Puella Magi Oriko Magica: sadness prayer

Puella Magi Oriko Magica: sadness prayer (［新約］魔法少女おりこ☆マギカ～sadness prayer～, [Shinyaku] Mahō Shōjo Oriko Magika ~sadness prayer~, lit. [New Testament] Magical Girl Oriko Magica: sadness prayer) is the fifth spin-off manga in the Puella Magi franchise, written and illustrated by Kuroe Mura. It is a prequel to the first installment of Puella Magi Oriko Magica, set before the events of Oriko Magica, but after the prologue, where Oriko sees Kriemhild Gretchen and Yuma.

sadness prayer was originally serialized in Manga Time Kirara Magica from November 8, 2013. It has been released as 4 volumes with 24 chapters altogether.

Blurb

Volume 1: Oriko Mikuni was the most admired girl in school until tragedy struck. Now as a magical girl, she's found her purpose in life. Her new power has set her on a path that will require her to weigh the value of one life against many. Are the people who destroyed her father even worth saving? Are her gossiping classmates? Does their salvation justify the spilling of innocent blood?

Volume 2: Oriko sees her use of Kirika as an attack dog against other magical girls as a justifiable means to achieving a greater purpose—protecting the world from the destructive force of Walpurgis Nacht. However, their arrangement has piqued the interest of another magical girl, who has her own reasons for wanting Oriko and Kirika on her side—and under her control!

Volume 3: Oriko's plans to thwart the evil that would destroy the world have led her to intervene in the life of young Yuma Chitose. But her actions are taking their toll, and time draws short not only for Oriko but for Kirika as well. Rumors of the murderous "black magical girl" have forced Kyubey to step in, and it may be only a matter of time before Oriko's plot begins to unravel as quickly as she is...

Volume 4: Since her transformation into a magical girl, Kirika has served as Oriko's muscle, sparing her the trouble of battling witches—and other magical girls—herself. Little did Oriko know that Kirika was also protecting her from a terrible secret, one that will shake Oriko to her core. As past and present sins press against her, will Oriko's resolve stand firm?

Plot

A prequel to Oriko Magica, expanding on the original characters and introducing several new ones. sadness prayer shows how Oriko and Kirika first met and teamed up, expands on Oriko's family and school life, and expands on her and Kirika's feelings on having to kill magical girls to fulfill their goals.

Chapters

Volume 1

Chapter 1: Is This Actually the Right Thing? (それが本当に正しいのか？, Sore ga hontō ni tadashī no ka?)
Chapter 2: I Won't Meet Up with That Girl (あの少女には出会えない, Ano shōjo ni wa deaenai)
Chapter 3: Just Venting Some Frustration (ただのやつあたりだよ, Tada no yatsu atarida yo)
Chapter 4: This is My Entire Purpose in Life (そのために今のわたしはある, Sono tame ni ima no watashi wa aru)
Chapter 5: I'll Do What Magical Girls Do (魔法少女ってのもやってやるわ, Mahō shōjo tte no mo yatte yaru wa)
Chapter 6: Just This Once, I'll Go All Out (一回くらいは頑張ってあげようかな, Ikkai kurai wa ganbatte ageyou kana)
Chapter 7: Don't Be Crushed Under the Weight of Sins (罪の重さに潰れてしまわないように, Tsumi no omosa ni tsuburete shimawanai yō ni)

Volume 2

Chapter 8: I Feel Like I've Been Reborn (生まれ変わったようない気分なんだ, Umarekawatta yōnai kibun nanda)
Chapter 9: This World's End, Over and Over (わたしは繰り返す、この終末を, Watashi wa kurikaesu, kono shūmatsu o)
Chapter 10: Was it Really That Time? (本当にあの時だったのかな, Hontō ni ano toki datta no kana)
Chapter 11: I was Doing My Best to Be a Good Girl (こんなにいい子にしてるのに, Konna ni īko ni shiteru no ni)
Chapter 12: You Really Don't Wanna Know (そんなことは知らない方がいいよ, Sonna koto wa shiranai kata ga ī yo)
Chapter 13: She is Fated to a Tragic End (彼女は罪惨な末路を遂げる, Kanojo wa tsumi mugo na matsuro o togeru)

Volume 3

Chapter 14: That's Why I Can't Stay a Kid (だからわたしは子供でいてはいけない)
Chapter 15: Don't Make Me Remember My Own Weakness (わたしに弱さを思い出させないで)
Chapter 16: That's Why Onee-chan Was Always Mad at Me! (だからお姉ちゃんは怒っているんです)
Chapter 17: You Are Oriko's Enemy (おまえは織莉子の敵だ)
Chapter 18: She is Someone I Know Nothing Of (彼女は未知の存在だ)
Chapter 19: Your Cake Will Never be Finished (あなたのケーキは完成しない)

Volume 4

Chapter 20: She Can't Say She's Sorry (ごめんなさいってできないよ)
Chapter 21: We're Going to Go Get Your Wish Granted (君の願いを叶えにいこう)
Chapter 22: Just Me (ただのわたし)
Chapter 23: I Will Fight My Own Battles (わたしはわたしの戦いをしよう)
Chapter 24: To Protect My World (わたしの世界を守るためよ)

Characters

See: Oriko Magica Characters

Publishers

Language	Publisher	Country	Release date	Volume 1	Volume 2	Volume 3	Volume 4
Japanese	Houbunsha	Japan	February 12th, 2015, December 12th, 2015 December 12th, 2016 August 10, 2017
English	Yen Press	United States	November 22nd, 2016, February 21st 2017 October 31, 2017 September 18th, 2018

Trivia

When asked why Walpurgisnacht isn't in sadness prayer, Mura Kuroe stated that including her would have really slowed down the pacing of the story. Additionally, she felt that including Koito as a new Magical Girl during the ending and having the prominent threat of Walpurgisnacht throughout the book would not be satisfying.^[1]