Return Chapter 1

Uta-Maru (Song Circle)
In the waters near Daikangen (Grand Music), Shimane Prefecture, Japan
9:35 PM (Japan Standard Time)

November 3rd, 2014

The crystal-clear sea water off the coast of Japan near the city of Daikangen shone with the radiant moonlight during the town’s monthly Shining Music Festival. This occasion involved musicians and singers from all over Japan and outside of the nation performing any sort of genre, with brightly-colored instruments and uniforms to create a lively show for the audiences within town since the end of the Sengoku (Warring States) Period. The centerpiece of this bustle was Hatsune Miku’s performance of The World is Mine upon the Uta-Maru, a cruise liner registered to the town used specifically for this sort of occasion. While on the mainland, Kaito and Meiko were performing Tsugai Kogarashi (A Pair of Wintry Winds) as the penultimate song at the Festival.

There on the ship, among several guests and fans standing at the railing along the Uta-Maru’s portside to take a break from the music to gaze upon the Sea of Japan from the top deck were that of the two English Vocaloid singers: Sweet Ann and Oliver. The two were talking about how Oliver’s father and Sweet Ann’s husband, Cody, would be coming to Japan to visit his family for four weeks. Accompanying them was Yukari Yuzuki, who among the Vocaloid singers was a lover of lavender. A fact made quite obvious by her lavender blouse, black-and-purple hoodie and lavender stockings along with her lavender hair to which the style resembled that of the ears of her favorite animal: Rabbits.

Yukari sighed happily at the sparkling sea, “I can’t help but wonder what your dad will think of the Sea of Japan’s beauty.” As she said this, she waved her right arm in a wave-like motion to mimic the waves of the water below. For Oliver, the sea was his sanctuary from the harshness of reality. To hear the roar of the surf, to hear seagulls crying and seeing whales and dolphins jumping out of the water were life’s greatest joys to him ever since they were introduced to him by his father. He replied to Yukari with, “I’m sure my papa would enamor the thought of seeing the Sea of Japan for himself.”


Aruto to Tenōru Kigo (Alto and Tenor Clef) Park, Daikangen
9:35PM (JST)

Meanwhile on the mainland, Kaito and Meiko’s concert was coming to the penultimate phase as they sang the last refrain of Tsugai Kogarashi. The duo was dressed in vibrant, traditional Japanese clothing to fit in with the occasion that originated from almost half a millennium ago with a fitting accompaniment of traditional Japanese music from the titular song itself.

“…Kawaita uta no tsugai-kogarashi (The pair of wintry winds race away with a barren song),” The duo conducted the last chorus as the tune reached its crescendo. As the composition ended, the crowds let out a thunderous applause for Kaito and Meiko. Then, the festival host, Ryo Wakahisa, came on the PA and announced, “And now, the concluding melody to this month’s concert – A cover of the romantic credits song, Omoide wa (Turning Our)…”

He was cut off in mid-sentence as all around the park, everything began to shake violently! The stage Kaito and Meiko were on was coming down – Starting with the stage profile lighting fixtures, which could make the entire thing go up in flames if the bulbs hit the stage apron. The crowd suddenly went from being a cheerful bunch into a terrified mob that ran off as the festival too was beginning to collapse. Kaito shouted as he and Meiko dove to the floor at the backstage, "Look out!" As he and his future fianceé looked up shortly after, they came to the realization that an obvious earthquake was in progress. Then he took his beloved Meiko by the hand as they stood up, “Come on! We’ve got to get out of here!” And they began a hasty retreat down the left side’s stairs before the stage could potentially catch fire.

As they left the stage, the vendors in the park began evacuating with all speed with whatever they could manage to retrieve from their stalls. And just as the two got off the stage, they heard the rattling of glass from the buildings surrounding the park and the sound of flames coming from the stage. Kaito sarcastically remarked, “It’s a good day for an earthquake!”


Back on the Uta-Maru, Miku’s band was wrapping up singing The World is Mine as the song reached its crescendo. The audience on the top deck’s ballroom let out a massive applause for the turquoise-haired celebrity. As they always knew that when it was Hatsune Miku that mattered, it would serve to please their tastes as a whole. It was now time for her group to perform Last Night, Good Night as their finale to the onboard concert. But then an announcement came on the PA, “To all guests onboard, this Ryo Wakahisa speaking. Hatsune Miku’s performance of Last Night, Good Night, has been postponed for tomorrow due to the earthquake on the mainland disrupting festival broadcasts. We apologize for this unfortunate cancellation.” Everyone onboard, including the band, was beginning to groan and lament at sound of the bad news.

“That’s too bad,” Yukari sighed after the announcement, “Last Night, Good Night was Miku’s idea of a great concert closer.”

Oliver nodded in response, “I know, Yukari, it’s a shame. I sang in English alongside Miku doing the Japanese lyrics at one time.” After which, Sweet Ann joined the conversation by saying, “I, too, share your sentiment, my little Oliver. But nothing always goes as planned, for Mother Nature is a fickle mistress.”

As she said those words, an ethereal sound emanated from the ocean below. Everyone present turned their attention to the sound, and Miku’s band left the stage to join Sweet Ann, Yukari and Oliver at the railing on the portside. At the same time, the guests were frozen in fear at what they heard at that very moment. It sounded like metal bending or the sound of an unknown marine mammal of sort. Speculation was abundant, but no one onboard the Uta-Maru could draw a plausible conclusion.

Then something caught Oliver’s eye on the sea. The darkness of night obscured some of the object, but the light reflected off the ocean revealed what looked like a sizeable kind of rock with spire-like objects on top of it. However, the rock was steadily moving towards the northwest, which was plain out of the ordinary. Oliver pointed in the direction of the objected, “Look, on the ocean over there!” Everyone around him looked at the object that was surfaced above the water in awe, with murmurs of worry and mass-guessing as to what it could possibly be. But then the “Rock” with its spires sank into the watery blanket, not to be seen again.

Miku, Luka, Rin and Len breathed a sigh of relief – Thankful that it wasn’t something that meant them any harm. While Yukari, Oliver and Sweet Ann were still wondering what this could possibly hold for the future of the town, and for themselves. On the other hand, the guests at the concert were now in huddles and heated debates over what just happened. Yukari asked Oliver and the others, “What on earth was that? It sure didn’t look natural.”

“I don’t know,” Miku added, “But why do I get the feeling that something bad is going to happen in the near-future?” Luka responded in a rather frank tone, “The earthquake on the mainland could be a sign… All of Japan may be in grave danger.”


As for Kaito and Meiko, they had been able to change into their winter clothes and retrieve their costumes prior to evacuating the park, in which the fire department immediately went to work on controlling the damage caused by the quake and fires. The brunette grasped her red scarf, and sighed, “What a day, so much for a good finale at the festival.” Kaito placed his hand behind Meiko’s Korean-made winter outerwear overcoat, and added, “Yeah, this also is going to take a toll not only the city’s coffers, but the overall experience on the Uta-Maru.”

Kaito looked up at the sky, and thought to himself, That’s the second time we experienced an earthquake since the summer… What could this mean? The questions which surfaced in his mind were valid to the situation at hand. Why did it have to be the second time it had to happen here in Daikangen? For the time being, though, it would only hinder the duo’s Christmas plans. Then Kaito sighed and told Meiko as they walked to his apartment, “Well Mei-chan, I guess we’ll go home now. I’m sorry everything turned out this way.” But Meiko assured him, “No, no. It was no one’s fault. We already know that our homeland is prone to even smaller-scale earthquakes like this one…”

And as for the partygoers and Miku’s band on the Uta-Maru, the noise they heard was more than just some giant instrument. What could have generated such a sound? Was it a rare species of giant whale? Or was it a usual kind of submersible vessel? And at the same time, what was that spire-like object that surfaced momentarily… Then sank into the sea just as quickly? One could never unlock answers to these mysteries so easily.