Chapter 1
November 6th, AD 2095 / Yotsuba Main House - Reception Room
A rather large building done in the style of a traditional samurai residence.
That is the impression of the Yotsuba Main House as seen from outside the gate.
Compared to a typical residence it is certainly spacious. Even calling it a mansion would not be a misnomer.
However, someone who had seen the grand mansions of those like the Saegusa Family and Ichijou Family would probably be rather surprised by its simple snug appearance.
The Yotsuba do not care about the spaciousness of their house. Because the Yotsuba Family, who maintain a systematic policy of secrecy, would never invite a large number of outsiders as guests. Perhaps they think a grand mansion would only be an encumbrance.
Without regard to the fact that her mother's home, Miyuki mused over the matter from an outsider’s perspective, as she and her brother stepped through the massively built gate together.
It had been one week since that day — the day that would come to be known in the future as ‘The Scorched Halloween'.
The siblings had brought themselves to a mountain village not recorded on any map by foot, in accordance to their aunt’s invitation — which should rather be called a summons to appear before her.
Despite what might be imagined from its outward appearance, they were ushered into a modern and quite expansive reception room where they were informed to wait. This was not a small reception room used for privacy; it was a large room that could be classified as an ‘Audience Chamber’ which let them know that today’s summons was not a personal one from their aunt, but from the Master of Yotsuba Family.
—Well, we had discerned that from the beginning, thought Miyuki, nevertheless.
This would make it three years since she had last been summoned to this room together with her brother.
Although Miyuki was present and accounted for, her aunt, who until now for one pretext or another did not try meeting her brother except in occasions when the entire family gathered together for celebrations or congratulations, had after three years met him face to face.
Of course, Miyuki could not determine whether that was a good thing or a bad thing.
"—Don’t worry. We are not the same as three years ago."
Her uneasiness had apparently shown on her face. Miyuki tilted her eyes upward to find Tatsuya nodding reassuringly in her line of sight as she peeked at him.
Next to the sofa Miyuki was sitting on, he remained standing.
Three years ago, he also took the same posture.
Three years ago, he stood behind Miyuki.
Yes....things were different from three years ago.
Tatsuya was probably talking about how their abilities had changed from three years ago. Unquestionably, the two of them had gotten stronger that they could not be compared to three years ago. Especially in regards to Tatsuya, he had attained combat power that rivaled that of their aunt, Yotsuba Maya, famed as one of the world’s strongest magicians, known as "The Maou of the Far East" and "The Queen of Night". If you examine their magic affinities in detail, it would be readily apparent that in a one on one confrontation Tatsuya would win.
However, more than their power relationship with their aunt, there were things that changed from three years past, Miyuki thought.
—That was the relationship between her brother and herself.
—Her own heart, and the feelings it directed towards her brother.
The mind of Miyuki who was sitting on the sofa with a perfectly corrected posture drifted to that time three years ago...
Chapter 2
August 4th, AD 2092 / Okinawa - Naha Airport ~ Onna Serika Vacation home
—Beginning from around Common Era 2030, the earth underwent a radical drop in temperature; the world’s overall food supply deteriorated on a massive scale. Since around 2020, advanced agriculture production came to be a solar-powered industry and this limited the influence it had on advanced industrial nations. However, the impact of the damage on the emerging industrial nations that had experienced an accelerated population explosion brought on by radical economic growth was a profound one.
With the drop in temperature and desertification proceeding simultaneously in the North China region, it was confronted with an extremely serious situation.
The residents of North China, in accordance with the traditions of their people, weathered such dire straits. Colonization by Border Transgression — in short, by using illegal immigration.
However, Russia did not assent to the influx of illegal immigrants. This resulted in illegal aliens being thoroughly expunged, even from unpopulated wildernesses and rented out nooks of houses.
Those who possess true power, cannot grow weary of bloodshed.
China admonished Russia in the name of humanitarianism; Russia admonished China in the name of international law.
The antagonism of both nations was not confined between them.
Crossing national borders in the name of humanitarianism is banned by international law.
Throughout the world, kindling was laid just waiting for a match.
In this environment, there was a food shortage caused by temperature dropping.
There was a struggle over energy resources to be used to alleviate the problem.
For the kindling to become an inferno, even a slight impetus would have been enough.
In Common Era 2045, World War Three — an outbreak of 20 years of wars clustered across the world started.
From 2045 to 2064, wide scale border disputes throughout the world made this an era of continuous war.
Not a single nation was able to remain a bystander; this was truly a world war.
When the conflicts finally ceased, the world’s population was a third of the size it had been in 2045; it had been decreased to 3 billion people.
Russia reabsorbed Ukraine and Belarus into the New Soviet Union (ShinSoRen); China governed over the northern parts of Burma, Vietnam, and Laos as well as the Korean peninsula through the Great Asia Alliance (Asian Alliance); India and Iran devoured various countries in central Asia to construct the Indo-Persia Union; the USA absorbed Canada and Mexico to fuse all of North America into one nation (USNA); the EU split into eastern and western parts; half of the various countries of Africa dissolved; in South America, aside from Brazil, the region was divided into small countries where governments did not have much reach beyond their own location.
The world had been transformed this way by 20 years of warfare, even though it never resorted to nuclear warfare, and magicians were one part of this world and its transformation.
In 2046, "The International Magic Federation" was established.
Their purpose was to prevent the pollution of the earth beyond what it could recover from through the use of radioactive materials in weapons of mass destruction.
Within the bounds of their stated purpose to halt the use of nuclear weapons, magicians freed themselves from the yokes of the countries they belonged to and were permitted to intervene with their skills in border disputes. Even magicians on the front lines taking part by killing each other would cease their skirmish when they observed signs of the use of nuclear weapons; whether it was their own country or their enemy’s country, they would cooperate to stop the deployment of nuclear weapons.
The banning of nuclear weapons has been established as the paramount duty of magicians around the world.
This pact, "The International Magic Federation’s Charter", targets radioactive materials that can be used for weapons that contaminate the environment. Strictly speaking, that does not include clean nuclear bombs. However, since in order to detonate a state of the art nuclear bomb made to be use for great battles, a small nuclear bomb was indispensable, this resulted in a complete ban on nuclear weapons.
Thus, in the period of war that lasted twenty years, there was not a single usage of nuclear weapons.
The International Magic Federation was honored for this achievement. Internationally recognized as an agency of peace even after the world war ended, it occupies a position of prestige—
I heard the announcement that it was time to put on my seat belt and closed the file of teaching material in "Contemporary History - A Guide" that related to magicians. The contents were a little difficult for someone like me who had just become a middle school student, but it was sufficient to keep me from being bored.
I had heard that modern airplanes were not subject to failure caused by electromagnetic interference generated by information terminals. However, turning information terminals off during takeoffs and landings was a traditional courtesy. Not only me, the other passengers also turned their terminals off. I did not intend to be the only one disobeying the rules of common sense like a spoiled child.
The seat was covered by an egg shaped safety shield, a real-time image of a southern island was projected on the interior.
Looking at that vivid greenery and sparkling ocean, makes the world’s temperature drop seem like an event in a fictional story.
Nevertheless, that event is an unequivocal fact.
Before we were born, the world’s climate began getting warmer but, we can look at the traces of the temperature dropping all around us.
For example, the dress code.
Not exposing bare skin, this manner in which we dress is nothing but a trace of the deep impression the era of the temperature dropping left on the world.
Well, I have no interest in dressing to expose my shoulders or breast area — and in the first place, it would not be a flattering style on me, yet—, it’s not compulsory to have a skirt so long the hem drags, and I like clothes. However in private places, there are no rules over the manner of dressing so it’s not like it really hinders us.
While I am thinking of these trivial things, the airplane touche