Hagakure Sakura Does Not Lament

Chapter 107

Non-negotiable Thoughts

Translated by LyraDhani

Edited by LyraDhani

Inside a large shipping container in a certain warehouse district, Chidori was desperately trying to wake up her fading consciousness.

–The time went back to a while ago. After telling Tsugumi, Chidori went to the washroom and encountered a suspicious person in the women’s restroom.

“What in the world are you doing…!”

When Chidori raised her voice, the suspicious person was in the process of pushing a middle-school-aged girl into a large cart. The girl was limp and did not appear to be conscious.

-At this time, Chidori had two options. One was to hurry back and call for help. The other was to subdue the suspicious person herself.

Chidori in the past–if it was Chidori before she became a Magical Girl, she would have chosen the former without hesitation. Chidori knew that it was dangerous for an ordinary girl like her to face a suspicious person, no matter how much of an expert she was in kendo.

However, this time, Chidori was lost. –She wondered whether it was okay for a Magical Girl to run away.

Looking back, that was probably a mistake. Seeing Chidori’s hesitation, the suspicious person closed the distance in an instant and unleashed a palm strike on Chidori that shook her brain.

She didn’t remember much after that. She remembered hitting her head on the floor as if she had fallen down, but what happened to her after that was completely lost.

Probably, Chidori was taken by the suspicious person – the kidnapper – along with the limp junior high school girl and was locked in this warehouse.

–Where did that girl go?

Thinking this, Chidori looked around, shivering. Since her hands and feet were bound, she could not move very much, but she could move her head.

A few meters away from her, she saw the girl she had seen in the restroom, lying on the floor in the same way as Chidori. The girl’s chest was rising and falling, albeit slowly, and for the time being she didn’t seem to be in a danger.

Chidori exhaled in relief and moaned at the pain in her forehead, which began to throb and ache. She had not noticed it until a few minutes ago, but she had apparently suffered an injury to her forehead. She probably got it when she fell down. Gauze seemed to have been applied to the wound, but at this rate, she could not expect a satisfactory treatment.

–She wondered where this place was. She could smell the sea, but it was hard to tell because the inside of the container reeked of iron.

It would be best if she could somehow get out of the restraints and escape with the other girl, but in the current conditions that would be difficult.

She didn’t know why, but she couldn’t think clearly. Delicate power control was required to open the door for movement. In such an unstable state, she would not be able to use her power as a Magical Girl.

–If she had practiced fighting harder, she would have been able to save that girl.

If Chidori had been stronger, if she had been able to respond properly in the first place, she would have been able to save that girl.

Thinking so, Chidori bit her teeth. Although she had obtained the power that everyone longed for, she was unable to make the most of it. The members of the Transportation Management Department encouraged Chidori to slowly build up her power, but they probably didn’t expect that she would soon find herself in this situation.

–Even though she had become a Magical Girl, she was still useless.

As Chidori was sinking into self-loathing, the door to the container suddenly opened.

With a flurry of footsteps, several people enter the container.

“Are they awake? Or are they still sleeping? –Well, it doesn’t matter. They don’t have a choice.”

One of them–a slender, tall woman–said in an inorganic voice.

Dressed in a black pantsuit, the woman – a foreign woman with silvery-white hair – carried the cargo into the container while giving crisp instructions to the people around her.

…She wondered if they were agents or something. Even within the government, there were rumors that such an organization had been working under the radar recently. Although she did not expect to be harmed so close to home, it might be a blessing in disguise that Chidori was not discovered to be a Magical Girl.

The woman in the black suit crouched down in front of Chidori, who was pretending to be asleep and began to speak with a foreign intonation.

“It’s a disaster for her, too. If only she hadn’t come into the restroom at that time, she wouldn’t have had to go through all this. –It was so sudden that I couldn’t take it easy on her, but is her head okay? I’d hate to see her die before she can be transported to our home country.”

“It’s okay. There is a doctor on board the ship anchored offshore. –Besides, even if it turns into a dead body in the worst case, we can still use it. You see, researchers are pulling their hands and waiting for the body to be donated.”

“Haha, that’s scary. …I hope that will make up for the loss of your precious caster.”

“Well, I’m sure they’ll be pretty pissed off. As far as I was concerned, she was a good-for-nothing old woman, but her power was real. –I don’t know how to report her death.”

Chidori’s body tensed up at the horrifying conversation going on above her head.

–The transportation to the home country. A body donation. It was dimly apparent that these kidnappers were trying to send Chidori and the others to a foreign country.

…But now, even if she resisted, she didn’t think she could win. As evidenced by the incident at the movie theater, they were better at martial arts than Chidori. If she moved too hastily, she wouldn’t just be restrained this time.

She had to find the right moment and somehow open the transportation gate, and escape with the girl when these kidnappers were caught off guard. She had to accomplish this before they went out of the barrier.

If they left Amaterasu’s barrier, her power as a Magical Girl would be reduced by half. Then there would be no way for Chidori and the others to escape safely.

Despite thinking so strongly, Chidori’s consciousness was already at its limit. The damage from the blow to the head and the sleeping pills injected before being carried to the container were taking away Chidori’s consciousness. The kidnappers continued to talk without paying attention to Chidori.

“Nevertheless, God, huh. I can’t believe I have to rely on such a shady thing. …Even if it’s for the sake of the country, it’s depressing.”

“Don’t complain so much. No matter how much we prayed to God, our situation did not improve. Then we should use them, even if they are demons. –That’s why I infiltrated this ridiculous country as the first diplomat.”

It took a lot of effort to get through to the government bureaucrats, the silver-haired woman said with a laugh.

“Haha, everyone is weak against pretty women, it’s the same everywhere.”

“Hmmm, stirring the pot won’t get you anywhere. But I’m done playing nice. If we can find out more about these girls – the ones with Magical Girl aptitude, we should be able to advance our research on the Magical Girl mechanism. Besides, they can be used simply as hostages. In exchange for them, we can ask them to take care of the Demonic Beasts that have appeared in our country. –Now, let’s get out to sea quickly before this place is noticed. We have a limited amount of time.”

Saying so, the kidnappers were steadily making preparations. Inside the container, a variety of cargo was being carried in, perhaps for camouflage. Then, among them, a large box was brought in.

The silver-haired woman opened the iron box at once and approached Chidori with a small nod. Then she slowly picked up Chidori and tried to put her down into the iron box, which was stuffed with cotton.

The iron box was not likely to be destroyed by Chidori’s strength. The transportation gate was not even close to being able to be opened in such a small space. Chidori, who was looking at it with her dim eyes, stiffened her trembling body. At this rate, she would not even be able to escape.

–No, I have to get up. I can’t end up here.

–Because I haven’t faced Tsugumi properly yet.

Shaking off her blurry vision, Chidori bit her tongue. With the impact, the taste of iron slowly spread into her mouth. She had to make up my mind.

“…Wi…nd.”

“Hm?”

“–Wind! Cut it up!”

The moment Chidori announced so, an invisible blade cut through the surroundings. The silver-haired woman let go of Chidori, not expecting it.

A moment later, Chidori cut the restraints on her arms and legs, turned herself around like a cat, and ran to the sleeping girl who was rolling over. She then picked the girl up and, with her back to her luggage, stared at the kidnappers in alarm.

“…I am surprised. You’re a Magical Girl, aren’t you?”

“You’re noisy. I don’t have to answer.”

Chidori replied breathlessly. A red stream flowed from the corner of her mouth and nose. It was the price for forcing her body to move.

“Don’t come near me! Do you want to be cut to pieces?”

Chidori unleashed wind magic on the man who tried to sneak on her. Her whole body throbbed with pain each time she did so, but there was no way she was going to show her weakness to them now.

–If she didn’t persist here, there would be no more time left. She didn’t have high hopes that someone would conveniently come to her rescue, but even so, she had to keep on trying. Because she was the only one who could fight here.

“Well, that’s troublesome. I think the medicine I gave you was pretty powerful. –Well, that’s all right. If you resist, I have an idea.”

The silver-haired woman let out an exaggerated sigh and fumbled with her hands to search inside her suit. Then, she took out a black mass and slowly pointed it toward Chidori. Then the mass – the firing pin of the pistol – was raised with a click.

“This bullet will pierce you before you can attack me. No, it won’t kill you. It just hurts to death.”

“…Kuh, such a threat!”

“You want to give it a try? Unlike you a kind person, I don’t hesitate at all. I’m used to hurting people.”

Chidori’s face twisted in frustration at the words of the woman who pretended to be relaxed. –In that moment, this woman realized that Chidori was avoiding hurting people directly.

But even so, there were some things that even Chidori couldn’t compromise.

“…Just give it a try.’

“Eh?”

“I won’t give in to such a thing. I will never go abroad! Because, because I–“

The girl was sleeping, and Chidori held her in her arms to protect her and told the woman with straight eyes.

“I have a place to go back to–!!”

The wind blades flew as if she was squeezing out the little strength she had. Forget about hesitation and confusion, just for now. They were the enemy that must be defeated. She absolutely couldn’t give in to them.

However, the woman put her finger on the trigger, paying no attention to the raging storm. Still, Chidori didn’t look away. And then the fateful moment arrived.

“Oh, dear. –You guys are a little too polite.”

At that moment, a beautiful voice echoed through the container.

“–No, no way, the gun melted down!?”

With a plop, the reddened gun–a hunk of iron–fell to the ground. The woman, holding her burned right hand, stared impatiently behind her toward the entrance of the container.

Then, from the entrance of the container, she heard the sound of someone walking steadily toward her. The owner of the voice was slowly making her way toward them, her face well-lit against the backlight. Gradually, the face of the person became clearer and clearer.

“–Ah, you.”

“All human beings in this country are under the control of Amateresu-sama. Who do you think you are, a mere human, trying to snatch God’s things?”

Her red hair, which was covered with flames, swayed softly.

“–You need to be punished.”

There stood Toono Sumire, a woman with a ferocious smile that seemed to twist everything around.