🌸 What is the Origin of Sakura-hime and Mikemaru?

Sakura-hime and Mikemaru, who always appear in my works. Actually, there's a little story behind their creation. As I mentioned in a previous illustration titled "My Child," their roots lie in Sakura, a Kai Ken dog I once lived with. And I wanted to write a story with my beloved Sakura as the protagonist. That's how a young girl was born. Her name is Tenrou Sakura-hime. She's the protagonist of my original novel, "Kai no Tenrou," which I've been writing for some time. The story is set in a fictional Sengoku period where humanity has disappeared and beastmen rule the country. It's a Japanese-style dark fantasy depicting those who face their respective destinies to protect their country and their loved ones. Tenrou Sakura-hime was born as a princess of Kai Province. A kind girl who cares deeply for her people and sometimes throws herself into battle. And by her side was Mikemaru, a boy from the cat tribe. ...Wait? They bear a resemblance to the current Sakura-hime and Mikemaru, don't they? But the current Mikemaru is a dog, not a cat. The Sakura-hime of the Sengoku period and the Sakura-hime of today. What kind of connection do these two have? That's still a secret. (*´艸｀) I've left the continuation of "The Heavenly Wolf of Kai" untouched for a long time. Recently, while rereading old manuscripts, I felt like moving this story forward again. I don't know when it will be, but I hope to write the continuation little by little. My small creative world began with a single Kai dog, "Sakura." Please continue to support Sakura-hime and Mikemaru. 🌸