In 2033, an unusual tension hung over the shrine. The maidens sensed the otherwise tranquil boundary subtly trembling with an unknown vibration. This was not the presence of ordinary visitors. It was proof that the temporal maidens were making their way directly into this space. Although their spatial movement was restricted, their coming here meant that a matter of great urgency and importance had arisen.
Lua, Shizuku, Aki, Aoi, Miho, Akari, and even young Izumi and Mai—all the corporeal maidens gathered in the shrine’s main hall. The Great Maiden sat in her place with a serious and solemn expression, devoid of her usual gentle smile. Her eyes, deep and knowing, seemed to already foresee the impending situation.
A moment later, the shrine doors quietly opened, and two temporal maidens appeared. One was Kako, a maiden with wise eyes, and the other was an androgynous Temporal Guardian with mysterious eyes, as if holding all of time at once. Their appearance exuded a strange aura that seemed to distort the very flow of space and time.
The temporal maidens took their places in the center of the main hall. Their faces, stripped of their usual detachment, were etched with deep concern and urgency. The Temporal Guardian spoke first. Her voice was quiet, but its resonance seemed to vibrate throughout the entire shrine.
“Great Maiden, and corporeal maidens. We have come here in person to inform you… that an unavoidable period of great turmoil is imminent.”
Lua and the other maidens held their breath. The phrase ‘the period of great turmoil’ was a prophecy that had been mentioned several times by the Great Maiden and the Temporal Guardian. But this was the first direct warning.
Kako added, “From what we have observed, in approximately four and a half years, early in 2038, there are signs that the world’s fundamental balance will be severely shaken. This is not merely a regional disaster. It is an unprecedented threat… one where the material, temporal, and informational flows of the world could all be disrupted.”
The Temporal Guardian continued, her eyes growing distant as if directly witnessing the future catastrophe.
“The specific phenomena are not yet confirmed, but our precognition warns of massive spatial distortion, temporal chaos, and a severance of information. It will be the beginning of a cataclysm that could shatter the very natural order of the world.”
The Great Maiden listened intently to the temporal maidens in silence. An agony and determination deeper than any she had shown in any crisis in her long life flashed across her face. The corporeal maidens were also gripped by tension. Knowing better than anyone that their very existence was to protect the world’s balance, they felt a heavy responsibility in the face of the great threat to come.
The temporal maidens’ warning became a great wave that shook the quiet shrine, signaling the prelude to a fated battle.[9:1]
The warning from the temporal maidens about a ‘period of great turmoil in early 2038’ unsettled the entire shrine. A heavy silence in the main hall soon gave way to troubled murmurs. All the corporeal maidens gathered to discuss the precise nature of the impending crisis. The Great Maiden watched their debate in silence, waiting for their collective wisdom to find an answer.
The first to offer an opinion was Aki. As one who commanded electronic devices, she was deeply connected to the world’s digital systems.
“Great Maiden, and all maidens. From what I’ve gathered, the most likely problem that could occur in early 2038 is the ‘Unix time overflow’.”
Aki continued, explaining in terms the other maidens could easily grasp. “Nearly all computers and communication systems in the world use a method called Unix time. It counts the seconds from midnight on January 1, 1970, and stores it as a 32-bit integer. However, at 3:14:07 AM on January 19, 2038, this number will reach its limit and can no longer be incremented.”
She spoke with a serious expression. “Simply put, computer clocks could suddenly reset to a past date or freeze entirely, much like the Y2K scare. If that happens, all digital infrastructure—financial systems, traffic control, communication networks, power grids—could be paralyzed. Unimaginable chaos could erupt: planes could crash, banking could halt, hospital systems could shut down. Even with our abilities, restoring all these systems at once would be impossible.”
After Aki’s explanation, Miho presented her view. She was skilled at reading ancient knowledge and the flows of nature.
“While I deeply agree with Aki, I believe we cannot ignore other possibilities. Based on my analysis of ancient texts and natural signs, the year 2038 coincides with a period of peak solar activity. During this time, the probability of a powerful Coronal Mass Ejection, or CME, is extremely high.”
Miho continued, “When powerful electromagnetic waves and plasma from the sun collide with Earth’s atmosphere, they can cause massive power grid failures over wide areas. Not only would electricity be cut, but satellite communications, GPS, and countless electronic devices could malfunction and cease to operate. Modern society is entirely dependent on electricity, so this would be a catastrophe on par with the Unix time problem. People would be unable to pump water or refrigerate food, and the world would swiftly plunge into darkness and chaos.”
With two compelling scenarios presented, young Mai quietly raised her hand. She was the one who had observed the flow of time the longest.
“I… I think both of my seniors’ points are valid. But… perhaps it is a more fundamental change, a disruption of the world’s ‘natural order’ itself.”
Mai said in a small voice, “The temporal maidens mentioned ‘spatial distortion’ and a ‘severance of information.’ A Unix time bug or a solar flare, while disastrous, cannot distort ‘space’ itself, nor can they make the concept of ‘information’ disappear. This might be a kind of chaos where the very laws of the world begin to warp.”
Mai’s remark cast a new shadow of contemplation among the maidens. The Great Maiden quietly listened to their opinions. She seemed to already see through all these scenarios, and perhaps the truth that lay beyond them. The shadow of the impending threat grew darker.[9:2]
When the maidens’ intense discussion concluded, the Great Maiden looked around at them with a serene yet resolute gaze that captured everyone’s attention.
“All of your points have merit. Aki’s and Miho’s scenarios, in particular, are the most likely threats in the modern world.”
The Great Maiden turned her gaze to Mai. “Mai’s point is also correct. If the laws of the world themselves were to warp, that would shake the foundations of causality, and even we would have no way to prepare. However, that possibility is extremely slim. And even if it were to happen, it is beyond our power to prevent, so no special preparations would be required.”
The Great Maiden’s voice held unshakable conviction.
“However, the two threats presented by Aki and Miho—the Unix time overflow and power-and-device failures from solar flares—are different. Both are problems for which humanity theoretically possesses the solutions.”
She looked at each maiden, emphasizing her next words.
“Human ingenuity will eventually find the solutions, but the problem is time. If humanity’s technology and wisdom complete those solutions in 2040, or even later, they will not prevent the great turmoil of 2038. We have approximately four and a half years. Within this short time, we must work from behind the scenes to ensure humanity completes these countermeasures on its own.”
The maidens’ eyes wavered. The Great Maiden’s directive was not direct intervention, but a quiet ‘acceleration’ of the world’s progress.
“Our role is to protect the world’s balance. Directly violating causality through intervention is a taboo even for us. However, helping existing solutions to be completed on time is another matter. For example, if a solution to the Y2K38 problem exists but its application is delayed, we can subtly accelerate its progress. If technology to reinforce the power grid against solar flares exists, we can accelerate its development and application.”
The Great Maiden firmly commanded Lua and the other maidens.
“This is your new mission. Aki, you will use the world’s information networks to identify which of humanity’s technological solutions are delayed and analyze the reasons. Aoi, you will invisibly adjust the world’s material flows to ensure necessary resources are supplied to the right places. Miho, you must find clues to connect ancient wisdom with modern technology. And Lua, you will use your contacts in the outside world, such as reporter Sayuri, to sway public opinion or leak necessary information, guiding this entire process so it proceeds smoothly.”
The Great Maiden’s explanation provided the maidens with a clear direction. Not to step forward and stop the world’s destruction themselves, but to secretly help humanity solve its own problems. It was a role only they could fulfill: to minutely adjust the course of history with an invisible hand.
“Time is short. From now on, you must mobilize all of your abilities and begin preparations to prevent the great turmoil of 2038.”
The Great Maiden’s voice filled the main hall, and every maiden steeled her resolve for the mission to come.[9:3]
The stillness of the shrine seemed to permit no sound other than the occasional rustling of leaves, yet within it, an unprecedented academic fervor burned. The first six months after the Great Maiden’s command were a period of pure investigation and analysis, with the maidens refraining from direct action. They devoted all their energy to devising meticulous strategies to most efficiently carry out the ‘acceleration’ operation that would decide humanity’s fate: whom to inspire, which channels to use for influence, and how to allocate their limited resources.
The maidens were not numerous. As an elite few, they could not influence all of humanity at once. They had to focus on selecting key individuals with the greatest potential ripple effect and elevating their work. For the Y2K38 problem, legacy embedded devices were identified as the primary vulnerability. Miho tirelessly searched for relevant information within decades of accumulated knowledge, while Aki scoured global networks, meticulously analyzing why old devices resisted replacement, uncovering the hidden physical, economic, and psychological barriers. Ultimately, the maidens settled on a strategy to subtly create situations where replacing the old devices became unavoidable. This was a complex task that went beyond a simple technical fix; it required shaking humanity’s deep-seated inertia.
Meanwhile, the acceleration strategy for solar flare (CME) prediction technology took an even more unconventional turn. As Mirai perceived the flow of the future with her keen insight and Kako found patterns in historical records, they decided to employ the ingenious tool of ‘error.’ They would induce small, artificial ‘errors’—unrelated to actual scientific observation—to be simultaneously reflected in the prediction models of various research teams. It was akin to throwing several small stones at once to create a large wave. These unintended ‘errors’ would cause research teams with disparate approaches to all predict the same specific CME, forcing humanity to take the warning seriously and compelling the rapid verification and improvement of their prediction systems.
All the maidens mobilized their expertise, conducting countless reviews and discussions to refine the most sophisticated and impactful strategies. As Mai, who looked like a child but had lived for centuries, marveled, “In all my time at the shrine, I’ve never seen it so focused on scholarly pursuits!”[9:4]
The academic atmosphere deep within the mountain shrine now entered a new phase. When it was concluded that most of the ‘acceleration’ operation would take place overseas, the mission narrowed to three critical issues: infiltration, execution, and safe return. In addition to Lua, who was already familiar with the world’s physical flows from her time as a car, Mai, an experienced and small-statured senior maiden, joined as her new partner. The two began practicing their transformation into small, highly energy-efficient drones.
In a cramped space behind the shrine’s main building, parts for various small drones were scattered about. Lua examined the components with the familiarity of greeting an old friend. She paid special attention to the small battery, the heart of the drone, re-imprinting its complex internal structure and energy flow into her mind. The slightest difference in energy efficiency would decide the success of an intercontinental flight spanning thousands of kilometers. Her touch was precise and confident. Meanwhile, Mai watched with an awkward air. Though she had transformed into countless shapes over hundreds of years, this was her first time becoming a mode of transport. Every tiny wheel and wing was a new, strange sensation.
“This is the power source for flight, senior. The key is to efficiently control the charging and discharging,” Lua calmly explained, unfolding a battery’s circuit diagram. “When you change your body into this form, you have to be mindful of even the slightest air resistance. The angle of the fuselage and wings, and controlling the thrust, are all crucial.”
Mai nodded, listening intently. Lua demonstrated her drone form, giving her a crash course on aerial posture control, how to ride the wind, and how to fly the maximum distance on minimal energy. Instead of a reckless attempt to cross the Pacific directly, they planned to follow the routes of migratory birds, hopping between settlements—specifically, those near “reliable sources of power.” This method, though slower, allowed for timely refueling and opened a path to slip across the globe unnoticed. Based on current technology, a one-way trip was estimated to take less than a week, which they concluded was sufficient. The two maidens transformed, a low whirring sound filling the air as they flew around the shrine, their movements growing ever more fluid and silent. The mission was approaching.[9:5]
In the shrine’s basement, two small shadows hovered in the dimly lit training ground. One was a sleek, streamlined, silver-grey drone; the other, an endearing robot toy. The drone was Lua, and the toy was Izumi, specially prepared for deployment. A faintly glowing USB port was attached to Izumi’s back. This was their first drone mission, a test flight to set in motion the first part of their CME prediction acceleration strategy.
Lua was tasked with delivering Izumi to a research lab in Denver, Colorado. Crossing the Pacific was still a formidable journey even for a maiden’s body, so they followed pre-determined migratory bird routes, using islands and coastlines as stepping stones. When they flew low, skimming the water, the waves whispered below them; as they cut through the quiet night sky, starlight guided their path. They recharged under the eaves of a warehouse in a deserted fishing village and rested on a tree in a quiet city park to prepare for the next leg of their flight. The journey took nearly a week, but it was a necessary process to infiltrate the other side of the world in secret.
They reached the skies above Denver in the early morning, before the city had fully awakened. Hidden in the shadow of a skyscraper, Lua observed the target laboratory. Her precise sensors scanned the building’s internal structure, security systems, and the movement patterns of key personnel. Lua infiltrated through a small ventilation shaft at the back of the building and placed Izumi in a secluded spot inside the lab. She then concealed herself perfectly in a narrow crevice on the building’s exterior, holding her breath and waiting for the plan to unfold. She could feel her heart trembling like a tiny drone motor, but she focused only on the mission.
As soon as Lua was gone, Izumi quietly rolled on her small wheels, moving under the desk with the target computer. Her robotic eyes tracked the faint glow of the monitor. Following Aki’s guidance to the exact spot, Izumi deftly propped herself up and found the USB port. A flicker of movement, a soft click, and the USB was connected. It was time for Aki’s instructions to be transmitted through Izumi’s body. Though she had the form of a small robot, within her resided the soul of a maiden capable of manipulating data with extraordinary telepathic power.
Thousands of kilometers away in the shrine, Aki was receiving Izumi’s screen feed in real-time on a dedicated terminal. The goal was to subtly alter the input values of a specific CME prediction model, causing multiple research teams to independently arrive at the same false prediction. While Lua and Izumi knew basic data manipulation, the delicate modification of sensitive scientific data was Aki’s expertise.
Aki’s eyes scanned the data. An unexpected problem arose. The file format wasn’t a standard text or binary file, but an outdated Microsoft Excel spreadsheet. “Seriously… I can’t believe a format this old is still in use,” Aki muttered. Legacy Excel files had complex structures; a simple value change might not produce the intended result. Formatting, macros, or hidden cells could corrupt the entire file or leave traces of modification. A shadow of agony crossed Aki’s face. Time was short, and failure meant the entire operation was over.
Aki closed her eyes. Her mind reached for the deepest part of the shrine, the domain of the luminous maiden. “O luminous maiden…” She prayed earnestly. “Please help this small maiden not to lose her way in the darkness. Grant me the light of wisdom, that I may borrow Izumi’s hands to briefly control the flow of data. Please, lend me your strength, so that this first step to save humanity does not falter.”
As the prayer ended, Aki felt a powerful beam of light extend from her consciousness and connect all the way to Izumi. It was more than just a shared signal; it was a clear sign that she had been granted direct control. She could now move Izumi’s tiny body as if it were her own. Aki immediately focused, looking at the Excel file through Izumi’s vision. The complex cell structures and functions laid themselves bare before her.
Drawing on her vast knowledge and insight, Aki delved into the core of the data. With invisible, microscopic adjustments, she altered the values in specific cells and inserted minuscule error values into related functions. The changes were visually imperceptible, but when fed into the lab’s simulation model, they would trigger a subtle malfunction, distorting the predicted probability of a CME at a specific time. Her work was swift and precise.
Once the manipulation was complete, Aki quietly disconnected the USB. Izumi returned to her hiding spot. Back at the shrine, Aki let out a sigh of relief. The mission was a success. Despite the unexpected variable, the first pilot operation was perfectly executed. She instructed Izumi to return, and Lua prepared to quietly leave Denver with her partner, beginning the long journey home. The invisible campaign for the world’s balance had just begun.[9:6]
Several operations proceeded with astonishing smoothness. Lua and Aki’s first pilot mission provided a blueprint for success, and subsequent missions also flowed according to plan. Mai, despite her childlike appearance having spent the longest time at the shrine, perfectly adapted to her transformation and successfully completed her maiden flight. Her small, agile drone body was optimized for the most clandestine infiltrations, and the plan was now truly taking off.
Then one day, Mai was assigned a mission to take Izumi and Akari in their drone bodies to Sydney, Australia. Their destination was a solar flare research institute. It was a long journey across the vast Pacific, and it happened to be the great migration season for birds. Under the starlit night sky, adorned with countless stars, tens of thousands of migratory birds flapped their wings toward their destination. Normally, avoiding bird flocks would not be difficult with a maiden’s keen senses, but the immense size of the flock exceeded Mai’s expectations.
It was a sudden collision. A huge flock of birds swept over the drone’s flight path as if to engulf it. With a dull thud, Mai’s drone body shook violently. She barely regained her balance, but her attention immediately went to her back. It was to check if Akari and Izumi, who had transformed to be sensitive to even the slightest impacts, were safe. A telepathic message came from Izumi that she was fine, but Akari remained unresponsive.
“Akari!” Mai’s telepathy cut through the air. There was no reply. A chill ran down her spine. A fall? Had Akari been knocked off by the impact? Mai immediately lowered her altitude and began searching the vicinity. The problem was that Akari had transformed to be extremely small for the mission. Furthermore, having fallen from a considerable height, her landing spot would be within a vast area spanning tens of square kilometers. It was the middle of the night, local time, in the sparsely populated desert of Australia’s Northern Territory.
Mai desperately searched for Akari. Finding a small object in the darkness was nearly impossible, but fortunately, she confirmed that she could still connect with Akari through a faint telepathic link. Akari seemed to have landed safely but relayed that it was difficult to ascertain her location due to the lack of distinctive landmarks.
“Mai-nee, I fell somewhere around here! I can’t see anything. It’s just sand everywhere…” Akari’s voice was filled with panic.
Receiving Akari’s telepathy, Mai mentally drew the precise search patterns used in maritime search and rescue. Like searching for a castaway in a vast ocean, she began flying in a spiral or grid pattern so that she might come into Akari’s line of sight. However, Akari’s voice remained confused. “I still can’t see you, Mai-nee! There’s really nothing here!”
In the overwhelming darkness, surrounded by nothing but sand, Akari was overcome with confusion. But she soon took a deep breath and regained her composure. If there was nothing to rely on around her, then the sky was the only guide. She looked up at the night sky. The stars seemed to spill across the sky, unfolding before her like a grand map.
Akari employed her honed observational skills. She was familiar with the constellations that appeared differently in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres and was skilled at determining the positions of stars as they shifted with time. Ursa Major, Cassiopeia, the Southern Cross… ticking off each familiar constellation, Akari began to estimate her current latitude through their arrangement and altitude. It wasn’t perfectly accurate, but it was enough information to significantly narrow down the search area from tens of square kilometers to just a few.
“Mai-nee! I… I think I’m roughly near 24 degrees 7 minutes South latitude! A specific constellation is visible at this angle!” Confidence filled Akari’s voice.
Mai immediately adjusted her flight path based on the information Akari sent. Obtaining rough latitude information in the middle of a vast desert was an achievement beyond imagination. She now searched the much narrower area intensively, and within minutes, she detected Akari’s small body, faintly visible on the sand.
“Akari! I found you!” Mai’s telepathy rang with joy.
As soon as Akari saw Mai’s drone descending towards her, she felt a wave of relief and made a strong resolution: I won’t fall again! The moment Mai’s drone body touched the ground, Akari clung to it without hesitation. The way she struggled to hold on with her small, toy-like body was as adorable as a child.
Mai chuckled at Akari’s reaction. ‘I’m usually the one who looks the youngest, so my sisters always protect me. It’s strange to be in this position.’ she thought to herself. For Mai, who had always been considered the “youngest” for hundreds of years, this situation of having to protect and be responsible for someone was unfamiliar, yet it brought a strange sense of pride. Mai firmly secured Akari to her body and soared into the night sky towards Sydney again. This time, she flew much more carefully, and with a bit more reassurance.[9:7]
While manipulating research results to forcibly direct humanity’s gaze toward the future, another strategy was secretly being executed at the shrine. This was an operation to make users ‘voluntarily’ replace old embedded devices. After Miho and Chie reviewed extensive data and Kako analyzed past cases, devices that posed a risk of causing great turmoil if not upgraded were prioritized. The key was not simply to break these devices, but to make users experience enough inconvenience that they would have no choice but to opt for replacement themselves.
The methods were diverse and unconventional. The most basic approach involved the corporeal maidens directly approaching the site. For devices in relatively close proximity, a corporeal maiden familiar with the area would transform and quietly approach. For example, Akane transformed into small particles of light and infiltrated the display of an old factory control system. She subtly distorted the screen’s color palette or manipulated certain pixels to appear slightly misaligned. While not a complete malfunction to the naked eye, the screen’s text would appear twisted, or image colors would subtly shift into unpleasant combinations. The operation itself wasn’t critically flawed, but the method was designed to fatigue the operator’s eyes and create a vague sense of unease in their minds, ultimately leading to a replacement request. They penetrated devices like an invisible hand, planting small discomforts in humanity’s unsuspecting daily lives.
For long-distance operations spanning continents, Lua and Mai’s assistance was essential. Lua sometimes corrupted the navigation systems of fast-moving cars, causing them to get lost, and other times generated inexplicable noise on the control panels of old airport baggage sorting systems, reducing their operational efficiency. Mai transformed into an even smaller drone to infiltrate hard-to-reach enclosed spaces or the control units of high-rise building display boards. They meticulously avoided tampering with core functions, yet subtly guided users to think, ‘It’s really time to replace this.’ Old ATM machines with suddenly corrupted fonts or flashing, meaningless characters in the middle of the night, and industrial monitors whose screens inexplicably flipped upside down were all their handiwork.
In some cases, a sophisticated psychological operation involving document manipulation was employed instead of direct physical contact. Ritsu and Shiori infiltrated humanity’s complex administrative systems, secretly creating new documents or altering existing ones to accelerate the replacement schedule for specific devices, making it all appear like a minor system error. These were hidden within documents that seemed perfectly normal at first glance, such as internal corporate inspection plans or government procurement lists. These manipulated documents were perceived as unintended ‘administrative errors,’ causing the relevant devices to reach their replacement cycle much earlier than expected.
One of the most shocking yet effective methods was devised by Mai. She transformed into a small bird and carried out an operation to intentionally scatter droppings on old devices exposed to the elements, such as old traffic light control boxes or CCTV camera lenses installed throughout cities. Bird droppings are highly corrosive and can be fatal to electronic equipment. Of course, a maiden’s droppings were harmless to humans, but their effect on equipment was no different from that of an ordinary bird. Faced with blurry screens from the filth on the lenses or malfunctions from subtle corrosion inside control boxes, users gave up on the idea of repairing them and had no choice but to get new ones. Through these diverse and sometimes bizarre methods, humanity began to push its old systems into the past for its own convenience.[9:8]
The maidens of the mountain shrine were not the only ones to sense and respond to humanity’s crisis. In the outside world, there was one human ally who shared Lua’s secret: Sayuri, an exceptional journalist who led an investigative reporting team. She wasn’t aware of every subtle movement within the shrine, but she did know that Lua occasionally transformed into a car, and now a small drone, traveling across the globe. While the maidens planted seeds invisibly, Sayuri’s role was to cultivate the world so those seeds could sprout.
Sayuri played a significant role in the widespread media coverage that multinational research teams’ observations were converging on a solar flare (CME) being expected around 2037-2038, necessitating immediate preparation. As the subtle waves of data manipulated by Aki, Izumi, Mai, and Akari began to ripple through the academic community, Sayuri was on high alert. She personally met with various journalists worldwide, dedicating herself to processing complex scientific information into easily understandable language and disseminating it. It was thanks to her exceptional storytelling ability and command of the media that experts’ warnings were not buried as mere rumors but were imprinted on the public consciousness as an urgent agenda. As the sense of crisis penetrated humanity’s core, relevant corporations and government agencies reluctantly began to accelerate their development of countermeasures.
The intensive coverage of the Y2K38 problem was also the fruit of Sayuri and her investigative reporting team. While maidens like Miho and Shiori induced situations where old embedded devices had to be replaced, Sayuri’s team uncovered and publicized the potential dangers. In-depth reports continuously highlighted how old systems could lead to fatal consequences and what impact they could have on everything from individuals’ daily lives to national infrastructure. People who had been considering voluntary replacement due to inconvenience finally realized, through the media reports, that the problem was urgent and critical. This was more than just reporting; it was part of a grand movement to guide humanity to confront its problems and find solutions on its own.
One day, Sayuri was on an overseas business trip to South America. She had been wandering through remote areas for several days for an in-depth report on the destruction of the Amazon ecosystem. As she dragged her tired body to a small hut to catch her breath, a very small, sleek silver-grey drone descended with a low whir before her eyes. It was Lua, who had coincidentally spotted Sayuri on her way back from a mission. Lua’s drone body touched down on its small, foot-like landing gear and, surprisingly, began to write something on the ground.
Written in the dirt with a stick, one letter at a time, was the perfectly ordinary English phrase, ‘How are you?’. Seeing this, Sayuri momentarily wondered if she was dreaming. In a remote South American wilderness, a small drone that had flown a great distance was greeting her in English! Perhaps it was the casualness after a completed mission or the happiness of seeing a colleague after a long time. But the surreal humor of the situation left Sayuri frozen for a moment, staring at the drone with a look of utter bewilderment. Only a hollow laugh escaped her lips. Her life and Lua’s, bustling invisibly to maintain the world’s balance, were filled with such extraordinary, and sometimes absurd, moments.[9:9]
On the night of January 19, 2038, a strange sense of tension and anticipation permeated the main hall of the shrine. All the maidens, including the Great Maiden, gathered together and sat before Aki, who was placed in the center. Aki had transformed into a sleek, large flat-screen television, broadcasting the crucial special report that would determine humanity’s great turmoil of 2038. From the corporeal maidens—Miho, Mai, Lua, Izumi, and Akari—to the temporal maidens—Mirai, Kako, Shiori, Chie, and Ritsu—all watched the screen with bated breath. This was the moment when all their invisible efforts over the past four years would bear fruit.
Around midnight, the announcer on screen declared with a tense voice that the Unix time countdown had finally crossed the critical point. A heart-stopping silence ensued. A moment later, news flashes from all over the world began to fill the screen. In some regions, old systems reported minor errors, such as incorrect times displayed on billboards or bank ATMs freezing for a few minutes. However, the catastrophic disasters they had feared—power grid collapses, transportation system paralysis, financial system failures—did not occur anywhere.
“Success…” A small whisper was the first to break the silence, and soon it filled the main hall. The maidens all clutched their chests and let out deep sighs of relief. The past four years—the countless nights Aki and Izumi spent manipulating data; the vulnerabilities of old systems unearthed by Miho; the clandestine infiltrations across the globe by Mai and Lua; the administrative documents altered by Shiori and Chie; and the warnings disseminated to the public through Sayuri’s hands… It was a moment of confirmation that all their efforts had not been in vain.
“You all worked so hard,” Mirai said, her eyes welling up with tears. Chie clasped Miho’s hand and nodded. Mai beamed, patting Lua’s shoulder. Their faces were filled with fatigue, yet also an inexpressible sense of accomplishment and pride. Instead of revealing themselves to the world, they had faithfully played their role, quietly pushing from behind so that humanity could solve the problem on its own.
Just then, Aki’s television screen flickered briefly before displaying a new flash. It was news about the CME. A massive solar flare had indeed erupted early that morning, hurtling ferociously toward Earth. The maidens held their breath. They had been so focused on the Y2K38 problem that they hadn’t checked the CME’s final progress. However, the announcer’s calm voice that followed reassured them. “It was the most powerful solar flare observed in decades, but fortunately, it narrowly grazed Earth’s magnetic field, causing no significant damage. Analysts suggest that early predictions by research teams worldwide and their swift response helped minimize the impact.”
A complex emotion flashed across Aki’s face. She knew that her and Izumi’s manipulation had played a decisive role in that early prediction. It wasn’t that disaster hadn’t struck, but that humanity had been prepared, thus averting it. A deep sense of accomplishment bloomed on the faces of the maidens gathered in the main hall. The world might never know of their existence, but the fact that they could contribute, even a little, to humanity overcoming a crisis with its own strength was enough for them.
The Great Maiden quietly watched them. Her deep eyes held boundless trust and pride in her maidens. “You bought humanity the ‘time’ it needed, and you opened a ‘path’ for them to exercise their own wisdom. This is the role of the shrine, and this is your true power.” Her voice was warm, as if embracing the entire shrine. The maidens looked at each other and smiled. The night was deep, but in their hearts, a radiant sense of accomplishment for having protected the world’s peace lingered for a long time.[9:10]
After the successful mission to avert the great turmoil, a peaceful tranquility once again settled over the shrine. However, this tranquility was permeated with the deep fatigue left by four and a half years of arduous effort. It was a time when everyone yearned for rest, both for body and soul.
Just then, Kana, who had quietly taken on a supporting role, stepped before the maidens. “Maidens, you all worked so hard, didn’t you? I’ve prepared a small gift.” Her face showed both apology and a hint of anticipation. For the past four years, Kana, in her boiler form, had faithfully done her part by providing heating and hot water to the shrine. But a sense of guilt had always lingered in a corner of her heart, for she had been in such a safe and comfortable place compared to the other maidens who had risked danger across the world. So, she decided to offer them all some comfort herself.
Kana guided the maidens to a small valley behind the shrine. The once-cold, babbling stream was now mysteriously steaming. On one side of the valley was a modest open-air bath, seemingly carved out of rock. Gentle lanterns hung around the bath, and flower petals were scattered on the clear water. Kana had already transformed into a massive boiler, submerged deep within the stream. The intense heat emanating from her body had turned the cold creek into warm spring water.
“Thank you, Kana! Thank you so much!” Lua exclaimed in admiration. Mai’s eyes sparkled as she jumped into the water. Aki and Miho leaned their tired shoulders against each other, inhaling the warm steam. Mirai, Kako, Shiori, Chie, and Ritsu also submerged themselves in the water without hesitation. As the warm water enveloped them, they felt all the tension and fatigue accumulated over four and a half years melt away like snow.
“Ah, this is nice… This is truly heavenly,” Akari mumbled, stretching languidly. Izumi happily splashed in the water.
In the warm water, the maidens looked back on the past. Lua’s precarious first mission, Mai and Akari’s unpredictable stranding in the desert, and the fleeting moments of manipulating data and disrupting systems through countless sleepless nights. All those difficult moments seemed to transform into beautiful memories, like flower petals floating on the warm water. Perhaps it was because of Kana’s warm heart, but they felt their minds being purified as well as their bodies.
“This is all thanks to Kana. Doing something for us we didn’t even think of!” Miho said, laughing, as she sent a telepathic message to Kana, who was submerged in the water. The warm comfort emanating from Kana’s entire being was a deep solace for their hard work, and a new source of strength for the unknown future ahead. The long journey of four and a half years thus concluded peacefully, in a warm spring bath.[9:11]
The rest in the warm open-air bath washed away the journey of the past four and a half years, instilling new vitality in the maidens. Now, the quiet daily routine returned. The temporal maidens returned to their respective shrines, where their inherent roles lay, and the corporeal maidens once again permeated various parts of the shrine in their familiar forms. The serene sense of accomplishment from the success of the grand mission still lingered in their daily lives, but the weight of tension was gone.
Kana once again transformed into a gently steaming boiler, infusing the shrine buildings with warmth. The water heated by her body flowed into the kitchen, the bathrooms, and the teapots for brewing tea. In that warmth, the maidens shared simple meals and conversed over tea. Kana no longer felt apologetic. Everyone knew that the warmth she provided was the most fundamental form of support sustaining the maidens’ daily lives.
Miho still remained transformed into a massive bookshelf deep within the shrine’s library. Thousands of years of accumulated human knowledge and history were preserved intact within her wood-grained body. Occasionally, a curious Izumi would perch on a shelf to read ancient tomes, and Miho would quietly answer her questions, imparting knowledge. Records of solving complex problems from their recent past were also stored somewhere within her.
Aki no longer needed to transform into a television to analyze complex information. Sometimes she transformed into a small stone by the quiet shrine pond to calmly gaze at the ripples; other times she lay stretched out as a cat sculpture, basking in the warm sun on the veranda. Her keen senses for the world were still alive within her, but now she used them not for tension, but to savor the peaceful daily life.
Akane devoted herself to maintaining the shrine’s beauty. Sometimes she transformed into a small gem catching the sunlight, making the grain of the wooden floors even more lustrous; other times she became a delicate ornament, adding a subtle elegance to the space like the chime of a bell in the wind. Wherever her touch reached, the shrine became even more perfectly beautiful.
Lua occasionally transformed into a small car to leave the shrine boundary and sense changes in the world, but now her purpose was closer to a simple ‘stroll’ than a mission. Mai and Akari, transformed into small toys, played around the shrine grounds. Sometimes they explored the forest, and other times they splashed their feet in the stream with Izumi, playing pranks. Their small bodies were no longer filled with tension, but with innocent laughter. Watching Akari and Izumi play with the same carefree abandon she once had as the youngest, Mai finally felt as if she had found true rest.
Though there was a subtle emptiness in the space left by the departed temporal maidens, the corporeal maidens found peace in their own ways. Each returned to their familiar form to become a part of the shrine, or transformed into a tiny being to enjoy her freedom. The threat of great turmoil had vanished, and they felt the peace brought by their efforts throughout their bodies, waiting for the next era in the quiet embrace of the shrine.[9:12]
For the temporal maidens, the past four years had been a period marked by incessant observation, calculation, and inner tension. Unlike the corporeal maidens, they were not permitted to transform their bodies and carry out direct operations out in the world. Their ability lay in ‘time’ itself, which meant a restriction on physical movement. In the deepest domain of the shrine, they could only watch over humanity’s future by relying on their own abilities.
Their role was limited to observing the potential futures approaching humanity and informing the corporeal maidens of the probability of positive outcomes for the ‘specific choices’ they might take. Mirai, despite being the youngest maiden, saw farthest into the future, and Kako excelled at analyzing all records and patterns from the past to predict the results of current choices. Shiori subtly calculated the ripples that tiny changes in the present would create in the grand flow of the future, while Chie synthesized all this information to present the most optimal probabilistic paths. And Ritsu adjusted the flow of ‘time’ to be the most favorable for humanity amidst all those possibilities. If the corporeal maidens moved the world with invisible hands, the temporal maidens acted as the ‘eyes’ and ‘compass’ that showed the safest and most effective path for those movements.
However, their ability was to see ‘all possible futures,’ not ‘a single, determined future.’ Amidst the infinite possibilities interwoven with countless variables and humanity’s free will, even if the probability of avoiding disaster approached 99%, the remaining 1% of uncertainty always weighed heavily on them. On the night of January 19, 2038, as they sat with the corporeal maidens before the television that Aki had become, the temporal maidens were gripped by an excruciating tension, more so than anyone else. This was because they had seen all the positive possibilities, but at the same time, they had also seen the terrifying possibilities of disaster striking.
When it was confirmed that Unix time had crossed its critical point and the solar flare had narrowly grazed Earth, the heavy burden that had weighed on their shoulders finally lifted. Only then did a pure smile bloom on Mirai’s face, and Kako sighed deeply, nodding. Shiori released the tension that had been held taut for so long, and a palpable relief that the worst-case scenario had finally been ruled out was clear in the eyes of Chie and Ritsu. Only after confirming that all uncertainties threatening humanity’s future had disappeared could the temporal maidens return to their own domain deep within the shrine and quietly slip back into their daily routines. True peace had finally found them.[9:13]
Peaceful time once again flowed through the shrine. After successfully completing the grand mission, the Great Maiden, in her long-awaited leisure, finally opened the last volume of the shonen manga she had been unable to get to: Flame Swordsman Kaen. As she turned the final page of the grand narrative, a deep sense of satisfaction mixed with a touch of wistfulness crossed the Great Maiden’s face. Even for her, who had lived for hundreds of years, the passionate zeal and straightforward storytelling of a shonen manga were sometimes more interesting than the complex balance of the world.
Just then, a subtle ripple disturbed the small teacup on the table next to her. The shadow reflected in the tea was so small as to be almost invisible, yet it was none other than Lua, who had transformed her body onto the surface of the water in the cup. Lua knew well how much the Great Maiden cherished Flame Swordsman Kaen. As if waiting for the very moment the Great Maiden turned the final page, she carefully sent a telepathic message.
“Great Maiden, you’ve finally finished Flame Swordsman Kaen.”
The Great Maiden smiled and nodded. “Yes, Lua. I’ve been so engrossed in the affairs of the world that I couldn’t finish it, but now I feel a sense of closure. Kaen’s final flame is always magnificent.” Her voice conveyed her affection for the work.
“I thought you might be looking for a new series, so I would like to recommend one.” Lua’s telepathic voice was imbued with confidence. She was skilled at collecting all sorts of information from the world and had an excellent eye for humanity’s cultural content.
“Oh? You have one? What is it?” A spark of interest lit up the Great Maiden’s eyes.
“It’s a recently popular manga called Aether, Wanderer of the Sky. Its passion for swordsmanship and growth is on par with Flame Swordsman Kaen, and its elements of camaraderie with companions and the adventure of exploring unknown worlds are truly outstanding. The art style is also exquisite, and most importantly, it’s not yet finished, which makes the future of the story even more exciting.”
The Great Maiden let out a small laugh at Lua’s explanation. “Not yet finished, you say… I suppose I’ll have to endure another wait. But if you recommend it that highly, I’m sure it’s entertaining.” The Great Maiden reached out and gently touched a dry leaf on the table. It looked as if it had just emerged from the water in the teacup where Lua had briefly transformed. “Very well, Lua. As you say, I must find and read Aether, Wanderer of the Sky.”
Lua, seemingly pleased with the Great Maiden’s acceptance, expressed her joy by creating small ripples in the teacup. Though they were maidens who had saved humanity from a great crisis, their daily lives were always filled with such small joys and consideration for one another.[9:14]