Hagakure Sakura Does Not Lament
chapter-56

The Role of Rikka

Translated by LyraDhani

Edited by LyraDhani

–A grand party was being held in the event hall of a luxury hotel located next to the government.

Politicians, bureaucrats, intellectuals, and people of distinguished service in various fields were all gathered at the party hall. Among them, there were also some well-dressed Magical Girls.

A banner on the stage read “The 20th Rikka Inauguration Commemoration” in large letters.

Anyone could see from this banner that the Rikka organization was established 20 years ago. -But why did the government bother to create such an organization?

There was a profound reason.

Twenty-two years ago, Japan had recovered from the destruction caused by Demonic Beasts and was about to enter a golden age where everything was in full swing. It was during this time that a major incident occurred that still became a relevant topic today.

–The first Magical Girl, Sakura Akane, was killed in the line of duty.

Sakura Akane was killed when she was confronted by an A-class Demonic Beast. For eight years she had been at the forefront of fighting Demonic Beasts and had been the hope of the Japanese people, but her death had been too great of an impact.

People mourned, and girls of her age gradually began to avoid becoming Magical Girls. –Even Sakura Akane had died, so there was no way that anyone else would be able to do it. At that time, there was an atmosphere of resignation throughout the country.

The government took this situation very seriously, and two years after Sakura Akane’s death, six Magical Girls were selected. These six were named “Rikka” and were given the same authority as that given to Sakura Akane.

The name “Rikka” had the meaning of “one who exceeds the five petals of the cherry blossom,” which was the image of Sakura Akane. In order to fill the hole in the hearts of the people who had lost Sakura Akane, the government decided to advertise the talented Magical Girls in a big way.

The plan worked, and now, twenty years later, “Rikka” was functioning as a spiritual pillar for the people. In the course of time, the system had shifted to national voting that took popularity into account, rather than selection based solely on merit, but the essence of the system remained the same.

–But the government had one regret.

…Sakura Akane was the only one performing the role that “Rikka” was doing. How much of the heavy responsibility was on her shoulders alone?

From morning till night, she never had a moment to rest, and when she went outside, she was expected to appear as a noble Magical Girl. Her way of life was so devoted and reassuring. –No, perhaps everything in the country had forced her to live a harsh life.

She pushed herself to a reckless degree, and her mind and body were worn out. An unacknowledged frustration caught up with her. The last A-class Demonic Beast she fought was at a level where she would normally have been able to defeat it with no problem.

-The rare hero was crushed by people’s expectations.

It was a constant reminder of the government’s sinfulness for what they had done. –This country was founded on the sacrifice of “Sakura Akane”.

They must never again create such a pathetic victim like Sakura Akane.

That was the government’s – and even Amaterasu’s – intention. It was also the reason why there were some restrictions placed on Magical Girls belonging to the government.

There were speculations that the Rikka could have followed in the footsteps of Sakura Akane if they made a mistake, but fortunately, their fears were unfounded.

During the past 20 years, the existence of Magical Girls had shifted from military personnel to idol-like figures, and excessive worship had gradually disappeared.

Magical Girls were still forced to fight harsh battles. However, it was possible to create an environment in which the world would not blame them if they left the Magical Girl world of their own free will.

Only those girls who were prepared to fight through would remain, and those who were brokenhearted could return to the safety of their daily lives. It might seem distorted, but this was the only measure the government could take.

–But that peace was now being shattered by the presence of “Irregulars”.

The “Yata no Kagami” was useless in detecting and predicting Demonic Beasts in the event of irregularities such as time gaps in appearance, changes in population numbers, and barrier accidents. In times of emergency, the only thing that could be relied on was the absolute power of Rikka.

Just like the case in the past with Sakura Akane, a situation was beginning to arise that demanded the presence of a “hero”.

The most dangerous accident was when an A-class Demonic Beast appeared in Hakone. At the time, it looked like it would be a disaster of unprecedented scale, but with the cooperation of a stray Magical Girl, the situation was saved.

There was a movement among some people to regard the stray Magical Girl, Hagakure Sakura, as a hero, but at present, there wasn’t that much fuss about her. The government was grateful for the increase of powerful Magical Girls, even if they were strays.

The government had been working behind the scenes to deal with Irregularities, and in response to the recent barrier accident, they had decided to move up their plans.

Extension of Rikka’s framework – the inauguration of the “Jukka”. If the emergency bill was passed, it would be possible to start activities by the end of March. There might be some public outcry, but they could not withdraw the plan.

–Everything was to protect the country.

◆◆◆

There were two women at the party venue. One was a woman with long burgundy hair and a bewitching air. The other was a petite, fragile girl with white hair. They were discreetly conversing by the wall, but the people around them were constantly looking at the two of them.

It wasn’t surprising that they became the center of attention. They were the two stars of today’s event, the first and second in the ranking of Rikka: Toono Sumire and Yukino Shizuku.

Toono smiled at Yukino as she elegantly sipped the wine in her hand.

“I look forward to working with you again over the next year. Shizuku-san is so diligent and talented, how reliable.”

“Reliable? I’m sure you meant someone you can easily push more work to, right? Do you know how many times I’ve been called in on my days off because you don’t work?”

Toono’s cheerful words were cut short by an exasperated Yukino. Contrary to her fragile appearance, her boyish words seemed a little unbalanced.

Yukino glared up at Tono and clicked her tongue.

–Rikka’s second rank. A-class subjugation shortest record holder. A girl of ice who continued her salty attitude towards her fans and the media. Yukino Shizuku had a variety of aliases.

However, the actual situation was vague, and no detailed personal information was available. This was probably due to her own wishes and the fact that she used to be a stray Magical Girl.

On the other hand, Toono, who was glared at, opened her mouth with a smile.

“Do you really care about that? But even Shizuku-san knows that I can’t go outside while I’m working at the shrine, right? I don’t think I am that bad.”

Toono was not only a Magical Girl, but also a Miko of a shrine dedicated to Amaterasu.

She had been working as a Miko at the government-run shrine since she was a child, and had been hailed as “the most beautiful girl of all time” even before her age reached double-digit.

She was famous for her beauty, and was well-liked by the older generation who respect Miko. And because of her aptitude as a Magical Girl as well as her beautiful growth, she was still extremely popular. It was no surprise that she was ranked number one in the popularity polls.

Hearing Toono’s response, Yukino let out a big sigh.

…It was only natural that she couldn’t move during the festivities. But it happened too often. Yukino thought that Toono was most likely skipping work using a festival as an excuse.

–Toono did her job well when the occasion called for it, but she was too lazy at other times. The same could be said for Hyuga Aoi, who rose to fifth place this time, but she was a good person who tried to make up for it.

“But there’s a limit. I have my reasons. I accepted to work as Rikka because of the contract God’s intention, but originally I’d like to quit being a Magical Girl as soon as possible. You know my situation, don’t you?”

When Yukino complained, Toono tilted her head lightly and smiled with narrowed eyes.

“I think you should enjoy it more now that you’ve been chosen. There are only a handful of talented kids who can become the prestigious Rikka.”

“I’m not interested in a trophy that has nothing but that kind of nuisance. …Well, it would have been easier if the others have been more serious.”

Yukino then dropped his shoulders.

–In the first place, there was no sense of cooperation among “Rikka”. The main reason was probably that they didn’t work as a team, to begin with, but the members were too individualistic.

Toono’s motivation was uneven, Mibu and Suzushiro were natural and their behavior was unreadable. Hyuga was ambitious and Yukino didn’t want to work in the first place. …The only Rikka with a decent personality was Hitsugi.

“I heard that Rikka is also going to expand their framework and increase the number of people who can move, but I guess it will still take some time. Seriously, is this the right time to relax?”

When Yukino said this in disgust, Toono chuckled.

“The government has its own circumstances, so don’t blame them so much. –By the way, did you know, Shizuku-san? I heard that Yurie-san and Ran-san exchanged contact information with that boy.”

At these words, Yukino’s shoulders lifted.

That boy. The boy was able to enter the barrier – in other words, he was most likely a “male” who had the aptitude to be a Magical Girl. Even Yukino was somewhat concerned about this.

–But it was annoying that Toono pointed this out.　

Yukino shook her head, looking away to make sure Toono wouldn’t notice.

“…I don’t care.”

“It’s concerning. –But I don’t think there are any boys who are suitable.”

Tono said this with a look that seemed to see right through her.

“Even so, it’s none of your business.”

“Is that so? Then it’s fine. But please take a look at the report on the barrier accident just in case. I’ve emailed you the documents, so check them later.”

Toono said so, drank the wine in her hand, and left the place.

…Maybe the reason she took the trouble to come to Yukino’s place and talk to her at length was in order to inform her of this information.

Yukino, who had become bored, leaned against the wall with a pout and pulled out her cell phone to open the file attached to the e-mail. She skimmed through the first few pages and found a description with the names of those involved in the barrier accident.

“Nanase Tsugumi? …I feel like I’ve heard it somewhere.”

Muttering this in a small voice, Yukino put her hand to her mouth as if in thought. Then, after a while, she remembered something, and her eyes widened with a start.

“It’s most likely the student that Nagisa was so excited to talk about before. …Well, maybe it’s at least worth a try.”

Saying this, Yukino laughed sarcastically. No one heard her mutterings.

–The various thoughts are mixed up, and eventually, the causes and effects converge. No one knows yet how the threads that are being strung together will be connected.