus collapsing the ratio of risk and reward in the import trade.
Hitoshi recalled from his school days what his teacher had said: "It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is most adaptable to change." He remembered this was supposed to be a famous quo
te from Darwin.
In that sense, the world that had gone through massive changes since the Gastrea War was not a place he could adapt to after all.
Although his personal savings were enough for him to make a new start, he had lost the will to fight. Compared to taking the challenge courageously and accepting defeat, he chose to live on his savings instead.
After ten years, naturally, his money ran out.
Taken away, almost in the form of kidnapping, by the ruffians employed by his creditors, Hitoshi's life as miner began.
This work was inordinarily monotonous without any hope for the future.
His workplace, B3F, was reached by going down on the elevator known as the cage. This place was not only dark but also grew narrower the deeper one went. The steel bars supporting the ceiling also felt very insecure.
Although modern technology had advanced and his co-workers had said that collapsing accidents were less common than in the past, it was quite doubtful to what extent this so-called technology could be trusted given that this was an illegal mine run by a yakuza front company.
After being noisily woken up and eating the disgusting breakfast, they had to work straight until the middle of the night before returning to and collapsing on those coarse blankets.
Stuff for showing time such as watches or cellphones had been confiscated first thing, so it was impossible to say accurately how long he had to work for, but Hitoshi's biological clock had a feeling it was roughly thirteen to fourteen hours.
Most unbearable of all, digging out an ounce of varanium required using the rock drill to smash a hundred kilograms of rock in desperation.
Due to the Gastrea's violent growls, he would jump up in the middle of the night from fear, roused from bed. This had happened many times, not just once or twice.
Although civil security was posted at the mine twenty-four hours a day, the CivSec officers found by the yakuza were not savory characters either, presumably birds of a feather, flocking together. Their responsibilities probably leaned more towards monitoring workers to prevent them from escaping.
In addition, all the miners already understood that these guys, hired by money, were absolutely not going to risk their own lives to protect the workers in the event of strong Gastrea attacking.
