Between Yoji Itami and Lelei La Lalena and Rory Mercury and Tuka Luna Marceau and Emperor Molt Sol Augustus as siblings.
The air was thick with the scent of pine and the dull roar of the bustling Ginza district in the background. First Lieutenant Yoji Itami, an off-duty Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF) officer, was leisurely browsing through the latest fantasy book selections at a street vendor. Little did he know his life, already turned on its head by the Gate, was about to be upended once more.
Crowds of people weaved through Tokyo's streets, their lives uninterrupted by the past conflict with the Special Region. The Gate, a portal connecting two worlds, had become a fixture of reality, and the JSDF had forged an uneasy peace with the Empire on the other side. Yoji, despite his otaku distractions, remained a key figure in the delicate balance between the two realms.
Suddenly, the earth trembled beneath their feet. People stumbled, catches their balance as the tremor passed as quickly as it had arrived. From the direction of the Gate, which stood in the nearby park cordoned off by military personnel, an unexplained surge of blue light spiraled into the sky, casting an ethereal glow over the area.
"Not again..." Yoji muttered to himself, sighing and tucking his book under his arm as he began to sprint towards the commotion. His comrades, already alerted by the occurrence, were gearing up to investigate.
Within the light's radiance, a second gate shimmered into existence—a near mirror of the first, yet distinct in its own right. Whispers of ancestors and tales untold echoed from its depths.
"Itami, what's going on?" Sergeant Major Kuwahara shouted, approaching him with a mixture of concern and confusion written all over his face.
"No idea, but we'll find out," Yoji responded, drawing closer to the phenomenon. They watched as the light dimmed, revealing figures stepping through the newly formed gate—figures remarkably similar to those they knew from the Special Region.
Among them was a regal young woman, her hair recalling the deep blue night, bearing a striking resemblance to Lelei La Lalena, mage and scholar of the Special Region. Beside her, a fierce warrior with crimson eyes and a mannerism akin to Rory Mercury, apostle of Emroy, the god of war. And lastly, a girl with silver hair and elfin ears, reminiscent of Tuka Luna Marceau, the elf who had found kinship with the JSDF.
As Yoji and his companions faced these arrivals, an inexplicable sense of recognition sparked between them—a connection deeper than alliances forged by treaties or battles fought side-by-side.
"Brothers and sisters of our world," announced a voice that rang with authority, and Emperor Molt Sol Augustus of the Special Region stepped forth from the crowd. "Legend spoke of a divided kinship, children of the Gate who were scattered between worlds. Today marks the day of reclamation, where lost siblings reunite under the light of their true heritage."
The statement hung heavy in the air, as those from Japan and the arrivals from the gate scrutinized one another, seeking the truth in their own hearts where blood called to blood.
Yoji turned towards the Lelei look-alike and found himself caught in a gaze that felt hauntingly familiar—a mirror reflecting his own soul back at him.
Lelei, Rory, and Tuka, having quickly arrived at the scene, stood by his side, equally affected by the presence of their counterparts. The fabric of their reality was being rewoven in front of their eyes, and they found themselves navigating this expanded notion of family, on a battlefield that extended beyond any they had ever known.
Amidst the revelations and reunions, a shadow loomed. Unknown to the crowd, a coterie of individuals observed from a distance, their intentions hidden but their interest in the gates blatantly obvious. The stage was set for the true conflict to begin—not just a clash of empires or ideologies, but a battle for the very essence that connected these once divided siblings.