Hagakure Sakura Does Not Lament

Edited by LyraDhani

–He had a dream-a strange, strange dream.

In the dream, Tsugumi was about the size of a kindergartener and was dressed in a kind of white Japanese-style costume. He was silently sitting upright on a pedestal in the middle of a square room.

In the white-toned room, roaring torches surrounding the four sides of the room were burning. But strangely, he did not feel any heat.

In front of Tsugumi, various adults were bowing their heads as if in a state of prostration. They seemed to be saying something in their mouths, but he couldn’t quite understand what they were saying.

–What is going on here?

Just as he began to wonder, he heard a voice behind him. He quickly tried to turn around, but for some reason, his body wouldn’t move.

“Don’t worry.”

It was a voice like the ringing of a bell… but somehow nostalgic.

“Tsugumi, I will definitely save you.”

Saying this, the person behind him gently embraced Tsugumi. The arms were white like a corpse, but the petal-like bruises that littered their right hand were impressive.

“–Believe in your sister”

Their voice was so gentle that he couldn’t help but squint with comfort… And yet.

But you’re not a stranger・・・・・・are you?

–There, he woke up.

Tsugumi shook his drowsy, fuzzy head and looked at the clock. It was right before the alarm went off, and he felt like he had lost a little. Ah, it hadn’t been a good morning.

“…I have to go to school.”

◆ ◆ ◆

Fully awake, Tsugumi recalled yesterday’s events as he prepared to go to school.

The event of his birthday had gone off without a hitch, and on Sunday, the last day of the weekend, he went away and tried to figure out his skills and so on. There were a few things he learned.

The first was the operability of the [Thread]. He asked Bell to create a pseudo-barrier to check, and within the barrier, it was possible to manipulate the threads according to his will within a radius of about a hundred meters.

However, outside of the barrier, the operability was significantly reduced, and the string could only be manipulated properly at a distance of 10 meters. He didn’t think he’d be using his abilities outside of the barriers, so that shouldn’t be a problem.

The other main method of attack was cutting with the frictional force by moving the thread, but this had an extremely short range of 10 meters inside the barrier, and less than one meter outside the barrier.

…He wasn’t concerned about this, as he thought it could be extended with practice, but Bell seemed a little dissatisfied with it. He was going to work on that from now on, so he hoped she would forgive him.

And as for the second skill, Transportation, although there was a slight difference in the rate of power consumption between inside and outside the barrier, he couldn’t find anything that seemed to be a drawback. It’s even possible to transport to a place where one had never been, and the consumption of power was low. It’s the best skill, to put it mildly.

If he had to pick a drawback, it would be that this transport skill only allowed Tsugumi to move alone. To be precise, Tsugumi couldn’t move with other creatures. In other words, if he was with someone else, he couldn’t use transport.

It shouldn’t be a problem when fighting the Demonic Beasts, but if he ran away with someone in the event of a disaster, he couldn’t use this skill… Well, he didn’t care because such things rarely happened.

But from a different point of view, living things and non-living objects could move together. Depending on how he used it, the range of strategies might expand. It’s up to him to master it.

I’ll continue this discussion when I get back, he thought. I will be late if I don’t leave for school soon.

“Well, then, Bell-sama. I’m off to school now and I’ll start my activities as a Magical Girl after school, is that right?”

“Ah. In some cases, I’ll call during the day, but not frequently.”

“I see. That’s great for me, but what does Bell-sama do in her spare time?”

“Don’t assume that I am free. It’s rude. Hmm… It’s the same as before I met you. I’ll see other Magical Girls fighting in the barrier.”

“…Is it something possible to see? If so, wasn’t the last conversation quite awkward?”

That was a surprise to Tsugumi. There was a possibility that someone was watching him fight the other day.

He didn’t remember the details of the conversation, but he was beginning to worry a little. Then again, maybe he should have been more careful about what he said and did.

When Tsugumi asked that, Bell shook his head.

“It’s good to be careful, but basically no one can hear any other voice in the barrier because of the noise. Some may be able to read your lips, but that’s a very small percentage. It’s nothing to worry about. In the first place, I don’t think anyone would go out of their way to bother me.”

Bell sniffed, hmmm, as she said so.

The tour system itself was not so different from the silent movies that Tsugumi could watch. The only difference would be the sense of presence.

He was impressed by Bell’s confidence, but he wondered how much of it he could trust. It’s probably best to listen to her half-heartedly.

“In the first place, I found you when I was observing on a whim. –Most of the stray Magical Girls are found by other Gods in that way. The fact that you can blend in within the barrier means that you are that much closer to the world of ghosts. This means that you have enough aptitude to be a Magical Girl… Some are stupid enough to get caught up in it when they’re sick and dying, though.”

“I see. So that’s why barrier accidents are rarely publicized.”

He didn’t know how many people a year wandered into wards, but if that’s the reason, no wonder there were no reports of barrier accidents.

“Besides, just watching their fights is good for us”

“…Is it something good?”

“I know you don’t understand this, but we view Magical Girls’ battles as a ‘tribute’. Therefore, Gods who have not made a contract is saving their power by watching the battles. It’s like a recharging period.”

“Ah, I think I sort of get it.”

In other words, to a God like Bell, Magical Girls’ battles were like “kagura”. Fighting itself became a performance and a Shinto ritual. The Gods transformed their faith into power.

As Bell said, Magical Girls were originally a derivative of Miko, or shrine maidens, so perhaps it was only natural.

–And even so, well-done ・・・・・・・.

As they enjoyed and watched Magical Girls fight, they’d gradually want their own Magical Girl (Miko), and they would naturally help in the defense of this country.

Amaterasu, who thought up this system, must be very talented after all.

“Well, whatever. I’ll go for the time being. –See you later.”

◆ ◆ ◆ ◆

–When he arrived at school, his classmates all pointed crackers at him at the moment he took his seat.

Pang-pang-pang. A bursting sound echoed in his head at a close distance. It was just plain scary.

“Eh, what’s that? So scary.”

As Tsugumi looked around with a confused look on his face, one of his classmates came up to him with a smirk.

“Nanase, I heard you had a birthday the other day. You’re so snotty, you should have told me.”

“No, it’s not worth mentioning, is it? What the hell is going on?”

When Tsugumi said this with a dubious look on his face, one of his classmates – Akiyama -presented a paper bag with a sly face.

“This is a present from us. –It’s for Chidori-chan.”

“Oh, it’s not for me there.”

He was a little disappointed because he had uncharacteristically high expectations… But this turn of events made sense.

“Why do we have to give a present to a man? It’s natural to give preferential treatment to pretty girls. Besides, Chidori sometimes brings homemade sweets to the class. Don’t you think we should thank her once in a while?”

“She did that?”

Tsugumi had never heard of such a story before.

He knew that she often made pastries, but he had always assumed that she gave them out to the club members.

“Ah. ‘Take care of Tsugumi, okay?’ she said. Lucky for you, you have a kind sister.”

“…Just kill me.”

Tsugumi plopped down on his desk and held his head in his hands.

–What did Chidori think of him? He didn’t expect her to act like a mother worried about her son’s inability to make friends.

“Well, whatever. Just give it to me anyway.”

“What’s with that attitude? Why don’t we just give it to her ourselves? Unlike you, I’m sure she’d be happy with anything.”

When Tsugumi grudgingly said that, Akiyama shrugged his shoulders and spread his hands out, saying that he should do it himself.

“Idiot. If we all go together to meet her, it’ll be a little crowdy, isn’t it? Besides, if one of us gives it to her, the rest will be left out, you know. It’s best to have me, her brother, give it to her.

I have very mixed feelings about this. What’s this? Does everyone in our class look at Chidori that way? I’d like to reconsider my relationship with you guys for a minute…”

Frankly, he was a little taken back. Tsugumi knew that Chidori was cute, but he had no idea that his classmates thought of her this way.

He didn’t have a sister complex, but he’d like to not get involved in his sister’s love affair if possible.

“Don’t get me wrong. That’s not the case.-Chidori-chan is just like an idol.”

At Tsugumi’s words, Akiyama returned the denial in a dissatisfied tone. His classmates around him nodded in agreement.

…He wasn’t sure how that differ from romantic feelings, but he guessed there was a clear difference between Akiyama and the others.

‘Well, I don’t mind if you just give it to me separately… By the way, what’s inside?”

“A brand new scarf. I think we pay about 3,000 yen each.”

3,000 yen each. That meant at least 40,000 yen. The thought of it made Tsugumi’s face tighten. No matter how you think about it, it wasn’t the amount of gifts you get from a group of men you have little to no contact with.

“I hope you guys are fine with that… Don’t bother Chidori too much.”

It was an earnest and true intention. He hoped Chidori wouldn’t mind if he gave her this present since he accepted it for the time being. As he was pondering this, the door to the classroom opened with a rattle.

“Hey, you guys. Your voices are echoing all the way down the hallway. I am starting the lesson, so get your asses to your seats.”

“Why is Kisara-sensei here? Nagisa-chan… What’s wrong with Suzune-sensei?”

Akiyama asked Kisara, the male teacher who came in, more politely than usual.

However, when he looked at Akiyama with a glare, he frowned and slammed the book on the table. Apparently, he seemed to be in a bad mood.

“Suzune-sensei is suddenly ill and now resting in the infirmary. She’ll be available for a class after school, so don’t make the mistake of trying to go see her in the infirmary. Okay?”

The classmates all nodded silently at the threatening man.

This teacher, Kisara, had the position of student advisor, and if he was displeased with the students, he might give them suspensions. In fact, half of the students in this class had been suspended from school at least once. Well, they couldn’t complain because it was totally their fault.

“There’s nothing special to report, but–Nanase”

“Uh, yes.”

He suddenly heard his name called and quickly raised his face. Maybe he was going to get scolded for the uproar earlier. Cold sweat dripped down his face.

“Come to the student guidance office during lunch break. Don’t forget it.”

“Wait, Sensei. I am–“

He tried to explain, but Kisara quickly walked out of the classroom as if he hadn’t heard him. Tsugumi watched his back as he stretched out his right hand in dismay.

–Should I be angry? It has to be a lie, right?

As he remained motionless, Akiyama came up to him and gently tapped him on the shoulder.

“Well, cheer up!”

It was a refreshing smile, without a single cloud of doubt.

He smiled back at Akiyama and squeezed his right hand. In the first place, these guys were all bad.

“Akiyama, you – clench your teeth.”

With that, Tsugumi shook his right hand.

–After that, it’s just another page in a typical adolescent’s life. There is nothing to talk about in particular.

Even so, he thought.

-Is Suzune-sensei alright?