1: This is the Fabled Maiden Circuit♡
by Satoru Akahori
Illustrations: Tsukasa Kotobuki

[Saber Marionette J is an anime from 1996 that was very near & dear to my heart in my early anime years and beyond.
The anime is what most people know. It was brought to us in the west by HECTO subs & then officially by Bandai.
A translation of the rather different, shorter, thirstier manga by Yumisuke Kotoyoshi followed, this time by... egh, Tokyopop.
Both the anime and manga are out of print now, but that's neither here nor there.
The original version of the Saber Marionette J story was the Bunko, commonsly translated as the "light novel". This was never translated to English. There was a WordPress site that was planning to do it, but that was long ago. I think it is safe to say I can take this 30-year old matter into my own hands.

The source of the translations are digital editions of the Bunko purchased through Kadokawa's website. Although I did give him credit, Tsukasa Kotobuki's art will not be included on this website at this time (sorry). The initial text-recognition and translating will be done via DeepL, after which I take over (no AI!) and use my experience in writing comics in an attempt to adapt things to natural-sounding English. As I post this work in progress, it is likely that I'll go back and revise things here and there.

The translation will be posted chapter by chapter, in a process that will take quite some time. But I am committed. And I sincerely hope I will live long enough to see this to the end.

-Jaqueline, April 2025]

SM Girls Saber Marionette J
1: This is the Fabled Maiden Circuit♡
by Satoru Akahori
Illustrations: Tsukasa Kotobuki


Picture something silky, warm, and soft... What comes to mind?
"Marshmallows"
What are ya, an idiot!?
Try another one!
"Mochi"
Get away from food!
"Futon"
........
I was a fool to ask.
"I mean, it's a bit vague, isn't it?"
Look...
Those flowery words of mine could describe one thing, it's all I'm thinking of now.
"A white cat?"
NO!
"Bunny?"
Well, I suppose they can be bunnies, sometimes...
"Oh! I got it!"
Oh? Do you now?
"It's... Women!"
You win!
Ding ding ding! Bom bom bom!
Silky, warm, and soft... That's a woman.
Just a touch will make your heart aflutter, and if you held her in your arms, you'd fall in love. That's a woman.
But...
But... just suppose... there were no women. What would it be like?
"Gay people everywhere!"
No, no, no!


Prologue: The Six Adams

-1-

SHHBRATTA-TATTA-BRUUUUUUMMMMMMMMMMB!!!
The shock radiated through the hull, reaching the cryosleep capsule.
"Uh...... U-uh........."
Suddenly, Ieyasu was ejected from the capsule. He could not even process the state he was in.
The interminable period of cryosleep left him unable to see, and unable to move.
"What in the world? I..."
Ieyasu scrambled to piece his clouded thoughts together.
What in the world is happening?
Where am I?
Why am I here?
"I am..."
Like melting ice, the memories slowly flooded back.
"My name is Ieyasu Tokugawa..."
That's right... at this moment, I should be on board the interstellar exodus ship Mesopotamia... or the "Ark", as it's commonly known.
I volunteered to become a pioneer in space, leaving my mother Earth.
I was seventeen then.
I went directly into cold slumber. How much time has passed? I can't say.
It was at this point that his sight began to return.
"AAAH!"
Ieyasu gasped in shock.
It was a mess.
Most of the capsules were shattered.
All around, Broken pillars were embedded, the inner walls were cracked, and the place was riddled with apertures.
Clearly some kind of accident had occured.
"Hnng...."
Finally, Ieyasu was on his feet.
He was the only one moving.
"What in the world.....!?"
Ieyasu looked all around, his vision more clear than ever.
"Wha!?"
His eyes caught a glimpse of light.
It was eminating through the cracked wall.
"This is..."
It was a light he recognized.
"This is.... sunlight!"
Ieyasu found himself dashing toward the wall.


-2-

At the end of the 21st century, Earth's efforts to deal with its rapid population growth grew untenable, and inhumane.
The policy was extremely rash: Those deemed unable to be supported by the colonies of Earth were to be sent away, to settle in outer space.
It wasn't as if a dependable technology for outer space navigation had been established, nor had a fitting planet for colonization been discovered, oh no, nothing like that.
But the population problem of earth had become so severe that this was the policy that went forward, regardless.
As such, many interstellar exodus ships were sent away, without direction or purpose.
Among these unfortunate ships was the Mesopotamia, which housed Ieyasu, and about 3 thousand others.
"This is..."
The six young men, including Ieyasu, stood atop a hill.
Below them loomed the wreckage of a huge spacecraft.
It was the interstellar exodus ship Mesopotamia, the "Arc", the ship that had just carried them here.
"So it collided into the surface..."
The blond, blue-eyed German boy murmured quietly.
"And you are...? I'm Ieyasu... Ieyasu Tokugawa."
Ieyasu's question was answered in a low voice.
"Gerhard von Faust"
As if on cue, the rest of the lads chimed in, one by one.
"I'm Joey Hulyck"
"I am Wang Youping"
"Vilé Medici"
"Alexandre Keishing"
All were boys, seventeen or eighteen years of age.
"So, just the six of us came out of this, huh..."
It had already been three days since the ship had crash-landed.
There was almost no chance of their being other survivors.
Three thousand people were gone, without ever seeing their new home.
"Hey, we're still here! We made it! And for those that didn't, we... we have to..."
Ieyasu shouted, trying to fire his comrades up.
"And what do ya reckon the six of us can do!?"
Joey lit up.
An American, and a rather large on at that.
His face could hardly contain the rage he felt.
"Yeah, only six of us! And on an empty, useless planet like this... What can we do, except die!?
And suppose we do survive, it's still the end of the line. Or haven't you noticed? There's no women!
And no women means no children!"

Joey's words reaffirmed the depair in everyone's hearts.
There would be no help from Earth.
Earth had cast them away, unable to care for them any longer.
And there were no women left, no way to repopulate.
"........"
Joey's words left behind nothing but silence.
The silence was deafening.


-3-

Within the quiet halls of the Arc, there occured a slight movement.
Cha-chunk..... whirrrrrrrr
It was a robotic arm, affixed to the wall.
With a whizz, the appendage jutted out and took hold of a girl that was lying on the floor.
Bwshhhhh...
Just below the arm, a hatch opened, exposing a serene, functional capsule.
Gently, the girl's body was placed inside.
With the lass safely tucked away, the lid to the capsule closed shut, and it retured to the hatch within.
And with that, a feeling of relief rippled through the hull.


Chapter 1: First Encounter, Otaru and Lime

-1-

"Good morning! It is seven o' clock and time for 'Good Morning Japoness'. In today's news, we will be focusing on General Tokugawa's keynote speech to the National Assembly....."
So blared the TV, which had been set on a timer to act as an alarm.
The person who set this timer, however, was showing no signs of waking up.
Tucked away in his futon, cuddling his pillow for what could be an eternity, as far as he was concerned.
He was around 16 or 17 years old.
Somewhat on the short side, with his hair tied back in a tail.
And in lieu of a nightgown, he sported a Jinbei-style kimono.
The sound of the TV had little effect on him, if any.
In the end, what woke him up was a strange intruder barging in his house.
"Good morning, Otaru-kun!!"
A lanky man with shimmering white teeth stepped inside.

ZZzzzzzz.... SNnnnxxxzzzz...

The boy called Otaru never wakes up.
"Ehehe"
Giving his hair a little swipe back, the ostentatious man leans into Otaru, ever so happy to gaze upon him.
"Oh, Otaru-kun you fiend. To stir my heart aflutter like this... Me, the great Hanagata Mitsurugi! Otaru-kun! I would die for you! For those lips... I must have them!"
The thirstful man who called himself Hanagata brought his own lips ever closer toward Otaru's face.
Zzzz-*
"Enough already!"

BWOOSH!
Hanagata recieved a face full of Otaru's foot.
Turns out Otaru was completely awake.
It was a little hard to tell, with his eyes still a bit glazed over, but...
"Ohhh Otaru-kun, how cruel"
Out of habit, Hanagata gave his hair another flashy swipe back.
But with Otaru's footprint stamped clearly on his face, he didn't look too glamorous.
"Friggin' hell, Hanagata. Why you gotta be like this every single morning? You're killing me!"
"Killing you? Oh, Otaru-kun, how can you say that? It's utterly unthinkable! Love is the only thing on my mind, and I can't contain it!"
"Well do your loving all you want, Hanagata. But not with me, ok? That just ain't gonna happen!"
Otaru opened the door to his room.
His eyes narrowed as the sunlight beamed through.
Otaru lived in a "tenement house", a common sight in the province of Japoness.
"Hnnng... aaaah"
With a deep yawn, he headed to the communal kitchen across the road.
He started brushing his teeth, when a shadow loomed behind him.
He took a long gaze.
Standing there was a beautiful woman. Well... no.
There is truly no such thing as a woman in this world.
This was a feminine android, a "Marionette". The Marionette walked up, stood beside him, and began to wash some rice.
She had long, flowing hair and wore a rather revealing Furisode Kimono. Along with that, her face was immaculate.
As he gazed at her, a voice called out from behind.
"Hoi, Otaru! How ya likin' the new marionette?"
An elderly man now stood beside Otaru.
"Ah, er.... yes, she's quite nice."
"Right!? It cost me a pretty penny, ya know. And it's the latest model... the name's "Gemini". Here, look, have a gander!"
The old man took Gemini's short skirt and gave it a little flip.
Otaru could not help but blush as the Marionette's beautiful thighs were bared in full.
"Hm? Somethin' wrong, boy?"
Old man Minomoto looked at Otaru inquisitively.
"Er, no, no... it's nothing."
"Ah, well, anyhoo, get a load o' this!"
Minamono gave Gemini's thighs a squeeze, pressing them together. The marionette had no reaction.
"Look how soft they are! So soft! Next time, you should try giving it a shot, if ya want!"
"Ah... y, yeah"
"Anyhow, glad I took the plunge! Worth every penny! Welp, let's get goin', Gemini!"
"Yes, master"
As Otaru watched the back of Gemini grow more distant along with Old Man Minomoto, he began to mutter to himself.
"Falling for a Marionette... What is it with me? I'm not losing it, am I?"
"And how, you strange man!"
"Whoa!!"
Hanagata's voice cut in abruptly from behind.
"Otaru-kun, honestly! A Marionette is nothing more than a machine! You truly are insane to lust after such a thing, quite mentally ill indeed! But never fear! Hanagata is here to cure your illness, with love!"
"Gyuh..."
In this world, it's quite common for men to fall in love with each other.
However, such a thing just wasn't for Otaru.
"Look, Hanagata, it's a legend. Marionettes are made in the image of the legendary figure they call 'women'. There was a time, long ago, when men would fall in love with these 'women' and... maybe that's it. Maybe I like Marionettes because these ancient memories are calling to me?"
"Otaru-kun, that is a load of garbage. No matter how you think about it, a love between a man and a machine is just weird! Humans can only love each other... that's how it works! That's why.... Otaru-kun, you must accept my love!"
And Hanagata lept toward Otaru.
Aaaaaah~

WHAAAAANG!
"I told you, reign it in!"
Hanagata face had slammed against the washbasin.


-2-

Terra II is a planet consisting of six city-states,
This society was created 300 years ago by six men who had survived an accident, after drifting through space on a emigrant ship...
These six men managed to procreate through the use of cloning and genetic manipulation, each forming their own city-state.
However, whether due to the influence of the stars, or the will of God... With all the genetic manipulation they could manage, they found no way to create a "woman".

In lieu of this, they created feminine general-purpose androids, commonly known as Marionettes.
Subordinate to humans, Marionettes came to be used in all areas of society, with many variations developed, such as the combat-class Marionette: Saber.
Time passed, and somehow or other, memories of the "woman", progenitor of the Marionette, had all but faded.

Germania, another of the six city-states.
A dark city, with streets are lined with massive metallic buildings.
A single man made this city-state what it is.
He resided in the tallest, most opulent building in the city-state.
Germania's Das Kapital...
Home of the Fuhrer, Faust.
"Heil, Faust!"
A chorus of cheers echoed through the halls of the palace, where dozens of soldiers awaited their Führer's appearance.
Soon enough, the doors swung open, and a large, well-built man emerged.
Lord Faust, the most brilliant mind in all Germania, an ambitious leader with a will of steel... He entered the hall, with a confident smile.
Adorned in a pristine military uniform, with nary a wrinkle in sight, he held three chains in his hands.
At the end of these chains were three smooth, nude bodies, walking along the ground like dogs.
Three bodies... or rather, three Marionettes, all collared and tugged along by Faust.
All beautiful, intelligent marionettes.
And yet, they showed no expression of shame nor digust.
Instead, their cheeks were flushed with ecstasy, their eyes tearing up with excitement.
"Heh..."
Faust sat atop a throne at the far end of the room, towering above all.
The Marionettes knelt at his feet.
"Heheh..."
Faust turned his feet toward the Marionettes.
Slowly, their faces inched closer.

Slurp..... slurp.....

The Marionettes licked the feet lovingly.
Carefully caressing every inch, their faces beamed with pleasure.
"Heh heh heh heh heh heh......"
Faust smiled with satisfaction.
The sight of the Marionettes lashing their tongues at Faust's digits must have been quite the erotic sight, even to those with no interest in Marionettes.
The officers, lined up orderly along the hall as they were, could not take their eyes off the spectacle.
But then an officer took an audacious step forward, his eyes darting toward Faust with reproach.
"Mein lord... this is uncouth, is it not!??!"
"Oh.......?"
Faust turned his gaze toward the officer.
There was a smile across his lips, but not in his eyes.
"Tiger."
Upon hearing her name, one of the Marionettes raised her beautiful face.
One look at Faust, and she sprang to action.

SHOO!
Tiger lept.
She landed directly in front of the insubordinate soldier.
".........!"
On Tiger's face, he saw a ruthless smile.

ZWOOSH!

A moment later, Tiger's arm was sprouting from the officer's back.
Stabbed through the heart, an instant death.
The other officers were speechless.
Faust looked down upon the deceased soldier, and muttered to himself.
"He was a fine soldier... but it was a grave mistake to speak out against me."
"Heil Faust!"
"Long live the Fuhrer!"
Faust nodded in satisfaction as the chants echoed through the halls.
"Now gentlemen, let us begin our strategic meeting for the invasion of Petersberg."
Lord Faust, the great dictator, was in a fine mood.
The fangs of his greedy ambitions were about to be planted in the neighboring city-states.
It was at this moment when the world's misery began.


-3-

Taka taka taka taka taka...

Otaru ran down the path and took cover behind the wall.
"Otaru-kun, where are yooou? Otaru-kuuuun~!"
Hanagata was hot on his heels, a bouquet of roses in his arms.
"My my, I'm started to feel insulted!"
Quietly, Otaru poked his head out for a quick look.
But, what he got was an eyeful of Hanagata's face.
"Otaru-kun, I see you~~!"
"GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"
Otaru lept back a full 3 meters, then turned his heels and bolted off.
"Aaaa Otaru-kun, wait! Take these roses, and with them, my love!"
"I don't want them!"
"Otaru-kun!"
"Hanagata, please! I just lost another job because of you!"
Otaru shouted behind him as he ran.
Hanagata followed, with a rose in his hand.
"Just let a Marionette do your work for you, Otaru-kun! I can pay for it, naturally!"
"I don't like that kind of thing!"
Marionettes are the main force of labor in this world.
People buy Marionettes, and have them do the work, so they can earn money.
The people themselves only worked if they felt like it, and very few did.
Otaru was one such person.
Unlike the others, Otaru could not bring himself to use the Marionettes as "slaves," to put it as such.
Marionettes only have limited emotions.
And yet, deep in his heart, Otaru cares for the Marionettes as if they were human.
Along with that, he would not have a Marionette doing all his work and earning his keep for him. His man's pride wouldn't allow it.
(Man's pride......)
What point is there to pride, anyway?
Otaru's mind wandered to a singular topic...
(Is it for the beings known as "women" that existed long ago...? Is it through the Marionettes that I long for a "woman"?)
The answer to that could only be found deep in Otaru's subconcious.
But that's why Otaru insisted on working for himself.
Alas, whatever workplace he ended up, Hanagata would show up as well.
"Otaru-kun, quit this menial job and come with me!"
Hanagata would always barge in.
And argument breaks out, and in the end, Otaru gets fired.
"Otaru-kun!"
"Ah, screw this!"
Otaru darted into a nearby building.
"Oh Otaru, you always end up in the strangest places"
Hanagata gazed at the nameplate: "Japoness Museum of History and Art".


-4-

goosh... goosh...

The sounds came from the wooden floor, as he walked down it.
Otaru tread carefully, trying desperately to make as little noise as possible.
After all, this is, without hyperbole, the oldest building in all of Japoness.
It was erected 300 years ago during the founding of Japoness, as the rumors say.
"............"
Inside the museum, it was empty and deserted.
It always has been.
And this was not Otaru's first visit here.
In fact, aside from his own home, this was where Otaru spent most of his time.
Otaru's feet took him to the same room as usual.
Within the museum's innermost room, he stops.
Before him was a large painting.
Most people would assume it depicted a Marionette.
But Otaru knew... he knew it was a true "woman".
And this room housed artifacts related to "women", the only place of its kind in all of Japoness.
Alas, few have visited.
(I may be the only one.......)
This is why Otaru came to the museum.
He'd forget his troubles with Hanagata, and always find himself gazing at the painting.
".........."
He loved this painting.
It depicted a petite "woman" ...what they'd call a girl.
In the painting, the girl is smiling.
It's a warm, vivid smile, not the kind you would see on a Marionette.
(This Marionette complex of mine... I wonder... is it because of this painting?)
Otaru's pondered this as he continued his gaze.
The girl's smile gave Otaru a sense of comfort he could never experience otherwise.
In fact, the world had little comfort to be found.
The completely male-dominated society proved quite rough, and people's hearts are sullen. Crime rates are high, and there is constant strife between the city-states.
And those who had their Marionettes do all their work for them found their energy, intelligence, and overall progress had faded. There has been no tehnological development for over 200 years.
In fact, technology has gone a bit backward, and it's quite likely that standards were higher in the days when the immigrant ships drifted ashore.
There was something about the smile of the young girl in the picture, something that eased the minds of everyone weary of the stagnant, broken down world.
(So cute...)
Otaru kept on gazing and before he knew it...
In his head, the girl came to life, and stood before Otaru, smiling.
Otaru looked at the girl and smiled back.
Gently, they brought their lips together--
"Otaru-kun, where are you?"
The grating voice brought Otaru's moment of bliss to a grinding halt.
"Ahh! Damn it all!"
Otaru finally remembered why he was really here.
He had to get the heck away from Hanagata.
"Gotta find a place to disappear! Where...?"
He looked about, but no place in particular stuck out.
"W-where? Where!??"
In a panic, Otaru, placed his hand on the painting's frame.

Click......

"Enh?"
The instant he heard that click, the wall suddenly spun around.
"Wh-whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!"
And Otaru found himself on the other side.
"Ghhgh... What the... where am I?"
On the other side of the wall was a room.
It was quite cramped.
There were no windows, and thus no outside light... only dim lights placed here and there on the ceiling.
The lights beamed down on several machines, lined up in a row.
"What... is this!?"
Despite his looks, Otaru is pretty handy with machines.
He was once in charge of maintenence at a Marionette manufacturing plant.
But even so, Otaru had no idea what kinds of machines these were.
"They look super old...."
Otaru placed his hand on a nearby machine.
It was coated in layers of dust, and the bottom part was all hardened up.
"Huh.....?"
Among the machines was a glass case, which held a humanoid figure. Otaru moved closer.
"Th... this is!"
Otaru's mouth went agape.
Inside was a an unclothed Marionette with long hair.
The various tubed attached to the body indicated it was a Marionette, but the details seemed amazingly accurate. With most of the Marionettes on the market, it was clear they were robots. But this Marionette...
The skin, with its slight blush marks all over, made the Marionette look truly alive.
Even moreso, the Marionette's face was what caught Otaru's attention.
This marionette had the look of the girl in the painting.
"Ah..."
Otaru placed his hand on the glass case.

K-chack....
"Wha!"
Without warning, the glass case opened.
The Marionette's eyes opened, and she was instantly on her feet.
"Wha... what in the!!"
With a bewitching smile, the Marionette cast her vacant eyes up at Otaru.
Somehow, Otaru felt the blood rush to his head.
"Ehehe...... hold me......"
Suddenly, the Marionette embraced Otaru.

Thud....

"Mmmm..... mmm~~~~~"
She pushed Otaru down, and took his lips.
"Waugh! Waugh! Waugh! Waugh!!"
The Marionette was getting a little too intimate.
She put her hand under Otaru's clothes, and felt his skin.
This his surprise, she felt warm.
"Ehehe....."
The Marionette slowly licked Otaru's neck.
Otaru's thoughts kept racing, his mind was in a swirl.
(This is... A "sexdoll", isn't it? But... so soft... and warm...)
Otaru's strength was drained from his body.
He was at the Marionette's mercy.
She slowly starts peeling his clothes off.
"Ehehe..."
"Whoa... this is really..."
And then she placed her hand on the last scrap of clothing...
But unknownst to Otaru, a countdown had started. The LCD on the glass case was now diplaying a "0".

BUDADADADADADADADA....

A tremor shook the area.
"Waaaaugh! What the heck!"
"Kyah!"
The Marionette let out a yelp, to his surprise. Otaru never heard such a sound come from one before. Instinctively, Otaru let out his hand and held her tight.
"It's okay"
Otaru said in a gentle tone.
The Marionette looked up at Otaru, as if in shock.
"........."
Just then, she ceased all movement.
"Wha?"
The tremors has stopped as well.
"H... hey!"
Otaru started shaking the locked-up Marionette
"........!"
After a couple shakes, the Marionette slowly opened her eyes.
She looked at Otaru's face curiously.
The bewitching look on her face was all but gone, and what came from her mouth was a lively voice.
"Umm. Where am I? What was I doin'?"
"Wha? Eh?"
The Marionette gawked at Ataru's face cheerfully.
"Ya saved me, din'cha?"
"Wha? Saved you?"
"Er... yeah."
"Aw, thank you! I'm Lime! N' you?"
"Uh.. Er.... O... Otaru. Otaru Mamiya."
"Otaru, huh? ........Hehe! I love you, Otaru!"
Lime hugged Otaru once again.
Otaru took it in, utterly perplexed.
"Haha!"
Lime chuckled.
Her smile was none other than that of the girl he had longed to see.
"Ah... Wha....?"
Otaru felt his heart beat faster and faster.
(What the heck is it with me!? And what's with this Marionette?)
Behind Otaru, and his completely baffled face, the LCD on the case displayed a new message:

"Program Start ----------- Successful"

All contents ©™ ®∑♣🌭 Jaqueline Lesnick more or less. Send all inquiries about hats to jaq@jaqqqln.gay