Agents of the Four Seasons

Synopsis

In the beginning there was only Winter, who, unable to bear the loneliness, chose to cut off part of his essence and give birth to Spring. By Mother Earth's wish, he cut off part of his essence again to give birth to Summer and Autumn, thus beginning the cycle of the four seasons. The deities decided to entrust their roles to Mother Earth's creatures, but none were able to fulfill the task. Mankind stood before their desperation, willing to perform their duty in exchange for peace, prosperity, and stability in its lands. The Four Seasons then granted their powers to a small group of humans: the Agents of the Four Seasons.

Introduction

Each country has its own version of the origin of the world, though each one agrees on the nature of seasons, day and night.

The seasons are brought by the Agents, humans entrusted with this task by the homonymous deities, while day and night are induced by the arrows shot into the sky by the Archers of Dawn and Twilight.

Their safety is put at risk by the "Insurgents", individuals who detest the seasons or the alternation of day and night. For this reason, Agents and Archers are respectively protected by Guards and Custodians. The management and protection of these figures is carried out by both autonomous and governmental institutions.

The story is set in the present day in the Far East, in the Yamato archipelago, also known as the "Cherry Tree of the East", given the cherry blossom branch arrangement of its islands (Enishi, Teishu, Iyo, Tsukushi and Ryugu), each with its own peculiarities.

The novel series begins on February 10, Year 20 of the Reimei Era, with the return of Hinagiku Kayo, the Agent of Spring, after being kidnapped by the Rebels for almost ten years, during which the corresponding season has not manifested. Along with her Guard, Sakura Himedaka, she heads towards the shrine of Ryugu Peak, where the two secretly want to perform the ritual to bring their season back. Their destination changes after meeting a little girl who was alone on the path to the top, however the ritual is still performed with full success: Spring has returned.

The continuation of the story focuses on the other Agents and their Guards, ranging between their stories and the new developments of events after Hinagiku's return.

Agents of the Four Seasons and Guards

• Hinagiku Kayō (花葉 雛菊)
• The Agent of Spring, possesses the ability of "Life Acceleration". She was kidnapped by the "Rebels", natural enemies of the Agents of the Four Seasons, disappearing for almost ten years, during which the Spring did not appear. She has had feelings for Rousei since she was little.

• Sakura Himedaka (姫鷹 さくら)
• The Agent of Spring's Guard. She is an attendant who has never stopped looking for Hinagiku, a victim of regret for not being able to protect her Lady. The love she felt for Itecho surpassed the adoration of a student towards her master, but due to a certain event she hates him deeply.

• Rōsei Kantsubaki (寒椿 狼星)
• The Agent of Winter, possesses the ability "Vital Energy Freezing". Being the cause of the kidnapping of his first love, Hinagiku, torments him.

Light novel

Written by Kana Akatsuki and illustrated by Suoh, Agents of the Four Seasons began publication under ASCII Media Works' Dengeki Bunko light novel imprint on April 9, 2021. Eight volumes have been released as of December 2024.

During their panel at MCM Comic Con London 2023, Yen Press announced that they licensed the series for English publication.[11]

A collection of spin-off novels written by Kana Akatsuki is available for free on the Kakuyomu website (Kadokawa Co. & Hatena Co.).[26] Some spin-offs from the "Dance of Spring" arc have received a manga adaptation in the spin-off Agents of the Four Seasons: One Hundred Songs and One Hundred Pages (春夏秋冬代行者 百歌百葉).