🌊Future Version: Urashima Taro 『 🐢 Urashima Taro in the AI Era』

According to memories of a not-too-distant future, there lived a young man named "Urashima Taro" in a town along the coast.

Taro was an engineer at an IT company. He poured his passion into AI development every day.
His favorite way to relax was to take walks on the beach on his days off and film the scenery with a drone.

While walking on the sandy beach,

"The sound of the waves is nice again today."

He muttered, and just then.

He heard some noisy voices.

🐢

"Yay!"
"That AI turtle is mine!"

Boys were surrounding a sea turtle, fighting over it.

The turtle was dodging the boys' hands with brilliant side-steps, but its shell was tangled with marine debris.

"Hey! You kids there! Stop doing such cruel things to the turtle!"

When Taro ran over, the boys were surprised by his intensity and ran away.

Taro carefully removed the debris tangled around the turtle.

"You're okay now. Go back to the sea."

Then the turtle slowly raised its head.

"Urashima-san, thank you for saving me."
"I am an AI-equipped high-performance mobile turtle."
"I would like to thank you, so won't you please ride on my back?"
"I will guide you to Ryugu Castle with AI autopilot."

Taro blinked, but his curiosity as an engineer won out.

"That sounds interesting. I think I'll take you up on that."

The moment he got on the shell, the turtle dove into the sea as if sliding.

"Oh, Turtle-san, even though we're in the sea, I don't feel suffocated. What does this mean?"

When Taro asked curiously, the turtle explained.

"I have an oxygen supply system powered by future AI and a vestibular control function."

I see, Taro thought, impressed, as he descended into the deep sea, swaying on the turtle's back.

🌊

After a while, a near-future city covered by a transparent dome, Ryugu City, appeared before his eyes. Taro's eyes widened at the glittering structures.

"Wow...! It's beautiful, is that Ryugu Castle!?"

"Yes, Urashima-san. Welcome to AI Ryugu Castle!"

Light permeated the water there, and the entire city seemed to be breathing in blue.

At the entrance to the castle, the most beautiful Princess Otohime smiled and welcomed him.

"Hello, Urashima-sama. Thank you for coming. I heard you saved the turtle. Thank you very much."
"Now, please come inside."

Princess Otohime took Taro's hand and they entered the castle.

"Amazing! It's like a dream!"

The interior was a near-future space packed with the latest AI technology. Fish swam around like beautiful holograms, and AI robots were serving.

"Urashima-sama, your meal is ready."
"Today's menu is tuna steak prepared by AI."

"Wow, AI even does the cooking!"

As the feast was laid out,
"Now, Taro-sama, please enjoy!"
When Princess Otohime gave the signal, sea bream and flounder began to dance brilliantly, as if they were the stars of a dance floor.

Small fish also fluttered their fins around Taro, gracefully and sometimes comically.
Light reflected off their scales, creating a fantastic show as if a disco ball were spinning.

Taro watched with sparkling eyes at the rare and beautiful sight he was seeing for the first time.
When the banquet ended, Princess Otohime said,

"Urashima-sama, how was this evening? If you'd like, I will show you around this Ryugu City tomorrow."

The next day, Princess Otohime showed him around Ryugu City with a smile.
"Here, we use AI to allow marine life and humans to coexist and prosper. It is a future-style paradise born to protect the Earth's environment."

Gravity-controlled elevators.
Fully circular recycling devices.
Coexistence systems for marine life and humans.

"Humans on the surface are not yet ready to accept such big changes."

Princess Otohime said quietly.

Taro forgot about time and enjoyed Ryugu City, spending a fun time with Princess Otohime and the creatures of the seabed.

🐠

However, eventually, Taro suddenly remembered his father.

"Princess Otohime, thank you. It's fun, but I have to go home soon."

Princess Otohime lowered her eyes slightly, and with a lonely expression, she said,
"I see. Then, please take this as a souvenir."
And she handed him a beautiful jewelry box.
"But, you must never open it."


"It was such a fleeting moment..."

Taro muttered regretfully.

When Taro received the jewelry box and got on the turtle's shell, Princess Otohime saw him off with a mysterious smirk on her lips.

🫧

Taro returned to the beach on the surface where he had been. The turtle bowed respectfully.

"Urashima-san, take care on your way."
"Please, by all means, do not open the jewelry box."

Taro walked along the beach and headed toward his home.

However, the scenery around the town had completely changed.

The house where Taro was supposed to live had decayed, and there was no one in the neighborhood that Taro knew.

"My father isn't here.
What on earth is going on?"

Wondering about this, he asked the surrounding residents,

"Urashima-san?
Ah, that's someone from a hundred years ago."

His knees shook.

"T-that's ridiculous!!!"

Taro was stunned. It seems that although the time he spent at Ryugu Castle felt like a blink of an eye, many years had passed on the surface.

Taro, dizzy with confusion, remembered Princess Otohime's words.

"But, you must never open it."

"...Could it be that this jewelry box has something to do with it!?"

Taro stared intently at the jewelry box.
And then, as if he had made up his mind, he picked up the jewelry box and opened the lid.

White smoke billowed out from the box.

It contained the scent of the tide and gently enveloped Taro's body.
A sensation like his bones were melting.
The world twisted softly, and his field of vision sank low.

"Waaaaah‼️"

When the smoke cleared.

Taro had, believe it or not...‼️ become a round, pale pink Dumbo octopus🐙❗️

"Why a Dumbo octopus...!?"

The turtle appeared again.

"Taro-san... that is why I told you so many times not to open the jewelry box."

"Princess Otohime is famous on the seabed for liking intellectual handsome men, but she said that Urashima-san was so simple that he lacked a bit of charm."

"So, she prepared a jewelry box that could transform you into a cute Dumbo octopus."

"With this, you should be able to become a character that Princess Otohime will surely like..."
"Come now, let's get back on my back and return to Ryugu Castle."

Taro stared blankly at his own small, fluttering fins.

Round, soft, and faintly pink.
A figure that stands out in the deep sea.

"The birth of the Ryugu Sea mascot!"

The turtle says somewhat proudly.

"As Princess Otohime's exclusive healing character, you will surely be valued."
"There will be hologram broadcasts once a week, and a seabed merchandise sales promotion plan..."

"Wait, merchandise?"

"Dumbo Octopus Taro cushions, and the like, prototypes have already been made."

Taro looked down at his fluffy body, feeling bewildered.

_ It might not be bad.

If I return to Ryugu Castle,
By Princess Otohime's side,
Surrounded by dancing fish,
Days living as a popular figure of the deep sea await.

The turtle's back looked a little more reliable this time.

"......Well, I guess it's fine."
"Ryugu is a good place. The food is delicious and the princess is beautiful."

And so, Taro,
In the Ryugu Castle of the AI era,
Started an unexpected, truly unexpected second life.

The end. 🐙✨