Saika Magoichi

The Saika clan was a group of mercenary riflemen from Japan's Warring States period. Their leader is said to have been named Saika Magoichi. Magoichi found fame on the field of battle by fighting against Oda Nobunaga on behalf of Honganji, but much remains a mystery about them. One proposed explanation is that the given name "Magoichi" was in fact a title passed down through many generations. However, it may have been that several people's deeds were attributed to the same individual.

Height/Weight: 150cm, 38kg

Origin: History

Region: Japan

Alignment: Lawful-Good

Sub-Attribute: Human

Gender: Female

"Saika will now begin."

The Saika clan was sought after by many armies for their incredible power and unrivaled firearms. They made a name for themselves on numerous battlefields. Thus, the Saika was anyone's ally, and anyone's enemy.

But because all military camps desired their power, the clan was also shunned by those in power, which eventually led to their demise. The Saika also imposed laws to restrict their immense power, but those very restrictions eventually became distorted and the Saika began to break down.

"And that's how I ended up being the last of the Saika."

A nameless girl who was kidnapped in a foreign country in her youth and brought to Japan. She was on the brink of being sold, but was saved by the previous Saika Magoichi and joined the Saika clan. That is when she was given the name Hotaru.

She was trained as a Saika, which unleashed her latent talents. Her abilities were so great that they qualified her to inherit the title of leader despite being an outsider. Hotaru later did become the third Magoichi, and served Hashiba Hideyoshi after the Honnoji incident, which contributed to Hideyoshi's unification of the nation. However, after Hideyoshi's unification, Hotaru suddenly resigned as the third head and left the Saika village.

Magic Resistance: D

A skill that nullifies a single magecraft spell. It's a skill that's only as powerful as a magecraft-repelling amulet. It's probably not that reliable.

Independent Action: A

A skill that allows her to act even without her Master. She is confident in conducting solo operations, but she requires lots of rations because she gets pretty hungry. As enormous amounts of magical energy are required whenever she uses her Noble Phantasm, she does require additional backup from Master.

Item Construction (Gun): D

A skill that creates magecraft armaments, but is limited to guns. As the Saika clan was skilled at incorporating new technologies, they were able to take the firearm characteristics they saw with their own eyes and incorporate them into their own weapons, allowing the Saika to modify and use them as they saw fit.

Yatagarasu Eye: B

Eyes that shine with a strange hue. Having good eyesight is a given, but its true power is the ability to visualize the spiritual activities of her target. It's essentially magical energy thermal imaging.

Saika Firearm Drawing Arts: A

An assassination technique specializing in rapid firing and point-blank shooting. This martial art makes one question why a gun is even needed if it's not for sniping. Why the leader of the Saika clan would not be good at sniping is a secret.

Firefly Light: B

A magical energy aura that shrouds Magoichi's body. This is where her name Hotaru (Firefly) comes from. A pale phosphorescent light appears around her whenever she gets serious, which is a bit of a problem in covert missions since it blows her cover.

Saika Succession: C

A special skill possessed by the leaders of the Saika. It enables the user to automatically summon the next leader when their Spirit Origin is destroyed. However, since there nobody else in the Saika other than Magoichi, this skill does not activate.

"New successor wanted."

『God of Firearms, Yatagarasu』

Rank: C

NP Type: Anti-Personnel

Range: 1-50

Maximum Targets: 1

Juushin, Yatagarasu.

An ultimate technique in which the user enters a trancelike state, unleashes their combat techniques, and annihilates the target with a barrage of gunfire. The Saika clan was a more modern armed group that didn't incorporate a cult of a traditional ancient god, and so they sought a new type of god that did not exist and prayed for its power for their people. In modern terms, this technique would be considered a type of mind control or self-hypnosis on the battlefield, but it is more of a curse, and it's closer to a physical technique like a kagura dance performed by shrine maidens.

As a side note, the past leaders of the Saika clan were said to have all possessed similar Noble Phantasms connected to distinctive guns.

"If I can't hit at a distance, I just need to shoot from closer. This is a smart tactic."

I was always made the fool. Deceived. I was tricked when I was taken from my hometown. I was deceived when my predecessor was killed. I left Saika in an attempt to avenge him, but that was all a ploy by the clan to prevent me from becoming their leader. But I believed them, and I wandered through the country, searching for the one responsible. In my travels, I helped those who sought aid, but then I was misled by those I helped. Even when I accepted a task, the requester would claim they would pay me later. And so I was cheated again and again.

I was always deceived. It's probably because I'm stupid and have always been a bad judge of character. Many people tricked me. Over and over again.

And so, I wandered, searching for an enemy that didn't even exist, and when I finally realized I had been tricked, I died. It's my own fault for being so stupid. Still, it's better than fooling others. But I wonder, even if I really was stupid, I don't think I should have been so stubborn as to continue to acting that way. So maybe...I chose to continue to search for someone who didn't exist.

...That's why I kept getting fooled.