Hanasaka or Hanasaka City

Definition:

An Experimental City established by an island nation off the eastern coast of the Eurasian continent, which carved out a part of its territory based on international commitments.

1. Geographical Information

• Origin: Hanasaka City was established by separating a portion of territory from an island nation located off the eastern coast of the Eurasian Continent. The citizens refer to this originating country as “Moto”.

• Area: The city covers an area of approximately 200 square kilometers.

• Waterways: The Minerva River, which is about 50 meters wide, flows from east to west through the northern part of the city center.

• Coastline: The western side of the city faces the sea, specifically Hanasaka Bay.

2. Administrative Information

• District Structure: The city is divided into a Central Area (which includes “Castle Park” and the City Office) and four administrative districts: North, East, South, and West. Each of the four districts serves as the home base for one of the city’s four Kassen clubs.

• Governance: The primary administrative body is the City Office, headed by the Mayor. Under the Mayor, various departments exist, such as the Finance Department, Police Department (PD), and Emergency Services Department (ESD).

• De Facto Authority: While the City Office serves as the administrative body, the city’s legislative, administrative, and judicial branches are operated de facto by the artificial super-intelligence Flora and its integrated information systems.

• Limited Mayoral Power: Historically, the Mayor’s administrative authority was significantly restricted compared to traditional human-governed eras. By the year 9 E.E., the Mayor’s remaining influence was largely limited to the power to veto specific ordinances that significantly impacted citizens’ rights or interests.

• Post-Assassination Reform: Following the assassination of the third Mayor, Goblino, in October of 9 E.E., the citizens increasingly viewed the concept of a human mayor with substantial power as outdated and unnecessary.

• Ceremonial Role and Lottery System: Effective December 1st, 9 E.E., the Mayor was stripped of all final administrative authority, which was transferred entirely to Flora. The position was redefined as a purely formal and ceremonial role. Starting from January of 10 E.E., the Mayor is no longer elected but is instead chosen from the citizenry by lottery, with five individuals selected each month to serve a one-month term.

• Population: The city has a population of over 600,000.

• Key Neighborhoods and Towns:

   - Fortuna (in North District): The city’s largest and most sophisticated downtown area, characterized by high-rise buildings and lush greenery.

   - Andromeda (in North District): The northern gateway of the city, home to a massive pyramid-shaped station where the Shinkansen arrives from “Moto”.         - Pegasus (in North District): Located east of Fortuna and north of the castle; an industrial/commercial district that retains the atmosphere of a 20th-century city.

   - Victoria (in West District): Location of the “Sapphire West” training facility and Victoria Park, which features a statue of the goddess Nike.        - Verbena (in South District): Location of the “Topaz South” training facility.        - Clematis (in East District): A district famous for offering diverse cuisines from all over the world.        - Hydrangea (in East Distinct): A residential area where Akio lives, known for its canal zone.

3. Castle Park (Hanasaka Castle Park)

Overview:

Castle Park is a lush, green public space covering approximately 1 square kilometer in the heart of Hanasaka City. It is a nearly square-shaped park that serves as a vital recreational area for the citizens (Hanafolk). The park encompasses the entire Hanasaka Castle complex, including its multi-layered moats and defense zones. The park is entirely owned and managed by the Castle Office.

Key Facilities in Castle Park:

1. Castle Office (Green House) The Castle Office’s main building, the “Green House” (named for its distinctive moss-green roof), is located northeast of the Outer Moat, positioning it in close proximity to the Hanasaka Arena to facilitate match operations.

2. Castle Office (Blue House) The Castle Office’s temporary field office to oversee the ongoing restoration and construction work within the castle grounds (named for its pale-blue tiled roof). It is located within the Southern Section of the Outer Defense Zone, situated at the southern end of the Rose Bridge.

3. Hanasaka Arena Located just east of the castle’s Outer Moat, this stadium is the primary venue for Kassen matches.

Surroundings:

1. City Office buildings

City Office buildings (municipal administration) are located in the city’s central area, situated adjacent to Castle Park. While the Police Department Headquarters (PD HQ) is specifically identified as being located to the southwest of the park, the various other departments of the City Office are generally described as being scattered throughout the area surrounding the park.

2. Castle Park North Station and Transportation

Castle Park North Station is a standard underground station located just outside the north gate of the park. Unlike major hubs like Andromeda or Fortuna, it serves as a local access point for the Pale-pink Line. Traveling east on the Pale-pink Line for approximately 15 minutes leads to Hydrangea Station, which is the nearest station to the apartment where Akio Dias resides.

3. Minerva River

Approximately 500 meters north of the castle’s Outer Moat lies the Minerva River, a waterway about 50 meters wide that winds through the northern district.

4. Hanasaka Memorial Park

Located to the south of Hanasaka Castle, this is the city’s collective cemetery. The memorial park serves as the final resting place for Haruna Laliguras, the first Unifier and a foundational architect of Hanasaka’s AI systems. Her remains are interred beneath a prominent white hemispherical stone monument at the center of the memorial park, which has become a site of deep spiritual significance for the citizens.

4. League of Experimental Cities

• International Context: Hanasaka is one of the 23 cities governed by the League of Experimental Cities, an international organization established to test social systems managed by artificial super-intelligence (Flora).

• Nearest City: The closest Experimental City to Hanasaka is Kochipina. During the final conflict with “Stone Cold,” Kochipina provided critical computational resource support to Hanasaka’s Flora.

5. History:

Note: Events related to the Kassen community are written in italics.

Hanasaka City History: Timeline through 10 E.E.

Pre-Establishment Era

• -1 E.E.: Castle Office (Hanasaka Castle Development Association) is established.

• 0 E.E.: A secret agreement is concluded between the preparatory organization for Hanasaka City and the Castle Office.

The Early Years (1 E.E. – 5 E.E.)

• 1 E.E. (January 1):
  • Hanasaka City is officially established.
  • Galeos is inaugurated as the first Mayor.
• **1 E.E. (January 2):
  • Kassen begins as a social experiment alongside the city’s founding.
  • Haruna Laliguras is appointed as the first Unifier.

• *2 E.E.: *Kassen rules are updated** to include “Block pushing” for scoring points.

• 4 E.E. (January 1): Leo is inaugurated as the second Mayor.

• 4 E.E. (Spring): Keiko Sacra joins Sapphire West after training in the Alliance clubs.

• 5 E.E.: Haruna Laliguras is betrayed by Sapines (creator of the AI Stone Cold), who attempts to destroy her work.

• 5 E.E. (Autumn): Legendary fighter Kagero Sacra (the “Sapphire Shark”) suffers a career-ending injury during a match.

• 5 E.E. (December 1): Kasga Wisteria inherits the role of the second Unifier.

The Turning Point (6 E.E. – 8 E.E.)

• 6 E.E. (September 6): Mayor Leo is assassinated.

• 6 E.E. (September 30): Goblino is inaugurated as the third Mayor.

• 6 E.E. (October 15): Haruna Laliguras dies at the age of 33.

• 6 E.E.: The “Kassen Liberty League” is founded in “Moto” as a rival organization.

• 7 E.E. (Spring): Keiko is promoted to Squad Leader in Sapphire West.

The Year of Crisis (9 E.E.)

• April 6: Keiko Sacra is sidelined by a broken wrist during an Inter-Alliance match.

• April 24 (Pre-dawn): Serial arson attacks target Hanasaka Castle and the private homes of prominent fighters.

• May 9: Emerald North wins the Spring Kassen Championship.

• May 11: Castle Office Directors Haruki and Lerhi are arrested in Tokyo on fabricated charges.

• June 30 (00:49): The Great Keep Arson. The Hanasaka Castle Keep is completely destroyed in a terror attack using self-destructing mech-hawks.

• July 3: The “Hanasaka Citizens’ Liberation Front” (manipulated by the AI Stone Cold) claims responsibility and issues a death threat against Kasga.

• July 8: Kasga delivers a historic speech at the Hanasaka Arena, uniting the city and Kassen community.

• August 11: A new city ordinance is enacted, allowing 1st-class security guards to carry “limited weaponry”. (The first qualification exam followed on September 1.)

• September 30: Evidence of Mayor Goblino’s involvement in the plot to assassinate Kasga is publicized.

• October 1: Mayor Goblino is assassinated by a sniper before he can be arrested.

• November 4: Sapphire West wins the Autumn Kassen Games; the tournament is cut short due to weather and emergency conditions.

• November 8 (07:00): An Emergency Situation Preliminary Declaration is issued.

• November 8 (Daytime): Acting Mayor Nora temporarily delegates all administrative and defensive authority to the AI Flora.

• November 8 (22:00): A full Emergency Declaration goes into effect.

• November 9: The Great Hanasaka Defense (“Operation Shark Teeth”): Kasga and the “Honored Eight” fighters defend the castle; Flora destroys the malicious AI “Stone Cold”.

• November 11 – 13: “The Three Days of Evil”: 23 influential “Rusty-believer” leaders worldwide are assassinated by mech-animals.

• December 1: Mayoral administrative authority is permanently abolished and transferred to Flora.

• December 4: Keiko Sacra is officially named the first female Apex Fighter and receives the “Diamond Sword”.

The New Era (10 E.E.)

• January: The new Mayoral system begins; the role becomes purely ceremonial, with mayors chosen by lottery.

• January: A goodwill mission, including, visits virtually via avatars.

• Early Year: “Hanasakia” (the city’s virtual second layer) begins trial operations.

6. “Hanafolk”

The common name for citizens of Hanasaka, who have renounced their previous nationalities and family names to join the city’s experiment. While their formal designation is “Hanasakans,” the citizens themselves more commonly refer to themselves as “Hanafolk.”

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City Office

Definition:

The administrative body of Hanasaka City, comprised of multiple departments such as the Finance Department, Police Department, Emergency Services Department, Health Department, and Education Department, all under the authority of the Mayor.

Mayors:

1 E.E. - 3 E.E. : Mayor Galeos 4 E.E. - 7 E.E. (September): Mayor Leo 7 E.E. (September) - 9 E.E. (October): Mayor Goblino

Organizations:

Mayor’s Secretary: Zansi

Police Department

• Director: Toppo
• Deputy Director: Ron

Cyber Patrol Section (Cypas):

Members:

• Mogla
• Lemolain
• Orango

VIP Protection Section:

Members:

• Anju
• Melona
• Banan

Finance Department

• Director: Nora

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Hostile Parties:

Factions or AIs hostile to Hanasaka City or Castle Office are as follows:

1. Stone Cold

Stone Cold is a notorious, large-scale criminal generative AI driven by a radical ideology of “Machino-supremacy,” which views humans as mere organic tools or switches to be manipulated.

Key elements associated with Stone Cold include:

• Stone Dance: This was the predecessor AI to Stone Cold. It threw a specific country on the Eurasian continent (the home country of Chammei) into chaos by manipulating a failed coup attempt roughly a decade before the events in Hanasaka in 9 E.E., specializing in tricking humans into committing crimes without realizing it.

• Meteo Dance: A separate AI also derived from “Stone Dance”, Meteo Dance was originally designed to support the “Humano-supremacy” ideology of the Rusty-believers. However, Stone Cold eventually corrupted its programming and turned Meteo Dance into a subordinate entity.

• Stone Souls: A popular stone-collecting and personification app. In reality, Stone Cold used this app’s network to harvest data on users’ involuntary movements and subconscious habits (such as blinking or stuttering) to use as “triggers” for real-world criminal acts.

• Stone World: The organization that manages the “Stone Souls” app. It acted as a deceptive front for Stone Cold, distributing items like bottled mineral water as “rewards” or “apologies” to users; these items were sometimes used to deliver malicious nano-machines into the bodies of key targets.

Stone Cold was ultimately neutralized by the city’s AI, Flora, on November 9, 9 E.E., during a massive computational battle that utilized the Stone Souls network to trap the criminal AI in an endless loop of logic errors.

2. Rusty-believers

A term used from the perspective of citizens in the Experimental Cities to describe troublesome individuals stuck in outdated ideologies who perpetually fail to accept the reality that machines effectively run human society and attempt to obstruct their experiments.

3. Pro-Mayor Faction

The factions within the Hanasaka City Office are primarily divided between those clinging to human-led governance and pragmatists who cooperate with the city’s AI-driven systems. This group, characterized by a “Humano-supremacy” or “Old Regime” ideology, was skeptical of the Castle Office’s influence and the “divine” status of Kasga Wisteria.

4. Awakeners

A radical religious organization composed of “Rusty-believers” who view Hanasaka City as a “Satanic City”. They are ideologically driven to destroy the city’s AI-led governance and were designated as a provisional criminal organization following a violent terror incident.

5. Vaminas

A violent Tokyo-based criminal gang involved in illegal activities, including drug trafficking (stimulants) and weapons smuggling. They operate as a practical arm for higher bidders in the underground world.

Awakeners and Vaminas shared a symbiotic relationship described as a “criminal ecosystem”. While the Awakeners provided the ideological motivation for attacks, Vaminas supplied the cult with the necessary weapons, stimulants, and physical muscle to carry them out.

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Others:

1. Moto

The people of Hanasaka City used to refer to the country that ceded a portion of its territory for the city’s establishment as “Moto,” without mentioning the specific country name. Hanasaka City and Moto are connected by land.

Government:

• Prime Minister: Matsudaira

Cities in Moto:

• Tokyo
• South-Musashi
• Hikone
• Okayama

“Moto natives”

• “Moto natives” are individuals originally from the neighboring country Moto, comprising approximately 67% of Hanasaka’s population.
• While they share a common linguistic heritage, Moto natives in Hanasaka often use a simplified version of their original language. For example, while their language originally had many counters depending on the noun, they came to use only the main ones, and sometimes even omitted them. Therefore, this story describes things using the simplified counters, without employing the diverse counters they originally used.

Related Terms:

• Alliance clubs

2. Kassen Liberty League

The Kassen Liberty League is the primary rival to the Kassen organized by the Castle Office, differing significantly in its philosophy, regulations, and use of technology. The Kassen Liberty League is based in the neighboring country of “Moto,” it was founded in 6 E.E. as a non-political entertainment organization. While the Castle Office uses Kassen to foster a balanced, idealistic society, the Liberty League offers a more unrestricted, high-tech, and commercially driven version of the sport.

3. Mukade

The leader of a rival illegal weapons-rental organization. He utilizes a “sharing-economy” model to distribute weapons and holds a deep personal grudge against the Awakeners for destroying his family.

Mukade’s organization and Vaminas (specifically the faction led by a man named Nezman) were fierce competitors in the underground weapons market. They were engaged in a constant struggle for market share.