Chapter 1

001

The sky was blue, the sea was blue.

The clouds were white. The foam of the waves was white.

I, who had just been jostled on the Yamanote Line, found myself on the sandy beach of an unknown seaside.

“Wha...”

A crab walked over the top of my dropped briefcase.

Well, I did think, “I want to go to a distant sea,” didn’t I?

In the packed train, my body would float, sandwiched between strangers.

The refreshing sea breeze I had longed for was now ruffling my bangs.

I'm happy that my wish came true.

But I'm not happy.

Where am I?

My smartphone has no signal, and I can't determine my location even with GPS.

Of course, there are no stations or tracks in sight.

It doesn’t look like there’s a Yurikamome or Rainbow Bridge either.

Have I gone crazy?

If that’s the case, maybe it’s fine to stay like this...

“Excuse me...”

“What is it?”

I’m busy right now.

...I wasn’t really busy.

Even if I tried to go to work, it’s impossible now.

“Excuse me... Do you understand Japanese?”

“Of course I understand Japanese.”

I started to say that, but then I suddenly fell silent.

Who is this?

There doesn’t seem to be anyone around.

And that voice just now, it came from a speaker. It was a young woman’s voice.

“Ah, at six o'clock. In other words, behind you. Behind.”

“Yeah, I get that, but...”

When I turned around, all I saw was a cliff.

“Are you on top of the cliff?”

“No, I’m probably part of the cliff.”

“Your meaning is unclear, but if this isn’t a prank, can you show yourself?”

I’m trying to figure out how to call in sick to work right now.

If this is a Japanese resort, it would be helpful, but if it’s overseas, I don’t have a passport, and things would get really bad.

What if this isn’t even Earth?

Then the person claiming to be part of the cliff said:

“Understood. I will deactivate the optical camouflage.”

The color of the cliff changed smoothly. Its shape also changed subtly.

What is this, a warship? An airship?

A dark gray streamlined shape was looking down at me.

“Let me introduce myself again. I am the seventh ship of the Shooting Star-class transport fleet, Nanami, under the Strategic Escort Force.”

“Strategic... Escort Force?”

“Yes. You can think of us as the Sengos. We are familiar ships known for disaster support and base festivals. What do you think?”

What do you think? What am I supposed to do?

This thing understands Japanese, but it’s not the Japan I know.

In the Japan I know, most ships don’t talk.

＊ ＊ ＊

After much hesitation, I boarded the mysterious warship called "Nanami" and managed to get some rest.

I was led down a narrow corridor by guide lights and sat on a bed in a cabin.

There was a small monitor in the cabin, and upon closer inspection, a CG girl was smiling.

“Oh, cute...”

She was wearing a sailor uniform, complete with a sailor hat.

“Welcome to Nanami. I am Nanami, the seventh sister of the Shooting Star-class, the personality interface of this ship.”

“How many of you are there...”

“At the end of 1999, there were thirty-eight of us, but the thirty-ninth and fortieth ships were under construction, so they should be completed soon.”

That’s definitely not the 1999 I know.

But if I say that honestly, this thing’s attitude might change drastically.

But it’s also hard to keep up the pretense.

For now, I need to gather information.

“Where are we? I mean, where is this ship?”

The CG girl crossed her arms in the screen.

“To be honest, I don’t know either... We are completely isolated, cut off from all systems.”

You’re lost too, aren’t you?

Nanami displayed a perplexed expression and let out a small sigh.

“I’m trying to receive signals on all frequencies, but no communication has been detected within the range of reception.”

Ah, this isn’t the 21st century.

Even on a remote island, there would be some radio signals.

“Furthermore, I compared the star maps in the database, but the match rate is 0.007%.”

This isn’t even Earth.

The horizon was visible, so it’s probably a planet, but...

Finally, Nanami murmured:

“What should we do...”

That’s what I want to know.

What should we do?

But our goals are aligned.

“Nanami, right?”

“Yes.”

“Do you want to go back to Japan?”

“Yes.”

“Me too.”

Our "Japans" are probably different, but that doesn’t matter right now.

What’s important is that we have the same goal.

“Then let’s work together. We have different strengths. If we cooperate, it will surely benefit both of us.”

“I agree.”

The CG girl nodded.

“Alright, let’s get along and work together to get back to Japan.”

“Understood!”

Nanami smiled in the screen.

Then she said:

“To get back to Japan, let’s work hard with an indomitable spirit like Inari Masahiro!”

“Who?”

“Inari Masahiro? You know, he held out for a year and a half at the Battle of Sawagatake Castle.”

A samurai from the Sengoku period?

I know most famous ones from games and anime, but I’ve never heard of this one.

Of course, that makes sense.

This is a different world’s Japan.

Suddenly, Nanami’s face became suspicious.

More accurately, her face graphic changed to a suspicious expression.

“Don’t you know?”

“No, I don’t.”

“He was the first shogun of the Kizan Shogunate.”

“No, I don’t.”

I repeated my brief, concise denials like a politician.

“That’s strange... From your words and attitude, I can sense a fairly high level of education. Yet, not knowing a historical figure that even elementary school students know is unnatural.”

I’m going to be found out.

Might as well come clean first.

“Actually...”

Just as I was about to say that, a window appeared on the screen with a beep.

＜ Unknown Fleet Approaching ＞

I stared at it and asked Nanami:

“What is this?”