Shikabane Sakura

Translated by LyraDhani

Edited by LyraDhani

When Tsugumi was upset by the photo, Higoromo quietly asked him.

It looks like youre familiar with it. Please tell me what you know. This is important.

He looked at him straight in the eyes and Tsugumi involuntarily looked away.

There was nothing wrong with it. However, talking to Higoromo about the girl in the picture Sakura-oneechan was somewhat confusing.

Thinking about it, there was something that had been bothering him ever since Yukitaka had shown him the photo before. It was about the attire.

Goddess Amaterasu reigned at the top of this country. Therefore, the rank of a Miko, a person who was used by the God, was high, and without the proper qualifications, one was not even allowed to call oneself a Miko. Moreover, with the exception of Toono Sumire, the qualification was limited to those who had completed compulsory education and were at least 16 years old.

However, the girl in the photo looked to be about the age of a junior high school student, and it was hard to believe that she has passed the certification test.

And if he included the photo that Yukitaka gave to him, which was fuzzy to many people, he couldnt help but wonder if she had a dark background.

The difference between the kindly Sakura-oneechan he met in his dream and the disturbing impression he got from the girl in the photo. The gap between the two was something Tsugumi had never been able to accept well.

Higoromo-san, do you know about this person?

Looking down, Tsugumi asked this question. What Tsugumi did not understand more than anything else was why Higoromo was trying to get to know Sakura-oneechan? It was that.

The fact that he bothered to bring up the photo in this vein was surely related to the great fire.

He felt a stirring in the back of his chest. The unpleasant premonition didnt seem to disappear.

I didnt think youre going to answer a question with a question. Well, I can say that I know some things.

Higoromo answered in a calm voice. Apparently, he didnt intend to discuss the details at this stage.

In that case, it may be necessary to step in from here.

This persons name is probably Sakura. I dont know the kanji, but

Oh, so you still remember her?

I dont remember any details. Im not sure what her name is, but I vaguely remember it being something like that. I dont know anything about her. I dont even know if the name Sakura is really correct. That makes me terribly sad.

Tsugumi replied quietly.

After all, he didnt know anything about Sakura-oneechan. He might have met her in dreams or been saved by her in a life-threatening situation, but he knew nothing about her.

Tsugumi himself felt a blood connection to her, but he was not certain if they were truly related. The only thing he knew was that she had mysterious powers. That was all.

As he raised his face, he stared at Higoromo and opened his mouth in determination.

Please tell me, Higoromo-san. Who is this person? What kind of relationship did she and I have?!

In a trembling voice, Tsugumi said, clinging.

Higoromo surely knew the answer that Tsugumi had been seeking for so long. If he missed this opportunity, he didnt know when he would be able to get the next piece of useful information. He couldnt care less about how it looked.

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And so, as Tsugumi bowed deeply, a loud sigh was heard from the opposite side.

Look at me. Im not here to bully you. But then again, you really dont have any memory. Im a little off the mark.

Higoromo said in a muffled voice and held out a few papers to Tsugumis eyes.

Before we talk, there are a few conditions you must abide by.

What are these?

The contract. The matters related to the great fire are basically confidential. I cant tell you information about them because you are a civilian. So Im thinking of reporting you to the government as my collaborator. The details are written in the document, so please read it carefully. And, this is a simple, but legitimate government document. Covenant spells have been applied. If you break the contract, Ill know right away.

At Hirogomois urging, Tsugumi took the document in his hand. The contract began with small, difficult words and went on to describe a variety of matters, from the obligation to keep the information obtained confidential to the punishment for breaking the restrictions.

He had been aware that there were so many prohibitions, but it seemed that the fire was really a problem.

How come Sakura-oneechan was involved in such troublesome things. He was uneasy, but he couldnt start without hearing what he had to say.

After spending a few minutes checking the contents of the documents, Tsugumi nervously wrote his name and contact information on the form. When Higoromo received the completed forms, he looked at him with a worried expression.

You seem determined. To be frank, youre going to be shocked when you hear about this. Is that okay?

Yes, Im prepared.

I see. Then it cant be helped.

Letting out a small sigh of resignation, Higoromo opened a page in the middle of the file and gently pointed at it.

The real name of the girl youre calling Sakura-oneechan is Shikabane Sakura. She was the only daughter of the operator of a religious organization. Unfortunately, you and your twin sister are not registered on Shikabanes family register.

Wait a minute. So Chidori and I arent Sakura-oneechans family?

Tsugumi was not convinced by Higoromos explanation. So what exactly was the existence of Tsugumi and Chidori? Aside from Chidori, Tsugumi looked so much like her.

When Tsugumi asked this in confusion, Higoromo cowered his shoulders and shook his head.

I dont know that either. But it seems the religious group she belonged to had been doing some pretty shady things. It is possible that, for whatever reason, they did not declare their child born. In fact, there is a photograph of a young boy who looks a lot like Shikabane Sakura in the documents we collected, perhaps its you. There is no doubt that there is some connection between you and her. To tell you the truth, I come to see you to confirm this. But you have lost your memory. As far as I can tell, all of Shikabanes blood relatives died before the fire, and since we cant even get a DNA test, the truth is in the dark.

Is that so Um, What kind of things do you mean by shady things?

When Tsugumi asked fearfully, Higoromo answered in a soft voice.

As far as the government knows, some kind of magical experiments were being conducted at the religious organization, The Star of Dawn. Shikabane Sakura, who was 14 years old at the time, had replaced her parents, who had stopped showing up in public, as the head of the organization. She is considered, based on circumstantial evidence, to be a key witness in the outbreak of the great fire. Considering her age, its obvious that an adult was pulling strings from behind the scenes.

As Higoromo told him to read the documents smoothly, Tsugumi raised his voice impatiently. The sheer volume of information was confusing, but there was one word that he couldnt miss.

The reason for that big fire is Sakura-oneechan? That cant be true.

The white girl behind Tsugumis eyelids Sakura-oneechan was full of compassion. She couldnt be associated with dangerous research that could destroy a single city.

But that is the governments insight. I can only speculate now that everything has burned down, but given the circumstances, there is no doubt that the Shikabane girl was involved in that big fire. Thats why I said you would be shocked.

Everything burned. Tsugumis eyes fell to the ground as he realized the meaning of those words.

What happened to Sakura-oneechan after that big fire?

We cant track her down after that, and the place she was at is the fire or rather, the hypocenter. Not a body has been found, but at the rate the fire was going, she would have been burned to death. It would be wise to assume that she did not survive. Im curious as to why you and your sister survived unscathed, but lets talk about that next time. Its going to take a long time.

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After saying that, Higoromo slowly began to put away the papers on the table. It looked like he was getting ready to go home.

Wa-wait a minute. I still have questions to ask!

What exactly caused the great fire? Had they found the photo of Chidori, rather than Tsugumi? There were still many questions to be asked. When Tsugumi said in a frantic voice, Higoromo shook his head quietly to refuse.

Dont be so hasty, the details are in that file. You can take a good look at it when you get home. In your current state of mind, any further explanation would be futile. Do you realize it yourself? You look pale, you know?

Higoromo said so, handing the file he had opened earlier to Tsugumi. As Tsugumi took it, he said as if biting down.

Higoromo-san, but Im

Lets stop for today. Ill be ready for the next opportunity. Here is my personal contact information. Call me if anything happens.

Higoromo said this admonishingly, ripped open one of his black leather notebooks and wrote a phone number in it without hesitation. He smiled as she held it out to Tsugumi, along with the file he had just received.

And if you remember anything about your past memories, contact me first. It doesnt matter how trivial it is. The file, by the way, can only be viewed by those who have signed the contract. It is unlikely to be stolen, but please be careful with it. Also, as Im sure you are aware, confidentiality must be maintained. Even if it is from your twin sister.

Yes, understood.

Higoromo told him in a reminder and stood up from his chair with a clatter.

Im warning you since you chose to be involved in the story of the big fire, you can never turn your back on the truth. And if the relationship between you and Shikabane Sakura becomes known, the people involved in the big fire may try to contact you. Be careful. The world is tougher than you think.

Yes, I will keep that in mind.

The fire left such a huge mark. If the world were to find out that Tsugumi and Chidori were involved in the fire and that they were on the perpetrators side that alone would make it impossible for them to lead a serious life. To be frank, there were very few people who knew what was going on and still care about them as much as Higoromo did.

Higoromo-san.

What?

Thank you for everything. Now I am finally ready to move on.

There were still many things he didnt know about Sakura-oneechan and the great fire. However, it was fortunate that an informant had come forward like this.

When Tsugumi bowed deeply, Higoromo opened his mouth with a slightly awkward face.

If you find yourself in a situation you cant handle, consider relying not only on me but also on Yukino Shizuku. That might help you.

Yes, I would be grateful for your help then.

Higoromo then looked at his old watch and said.

Im sorry, but I have other business to attend to. I will contact you soon. In the meantime, I suggest you get your mind in order.

After saying this, Higoromo opened the door of the private room and walked out. Tsugumi gripped his right hand tightly, staring at the closed door. The blood on the palm was slowly seeping out.

Higoromo-san was a good person. But that man still has a lot of things hes hiding. Its surely not written in the file he gave me.

Saying so, Tsugumi let out a big sigh. Perhaps Higoromo, who had heard about Tsugumi from a relative Suzune felt sympathy for Tsugumi. Otherwise, he would not have bothered to register a small boy who did not have much information as a collaborator. He should be grateful for the information given to him.

The road is a long one.

Tsugumi muttered. Slowly, he stood up and stretched. The knots ached because of the tension.

Im hungry, so maybe Ill eat somewhere before heading home. Its going to be expensive here. Ill look at this file when I get home. Id like to hear what Bell-sama has to say.

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Saying so, Tsugumi left the hotels coffee shop with the file in his arms with care. His steps were heavier than usual.

Are you glad? You dont have to ask that child about Hagakure Sakura.

As Higoromo walked alone out of the hotel and through the hydrangea garden, such voices rained down from above his head.

I dont need to ask that. Besides, the great fire Im looking into has nothing to do with the Magical Girl called Hagakure Sakura. Then its fine to leave it alone. If he wants to hide it, its kindness to keep quiet about it.

When Higoromo replied in a discouraged manner, the voice above his head chuckled.

Hahaha! I knew you noticed that child is Hagakure Sakura! By the way, since when did you notice?

At the question from such a joyful voice, Higoromo opened his mouth in a troubled manner.

I became convinced after Nagisa told me about Hitsugi. On the day Hitsugi went out of control, Hagakure was originally supposed to be off duty. And yet, she rushed to the scene before anyone else. The only person other than me who was told by Nagisa about the black threads entangled in Hitsugithe prophecy of deathwas that one person, Nanase Tsugumi. There are many other reasons, but all of them point to him being Hagakure Sakura. I mean, if they look that much alike, theres no doubt about it, right?

Oh well. Its funny how hes so stuffy, just like that arrogant Lord of the Flies.

Do have a grudge against his contract God?

You see, I dont really like flies because I have this image of them carrying plagues.

Youre also an unreasonable guy

Nasatya, wearing what looked like a small white robe, said such things while flitting around Higoromo. If Bell had been here, she would have been furious.

Well, it doesnt matter. but you didnt tell him.

What?

The results of the DNA test on that childs twin sisterNanase Chidori. Everyone was surprised by the results, right? You should have told him.

Nasatya told him with a smirk, and Higoromo gave him a glaring look.

It would still be terrible to tell him about this. And what kind of face should I have made when I told him? Im not sure how I could have said that your adored twin sister is a stranger, not even related to you by blood. On top of that, the result is beyond my control

In the pouring rain. Higoromo picked up the documents he had secretly pulled out of the file he had given to Tsugumi and let out a loud sigh.

The document had this written on it.

Nanase Chidori DNA Test result.

Nanase Tsugumi (younger brother) no blood relation.

Nanase Yozuru (foster father) related by blood.

Possible close blood relatives

Sakura Akane.

Higoromo stared at the document in annoyance, then rolled it up into a mess and shoved it into his bag with frustration.

That Toono bastard, instead of investigating the great fire, shes forcing us to deal with a ridiculous trouble.

Higoromo said this as if to throw up, and with a loud sigh, he began to walk along the path where hydrangeas spread out. The rain isnt about to stop yet.

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