REIWA JIGOKUHEN - Chaotic Disturbance of Reiwa Era

Chapter 98 - Ever-Changing Landscape

Hino City, Tokyo: near Hirayamajōshi-kōen Station

"I'm home, Chori."

When Honoka opened the door, Chori the Russian Blue cat was waiting at the entrance.

He immediately jumped on her shoulder and purred. The world has been turned upside down, wars have started, and many things have become scarce, but Chori doesn't care. It was cool outside this year, but it was still a bit hot and humid. Soon, however, Chori sensed something was wrong. He saw a stranger in the corner of his eye.

"Chori, we have a visitor."

"Oh, so this is Chori-kun."

Another person—a man—at the entranceway. Honoka's new boyfriend, Hideo Ishida, a.k.a. Hide-kun, a young engineer at a nearby auto plant, smiled at him. Having met at a cat café, he is no stranger to cats. Chori seems to immediately let his guard down and jumped up from cuddling Honoka toward Hideo.

"Ah, is it alright?"

"He's a very energetic cat. Anyway, I'm sorry to bother you."

"I'm going to make a pot of tea, so you can play with Chori in the living room."

With that, Honoka headed to the kitchen to check the stockpile. She wanted to make coffee, but they were still running out of stock. Rationing was almost nonexistent. She heard that imports from Southeast Asia have resumed, but the priority was given to the SDF, Auxiliary Corps, and other related business, and they seldom make it to homes. Well, it can't be helped. Honoka took out an old tea bag and started boiling water in an electric kettle.

"Sorry, can I turn on the TV for a minute?" Hideo suddenly asked. "My former teacher in the lab is making an emergency appearance on the TV."

"That's great. Sure thing."

"Thanks."

Hideo quickly pressed the button on the remote to display a video-sharing website on the screen. A difficult discussion was being streamed. Honoka, however, brewed a pot of tea, made iced tea, and carried it on a tray. A long-winded title danced on the screen: "Urgent Statement on the Protection and Utilization of Intellectual Resources in a Post-Time-Space Cataclysm World."

"What's all that complicated talk?"

Honoka smiled at Hideo, who was seriously watching the live broadcast as soon as she came up to him.

Still, there were a few things she could understand from the words of these scholars, who seemed to be of considerable eminence. The world today is fundamentally unstable, and that will not change even after the war is over. That may well be true.

"What's going to happen now, Chori?" Honoka asked her beloved cat, who was no longer being cared for by the newcomer.

Naturally, the only response she got was...

'Meow.'

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Oahu: Waikiki Beach

Beautiful sunset and vermillion-colored sandy beach. Although barbed wire was left in some places, it was a truly beautiful scene.

In the midst of all this, a foreign object was blatantly mixed in. Spread out on a mat in the shade of a palm tree, with his bald head shining, was Colonel Tsuji, who was instrumental in the conquest of Oahu. The war was still going on, but the SDF was in charge of North America, and the 2nd Mobile Brigade under his command had been ordered to take a rest. To put it simply, they were idle because they have nothing to do. In addition, upon looking at the cover of the book he was flipping through, one can see the most unusual scene in both of his eyes.