TOUHOU: Fate of External Boundaries

by Naitmer

Summary:

The search for one's purpose in life is something that for many is not easy. A[???] is a 15-year-old boy who has been tormented by misfortunes all his life. And one day when life itself had turned its back on him, he decides to give in to impulses that would lead him to commit a tragedy. That's when a mysterious voice echoes in his head and his body begins to move against his will, taking him to the outskirts of the city. Not knowing how to get back, he stumbles upon an ancient Shinto temple. Having gone through that door, he enters a cage isolated from the outside world known as Gensokyo, a fantasy land where his life would be in danger if he is found by the mythological beings that inhabit the place. In addition, the boy, having come into contact with the voice, partially loses his memories of his past life in the outside world. The mysterious voice reveals itself to be a powerful deity that is able to control the gaps, and the reason it took his body and brought him here was so that he could help the goddess escape from a seal that was imposed on her centuries ago during a war. The boy and the goddess team up with other inhabitants to free her and help him recover his memories.

Notes:

This light novel is based on the Touhou Project franchise. None of this is part of ZUN's official work, rather, a fan-made work.
All credits belong to Team Shanghai Alice.
This is the first time I decided to make a written work. It won't be perfect, but I always wanted to give some nice tribute to the Touhou community that I appreciate and admire so much.
I hope you enjoy the story, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart to all those who gave this novel a try.

Chapter 1: ༄【Prologue】༄

After a few hours, the bullets stopped painting the sky. The sun began to peek through the mountains and the wind blew more and more softly. The only thing that could be heard were the gentle raindrops falling on the earth full of craters and cracks. I gave my best until the end, but she was presumably stronger than me. My body no longer responded to me. We were both left with our clothes full of dirt and blood, and our faces full of wounds. But I was the one who touched the ground first....
Without raising my head, I could hear her footsteps on the wet ground coming this way.
After a deep sigh I could hear her.
"It really is a pity that things had to end this way..."

I can tell from her voice that she also gave everything she had during our confrontation.
"What did it all lead to? Just look at you. Lying on the ground like a dead animal."
[Contemplating the sky full of fractures.] "And yet... you managed to fragment it, the only thing that protects us from the outside world..." She muttered in a soft, weary tone. "Your stupid unrealistic ambitions could have cost the lives of thousands of humans out there, you ungrateful brat."

"..."

"You don't even have the strength to speak anymore, you should be ashamed of yourself." She said annoyed as she narrowed her eyes.

I was able to raise my eyes slightly just to see her silhouette standing in front of me. There she was... still standing with her long blonde hair and white dress.

"I never thought a day like this would come, we were so happy together..." She murmured in a more subdued tone. "But you are a being that only brings to this world chaos and destruction, it's your nature and I should have been more mindful of that."
"And I will have to punish you, which Mom never did..."

My eyelids were heavy, I could only make out shapeless flashes of light. And my ears could only perceive my inner self.
I watched as she raised her hand in front of me and a blinding purple light ended it all.

Eventually, the sound of raindrops ceased.

*****

I was awakened by the vague sound of high heels approaching me. There was a lot of echo in the atmosphere, but as I felt my hands on a rocky surface, I came back to my senses. I felt as if I had slept for an eternity. She stood in front of me with her back to me. I could see that her long blonde hair was still stained with blood as well as her dress.

I don't know how much time had passed or where she had brought me. But my biggest question was... Why am I still alive?
The haunting sounds of the cave were interrupted by her voice.
"Why did you do it? She asked in a cold tone as she continued to turn her back on me. "Why didn't you ever listen to my explanations, what would our mother have thought of this?"

I felt a lump in my throat and couldn't help holding back tears, but I decided to speak.
[Sobbing.] "I-I'm really sorry... I had no intention of damaging the barrier. My only wish was to be able to return to the outside world..." I said with my head down trying not to burst into tears.

"..." "You're too naive... We've lived a few centuries now, you're not a child anymore." She said as she turned to look at me.

"I-I know-."

"I spent my whole life telling you that youkai like us don't belong in the outside world... Being here in Gensokyo is our only way to survive, that's why I created this place. Or have you forgotten already?"

[With a cracking voice.] "I just wanted to...-"

"Specifically, you. You're too dangerous for this world."

"..." "I'm... sorry." I said through tears.

"This seal will be your prison from now on... I can't afford to put the lives of others at risk just because of your destructive nature." She said as she opened a portal and walked towards it. "Good riddance..." She muttered leaving a trail of bitter tears in her wake and clenching her fists.

[In desperation.] "WAIT, DON'T LEAVE ME HERE!!!" I screamed in tears as I tried to get up. "I PROMISE NOT TO DO IT AGAIN!!!"

The portal stopped glowing as it slowly closed as I continued to watch life turn its back on me once again.
And as I reached out my hand, I could only feel a surface that I was unable to see. She had imprisoned me behind an invisible, unbreakable barrier.
I could no longer hear anything, I lost everything that day, but this time I had nowhere to go and no one to rescue me again.

With my face full of tears, I laid down on the floor with a gaping hole in my stomach.

"You said we would always be together... Heh... I thought I would never be abandoned again." I said to myself.

"You lied to me."
"You were the only thing I had left in this world..."
"Was everything about us and everything we went through together never real...?"

"I guess beings like me are meant to be despised by everyone. I don't belong anywhere on this lonely, sad planet."

"I hate humans. I hate youkai."
"I hate myself..."
"I would have rather you had put an end to my miserable existence once and for all."
"I wish... mom was here with me..."

[Using the sleeves of my dress as a handkerchief.] "If you care enough about this stupid fantasy land for you to leave me here to rot... I'll find a way to come back... And I'll make you pay with what hurts you the most..."
"All this that you created... will be consumed by the void..." I muttered, clenching my fists and punching the wall so that it stained red. 

Chapter 2: ༄【The dream I had that day】༄

Year: [2008, calendar of the outside world.]

I remember that today's history class was excessively long and boring that I was awakened by the vague sound of birds outside getting ready to go to sleep and a bright orange light that illuminated the room.
I lifted my head from the desk to look at the clock I was wearing, it was already half past four in the afternoon.
[Sticking my head against the desk.] "Ahh...this has got to be a joke... This is already the third time this week I've missed the train home." I grumbled as I got up from my chair.
I didn't take notes during the class, but at least I wrote in my journal the interesting dream I had.
"I would like to know if there is happiness beyond dreams..." I smiled as I wrote down what I remembered.
I walked out of the classroom and locked the door behind me. Walking through the halls of the school towards the exit, I couldn't help but start thinking about whether this was the right decision for my future.
It has been a year since I started living in Japan. At the beginning I was full of dreams and illusions because of how it was painted on TV, but the reality here is quite different...
All my life I have been a very isolated boy from the rest of the people. My parents spent their time working and my only company was my sister. But she's been lying in bed for around three years now. She'll be okay eventually, or at least that's what they told me so I could leave without worrying. When I'm able to get out of here, I plan to visit her again, she's the only thing I have in this life.

And presumably the reason my parents were so keen on me finishing school abroad was just because they wanted to take a burden off their shoulders. Either way, I had a feeling that I was an unwanted child.
They do give me some money for me to pay for school, but with what I have left over, I can only eat once a day. That's why I had to get a part-time job with a salary that would allow me to pay for a small, dingy room in an apartment.
My classmates always bring homemade lunches and play with their video game consoles at recess. I'd like to hang out with them; however, I don't have those privileges.
But hey, even though my situation could be better, I try to be grateful for what I have.
I left school and strolled in the warm afternoon through the neighborhoods of the city.

People here in Japan just make my loneliness feel even worse. I understand that my mental condition doesn't help much, but it's not my fault that I was born with something like this either.
I would like others to see me as a normal person, but I can't get the words out of me, at least not for normal conversations....
I have a fascination for physics, but it's not something I can talk to people about. Guys my age have other interests that I am unable to understand.
I always hear my classmates talking about the games coming out this year, but no matter how hard I try to strike up a conversation, I always end up getting disgusted and uncomfortable faces, I don't know what I'm doing wrong.
I know things aren't very good right now... But I'm confident that eventually I'll be able to find some happiness.
As I was on my way to the train station, I checked my cell phone to change the music, but I felt a chill run down my back and felt my heart stop when I saw what time it was.
[Shivering.] "T-This can't be happening..." I said waving the cell phone with my fragile hands as I ran out.
It was already ten past five in the afternoon. I was ten minutes late for work and it would take me about another twenty minutes to get there sprinting.
Despite being out of shape, I had to run from the subway station to the center of the city while pulling my uniform out of my backpack and changing my clothes in the process.
I made it to the convenience store where I work after leaving school.
Shaken and out of breath, I approached the sliding glass door, but just happened to bump into my shift partner on her way out.

"Damn...this is the third time this week you've been late." She said as she judged me with her up and down gaze. "And with your shirt on backwards and your hair a mess... they might not even let you in."

[Bowing.] "I'm really sorry, this will be the last time I'll be late." I said panting and wiping the sweat from my face.

[Sighing heavily.] "Look, I always cover the late ones on your shifts, but I think this is the last time I'm going to see you around..." She said disappointedly.
I lowered my gaze and headed towards the store, but I didn't get the best welcome.

"Do you know how many customers we've lost thanks to your lack of punctuality, boy?" Said the manager annoyed from the counter.
"I'm really sorry, I won't be late again!" I said chagrined and unmotivated.
"I gave you several chances, nothing guarantees me that you won't do it again. It's too bad, but dismissal is inevitable." "Oh, and leave the uniform hanging over there."

I felt a pit in my stomach, things today were going from bad to worse.
I just lowered my gaze once more and left the store.
"Without that extra money, I won't be able to pay this month's rent..." I said to myself.

As I wiped my tears with my coat, I headed back to the station to wait for the next subway to get to my small apartment.
Everything began to fall apart that day. My optimism was gradually fading.
"I'm tired of all the obstacles life constantly throws at me."
"I really want a break..."

I arrived at the station, but as I waited for the subway, something else came up...
I opened my wallet only to realize I didn't even have enough to pay the fare.
"What is the purpose of moving on? I have no one and nothing to fight for. Things are not going to change..."
"I hate this world. I hate myself..."

At that, I could see out of the corner of my eye the intense white light and the sound of the subway approaching at high speeds.
And with one foot on the subway tracks I said to myself:

"What I would have given to be someone else and have had a normal life."
"Maybe I can find happiness outside of this world..."

Chapter 3: ༄【A cage isolated from the world】༄

No one will notice if I'm gone. I stopped reasoning and let my heart decide for me.

I closed my eyes and as I leaned forward, an image came to my mind.
mind. It was like a field full of purple cherry blossoms and petals. I don't know
how to explain it, but it was a moment that lasted a second where I really felt... peace.

This vision was shattered in an instant and replaced by an image of a hand opening in front of me in which chains began to emerge. All accompanied by something I cannot accurately describe. A whisper that seemed taken from hell itself.
My breath was taken away when I felt a stab in my back that then pulled me backwards, as if I was being pulled by a rope.
I was paralyzed, my eyes snapped open, and I broke out in a cold sweat. I was not crazy, I knew very well what I had experienced, but nothing made sense. There was no one in the station at that time and there was no trace of anything my mind had shown me.

I came to my senses and turned away from the tracks in fear. I looked all around desperately searching for an explanation, but there was nothing and no one nearby.
At that moment, my ears began to perceive a kind of static. I looked around in bewilderment. I felt as if someone... or something had its eyes on me.
I tried to put my finger through my palm, but this didn't seem to be a dream, or even worse, to be dead.

At that, I heard the mysterious voice again. I couldn't make out what it was trying to tell me, and I was on the verge of collapse.
I felt as if my heart was going to burst out of my chest and my vision blurred every time I took a step.
But something else happened that I can't explain.
I completely stopped thinking and started running as if I was chasing something I couldn't see. I was looking for something I didn't know without a reason.
I left the subway station and kept running through the streets.
People would get out of my way and look at me as if I were an animal.
My knees and palms were bleeding after a few stumbles, but even so, I kept running aimlessly.
And so, it went until I reached a more mountainous area.

My stomach was completely upset, and I didn't think twice when I saw some bushes over there. So, I ended up throwing up what little I had eaten today.
[Trying to catch my breath.] "W-what the hell is going on today...?" I said as I leaned against a tree.
"Where the heck did I end up?" I wondered in fright. "I can't even see a single building or hear a single car anymore."
The only light there was what little was left of the sunset.

"I should get out of here before it gets dark..." I said in a hopeless tone looking at every tree that surrounded me.
I couldn't keep my concentration. A moment ago, I was about to end my own life, and after an inexplicable event, I ended up on a mountain.
I kept moving forward while listening to the sound of night insects and the wind blowing through the treetops.
Not a damn thing went right today.

After about ten minutes or so, I don't know, I've even lost track of time at this point, I found something that wasn't trees or rocks.
A strange old Shinto temple tucked deep in the mountain crossed my sight.

"What is such a temple doing isolated in a place like this...?"

Without much thought, I climbed up the rock steps to reach the temple. Maybe there would be someone who could help me get back to the city.
The temple looked ancient. How is this thing still standing? Rotten wood, broken stone with moss and insects in every nook and cranny.
It was the first time I visited such a temple. I was never someone who had religious beliefs or anything like that.
There was a donation box made of wood, but of course, there wasn't half a penny in it.

[Straining at the door.] "Aghh, this door... it's stuck." I said as I tried to slide open the front door.
After a yank, the door opened, and with it, a big cloud of dust.

[Coughing.] "Ack, this place must have a minimum of a few centuries without being visited." I said shaking the dust off my clothes.
Curious, I peeked through the door to see inside the temple.

"Uhm... Good afternoon...?" I said, directing my eyes all over the place looking for someone.

But even though I didn't see anyone inside, I got a tremendous surprise when I saw the inside of the place.
[Looking in all directions.] "How is this even possible...? This place inside is even cleaner than my apartment."

The place had furniture and utensils from the traditional Japan era, but everything is clean and very well kept.
Honestly, it seemed too strange to me that a place that looked abandoned from the outside, seemed as if it was someone's actual home from the inside.
[Running my hand over the surface of the table.] "But would someone really live here?" I wondered curiously.
I didn't want to poke around the rooms of the place too much, so I made my way to the other end of the main room where there was a half-open sliding door.
For some reason, when I saw what was on the other side of the door, I was filled with peace and tranquility.
I could see tall mountains, forests and some buildings that I found interesting.
I was surrounded by tall cherry trees, and their petals traveled in the gentle evening breeze.
There was an esplanade made of rock that at the end had a large Torii gate characteristic of Shinto temples.
Completely forgetting that a while ago I tried to end my life, I regained my composure mesmerized by the beauty of the place.
I walked along the temple esplanade until I reached the Torii entrance.

[Stopping just below it.] "It is quite big; it can easily be about four meters tall." I said to myself.

Just ahead of the entrance, there were some stone stairs leading down. I couldn't see the end of the stairs, but they led into a dense forest that surrounded the entire temple.
I didn't think twice, I felt so at ease that my mind only thought of continuing and taking a walk around the mysterious place.
The sun was getting more and more set between the large mountains, but, even so, I wanted to keep walking.
I reached the bottom of the stairs and entered the mysterious forest. The forest had paths, so I just wandered around following those.
The place had weird stuff, there were many mushrooms of sizes that I did not think were possible, they were almost twice my height, although I am not tall.... Besides, they had very intense and vibrant colors.
When it started to get dark, the only thing I could hear were the night insects and my own footsteps on the dry ground.
It was until that moment that I realized that I couldn't stay here and that I was starting to get hungry.

[Looking back.] "Uhm… Where had I come from?" I asked myself worriedly.
I think I got carried away and went farther than I should have…
[Pulling my cell phone out of my pocket.] "Let's see... maybe I can look up my location on the map."
But as expected, nothing was going right today.
"This has got to be a joke... No signal here at all."
I sat down on a rock to breathe a little and calm down, I had too much stress built up and was starting to feel sick again.
I stayed there for about five minutes doing nothing but trying to regain my peace, and the sky was getting darker each second.
[Sighing heavily.] "I better find a way to get back to the temple and get out of here, it's not like I have any other choice. Although... I don't have anywhere to go if I return to the city either..."
But without any warning, I felt something brush my arm at the speed of light.
My first instinct was to check my arm, and... how to explain it.
[Grabbing my arm.] "W-where did this wound come from...?" I murmured in panic.
My clothes had torn, and my arm started to bleed.
It's like... I had been shot.
[Looking in all directions anxiously.] "What's going on here...?"
I heard footsteps slowly approaching through the trees over the fallen leaves, but I couldn't see anything. My nerves were blurring my vision.
I was so frightened that I tripped over a rock and fell over the dry leaves.
But just as I was about to get up and run off in any direction, whatever was with me in that forest spoke.

"Ehh... Did I really miss my shot?" Said the voice as it came closer.

It sounded like a young woman, but more than a woman, a little girl.
I could see her silhouette through the darkness of the forest, but it wasn't that I got a good look at her until she was almost on top of me.
Physically, she was a girl of short height, short blonde hair, black dress like the very shadows of the forest, and a red ribbon in her hair.
She came very close to me, and all I could see were those huge red eyes and a small grin that showed her fangs.

"You know... humans shouldn't be walking around places like these at night. Especially... when I'm hungry." Said the girl with a somewhat creepy smile.
I was completely paralyzed and the first thing that came to my mind was to buy time to think about my next move.

[Shaking.] "Ahh... w-what a coincidence, I'm really hungry too. We better go get something to eat, shouldn't we?" I asked trying to keep myself from getting hurt.
The girl narrowed her eyes, and her smile grew bigger and sinister.

"Kyahaha, but if my food is right in front of me!" She exclaimed while laughing creepily. "I am the youkai of twilight. I roam around here in search of lost humans to devour them to their bones."
As the girl kept talking, I kept trying to look for some opening to run away. Something about her terrified me, even though her appearance wasn't intimidating in the least....
[Extending her arms out to the sides.] "When I activate my power, I can cover everything in pure darkness to hunt my prey hehe~." She said as she rose into the air. "The downside... is that even I can't see in the dark..."

She rose even higher over dusk, and from her body, a huge sphere began to emanate, dripping a viscous black liquid.
"But enough talk..." She exclaimed as he laughed in a cynical manner.
Everything began to be covered with nothing but darkness, it was as if it had become night all at once.
"This is bad..." I muttered worriedly, still sitting on the ground.

"SPELL CARD!!!" Exclaimed the girl from the skies.
Out of nowhere, small colorful spheres began to form in the sky, it was impossible to count them, they were like stars in the night sky.
"DARKNESS SIGN ~ DEMARCATION" She finished exclaiming while still covered in darkness.

This is where things started to go from worse to horrible.
Those spheres in the sky were actually some kind of projectile that started being shot towards me, exploding on contact with the ground.

[Covering my face with my arm.] "Agh... These... things hurt!" I screamed as I thought about what to do.

I could feel some of them hit my body directly. They didn't feel like real bullets, but like harder paintball bullets. Otherwise, I would already be dead with the first shot.
I couldn't get out of that situation, and the bullets were tearing my skin deeper and deeper.
I listened as the rest of the bullets hit the ground and exploded, but after a few seconds, it all became dead silent...
I tried to get up quickly and get out of there, it didn't seem to be that the girl was watching me.
But I was bleeding badly, and my legs were hurting as if they were broken.

"Ahhhg... shit... I must get... out... of here somehow." I muttered trying to bear the pain.
I had no reason to go on living, but I didn't want to end up being eaten by a little girl either.

[Smiling in a sinister way.] "I know you're around... I can hear you crawling hehe..."

But while I was still trying to get away, I heard something that made me freeze....
I heard a voice coming... from my head.
It was the same mysterious voice I had heard at the station.

[Sighing with disappointment.] "Ah.... human beings truly are the most useless thing in this world." Said the voice in my head. "If you're not going to do anything, then I'll take your body to get you out of this..."
I really wasn't understanding anything that was going on.
I am starting to believe that I really died back at the station, and I don't know what kind of hell I went to... This is so unreal....
What happened next... I think it was the most painful experience I have ever experienced in my entire life.
I felt as if my body had received the discharge of ten lightning bolts at once. I felt my skin burn and paralyzed.
My heart rate accelerated to abnormal levels and felt as if my eyes were going to explode.
My vision and hearing were diminishing more and more. And as I writhed in pain on the floor, blood started coming out of my eyes and mouth.
I grabbed my head as if I wanted to tear it off because of the sharp pain. I just closed my eyes and waited for it all to be over at once....
A few seconds passed and I didn't feel pain anymore, but... something wasn't right. I don't know how to explain it, but my body stopped working while I was still able to feel.
I tried to get up, but my body was not reacting.

"How many more times do I have to die today...?" I said to myself before I became unconscious due to the sharp and intense pain.
My body began to move of its own accord. I wasn't controlling it, and no matter how hard I tried to stop it, it didn't seem to listen to me.
It was as if... I was a puppet and someone else was pulling the strings. It felt as if my consciousness and body were controlled by two different beings at the same time, but with my consciousness sound asleep.
My body stood up and stared straight into the girl's eyes with a vacant, spectral expression.
[Scoffing.] "Wow... you look terrible now. From all those bullets your eyes went completely blank. But hey, that's how strong I am haha." Exclaimed the girl who was still flying over the sunset. "We'd better get this done..."
The girl pointed her two hands against my body and a strong flash began to emanate from them.
"Don't worry, you'll soon be devoured by me kyahaha!"
The bright flash turned into a huge laser that was shot straight towards me.
The laser was rapidly approaching, burning trees and rocks in its path.
But whatever was controlling my body, only raised my arm slightly. And before the laser could reach me, it snapped my fingers.
[Sounds of electricity.]
In the blink of an eye, everything around me within a five-meter radius had been reduced to ashes and the laser had... disappeared.

Only pieces of burned trees and a large circle of black dirt remained around me.
[Gawking.] "Y-You've been hiding your power all this time...? That's against the rules of danmaku!" Exclaimed the girl between annoyed and scared.
My body didn't even flinch, it was still standing in the same place.
[Crossing her arms.] "Tsk... I'll have to use an even stronger attack." She said somewhat disappointed. "SPELL CA-."
She couldn't finish reciting her next attack when my body was already in front of her with my charged fist about to smash her head in.
The girl could not register something like what had just happened. My body took off from the ground in less than a second, breaking the sound barrier and moving faster than the speed of light, reaching the girl who now seemed helpless.
If I ended up hitting the girl, even just once, I was going to end her life. But... I wasn't the one controlling my own body.
The girl covered her face with her small arms. I could see she was completely terrified.
But that was where my puppeteer's plans were thwarted.
A few feet behind me, I could hear someone else's voice, screaming.
My body turned its gaze back just before it could deliver the explosive blow to the girl.
There was another girl in the forest pointing a bright, colorful light at me.
This other girl was dressed in black, with a maid's outfit and a big witch's hat.
And after reciting her attack, a monstrous laser of all colors approached at high speeds against my body.
Whoever was controlling me did not expect a counterattack from behind, and the powerful laser hit us directly, sending us flying far away through the orange sky of that strange place.
The girl in the witch's hat stared at the sky in shame.
"Oops... Wrong target... hehehehe..." Said the strange mage in a somewhat apologetic tone while placing her hand on her head.
"I… really hope he survives the fall."

Chapter 4: ༄【A dangerous place for humans】༄

 Nevertheless, the mage turned her head to look at the creepy girl after ending the conflict.
The girl was on the verge of death after witnessing such power. So much so that she turned pale as snow and fell to the ground trembling.
The mage still had the idea that the girl had been the culprit, which was partly true. But she was still in the mood for a duel.
[Looking at her in a creepy manner.] "Hm.... Looks like it's just the two of us left..." The mage muttered.
The scary girl was still unable to get up.[Shaking her hands.] "W-w-wait a minute, this isn't what it looks like." She stuttered. The mage moved a little closer. "Don't worry, I believe ya. However, ...my mini hakkero has a mind of its own ze." She said as she flashed an intimidating smile and aimed her artifact at the girl.
The mage started firing projectiles all over the place, causing a great roar. There were bullets, lasers and stars of different colors flying everywhere.
The girl was hit by some bullets but managed to escape as the mage kept firing stars in flashy patterns.

*****

Meanwhile, I was out there soaring through the skies, miles away after being stuck by the huge laser. The last thing I remember is seeing how my body, about to be pierced by bullets fired by a girl, began to move against my will. After that I became half unconscious. That voice inside me said a few words before I suffered that strange convulsion, but I don't fully remember what happened afterwards. It is as if during that time it was not me living inside my own body, and the only thing I remember is a deep state I was in. All I could see were flashes of light of different colors in the distance. I didn't hear or feel anything, it was like a dream state....
Gradually I began to regain consciousness, and unlike any other dream where you wake up in your bed, I woke up high up in the sky, above the clouds.
As the wind warped my face backwards, the voice spoke again.

[Fearfully.] "You have to somehow manage to survive the fall..." Commanded the voice in a somewhat worried tone. "I don't want to have to wait another few hundred years before I can get help from someone else..." She sobbed in frustration.
"YOU CAN'T DIE, DO YOU UNDERSTAND?!" The voice exclaimed between distressed and annoyed.
Could this be what you hear just before the moment you die?
I closed my eyes as I fell. Hoping it would all be over soon.

*****

But as expected, nothing was going my way today.
I crashed into the top of a tree and started to fall, breaking all of the branches until I was suspended in the air by one that got caught on my coat.
It seems that today luck was not on my side....
I stood there for a few seconds wondering what was going to happen. The branch I was hanging from was still too high for me to try to unhook myself and jump.
But suddenly, the branch started to make creaking sounds. "Please don't..." I mumbled crossing my fingers. It couldn't hold my weight anymore and I fell from the tree, hitting my head on the grass.
"This is definitely not my day..." I said lying on the grass going unconscious, again.

*****

A few hours had passed since. My body was found lying on the ground by a girl who was wandering around the area.
The girl came a few meters closer and managed to see my unconscious body with burned and torn clothes. Noticing this, she ran to me in concern.
"H-Hey...! Are you okay Mr. Human!!!?" She exclaimed worriedly shaking her hands.
She started groping me to see if I was still alive.
"Eh.... What should I do, what should I do?" She mumbled trying to think of something.
[Putting her hand on my chest.] "He's still breathing… I guess he's just unconscious. I should take him somewhere safer in the meantime." She sighed somewhat relieved.
Struggling, she carried me and started walking towards a huge mountain surrounded by a vast forest.

*****

During the walk, I had a kind of dream in which there were people I had never seen in my life.
The place seemed to be a small wooden house in a remote place.
Suddenly, through the door of the house entered a tall blonde woman. She said she had brought someone home and mentioned a name, but I can't remember it. Then someone else ran to the door. It was a little girl who appeared to be the blonde woman's daughter.
"I have brought someone who is going to be part of our family from now on." Explained the tall blonde woman.
Behind the woman was another little girl. This one had brown hair and small purple horns on her head. In her eyes, you could clearly see the emptiness of her soul.
The woman mentioned something about a war, but I'm not sure what came next.
The little blonde girl ran to hug the other girl they had brought and told her that they were both going to take good care of her. After that, the dream began to destabilize, and everything went dark. I woke up in bed inside an unfamiliar room. I slowly opened my eyes and looked around a bit. It seemed like a wooden hut, and I was on a mat on the floor. There were doors like those of a traditional Japanese house and a small balcony in front of me. I could hear the wind rustling the leaves of the trees and the sound of night insects.
"When did it get so late?" I mumbled in confusion. I wanted to get up and look around more closely. But just as I was about to get up, I heard the voice of someone in the same room.
"Oh, I see you're awake already." Said a relieved girl who was sitting in a chair next to my bed.
She had greenish turquoise hair, a wine-colored dress and a big red bow on her head. She also wore some sort of smaller bow under her chin where she tied her side locks. It doesn't sound scary, but after being attacked by a girl in the middle of the woods, I didn't know what to think of the people in this strange place.
Anyway... I didn't feel like living any longer, so I cut to the chase.
"I guess you're gonna try to kill me too, won't you...?" I asked without any emotion in my tone.
The girl was surprised to see my reaction and put on a disappointed expression.
[Sighing heavily.] "Kill you? Why would I do something like that? I've only been taking care of you while you were unconscious. I found you lying at the foot of the mountain and wanted to take you to a safer place."
"Ah-.... I see..." I replied in confusion. "Still doesn't make any sense to me, the normal thing in my life is to be rejected by others. Why would you even try to help me?"
I still felt insecure towards the girl, I don't think even in a thousand years someone would genuinely offer me help. The girl didn't seem to have any intention of hurting me, but she could betray me at any moment.
She got up from the chair and walked to the balcony to close the curtains.
"You don't look like you're from around here..." She said as she looked at me full of curiosity. "I'd like to answer that question with certainty. But the truth is, I don't have the slightest idea where I might be. Recently, the stuff that had happened to me is hard to believe." I muttered in a somewhat subdued tone. "I suddenly go from having a normal day to being on the verge of death twice in one day and experiencing several paranormal events."
The girl was quiet for a couple of seconds and sighed. "This is going to be a little complicated to explain, but right now you are in a place cut off from the outside world. This fantasy land is known as Gensokyo, a place inhabited by hundreds of beings that to many are considered urban legends of Japanese folklore, which are also known as youkai." Explained the girl as she returned to her chair.
"A fantasy land isolated from the outside world...?"

The girl continued with her explanation.
"From what I've heard, hundreds of years ago this land was just another part of what you call Japan. But the supernatural beings that now dwell here terrorized the humans. The humans, with their large population and strategies, managed to wage war on the youkai, and so, the most powerful youkai started the plan called "Youkai Expansion Project", which consisted of creating a barrier that would divide the outside world from this fantasy land so that there would be no more conflicts. And this is the place where we are right now."

I paused to think for a bit, none of this sounds right…
"Fantasy land…? How do you expect me to believe such a statement? But at the same time, I don't think I'm dreaming, it seems too real." I said as I looked at my hands closely in fear.

"I suppose you come from the outside world, don't you?"

"I come from school, that's all I know.... But I also have no idea how I ended up in.... Gen.-Gensokyo?"

[Putting her finger to her lip.] "Hm.... The only possible way for a normal human to get here is through the Great Barrier, which its only entrance is the Hakurei Temple. I guess you went there without realizing it."

"Yes... I remember that, on a mountain on the outskirts of the city, I found a temple that looked abandoned on the outside." I muttered.

"Well, that explains why you are here. "

I see..." I muttered trying to connect dots. "But anyway, I don't have a place to return anymore.... I guess I'll just stay here and wait for someone else to eat me." I said already tired of it all.

"..." The girl pondered over my answer. I guess it wasn't what she expected to hear.
[Sighing.] "People like you only have two options when you get here." She mentioned holding up her two fingers. "Either stay as villagers in the Human Village, or... end up as youkai food." Mumbled the girl somewhat gloomy. "That's because of how the barrier works, leaving Gensokyo is nearly impossible. If you try to walk back, you'll feel like you're walking in a loop without moving where you are. And the reason behind this, is so that dangerous youkai won't head to the outside world."

"I guess you're not one of those youkai that eat humans, are you...?" I asked to be sure.

[Denying with her head.] "Not at all." "However,... it's not safe for humans or youkai to get too close to me..."
"I don't see how you could hurt me."
"It's... a bit complicated. It's not like I'd do it willingly."
"I'm all ears."
"First of all, my name is Hina, Hina Kagiyama. I am a minor goddess of Gensokyo who oversees collecting the bad fortune of others."
"Hm? Sounds like a rather kind gesture."
[Sighing sadly.] "Doing so comes at a price I have to pay...""The bad fortune I collect is stored inside my body." Hina said looking at her hands. "It makes other people suffer from misfortune if they get too close to me. It's like a curse..."
"That means... if I get too close to you, would unlucky stuff happen to me?"
"That would be the most common thing. But bad fortune in humans... can cause more severe damage." She added with a sad expression on her face.
"I see...-" [Sighing heavily while shrugging.] "Well... I don't think my luck can get any worse." I said in a hopeless tone.
[Pouting.] "You really don't understand, this could cost you your life! -"
[Frowning.] "Then why did you decide to bring me all the way out here and take care of me?"
"W-Well, it's just that..."
"I'll be honest with you. I have nowhere to drop dead, I have no one who can be there to support me. I have... no reasons to stay alive." I interrupted. "If I have to die because of your bad fortune, I'll take it without complaint."
[Looking at me with concern.] "..."
"But..." [Smiling softly.] "At least I would die happy knowing that someone cared for me..." I said in a soft tone.
[Shrugging.] "Still... I'd have a hard time living with the burden of having had to end someone's life."
"You'll forget about me eventually, it's no big deal." "But I do wish to know more of this land we're in before I die." I said letting out a small laugh. [Sighing.] "I don't know if that's the best idea..., but if it's your wish, I could make an attempt to show you around a bit."
The sun had already set by this time. From what she explained, I understand that I'm trapped in a dangerous land full of mythological beings. Anyone else's main goal would be to get out of here at all costs, but I no longer have anything to lose. I would like to see how long I can survive in this place. So, it would be a good idea to also keep some sort of journal in which I can document my time here.
[Looking around the room.] "Where did I leave my backpack? I swore I never took it off..." I said to myself.
[Pointing.] "You mean that bag over there?" Asked Hina pointing at a small desk that was in one of the corners of the room.
I got up from the mat, but a stabbing pain shot through my legs and abdomen.
"Ack!" I placed my hands on the floor in pain so I wouldn't fall.
"Are you alright!?" Hina exclaimed worriedly rushing towards me. "You shouldn't get up while being in such a bad state. I was barely able to treat your wounds with bandages and basic medicine."
I don't remember why I had these wounds or why my clothes burnt and torn. I recall being attacked by that blonde girl… and then I happened to be falling from the skies onto a tree. Most likely that girl beat me up and sent me flying through the skies. Although that wouldn't make sense either... She said she wanted to eat me.
Hina helped me up and limping, I made my way to the small desk. I opened my backpack and took out my dream journal and a pen.
[Looking at me curiously from behind.] "What are you doing?"
[Turning around to show her my notebook.] "It's a little journal I've had for a while to write down the dreams I remember when I wake up in the morning." I explained. "But from now on, I'll use it to write down my day-to-day life here in Gensokyo."
[Letting out a small laugh.] "I see. Sounds fun hehe."
I opened the notebook, but... something... was... not... right....I started flipping through the pages and everything I read made no sense to me. I didn't recognize the names, places or events I had written down. [Startled.] "What date is it? I asked.
"Uhm... we are... first day of month nine of season 123."
"Season 123...? I asked back.
"Yes, did I mistake?"
"In the outside world we use the year number based on our calendar." I replied. "I guess... you guys have a different way of measuring time." [Pulling the cell phone out of my pocket.] "Damn... it completely dead." I muttered trying to turn it on.
[Pointing to my cell phone.] "And what might that artifact be?"
"Erm... it's hard to explain. But it's like a device where we store our information and communicate with others remotely. It also serves to disassociate you from reality in classes by seeking entertainment media." I explained.
"Oh my... Sounds like a very powerful tool."
"It is, when it's charged..." But back to the case. I remember the day I had at school today; I remember being late for work and getting fired. I remember trying to jump onto the subway tracks... And I remember making it all the way to the abandoned temple. But my memory is partially clouded of what my life has been like before this day…The puzzle is not complete. I try to connect dots with certain events, and I cannot remember some things at all. What was my life like before? Where did I really come from? What... is… even… my… name…?
My heart rate began to accelerate, and my breathing was heavy. I was trembling out of pure fear. I felt myself sinking into despair at not being able to remember. It was so overwhelming that I felt like I was going to lose my mind, as I always do when I have a problem....
But this time it was different...
I felt a warm hand on my shoulder.
"Did something happen? You have been staring at the paper without writing a single word."
Just knowing that there was someone else with me who was trying to help me, made me calm down.
[Decayed.] "Yes... I feel like I lost part of my memories, and as hard I try, I can't remember anything..." I said while dropping the pen.
"Hmm... Maybe it could be because of your injuries." Hina replied gently. "Or do you think those... things... you have in your head have something to do with it?"
I didn't know how to react to what Hina said. "My... head? What are you talking about?" I asked with fear and uncertainty.
Hina picked up a small mirror that was on the desk where I was sitting.[Placing the mirror in front of me.] "I thought... you were already aware of this."
I couldn't believe what I was witnessing. If I was having trouble remembering who I really was, this just complicated things even more....
[Rubbing my head with both hands.] "What... are... these...?"
In my head, I had a pair of crystals that were somewhat shaped like horns. They were shinny purple and had pointed polygonal shapes.
I panicked once again as I grabbed the strange crystals trying to pull them off. But in doing so, I triggered some kind of electric shock that made my whole-body bristle and burned my hands a little.
"What... is going on with me today?" I muttered with my voice cracking while tears started to run down my face.
I was having an existential crisis; I no longer knew what was real and what was not. Could it be that the "dreams" written in my dream journal are my reality? Could it be that at this moment I am dreaming too?
[Placing her hand gently on my head.] "We'll find some way for you to get your memory back." Hina said with a warm smile.
I still had a lump in my throat, and I really wanted to trust Hina. I know that she is a complete stranger to me, but I have no one else in this world. I don't know if I'm making the right decision... but I ran out of options. She may end up betraying me like others before... but now I will show my best side. [Sobbing.] "Okay..."
[Clasping her hands together.] "I know, I can show you what daily life is like here in Gensokyo tomorrow if you like. Maybe that can help you feel better."
I wiped my tears a little with my burnt coat.
[Nodding.] "I really appreciate it." I said wistfully.
"It's the least I can do." Hina said smiling with a warm and kind tone. "Ah... by the way. My apologies for not asking this before, but what might be your name?"
"My... name-?." I mumbled trying to remember. It seems that something as basic as my name was also erased from my memory... I don't know how to express it, but it's like every time I want to remember a moment where my name was mentioned in the past, the scene goes blank. [Bowing slightly.] "I'm really sorry..., but I can't remember who I am right now."
Hina looked at me a little worried. "I understand..." "Don't worry about it, let's hope that you'll gradually regain your memories. For now, I'll let you rest. I'll be in the next room if you need anything." "Oh, and the bathroom is down the hall."
"Thank you very much, Miss... Kagiyama."
[Smiling.] "Just call me Hina." She said as she walked out of the room and closed the door.

There was a clock hanging on the wall of the room.
"Hm, it's already ten o'clock at night, I should get some sleep." I said to myself.
I took off my burnt and torn coat to settle into bed. Today was a horrible day, and my mind couldn't stop going circles about everything that has happened as I tried to fall asleep. I laid on my back staring at the ceiling in the room.
What if I fall asleep and everything that happened today was really just another dream? The question left me restless, but eventually I drifted with my eyes closed and fell asleep to the sound of the ticking clock.
Rambling in my subconscious, I began to dream of something disturbing. I dreamed of a terrifying dark entity with horns holding the world in one hand. And as it opened its gigantic mouth to eat the planet, I found myself bound in chains somewhere in space. I couldn't dream anymore because I was awakened by a severe headache.
[Clutching my head.] "Agh... I should go get some water."
It was around two in the morning; it was still dark outside.
I left the bedroom and walked down the dark hallway to the bathroom. I tried to look for a light switch by running my hand over the wall, but I remembered that this place seems to be a few centuries behind compared to the modern world. So, I turned on a small oil lamp that was on the bathroom sink.
As I washed my face and sipped some water, I heard it again....The mysterious and terrifying voice that has been haunting me since the subway station made its presence once again.
"What do you think you're doing...?" The voice muttered in annoyance.
I jumped in fright and my heart started beating fast again.
"I brought you into this world to be my ticket out of this prison... Not to waste your time." Said the voice in a dry, serious tone.
And as I heard a snap of fingers... the suffering resumed. My vision began to distort. My reflection in the mirror became more and more twisted. That sharp pain I had felt before... was returning. I could see my pupils turning into yin-yang orbs rotating over my sockets.
[Agonizing.] "E-EN...agh-...ENOUGH!" I exclaimed as the sink was stained red from the blood dripping from my eyes and mouth.
But I couldn't take it and collapsed on the floor. "..."
A blinding purple light emanated from my body, illuminating the entire bathroom for a second.
My body rose up, but again, it wasn't me controlling my own body.
I walked out into the hallway that was lit by the huge full moon and headed back to my room.
I pulled back the curtains and opened the balcony door to go outside, letting in the breeze of the night. I stood on the wooden railing where I could contemplate the dark scenery. And as I leaned my body forward a little to gain momentum, my legs began to charge with a mysterious energy that gave off electric sparks. In a split second, I was already high above the clouds under the bright moon that illuminated the entire landscape. And so, jumping miles, my body reached a small temple that was farther away.
After a while, we landed on a stone walkway in front of a small temple. This familiar temple was the one I had entered Gensokyo through the previous afternoon, but the one controlling my body seemed very confused and started talking to herself.
"How strange... I don't remember there being a temple right at the edge of the barrier..."
I slowly walked towards the temple, paying careful attention to the surroundings, as if whoever was handling my body was waiting for someone's surprise attack.
Eventually, the echo of my footsteps on the stone stopped. When I reached the entrance of the temple, whoever was occupying my body focused her attention on a small wooden donation box. She knew what it was, but when she tried to put her hand on the box to look inside, a projectile was fired at us out of nowhere.
The shot missed. It was a paper amulet ofuda that slowly disintegrated as it collided with a wooden pillar of the temple.
My body stood guard, waiting for the attacker. Light footsteps could be heard on the wooden boards of the temple entrance, approaching us delicately.
"What kind of twisted morals do you have to steal a donation box in the middle of the night?" Asked the person slowly walking towards us.
As she approached, I could see her in the light of the full moon. It was a girl about my height, dressed like a temple priestess. Her dress and skirt were deep red, while her long, loose sleeves were white. She wore a huge red ribbon with ornaments on her head.

Chapter 5: ༄【Night walk】༄

Dulled by frustration, the voice that inhabited my body clenched my fists and turned to face the priestess.

[Enraged.] “Can't I ever conduct my personal business without some miserable person getting in my way...?” She said using my voice.

[Narrowing her eyes.] “Well, it also becomes my business if it's MY money.” Replied the priestess pointing a wand at me.

[Clicking her tongue.] “Tsk, I'm not here for your stupid, empty donation box.”

Silence pervaded the temple for a couple of seconds.

[Clenching her fists and teeth.] “You bastard... Now I have enough reason to exterminate you!” Exclaimed the priestess in annoyance as she pulled more paper amulets from her hands.

A fierce explosion shook the temple.

“Agh... those amulets are too fast for this useless body to evade.” Said the voice while covering my face with my arms after evading the attack.

[Approaching slowly through the smoke.] “Not just anyone is able to evade an attack like that...” Murmured the priestess in a threatening tone.

“...”
My body began to charge up with some kind of energy from my legs.
And with an explosive leap that broke the sound barrier, I lunged at the priestess hoping to deliver a direct hit.

But I in the blinking of an eye, there was nothing but a tree in front of me and we ended up crashing against it.
“H-How...is...what? I swore I hit her.”

The priestess didn't even flinch, and without having moved a millimeter, she turned her cold gaze towards me.
“You failed not because I dodged it, but because my power is incomprehensible to many...” She explained in a serious tone. “However,... that speed of yours may give me trouble, so I'd better end this quickly.” Said the priestess as two floating yin-yang orbs appeared by her sides.
She pulled out one more amulet and as she held it up high with her two fingers, he began to recite his attack.

“SPELL CARD!”

“Spirit Sign ~ FANTASY ORB!!!”

From her body, glowing white spheres began to emanate, which were covered with different colored lights.
And as if they were missiles, they all went straight towards where I was at high speeds, colliding and generating a thunderous explosion.

“...”
[Shaking her hands.] “I hope that taught you a lesson.”

But after the smoke cleared, she could see that there was no one under the tree anymore.

“You're not the only one who can dodge...”

The priestess turned quickly only to look at an imposing figure flying above her under the light of the full moon.
Piercing white eyes and a haunting aura caused the priestess to stop being so self-confident.

[Raising an arm in the air.] “Let's see how well you can perform against this…”

From the tip of my finger, a massive orb of purple energy began to emerge.
Fierce winds began to shake the trees like a hurricane.
The monstrous orb was ten times larger than the temple itself.

The priestess gripped her purification wand tightly and fearfully.
“Hey! That's against the rules of danmaku! It's not even a Spell Card!”

Whoever was controlling my body seemed to care little.
“But you'll be able to dodge it anyway, right?” Exclaimed the voice in a sinister tone about to hurl the huge energy meteorite at the temple.

The priestess clenched her fists and teeth.
“Tsk... You don't seem to want to play by the rules...”
She placed her hand in front of the massive orb in the sky as he recited.
“Holy Relic...”

From the palm of her hand, a yin-yang orb began to form as bright as the moon itself.

“YIN-YANG SANCTIFIER ORB!!!”

The priestess hurled a mighty, gigantic orb toward me.
It was as massive as the one I had just created in the sky.

Both orbs began to rush towards each other as if they were meteors.
Such a collision would leave everything around them in ruins.

They were millimeters away from each other, everything was going to be destroyed by the energy collision.

But this act was interrupted by something or someone.
A giant rift broke the sky right at the point where the two orbs were going to collide.
A rift so massive that it swallowed both orbs. This rift in the sky had hundreds of eyes staring directly into my soul.

Everything became silent for a few seconds. The fight was over in a second after that event.

The gigantic rift in the sky closed and right after that, a smaller one opened over the roof of the temple.
From this one, a woman with long blonde hair began to emerge, swaying in the night breeze.
She covered her face with a fan while holding a threatening and dangerous but delicate look at the same time.

The priestess quickly turned to look at the mysterious woman.
“Why did you even come?” She complained between annoyed and confused.

The woman removed the fan from her face to speak.
“I sensed you might have needed some help.” She said in a sophisticated tone.

[Crossing her arms.] “Huh? But I had this in control-”

“Your temple was going to be obliterated to pieces because of the collision.” Interrupted the woman.

[Sighing.] “...” “Is this individual any of your business?” Asked the priestess to the woman while pointing at me.

[Squinting.] “That’s correct, I did not think I would have to deal with her again...”

The being controlling my body seemed to be annoyed by the blonde woman's presence.
But more than just displeasure... it seemed like her blood was boiling inside. That anger was on another level.
[Clenching my fists and biting my lip.] “This goddamn wretch...” She muttered angrily.
“SHE ALWAYS GETS IN MY WAAAY!!!!” Shouted angrily as an intimidating purple aura emanating from my body expanded into the entire sky.

The woman didn't even flinch, but she looked disgruntled.
“...”

I extended my hand, and chains with sharp points began to shoot out of my hand towards the woman.
But for her, it was as simple as that to open another portal in the air in front of her to absorb the attack completely.
A second portal opened behind me, and the chains that were absorbed by the rift in front of me, were now heading towards me from behind.

[Bewildered.] “YOU BITCH-” Exclaimed the voice as my body was completely bound by the chains.

Followed by this, she pulled the chains that wrapped me towards the portal and then closed it as she covered herself again with her fan with a disappointed expression in her eyes.

 

The woman slowly descended towards the rocky esplanade in front of the temple.
[Sighing.] “If this person is who I think she is... the situation could turn into a difficult incident to resolve...” Murmured the woman.

“Is she that strong? I’ve never seen you afraid of anyone.” Asked the priestess in a mocking tone.

“It was several centuries ago; I don't remember what she looked like anymore.... But anyway, I will be watching that nothing happens to the barrier, so if you notice any strange behavior, I count on you, Reimu.”

[Yawning.] “Ah.... yeah yeah, whatever.” Said the priestess as she headed back to her temple to continue sleeping.

Meanwhile, in an instant, the rift that sucked me in took me back to Hina's hut.
The portal opened right into one of the rooms and I fell onto a bed.
I regained control over my body, but for some reason, I was tired beyond comprehension.

Chapter 6: ༄【Daily life in Gensokyo】༄

A glimmer of light crossed my eyelids, and along with the sound of birds singing, it made me wake up.
[Scratching my eyes.] “Huh...? Is it morning already...?” I asked myself tiredly. “I feel like I had a long, strange dream last night...” I mumbled thoughtfully.

I leaned back on the bed, but something was out of place.
I could tell there was someone else in my bed... But as far as I know, I had gone to sleep alone.
I lifted the blanket a little.
“W-Why w-why w-why is she here?!” I mumbled as I rolled back.

Hina opened her eyes slowly since she was awakened by the noise.

An awkward silence pervaded the room....

After a few seconds, Hina realized that I was in her bed.
“EHHHHH?!!!?!!!.” Exclaimed Hina covering herself with the blanket while her face was red as a tomato.

She kicked me out of the bed...

*****

Hina set about making breakfast while I waited sitting at the small wooden kitchen table.

“S-So... Did something happen last night?” Asked Hina curiously as she prepared the tea.

“Hmm... Not that I remember, why do you ask?”

“When I went to the bathroom this morning, I found a trickle of blood in the sink. I just wanted to know if your wounds were okay.”

Come to think of it... in the early morning I had gone to the bathroom because I wasn't feeling very well, but... I don't remember returning to my bed... It's also not normal for my wounds to kind of heal after just one night's sleep.
“I really have no idea; I have no open wounds.” I said as I checked my body.

[Relieved.] “I see...” “Well, it could have been anything else, here in Gensokyo abnormal occurrences are very common.” Hina sighed as she brought the teacups to the table.

I started eating as if I haven’t eaten for weeks, I was really fascinated by the taste of the food Hina had prepared.

[With a warm smile.] “I see you liked the food.”

[Trying to swallow.] “Yesh, it's very tasty.” I said trying to speak with my mouth full.

Before I came to Gensokyo, I remember I was limited to eating packaged stuff from the supermarket, I never had the chance to eat homemade dishes.

Hina took the dishes to the kitchen sink after we both finished eating.

[Drying her hands.] “Well, I think I know what we can do today. So that we don't get too far away, how about if I show you around the foothills of Youkai Mountain?”
“Hm... if you think it's safe, then I guess it's okay.”

“As long as you stay close to me, you won't be in any danger. Besides, your injuries seem to be way better.”

I still don't understand how that happened. I'm not fully recovered, but everything certainly hurts less, and it all healed very quickly...

Hina put her gaze on the clothes I was wearing.

[Pointing at me.] “And by the way... I see your dressing is not in the best condition... Give me a moment, I will be right back.”

I took a moment to take a good look inside the small cabin.
Everything is made of wood and there are really no appliances. I must say that somehow, I feel more... detoxified? I don't know if that's the word, but I feel more relaxed being here than in the city.
The cabin had a few pieces of furniture, couches, a kitchen and the rooms I had already seen.
I really feel like I've traveled back centuries in time....

Hina came back from her room and brought with her a few clothes.
[Putting everything on the table.] “I have a couple of things you can wear. I think what you're wearing is... a bit too damaged to repair it hehe...”

Hina handed me a pair of tall boots made of leather, a white shirt, a red tie with white dots, a pair of leather belts and a long, baggy black kimono.

“I have quite a few garments in my closet that I don't wear, so, if you’d like to, you could try these on. I don't have that kind of garment you're wearing on your legs, but I see it's what's less damaged, so washing it would be more than enough.” Said Hina referring to my pants.

“Oh... I don't know what to say. I really thank you a lot, I'll go try them on right away.” I said making a little bow.

[Smiling.] “It's nothing.”

I headed to my room and started taking off what I was wearing.
[Smelling my armpit.] “Uagh... I think I should take a shower when we get back from taking the walk...”
I took off my school shoes, the soles of which had already peeled off. I put on my long leather boots. It's a bit of a paint to have to tie so many shoelaces...
The white shirt was like the one I wore to school, but this one was thinner.
I knotted the tie and put it on, and finally, I put on the huge kimono as a coat.
I only had the belts left... I don't really know where else I can put them besides my waist, so I decided to put them around my torso, maybe at some point I'll need extra space to hang items.
I looked in the mirror and it doesn’t look too bad. The only problem is... that the kimono is too big for me....

I left the room to show Hina.

“Well, how does it look on-...?” Hina just stared at me not knowing what to say.

“Hm... I don't know, I feel like this kimono is too big for me.” I said raising my arms letting the sleeves hang down.

“I see that...” “But well, when we get back, I can trim it and sew it to fit you.”

[Taking off my kimono.] “Okay, thank you very much anyway.”

Hina stared at my torso.
“Ehm.... and... what are the belts for?”

[Shrugging.] “I don't know, I thought they would look better.” I replied while looking at my abdomen.

Hina took the kimono to her room and came back with a basket of clothes.
[Handing me the basket.] “Here, we'll start with this.”

“And this is?” I asked confused.

“I put a clothesline near the river, so we'll go hang these clothes to dry. And since you're here, I'd like you to return the favor by helping me with the housework.”

We left the small cabin to head for the river.
The tall treetops, the gentle morning breeze and the bright sunshine made me feel better, it was like a fantasy place, everything was colorful and alive.
But what stood out most of all the beautiful scenery, was a colossal mountain of which I couldn't see the top because the clouds covered it.

“What's on top of the mountain?” I asked full of curiosity as we walked.

[Looking up.] “This is the Great Youkai Mountain, home to many of the youkai of Gensokyo. At the top is a Shinto temple that is inhabited by two elder goddesses and a priestess.”

“And how do people get up there if they want to visit the temple?” I asked.

“Hm... I don't know if there will be stairs to walk up there, usually you get there by flying.”

“Is everyone here able to fly?”

“I would say most of us can. It's something as natural as walking, so it's a bit strange for me to have to talk about this hehe.” Replied Hina with a small laugh.

Some of the leaves on the trees were already starting to turn yellow and the breeze that day felt cool, just as it was in the city before coming here.
I guess the seasons in Gensokyo happen at the same time as outside the barrier.
In the wide, yellow meadows surrounding the mountain, I could see some fairies playing under the big blue sky, and I could also see two girls harvesting crops from a huge vegetable garden.

All this... for some reason sounds like I have experienced it before....
I started to wander through my mind trying to recover some memories.
I think I once... went out to play with... who was that girl? I knew she was someone very close to me.
I remember one fall morning we left the house to go play with the dry leaves on the ground.
I remember I liked to pile up the leaves to make a big mountain and then jump on it.
Also, for some reason, Hina's presence... reminds me of her. She was someone who used to take care of me and made me feel safe, she was like a real mother.

“Enjoying the scenery?” Asked Hina while looking at me with a smile.

“Ah? What?” I replied confused shaking my head.

[Laughing.] “You haven’t spoken for a while; it seems like you got carried away by something.”

“Ah that...” “This little walk made me revisit some... good memories from the past...” I muttered smiling.

[Looking up at the sky.] “Me too... it brings back good memories of this place...” Hina said with a wistful expression on her face.
“But you've lived here your entire life, don’t you?”
“Hmmm... It's been so many years that I lost count a long time ago. But oh well, that's normal for beings like us, we're so long-lived that eventually we stop looking back.”

After a couple of minutes, I could hear swift water currents in the distance.

“And here we are.”

The scenery looked like something out of a fantasy book, it was all so perfect and harmonious.
The river crossing the yellow forest was coming from far above in the sky.

I placed the basket of clothes on the ground and put my hand on my forehead to block out the sunlight as I looked up to the top of the mountain.

“It's... a gigantic waterfall...” I said full of awe.

Hina stood next to me and pointed to one of the highest parts of the mountain.
“The river comes from a large lake near the top of Youkai Mountain. From there it falls forming what we know as the Waterfall of the Nine Heavens.” Explained Hina.

Hina walked over to the riverbank where two wooden poles were embedded to the ground, with leads connected between the poles.
We both started hanging the wet clothes on the clothesline, it seemed like a strategic place since it was a part of the forest where the trees did not block the direct sunlight.

[Dusting off her hands.] “Alright, that was the last one. We can go back now-”
As Hina spoke, a huge explosion rumbled behind us in the river.
We quickly turned around to see a huge body of water being shot into the sky.
So much water shot out that when it began to fall, it looked as if it was pouring rain.

Coming out of the river, a girl coughed as she leaned against a rock on the bank.
[Spitting out water.] “Ouch... yet another malfunction in the circuit...” Mumbled the girl in disappointment.

[Pouting annoyed.] “Hmm... Why do you always have to do your experiments near my clothesline?” Asked Hina addressing the girl.

[Scratching her head in embarrassment.] “Ah... haha... Sorry Hina-chan.

[Sighing heavily.] “Well... I'll have to go back to change my clothes.” Hina complained disappointedly as she lifted her soaked dress.

The girl came out of the river and noticed me as I hid behind Hina to remain unnoticed.
[Pointing at me.] “Hm? And who's that over there?” Asked the girl.

Hina pushed me a little to the front to introduce me to the other girl.
“He's a lost human I have been taking care of. He lost part of his memories, so he doesn't remember his name either.”

[Shaking my hand.] “I see. Nice to meet ya, lost human, I'm Nitori, a kappa engineer hehe.” She the girl cheerfully.

She was a short girl, with short blue colored hair and two pigtails on the sides. She was wearing a black tank top, shorts and rubber boots.

“N-Nice… to meet you… t-too” I stammered, shaking her hand back.
“Well, I guess we'll go back to the hut.” Said Hina as we turned around.

“Hey Hina, got a second?”

Hina walked over to Nitori, and I could tell Nitori whispered something to Hina. I couldn't hear from where I was, but I noticed that Hina’s face turned bitter sad as she answered her.
I guess it's a private matter between the two of them, but it still generated some concern and... fear.

Hina said goodbye to Nitori and walked away, and as she did so, I could see she forced her expression to bring it back to normal.

“Is she an acquaintance of yours?” I asked.

“Ah, Nitori. Yes, she's an old friend hehe. She lives around here nearby and keeps doing... strange experiments with artifacts that come from the outside world.”

“Wah... I didn't know they were capable of using human technology here too.”

“She has a knack for that, the vast majority of us are unable to understand what she does and says.”
Hina again expressed some sadness on her face, but still tried to maintain a smile.
“And she has tried to help me with her gadgets, but I think the machines are not for us youkai to use...” Said Hina somewhat uncomfortably intertwining her fingers.

“Can’t blame you, in the outside world there are also people who don't know how to use a computer.” I replied trying to ease the tension.

[Letting out a small laugh.] “I guess nowadays there are people who find it hard to adapt to the new. But well, we'd better hurry before it gets cold, we might catch a cold if we walk around with our clothes soaked.”

Walking at a brisk pace, we arrived back at Hina's hut.

“Okay, I'll go heat up the water for a shower, then you can take a bath.”

“Aight.”

I took a towel and put it over the sofa so I wouldn't get it wet.
I can't help but think of something that has been bothering me since the beginning. I always thought that happiness would come to me when I had someone to talk to, but it seems that's not the case.
It's not normal for people here to treat me nicely for no reason... What if Hina and the other people behave one way in front of me, but have other intentions?
I remember this happened to me in school. I'm not able to remember details, but I know that someone once reached out to me and then used me to their benefit.
I complain that people avoid me, but I'm the one who's afraid to get close, I don't want to get hurt again....
Probably Hina would take advantage of me too. Why would she even care about me…?
But I don't want anyone to see this side of me either. That cowardly side that fears people and the unknown....

As I ranted about my own mind for almost forty minutes, Hina came out of the bathroom with a towel on her body and over her hair.
“Sorry for taking so long, I left the bath ready for you.” She said as she headed to her room.

I got up and took the towel I had been sitting on.
The bathroom looked like a sauna; I hope it isn’t that hot.
I took off my wet clothes and bandages to slowly get into the boiling water bathtub.
My body was acclimatizing little by little, it was really relaxing....
My wounds looked better, although they still hurt a little.

A thought crossed my mind as I continued to lie in the tub. What is my goal in life? I remember before I came here, my dream was to be able to have a family and live a normal life, but I don't think that's going to be possible anymore.
In some memories I see that my life wasn't always so depressing, I had some moments where I really felt... alive.
Although... this gives me an idea where to start. As soon as I get out of the tub, I'll write that down in my notebook as my new goal.

I got out of the bath with my towel but remembered that my clothes were still all soaked.

Hina was waiting for me in the living room.

“Um... I don't have anything to wear, my clothes got all wet.” I said to Hina, showing her my boots and pants.

“Hmm... I think I can dry them in time with the fire I used to heat the water.” She said as she got up from the sofa. “I have more shirts like that, so don't worry.”

After a while, my clothes were almost dry, maybe just a little damp.
So, I put them on and a long warm coat that Hina gave me because the afternoon was already getting a bit chilly.

“Since you can't fly, we'll have to walk. It will take us a little longer, but I guess I can show you more things during the trip.” Hina explained as we walked out of the cabin.

“Wait, are we going outside again? Where?” I asked.

“We can have a quick visit to the priestess of the Hakurei temple. It's important that you know how to get there in case of an emergency.” Hina replied.

The afternoon began to feel colder due to how close autumn was getting. The wind was blowing stronger, and the sky had turned gray.
Still, walking on the paths under the trees in that cool weather was truly relaxing.
Apparently, Gensokyo is not such a big place, but it has a lot of diversity in terms of species and landmarks.

I wanted to say something because we were both silent during the walk. It's not like me to start a conversation, but if I want to change, I must start doing simple tasks.
“If you had to choose one place to spend the rest of your life, what would it be and why?”

Hina let out a small laugh.
“What's with that question?”

[Scratching my head.] “Nothing really. I just wanted to see how it feels to have a normal conversation with someone.”

Hina smiled as she looked at me and then raised her gaze to the cloudy sky.
“I don't know anywhere besides Youkai Mountain and its surroundings... But anywhere would be fine if I have someone to accompany me.” Hina replied in a sincere and warm tone. “Aside from odd friendships, I've lived alone for several centuries collecting other people's bad fortune.”

“I see...” I looked down at the floor ruefully. “Just out of curiosity... Does the fact that I'm here makes you feel... less lonely?”

Hina understood perfectly what I tried to say and smiled kindly.
“You are not a hindrance; I appreciate your company... It's not very common for humans and youkai to live together, especially when I already told you the risk that comes with being around me...”

[Raising my head a bit.] “I-It's good to know that I'm at least good for something.” I said with a small nervous smile.

Hina put her hand on my head and gave me a pat.
“We'll find a way for you to find what makes you happy someday.”

After hearing these words, I feel horrible for doubting her....
She doesn't seem to be someone who wants to hurt me like the others, so I should stop being so cold to her.
Just thinking about this released a burden from my shoulders. I feel more relieved knowing that I don't have to be defensive with someone for the first time....

For the rest of the trip, we exchanged our personal tastes regarding things like food, hobbies, holidays and anecdotes. It's funny that Hina, being a goddess, has so much resemblance to a normal human.

After an hour and a half of conversation as we walked through the vast forests and plains, we came to some stone stairs leading upward.
“We have arrived at Hakurei Temple.”

We climbed the stone steps until we reached a tall Torii entrance.

[Looking at everything carefully.] “This... is the place where I entered...” I muttered as I surveyed the surroundings.

“The day you came here you told me that you came to Gensokyo through the Hakurei Temple, so I guess you already know the place.”

I could see that in the wooden porch of the temple sat a priestess in a red dress and bow accompanied by another blonde girl wearing a witch costume.
Hina and I approached to greet them.

[Bowing slightly.] “Good afternoon, Miss Rei-”

Hina couldn't finish her greeting when the priestess had risen to stand in front of me with an intimidating look.
[Narrowing her eyes.] “You came for a rematch?” She muttered in a serious tone as she looked straight into my soul.

“...”
I didn't know what to say, could she have mistaken me for another person?

Hina was surprised to see the priestess' reaction.
“Uhm... Have you two met already before?” She asked confused.

[Trembling.] “This... I don't know what's goin-” I stammered.

[Loading amulets between her fingers.] “You know very well what you did...” Said the priestess menacingly.

An awkward silence pervaded the atmosphere, no one knew what was going on except the priestess.

The girl dressed as a witch stood up to intervene.
[Putting her hand on the priestess' shoulder.] “Ehm... Reimu... I think you got the wrong person.” Said the mage somewhat apologetically.

“I know what I saw last night, don't toy with me.” Added the priestess annoyed.

Hina put her frail arm in front of me and tried to talk some sense into the priestess.
“Excuse me, but I've been taking care of him since he arrived, most likely you two haven’t met before!” Exclaimed Hina trying to defend me.

[Squinting.] “Tsk... If you didn't come with intentions of stealing anything this time, I guess I can let it go.” Claimed the priestess as she lowered her amulets.

The priestess returned to the porch to continue drinking her tea.

Hina was still confused but tried to forget what had just happened.
[Rubbing her hands.] “Well... we just came to say hi, I wanted to show him some parts of Gensokyo hehe...” Said Hina trying to ease the tension.

The mage raised her hat with her hand as a gesture of greeting.

[Waving her hand up and down.] “yeah yeah, whatever.” Replied the priestess.

As the evening-night fell, the wind got freezing, so much so that I began to shiver without realizing it.

[Sighing heavily.] “You can get in if you want…” Murmured the priestess as she saw Hina and I out there in the cold.

[Smiling apologetically.] “Ah... Well... I really appreciate it.” Hina replied.

As we walked up the wooden porch, I noticed a small donation box.
I peered inside and saw that it was so empty that it even had cobwebs in it.
[Pulling a coin out of my pocket.] “Well, I don't think I can use it here to buy anything.” I said as I tossed my small coin into the box.

The priestess stopped before entering the temple and stared at me uncertainly.
“Hah? What do you think you're doing? You think doing will make me forget about last night?” She asked distrustfully.

“I'm sorry if I did anything to make you angry, lately I'm not who I think I am...” I said looking at the box. “I just...felt the urge to do it. That coin is worth more in your box than it is in my pocket.”

[Sighing heavily.] “I don't think a single coin will do anything, but... it's okay, I forgive you.” Said the priestess clenching her teeth.

[Letting out a tiny smile.] “The greatest and most beautiful trees exist because someone had faith in a small, insignificant seed at the beginning.” I said as I turned to look at her.

[Pouting.] “What kind of analogy is that...? But anyway, it's not like it's relevant either.” Said the priestess somewhat uncomfortable and embarrassed.

The priestess closed the sliding door of the temple, and we all sat down under the kotatsu in the living room.

“Ah... It feels so good to finally get some warmth ze.” Murmured the mage full of pleasure.

The priestess came to the table with 4 cups of hot tea.

“Thank you very much, Miss Reimu.” Said Hina.

The mage stared at me as if she suspected something.
[Squinting doubtfully.] “Hm... hey, I think I remember seeing you around yesterday afternoon...” Muttered the mage trying to remember.

Since when did I run into so many people when I came to Gensokyo? I really don't remember ever seeing her before....

[Shrugging.] “I wouldn't know how to answer, I've never seen you before.” I said trying to recall.

“I see... Well, never mind. I’ll introduce myself. I'm Marisa Kirisame, an ordinary magician hehe.” Said the girl dressed as a witch while extending her hand to me. “Nice to meet ya.”

[Shaking her hand back.] “I'm sorry, I'm currently unable to remember my name... But nice to meet you, Miss Kirisame.” I replied.

“Nahh... let's drop the formalities, just call me Marisa~” She smiled while winking.

The priestess put down her cup of tea.
“I'm Reimu, Reimu Hakurei, the current priestess of Hakurei Temple.”

[Pushing her with her shoulder.] “Come on Reimu, why so glum?”

“Tsk, what are you talking about? I'm just being myself.” Replied Reimu.

“Bitter as always.” Added Marisa in a mocking tone.

I turned to look at Hina.
“You're not going to introduce yourself?” I asked curiously.

“Ah, no, they I already knew me hehe.” Hina replied.

“Ah... yeah, I remember.” Reimu said. “You got in my way when I was heading towards Moriya Temple like a year ago.”

[Sighing.] “Ah... haha... Yeah... I remember too… I just wanted to warn you about the danger of Youkai Mountain.” Added Hina as she rubbed her head.

“We are stronger than any other youkai, we don’t need help, do we, Reimu?” Said Marisa in a proud and cheerful tone.

“I don't know what you're talking about, I do everything by my own.” Reimu replied as she continued drinking her tea.

Hina looked up quickly.
“Agh! I didn’t turn off the kitchen with the dinner inside the pot!” She exclaimed as she stood up. “Wait here, I'll be right back.” Said Hina looking at me.

“A-Ah, sure.” I replied.

Marisa fixed her interest on the ridges on my head.
“Hey kid, if you're a human from the outside world, what are those funny crystals on your head?” She asked curiously as she pointed at me.

[Touching my ridges.] “Ah... these...” “I don't really know where they came from or what they are, but I think it's the cause why I lost my memories.”

“Do they give you some kind of power or something?” Reimu asked suspiciously.

“Hm... I highly doubt it, so far they haven't shown any signs of doing anything.” I replied.

[With a hinting smile.] “They would make a nice addition to my gem collection ze.” Said Marisa in a scheming tone.

“Could go one damn day without think about stealing stuff from others?” Complained Reimu.

[Scratching her head.] “Sorry haha, it's a habit.”

“Ehm... Reimu, could I use the toilet please? I think I drank too much tea.” I asked with some embarrassment.

“Yeah, it's the door next to that room.” Reimu replied pointing.

“Excuse me, thank you very much.” I replied as I ran out to the bathroom, I couldn't hold it anymore.

[Getting up from the kotatsu.] “Well, I think I'll be heading back, I have stuff to do.” Said Marisa.

“Aight, good night, Marisa.” Said Reimu as she waved goodbye.

As soon as Marisa left, Reimu started picking up the teacups to take them to the kitchen.

[Sighing heavily.] “Ah... It's been a long time since there's been an incident. Things get really boring around here when there's nothing to do.” Reimu muttered as she washed the cups.

After twenty minutes, Reimu realized that I had gone to the bathroom, but hadn't come out yet.
“What's taking him so long in there...?” She muttered suspiciously.
[Knocking on the door.] “Hey, do you need anything?” She exclaimed from the other side of the door.

“...”

But as she placed her hand on the door, it started to open.
“What the heck...?”
[Opening the door slowly.] “Ex... excuse me?”

Reimu was shocked to see that there was no one inside the bathroom, so she slowly walked in to check.

[Squinting.] “There's definitely something wrong with you...” Reimu muttered in a serious tone while looking at the bathroom window that was wide open.

At that, it sounded as if someone was knocking on the front door.
Reimu immediately went to open it, but it was only Hina who had just returned.
[Rubbing her hands from the cold.] “Sorry, I'm back.” Said Hina apologetically.

“You're late.”

“Late? Late for what?”

[Sighing.] “I don't know how to explain it... but your human just fled while I wasn’t looking.” Said Reimu scratching her head.

“H-Flee...flee...flee where!?”

“I'd like to answer that, but he just asked me to use the bathroom, and it looks like he escaped through the window.”

“This... it doesn't make sense...” Hina muttered upset. “I have to go look for him!”

[Sighing heavily and letting go of her arms.] “I don't have anything better to do, so I can give you a hand with the search.” Reimu said somewhat wearily. “I'll go get my coat.”

Chapter 7: ༄【The dreadful scarlet mansion】༄

I found myself submerged again in a lucid state in which I had no consciousness, I did not know what was happening around me.
It is not the first time this has happened to me, so, for the first time I tried to free myself from those chains that bound my soul.
I swam to the surface, and taking a deep breath, I regained control over my body.

[Looking at my hands while closing my fingers.] “I think... I'm back...” I said to myself somewhere between scared and surprised.

I remember we were at Reimu's temple, and I went to the bathroom, but... now I find myself in the middle of nowhere in a forest I can't identify. How did I even get here...?

But at that, the mysterious voice made its presence known again.
[Sighing heavily.] “It seems I can't hold you back so easily now...” Said the voice between annoyed and surrendered.
I remained silent as a cold chill ran down my spine, I didn't know if I should answer or ignore what I had just heard.
Every time I hear the voice, something painful happens.

But... if I want to change... I must prove that my fears are not stronger than me…
I plucked up my courage and decided to try to have a conversation with my inner voice.

“Ehm... Excuse me... Are you able to listen to me...?” I asked expecting the worst.

[Sighing annoyed.] “Yes, unfortunately.” Mumbled the voice.

“I see... May I ask what you're doing inside my head?”

“I'm not inside your head, you incompetent human.”

“Then... why can I hear you, but not see you?”

“Looks like someone likes questions, doesn't it?” She replied already fed up. “But oh well, I guess I have no other choice than telling you the truth. I'm the one who brought you to this stupid fantasy cage. I did it because I've been sealed somewhere for quite a long time, and I need someone to help me get out of here...” Explained the voice somewhat apologetic. “Besides, I can communicate with you because of those energy ridges I put in your hollow head.”

So that is what they’re for...
“And why did they seal you?” I asked as I sat down on a rock.

“If I tell you, it’ll only make things harder.”

“Hm... It depends. Will you do something evil if I release you from your seal?”

“What's even right and wrong? Everyone seems to have a different sense of morality. And that's the reason I was imprisoned. If me going out into the outside world was something bad for her, then destroying this stupid place she created isn't a bad thing either if I don't think it is, is it?”

“What does your heart tell you, would you really feel fulfilled if you did so?”

“My heart was taken from me twice long ago, a being like me has no room for such stupidity, I am not someone with good intentions.”

“If you don't have good intentions and what you want is to destroy this place, then you'll have to find someone else to help you.” I replied with an expression of disappointment and sadness. “I don't want you to ruin the one thing that has made me happy in this life...”

The voice suddenly stopped speaking and stayed like that for a few minutes.
I don’t know how to feel about this, it sounds like she has been having it rough too, but I can't let her destroy Gensokyo either.
Still, I wanted to try to find out if there was any way to negotiate this.

“What will you do in the outside world if I release you from your seal?” I asked with intrigue.

“...”
“None of your business” Replied the voice in a dry, cold tone.

“If you keep this up, we'll never come to an agreement.” I exclaimed already tired of her attitude.

“And why would I want to make a deal with a being as inferior as you?”

 

“Because I'd really like to help you so you can leave me alone!” I exclaimed in frustration. “As long as you're still in my body... you'll only destroy those around me...” I muttered, almost sobbing.

“...” “I can't trust you; how do I know you won't betray me in the future?”

That sentence... echoed loudly inside me... ....
It's something I always say to myself when someone offers me help.
Maybe... we're not so different after all.
I cleared my head a bit when I saw what kind of person I was dealing with.
I have to admit that she doesn't inspire confidence in me, she comes across as someone who has no empathy and is only out for personal gain.
I've met a lot of people who don't like to ask for help, but once you get to the point of frustration, many find it difficult to admit that they can’t do it by themselves. Some even instinctively become defensive. And I know that very well because I'm one of them, I prefer to do everything myself.
I remember... I once yelled at someone I really appreciated just because I let things like this take control over my actions.

“I... have also been used for the benefit of others...” I muttered with a slight smile as I looked down at the ground. “I had a hard time believing that there was people who actually wanted to help me. And yet, I decided to trust blindly because I had run out of options, but having taken that step, even if it’s a small step, has taken me further than I could have imagined...”

“...” “I guess... I ran out of options too...” She replied in a melancholy tone.

“Can't you find someone else who may help you?”

“The truth is... I've been trying for a long time to get help from other youkai or humans, but under this seal, my powers are almost unusable.” She explained. “The only reason I was able to connect with you was... because there's something inside you that rather made connection with me. I don't know what it is, but inside your heart dwells something darker than the abyss...”

“In... my heart? I thought the one inhabiting my body was you.”

“There was something else taking control over your mind before I did... I had to eliminate it, and I think that's the reason you lost part of your memories.”

“I still don't quite understand what you're talking about, but that gives me an idea.” I replied in a more serious tone. “I'll help you get out of your seal, but in return I want my memories back.”

“It's not as simple as you suggest, I can control your physical body at a certain point, but memories are something abstract.”

“And you think having to fight gods and powerful beings to get you out of a prison will be an easy task?” I interrupted, crossing my arms.

“...” “If you manage to get me out of here, I'll regain my powers back and I’ll try my best to somehow get you to remember your past.” Replied the voice between chagrined and thoughtful.

“And... if for some reason you still have the idea of destroying Gensokyo, I'll be the one to stop you, you hear?” I said trying to sound serious.

[Trying to hold back laughter.] “Are you serious? You don't know what you're talking about, I can beat you even before our confrontation begins.” Said the voice in a mocking tone.

[Letting out a small smile.] “We'll see about that... But for now, we need to go back to Reimu's temple.” I said as I looked at my surroundings.

[Thoughtfully.] “Regarding that... I don't know this place well enough to find a way back either.” Mumbled the voice pitifully.

[Sighing.] “Damn... In that case, I think it's best to stay here until Hina comes to find us.”

“It's going to get dark soon, I don't think the green-haired girl will come here in time. Maybe if we follow the path we might find some landmark.”

Green-haired... Even if she’s a powerful youkai, she seems to lack manners....
“Hm... I guess we could give it a try...” I mumbled hesitating on what decision to make.

*****

We walked along the path in the vast forest for half an hour without seeing anything to tell us where we were.
I should have trusted myself…
During the walk, the voice remained silent, and it’s a bit uncomfortable to be with someone without knowing what to say, I'm still working on my social skills...

“B-By the way... What's your name?” I asked nervously.

“Not that it's important, but... my name is Michitsuju, I'm the second youkai of the boundaries.”

“Michitsuju...” I muttered thoughtfully. “Don't you have a last name?” I asked. “I'm not very used to calling strangers by their first name.”

“...” “I... I stopped having a last name.”

[Raising an eyebrow.] “How is that even possible?”

“It's a long story, but I rather not talk about it...” She replied in a cold but melancholy tone. “Anyway, just call me by my name, human.”

[Uncomfortable.] “S-Sure…”
“By the way, regarding my name, do you know if that memory is still around?” I asked.

“I have no such memory, but I do seem to have heard that in some of your memories people referred to you by a name beginning with “A”, and... maybe an “m” or an “n”, I don't know, I can’t remember those useless details.” “Buy anyway, I'll call you Akumu.”

[Frowning in disagreement.] “A...kumu?” “What kind of name is that?”

“It wasn't question, that’ll be your name from now on, hmph.” She grumbled in a childish tone. “Besides, it sounds good knowing you carry something dark inside you.”

“Could you explain to me what you mean by that? You've been talking about something inside me for a while now, but I seriously don’t get it.”

[Sighing with concern.] “Deep inside your mind, you have obscure and strange memories... But if you don't know anything about it, it's better to keep it that way.”

“I don't think my life was bad enough to have had such horrible memories, but that's okay, if I can’t remember those, I guess I shouldn’t bother worrying about it.” I replied, even though I was dying out of curiosity.

*****

[Pondering.] “I don't think your human body will allow us to move faster... I guess, if you're going to work for me, you should have some way to defend yourself and move faster...” She complained sighing lazily.

“And how do you plan to make me move faster?”

“Just stay still.”

I noticed how the sky began to turn purple above me.
There were storm clouds hovering in circles over the forest accompanied by a strong gale that was ripping up the leaves.

[Covering my face with my arms.] “W-what do you think you’re do-”
I was interrupted by a powerful purple lightning bolt that lashed at me from the sky.
I felt as if my skin was burning, and I fell to my knees on the ground.
It wasn't painful, but still, it felt... heavy.

After a few seconds, it stopped.
I checked my body only to realize that I had no wounds, and my clothes were not toasted.

“Under the effects of the seal, I can't do much more, but I granted you the ability to control the flow of lightning. In short, your body is now able to store energy for later use.” Michitsuju explained.
[Looking at my hands in amazement.]

“The power is activated by snapping your fingers, but don't use it too much. Your body isn't designed to withstand it, and besides, the energy depletes easily.”

“And what can I do with this?”

“First we'll start with mobility, so close your eyes and concentrate the flow in your legs.”

I flexed my knees and clenched my fists as I closed my eyes.
I could feel some kind of energy flowing from my crests down to my legs....

“Now try to jump.”

As my feet lifted off the ground, I propelled myself up to the clouds in a second.

[Waving my arms and legs in panic.] “HOW DO I CONTROL THIS?”

“Calm down, otherwise you'll end up falling back to the ground!” The annoyed voice exclaimed.
I tried to take a deep breath and close my eyes hoping I wouldn't fall.
And apparently, it did work.
Somehow, the energy coursing through my body is connected to emotions, and as I calmed down, the electrical flow stabilized. Or at least that’s how I interpret it.

“I-I think I got it.” I muttered wobbling in the air trying to maintain control.

“Alright, now try to lean forward slowly.”

It wasn't as easy to take in as walking, but as I tried to move forward, my body responded as if I were swimming in the air.
I guess this is what people from Gensokyo are used to, just as Hina said.

“Perfect, now try to move forward a little faster.”

I don't know if it's a good idea to go fast if I'm barely managing to stay in the air.
I tried to give more momentum, but I think I overdid it a bit.
I shot like a bullet, skimming the treetops at the speed of sound.

“Idiot! Not like that!” Michitsuju exclaimed in disappointment.

“I CAN'T STOP!!!”

I got out of the forest and crossed a found myself flying over a giant blue lake where fairies could be seen flying and playing.

“EXCUSE ME!!!” I exclaimed as I covered my face with my arms.

I collided with several fairies and threw them into the lake.

The only good thing about all that was that I managed to slow down due to crashing against them.
But I hadn't seen the monstrous mansion on the other side of the lake anyway and ended up crashing thunderously into a brick wall.

[Sighing heavily.] “I guess you'll get the hang of it at some point...” She said between annoyed and disappointed.

[Rubbing my head.] “Ouch... I did take quite a bump...” I complained as I sat on... a balcony?

I stood up to see where I had landed.
Leaning on a metal railing and looking down, I noticed that I was on the fourth floor of a huge red mansion.
No way would I jump down from where I was.

“Agh... What do I do what do I do what do I do...?” I said to myself, trying to think of how to get out of here.

I can't just jump and leave my fate to luck.

“Bah, stop crying so much and just get in through the window. It looks like an interesting place to look for clues fu fu fu~” She said in a proud and challenging tone.

“C-CLUES?! You do know we're sneaking into someone's house that we DON'T know!!!?” I asked altered.

[Sighing in disappointment.] “We had a deal, don't we?” Muttered Michitsuju. “Take it easy, if anything happens, I can just take control over your body and leave.”

“B-But... that is...” “Ah... whatever...” “I hope you take responsibility for this one.” I muttered putting my hand over my face.

[In a mocking tone.] “Of course, mister coward.”

I really cannot believe I'm doing this....
But I was never good at saying no.

I slowly opened the creaking balcony window to infiltrate that strange place.
I found myself in a long corridor of which I couldn't see the end.
It was all covered by an endless red carpet.
The inside of the mansion was quite dark, it seemed that the windows were made of some tempered glass.
The only source of illumination were the candles on the walls and the chandeliers on some of the furniture.
It was a mansion that had the aesthetics of the Victorian era in Europe, but why would a structure like this be in Gensokyo?

“Hey Michu, do you know anything about this place?” I asked as I walked down the endless hallway.

[Annoyed and embarrassed.] “M-M-Michu...?” She stammered. “Who gave you the right to call me that?!!!” She claimed.

[Putting on a smug expression.] “Now we're even for calling me with such a strange name.” I said in a vindictive tone.

[Pouting.] “Agh! As you wish...” She agreed in disgust.

“But do you know something or not?” I reiterated.

“No, it's the first time I've seen this place.” She reluctantly replied. “But, still, I'd like to know if we can find some kind of clue about my location here.”

“Uh... And how do you plan to look for “clues” in a place we don't know about?” I asked confused.

“Hmm... That's a very good question. Maybe we can ask someone.”

[Sighing frustrated.] “Ahhh... Why do I even bother listening to you...” I said questioning myself coming in here. “If we don't find anything, we're out of here. I don't want to be seen as a criminal...”
I kept wandering through the corridors, opening doors and looking for an exit or something that would be of interest to Michu.
There were countless rooms that didn't contain much. They were like very simple bedrooms and all the same.
This mansion looks a hundred times bigger on the inside than on the outside in some strange way....

The atmosphere was gloomy and dangerously quiet. I felt as if I was alone, but at the same time watched by someone.
The only thing that could be heard was the echo of my footsteps on that wooden floor.
It also caught my attention that all the furniture and corners of the mansion were perfectly clean, not a speck of dust on them. Who would be in charge of keeping such a big place so clean?

Eventually, I found a large wooden staircase leading downstairs.
Cautiously, I slowly made my way down, looking in all directions.

At first glance, it looked just like the floor I had just come from, but I kept exploring the mysterious mansion just out of curiosity.
Strolling through the corridors, I found other places such as internal gardens, balconies, living rooms and bathrooms.

It is weird that there are SO MANY rooms and I haven’t seen a single person yet. You would think that a place like this should have hundreds of people living in it, but that didn't seem to be the case.

I went down two more floors until I found something that really caught my attention.
It was a door about three meters high.
My curiosity tempted me, so, with a lot of effort, I pushed the heavy wooden door to look inside.
I really should improve my physical condition....

[Looking in amazement in all directions.]

What was behind the door was a gigantic circular-shaped room in which there were several doors on the sides.
The room was easily about four meters high and had a sort of glass dome on the ceiling.

The echo of my footsteps could be heard loudly throughout the room.
And even when there was no sign of anyone being there, I walked slowly and carefully.
At the other end of the room was another huge wooden door. This one stood out from the other doors surrounding the room.

I thought about going back and looking for people or an exit, but my curiosity was calling me to open that door.

The door was just as heavy as the one I had just opened, but I managed to open it anyway.

What was behind was just a set of stone stairs leading down.
I felt a wind coming from below flowing through my hair.

“Do you think we should go down?” I asked uncertainly.

“I don't know, don't ask me.” “But... maybe we'll find something interesting.”

It's not like me to go around trespassing on other people's property for no reason, but the place was so mysterious that only the thought of wanting to discover something exciting was going through my mind.
I'm likely to end up getting into trouble if I run into a powerful youkai....
So, I just swallowed my breath and slowly descended the stairs.
I noticed that the walls of that intriguing basement were made of stone, as if it was a dungeon.
I'm starting to chicken out a bit... But if being brave means having to take these kinds of risks, I guess I have no choice.
I clenched my fists tight and tried to put on a stern face.
Once we got to the bottom of the stairs, the place was... kind of peculiar.

It looked like some kind of labyrinth, all made of walls of that same stone.

“What's the purpose of having a basement like this? There’s only walls.” Michu complained in confusion.

“I have no idea, b-but since we saw what was here, don't you think it's better to go back?” I stammered wanting to leave.

The place didn't look good to me, my paranoia made me not want to turn my back on any of the maze's entrances.
Even though the place was dimly lit with torches placed on the walls, I felt a heavy aura in the air.

“Don't tell me you want to leave already?” Hinted Michu in a teasing tone.

I was never good at confronting others, so I always let myself be provoked....

[Interlocking my fingers nervously.] “N-No... I was just saying that because there's nothing here.” I mumbled trying to convince myself and Michu that I wasn't terrified.

“I'm sure there's something else here...” Michu said suspicious of the place. “But hey, I always say that the only right option is that, when in doubt, moving forward always works out!” Michu exclaimed in a proud tone.

Moving forward...
I don't think this is the appropriate context to say that, plus it sounds kind of silly.

For twenty minutes, the only sound that could be perceived were my fragile footsteps walking through an infinite number of dead-end corridors.
Worst of all, I had no idea where the hell the entrance to the basement was.
I was already tired, but while I was dragging my boots walking aimlessly, my gaze crossed a corridor that had something different.
This one had a small wooden door at the end.
I shook the boredom from my face and sped towards the end of the hallway.
Without a second thought, I pulled the door handle and opened it full of anticipation.

As I took a step inside, my boot stepped on a completely torn teddy bear.
What my eyes saw chilled my blood to the last drop.

In the dark room full of dismembered toys, what stood out the most were two glowing scarlet red eyes staring at me from deep inside the room.
In addition to that, there were shiny crystals of different colors hanging from some part of the body of whatever that creature was.

[Slamming the door with a bang.] “I've had enough! I don't want to die here!” I exclaimed in terror as I ran off in the opposite direction.

“Would you calm down for a moment!” Michu exclaimed.

“You've been the reason why EVERYTHING bad happens to me recently!” I shouted, stressed. “Just leave me the fuck alone already!!!”

But after a while, my footsteps began to gradually slow down until I stopped running.

Everything went silent...
But it wasn't a scary or dark silence, it was an uncomfortable and heavy silence.

“...” “If you were so scared to be here... you should have told me from the beginning, and I would have helped you to find a way out...”

I could notice how that spark in Michu was suddenly extinguished.
Her tone now sounded completely depressed and cold.
When I stopped to get some air, I realized that, thanks to my cowardice, I said something I shouldn't have.
Michu just wanted to investigate for clues to her location, but I ended up ruining everything…

I tried to force myself to want to apologize, but as usual, the words didn't come out of my mouth…

“I'll activate my power with the last of my remaining energy to show you the nearest exit... You've already made things pretty clear to me, so just get out of here alive...” Michu muttered with a cracking voice.

“Wait! That wasn't what-”
I was interrupted by a blinding purple flash that began to emanate from the ground.

This marked a route through the maze so that I could reach the exit.

“Don't take too long, the effect won't last forever. That said, I won't be able to connect with you for a few hours... Good luck...”

“I’m the worst...” I said to myself in frustration.

I walked crestfallen following the bright path.
I should have ended my life in the subway when I could, I don't deserve that life wanted to give me a second chance. I'm still the same old scumbag....
I don't know what Hina and Michu saw in me, I'm just a loser with no future.

Just when I thought I was getting braver, I realized that I haven't really moved from where I was at the beginning.
Someone who is truly brave admits they are afraid. Someone who is truly brave, apologizes and learns from their mistakes... I just take the easy way out and run away from my problems only make things worse…

As I raved in my shrunken mind, I reached the end of the path, only to come face to face with another giant wooden door.

I half-heartedly pushed the door, but my strength was completely gone.
My boots slipped backwards, and I fell to the ground, hitting my head against the door.

I leaned back against the huge door, shrugged my legs and sunk my head into my arms.
A lump rose in my throat, and I began to tear up.
The pit in my stomach wouldn't let me breathe properly, I was a mess.
It's not true what I said to you, it's not your fault... I'm the one who sabotages myself in everything I do.
It's not the first time it's happened to me, it's always the same because I'm still the same coward I've been all my life.

While I was still lamenting, a past memory came to my mind.
It was another memory from my childhood.
I remember being frustrated that I had not won a sports competition at school. I had tried so hard that losing was the worst thing at the time.
My parents didn't want to come to see me, but the same girl I've been reliving memories with was there with me.
I still don't remember who she was, but she tried to cheer me up, I yelled at her that she didn't understand anything and to leave me alone.
The girl just patted my head gently and said something about...moving forward.
I couldn't help remembering the phrase Michu had said a moment ago.
“When in doubt, moving forward always works out...”
I scoffed when she said it, but I was a fool for not taking it seriously.

I wiped away my tears and stood up firmly in front of the door.

[Frowning.] “If I had a second chance, I'll create the future I always wanted and leave my fears behind as I move forward...” I affirmed as I placed both my hands against the door.

My eyes filled with sparkles as I saw what was behind it.

It's amazing to see how such a thing can exist in this world.

I walked slowly looking up at the infinite ceiling of the room, having to throw my head all the way back to see the full height of the gigantic bookshelves.
I don't think any library in the world has as many books as there are here.

The place had aisles and aisles filled with shelves full of books.
Moreover, there were some magical books that crossed between the shelves and arranged themselves.

The echo of my footsteps on the huge red carpet was louder than anywhere else in the mansion.
But without a doubt, what made the most noise was a monstrous pendulum clock whose every movement of its internal mechanism could be heard. Once I paid attention to it, I couldn't stop listening to the sound of the second hand.

Seeing so many books gave me an idea. Michu had suggested investigating the mansion for possible clues to her location, since it seems that even she doesn't know where it is sealed.
I don't know anything about Gensokyo or how it's set up, so the best thing to do would be to look for some sort of map to guide me.

The problem is... how do I look for such a book among an infinite collection?
In the outside world, it's as simple as asking the librarian, but... I don't see anyone nearby.

I walked through the aisles as if I were in a supermarket, looking out of the corner of my eye to see if there was anyone I could ask about the book I was looking for.

At that, I saw something different in one of the aisles.
I paused and turned back to check that I had seen someone.

And I was right, I saw a strange and familiar black witch's hat.
On closer inspection, I saw that she was indeed who I thought she was.
I thought Marisa had stayed at Reimu's temple, but apparently not.

“Ehm... Ma... Marisa?” I asked hesitantly.

“Oh, I didn’t expect to see ya here haha. What are you doing in Patchy's library?” Asked Marisa with a smile.

[Scratching my head.] “It's... kind of complicated to explain... But I'm looking for a book with a map of Gensokyo in it, do you know where I can find one?” I asked.

[Putting her hand on her chin.] “Hm... I don't usually borrow those kinds of books...” She answered trying to remember.

Marisa had brought with her a large cloth bag in which she was placing books she took from the shelves.

“I see... And do you know of anyone who can help me look for it?” I asked.

“Oh, sure. Patchy owns this whole library, you could talk to her, she's always at her desk over there.” Marisa replied as she pointed me on where to go.

[I walked out at a brisk pace.] “Okay, thank you very much!”
I crossed a couple more hallways and sure enough, at the end there was a purple-haired girl sitting on a huge desk reading a book.

I approached cautiously so as not to disturb and not to startle her.
“Good evening, are you the owner of the library?” I asked.

The girl without moving a muscle looked away from the book to stare at me.
It didn't seem like a pleasant look; I could feel her deeply glaring at me.

A few seconds of pure eye contact passed until she decided to speak.
[Contemptuously.] “Who let you in here?” The girl asked without looking away from me.

Agh... I can't just say I climbed through a window onto someone else's property.
“Ehm... I don't know, I just got here by accident and got lost.”

[Sighing heavily.] “Ah... I guess the incompetent gatekeeper fell asleep again...” She said as she closed her book. “But well, what do you want?” She asked reluctantly.

“I'm looking for a book with a map of Gensokyo, the girl in the witch dress said I could ask you if you had one.” I explained.

“Map...” “I don't think I have something like that, but then again, I don't lend out books...” She replied.

[Lowering my head.] “Oh...”

A few seconds of complete silence passed until the girl peeled her eyes in confusion.
“Wait… Did you just say girl in a witch's dress?!” She said getting up from her desk.

“Erm, yeah, she's in that corridor over there.” I replied pointing back.

“Agh! That thief!” The girl exclaimed, already annoyed.

I didn't understand why she was reacting, so I just stood and watched as the girl carefully got down from her desk.

The girl was about my height, wearing long white pajamas and a white mobcap with moon-shaped pins.

She had long purple hair with little bows to tie the ends.

The girl started levitating and quickly headed towards the hallway where Marisa was, so I ran after her.

“Marisa! Don't even think about taking those books!” Exclaimed the girl as she held an open book in front of Marisa.

The mysterious book began to fire bullets like a machine gun, causing a great roar in the library.

[Surprised] “Agh, sorry Patchy, I'll give them back to you another day hehe!” Said Marisa as she raised her hand in the air.

A magic broom flew out of nowhere towards Marisa's hand.
[Getting on the broom.] “See ya, horn boy!” Marisa exclaimed as she shattered one of the glass panes of the ceiling dome.

The purple-haired girl fell to the ground on her knees in defeat.

“This... Are you all right?” I asked.

[Sighing.] “When will you learn to ask for things without having to steal them...?” Muttered the girl.

I helped her up and we headed back to her desk.

[Putting on her glasses again.] “Ahem... I'm sorry, I suffer from... some physical complications, so I get fatigued easily. So, you said you were looking for a book with a map of Gensokyo, right?”

“Ah, yes, that's what I came for. But you just told me you don’t lend books.”

“I'll make an exception for you for asking politely instead of just taking them...”

As we were talking, a girl in a black dress and long red hair with a pair of small bat wings on her head walked by. She was carrying a stack of books.

“Koakuma.”

[Throwing the books on the floor in fright.] ‘AH! Yes?’ exclaimed the red-haired girl nervously.

“I need you to bring me a book.” Replied the purple haired girl. If I'm not mistaken it's in row 54, column 28, aisle 15.’

“Right away, Miss Patchouli!” Exclaimed the red-haired girl as she flew off to fetch the book.

A few seconds passed and the clumsy red-haired girl returned with a book in her arms.

“Here it is, Miss Patchouli.”

“Oh, thank you.”

The librarian looked through the book carefully.
[Handing me the book.] “I suppose this is what you're looking for. It's one of the few books in this whole library that I haven't put to proper use because I don't even know where it came from, but you might find it useful.” She said in a friendlier tone.

[Smiling back.] “I really appreciate it; I'll bring it back once I’m done using it.” I said as I walked away.

Before I left the library through the front door, I heard the giant clock chiming twelve o'clock at night.
I don't know if that had anything to do with it... but as I left the library, there were now dozens of fairies in maid costumes cleaning the halls and rooms.

What really is this place?

Chapter 8: ༄【The weakest maid against the mistress】༄

I walked in awe through the corridors filled with fairy maids dusting furniture and arranging utensils.

It was impressive how just at midnight, the activity in the mansion began.

But anyway, now that I have this book, I better find a way out and return to Hina’s place.
Since this place was so massive, I decided to ask some fairy about the front door.
They would just pause their cleaning, stare at me, and then continue cleaning. It's a bit frustrating, but maybe they don't understand the language.

Finding a way out on my own is going to be a difficult task. I still find it hard to believe that there is such a thing as an infinite mansion.
I wandered aimlessly among an absurd number of rooms without finding anything or anyone to help me get out.
[Looking at my hands.] “Agh... I don't think my powers will be of any use in this situation.” I muttered trying to think of what to do.

As I waited for something to come to mind, I unconsciously stared at one of the fairies. I saw that when they finished doing a task, they would fly away.
If they don't talk to me, I guess they won't mind if I follow them, there is something about their behavior that I find curious....

So, as soon as the fairy finished dusting a vase, I got behind her and followed her between the aisles.
I don't know if she didn't realize I was following her or just didn't care, but I walked for quite a while following her. Although... I must say that they move very slowly.

After a few minutes, the fairy came to a room where there was someone completely different.
I stopped in the doorframe and watched without interrupting.
In the room, there was a girl with short silver hair with two braids. She was dressed as an elegant maid.

She gave the fairy some orders and then the fairy left.
She seems to be the head maid that the others go to.

I slowly approached the girl.

[Holding the book nervously.] “Ehm... Excuse me.”

The girl immediately turned around and stared at me.
She was taller than me and had a very professional, yet imposing aura.

[Crossing her arms.] “Why aren't you wearing your uniform? You know very well that we have dress code.” Said the girl in a cold, but at the same time elegant tone.

[Stammering.] “Ah... It's just that I don't work here-” I replied.

“I'll bring it right away.”

The girl took out of her pocket a gold watch. It had a button on the top, and when she pressed it, her eyes turned red.
I don't know how to explain what happened, but... in the blink of an eye, I was dressed like her. I was wearing a maid's outfit with no explanation.

The girl had disappeared, but I suddenly heard her behind my back.
[Putting her hand on her chin.] “Hmm... maybe this one wasn't the size... But it’s fine.” Said the girl who was glaring at me from behind.

I was petrified and stammering, staring at my new outfit without the slightest idea of what had just happened.

But before I could say a word, the girl pushed a duster and a towel towards me.

[In a cold tone.] “East hallway on the third floor. Go and give that furniture a good wipe.”

The girl pulled out her strange pocket watch again, and in a split second, she had vanished from the room without a trace.

[Sighing dejectedly.] “This day is turning out to be a complete disaster...” I said hunched over.
But for some reason, I felt a little motivation to want to get out of this predicament anyway.
I looked out one of the windows and noticed that I was on the second floor of the mansion.
The window could be opened, so I pulled the curtains and stood there thinking.
What if I try to use my powers to jump out the window?
It's as simple as applying what Michitsuju taught me before I came here, isn't it?
I squinted my eyes with fear.
If this goes wrong... I'll probably land on that bush with thorns and with my bones all broken.

A chill ran down my back as I propped my feet up on the window frame.
I put both my hands on the ends of the frame, but... something wasn't right.
Something was missing.
If I'm using my two hands... that means that....

[Checking my body frantically.] “Where's the book?!” I exclaimed worriedly.

I searched the entire room anxiously.
I lifted every piece of furniture and sofa upset, but there was no sign of it.

[Grabbing my hair in frustration.] “Aghhhh! That maid must have taken it while she changed my clothes!” I exclaimed in despair.

I paused to calm down and think about what to do.
Part of me just wanted to jump out that window and escape to get out alive.

Funny... that someone who wanted to seek death willingly, now wants to run away from it…

My hands trembled slightly just turning those thoughts over.
This mansion is full of terrifying people who are probably a thousand times stronger than me.
I clenched my fist tightly.

But I guess I won't know how far I can go unless I decide to take the first step....
I don't want to do this for me, I don't feel like I'm someone that has enough value as a person to deserve anything. But I am doing this for those who saw something in me that I cannot see.

And with a firm expression on my face, I left the room in search of answers.

*****

I walked down the endless corridors until a disturbing noise caught my attention.
On the carpet, I could hear high heels approaching where I was standing.

I stood still staring down the hallway waiting for whoever was coming this way to peek out.

At last, this person didn’t look like a maid…

She was a short girl in a white dress, scarlet red heels, a mobcap like the librarian's, short pale blue hair and what was most striking, black bat wings on her back.

The girl noticed me at the end of the hallway, and without changing her refined gait, she approached me.

[Standing on tiptoe.] “I've never seen you here before. I must assume you're a new recruit.” Said the girl as she scanned me with her bright, large scarlet eyes.

“I'm not here to serve in the mansion. I'm looking to retrieve a book and get out of here.” I replied calmly.

[Squinting with contempt.] “Is that so…?” “In that case, if you're not here to serve me, you'll be my next snack.” Murmured the girl in a darker tone.

The atmosphere in the place turned cold and dense.

Serve her? Does she own this place?
My chest began to feel heavy again as worst-case scenarios wandered through my mind.

[Stammering.] “I-I'm sorry, but I’m afraid that's not going to be possible...” I said trying to keep my nerve.

The girl took a step back.
[Smiling sinisterly.] “Oh...? “Is this a proposal for a duel?” She asked in a sycophantic manner. “If you were a human, I would have already spilled your blood right here, but you seem to be another youkai.”

I think because of the ridges on my head she thinks I'm a youkai to… I don't know how good this is.
But anyway, I suppose I'm going to have to face her if I want to get out of here with the book...

“I guess I don't have a choice... But that's okay, I accept the duel.” I said firmly.

The girl continued on her way down the hallway where I just came from.
[Turning her back to me.] “Good. I'll wait for you on the mansion roof in two hours.” She said before leaving.

The girl backed out of the hallway until I couldn’t see her anymore.

I stood there not knowing how to feel about all this.
I had a hard face on the outside, but inside...I felt strangely empty....
I can't back out anymore, it's the decision I made.

I don't know how duels work here; I opened my mouth without knowing what I was getting myself into....
I don't even know… how to use my powers offensively either.

I started to rave among the corridors of the mansion without knowing where to go.
In the back of my mind, sacrificing my life for a book as a way to ask for forgiveness is something necessary. I really messed up back then in the basement…

I kept walking in search of some stairs or something that would take me to the roof of the mansion, but there was no way to locate myself in such a massive place.

There were some glass doors that led to different balconies.
Standing there taking in the night breeze and gazing at the dazzling full moon somehow unlocked another memory that began to play in my mind.
There was that mysterious girl next to me again. This time, we were sitting on a small hill under a tree as we gazed at the stars.

[Pointing at the sky.] “Today the sky is clear enough to see the stars. That set over there is the Big Dipper.” Said the girl with a twinkle in her eye.

[Squinting.] “I can't make out any figure...” I said confused.

[Laughing] “It may not look like it, but its origins go back to Greek mythology. Legend has it that it represents a nymph who was transformed into a bear by Zeus to protect her from his wife.” She explained.

“How do you know so much if you don't even go to school?” I asked.

“I like to read about everything a little bit. There's so much more to the world than the knowledge that school teaches you.”

[Pouting.] “I don't like going to school... Nobody treats me well there...” I muttered. “I wish I didn't have to go, and you could teach me instead.”

The girl patted my head while expressing a warm smile.
“You have the luck of being able to go out and meet hundreds of people.” She replied.

“...” “Everyone runs away from me... I can't talk to anyone.” I muttered dejectedly.

“Maybe it's just you who perceives it that way. You have to give others time to get to know what a great person you are.”

We both stood gazing out at the beautiful night scenery.
“There’s an infinite number of stars in the sky, but it's only a few that when seen together obtain a meaning...”

“What do you mean by that?” I asked completely full of doubt.

“Finding a true friend is not easy. But when you manage to form such a bond, I'd like you to introduce me to that person. Would you do that for me?” The girl asked as she smiled.

[Lowering my head.] “...” “I don't like the idea... But I'll do it just for you.” I replied.
The memory started to destabilize again. I can't manage to remember anymore.
But the most frustrating thing is that I still don't know who this girl is....
What I do see is that apparently, she was someone very close to me.

Every time I can relive memories of my past, my mind manages to calm down. I always live with a lot of noise that prevents me from being at peace. But these moments make me realize that not everything was always so bad back then…
If I can help Michitsuju and get out of this fantasy land, I would like to go find that person and tell her all this.

Without taking my eyes off the moon, I clenched my fists until small purple sparkles began to emanate from my palms.

[Squinting.] “Tonight, I will return home... Hina.” I muttered determinedly.

I concentrated the flow of energy on my legs to take a mega leap off that balcony onto the roof of the mansion.
I took off in the blink of an eye.
Within a second I was high in the sky, almost able to grasp the stars.
I managed to control my body to stand upright in the air.
I could see all of Gensokyo from up there.
It's such a small place compared to the outside world we all know, but it has its charm in a certain way. I would like to visit every corner of this place, maybe that will help me fill the emptiness I often feel.

I began to concentrate my body's energy on my feet to form small invisible steps in the air so I could go down.
It's strange at first, but I guess I'll get used to it over time.

As I reached the roof of the mansion, I saw a door creak open at the bottom of the clock tower.
The illumination coming from behind the door made out two silhouettes.
A tall, elegant young maid and a little girl with bat wings.

“Bonus points for punctuality.” Said the vampire girl in a mocking tone as she approached towards me slowly and gracefully.

“...” I clenched my fists and frowned seriously.

“Wait here, Sakuya. This might not last long...”

[Hunching over.] “Let's see what you're made of...” Murmured the girl as from her back, bat wings suddenly grew to triple their size.
These opened majestically like a pair of flags under the full moon. Leaving a fearsome aura and a dense atmosphere.

She soared high into the starry sky as she began to recite her attacks.

“SPELL CARD!”

“Heaven’s Punishment...”
“STAR OF DAVID!”

I was mesmerized by the absurd amount of magical circles that began to come out of the sky. Circles that emanated a scarlet red glow.
From these, giant red lasers began to be shot in all directions.
I could barely move, but one of these grazed my arm and charred part of my sleeve.

[With bated breath.] “S-She’s… going all out… on me…” I said to myself upset.

As if that weren't enough, at the points where the lasers intersected, some massive blue spheres exploded and shot out.
With difficulty, I tried to dodge the projectiles by moving and jumping between the fiery lasers.

I'm sure her attack didn't last more than a minute, but I was so upset and focused on not dying that it felt like hours to me. So much so that by the time the lasers disappeared, I had spent my almost non-existent physical condition.

As I hunched over to put my hands on my knees and catch my breath, the girl started laughing from the sky.

“Why don't you fly and attack back? Do you underestimate me that much?” She exclaimed in a tone somewhere between mocking and imposing.

I hadn't even had a chance to inhale twice when there were already more magic circles in the sky, all pointing directly at me.

From these, hundreds of thousands of small red bullets began to shoot like a machine gun.
I ran instinctively, listening to the bullets bursting near my heels.
My heart, legs and lungs were burning. I know that at any moment I could trip and end up with more holes than a slice of cheese.

Eventually, it stopped too.
I fell to the ground clutching my chest wanting to rip it out.
Sweat ended up soaking my entire outfit.

“I see you'd rather keep teasing me... Let's try something different.” Said the girl with a sinister smile on her face.

“Hell Sign...”

“MOUNTAIN OF A THOUSAND NEEDLES!”

I leaned back with the last of my remaining strength only to see more circles in the night sky.
But from these, bullets weren’t shot...
I saw how huge knives about a meter long began to be fired.
These were not directed towards me; they followed the same straight trajectory with which they were shot.
The problem was that there were too many, so it was impossible for me to follow with my eyes all the ones that could hit me.
I thought about staying in some blind spot, but to top it off, little red explosive bullets started falling like raindrops.

As I tried to get up, one of them hit my back.

Agonizing from the pain of the explosion, I fell back to the ground unable to get up.
The knives grazed my clothes and eventually my skin.
I had burning cuts on my face, arms, legs and back.

I was slowly bleeding out, but in the blink of an eye, the knives vanished.

[Squinting.] “Tsk... It's no fun playing with you.” Complained the girl. “Let's get this over with already...”

The vampire rose even higher in the air to recite her final attack.

“SCARLET GENSOKYO!!!”

Her attack statement was the last thing I heard.
My ears were no longer perceiving anything but my inner sounds.
My eyes only saw blurry flashes of colors in the sky like fireworks.
I felt the explosions of nearby bullets shaking the roof of the mansion, but I could no longer do anything, I couldn't move…

“I'm sorry Hina... I think today... I'm not going to make it... home...” I muttered agonizing with my last breath.

I raised my hand towards the sky, blocking the glow of the full moon with my fingers.

The vampire girl stopped in mid-air and opened her eyes wide. As if she had just realized an unpleasant surprise.
She began to sniff the air thoroughly.

[Showing her huge fangs.] “Is this smell... H u m a n b l o o d...?
“You fooled me all this time into thinking you were a youkai. The rules of danmaku don't apply to stray humans...” She said as she raised her hand in the air. “It'll be fun to use it against you...”

A giant carmine, red spear formed in the sky above her hand. It even seemed to emanate fire.

“This spear will pierce your insides with no way to be evaded... After all, it’s the fate I’ve decided for you…”

With my hand held high, I watched as tiny purple sparks began to emanate from between my fingers.
Followed by... a strong earthquake that struck the mansion.

“W-What's happening?!” Exclaimed the girl who stopped her attack.

Great black clouds covered the sky, not allowing even the slightest ray of moonlight to pass through.

Everything was under a deadly silence.
Until thunderous purple lightning struck the roof of the mansion.

The girl flapped her wings once to remove the smoke and clear the battlefield.
But then she noticed it…

[Peeling her eyes.] “H-he's not...” She said between confused and scared when she saw that my body was no longer lying on the roof.
A slight sound of static could be perceived throughout the environment.

The girl was looking in all directions confused, and her gaze denoted that she felt in danger.

“Just because you’re showing your power until now doesn’t mean you'll be able to win...”

When every cloud cleared and the moon once again shone overhead, the girl turned only to see levitating above her a figure that chilled her blood.

A large, white-eyed being with a murderous aura was staring predator-like at the vampire girl.

I was not aware of what was happening to me. But after that electric shock, I was able to move again to turn this fight around.

The panicked girl grabbed her spear and threw it with brutal force at me, breaking the sound barrier.

The spear went right through me, or so it seemed.

In the blinking of an eye, I found myself at the girl’s back with my fist charged up.
An aggressive, thunderous explosion shook the sky with that clean, direct punch.

A cloud of dust and debris was what was left on that rooftop.
The girl was smashed into the bricks, and I plummeted from the sky.
The impact stunned me badly, but it didn't matter anymore.

“LADY REMILIA!” The maid exclaimed immediately.
She picked up the vampire girl and vanished as she used her pocket watch just to get the unconscious body of her master away.

In a second, she returned with something in her hands.
The maid threw my book to the ground and left with an aggressive glare.

It’s… finally… over…
My torn and beaten body laid on the roof of that strange mansion, illuminated by the shining moon.
I couldn't move my muscles, but I still gripped the book tightly and placed it on my heaving chest.

Many things were going through my mind, but no particular thought motivated me enough to get up.

As the moon reflected in my tired sockets and my breath formed steam with the chill of the night, I slowly closed my eyes as I opened my mouth to smile with my scarlet-stained teeth.
“I-I… managed to do something on my own...”

*****

A strange sensation ran through my body.
I tried to rest my hands on the floor to stand up, but to no avail.
Leaning back, I did indeed stand up, but a paralyzing fear stole my breath as I could see my lifeless body lying on the ground.
Despair and calm battled within me. Either way, I could finally rest. Although I didn't know if that was really what I longed for.
Naturally, the first thing I thought was that I ended up dying after the fight.

“Is this… how it all ends…?” I said to myself between nervous and amazed.

Afraid to move on, I continued across the infinite white place. I couldn't stop looking back, where all that could be seen was my sprawled body receding into the distance.
It wasn't until I almost broke my ghostly nose that I realized the path ended at a strange invisible wall.
I touched it, tried to go around it, over it or under it. It seemed endless in all its dimensions.

Suddenly, a penetrating, deep echo invaded all that white space.

“It's not the first time you've been here.” Said a deep, dark voice. No, it wasn't one voice, it was so many at the same time that they couldn't be counted.

Worried, I looked in all directions without being able to find anyone.

“If all you perceive is pure and innocent white, it is because you are not yet ready to be part of eternity.”

“I died, didn't I?” I asked dejectedly.

“The physical body that inhabits this insignificant period of time is not. Nevertheless, your consciousness has reached the end of millions of paths.” Replied the voice in an increasingly dark tone.

“That doesn't answer my question...” I said between frightened and confused.

“When the chains of sanity break and heaven and earth cease to exist, you will suffer for what he did. Moreover, behold, he who keeps the cycle alive.”

Before I could say a single word, my body began to fade into the mist of that strange plane.

“Until our next meeting, A[_ _ _ _].”

My eyelids reacted to an incandescent light that was gradually peeking through.

I was leaning against something, and my head was resting on something soft.
And a gentle, familiar voice whispered close to my ear.

“I'm glad to see you are alive...” Said the voice in a brittle tone.

I didn't react immediately. I still felt a sharp pain in my limbs and torso. Also, my head was still spinning because of that strange experience I had after falling “dead…”

The sun was beginning to peek through the dense mountains, bringing an end to that crazy and troubled night.
It was until I began to feel the chill of the early morning that I came to my senses.

I don't know how this happened, but the one sitting next to me was Hina.

[Looking at her face.] “Is this real?” I asked fearfully.

A slap shook my chin unexpectedly.
“How real did that feel??!!”

[Rubbing my face in pain.] “ACK” “What's wrong with you!!!? My body still hurts-”

Before I could finish my complaint, I heard Hina started sobbing.

I didn't understand what was going on, did I say something wrong again...?
No... I can't be any more blind. It was obvious why she was so distressed.

I took a deep breath and softened my heart so I wouldn't make another mistake... I've never done something like this before, but I must put my insecurities aside for now....

I reached out my arm until I could grab her shoulder and snuggled her against me.

[Smiling softly.] “I gave it my all... But not out of fear or pride anymore. I didn't even do it for me. I don't want you to carry misfortune on your shoulders anymore.” I muttered softly.

Her breathing was short, and she kept covering her face with her hands so as not to show her tears.

“Sorry... I promise not to disappear again. I should have waited for you to come looking for me.”

[Wiping away her tears.] “I don't want to have to lose anyone else because of me again... I was so worried.” She murmured with a cracking voice.

I turned so I could wrap my arms gently around her.
“I know. I heartily appreciate everything you've done for me.” I replied smiling with my watery eyes.

After a few seconds of silence, I felt her slowly and gently put her arms around me as well to hug me.

[Sighing.] “It's the least I can do for the one who wanted to give me company after so many years...” She murmured in a melancholy, but calmer tone.

“I won't leave you alone again.”

Hina slowly pulled away to look into my eyes.
“I trust you will...” She said somewhat embarrassed trying to take her gaze off my eyes.

I had never stopped to think how pretty she is, with that porcelain doll skin and her emerald, green eyes.
I couldn't help but feel relief and peace inside.

Hina stopped to look at me carefully.
[Pointing at me.] “And what's with the strange outfit...?” She asked suspiciously.

The question took me by surprise.
[Stuttering]. “A-Ah! It's a bit complicated to explain, but it wasn't me who wore this voluntarily, hehe...”

“I see...” [Pouting.] “Hmph, you still have explanations to give me when we get back.” Hina said a bit annoyed, or so she was trying to pretend.

As we were getting up from the ground to contemplate that dreamy sunrise, someone spoke behind our backs.

“The young lady wishes to speak with you.”

I turned only to see the mysterious pocket watch maid.

[Squinting distrustfully.] “And what if I refuse?” I said wearily.

“I assure you it's not about revenge, she just wants to address a few words to you personally.” Replied the maid in a neutral and cold tone.

I looked Hina in the face and nodded.
“Alright...”

“I appreciate your understanding.” Said the maid as she took out the strange watch from her pocket.

In the blink of an eye, we were back inside the mansion.
But this time, inside a different bedroom. This one was so much bigger and more luxurious.

“Miss Remilia, I have brought the human you asked for.” Said the maid as she made her way towards a huge bed.

The blankets began to move as a small head popped from underneath emitting whimpering sounds.
“Thank you, Sakuya...” Mumbled the vampire girl who was on the bed and looked to be in not very good condition.

The maid made a small bow and vanished from the room, leaving Hina, the vampire girl and me alone in her room.

[Clearing her throat.] “I'll get straight to the point. What really are you?” Asked the girl looking at me suspiciously.

I guess there's no point in hiding that I'm not a youkai anymore since she deduced it herself.
“I'm simply a lost human who came from the outside world.” I replied.

[Squinting.] “I'm afraid I cannot believe such a statement.”

That answer caught me completely off guard.
“W-what do you mean by that...?”

“It's the first time in 500 years that I've used my Fate Manipulation ability against someone, and they completely evade it. Do you think changing fate is something an ordinary human could do? This will stay between us, no need for lies.”

This is very confusing and hard for me to understand.
I tried to recreate the scene of our duel in my mind, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary to me.
[Bowing slightly to the girl.] “I'm really sorry, but I have no intention of hiding anything from you. When I approached you to deliver the blow, I simply intuited that it would be more effective to change direction and attack from the opposite side.” I replied respectfully.

The girl paused to think as she turned on her back to stare at the ceiling of her room.
“I have tasted the blood of hundreds of humans and some youkai.” She explained. “Just as you can taste a drink and identify its flavor, the taste of blood to me is unmistakable. However,... upon smelling your spilled blood, it had an indecipherable aroma to me. It is certainly human blood, but something is missing for the puzzle to be completed.”

What she said began rang a bell inside my head.
Since I came to Gensokyo, I've had very strange conversations about myself with others…
My strange seizure against the girl in the forest, what Michitsuju said that she removed inside me when she took control of my body, the fight against this vampire girl, the strange limbo I went into, and now this.
There is certainly something... hidden in the afterglow....
Something... that is keeping me away from the truth....

The girl turned her gaze to me.
“Listen, not knowing where one comes from or where one is going means living trapped in the illusion of the present and obscuring what is to come. Why are you here and where do you want to go?”

[Lowering my head.] “I can't answer that right now...” I muttered in response.

“Do it before it's too late.”

“I'll take that into consideration, I appreciate your advice.”

The girl nodded with a small smile.

“Ah, before you go. I told Sakuya to make you some tea and wash the outfit you came in with. And would it be too much to ask what your name is?”

I stood in front of the door frame about to leave and turned my gaze.
“I don't think my name is that important since I don't know it either, but I go under the name Akumu.” I said with a smile.

[Squinting with interest.] “Hm, a somewhat peculiar name. I'm Remilia, Remilia Scarlet. The Scarlet Devil.”

I raised my hand in farewell as I left out the door.
“Thank you, Remilia. Sorry for all the trouble and I hope you get well soon.”

 

Remilia stood thoughtfully looking at the door now closed.

[Sighing.] “That smell of blood... it's almost the same smell that stained my face during that fire... But I know it's not you, at least not now...”

Chapter 9: ༄【Conflict at home】༄

After we left Remilia's room, Hina and I were escorted by Remilia's elegant personal maid.

I guess she was the one who ordered the maid to treat us better, since she seemed like a completely different person now.
It is a bit uncomfortable to see how a person who was dense and cold as ice, now seems to be kind, smiling and even somewhat awkward…

As she led us through the corridors to the tearoom, she told us about some interesting things about the mansion. She mentioned that her name is Sakuya Izayoi and that she is the head maid who takes care of practically everything here.

“And how are you able to keep an infinite mansion in order?” I asked.

[Letting out a small laugh.] “It's not an infinite mansion, the reason it looks bigger from the inside is because of my ability to manipulate time.” She kindly replied. “It's a... somewhat complex ability.”

Hina seemed distracted looking around her surroundings as we sat in an elegant tearoom.
[Looking in all directions.] “How long has this mansion been here in Gensokyo? I know I don't get out of the house much, but I don't even remember hearing about it.” Hina asked scratching her head somewhat ruefully.

“We certainly haven't been in Gensokyo for too long, we're not even natives here. Many say that the mansion arrived because of fate, but Miss Remilia speculates that an ancient crack in the Great Barrier ended up reacting, thus causing a disorder in the space and time of the outside world.” Explained Sakuya who remained standing next to the table where Hina and I were sitting.

Sounds like something dangerous...
“What exactly is the barrier...?” I asked full of intrigue.

[Sighing.] “Forgive my ignorance, but even we don't know its origins. Rumors mention four sages and a dragon god. But how and when was created is still unknown.” Sakuya replied.

[Letting out a small laugh.] “Sages and a dragon god? Everything about this land sounds like a fairy tale.” I said as I sipped my cup of tea.

[Looking out the living room window.] “It really is...” Sakuya muttered with a slight smile.

Hina turned around and looked at me with a curious look.
“Fairy tales? I didn't think stories about those little creatures were popular among humans.”

“It's the term we use to refer to short fantasy stories in the outside world. People don't usually believe in the existence of youkai.” I replied.

“Oh~! I wish I could read one of those.” Hina said excitedly.

[Scratching my head ruefully.] “Eh... hehe... I don't have one with me, but I could make an attempt to tell you one that I remember.” I replied.

I could see Sakuya also expressed a small smile.
“That brings back memories, my mom used to read me those before bed...”

“You come from the outside world too, Miss Izayoi?” Hina asked intrigued.

“...” “It was a long time ago, though my notion of time is different from yours. But oh well, it's not like it matters, I don't consider myself human anyway.” Sakuya said in a more subdued tone.

In order not to make the atmosphere tense, I somehow managed to switch to lighter topics.
I told about some of my anecdotes in the outside world. I don't remember much, and what little I do remember is not that interesting, but I guess for them they are novelties that help them understand life beyond the barrier.
I think Hina had a brain cell explode when I tried to explain to her how a car works....

[Getting up from the chair.] “Well, it was a nice visit, and the tea is the best I've ever tried. But I think the two of us will be making a return trip.” Hina said smiling kindly.

[Smiling back.] “I'm glad to hear it. I appreciate that you wanted to spend some time here chatting with me.” Sakuya replied. “Come back anytime.”

Sakuya led us towards the main entrance and bid us farewell.
“Ah, I almost forgot.” Sakuya exclaimed.
She vanished before us and then returned with some clothes in her hands.
“Here's your freshly laundered attire. And sorry for everything that happened during the night.” Sakuya said giving a small bow.

I'm not going to lie, it was a painful and scary experience, but I guess it's better to put it behind us, things could have emanated much worse.
[Shaking my hand.] “Don't worry, thankfully nothing serious happened.” I replied apologetically as we slowly walked away through the beautifully decorated front garden of that peculiar mansion.

*****

The trip back was uneventful.
I had a hard time walking due to my new injuries... Just my luck.
But well, viewing the scenery during the walk distracted me a bit from the pain. I could have perfectly tried to fly, but I'm still not very good at it and I prefer to avoid accidents hehe....
It was a somewhat cold morning, but that fresh autumn air with the smell of humidity helped me to relax a lot while contemplating the high mountains and the leaves falling from the trees.

As we were walking, I was telling Hina everything that happened since I “escaped” from Reimu's temple.

[Sighing.] “Oh my... And to think that all this happened in one night...” Hina muttered.

“As soon as I can, I wish I could communicate with Michitsuju again, I have some things to tell her...”

[Pouting.] “Anyway, I'm not even a tiny bit pleased that you sacrificed your life for a simple book...” Hina complained, crossing her arms.

“Ah... haha... Sorry, I'll be more careful next time.”

“Hmph... Apology accepted... But respect yourself a little more. You are valuable, even if you refuse to see it...”

I have a lot to ponder about that... All my life I have thought that people's worth is due to the great accomplishments they have achieved.
It's interesting how she has a completely different view on the topic.
Still, I appreciate her attempt to encourage me.

“By the way, Hina, how did you manage to find me?” I asked.

“After you disappeared, Miss Reimu was kind enough to help me look for you. We were in the forest for a long time without finding any trace, but when we were about to give up, we noticed huge black clouds surrounding the mansion, and all accompanied by a thunderous flash of lightning.”

[Looking at the ground.] “Yeah... I ended up making use of my strange powers to stay alive. I don't like them.” I muttered somewhat dejectedly.

“...” “Sometimes we have no choice but to fight back, we live in a pretty hostile world.” Hina replied. “But never losing that essence that characterizes us.”

“I just don't want to... have to carry the burden of having taken someone's life.”

[Leaving a small smile.] “I think you understand better now what I told you when we first met...” Hina said looking up at the dark, gray sky. “I only ask you to think about yourself a little more. If we all came to disappear, what would you do on your own?” Hina asked looking at me.

[Stammering.] “W-well... it's just that I...”
I don't quite know what to say. I don't like to openly admit that my social anxiety limits me in every aspect, it sounds too pathetic.
But Hina is right, being a puppet of society has hurt me a lot…

“You don’t have to answer right now, I know you are capable of understanding, and you will mature at your own pace, of that I have no doubt.” Hina said in a warm tone.

For some reason, her words always manage to comfort me, she's like the mother I never had.
She's the one who makes a cold day like this suddenly feel warm.

After this, I was able to enjoy the walk back more.

*****

I am relieved that I was able to make it back to Hina's cabin in one piece.
We both hung our coats on the coat rack and Hina proceeded to turn on the heat in the small fireplace in the living room.

[Sighing as I plopped down on the couch.] “Ahhh... I really needed a break; I couldn't sleep all night.” I complained tiredly.

[Letting out a small laugh] “I'll be in my room if you need anything.” Hina said as she left the room. “Oh, and don’t forget to wash your wounds.”

“Sure.”

 

The blowing of the wind against the trees and the sound of the wood crackling in the fireplace made me slowly close my eyes.
I couldn't resist the tiredness and settled down on the warm couch to take a nap.

*****

[Michitsuju’s point of view]

[Sighing tiredly.] “Ahh... I think I've regained enough energy to communicate again...”

[Static sounds.] “.-.. --- / ...- .. / - --- -.. ---”

“Did you say something?”

Loud snoring sounds were heard coming from Akumu.

“Ah, you're asleep, I think it was just my imagination.”
“It seems you managed to survive in that mansion without my help...” I muttered to myself. “I'm sorry for putting you through so much. I would understand if you told me that you don't want to help me anymore...” “I see you're quite happy here in Gensokyo.”
“I know you're not listening to me right now, so I'll wait until you wake up, I'd rather tell you these things myself...”
“Being sealed here limits my powers a lot, but at least by using your body I have more resources to work with.”

A blinding purple light began to emanate from Akumu's ridges. And from these, a body made of light began to form.

“I will try not to rely on your body anymore...”

I was able to recreate a copy of my physical body and move my soul into this new body while the original will remain at rest.

After centuries... I could open my eyes again.
That dead and penetrating echo of that cave ceased.

My vision gradually adjusted to the new body.
I had been sitting in a corner for an eternity like a scrap piece…

[Looking at my hands.] “I think... I think I can move again.” I mumbled opening and closing my fingers.
I had no legs, because with the energy I had at the moment, it was only enough to recreate a simple ghost tail. But it was enough so I could levitate around.

It was hard to adjust to the movement, my arms were shaking, and I was swaying a lot to keep my balance.

Still, I wanted to keep trying.
I strolled around the small living room of the cabin, looking and touching the surfaces of the furniture carefully.
“The touch feels so... real...”

A scent crossed my face that caught my attention, it was a delicious aroma.
I looked in all directions searching for the source of the smell until I hit upon it.

The living room was connected to the kitchen, and apparently, they left cooking in a small pot some stew.

[Lifting the lid.] “Could it be that I can also test my sense of taste...?” I muttered with my trembling fingers.

As I was uncovering the pot, a few drops splashed out of the pot and landed on my arm.
I reflexively threw the lid off the pot.

[Shaking my arm quickly.] “Atssssss it looks like I can feel pain in this body too!” I exclaimed under my breath.

After I had thrown the lid off, I heard a door open in the hallway.

[Looking in all directions in despair.] “Where should I hide!!!?”

The green-haired girl who had been taking care of Akumu entered the kitchen.
She saw that he was still sleeping soundly on the couch.

“How come the lid must have fallen off?” She said as she picked it up to put it back in the pot and returned to her room.

I took advantage of the coats on the coat rack to hide behind them, too bad my huge purple horns were very obvious…
But I don't think she saw me anyway.

[Dropping my arms while sighing.] “Ah... I can't let him see me without prior explanation...”

I turned to look at Akumu who was still sound asleep.

[Pouting.] “It's unbelievable that, with all that noise, this lazy guy didn’t even flinch.”

Carefully, I sat down next to him on the couch. I didn't want to wake him up, he must be really tired.
I'm not going to lie, I was quite uncomfortable, only hundreds of thousands of scenarios of how he might react when he wakes up were going through my mind.

[Grasping my head.] “Ahgg, why am I getting so nervous about talking to a mere human?”

I didn't want to die of boredom, so I opted to close my eyes for a while.
[Crossing my arms.] “Tsk, don't think I do these things for you...” I said as I settled back on the couch.

*****

[Akumu's point of view]

I was awakened by a chill running down my back.
I had slept so much that the campfire had already gone out.

[Shivering.] “Agh... I'd better move to the bed to continue sleeping, it already got cold in here.” [Yawning.] “At least I was able to get a good rest without having any strange dreams or experiences.” I said as I stretched.

With a sleepy face and narrowed eyes, I turned only to look at the woman sitting with me on the couch-.

“SO WHO IS THAT!!??” I exclaimed as I cornered myself on the couch.
Sitting next to me was a sound asleep woman I had never seen before.
She was wearing a long, dark red dress, long loose black sleeves and... she had no legs. It was strange, because I could see part of her thighs, but after that, they became part of a peculiar ghost-like tail.
She had long, silky dark brown hair. But what caught my attention the most were those big purple horns on her hair, just like the ones I have…

I was silent for a while thinking about what to do. I didn't want to wake her up, she seemed tired.
Should I tell Hina that a lady broke into her house?
No no no. What if it's a guest of Hina's?

[Swallowing.] “Th-this... Excuse me-”

[Snoring with her mouth open.] “ZZZ....”

“...”
Meticulously, I got up from the sofa to leave without waking her up.
But as I did, the couch squeaked loudly.

[Half-opening her eyes.] “A-Ah...?

“A-A-A-A-A...” I stammered, waving my arms in all directions.

[Rubbing her eyes with her hands.] “I want to keep sleeping...” Murmured the woman.

“S-Sorry for waking you up...”

The strange woman stared at me blankly. Until she peeled her eyes with a fearful expression, shrugged her tail and covered her face with a cushion.
[Stammering nervously.] “H-Hello...- I a-a-a-am M-M-Michitsuju” Said in a high-pitched, low tone.

She seemed nervous too, so I let my guard down a bit.

“Ehm... Could you take the cushion off your face? I can hardly hear you...” I asked without getting too close.

The woman proceeded to cover herself even more with the cushion.

“...”

I sighed heavily and dropped my arms.
[Sitting back down on the couch.] “I'm not good at talking to strangers either, but I at least want to know what you're doing here.”

[With a cracking voice.] “P-Promise not to freak out?” She asked still with the cushion on her face.

“Unless you mean me harm, I don't think I need to be alarmed...” I replied with some suspicion.

She removed part of the cushion so I could at least see her eyes.
She had beautiful, bright eyes. The left one was violet like an amethyst and the other was like a ruby.
The irises of her eyes had strange shapes... The more I stared, the more I felt I could see the…

[Blushing.] “For how long you are gonna stare at me, you jerk!” She exclaimed in a low voice as she forcefully threw the cushion at my face.

That voice... I feel like I've heard it before.

[Sitting back up.] “Hey, what's wrong with you!” I complained back whispering.

The woman merely pouted in annoyance and turned her gaze the other way.
“Y-You owe me an apology for what you said to me when we were in the basement of the mansion...” She muttered between annoyed and distressed.

“In the basement...” “Wait...” “M-Michitsuju...?” I asked doubtfully.

She merely nodded her head frowning.

“A-Ah... I see...”
I'm not going to lie; the atmosphere was uncomfortable and heavy. But it's my fault for treating her like that yesterday...
“I wanted to wait until we could talk again, but I see you beat me to it... But anyway, I did want to apologize for treating you like that... I really was scared and reacted without thinking. I'm sorry, it won't happen again.” I said giving a small bow.

 

[Turning her gaze back.] “Hmph, it's-it's okay, it doesn't matter anymore. It's good to know you made it out of there alive.”

[Sighing heavily.] “It wasn't easy, if it hadn't been for the power you gave me, I wouldn't be here...” I murmured remembering last night.

“I-I see...” “But you should have looked for an exit right away...” She replied.

[Letting out a small laugh.] “Hina was upset at me for this... but I risked my life for something you might be interested in.” I said as I picked up the old book I had brought.

“A book? What's it about?” Michitsuju asked curiously.

“I asked the librarian for a map of Gensokyo, and she told me that this was the only book that contained a map. She also mentioned that it's been in her library for a long time, and she doesn't know where it came from.” I explained.

Michitsuju moved a little closer towards me to get a good look at the book.

[Giving her the book.] “Here, maybe you can locate yourself so we can go and free you.” I said with a smile.

“I-I don't know Gensokyo well enough to be able to locate myself.” Said as she skimmed the map carefully.

Michitsuju turned to the next page, but there was something odd…
The next pages of the book were all blank except for one that had something weird written on it.

“Hm... how strange...”

Michitsuju was mesmerized by the strange text there. So much so that she stood still like a statue.

“Do you know what it says?” I asked.

“Not really... But I know the language... I remember when I was a little girl, my mother used to sit me on her lap to read me stories. Some of these books told fascinating tales about an advanced civilization on the moon, but they were written in what my mother called, Lunarian code...” Michitsuju explained. “I know the symbols well, but I never learned to read that language.”

“Hmm... A civilization on the moon? Do you really think there is such a thing?” I asked hesitating.

[Closing the book.] “Beats me. But still, I don't know what good the map can do us if I don't know Gensokyo myself...” Michitsuju said while resting her hand on her face with a bored expression.

“But haven't you lived here your entire life?”

[Sighing.] “Ahhh... True, but my mother and sister for some reason never allowed me to leave our little plot of land tucked between the mountains.” She replied wearily.

Damn... Looks like I risked my life for a book that's not gonna be of any use…
I don't know how else we can track her location.
With my head resting on my hand, I stared out the window of that cold and windy afternoon.
Ahg... I really want to help, but I can't think of anything. With so few clues... no, with no clues at all, this is almost impossible to pull off.
Maybe… I'm trying to start where I’m not supposed to. We'll have to go to the basics first.

[Turning my gaze to her.] “I think we're complicating things more than we should.” I said.

“Hah? What do you mean?” asked Michitsuju doubtfully.

“The best thing to do is to take a step back and start with the basics. So, do you know who’s the one that put that seal on you?”

I could notice an expression of discomfort and nervousness on her face.

[Intertwining her fingers anxiously.] “I-I'm sorry... but I'd rather avoid that topic...” She muttered with her voice cracking as she looked at the ground.

[Sighing heavily.] “I understand that you may have had traumas in the past, but we really need as much information as possible to move forward. You don't need to tell me in depth if it makes you uncomfortable, but at least the most relevant details.” I explained trying to reason.

“...”

She still didn't seem to look comfortable, so a deep hush filled the room for a few seconds.

“My sister...”

“What...?”

“I-it was my older sister who imposed this seal on me several centuries ago...” She said while looking straight at me with an expressive face of distress.

I didn't expect it to be something like that... It must be devastating to have a family member want to get rid of you in a way like that.

“I'm really sorry... It sounds like something terrible.” I muttered, lowering my gaze. “Now I understand why you preferred not to tell me about your last name.”

“It's not like that's real either...”

“What do you mean by that?”

[Stuttering in tears.] “...” “I-I'm here because that kind woman wanted to give a sad orphan a second chance...” She answered with difficulty as I saw some drops run down her cheeks.

“...”
I'm starting to feel guilty for forcing her to talk about her past....
I sat next to her as she wiped her tears with her sleeves.
[With a small smile.] “She must have loved you so much...” I said.

“...”

“Wherever she is now... I'm sure she would like to see you enjoying the life she gave you. Because she made you part of her family by granting you her last name along with a new chance to move on.”

[Sobbing.] “...S-she can't see me anymore...”

“Why?”

“Because she's in a box underground...”

[Looking up at the ceiling.] “I do believe... that there’s life after death. And her essence will still be by your side, despite her leaving that hole in your heart.”

“It doesn't feel the same...”

[Putting my hand on her shoulder.] “We'll find a way to free you so you can live the way your mother always wanted.” I said smiling.

Michitsuju nodded with some sadness, but she seemed a bit less overwhelmed.

I raised my hand a little with my pinky extended.

“What are you doing?” she asked quizzically.

“It's a finger promise. Or is it too childish for you?” I replied.

[Letting out a small mocking laugh.] “Yes, it is haha...” She said as she made the same gesture with her hand and intertwined her pinky with mine.

“I promise to break those barriers that keep you imprisoned.” I said smiling.

“I-I promise to do my best so you can get your memories back...”

[Getting up from the couch.] “Well, I'll go talk to Hina about this. I don’t want her to freak out for seeing a stranger in her house.”

“B-By the way, Michu is fine...” She said quietly.

“Excuse me?”

[Pouting and crossing his arms.] “Just for this time I'm going to allow you to call me Michu...”

[Smiling back in a mocking tone.] “Okay, Michu-chan~.”

“Don’t make me regret it!” She exclaimed between annoyed and embarrassed shaking her arms.

I headed towards Hina's room and knocked on the door.

“Come in.” Hina said from the other side of the door.

“Ehm... I have something to talk to you about, but it might sound kind of weird...” I said as I walked into the room.

Hina was sitting on her desk with a thread and needle in hand while wearing crystal glasses.
“Uhm, sure. What might it be?” She replied.

“You see... You know that mysterious voice I told you about that got me into that whole mess at Remilia's mansion?”

“Ah... yes...?”

“Well... it turns out that it somehow managed to obtain a “physical” form so that it could interact in a more practical way. So, I wanted to ask you if it would be okay for her to live here with us.” I said with a chagrined smile.

Hina merely narrowed her eyes with a disapproving look.

[Pouting.] “I never gave her permission to bring more people here... Where is she now?” She asked in a serious tone.

[Stammering.] “A-Ah... She's waiting in the living room.”

Hina sighed heavily and got up from her chair slowly.

We both stood at the entrance of the small room looking at Michu who was covering her face with the cushion again…
Hina and I just stared at her.
“...”
“...”

[Crossing her arms.] “Relax, I'm not going to run you out of the house, I just want to talk and make some things clear.” Hina said in a more serious tone.

As much as Hina tries to sound serious, I can't take her as such ^^;
But I must say, despite her height, she is imposing in her own way when she wants to be.

Michu slowly withdrew the cushion and nodded.

[Sighing.] “I know everything that happened with you two, and I understand that you have some sort of alliance so that you can be released and that he can get his memory back.” [Clearing her throat.] “Howeveeer... I'll check myself to make sure that you don't have any kind of hidden intentions and put Akumu's life at risk, as you've already done a couple of times...”

Michu slowly stood up from the sofa with a dry and cold expression on her face as she looked down at us from above.
[Clenching her fists.] “I'm tired of others seeing me as a threat...” “But it’s fine, if I can redeem myself by doing what you tell me to do, that's what I'll do.”

[Squinting with a challenging look.] “I won't ask anything strange of you. All I want is for you to live with us for as long as I decide, that's all.” Hina said keeping her seriousness.

The rustling sound of dry leaves being blown by the wind was the only thing that could be perceived at that moment. But the noisy conflict between the two with their gazes could not be obviated.

“Th-That's it?” Asked Michu who was expecting something more from Hina.

Hina clasped her hands together and turned away.
“That includes collaborating at home. Oh, and no more night walks...” She added before retreating.

[Shrugging.] “Well, you heard her.” I said laughing somewhat uncomfortably.

 

*****

 

The chirping of birds getting ready to go to sleep could be heard, and the atmosphere had gotten a little icier.
After having that conversation with Hina, I took Michu into the room where I was staying and placed another futon on the floor for her. Hina's cabin was small, so there was no other room for Michu to sleep in.

Michu was looking out the balcony window with anticipation, her hands glued to the glass as she wagged her ghostly tail from side to side.

[Smiling.] “Autumn is a beautiful season.” I murmured.

“It's nice to be able to gaze at a colorful landscape after such a long time...” She replied without taking her gaze away from the fogged glass.

“Well, tomorrow we could go out and enjoy the weather a bit.”

[Turning to me quickly.] “Can we!?” She asked full of illusion.

“I don't see why not hehe.”

Michu herself really catches my attention. When I first talked to her, she gave me the impression of someone cold and imposing with dangerous vibes. Her appearance is also somewhat intimidating, she's a tall woman with a body... quite developed... Plus those big purple horns make her look fearsome.
But it's funny that most of the time she behaves like a child.
I wonder why she was sealed, but I prefer to save myself the question as it is still difficult for her to talk about her traumas and her past...
The me of a few years ago would have preferred not to hang out with her, I used to get irritated by extroverted and energetic people. But as much as we are opposites, I have to say that I like her in some way. I guess it's just that now I have someone to talk to.

 

“Hey, dinner’s ready!” Hina exclaimed from downstairs.

We both quickly went downstairs towards the kitchen and sat down.

[Putting the bowls on the table.] “Hope you like it.” Hina said with a smile.

My mouth watered just looking at it, that delicious aroma of chicken stew with vegetables was exquisite.
We both took a small wooden spoon and began to taste that soft and warm stew.

“Hey Hina, one question, do you know what the lunarian code is?” I asked.

“Lunarian code...? Mmm... it doesn't ring a bell at all. But I've heard of the Lunarian race.” Hina replied.

“So, they do exist...? A civilization on the moon?” I asked in amazement.

“They certainly do, in fact, there are some inhabitants here in Gensokyo who lived there for a while. It's just that... let's just say that the people who inhabit the moon don't have a very good relationship with the people of Gensokyo hehe... But why do you ask?”

“Ah, Michu deciphered that in the book I brought from the mansion there was something written in that language, so we thought we'd ask you if you knew of anything that could help us.”

[Putting her hand on her chin.] “Hmmm... I certainly don't know how to read the language, but I'm sure the Eientei people could lend a hand with that.”

“Eien... what?” I asked in confusion.

“The Eientei is a large traditional Japanese mansion located in the center of the infamous Bamboo Forest of the Lost.” Hina explained. “There dwell some people who once lived in the Lunar Capital.”

“Wah.... Can we go tomorrow?” I asked excitedly.

Hina put her hand in front of me.
“We had a deal, didn't we?” She interrupted in a slightly more serious tone. “We won't continue with this mission until I decide.” She said glaring at Michu.

Michu shrugged her shoulders as she pouted.

[Sighing heavily.] “Right...” I muttered disappointed.

I turned to look at Michu.
“Oh, by the way, you didn't tell me what your sister's name is.” I said.

“E-Eh... I would really recommend you avoid any kind of interaction with her...” Michu replied in a somewhat frightened tone.

“Mmm... Okay. But could you at least tell me what her name is?” I insisted.

[Sighing.] “Maybe you've heard of her, since she's the strongest youkai that has ever existed. Her name is... Yukari Yakumo...”

A thunderous thud echoed across the table.
Hina slammed her teacup against the table as she nearly choked on what she was drinking.
[Coughing.] “L-L-Lady Yakumo!” Hina exclaimed with wide eyes and an alert expression. “You can't be serious...”

Hina's reaction caught me completely off guard. I had never seen her act that way before.

[Between frightened and confused.] “M-may I ask who that is?” I asked with my shaky hands.

[Putting her hand over her face.] “Aghh... The youkai of the boundaries... She's certainly the most powerful being in all Gensokyo. If this matter involves negotiating with her, there's no way this will end well.” Hina sighed with disappointment.

I looked at Michu with concern in my eyes.
At first, I was excited to go through with this adventure, but now I see it with completely different eyes…
We have no leads, and our only source of information seems to be someone with a very grim vibe.

“She is not a violent person, nor will she seek to harm you first. But if you get in trouble with her... who knows what horrible death you will meet.” Hina murmured worriedly.

I didn't want that dead, awkward silence to continue to take up space in our conversation.
[Getting up from the chair.] “We'll see what can be done. If what you say is true, it will be best to avoid any interaction with her.” I said trying not to worry Hina anymore.

[Leaning her face on the table.] “Ahhh… Just… please don't go do anything rash...” Hina complained.

[Smiling a little.] “Relax, I won't get into anything dangerous again.” I said as I retreated.

“Ah, I almost forgot.” Hina exclaimed. “Leaving all this topic aside, I have something for you.”
Hina left the kitchen and quickly went to her room to get something.

She returned with a black garment in her hands.

“This is the old kimono I offered you that you had outgrown. I cut it out and sewed some to fit you.

[Holding the kimono.] “My... It looks great!” I exclaimed happily. “Thank you so much!”

[Smiling back.] “It's nothing hehe.”

I went upstairs to hang it so I could use it tomorrow.

By the time Michu had reached our room, I was sitting on my futon with my journal in hand.

“What are you doing?” She asked as she saw me writing.

“Ah, I'm just updating my Gensokyo journal a bit hehe.” I said as I showed her the notebook.

“What the heck is a Gensokyo diary?” She asked raising an eyebrow.

[Smiling slightly.] “When I arrived here a few days ago, I told Hina that I would like to recount my stay here in Gensokyo in the form of a diary. I'd like that, if I'm gone someday, that Hina can keep it and have a sort of way to remember me.” I murmured as I stroked the cover of the book gently.

“Wouldn't that be kind of a depressing gift...?” She asked in a more subdued tone.

[Nodding.] “Not at all, I'm sure it will make her feel accompanied in some way...” I said smiling.

[Getting into the futon.] “I see...”

“You don't have anything special your mother left you? I-If you don't mind answering of course.” I said waving my hands.

“Hmmm...”
Michu unbuttoned the small ribbon she wore in her hair.
[Looking at it appreciatively.] “I think... this is the only thing I have of hers. It looked very pretty on her when she wore it. One day wore it myself to look just like her. She gently patted my head and told me I looked prettier than her with that little ribbon.” She said smiling warmly.

“She wasn't wrong about that.” I replied quietly.

“Don't start with your embarrassing stuff...” She grumbled.

It was still a little early to hit the sack, but I had nothing better to do, so I blew out the candle that was next to the bed and proceeded to lie down.

I tried to close my eyes, but something was bothering me…
My mind kept turning over a certain thought.
I want to help Michu, but it seems that this mission is more dangerous than I thought... I don't want to have to worry Hina.
Will I have a way to please both...?
Agh... it's difficult.
For now, I'll just do what Hina said so she can be more at ease, no adventures for now.

Turning to look at Michu.
“I think she already fell asleep...” I said to myself.

But as I was turning back to sleep, I was interrupted.

“Thank you... for trusting me...” She whispered, turning her back to me.

[Smiling.] “Same here.” I mumbled as I drifted away in my dreams.

*****

A strange feeling woke me up in the morning, but when I regained consciousness and opened my eyes... I saw what it was about.
Apparently, Michu is the kind of person who can't sit still while she sleeps, so the next morning she was sprawled on the floor with all the blankets in disarray and her arm over my face....

[Moving her arm out of my face.] “Mmhhg... Go back to your bed...” I muttered grumbling as I turned around.

At that, the creaking of the door could be heard behind me.

[Opening the curtain.] “It's time to get up.” Said Hina who had entered the room. “How did you sleep this time?” She asked.

“At least this time I feel rested...” I said still a bit sleepy rubbing my eyes.

“That's good to hear. I'll go downstairs and prepare breakfast for you-”

Hina couldn't even finish speaking when Michu had already stood up all of a sudden.
[Stretching.] “Is the food ready yet?” She asked with a glint in her eyes.

[Squinting.] “You glutton goddess...” I muttered.

 

It was a peaceful day outside, although it was a bit chilly. So, after breakfast, Michu and I had to go out wearing coats.
It was a light windy morning, but a bit cloudy. You could breathe in that fresh earthy scent and all you could hear were our footsteps breaking the yellow dry leaves on the ground.
Hina had set us to sweep up the leaves to clean up everything that had been falling since autumn began, so we went to get a couple of rakes out of a small wooden shed and got to work.
It wasn't the most exciting activity, but it did relax me in a way.

Leaf by leaf, we put together mountains until we swept the entrance to the cabin and part of the forest trails.

[Sitting down on a rock.] “Oof... I guess we're done for the day.” I sighed heavily, already tired.

[Excited.] “Look look!” Michu exclaimed who had thrown herself belly-first against a large mountain of dry leaves.

Naturally, I would have scolded her, but I couldn't help but let out a laugh at seeing her so happily rolling around in the leaves. Can’t complain much since I used to do the same thing…
After cleaning up, Hina would call us back from the door with a couple of cups of hot tea.
That was our daily routine for a while. By the time I realized it, days and weeks had passed until two months had passed since autumn started. It’s been the happiest and most peaceful time I could have ever experienced…
Autumn for me was always that season when it was necessary to bring a coat to school. Seeing dead leaves falling everywhere was annoying, and colds were a common occurrence in my monotonous lifestyle.
But it is thanks to them that I have a different view of the world.
During our long competitive sessions to see who could sweep the most leaves, Michu would explain to me some interesting things I could do with my new power beyond just super jumps and moving through the air. It turns out that the energy in my body is quite malleable and I discovered abilities like charging my fists with current, snapping my fingers to generate a small electric field around me capable of disintegrating whatever is inside and the one I liked the most, positioning my hands as if I were a sniper to shoot bullets made of pure energy at incredibly high speeds. These are the explanations I give to the abilities, but Michu is unable to understand them. And even though it is part of her power as well, she fails to recognize these abilities, which seems strange to me.
Anyway, I still haven't mastered any of them and they are somewhat complex attacks to use, but I already have something to work on. But the most important thing is to work on my physique... I am someone with a very thin build and I get tired very easily.

*****

During the last days of autumn, when the cold of the freezing winter was beginning to be felt more, I went out on my own to clean one last time the few leaves that were left near the cabin.

[Wiping the sweat from my forehead.] “Phew, there were quite a few leaves to sweep up today.” I said, smiling as I took the rake towards the small shed.

I pushed open the creaking wooden door and set everything up.
[Shaking off my hands.] “Well, I think I’ll call it a day.”

But as I turned to leave, the old wooden door slammed shut in front of me.
[Straining.] “Aghh...! How could it... get stuck?” I muttered as I tried to pull the door with all my strength.

And as I tried to get out, my heart felt a sharp pang as I heard the voice of someone in the same little shed.

[In a soft, sophisticated tone.] “Don't get worked up, I came just to greet you.” Muttered the voice behind me.

Trembling with pale skin, I rotated my head back a little slowly without taking my hands off the door handle.

“I believe...this may be the first time we've spoken in person, young recipient.” She said looking me straight into my soul.

There's no way she'd been here the whole time, it's such a tiny shed that it’s impossible I couldn't have noticed her when I walked in.
But behind me sat on the wooden table a tall woman in a long white dress and purple Chinese-style tabard. She had long, straight blonde hair and wore a pale pink mobcap.

“W-Who are you?” I asked trembling.

“I mean no harm, I just wanted to exchange some words with you.” She said in a smug tone with a slight smile that didn't inspire much confidence in me.
I let go of the door and faced her.

“What do you want from me?” I said shrugging my shoulders a little in fear.

“I've been watching you even before you arrived to our lovely Gensokyo.” “I'm the one who keeps order in this cage and who sets the boundaries of life itself. But I'm also the one you’re looking for...”

“Looking for...?” I whispered with a frightened expression on my face.
The only person we've been talking about recently, is the one who Hina warned us not to…

[Pulling out a decorated purple fan to cover her face.] “That's right, it was me who sealed that little ingrateful and deluded goddess.”

My heart started beating rapidly and my legs felt like noodles while my eyes were wide open.
Yukari Yakumo, Michu's half-sister was standing in front of me in person.

“I know you've heard rumors about a dangerous being capable of manipulating the boundaries, but I've changed a lot since then... Age has made me mull over some past decisions.” She explained.

[Shaking uncontrollably.] “T-Then... why did you lock her up...?” I asked.
I felt anger knowing that I had in front of me the one who had caused all this trouble, but this feeling was overshadowed by fear. Even being able to control my powers better than before, it was common sense that attacking her would only result in instant death…

Yukari merely narrowed her eyes in a menacing manner while covering the rest of her face behind the fan, as if she were a predator.
“I'll grant you a piece advice, boy...” “Don't act based on the little you know about the whole story. You don't know her at all, you don't know what she's capable of, you don't know her past or her background. So, the best thing is for you to back off and not get involved in situations that don't concern you.”

I felt a hollowness in my chest, I had that feeling that one mistake and my life would be over in the blink of an eye. That aura of hers was so heavy that I felt as if the very gravity inside the shed had changed.

[Shrugging.] “But oh well... I know you probably won't take any notice, so, since I'm wandering around a bit bored, I'll give you a hint to go on your purposeless mission.” “That book you found can lead you to her location, and it would be best if you took into consideration the idea Hina gave you regarding the Eientei...”

“Why should I trust your advice...? It was you who imposed the seal on her...”

[Sighing heavily.] “My life is boring enough for not wanting to have my own circus from time to time. It really intrigues me to see how you will conduct your little experiment.” “It doesn’t matter if I were to tell you where she is specifically, you’re not going to make it in one piece.” She explained in a more sinister tone.

“...”

A strange portal with hundreds of eyes opened in front of me, and a hand pointing at me came out.
“But you're a rare specimen. Are you really human? Or maybe some exotic type of youkai? Either way, I wish you luck, because even with that you won't succeed in your task...” Yukari said as she opened another portal to retreat.

Everything turned into a gloomy silence, and I fell to my knees on the ground without air.
After that, the small wooden door creaked as it opened behind me.

Chapter 10: ༄【The beginning of our journey】༄

I had a hole in my stomach after coming out of that shed. It was as if my soul had left my body after such an encounter.
I stood listening to the wind rustling the leaves of the trees with a look that expressed absolutely nothing but emptiness. My freedom had vanished in seconds and my confidence had been shattered to dust.
Why am I so pathetic? Why did a few simple words without evidence manage to penetrate so deep inside me? That's how fragile I am...
Will it be worth it to go on? I've been told how the story is going to end anyway.
What happened to all that confidence I had built up little by little? I thought I had left my traumas in the past to become someone different.
I had only one job and even that I couldn't do well. And I can't turn to anyone.
If I tell Hina, she'll be disappointed in me, and if I tell Michu, who knows how she'll react.

My hollow footsteps on the damp earth moved aimlessly forward.

I am the flawed piece in this whole plan after all....

I completely filled my lungs and exhaled slowly to come back to my senses. I preferred to keep my problems to myself as usual and disguise my emotions, maybe this way I'll forget about all this in a while…
If I've learned anything in the short time I've been here, it's that the way out is always there, but it's up to me whether I want to move on or not. I already had this discussion when I was in the basement of the mansion.

[Slapping my face with both hands.] “It will be up to my future self, for now I should focus on what I can do now.” I said to myself trying to shake off my fear.

I walked a little further until I reached the hut to realize that Hina was waiting for me at the door with a smile as usual.

[Smiling back.] “I'm back.”

“It looks like autumn is about to end, so I don't think fallen leaves will be a problem anymore. Thanks for the help.” She said as she raised her arm to stroke my head.

Inside, there was Michu leaning back on the couch.
“You really took your time.” She claimed.

[Stammering.] “A-Ah... Sorry, I guess there was a lot of sweeping to do.”

“Michitsuju and I were talking about the subject of your mission.” Hina said. “During these two months I could see that you two get along quite well. Also, she explained her situation to me in more detail and I think it's only fair that you two do your best to carry out her idea.”

[Pouting.] “Hmph, you shouldn't have doubted me.” Michu claimed averting her gaze.

[Letting out a small smile.] “I'm glad to hear that.” I replied.

“So, I wish you the best of luck and I hope that you take good care of yourselves.” Hina added.

That last comment completely changed the picture of the situation.
[Raising an eyebrow in confusion.] “Wait... Why are you saying it as if...? I asked.

[Sighing heavily.] “As if I won't be accompanying you...? Yes, I'm afraid it'll have to be like that...” Hina replied a little more downcast, but trying to keep her smile.

“B-But why? I thought we were in this together...” I claimed between distressed and confused.

“And we are. It's just... I have business to attend to myself.” She explained in a more subdued tone. “The truth is, I wanted us to take this time to make sure Michitsuju supported you at all times and for you to develop your powers a bit more. I hope you understand...”

[Dropping my arms.] “...”
I'm not going to lie; I feel a bit disappointed and worried.
I don't distrust Hina, she's shown herself to be someone who genuinely wants the best for me, but it still makes a lot of noise in my mind to think that she has motives she'd rather hide for not going with us.

Hina put her hand on my shoulder.
[Smiling again.] “I know you two will go far if you set your minds to it, I will only be an obstacle in your paths if I accompany you.”

[Sighing despondently.] “You were the one who taught me how to live... I-I know you can help us too.” I muttered somewhat dejectedly.

“That wasn't always the case.” Hina replied.

“What do you mean by that...?”

Hina delicately sat down on the sofa and motioned with her hand for me to take a seat as well.
The three of us were listening to the creaking wood on the chimney waiting for Hina to start speaking.

[Looking up at the ceiling.] “Years ago... a small, innocent girl ended up in Gensokyo after crossing the Great Barrier. She walked through the dark woods until she gave up and sat on a rock crying inconsolably. Our paths crossed the moment I managed to hear her crying in the distance.” Hina explained.

“What's wrong, little one?” I asked, carefully approaching the innocent girl.

“I want to go home to my daddy and mommy.” She exclaimed wiping her tears with her little hands.

[Bending down to look at her face.] “I'll find a way for you to go back to your family. So don't stain her pretty face with those bitter tears anymore.” I said smiling as I stroked her head.
“That's a very pretty bow you're wearing.”

[Trying to breathe.] “M-My dad gave it to me...” She replied in a distressed, but calmer tone.

We waited a few more minutes until the girl could calm down.
[Holding out my hand.] “You can stay with me while we figure out a way to get you out of here.” I said smiling warmly.

The girl nodded somewhat worried, but she took my hand, and we left together holding our hands towards Youkai Mountain.

The next day, I left the house to go to the Hakurei Temple and told the little girl to stay in the hut and not to open the door until I returned.

The Great Hakurei Barrier cannot be breached unless certain circumstances are met. So, the only person I could go to was the creator of the barrier herself, Yukari Yakumo.
And the only person who could contact her was the priestess of Hakurei Temple of that time.
She understood the situation and had Miss Yakumo come to help me. And out of nowhere, a gap with hundreds of eyes opened in the sky as she appeared.
But she just glared at me…

[Narrowing her eyes.] “You know very well how natural selection works regarding humans in Gensokyo... If you don't want her to die at the hands of another youkai, you should take her to the Human Village.” Yukari said in a cold tone.

I tried to complain as much as I could, but she ended up threatening to kill the girl if I didn't follow the rules.
With frustration and tears in my eyes I went back to the hut.

[Eagerly.] “Will I be able to return to my home?” Exclaimed the girl.

[Flashing a fake smile.] “Not today, honey. We'll have to wait a little longer.” I lied to her as I bent down to hug her.

I couldn't abandon her to her fate in the Human Village waiting for someone with a good heart to adopt her, so I allowed her to stay with me until I found another way to get her out of here, I didn't want to give up.

Days and weeks passed by, but no one would listen to my prayers.

And at that, something else began to emerge... I began to notice her weak and with black spots on her delicate skin.

[Lying on the bed.] “Hina... Am I... going to be okay...?” The girl asked in a brittle and fragile voice.

I was very stressed not knowing what to do.
[Holding her hand.] “Of course, I'll go get some meds, I won't take too long.” I replied trying to keep my sanity.

And that's how I flew as fast as I could to the Eientei in search of her nurse to help me save her.
The nurse overheard the situation and told me that she doesn't know why I bothered to come if I myself know what is happening to the little girl and that it is not reversible.

Frustrated, I burst into tears as I flew back to the cabin.
But when I got there... the door had been ripped off and I couldn't find her anywhere.
My heart was demolished, and my legs were not reacting well. But in spite of that, I flew out to look out for her.
I heard a loud commotion near Hakurei Temple, so with the last of my strength I headed off without a second thought.
I arrived only to witness the moment when that innocent girl had already been transformed into a horrible and big monster. The priestess had no choice but to put an end to her existence by burning her alive with an amulet.

After that, the priestess looked at me with disappointment and lowered her gaze before retreating.
I fell to my knees in front of the creature only to hear her say in her last breath of life, “T-Thank you for taking care of me, Hina...”
Her body vanished like dust in the air, dropping her red bow she wore in her hair.
My heart had been ripped out of me that afternoon.
I knew it from the start. The reason I live isolated from others is because the bad fortune inside my body can do horrible things. I am a trash bin where people dump those negative emotions into and shouldn't go near anyone.
I picked up her bow from the ground and walked back under the shadows of that dark forest, vowing never to see the light of day again.
A cursed doll like me has no right to help anyone.
The seasons passed and I did not leave my room, I was a mess, and I only thought of ending my miserable existence once and for all.
But that's when an old friend wanted to lend me a hand after listening to what had happened.
Nitori is capable of building machines of all kinds, and she offered to help me by building a machine capable of extracting the bad fortune from my body and depositing it somewhere else.
But despite the attempts, it never succeeded, it was a very delicate thing to deal with and whenever he built the machine, some misfortune happened, and it ended up failing.

“That's why... I can't accompany you on your mission... My bad fortune will make things more complicated and possibly end very badly...” Hina explained in tears as she removed the red bow she wore under her chin. “Th-That's why... I was always afraid to take care of you from the beginning.” She stammered through tears.

Michu and I were perplexed and speechless at such a story. We didn't expect it to be anything like this. She had been keeping all that pain to herself all this time.

I put my hand on hers with some sorrow, I was never good at reacting to these situations, but I tried not to think of anything else but comforting her.
“We've been living together for over two months now, and it's been the best thing that's happened to me in my life so far.” I said smiling slightly. “I'm so sorry to hear what you had to go through, and it hurts me to hear what that little girl had to go through before she met the end of her road. But being here by your side, it's the only proof you need to see that you're not doomed to repeat the same story.”
“You are no monster; your bad fortune is simply an obstacle that life imposed on you so that that pure and gentle heart was not appreciated as it should be.” I added. “I will not leave your side until you can see that life is more than a past of bad memories.”

[Scratching her head trying to think.] “Agh... I don't quite know what I should say...” “B-But I know you're a good person. And despite our dark past, things can always change for the better.” Michu murmured somewhat apologetically.

Hina relieved her crying a little, enough to be able to speak.
[Sobbing.] “I-I just don't want to have to go through something like that ever again...” She muttered with her breath coming in short gasps.

“No one likes to relive past traumas, but that will be a matter for the Hina of the future, for now try to enjoy what you have in the present moment.” I said trying to cheer her up.

“...” “I guess you're right about that...” Hina muttered raising her head slightly.

Michu sighed heavily and clasped her hands together.
“I'm really sorry to hear that my sister was the main cause of all this... I don't want to justify her actions, however... I must say that she wasn't always like this...” She added in a more subdued tone.
“After our mother's death, Yukari fell into a horrible depression and was filled with anger and frustration because she couldn't do anything for her. Our mother in her last breaths of life, told Yukari to take good care of me since I was the younger sister, but she misunderstood the message. And because of it, that dark and rainy afternoon happened...” “I always wanted to explore the world around us, and in my attempt to break through the barrier, Yukari was filled with anger since she wanted to keep me locked up in our home like our mother always kept us. Centuries passed and things didn't get any better for my sister. I couldn't see it on my own, but from outside means, I heard that she had become very attached to a former priestess and when she passed away, Yukari was devastated once again...”

I didn't want to say or have an opinion on the conversation, I was still afraid to talk about the awkward encounter I had with Michu's sister…

[Wiping her tears a little.] “I guess... we've all had gone through situations that have destroyed us inside...”

[Stuttering uncomfortably.] “I... I really don't have much to contribute... I guess I don't fit into a conversation on topics like these...” I muttered, lowering my head.

[Smiling slightly.] “I'm glad to see that you haven't gone through such terrible things. But don't worry, you rightly said that past experiences don't define our future.”

“Yes... I guess that's true.”

[Getting up from the couch.] “It's important to get all these bitter feelings off your chest, but I don’t want to darken the day with these past issues.” Hina exclaimed already calmer. “That's why, it's time to try the lunch I prepared with Michitsuju's help.”

[Smiling proudly.] “Fu fu fu~ You'll see what real cooking skills are.” Michu boasted.

We sat in the kitchen for Hina to start serving lunch.
My mouth began to water just looking at the delicious dish. It was pork, rice, and a salad with a sweet dressing.

“It's a somewhat simple lunch, but Michitsuju helped me prepare the pork and some ingredients.”

[Crossing her arms.] “Lies, I cooked the pork by myself.” She said laughing in a proud tone.

“It really turned out amazing!” I said with a mouth full of food delighted by the sweet and sour taste of the pork.

The three of us enjoyed that nice cold evening with that wonderful meal.
But after that, it was time for dessert.

[Smiling proudly] “This is the specialty of the house. I present to you the... Michu tart!” Michu exclaimed as she came from the kitchen with a tray.

[Placing the tray on the table.] “I made this one all by myself fu fu~.”

At first glance, it looked like anything but a cake... It was more like a toasted dough with some burnt parts, but it didn't look that baaad either, or at least that's what I wanted to believe.

Hina and I started with an intense staring contest to see who would taste it first, it seems it wasn't just me that got a bad feeling.
I grabbed a spoon and slowly took a piece of the strange dessert.

This has certainly been my biggest test of guts in life…
It seems the ONLY ingredient that dessert had in it was sugar. I feel like my tongue rots after eating something like that.
And the stomach pain, after swallowing the whole dessert was agonizing and stabbing.
To my misfortune, there was only one bathroom in the cabin and Hina went in first. I had to wait while I was dying inside…
I'll have to learn to cook myself, Michu in the kitchen is a danger to anyone.

*****

The sun was showing a few small rays between the high mountains by this time of the day.
It was a quiet and relaxing day, but tomorrow Michu and I would start our journey in search of new answers.
Ahhh… I must admit that it still bothers me that Hina didn't want to accompany us. It could be anything, and I am simply over thinking it, but it still doesn't feel right…
I'm afraid of the dangers we might encounter, I'm afraid of leaving her alone, but what always disturbs my peace, is failing them both…
No matter how brave I try to become, there will always be fears that push me back. The difference is that now I do my best not to run away from my problems as I always did.
Tomorrow I will have to leave my comfort zone and step into this strange world with an ambitious and difficult goal. It's pretty much that same feeling at the start of a new school year. Leaving what you were familiar with and exploring a completely different environment with the doubt of what's the worst that could happen. It's a silly comparison, but my social anxiety made it seem that way.
Anyway... I'll see what I do tomorrow.
There are many things I need to think about, and one of the most important is about the use of my strange powers.
When I snap my fingers to activate the flow of energy, my hands have this tendency to stick together like a magnet.
If this is so, it means that one of my hands has a positive charge and the other a negative charge, and based on principles of electromagnetism, a charge generates an electric field, and the existence of an electric field generates a difference of potential. Which means that this potential and the resistance of my hands can create an electric current…
But it all boils down to, if I want stronger attacks, what I must do is increase the magnitude of the charges in my hands.

As I rambled through my thoughts about the physics behind this strange power, I slowly closed my eyes until all of a sudden, I began to snore.

*****

I entered the room only to see that he had already fallen soundly asleep.
[Smiling slightly.] “We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow...” I said as I pulled his blanket over him.

After a while, I too crawled into my futon to rest that night.

*****

Birds chirping had become my new alarm clock by this point, so, somewhat sleepily, I threw off the covers and went to wash my face.
I was alone in the room, which was odd because Michu has the hardest time getting up in the morning.
I went to the bathroom to remove my spit-up and tidy up my messy hair a bit.

“Good morning, Akumu.” Said Hina who saw me coming down the stairs towards the kitchen.

“Ah, good morning to you both. But why did you get up so early to make breakfast?”

[Looking at Michu with disappointment.] “Well.... SOMEONE is up early making noise in the kitchen.” Hina exclaimed snidely.

Michu stared out the window as if we weren’t talking about her.

[Letting out a small laugh.] “I see. Looks like someone couldn't sleep because of the excitement.” I said looking at Michu out of the corner of my eye in a mocking tone.

[Pouting.] “You two couldn't be any more wrong.” She said crossing her arms.

*****

After breakfast, we tidied up the kitchen because of the mess a certain goddess had left behind and then went upstairs to get ready.
I tied my long leather boots tightly, buttoned up my shirt along with my tie, fixed my two belts on my torso and put on my new black kimono.

Michu fixed her hair a bit and put on her long red dress.

Hina was waiting for us at the door with a few garments.
“It's been getting really cold lately, take these on.” She said as she handed us some gloves and scarves.

She also asked me to take out the book with the map for a moment to show us where we were supposed to go.
[Pointing over the paper.] “Okay, we are on this side of Youkai Mountain. You will have to fly in this direction and go over the Nine Heavens Waterfall, then through the Unknown Valley and so on out of the Youkai Forest. In the distance you will see the Scarlet Devil Mansion and you should turn a little and go straight ahead until you reach the Human Village. The Bamboo Forest of the Lost is on the opposite side of the village.” Hina explained.

I can't really get my bearings since I don't know the place, but I guess we'll get there somehow with some luck.

[Tucking the book between my belts.] “Alright, thanks.” I replied.

Hina didn't look very calm, and her brittle voice gave it away even more.
[Holding my hand.] “Please... take good care of yourselves...” “Maybe I'm being exaggerated, and you may not have any dangerous encounters, but don't get overconfident.” She murmured worriedly.

[Taking her hand back.] “After we go do some research we'll be back, I promise.” I said smiling before opening the cabin door.

Michu waved goodbye with her hand with some sorrow.

 

It was from here that my stay in Gensokyo took on real meaning.
It is of great importance to me to regain my memories as it is of great importance to Michu to get out of her prison. Although... I had never had a goal where my life was at stake, it is a feeling that is hard to describe.

My breath condensed as it combined with the air outside as we moved forward under the trees of the Youkai Forest. It was really cold, even if it didn't feel like it.

[Looking at me carefully.] “This... Is something wrong? You don't seem so happy.” Michu asked.

“It's nothing, I was just wandering in my thoughts again.” I replied.

During the time I was practicing, I managed to control the energy flow better. So, it was enough for me to snap my fingers and direct the electric field to start levitating.

[Contemplating the forest from above.] “Everything looks so small...” I muttered dazzled by the scenery.

[Excitedly wagging her tail.] “We have to go explore more places.” Michu exclaimed contentedly. “Let's start there.” Said pointing to the tip of Youkai Mountain.

“Don't you think it's better to avoid detouring?” I asked hesitantly with some fear.

“Bah, it's no big deal, I just want to go take a look, that's it.”

[Sighing heavily.] “Fine… But let's do it quick.” I said unmotivated.

We took flight towards the top of that gigantic elevation. It was so high that at some point the clouds blocked my view.
And when we reached the top, I could see the curious temple that Hina had told me about some time ago.

“Let's get closer for a closer look!”

“Wait-... Ah...” I said as I tried to stop her enthusiasm.

We landed on a small rocky esplanade in front of the temple.
The wind roared strongly through the trees, and it certainly felt colder at such a high altitude.
In front of us, there was a green-haired girl sweeping some leaves that had fallen on the esplanade.
So as soon as she saw us out of the corner of her eye, she approached.
[Waving.] “Ah, I haven't seen you before. Welcome to Moriya Temple, can I help you with anything?” The girl asked kindly.

She was dressed more or less like Reimu, and by that, I mean she was dressed as a temple priestess. Only she was wearing a white shirt and a long navy-blue skirt.

“Ah- no, we were just passing by, thank you.” Michu replied.

“I see. Well, have a nice visit.” Replied the girl smiling back.
While she was saying this, she kept looking at me carefully, as if she suspected something about me.

[Without taking her eyes off me.] “Those clothes...” Mumbled the girl.

“Sorry, did you say something?” I asked.

[Waving her hands in denial.] “A-AH, NO, excuse me. It's just that those clothes you're wearing remind me a lot of how people in the outside world dress.” She stammered.

Her response caught me completely off guard. Someone else who knows the outside world? I thought that wasn't common here.

“Ehm... Are you from the-”
I couldn't finish asking when someone else called out from the front door of the temple.

“Sanae, I need you to come here for a moment!” A tall woman in a red dress exclaimed from the temple.

[Turning around at once.] “I'm on my way!” The girl exclaimed. “If you'll excuse me, I have to attend to something.” She added before leaving.

As I saw the girl leave at a brisk pace towards the temple, Michu grabbed my shoulder.
“Well, I guess there's nothing else to see here, let's go.” She said as she prepared to take off again.

It's a shame I didn't get to ask her my question.
She looks completely human, but I can't say for sure, here youkai also look like people, but with some distinctive traits.
Could it be that she also comes from outside? If that's the case, I see that humans who end up here have no other choice but to accept being part of Gensokyo.

As we soared the skies leaving the great mountain behind, Michu stared at me again with concern.
[Pouting.] “No seriously. What's wrong? You've had that look on your face since we left...”

I couldn't find a way to tell her what happened yesterday in the shed. I was afraid to tell her, but at the same time I was afraid of hiding it and, if something bad happened, that it would be my fault for not informing her.

“If we're going to work together, I'd at least like us to have some trust. Lest we go through the same thing while we were hanging out in the basement of the mansion.” She added.

That last part was an eye-opener for me. Whenever I shared my feelings with others, I always ended up getting hurt.
But... I'm not alone anymore, things have changed.

[Stammering]. “S-Sorry I didn't tell you sooner... I was afraid of how you were going to react. But the truth is, I had an encounter with your sister yesterday while I was putting things away in the shed...” I muttered, lowering my head.

Michu remained silent for a few seconds.
[Sighing heavily.] “I certainly don't get along with her... But it's not like you went looking for her or anything. What did she say to you?”

“Not much, really. She told me that the book I'm carrying has a clue to your location and she kept threatening me about the danger of going looking for you.”

[Frowning.] “That resentful jerk never changes... But don't listen to her, she just wants to toy with you and your feelings, that's all she's good for.”

“Ahg... I don't really know what to think. She intimidated me a lot and she seems to be serious about what she says.”

“Bah, don't worry, we'll find a way to make her see how wrong she is.” She said with a challenging smile.

“It's not that... What she told me was, that we're not even going to be able to get to your location without dying. And since you don't have your powers back yet, I'll have to see how I figure things out on my own.”

“Ah... that.” [Shrugging.] “Let's focus on finding information first, the rest will come up in due time.”

“Okay... I guess you're right about that.”

If feels nice to get that off my chest... Next time I’ll try to trust Michu and Hina more to talk about complicated topics, even if it's not easy for me.

After that, we continued our way to the forest that Hina told us about.
We went through the entire Youkai Forest, which was no longer as yellow as it was during autumn, and then passed by incredibly beautiful places such as waterfalls, lakes, meadows and ravines.
With the arrival of winter, it was to be expected that there would not be as much activity in the area, but we were able to see some fairies and other youkai going about their daily lives.
And as we were enjoying the cool breeze, I watched as someone flew up to us on a broom.
It was Reimu's witch friend. I think her name was... Marisa?

[Waving.] “I didn't expect to see ya here. What's up?” Said Marisa who also came in her winter clothes.

“Ah, hello Marisa.” I said smiling. “We're on our way to the Eientei to continue a mission.”

“Hmm... I see.” [Pointing.] “And who is she?”

“She's a friend with whom I'm carrying out this plan.”

[With a proud smile.] “I'm the peerless and all mighty Michitsuju, I'm sure you've heard of me at some point fu fu fu fu~” Michu boasted.

“Eh...? Not really, but I'm Marisa, nice to meet ya anyway hehe.”

[Pouting.] “Hmph, ignorant people...”

“And what are you doing around here?” I asked.

[Sighing tiredly.] “Reimu asked me for some spell books because apparently, she’s teaching someone and will use them to practice. So, I'm going to Patchy's library to borrow some ze.” Marisa replied.

“I see... Alright, good luck.”

[Waving goodbye.] “You too ze!” She exclaimed as she descended towards the scarlet mansion we were flying by.

[Apprehensive.] “Um... D-Do you really consider me as a friend?” Asked Michu with embarrassment.

[Smiling.] “I don't see why not. Besides, it would be better if we treated each other as such instead of just colleagues during our mission, don't you think?” I replied.

“A-Alright then! I'll let you give me special treatment.”

Michu is not very good at hiding her intentions with the tone in which she says things. I could see how she smiled warmly after playing hard to get anyway.

We flew over the huge blue Misty Lake next to the Scarlet Mansion. And since the day was so cloudy, I could see Remilia and the other people from the mansion playing in the main garden in the distance.
We passed through some other woods near the mansion without seeing much activity. It's understandable that the locals here prefer to stay in during these seasons.

“Hey, we're going in the right direction, right?” Michu asked with some hesitation.

[Taking the book out of my belt.] “If we just passed by the mansion... that means we should be arriving at the Human Village soon.” I replied trying to place myself.

[Pointing.] “Which I'm guessing is that one over there.”

Indeed, you could see a small village surrounded by a wall made of logs that had the aesthetics of a small traditional Japanese village.
From above you could notice the white smoke rising from the chimneys of the houses, and the few people walking between the streets.

“Let's go for a little visit heh.” Smiled Michu as she began to swoop down.

“Ah- wait-! Ah... whatever...” I sighed dropping my arms.

I carefully descended until I set my feet on the dirt paths of the village.
The atmosphere felt warmer for some reason. I guess the walls were blocking the strong icy breeze a bit.

“Do you think they sell good food here?” Michu asked with a twinkle in her eye.

“Now that you mention it... We should find something to eat before we continue. Maybe stopping by here wasn't such a bad idea.”

As we walked along those paths, the warm and welcoming atmosphere faded away with the cold stares we received from the residents.

“Ehm... Don't you think people here act strangely...?” I asked whispering.

“Huh? Why do you say that?”

“I don't know... I feel like everyone glares at us and try to get out of our way.”

[Waving her hand.] “Nah, that’s their problem, I'm just looking for something delicious to eat.”

“Ah... alright. But let’s just not stay here too long.”

Walking as if we were lost children, we managed to find a street food stall.

“This... Good afternoon, could we have two of those.” I said pointing to the skewers outside whatever that meat was.

“Make it three heh.” Michu interrupted holding up three fingers.

“One for each of us is enough...”

[Crossing her arms.] “Nah, not for me.”

[Squinting reluctantly.] “I don't know how the economy works here in Gensokyo. If we run out of coins you figure out how to get us food.”

[Waving her hand.] “Yeah yeah, not that asking for an extra one would leave us broke.”

The stall owner also had pale skin and an expression of despair on his face.

I took the three skewers and as I was taking out the coins Hina had given us before leaving, the vendor stopped me.

[Stammering.] “J-Just take them! He exclaimed in panic.

“E-Excuse me?” I asked with the coins in my hand.

He closed the curtain of his stall in front of my face and walked off at a brisk pace between the streets.

“Do you see what I'm saying? People here are behaving very strangely, it's like they're afraid of us or something.”

[Speaking with her mouth full.] “Like I said, it's their problem. Better for us, so we don't have to pay fu fu fu~”

I sighed loudly and left a couple of coins on the food stall table before leaving as well.

[Looking at me with disappointment.] “Tsk, If we run out of coins you figure out how to get us food.” She said in a mocking tone imitating me.

[Walking with my hands in my pockets.] “Yeah yeah, don’t mock me...” I replied reluctantly. “But... back to what I was saying. Why do you think everyone is running away from us?”

[Shrugging.] “Beats me. Do you want me to ask someone?”

“...” “Forget about it...”

Could it be that people look at me because of the way I dress? Everyone here walks around wearing clothes that match the theme of the village. Maybe they just don't like foreigners.
Although... I must say that Michu in a way looks like a ghost. I mean, if in the outside world I had seen a tall lady floating around with a ghost tail, I would have been worried too.
No... they should be used to the existence of youkai, which shouldn't be a problem.

As I was turning that thought over, a shout was heard in the distance.

“Ahhhh excuse meeee!” A little girl carrying a stack of books exclaimed.

But it wasn't that I noticed her until I felt the strong thrust she gave me.

[Rubbing her head.] “Agh...” Complained the girl sitting on the ground after colliding with me.

“Tsk, watch where you're going, you almost threw my food.” Michu complained.

[Extending my hand.] “Are you okay?” I asked the girl.

“Ah... yeah, sorry.” She replied taking my hand to get up.

After picking up the books, she restacked them and I helped her carry some of them.

“I appreciate the gesture... But...”
The girl stared at my head for a few seconds with a doubtful expression.
“Could you two come with me for a moment?”

Michu and I were left wondering what to say. We shouldn't stray too far from our mission, but she was the only person in this village who didn't run away after seeing us.
We both nodded and accompanied her.
She was a girl of very short height, orange hair with two pigtails at the sides, and she was wearing a long-checkered apron.
Walking between the paths of the village, we came to a small alley where there was a house that looked like it was going to fall apart with a sign that read “Suzunaan.”

The girl rammed the creaking door with a kick as a cloud of dust flew out of it.
“Well, here we are. Welcome to my bookstore.”

[Placing the stack of books on a small desk.] “I brought you here to remind you that youkai like you shouldn't be hanging around here...”

Chapter 11: ༄【The eternal flame of the bamboo forest】༄

The sound of the thunderous wind was banging against the windows.
“Y-Youkai?” I asked in confusion.

“You don't have to hide your identity to me, I'm not going to kick you out.” Said the girl.

[Waving my arms.] “Wait wait, I'm no youkai!”

[Looking over my head.] “Sureeee...” She mumbled squinting her eyes as she grabbed the books to go arrange them on the shelves.

[Crossing her arms.] “What if we were to be youkai, huh?” Michu asked defensively.

The creaking of the floorboards went silent as the girl stopped arranging her books.
“Are you guys serious...?” She muttered as she slowly turned to us.

[Shrugging.] “I guess so.” I replied.

[Sighing heavily.] “I have to assume you're not natives of Gensokyo, are you?”

“I've lived in Gensokyo for a few months now, but I come from the outside world. And she is indeed from here, but it's a long story.” I replied pointing at Michu.

“That explains a lot, but at the same time it leaves me with important questions... Anyways, first things first. I'm Motoori, Kosuzu Motoori.” Said the girl smiling as she shook my hand.

“A-Akumu... Nice to meet you.” I replied.

[Tucking her hair.] “I am the mighty deity Michitsuju Yaku-... just Michitsuju...” She bragged as usual.

[Putting her hand on her chin.] “Mighty deity...? I've never heard your name before, sorry.”

[Squinting her eyes in annoyance.] “Yeh... it's what everyone tells me hmph.”

“But back to the case, are you aware that not following the basic rules of this land would mean putting your life at risk?” Motoori asked.

I had heard from Hina some things she told me about fighting and the conditions youkai have over humans, but she never talked to me in detail about rules. I guess it's a good time to ask before we get into trouble.
“Uhm... sorry, but I don’t know such rules.”

Motoori gestured inviting us to sit on some cozy armchairs in a corner of the small library.

“I must assume that you have already had some encounter with youkais. But in case you didn't know, more than seventy percent of the population of these lands is made up of youkais. Among these, there are beings that are capable of altering reality itself, destroying planets or changing the course of life as we know it.” Motoori explained.

“So... why is this place so peaceful?” I asked confused.

[Pointing at me.] “That's an excellent question. Do you know the stories about Greek mythology?”

“Uhm... I don't usually read about it, but I know some of them.”

“The myths tell what life was like for the all-mighty gods of Olympus and about how many of these played pranks on each other or outright fought to death. And during these events, lands were obliterated, and gods and people died all the time.”

“So... what you mean is that Gensokyo would be like this or worse if the rules didn't exist, right?”

“Now that you understand, I can move on to my next point, the conflict resolution here. Gensokyo was created as a place so that youkais could live in peace and stop being at constant war with humans. Also, because many of these youkai are a real threat to humanity. Just as there are youkai weaker than a human child, there are others who’s power would be impossible to measure.”

“It's kind of scary to think that at any moment we could run into someone like that...”

“That's where the danmaku rules come into play.”

[Raising an eyebrow.] “Dan... maku?”

“Do you know what a Spell Card is?”

Michu and I both nodded.

[Sighing heavily.] “So as not to make this too long, I'll try to cut to the chase, it's usually a system with quite a few ambiguities.”

“Meh, just the basics would be fine, we're not here to get a lecture either.” Michu interrupted.

“Spell Cards are a combat system defined centuries after the creation of the Great Barrier. However, it was the current priestess of the Hakurei Temple who began to implement it in practice. Such a system consists in, if there is a dispute between two youkais or humans and youkai, each would agree on a certain number of attacks to decide who wins. It is part of the rules to recite the name of the Spell Card before launching the attack, and this must have a meaning for the user, it can't be just any attack.”

[Scratching my head doubtfully.] “Agh... It sounds like something quite abstract.”

“Partly it is... But what you should know is that combat is with non-lethal projectiles and the victor will be decided by the beauty of their patterns. And by beauty we mean that it will be a clean fight with no dirty tricks. Finally, it should be emphasized that however non-lethal, projectiles can still cause severe physical damage if the attack is not evaded.”

“Hmm... Sounds complicated, I've never heard of a system like this.”

“Once you get used to it, it becomes second nature. But it exists because of the fact that the gap between youkai power can become frighteningly huge. So, everyone has a chance to win, though it's usual for the strongest to end up winning anyway.”

[Raising her hand.] “I still have a question...” Michu said. “How do I get a Spell Card, are they even something I can physically see?”

Motoori clenched her hand and raised two fingers together as she closed her eyes.
A flash began to emanate between her fingers and a rectangular paper card formed within the light.
“It is something that is part of us as inhabitants of Gensokyo. Everyone defines their movements based on skills, past experiences, emotions, and objects of value to one. When you manage to give a move a name and meaning, it will manifest its essence in the form of a card like this and can be used by exclaiming its name.” Motoori explained.

It still seemed too complex and abstract for me to understand. It had a very trivial meaning and seemed to have a lot to do with one's own essence.
I was never a person who was good with emotions. Showing myself vulnerable in front of others never turned out well…

“Maybe I'm not getting it right now, but I'll try to work on it. Thanks for the explanation anyway.” I replied as I slowly got up from the couch. “I think we'll go now.”

[Smiling.] “You're welcome. I recommend that if you want to take a walk around here again, hide your horns. You can't hide your true essence, but you can hide the appearance.” Motoori replied. “In this village, youkai are usually frowned upon because of the contract.”

I stopped before I reached the door.
“I told you I'm human...” I muttered.

“Right, I forgot heh.”

Michu waved goodbye without a word as she closed the creaky plank door.

As we left, my face received those blasts of cold air again as we walked between the alleys of the village.

“You've been very quiet, is something wrong?” I asked.

[Looking at the ground.] “I don't know what you're talking about, I'm the same as usual...” Michu replied.

[Sighing.] “Didn't we talk a while ago about having trust between us? I know I'm not good at giving advice, but... I could try.”

“...” “That whole Spell Cards thing reminds me of her...”

“Then why did you ask if you already knew about it?”

“Because for some reason, I was never able to develop my own Spells. And that was the reason why our confrontation was deadly back then...”

“I guess neither of you had the courage to kill each other...”

“I don't know why she didn't do it. But I didn't want to hurt the sister who always showed me the way.”

[Smiling warmly.] “Your childish attitudes sometimes prevent me from seeing how expressive you really are. As much as you say your heart was taken away, I'm still able to see it there shining through that anguish.” I said as I stood on my tiptoes to pat her head.

“I'm not childish... I-I just... Adults only know how to harm!” She muttered clenching his fists in anguish.

“I get you... But we'll still give your sister her comeuppance, won't we?” I said with a nervous smile.

“...”
Michu looked away in disappointment.

“I-I'm sorry... I really have a hard time comforting others.”

[Waving her hand.] “It's okay, I guess. I'm just not in the mood for jokes right now.”

[Lowering my gaze.] “S-Sure...”

It was from there that the roars of the wind and the footsteps on the wet ground started to get annoying. They were the only discernible thing in that awkward, tense silence between the two.
I'm lame and stupid. I made someone who is naturally cheerful angry.
Aghhhh! Why can't I be an empathetic and normal person?!?
I can tell why I never had any friends; I ruin everything just by being myself.

I tried to pretend all this never happened and pulled out the map again to continue the journey. I didn't know how to fix this anymore...
[Glancing at the map.] “Well... let's fly off in this direction and-”

[Interrupting.] “How can you be so calm...” Michu asked in a serious and subdued tone.

“S-Sorry?”

“Just answer the question.”

“...” “I know, I suck as a human being and the truth is I can't be at ease knowing I pissed you off...”

“What? No, I'm not mad at you... I'm asking about the mission itself.”

“Y-You're really not upset?” I exclaimed with relief.

“Tsk, don't be silly, how am I going to be upset about something like that? Besides, I know you didn't intend to make fun of it. It's just that I have a lot on my mind right now, okay?”

I could see her hands shaking as if we were freezing. But I knew it wasn't the weather…
I was relieved to know she wasn't mad at me. But... even the most apathetic person in the world would know something was tormenting her.

[Looking at my fragile hands.] “Calm you say...?” I muttered. “If you had asked me if I'd rather stay at Hina's place for the rest of my life, I'd take it without complaint. No dangers, someone to take care of me, delicious food and a peaceful life. Admittedly, I also want my memories back because that was our deal. But now I see it as helping that friend I never had. You may not see it, but you gave me a life purpose that helped me change.”

“E-even if it cost you your life...?” She asked distressed.

[Looking up at the gray sky.] “My life isn't worth anything really. If it wasn’t for you getting in my way, I wouldn’t be here right now.”

[With bated breath.] “Now you've really made me angry...” She muttered gritting her teeth and fists holding back tears. “B-Because of me you're involved in a mission which I don't know if you'll come out of alive!” She exclaimed with a soaked with tears.

“Is that what you're afraid of?”

“Wasn’t it obvious!!!?” She shouted disconsolately. “I'm afraid to move on because the future has always been cruelling to me!”

So that's what it was all about....
I don't quite know what I should do or say, but I guess I can do what Hina would do if I was feeling down.
I walked up to Michu and without saying a word, I wrapped my arms around her waiting for her to hit me or push me away from embarrassment.
I counted three seconds squeezing my eyes shut.
But... nothing happened.
In between her sobbing, I felt her slowly place her delicate hands on my back.
“I'm not worthy of your concern, but I try to be a minimally decent person so you can be happy. At the end of the day, that's what I wish, that no one else would want to stop living as I once did. I will always look for ways to be by your side.” I said warmly easing the tension in my body.

Without saying anything, she hugged me quite tightly back as she rubbed her tears on my shoulder.
“I-I don't want you to leave me... I wouldn’t bear it one more time.” She muttered with her breath coming in short gasps.

[Smiling.] “As long as it's in my hands, I won't. But since we can't see the future, let's move forward doing the best that can be done. I'm counting on you to help me help you.”

Michu nodded and wiped his face with her sleeves.

“Don't hesitate to tell me if anything else is overwhelming you. You don't have to keep things to yourself anymore.”

[Looking away.] “Okay... T-T-Thank you...”

[Taking out the map again.] “Well, I think going flying in this direction should take us to the bamboo forest in a few minutes.” I said pointing to the sky.

Slowly, we were soaring into the gray, snowy sky that afternoon.
Feeling a few snowflakes brush my face, we continued our way to the bamboo forest mansion.
I always hated winter. Those icy winds and the mounds of snow were not pleasant at all. But being here with her makes my perspective on everything change completely. Everything becomes so... simple.

And so, after about ten minutes of flying, we managed to see a dense and tall forest made entirely of tall green sticks.

[In awe.] “It's like... a giant fortress made of bamboo.” I said with a twinkle in my eye.

“I guess it's called that for a reason.”

We flew above the forest trying to locate the mansion, but try as we might, we could see absolutely nothing among the treetops.

[Looking in all directions.] “I think... we got lost. The forest looks exactly the same in any direction...” I muttered trying to locate myself with the map.

[Pointing down.] “What if we go into the forest and walk? Maybe we can find the mansion from below.”

“Hmm... I guess that's not such a bad idea. Let's go take a look.”

We descended through the treetops until we touched the damp forest ground.
The forest was so dense that the wind stopped being felt. It was as if we had entered a dome made of bamboo, although the temperature was still low.
There were no people, no youkai, no animals, nothing but bamboo.
I had this need to keep looking at my surroundings, for some reason, I didn't feel safe among so much silence. I even became so disassociated that I forgot Michu was with me.

“Nothing yet?” Asked Michu.

“Nothing... I don't even know where we are, everything looks the same.” I replied hopelessly.

And so, the minutes went by, listening only to our footsteps breaking the dry branches on the ground.
But at that, Michu stopped completely.

[Closing her eyes.] “Don't you... smell that...?” She said as she sniffed the air.

As soon as she mentioned it, I could smell a faint, almost undetectable scent of smoke.
“Is something burning inside the forest?”

“I don't know, but we'd better follow the scent until we find someone or something.”

Apparently, Michu is pretty good at chasing scents, it's like she's a bloodhound.
And at a brisk pace, we moved closer to the source of the aroma until it began to smell more like burning wood.

“This should be it...” Michu said.

And as we peeked through some branches, we found something different.
A small dirt esplanade where there was a hut made entirely of wooden poles.
But where the smell was really coming from was from a small grill which had a huge flame on top of it. And in front of the fire, there was a person.
I couldn't tell if it was a boy or a girl, since the white hair was down to the heels.
Still, we decided to approach slowly, but just as we were about to greet....

[Kicking the grill.] “AGHHH! The goddamn food's burnt again!” She exclaimed clenching her fists.

[Whispering.] “Do you think it's a good idea to get close? She looks pissed...” I said to Michu.

“Let me handle it heh.”
“Ooooooi! We need some help!” Michu exclaimed as she walked over.

[Turning around.] “Hah? And where did ya come from?” She asked.

Looking at her from the front, it was a girl. She had exaggeratedly long white hair. She was wearing a white button-down shirt with rolled up sleeves and baggy red pants with ofuda stamps attached.

“We got lost in the forest and were looking for someone to help us.” Michu continued.

[Squinting.] “Tsk... And what are ya doing in the forest in the middle of winter?” the girl asked between tired and annoyed.

“Ah... We're on a mission and need to get to the Eientei.”

“I see...” [Turning around.] “I can give ya a ride in a while, for now stay in my place. Oh, and tell your escort to come out, I'm not going to hurt him or anything...”

Michu turned only to see me hiding among the branches trying to go unnoticed.
So, I stepped out with some regret and followed them.

It was good to feel some warmth after all this freezing day.
The small hut was similar to Hina's, but with less furniture and decorations. It seemed to have only the essentials for living.
We sat in that living room listening to the crackling of the wood in the fireplace.

“So, I hear you're going to the Eientei, aren’t ya?” Asked the girl.

[Stammering.] “A-Ah... yes, that's right.” I replied with a nervous smile.
Agh... Why am I having a tough time acting normally?
I can't help but glare at her face only to quickly look away.
She has a tired expression with pronounced dark circles under her eyes and sharp eyes. Also, she talks and expresses herself as if she were a boy, but everything about her was catching my attention in a way I can't express.
I shook my head hard and tried not to think about any of this.

[Pointing at me.] “This... Is something wrong with your friend?” The girl asked.

[Looking at me disappointed.] “Nah, sometimes he acts out and talks to himself.”

“Mhm...” “Anyway, what do you folks want to go to the Eientei for?”

Michu nudged me with her shoulder.
“Oi, they're talking to you.”

“Ah, sorry, I got distracted for a moment hehehe...” I said scratching my head.

“I was just asking what you’re going to the Eientei for.”

“Ah... that. We need to talk to the princess to help us translate a strange book so we can continue our mission.”

“I see... you want to go see that scumbag heh.”

[In shock.] “T-That much confidence to call each other that...?” I stammered.

[Resting her head on her hand.] “I've known that bitch for thousands of years.”

“Ah... haha.... An old friend, huh?”

“Pffft. are ya kidding? We murder each other whenever we meet. The hatred is mutual.” Replied the girl mockingly.

I'd better change the subject... This is getting really awkward.
“By the way, what's your name?” I asked.

[Sighing heavily.] “Uh... not that it's important, but I'm Fujiwara no Mokou, just a human living in the bamboo forest. But just call me Mokou.”

“Nice to meet y- Wait, human...? Didn't you say just now that you've known the princess for thousands of years?”

“...” “Yeah, that... I guess you're right. I shouldn't introduce myself as a human. Just forget it, I don't want to depress ya with an old story, you know? Heh...”

“I-I understand... Well, I'm Akumu and this is Michitsuju. Thank you for welcoming us into your home.” I replied smiling shyly.

[Waving her hand.] “Nah, you're welcome. I spend my time helping humans or youkai that get lost around here.”

“That's a very kind gesture on your part.” I replied smiling.

“Yeh... I guess... It's not like I have anything better to do with my long boring existence either.”

“I'm sorry to hear that... I don't understand what it's like to live for so long, but I can tell you whether it's a long or short life, things can change for better or worse if one wants to take the first step.”

[Looking at the ground with a small smile.] “C-Change...eh? I appreciate your advice, and I know it's going to sound pessimistic, but this is out of my control, sorry. Not being able to change is a curse I wouldn't wish to my worst enemy.”

“A-Ah, yes... Sorry to intrude. I guess I shouldn't go around giving empty advice if I don't know the person.” I said with a nervous laugh.

[With a warm smile.] “You don't worry, kiddo. I really appreciate ya guys wanting to reach out to talk to me heh. It somehow frees me from this loneliness.

Even her voice... it makes my ears not want to perceive any other sound that surrounded me. It's hard to put it into words, but I feel encapsulated in all my senses. It makes me feel strange inside, it's a warmth and relaxation that I can't describe.

[Getting up from the sofa.] “But oh well, I was told that ya needed to visit the Eientei, right?”

“Ah yes, I forgot.” Michu replied.

“Hm, luckily the snowstorms haven’t started around here yet.” Said Mokou pulling back the curtain in the living room.

We put our gloves and scarves back on to take another walk through the forest with our escort.
The small leaves on the bamboo poles were beginning to dye again, or should I say, fade. As more flakes fell, everything gradually changed.
But for me, the only white that mattered was the long hair waving in front of me with that scent of burning firewood.
It's a pity I won't be able to see her again after this...

Mokou didn't open her mouth during the walk, so, walking through the silence of the forest, we reached the place in less than ten minutes.

[Moving some leaves from our face.] “Well, this is the hidden mansion in the forest, the Eientei.” Mokou said.

A long ancient building made of dark wood in its entirety stood in front of us.
It had all the aesthetics of a traditional Japanese mansion, as was customary in Gensokyo.
In the wide front yard, girls with rabbit ears and tails could be seen doing some chores such as hanging sheets and others sweeping.
It strikes me that here the youkai look mostly human, but with some additional features that make them stand out. Not to mention I haven't seen a single youkai that isn't a girl…

Mokou slid open the front door violently.
“Coming in...” She exclaimed in a bored tone.

“You enter as if it was your own home.” I said with a laugh.

“They know I come here frequently; I have my reasons.”

Large rooms with antiques as decoration was the best way to describe the place, always keeping that traditional essence. Everything gleamed impeccably despite appearing to be centuries old, I wonder what kind of cleaner they use.
Although I must say that it gave me the same vibes as Remilia's mansion. It was a very spacious place, but with no people to fill that gap.
And after passing a few rooms, Mokou stopped.

“Well, she should be in her room. Go talk to her.”

“I appreciate it.” [Knocking on the door.] “Ehm... princess Kaguya...?” I said.

A subtle and refined voice was heard from the other side.
“Come in.”

I don't know what kind of tornado must have swept inside that room, but it wasn't what I expected from a princess's room…
Clothes scattered all over the place, plates of food and... old video game consoles? I didn't think these things existed in Gensokyo, but well, that's not what I was coming for.
We crossed the wide sea of clothes on the floor until we reached a sofa where we were greeted by the one we were looking for. [

[Glaring at us carefully.] “Oh my, I didn't expect to receive visitors in the middle of winter.” Said the princess in a sophisticated tone and with a little laugh.

[Bowing.] “Excuse us for that, but we were coming because we need your help with something.” I said respectfully.

“What could such a handsome boy and a woman with such beauty possibly need from me?”

Michu crossed her arms and looked away immediately, but I could see that her face was completely red.

“Tsk. Save your games for another time, indecent princess!” Mokou exclaimed from the doorway.

The princess smiled at Mokou then turned to us again.
She was a woman who inspired finesse in both her physique and the way she spoke. She was the kind of person who would speak to you with outdated words, but with that touch of elegance from several centuries ago. She had long straight black hair and a face that no man could ignore. She was simply an out-of-this-world beauty. But I couldn't dwell on those details, I had to get to the point.

[Taking out the book.] “We need to know what this book says in order to continue with our mission, but we were told that it is written in a language that only you can translate.”

[Running her hand delicately over the pages.] “This kind of paper...”

The princess returned the book after glancing through it only once.

“Well, what does it say?” I asked eagerly.

“The small text doesn't say much; however, it can be translated as: Level 10 threat.” She explained. “I don't comprehend, but it's interesting to me that there is something that is classifiable that way.”

“What do you mean by that?” I asked.

“The Lunar Capital contains the most secure prison in the entire universe, and these classify their prisoners on a numerical scale. It's just that... even a deity with great destructive capacity doesn't even get a Level 5. I wonder what they've got locked up there.”

An icy sweat ran down my face filled with worry.
“Y-Yeah... Who knows, sounds like something super dangerous.” I stammered looking away.

[Looking at the book.] “However... the most interesting part of the book lies in the other pages.” She muttered.

“The blank ones?”

“This type of papyrus is designed in such a way that it can only be read under the direct light of the full moon. I suggest you come back later so I can help you.”

“...” “Okay, thank you very much.” I said quietly bowing before retiring.

Chapter 12: ༄【The moon’s judgement】༄

Level 10 threat huh...? I already have one more worry to add to the list. How strong do you have to be to be feared even by the gods themselves? Michu to me is a huge box of mysteries, sometimes it scares me to think what she might do if I set her free…

In order not to go out into the forest again in this cold, the princess suggested we hang out in the mansion until midnight. So, I left Michu and Mokou alone in one of the bedrooms and I went for a walk around the place, I needed to relax my mind somehow.
I sat in a living room and watched through the window as the wind made the delicate snowflakes dance. Which after a few seconds made me remember my past self once again.
I used to be the kind of person who would complain about even the changing seasons, and winter was the one I hated the most. My defenses were so low that I would catch a cold even for existing.
There was someone who took care of me in these situations, but I can't quite remember. I know it wasn’t my parents because for them I never existed, they were colder than winter itself.
Perhaps the only thing I enjoyed about that time was the Christmas decorations, something that Gensokyo doesn't seem to celebrate. It was nice to take a walk and be dazzled by the colorful lights on the houses and streets. I had no friends or family to spend the holidays with, but just witnessing the grace of Christmas was enough for me.
As I was dissociating at the window, I heard behind me the front door burst open, and a violent gust of wind blew in.

[Grasping air.] “Ahhhhhg! I... I can't stand... this cold!” Exclaimed a girl coming in as she dropped a heavy wooden box on the floor.

She came in warm dressed from head to toe, but still it seemed that the day was only getting colder and colder.
The girl had long purple hair and huge bunny ears, but this one was taller than the other bunny girls I saw when I first arrived.

“Do you need help with that?” I asked as I approached.

[Looking at me doubtfully.] “Ah- hello, I haven't seen you before. Are you new here?” She asked full of curiosity.

“I'm just in for a quick visit. I came to see the princess.”

“I understand. In that case, I'd appreciate it if you could help me carry this box to my master. My fingers are killing me.” She complained as she took off her snow gloves.

[Lifting the box with difficulty.] “Ack! It's... heavier... than it looks.” I muttered trying not to lose my balance.

[Scratching her head ruefully.] “Ah haha... I was tasked to go pick up quite a few supplies in the village to give us through the winter.” She explained with a nervous laugh.

[In shock.] “You came carrying this all the way from the Human Village?!”

“You could say that.”

“You must have those arms well trained...” I said as I carried the heavy box between the aisles wobbling like a spinning top.

“It's my job, what can I say.”

The girl carefully opened one of the sliding doors and went in herself first.
[Waving.] “I've arrived.”

“Ah, good that you were able to come back, Udonge.” Said a woman inside the room.

“E-Excuse me...” I muttered as I carefully walked in to place the heavy box on a table.

[Looking at me quizzically.] “And this is?” The woman asked.

[Bowing slightly.] “Sorry for not introducing myself. I'm Akumu, I'm just passing by because of some business I have with Princess Kaguya.”

“Ah, a visitor. Hm, I understand, welcome to the Eientei.”

She was a woman with quite a lot of height, so much so that she intimidated me a bit with that serious and cold look. She had hair just like Mokou's, ankle-length and the color of snowflakes, only this one had it tied back in a braid. She had a curious half-red half-blue dress and a nurse's cap.

Seeing that box full of exotic herbs and plants made me curious.
[Pointing to the box.] “Do you make any kind of homemade medicine with those plants?”

“That's right. With these plants I am able to produce almost any kind of remedy and then sell them among humans.”

“Wow... It's good to know that Gensokyo has some degree of advancement in medicine.”

The woman scanned me with her gaze from top to bottom.
“You're from the outside world, aren't you?”

“A-Ah, yes.”

“What kind of medicine do they have over there?” She asked with some eagerness.

“Well...as far as pharmaceuticals go, there are temporary remedies for just about anything. But what stands out the most are medical devices that advance with technology. They're not capable of curing every illness, but for people who have money, they can be of a lot of use.”

“Almost anything...huh?” I wish I could learn about what they have over there, so maybe I could move forward with my research.” Said the nurse in a more subdued tone.

“What kind of research is it?”

“I created a disease that I'm incapable of curing... I have been trying for eons to create the antidote to a cursed elixir that grants you eternal life.
“But oh well, I must get on with my work.” Said the woman as she carried the heavy box into another room. “Come on, Udonge.”

“Right away!”

An eternal life... To be honest, it doesn't sound like such a terrible thing. The worst that can happen is that you die of boredom, right?
Well, I guess for those who got that wish, the reality must be very different from the tone in which she said it. Which also reminded me for some reason of Mokou when she mentioned something about not being able to change…
I wonder what I would do if I could live infinitely?

As soon as I finished saying that line, it happened again…

[Grabbing my ridges.] “Ack! What is... this pain!?”

I felt as if I had been pierced through the brain with a thousand needles. A piercing, sharp pain from my head almost knocked me to the ground.
My eyes were covered in black as I heard a demonic, deep voice guffawing. The sound was not coming from my surroundings or my mind, it was impossible to describe what I heard.
And after feeling as if an elephant had sat on my chest, the darkness gradually faded, able to reveal my trembling hands in front of me.

[Grabbing my head in shock.] “That voice...”
That hellish voice I remember hearing before... It wasn't identical, but it sounded a lot like what I heard in that strange dream I had after the fight against Remilia.
I put my hand on my chest trying to calm my breathing.
This hasn't happened to me since Michu took my body without permission, but... she has her own body now.
Whatever it is, I must stay alert if it happens again…
For now, I'll just go back to those two, I wonder what they've been up to during this time.

Arriving at the room, I opened the door only to see piles of clothes lying all over the floor.
But when I looked up, I understood everything, more than I should have…
Michu had been trying on dresses that were in a closet in that bedroom, but I arrived just as she was changing.

[Slamming the door shut.] “My bad...”

A few seconds of silence passed after closing the door, only to be interrupted by a completely red-faced Michu opening the door violently.

[Pushing me against the wall.] “DID NO ONE EVER TEACH YOU TO KNOCK FIRST!?” She exclaimed full of embarrassment raising her fist in the air while grabbing me by the neck of my shirt.

Mokou, who was also in the room, only stood up and retreated silently.

A fist as hard as a diamond lashed out at my cheek, knocking me to the floor in a second.

I guess she was waiting for me to get up and yell back at her, but I remained on the floor clutching my face.

“Y-Y-Y-You're going to get up or not?!”

“...” “What do you know about my body...” I muttered.

[Confused.] “Hah?”

Michu looked at me with an expression of embarrassment and concern at the same time, but without lowering her fist to deliver a second blow.
“What the hell is that way to react to a punch?” She demanded.

“Just answer the question.”

Michu lowered her fist hesitantly.
“D-Don't think you'll make me forget what just happened, hmph.”

[Sitting down on the floor.] “I didn't see much, I promise, I was just coming to ask you that.”

[Sighing heavily.] “What do I know about your body...? I know you have no fitness or strength. And it even looks like no self-esteem... but nothing else.”

“What about my mind?”

Michu looked away with some distress.
“I told you when we spoke for the first time... You carry with you something that makes my skin crawl. And I even came to doubt if you were human.”
[Waving her hands] “B-But don't take it the wrong way! That doesn't mean that-”

“That you don't trust me, I know... I'm not judging you; I've had to go through some strange events, and I came to think it was your fault... But I know it's not.”

“...” “In case I hadn't before... I apologize for taking your body for my benefit. Since we first spoke, I stopped doing it.”

“I know, that's why I'm ruling out that it's you who's been tormenting me all this time.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“There is... a presence with me that every now and then decides to make me suffer...”

Michu calmly sat down next to me.
“Has it said anything to you?” She asked in a more serious tone.

“Strange phrases that I can't find meaning in.”

“Any that you remember?”

“The first time I interacted with it, it was in a place that felt like a nightmare. I don't remember exactly what it said to me, but it said something like it wasn't the first time we met and that I will suffer for what someone did.” I explained struggling with my memory to see if I remembered more details.

“It certainly sounds like something very trivial and without any context, but you're not alone.” She replied with a warm smile.

“Thank you... If it happens again, I'll tell you right away.”

Michu merely flashed me an innocent and kind smile.
[Looking at the ceiling.] “By the way, did you ever come to think that I'm someone with bad intentions?”

“Sorry for what I'm about to say, but... when the princess mentioned about the level 10 threat, I couldn't help but feel scared and insecure thinking that you're that dangerous.”

“If I'm honest with you, I don't even know why I'm classified that way... I mean, I know I'm strong, but no more than other gods either.”

“My pessimism made me think that you might betray me, it's something I need to get better at as a person... But I want you to know that no matter what you are, I'm going to be on your side.” I said already calmer and showing a slight smile.

“Same here, heh. I guess there are things we don't know about each other, but if there's genuine trust, there's nothing to worry about.”

I kept looking at Michu because so far I noticed that she looked different.
“You look great in that new dress.”

[Looking away]. “A-Ah... you better like it!” She muttered moving her fingers through her fine hair.

Slowly, I picked myself up off the floor.
The old clock in the living room made me think of how to spend all the time we had; it was still several hours before it was midnight.
“Let's go find Mokou, maybe she's doing something interesting.”

“I doubt it, she's a sourpuss.” She complained pouting.

“Right, you were with her all this time, did you two talk about anything?”

“Not much really. She asked me if you and I were family or something. You know, because of the horns.” She said getting up too.

“I hadn't thought about it before, but it's true. It's like we're the same species heh.”

[Running her fingers over her horns.] “Yeah... I've had these all my life. They're kind of uncomfortable to sleep in sometimes, but you get used to it.”

“I can tell.”

After finding Mokou, the rest of the afternoon was spent chatting about more everyday topics, though I did take the opportunity a couple of times to ask about things like Spell Cards.
Mokou only told me that because she was able to create and manipulate fiery flames of fire, her attacks were mostly based on that. Which gives me a clue as to how I can make my own attacks. But for that I'll have to perfect the ones I practiced with Michu during fall.
Talking went on for hours until it was time for dinner, when the princess invited us all to a large dining room where there was no room for another plate.
Michu had the time of her life, eating at her own pace while Mokou and the princess made faces and grimaces at each other across the table.
The taste of the food was out of this world.

After we all got up, the princess opened a door to a large backyard.
[Looking up at the sky.] “I think this light will be more than enough to read the manuscript.”

The night was still just as frosty, but the bamboo trees blocked the wind, making the cold bearable.

[Taking the book out of my coat.] “Where may I put it?” I asked.

[Pointing.] “On that rock would do.”

The princess stood in front of the open book with the light of the beautiful moon reflected on its pages.
Gradually, letters and paragraphs were uncovered between the pages. All those words in a language I was unable to understand.

[Running her hand over the page.] “Alright... I'll translate what it says.” Kaguya muttered, squinting her eyes.

“Prisoner: [1032]. Spatial location: [Gensokyo, Earth]. Temporal location: [15th century Earth calendar].”
“The individual is unconscious for now but will be transferred to the Lunar Capital in a few hours.”
“Name: [Michitsuju Yakumo]. Age: [9 centuries old]. Species: [Unknown]. Abilities: [Unknown in a concrete way, but she has shown to be able to manipulate boundaries, electrical manipulation, enormous physical strength]. Weapons: [Chains, unidentified black and red yin-yang orb].”
“The reason for this arrest is due to a high level of danger and serious damage against the Great Barrier. Considered a threat beyond the limits of imagination and classified as grade 10 on the Lunarian scale, serious precautions must be taken during transport.”

I noticed an obvious expression of fear and distress in Michu's eyes.
I really didn't even know what to say. I promised to always be by her side, but having heard this, new fears invaded my mind.
I clenched my fists and raked my teeth.
I will not let fears win me over this time... I decided to trust, even if it costs me my life... It is not like me since I always leaned towards the logic, but this time I will let my heart decide for me.

The princess paused as she picked up some loose pages that came in the book.
The moon was reflected in them, but... these were written with kanji for some reason.

“This seems to be some kind of handwriting... But because they are written in Japanese, I will let you read it if you like.

Hunched over and moving slowly, Michu approached the stone to take the sheets and read them.
As she ran her gaze carefully over each word, her eyes became more crystalline, and the moon shone over the tears that fell from her face as she clenched the paper trembling.
And after reading the entire pages, she wiped her tears with her baggy sleeves.
[Sobbing.] “T-That's all I needed to know...”

The moon had begun its judgment on those present in that courtyard during that mute night.

Mokou was paralyzed and her skin had turned as pale as her hair.
[In shock.] “W-Wait... Are you telling me that... you plan to release this monster from prison...?” She stammered with a frown.

[With my head down.] “She's no monster...” I muttered.

[Gesticulating.] “Didn't ya just hear that report!!!??? This woman could end up with-!”

[Clenching my fists] “This is none of your business! You don't know anything about her!” I exclaimed in distress and annoyance.

“Oh yeah? And what do ya know that I don't? That report made it all more than clear.”

“I-I! I...!” [Dropping my gaze.] “I know she doesn't want to hurt anyone...”

[Squinting.] “Blinding yourself by emotions will cause you to walk down a path that will lead to destruction and irreparable damage.”

Michu approached me with her eyes irritated.
“That's enough, Akumu... Mokou is right, even I am afraid of myself...”

I was filled with anger and frustration. The lump I felt in my throat prevented me from speaking. So much so, that my crests began to spark flashes of purple electricity.

Mokou looked at me disapprovingly.
[Sighing heavily.] “Even if ya make it to the capital, you'll be blown to bits. Your friend told me that she's not even able to use her powers in that state. And ya don't seem to be very strong. What was the thought process behind all this? Did ya really think all this was going to work? It's not worth it for ya to go kill yourselves on the moon...” Mokou explained.

Princess Kaguya had been staring at my crests carefully before interrupting.
“What Mokou just said is correct. [Squinting.] However, I will give you a chance to prove yourselves and let you be the ones decide whether taking that risk is worth it.” Kaguya said.

“I always knew you were insane but are ya serious?” Claimed Mokou.

“You once had a dream, didn't you, daughter of the Fujiwara clan?”

[Putting her hands in her pockets.] “Dreams only lead to futures filled with pain and despair...” She muttered as she retreated from the place. “Do what ya want.”

Princess Kaguya turned to us.
“I am completely unaware if your intentions are pure. But it will be the consequences you will face in your future.”

“Where are you going with all this?” I asked with fear and uncertainty.

The princess without a word walked towards the center of the courtyard, illuminated under the huge moon.
“Let go of me your best attack.” She said spreading her arms out to the sides.

“W-What!!!? Why would I do that?”

“If you want my help, do as I command.” She said in a serious tone. “Attack me as if your desire were to assassinate me, trust me.”

“I don't even have Spell Cards...”

“I don't need to see the beauty of your patterns; your power is what will be judged here...”

Clenching my fists and shuffling my feet, I stood in front of her.
“If that's what you want... that's what I'll do...”

The snap of my fingers echoed through the forest.
My eyes turned purple, and my ridges began to charge.

I positioned one arm close to my chest and the other fully extended. Arranging three of my fingers like a clamp on each hand, as if I were holding a rail gun.

My hands began to emit a bright white light, and my arms sparked like a cut wire.
The energy lifted my hair as if there was a strong current of wind.

[Extending her hand.] “Wait, Akumu! You don't have to do this!” Michu exclaimed in fright.

But in less than a millisecond, a thick laser of electricity echoed throughout the forest. The sound even came after the shot.

I lowered my arms only to see the incinerated torso of the princess on the ground. There was no blood, the beam burned her skin so badly that the wound was completely charred.
The wooden fence of the courtyard and all the trees behind it were reduced to ashes.

Michu covered her mouth with her hand and peeled her eyes with an expression of trauma.

But a blinding light began to emanate from the part of the princess that had been left standing.
Cell by cell, vein by vein, tissue by tissue and bone by bone, her body was being reconstructed before my eyes.
There was no trace of any scar or burn. Outside of the piece of clothing that had been incinerated, her body was as if nothing had happened.

[Walking towards me.] “Not bad, but if that was your best attack, I'll just say you are indeed weak...” Murmured the princess.

Michu was perplexed at such a miracle, and I must say that I had never seen a case of immortality with my own eyes either…

“Five years from now, I will be organizing a tournament where every inhabitant of Gensokyo is cordially invited to participate in teams of four. Whoever manages to prove to be the strongest team will be rewarded.” [Squinting.] “If you manage to win, I will grant you the information you need on how to get to the Lunar Capital and answer any of your questions. Do you accept the deal?”

With my trembling, frail hand, I gently shook the princess's hand.

“I accept...” I murmured totally expressionless.

Chapter 13: ༄【A day out of the routine】༄

The silence of the night was the only thing that remained after the shot.
The princess had retreated to go talk to Mokou and Michu was laying on her knees on the grass completely pale as if she were a mannequin.

[Without looking away from the ground.] “Why did you...” Michu muttered.

“Do you want me to help you or not?” I replied curtly.

“Did you know she was immortal?”

“She asked me to!”

“So, if I asked you to kill me, would you do it!?” She claimed trembling in anguish.

“I had to in order to move forward with our mission.”

“...” [Clenching her fists.] “Do you really value life as much as you say...? If killing means nothing to you for the sake of freeing me, I'll continue this on my own. I don't want your obsession to be an excuse to hurt others...” She whispered as she slowly stood up to leave me alone with the moon.

I could only hear as she violently closed the sliding door, locking me out.

“Why...” I muttered to myself.
“Why is making things right so hard!!!?? If I were a normal person, none of this would happen!” I shouted in frustration delivering an explosive blow against a stone.

“...” “I don't deserve that life has given me this second chance; I should have killed myself when I had the chance...” “I'm weak physically and I'm weak mentally. I am... an insignificant child in a world full of powerful and capable people. I can't even use my powers properly due to my lack of knowledge and physical condition, I'm a complete mess.” I said watching the drops of blood trickle between my fingers.

Shuffling my feet with a droopy gaze, I walked back into the mansion, that icy wind was getting harder and harder to bear.

I went to lie down on the couch in one of the living rooms.
[Looking at my bloody hands.] “I can't say I have clean hands anymore...” I muttered in disappointment. “Even if she didn't die, I did it anyway…”

As I settled back on the couch to stare at the ceiling, I slowly closed my eyes. It was one in the morning and for some reason, using my powers drained me mentally.
“I screwed everything up...” I whispered with my eyes already closed.

 

[Michitsuju's point of view.]

[Sighing.] “What do I do now...” I muttered with the moon's glow reflected on my face through the window.

I know he wants to help me... but I can't let him act without thinking things through. Maybe leaving here without a trace and disappearing from his life would be the healthiest thing for him.
Then he could live peacefully with Hina without having to put his life at risk because of me…
[Putting my hand on my chest.]
The hole it would leave in my heart would be deep, but I don't know what to do anymore.
After reading those letters, my perspective took a major turn. Apparently, my sister knew about the strange hidden power I possess that makes me so dangerous, and that the reason she locked me up was because of a promise she made to mom... She didn't end my life back then because her heart wouldn't let her.
Ah... I’m still not willing to forgive her actions, however... during this short time I was with him, I came to see how beautiful this fantasy land she created for us can be. Perhaps... destroying it was never what I truly desired, I was envious of those who could freely enjoy this place.

I slowly got up from the couch by the window and walked towards the front door.
“I'm sorry Akumu, I promised to give you back your memory... but you'd better make better memories together with Hina and the others in this paradise...” I muttered placing my trembling hands on the door.

But my fleeing was interrupted by a voice coming from behind me.

“Where do ya think you’re going? Winter’s at its rawest stage right now. You're going to die buried under the snow if ya go out.”

Turning around, I could see Mokou with her arms crossed and a look of complete disapproval.

[Turning towards the door again.] “Just take care of him for me. A monster like me shouldn't interfere in his life.” I replied in a cold tone.

[Scratching her head.] “Tsk. This... I'm sorry, okay? I didn't mean to call ya that.”

“It's okay... You’re right anyway… I'm a being that only brings this world chaos and destruction.”

“...” “I was chatting with Kaguya and she half brought me to my senses. Maybe I thought things through in the heat of the moment. So just tell me one thing. Ya really don't have any kind of... you know, bad intentions?”

[Dropping my arms.] “That's not important... But if it makes you any calmer, no. I don't plan on hurting anyone if by some miracle I get out of that prison. I just want to live in peace.”

“Hmm, I see. But back to the case, why did ya decide to leave just like that? I thought ya and the boy were together in this.”

[Squinting.] “I don't want him to get hurt because of my personal issues.”

“And don't ya think that's selfish of you? I mean, from the little I've seen of you two, he seems to really appreciate ya. If ya really care about him, don't ya think you should fight for him and not rather leave him to his fate just to be “safe”?”

My throat became a lump at that moment. I no longer knew what the right thing to do was.
Only jumbled emotions were running through my mind that I couldn't identify.
And without realizing it, some drops coming from my face had fallen to the floor.

[Putting her hand on my shoulder.] “I'm sure he's doing his best for ya, so don't turn your back on him.” Smiled Mokou. “Talk to him, it'll make everything easier.”

I couldn't help but start to look back on how much he has done for me…
During the short time we've been together, he's proven that in this world there can be someone who genuinely cares about me.
I feel disgusted with myself for just the fact that I thought of leaving him…

But with a bit of regret, I nodded.
“A-Alright, thank you...”

“You're welcome, locked damsel heh.”

I looked around the mansion for Akumu, but just as I was beginning to despair, I saw him out of the corner of my eye curled up on the couch in one of the living rooms.
The atmosphere inside was still a bit chilly, so I went to one of the bedrooms for a couple of blankets.
I sat down next to him and lifted his head to lay it on my lap.

[Stroking his hair.] “I won't leave you alone again.” I murmured with a warm smile as I pulled the other blanket over me to sleep.
All that noise in my head finally stopped.

Mokou came into the room after a few minutes, but after seeing that we were both sound asleep, she just blew out the candles in the room and went out.

 

*****

[Akumu's point of view.]

My heavy eyelids began to flutter open with the illumination seeping into the room.
When you go to sleep exhausted, naturally it is that you wake up rested, but my mind couldn't quiet down all night.
I guess that's the punishment my conscience is imposing on me…
I lost all motivation to go through with it all, but it was obvious that I was only pushing her back on her mission.
Laziness had taken control over me, so I resigned myself and preferred to cover myself with the blanket and continue hibernating.
Wait... blanket? I don't remember going to sleep with this on…

I lifted my head abruptly just to make sure it was still on the living room couch.
I looked around carefully, and he was indeed still in the living room, but…
My heart made a fist when I saw that comfortable pillow I was sleeping on was Michu's lap…

[Stuttering in confusion.] “W-what are you doing here...?” I whispered.

She must have been just as tired from yesterday; it was to be expected that she was still sleeping…
I just took off my boots and sat cross-legged next to her.
“I'm not worthy to be by your side. Nor do I know why you keep coming back to me...”

The wind roared loudly and pushed the windows roughly.
From inside, it looked like we were stuck inside a huge snow tornado, nothing could be seen through the windows but snow being blown away at high speeds.
And I could only feel a heavy head lay on my shoulder, bumping my head with that big horn.

“Because I realized that I do want to be with you, and I made a mistake in having wanted to go through with this by myself.”

“So, you were awake...”

[Lifting her shoulders.] “This... I-I'm sorry for reacting like that yesterday, I should have listened to what you had to say.”

[Sighing heavily.] “You don't have to apologize, I'm the idiot who's too square-minded.” “Anyway, I just want you to know that it was very impulsive of me, and I'll try to think a little more before I do things. But if you don't want to be in this with me anymore, I totally understand.”

[Shaking his head smiling.] “Your promise is more than enough. This mission belongs to both of us, so it wouldn't be fair for us to do it alone.”

“We still have quite a long way to go, I just hope everything goes well...” I muttered dejectedly looking down at the ground. “After putting all that information together, I can see we’re getting into something serious.”

[Straightening up on the couch.] “That’s for sure, I'm scared too. But I know that somehow we'll make our way through all that trouble.” Michu replied with a warm smile.

I must admit that the more time I spend with her, the less I want to turn away... I don't really know what it is, but when she is calm, I see her with completely different eyes.
I wonder... what does she feel... being with me?

As we were talking, Mokou came in sliding open the door to the living room.
“Did ya sleep well?”

[Scratching my head.] “It wasn't too bad; I think the worse thing is the cold atmosphere.” I replied.

[Looking out the window.] “Ye... It might take a while longer for this damn storm to calm down.” Mokou replied disappointedly.

It struck me that Mokou seemed to not be upset at all anymore. I don't know what must have happened during the time I was sleeping, but I'm glad things have somehow settled down, I still have a lot to learn from them.

[Turning to us.] “Well, what do ya guys want to do for now?” Asked Mokou.

None of the three of us could think of what to do or say. But that deep, awkward silence was interrupted by a fierce growl coming from Michu's stomach…

“...”
“...”
“...”

[Crossing her arms blushing.] “S-Stop looking at me like that, you fools!”

“Don't worry haha, I'll go prepare something.” Mokou said guffawing.

I got up from the couch as I stretched.
“I can give you a hand with that, watching Hina cook helped me learn a bit.” I said.

[In a proud tone.] “Fu fu, I'm an expert in cooking too.” Michu bragged.

[Pointing at her.] “You are not allowed in the kitchen from now on.” I exclaimed, squinting my eyes.

[Pouting.] “Hmph, it's you guys who have bad taste in food, bleh.” She complained sticking her tongue out at me.

“Anything ya guys want to eat?” Mokou asked.

“Whatever is fine.” I replied.

“Yeh, as long as it tastes good, it can be anything.” Michu said.

Mokou and I headed towards the mansion's kitchen, she knows the place like it's her second home.

[Opening the cupboards.] “Hm... Let's see what they have over here.” Mokou muttered as she rummaged through the cabinets full of boxes and kitchen utensils.

“On this side I see rice, tofu and some vegetables. Maybe we can make miso soup.” I said from the other side of the kitchen.

“That should do it. Go wash the rice in the meantime.”

Mokou and I started with the food preparation.
Personally, I have almost no experience in cooking. I remember when I was a kid, my parents would order ready-made food all the time. There were a few rare times when I saw my mother cooking as such. That baked bread wasn’t that bad at all…

[Chopping vegetables.] “So... Akumu. What kind of youkai are ya?” asked Mokou.

“I don't think I mentioned it to you before, but I'm actually human.” I replied somewhat apologetically.

“Mhm... I see.”

“You believe me that easy?” I asked quizzically.

“I don't see why ya wouldn't be. I mean, it's common for humans to have some strange traits and magical abilities. Look at me, I have completely white hair, and I can manipulate fire.” She said as a small flame rose on the tip of her finger.

“Yeah... I guess you're right.”

“Although those... horns of yours left me wondering if ya were or not. Usually those with horns are some races of youkai like the Oni for example.”

[Taking my crests.] “They're not really horns... they're like some kind of antenna that regulates the electrical flow of my body.”

“A-Antenna? Sorry, I guess I’m too ancient to understand stuff from the outside world heh.”

“Right, sorry. To put it in simple terms, just before I came to Gensokyo, Michu connected with my mind, taking control of my body to grow these. At the time they served her so she could communicate with me in a more stable way, but to this day I use them to regulate the power she bestowed upon me.”

“Hm, interesting, and what is the power she gave ya? I didn't know that kind of thing could transfer or whatever.”

[Looking at my hands.] “I'm still trying to figure out what this power really is... For now, I just know that by snapping my fingers, current starts flowing in my body and I'm able to do various things based on what science says on the subject.

“Science, huh? I really know absolutely nothing about the subject, here in Gensokyo that's rare. However, there are people who know about it.”

[Astonished.] “Like whom?”

[Putting her hand on her chin.] “Hmm... The Kappas know quite a bit about weird machines and allat, you could ask ‘em.”

“Kappas...” I said to myself trying to remember where I'd heard that before. “Are they by any chance youkai that live near the river that always go around carrying tools?”

“Ah haha, I see ya already met Nitori. She might be able to help ya.”

“Alright, I'll ask Hina if she'll take me with her when we leave here, thanks for the information.”

“You're welcome.”

I was silent for a moment to mentally prepare myself. I wanted to tell her some things, but I didn't know how to organize those ideas in my mind. Agh, I must stop overthinking things so much.

[Stuttering.] “By the way... Regarding what happened yesterday, I don't know what Kaguya or Michu told you, but I just wanted to tell you that I'm sorry for keeping you in the dark about our mission. I-I really think you’re cool, a-and I didn't mean for you to be upset about it.”

Mokou stopped preparing what was needed to turn to me.
[Smiling warmly.] “Don't worry about it anymore, I know ya have no bad intentions with what you're carrying out. And... I'm glad to hear that my company makes ya feel that way. People usually see me as a weirdo and... I can hardly ever talk to someone.”

Mokou looked me straight in the eye then let out a laugh.

“W-what's so funny?” I exclaimed in confusion.

“Ya look like a gal blushing like that haha.”

[Pouting.] “Don't make fun, it's not in my control.” I said turning my back to her.

After a few minutes, the food was ready. So, we brought a tray with miso soup, cups of rice, fried fish and tea.
I went to find Michu who was lying on the couch reading some old books that were on the shelves in the living room.

Surprisingly, the food was really good despite me knowing little about cooking. We were eating and talking about various topics during breakfast.
And for what was left of the day, we were mostly killing time hanging around the mansion or “playing” board games. I say it that way because for Michu, moving random pieces in chess is the way to win…

[Moving the piece as if it were a toy.] “Fu fu fu, as the King, I order your pawns to retreat so that I can win the war.” She said trying to imitate the voice of a king.

“Haaaaah? Where did you get that from?”

[Crossing her arms proudly.] “Sorry Akumu, but you're not good at this game.”

“...”

The rest of the afternoon was left for us to have lunch and tea together with the princess. Who also offered us to take a bath in the large thermal pool they had inside.
Michu, Mokou and the princess entered the bath together, but from outside it sounded quite chaotic…
By the time it was my turn to bathe alone, the bathroom was a mess. There was water all over the floor.

As dusk was falling, I looked out of the window only to see that the raging gale had died down.
It was a pleasant sight, that snowy paradise in the warm evening light.
Delicate snowflakes slowly floated in the air, signaling the end of that stormy night.

Michu ran to the window to glue herself to the glass and watch as she wagged her tail from side to side.
[Eagerly.] “Can we go outside and play in the snow?!” She exclaimed waving her arms.

Her enthusiasm is so infectious that I couldn't help but want to do the same.
So, we put on our winter clothes and went out to throw snowballs at each other.

Everything was going well until Mokou and the princess joined the game.
This ended up turning into a battlefield where we all ended up buried in the snow mountains...

Chapter 14: ༄【The promise that will reach the moon】༄

Once the sun began to set through the bamboo treetops, we decided it was time to start our return trip.
Contemplating that snowy, yet sunny afternoon made me clear my mind after all that had happened yesterday.
I have learned to enjoy the present a little more, because being involved in all this does not guarantee that I will live to see the next day.

Mokou stood next to me to enjoy the view as well.
“I don't think I've ever stopped to appreciate something as simple as watching the sun go down.” She smiled.

“I guess the fact that our lives are shorter makes us want to be thankful for even the smallest things.” I replied.

“Yeh... Knowing that tomorrow will always come no matter how much I avoid it, it's... painful.” [Smiling.] “But I thank ya for... you know, for taking me out of my daily routine a little bit.”

“Well... we didn't really do anything. But I'm glad to know that coming here helped you in some way with your loneliness.”

Mokou paused to take a deep breath and look up at the sky.
“There's something I've been thinking about, and I'd like to ask ya.”

“A-Ah, sure, go ahead.”

“About the tournament Kaguya told ya about... Do you mind if I join your team?” [Stuttering.] “I-I mean, it's just to prove that I'm stronger than her!” She exclaimed in a proud tone with her cheeks red.

I couldn't help but smile back and feel somewhat touched.
“I would really appreciate having the help of someone so strong.”

[Looking away while scratching her head.] “To be honest... I'm not that strong... I've never made it far in that thing.”

“Have you participated in this before?”

“Yeh... a few times. I used to participate with a very close friend who is now a teacher at the Human Village.”

“Did something happen between the two of you? I-If you don't mind answering, of course.”

Mokou paused to look down at her rough hands.
“She's still the same as she was a couple of centuries ago, it was me who changed, but not for the better.”

“I see... As humans, we are by nature subject to change, or at least that's what I've noticed. Making mistakes give us an idea of how we should change.” I replied as I continued to stare at that sunset.

“Talking like that anyone would say you’re more ancient than me haha.”

[Shrugging.] “Don't make me take it back, it's not easy for me to open up to others...”

[Laughing.] “Easy man, I didn't mean it as a tease. It's just that it sounded pretty interesting. It's something I've mulled over before, but I didn't think anyone else would share that idea.” Mokou said placing her hand on my shoulder.

 

As we were talking, Michu came over and grabbed my coat.
“We better start flying back, I don't want to have to fly at night.” She complained pouting.

“You're right, Hina must be a little worried.”

“Where are ya guys headed?” Mokou asked.

“We have to go back to Youkai Mountain.”

[Thinking while looking at the sky.] “Hm... In that case, you should fly in that direction without deviating too much.” Mokou replied pointing between the treetops.

“Are you sure?”

“Heh, I've been living here long enough to identify every tree.”

“Alright, I'll take your word for it, human compass.” I replied with a laugh.

Before flying off again, Michu and I said goodbye to the princess as well. It was a pleasant visit.

I flexed my knees and snapped my fingers.
Once with the energy flow active, I took off into the clouds in less than a second.
From up there, I had to cover my sight with my arm to appreciate the radiant sun.
We both waved goodbye from above to Mokou, the princess and that curious mansion.

*****

We left the huge bamboo forest and approached the Human Village.
It was a nice experience to see everything from above. The houses with their smoking chimneys and the streets with their lanterns illuminating the paths.
Even though Michu did not say anything, I could see the happiness in her eyes as we passed through that landscape at dusk.
“What do you think of Gensokyo?” I asked.

“It's... beautiful, but at the same time it makes me sad that I've lived almost all my life in this place and couldn't enjoy it until now.”

“It's truly an amazing place. It's not something you can see in the outside world. Or at least not anymore.”

“And what do you think of the outside world? Is it nice out there too?” Michu asked in chagrin.

“Hm... I don't think I'm the right person to answer that. I never enjoyed my time there. But I'm sure someone with different eyes will find enormous value in everything over there.” I replied smiling.

“I guess I'll see for myself when I can get out of here...” [Stammering.] “And-And you'll come with me too, you hear?”

[Letting out a small laugh.] “I don't see why not. Spending time with you is comforting.

I watched as Michu smiled back before looking away.

We flew over forests, the great lake, the scarlet mansion and finally arrived at the endless Youkai Mountain.
Entering the forest at the foot of the mountain full of dry trees, we landed on that familiar path where we spent the autumn raking leaves.

[Knocking on the front door.] “Hinaaa, we're back!” I exclaimed before entering.
But we didn't get the welcome we were expecting…

The cabin was completely dark and the only thing we could hear were our footsteps on the creaking floor.

“Could it be that she's not at home?” Asked Michu.

“It would make sense, but if you think about it, while we were with her, she never left the house at this hour.”

We checked all the rooms with a small lamp, but sure enough, no one was home.

“Where do you think she went?” I asked.

[Shrugging.] “How would I know that?” Replied Michu nonchalantly.

[Laying down on the living room couch.] “Well, let's just hope she comes back soon.”

I know maybe I'm worrying about something with a good explanation, but I couldn't help but stop thinking about it. I just hope nothing bad has happened to her…

Michu walked over to the fireplace to light the fire in the living room.
[Lying down on the other couch.] “Do you think she wants to participate in that silly tournament?” Michu asked.

“Hm... I've never seen her fighting, but from what she's told me, it seems she's not very good at it either.”

“Well, we'll ask her when she gets back.”

I hadn't made a note in my journal of everything that had happened at the bamboo forest, so this was a good time to update my entries.
So, I fetched a pen from my room and returned to the couch to write by the campfire.

Hours passed and there was still no sign of Hina. And even though it was barely eight o'clock at night, my eyelids were heavy as if they were made of stone.
[Yawning.] “I'm sorry to leave you here, but I'm extremely tired... I'll go upstairs and close my eyes for a while.” I muttered scratching my eyes as I got up from the couch.

“A-Ah, that's okay, go to sleep. Good night.”

“Are you going to stay up waiting for her?”

“I guess... I'm not sleepy or have anything better to do.” She mumbled somewhat thoughtfully.

“Hm, I see. Goodnight.” I said as I walked up the stairs.

*****

[Michitsuju's point of view.]

The reason I wasn't sleepy was because I had a huge cloud of tangled ideas swirling around in my mind.
But something I hadn't thought about until now, was that remembering the last conversation we had with Hina before we left, she was clearly worried that something would happen to us and that she’ll wait for our return. But just when we get back, she's not there to greet us.
I don't like that idea of having hidden personal matters at all…

It was almost midnight when, after so much silence, footsteps were heard on the wooden stairs to the front door.

And after hearing the door slowly open, I saw her silhouette in the darkness of the room.

“What are you doing out in this terrible winter this late at night?” I asked squinting my eyes suspiciously.

Hina jumped and her skin prickled with fright.
[Stammering.] “W-W-Who's there!” She exclaimed in terror.

I got up from the couch and stood in front of her with my arms crossed.
After taking a closer look at me, she realized it was me.

[Putting her hand on her chest.] “Don't scare me like that, Miss Michitsuju...” She sighed in relief. “I-I didn't think you were coming back today.”

I stopped to take a closer look at her, and my attention was caught by something... she had on her arms.
Hina had light black marks on her arms. They were like the marks that are left after glass breaks.

[In a cold tone.] “What is it so much that you're hiding from us...?” I asked.

“...” “Nothing you have to worry about...” She mumbled lowering her head as she tried to evade me by passing by my side.

[Grabbing her arm.] “Well, that's too bad, because we do care to know.”

[Straining her arm.] “Why are you suspicious as if I'm going to do something to you!!!? Is that the trust you have in me after all I've done for you?” She claimed in anguish.

“You've been acting weird ever since we left... And you can't talk about trust if you're the one hiding things from us.”

“...”

[Letting go of her arm.] “So?”

[Hiding her cracked arms.] “You’ll try to stop me if I tell you... These are issues the strong wouldn't understand...” She muttered in a muffled tone.

“That would depend on whether what you're doing is going to cause any harm.”

Hina hung her coat and scarf on the coat rack in the entryway and went to sit on the couch.

“Have you ever been willing to sacrifice anything for the sake of protecting someone?” Hina asked in a serious tone.

“Currently, I am.” I replied as I sat back down.

“Ever since I was told how dangerous the mission you are on is because it involves the youkai of the breaches, I have had a great deal of discomfort regarding my abilities. I am and always have been a weak youkai who has no way to defend myself, even against a human without any kind of power. I couldn't forgive myself if something were to happen to Akumu and I had to be a bystander once again... And that's why I decided to stop being so weak.”

[Squinting.] “That doesn't sound like a bad plan. But what exactly are you willing to sacrifice in order to become strong...?” I asked full of suspicion.

“...” [Looking at her arms.] “My body...”

[Sighing heavily.] “I understand the feeling... But trust me, that will only make things worse.”

“And how do you want someone as fragile as me to be able to protect others?!” She exclaimed in frustration.

[Raising my voice.] “We're all at a disadvantage when it comes to Yukari! Do you understand!? Neither Akumu, me nor you are any match for her in this state, to her we're nothing.”

“Then-”

[Interrupting.] “And that's why TOGETHER we've been gathering information and practicing some strategies! You're the one who doesn't trust us and doesn't want to be a part of this! EVERYONE here is afraid of what might happen! But unlike you, we do accept fear as normal and move forward regardless...”

“...” “I guess... you're right... I'm useless at even trying to sacrifice myself.” She muttered with a couple of tears on her cheeks.

[Sighing.] “You don't have to do this alone. If I learned anything from being with him, it's that things are best talked about. I'm convinced he'll offer you some kind of help, just as I’d do it too. But only if you decide to stop putting yourself down.” I said getting up from the couch.

[Looking down.] “...”

“Tomorrow we can discuss it together with him. Because either way, we have a lot to talk about with what we investigated these days…”

“I didn't think... you had that side so...”

“Mature?”

“E-Eh... I didn't mean it like that but...”

“I know. And the truth is, I'm still a child inside, but I've learned quite a bit. Although... don't expect too much of this from me, I only do it when I'm really upset... I feel like it doesn't come naturally to me.”

“I see...” “T-Thanks anyway...”

[Waving my hand.] “Yeah yeah...no problem. I'll go to sleep, have a good rest.”

“Good night...”

 

Arriving at the room, I was greeted by Akumu's snoring. So, I just crawled into my bed and tried to rest for the rest of the night.
After a few minutes, I could hear how Hina also went upstairs and entered her room.

*****

[Akumu's point of view.]

[Yawning.] “Ah... it's already become daylight...” “I didn't realize at what point I fell sound asleep.”
Michu was still snoring, as usual.

But at that, it dawned on me that I went to sleep waiting for Hina, so I quickly went downstairs to see if she was in the living room or kitchen.

I didn't see her anywhere, but I noticed that there were her winter clothes hanging on the coat rack at the entrance.
[Sighing in relief.] “I guess you finally did come back...”

It was still early in the morning, but I was no longer sleepy for some reason.
“Well, I'd better get myself something to eat.” I said to myself opening the cupboards.

If I learned anything from watching Hina, it's that for every two cups of rice, you must add one cup of water. Or was it the other way around?
I left everything cooking and bundled up a bit to go out into the corridor to the front door.

Every time I exhaled, my breath condensed in the air, but luckily there was no longer any heavy snowstorm to keep us from going out.
As I gazed at the snowy forest at the foot of the mountain, I began to think about that tournament.
“Five years, huh...?” [Looking at my hands.] “I have to find a way to properly train my physique and powers... With what I can do now won't even be enough to beat a halfway strong youkai.”
I've been thinking of some interesting moves based on electromagnetism principles. But I don't know how far my body will hold up.

As I was spending my time outside thinking of possible names for Spell Cards, I heard someone coming down the stairs.

[Shivering and grabbing her arms.] “W-What are you doing outside so early?” complained Michu.

I went back inside and closed the door.
“Ah, sorry, just enjoying the weather a bit.”

[Raising an eyebrow.] “Wasn't it that you didn't like the cold?”

“Lately I've noticed that it's not as bad as I used to think. Besides, the scenery helps too. Sorry if I woke you up.” I said with an apologetic smile.

“Eh... it wasn't so much the cold. I was woken up by the smell of burning in the kitchen...”

“My food!” I exclaimed as I ran to the pot I had put my rice in.
[Pushing it away from the fire.] “Aw... It burned all over.” I sighed in disappointment.

[Laughing.] “And then I'm the one who can't cook, heh.”

[Scraping the pot.] “Well... roasted rice isn't bad either. Want some?”

[Sitting down at the small kitchen table.] “Yeah, better not waste it.”

“Did you get Hina when she arrived last night?” I asked while eating.

“...” “Y-Yes...”

“Did she tell you why she arrived at that time?”

[Sighing.] “She'd better explain it when she comes down.” Michu said resting her face on her hand.

Apparently the smell of burnt rice also woke Hina up, so after a while she came down too.

[Yawning.] “Why is the house soaked in smoke...?” She asked confused.

[With my mouth full.] “Sorry, I forgot about the rice.” I apologized.

[Letting out a small laugh.] “I see. Would you like me to prepare something besides burnt rice?”

“Ehm...-”

[Interrupting.] “I do.” Michu exclaimed without a second thought.

“Oi.”

Hina set about preparing some simple dishes for the three of us to eat for breakfast.
So, when the three of us were seated, I decided to ask.

“Say, Hina. did something happen yesterday?” I asked curiously.

I noticed that Michu out of the blue narrowed her eyes, showing a serious expression as if she was a predator.

“W-Well... That's what I was supposed to tell you today.” Hina muttered somewhat uncomfortably. “I'll explain, but I ask that you please listen to me and don't be alarmed...”

“A-Ah... okay, I guess.”

“In order to be able to defend myself a little better if something bad were to happen, Miss Reimu agreed to teach me how to exorcise the curse of bad fortune that I carry with me, and thus release it so that I can manipulate it. So, she borrowed some books, and we tried different rituals.”

Hina rolled up her pajama sleeves only to reveal strange black marks circling her arms.
“But the price to pay is that my body will end up cracking like a pot and turning into pure negative energy...”

[In shock.] “W-Why did you do that...?” I muttered distressed.

[Lowering her gaze.] “I'm really sorry... I should have expressed myself to you, I know you are also striving to become stronger, but... I was desperate.”

“Please don't go through with this... I know it's normal for you to do everything on your own, I used to be like that too. But have more faith in us.”

Michu nodded with her arms crossed.

“I don't have any more options...” Hina said in a discouraged tone.

“There’s always a better way.”

“How could you know that?”

“You'll have to trust us for that and stop thinking only of yourself. Can you promise me that?” I said extending my hand towards Hina.

“...” “O-Okay...” She replied in a melancholic tone as she gently shook my hand.

[Smiling.] “I appreciate you so much for you to do something as reckless as that. You already saved my life once, now let me return the favor.”

I could see Michu also let out a small smile of relief.

“I guess now we can start discussing all the information we collected these days.” I said.

“Did you find the answers you were looking for?” Hina asked.

“Yeh... But it seems that my sister won't be the main obstacle during this mission.” Michu explained.
Michu proceeded to go into details about everything the princess brought to us and what happened in the Eientei. She explained about her being a major threat to the moon people and the reason why they have her sealed in said prison.
She also mentioned the tournament and how important it is to win it in order to give us access on how to get to the moon.

“But to participate, we need a team of four people. Mokou, the girl we met at the Eientei offered to be part of the group, but we are missing someone else.” I finished explaining.

“You want me to join you, don't you?” Hina asked in a more serious tone.

[Nodding.] “What do you say?” I asked.

Hina clenched her delicate fists.
“I doubt I'll be of much use to you, but... I promise to help you make it to the moon and beyond.” Hina replied with a sincere smile.

[Smiling back.] “I know you will.”

[Getting up from the chair.] “We have five years to prepare. It would be best to train Spell Cards and moves that will help us in any situation.” Michu said standing next to me before retreating.

“You heard the gluttonous trainer.” I added in a mocking tone.

[Hitting me on the head.] “S-Stop talking nonsense! Food is important, okay? Hmph.”

Chapter 15: ༄【The most special time of the year】༄

Day after day, winter continued its way until we reached the end of December.
Michu and I went from having to sweep leaves to having to move mountains of snow in front of Hina's house. At least when we finished, we were rewarded with a delicious lunch and a cup of hot chocolate.

[Putting down the mug.] “Do people celebrate Christmas here in Gensokyo?” I asked.

“Hmm... I've heard some humans in the village mention it. But I've never seen such a celebration happen here.” Hina replied.

[Sighing.] “That's a pity... It's like the only thing worthwhile this time of year.”

“So, what's that... Christmas all about?” Michu asked curiously.

“Basically, it's a holyday where the family gets together to have big dinners and spend time together. The houses and streets are all decorated with colored lights, decorated trees and much more. Oh, and I almost forgot. For the kids who were good during the year, an old man in a red suit and white beard leaves presents for them during the night.” I explained. “But obviously this old man is just a story-”

I couldn't finish speaking when Michu had already jumped out of the chair.

[Eagerly.] “I want presents! I've been very good during the year fu fu~” She bragged.

I had a strong moral dilemma whether to finish what I was saying or keep quiet. But I guess I'd better not ruin the moment for her.

“We'll see. It's still three days before it's Christmas.” I replied.

[Smiling.] “Sounds like a very nice holiday.” Hina said. “Do you think we can get what we need to celebrate it here too?”

“You really mean it?”

“It would be nice to have an activity like that to go close out the year.”

I didn't know how to express myself; I felt like a kid again. I guess celebrating Christmas accompanied is a completely different feeling.

“Well, in that case, we're going to need decorations for the house, food, and guests.” I commented. “Although… I don't know where to get lights.”

[Thinking.] “Maybe Rinnosuke-san has what you're looking for in his gadget store.” Hina replied.

“R-Rinnosuke...? Where is that?”

Hina paused to look at the small clock in the room.
“It's still early, it would be best to go now. Bundle up, we’re going out in a few minutes.”

[Tail wagging.] “Yay! Christmas!” Michu exclaimed as she made her way to our room.

*****

Having put on a coat, gloves and a scarf, we flew out from Youkai Mountain to the Forest of Magic, where the tent according to Hina was located.

The landscape was still completely covered in white frost. It's... really beautiful.

“Hey Akumu. What else do people do on Christmas?” Michu asked curiously.

“Ehm... There's a lot to do, but it depends on the country. Although if I'm honest with you, I like the Christmas atmosphere here in Japan more than where I'm from. That was part of my lost memories, but funnily enough, Christmas made me relive some memories.” I replied smiling.

[In awe.] Oh... What about Christmas-like food? Do people in the outside world have that?”

[Laughing.] “Of course. It's one of the most characteristic things of the season. Personally, I really like Christmas sweets, like cookies.”

[Grabbing Hina by her coat.] “Hina, Hina, we must have those for the party!” Michu exclaimed with a twinkle in her eye.

[Smiling apologetically.] “Ah... haha... I guess I can try making them if you tell me what they're made of.” Hina replied.

“Ah, and then there's the New Year's Eve parties a few days later. Those are quite enjoyable as well. Maybe we can plan something interesting.” I said.

[Recalling.] “That's true. Here in Gensokyo we also have a kind of celebration to welcome the new year.” Hina added.

“I know. How about camping by the huge lake to welcome the new year? We can bring food too.” I suggested.

[Smiling with satisfaction.] “Ehehe... I kinda like the end of the year time more now.” Michu muttered.

[Looking up at the sky smiling.] “I figured…” I muttered back.

As we glided over the dense, white Forest of Magic, we spotted some curious houses, but there was one that was a little farther away that had a sign outside. It read “Kourindou.”

[Sighing.] “Well, we've arrived.” Hina said.

A small bell rang as she opened the door.
[Waving.] “Good afternoon, Mr. Rinnosuke.”

[Looking in all directions.] “Wah... This store has everything.” I muttered in amazement as I wandered my eyes around all the shelves full of gadgets.

I could tell there was a combination of both stuff from the outside world and Gensokyo. Clothes, old video game consoles, tools, toys and many other things besides. I wondered if the people here knew what they were.

Michu had also been engrossed in looking at everything there, but catching her eye specifically was a soft stuffed bunny with a Christmas beanie.

Hina approached the counter and was greeted by a tall white-haired man with glasses.
“Welcome. What can I do for you?” The man greeted in a neutral tone.

“We are looking for... Christmas lights.” Hina replied.

“Hm... I've seen something by that name before. I'll go look through the boxes in the back.”

The man retreated to a small room behind the counter and then came with a heavy wooden box from which I could see some typical Christmas ornaments sticking out.

[Rummaging through the stuff.] “If I'm not mistaken... these are them.” He said as he pulled out a long wire with many lights dangling all stuck together in a giant knot. “My ability allows me to know their name, but I don't know how they work.”

[Smiling.] “Those are just the ones we're looking for!” I exclaimed.

“Alright, we'll take those.” Hina said smiling as well while pulling out her small purse.

We ended up buying the lights plus other decorations like spheres for the tree, candy canes to put outside, miniature ceramic houses, and of course, Christmas hats.

“Thank you for your purchase.” Said the store owner goodbye as we walked out.

We flew out of the snowy forest of magic to return to the cabin.
Michu, because of her strength, took it upon herself to carry the box full of ornaments.

[Nervous.] “Be careful with those, there are some fragile things in there.” I said pointing to the box.

“Hmph, I'm strong enough not to drop-”

As we were talking, we didn't notice that we had been sucked into a huge cloud that blocked our entire view.

[Staggering.] “Hey... don't get too close to me because...” Michu muttered as she crashed sideways into Hina who couldn't see either.

Some ornaments flew off only to start descending rapidly.

Unable to see, I swooped down and passed right by where the things were falling. I managed to get the lights along with the orbs tangled in my arms.

[Sighing heavily.] “That was a close call...”

Once we got home, we put the box on the couch and started taking things out.

[Shaking my hands.] “Well, I guess we can really start setting the mood in this place now.” I said excitedly.
But we had a little snag. I hadn't thought about it before but... I don't know where to get a Christmas tree.

[Confused.] “Is something wrong?” Hina asked me when she saw me like this.

“Ehm... Do you know if you can get pine trees around here?”

“Pine trees...you mean the type of tree?”

“We need one as part of the main decoration.”

“I'm sorry, but I'm not sure if those will grow around here. Isn't there any other kind of tree that might work?”

[Scratching my head.] “Ah... It's not the usual, but I guess we can go out and find something that looks like it. You can stay here, Michu and I will go out and see what we can find.”

[Complaining.] “Hah? Why do I have to go?”

“If you don't help, you're not getting Christmas dinner.”

[Raising and clenching her fist.] “You can't bribe me with food... B-But I'll still help you just to prove to you that I know more about Christmas than you, hmph.” She grumbled.

We headed to the shed to get out an axe and tied some ropes to a wooden board to make a makeshift sled to bring the tree in.

“Let's start looking over there.” I said pointing to a wooded area outside of Youkai Mountain.

The day had turned considerably colder than it was in the morning. We'd better find something we could use quickly.

[Complaining.] “Agh... pulling these boards around is tiring.” Michu sighed.

“Do you want me to carry them?”

Michu stood and stared at the surroundings and then let out a small challenging smile.
“You know... The terrain around here has a lot of hills.”

[Confused.] “Ah... Yes...?”

“It would be a shame not to take advantage of the mobility we have.”

“What are you trying to imply…?”

Michu in the blink of an eye surrounded me tightly in her arms and sat me down together with her on the sled.

[Struggling.] “Ack! What do you think you're doing?!” I exclaimed trying to get out of her strong grip.

“I just want to move a little faster fu fu fu~” She muttered as she crawled towards the edge of a snowy hill with the sled.

“Wait-!”

The sled began to accelerate rapidly over the steep slope. I just closed my eyes tightly waiting for the moment when we were going to hit a tree head-on and end up breaking the boards.
I should have gone out to look for that tree on my own....

In a moment, I opened my eyes only to see how we were dodging rocks and logs abruptly while leaving a huge white cloud behind.
But through it all... Michu seemed to be having fun. She had that innocent, infectious smile of a child.
It's good to know that at least she finds a bright side to things like this.

Between the trees of the snowy forest and the frosty mountains, we descended, dodging every obstacle. This... reminds me a bit of when I used to use pieces of cardboard to slide down small hills when I was a kid... It wasn't the most fun thing in the world. But it was still something I enjoyed doing with someone…

As I watched the trees go by, our little roller coaster came to the end of the ride. Stamping us out and getting buried on a small mound of snow.

[Pulling her arms out of the snow all at once.] “That was amazing! Don't you think?” Michu exclaimed laughing.

[Sighing with a small smile.] “Not bad heh.” I said brushing the snow off me.

I walked over to Michu to extend my hand and help her out.

[Taking my hand.] “H-how nice that you liked my idea...” She muttered looking away pityingly.

Luckily, the sled didn't end up breaking, so I carefully pulled it out of the snow.
We were in a place with no demarcations at all, there were only trees and rocks covered with snow.
The trees were definitely not pine trees, but they were somewhat similar in shape.

“I think one of these might work. We need to look for one that's small.” I said as I looked around.

“Like that one over there?” Michu asked.

In a flatter area lit by the orange rays of the late afternoon sun, grew a small tree with the perfect look of a Christmas tree.
It was so perfect that I felt sorry to cut it down to be used just once as a decoration…
When Michu dropped the decorations as we flew, I took the colorful spheres and put them in my coat pockets. But there was one that I didn't take out when we got to the cabin. So, I took it and put it on one of the small branches of the tree.

[Confused.] “What are you doing, aren't we taking this one?” Michu asked.

[Smiling.] “It's not the kind of tree I'm looking for.”

And after wandering around for a few minutes, we came upon a small tree trying to grow among some huge, thick trees that blocked out all the sunlight.

[Pulling out the axe.] “We'd better take this one. It's a decent size and if it stays here, it will die eventually.” I said.

“I still don't understand why we don't take the other one, but whatever I guess.” Michu replied with a shrug.

Carefully, we cut down the small tree and mounted it on the sled.

“It's going to be a long way up; we'd better not waste too much time here.” I said as we walked back.

*****

It indeed was a long climb back up, but after two hours we made it back to Hina's cabin, which had the candy canes planted outside and some lights hanging from the roof.

With wood and nails we built a small base for the tree and brought it into the house.

[Dragging the box with the tree.] “We've arrived.” I sighed wearily.

[Surprised.] “My, that's a really nice tree. Did it take you guys that long to find it?” Hina asked.

[Crossing her arms.] “We found a better one first, but Akumu wanted to take this one that's not so great.” Michu complained.

“I see... And what do you plan to do with the tree?”

[Shaking my hands.] “The only thing missing would be to decorate it with lights and colored spheres.” I replied in a proud tone.

I started pulling out the long, tangled plastic wires with little Christmas bulbs. It took me a while to untangle all that mess, but with a little patience it was done.
I asked Michu for help to start wrapping the lights around the tree, tucking them in between the branches. And once that was done, we hung the spheres on the tips of the branches.

[Contemplating the tree with a smile.] “Only one thing would be missing for it to be complete.” I muttered.

“Haaah? Is there still more to go?” complained Michu.

“Usually, a star is placed at the top of the tree, but... I don't think we have those.”

Michu thought for a moment and headed for the kitchen.

“I guess it wouldn't be a problem if we swapped it for this.” She said as she placed on the top of the tree a dried pine seed that Hina had as a decoration on the table.

[Letting out a small laugh.] “Not bad.”

With all the decorations in place, there was only one thing left to do, and that was to turn on all the lights. The problem is that there are no electrical outlets in Gensokyo.
That's when it occurred to me that the little ceramic houses we bought had batteries so we could turn on an internal light. It's a small sacrifice I'll have to make, but I need those batteries.
I cut the end of the wire from the lights to expose the other internal wires that make up the circuit. I separated the wires to attach them to the battery poles with tape I had in my backpack and presto, we have a simple circuit.

“What do you think?” I asked proudly.

In that small, dark room, dozens of tiny light bulbs lit up our faces in dazzling colorful patterns.

“It's... beautiful...” Hina murmured.

Michu was amazed beyond what one could imagine. So much so, that her only form of expression was seen in those eyes that looked like pearls.

“This is the magic of this special time.” I murmured as I joined them in contemplating the colorful tree.

The three of us settled on the living room couches listening to the wood crackle with the fire.

“I wish Christmas was celebrated more often in the year.” Michu said somewhat disappointed.

 

“It would be nice if the people of Gensokyo adopted it as an official holiday.” Smiled Hina.

“If we invite others here, maybe they'll end up liking it enough to want to do it themselves.” I suggested. “Maybe tomorrow we can take some time to go around to deliver the invitations to whoever we know so they can come to the Christmas dinner.”

[Yawning.] “Yeah yeah... For now, I just want to sleep here by the fireplace and the amazing Christmas tree.” Michu said.

[With a chagrined smile.] “This... I'm sorry Michu, but I'll have to turn it off when we go to sleep. The battery would drain too fast, and we need to save it for Christmas night.”

[Pouting.] “Ehhh? But I want it to stay like this!”

“I promise you that for Christmas dinner I'll leave it on all night, okay?”

[Hesitating.] “Hmph, okay.”

Since it was still a little early to go to bed, I decided to go take a hot bath to relax a bit.
“Tomorrow I'll have to go all the way to the bamboo forest to let her know about the invitation. But having to invite a girl to dinner... It’s just way too embarrassing for me.” I said to myself sinking into the bathtub.
“Agh! Stop thinking such nonsense, it's not like it's a date.”
“Although... I wonder if she'll see it that way...”
I still can't quite understand my own feelings, these are things I've never experienced in life before and... it feels strange. It's uncomfortable that only with her these feelings burst out. It's true that Michu sometimes does embarrassing stuff too, but with her the feeling is… different.

I think I took longer than I should have in the bathroom, because when I came out, all the lights were off and there was no one in the room.
I dried my hair, brushed my teeth, and quietly made my way to my room.

I opened it carefully because Michu's snoring could be heard from outside, I didn't want to wake her up.

[Getting into bed.] “Good night.” I whispered looking at her.

As I turned my back to Michu, I could hear her mumbling some things in her sleep.
“Pretty lights... Toys... Christmas with Aku and Hina...”

I was glad to know that this special time... I won't be spending it alone anymore.
Eventually, I was entering the dream world as well.

*****

It was already the morning of the twenty-third, and I feel I slept more than I should have…

[Yawning.] “I'd better get ready to go out, there are still things to do.”

“You really stuck to your beds today.” Hina laughed as she saw me go down to the kitchen.

“Yeah... For some reason I was feeling really tired today. I'll be out in a bit to do the invitations thing.” I replied.

“Miss Michitsuju won't be going with you?”

[Smiling.] “I'll let her sleep for a while longer. I can handle this on my own.”

“If you say so.”

“Ah, by the way. Do you need any special ingredients for the recipes I told you about?”

[Hesitating.] “Hmm... Not that I remember. But don't worry, if I need anything, I'll quickly go to the Human Village to buy it.”

*****

[Putting on my scarf and coat.] “Alright, I'll go run the errand, I’ll be back later.” I said as I opened the door.

[Waving goodbye.] “Please take care.” Hina exclaimed from the kitchen.

[Taking out the paper with the list.] “Let's see... That's quite a few guests. I guess I'd better start with the one furthest away from me. And that would be... the Eientei.”

“Agh, stop overthinking it, Akumu. Just tell her if she wants to come over for dinner with friends and that's it. There's nothing weird about that.” I said to myself squeezing my eyes shut and clenching my fists.

I took off quickly into the clouds heading for the bamboo forest.
When I’m done there, it would be best to then move on to the Forest of Magic to tell Reimu and Marisa. Then to the Scarlet Mansion and finally to the Youkai Forest again.

I flew around distracting myself with the scenery as usual. I don't think I'll ever get tired of appreciating how colorful and vivid Gensokyo is heh.

Passing by the huge Misty Lake and the warm Human Village, I finally arrived at the giant bamboo fortress.
It took me some time to locate the Eientei again, but by trial and error I did.

[Knocking on the door.] “Excuse me...”

To my surprise, there was the nurse around.

“A-Ah, hello.” I stammered.

“Oh, I didn't expect to see you back here so soon.” She greeted me.

“I was just coming to let you know that we're hosting a Christmas party at the hut that's in the Youkai Forest and we’re inviting you and the people from the Eientei. It's tomorrow afternoon-evening.”

[Thinking.] “Christmas... I don't know what you mean by that, but I will let the princess know about it. Thank you for the invitation.”

[Bowing slightly.] “We'll be waiting for you.”

Just as I was about to turn back, I remembered what else I had come to.
“Oh, by the way, is Mokou around?”

“Fujiwara... She must be doing her business in the forest.”

“Mmm, got it. Thank you very much!” I replied as I waved goodbye.

Well... I guess I can try to get to Mokou's hut with what I remember from the route she showed us that day.

And that's how after a few minutes, I realized that... no matter how hard I try, I can't memorize this forest.
[Sighing heavily.] “Maybe I'd better go back? I guess the Eientei people will tell Mokou about the invitation.”
I was already about to take off into the clouds when I heard footsteps behind me, followed by a voice.

“Did ya get lost again? Heh.” Joked that familiar voice I was searching for.

Chapter 16: ༄【Mokou and the legend of Hourai】༄

What a Christmas miracle, I didn't expect to be able to see her today.
[With a nervous laugh.] “Ah haha... I was actually looking for you.” I said turning around.

“Did ya miss you that much for one day?” She teased.

I had an urge to agree on that, but I don't want to come off as a weirdo, more than I already am.
“Hina, Michu and I are hosting a Christmas dinner tomorrow at the house at the foot of Youkai Mountain.”

“Mhm... I don't know what that kind of party is about, but sure, I can accompany you guys.”

[Smiling.] “Perfect.”

“Is there anything else you came all this way for?”

[Interlacing my fingers.] “E-Eh... Not really. But I could join you for a while. If you don't mind, of course.” I replied somewhat nervously.

[Laughing.] “I don't have a problem with that. I was just wandering around collecting branches and dry sticks to have in reserve.”

“I'll help you then.”

We walked around the forest collecting pieces of wood from the ground to place on top of the backpack made of thick sticks that Mokou was carrying.

[Placing more branches in her backpack.] “Can I ask you a somewhat personal question?”

“Hm... It depends on how personal it is.”

“If you could ask for a gift, material or not, what would it be?”

“I mean, are ya asking me what I want most in life?”

“You could say.”

[Pausing to look at the sky.] “It's going to sound kind of crude, but... What I want most is to have the certainty that someday I'll finally be able to rest from this world and this cursed body...” She murmured smiling.

“...” “Being immortal must be very hard.”

[Sighing deeply.] “I don't know if I've ever told anyone this. But now that we're going to be working together, I'd like to have some trust with ya. It's a long and boring story, but if ya really want to get to know me, it would help quite a bit if you knew.”

“Go ahead, I'm listening.”

Mokou led me to a farther part inside the forest. It was an area where there were few bamboo trees, but what stood out the most was a giant rock in the middle of that place. The rock had some strange red stains on it. It looked like cave-age paintings.
We both sat on the huge rock and stood there appreciating the snowy horizon.

“Okay, here goes...” Mokou muttered.

It all goes back about 1,300 years ago to the Asuka and Nara period of Japanese history. At that time, I was a daughter of the Fujiwara family.
My father was always an admirable person, and I held him in high esteem. That was why I was so excited when he told me that he was thinking of asking an important princess for her hand in marriage.

Because of the princess's incomparable beauty, many suitors came from all over Japan to ask for her hand. Many of them were princes or royalty.

Being only a child, I thought my father had all the qualifications to take her as his wife, but I couldn't have been more wrong…
In front of everyone, my father and other suitors were ridiculed by the princess for not being able to fulfill her “5 impossible requests”.
Because I viewed my father with profound respect and appreciation, witnessing that embittered my heart to such an extent that I just wanted revenge…
I knew I could not face her in a duel. Besides belonging to a superior and powerful race, the princess was not capable of dying due to her immortality. So, no matter how hard one tried, she would come back to life without a scratch.

It was at that moment that I remembered that at a ceremony, the princess had presented the emperor of Japan at that time with a sacred elixir made by the lunar civilization. But by order of the emperor, the elixir was to be destroyed because it was too dangerous to be kept on Earth, so he sent his men to burn it on Mount Fuji.
The day his men set out for the volcano, I slipped through the bushes and rocks to follow them silently and try to steal the elixir.
But as I was still only a child, my body was not in the condition for something as extreme as climbing such a mountain. So, I fell exhausted and almost fainted halfway up.

It was then that one of the men, named Iwakasa, noticed my presence and, surprised, decided to take me with them so that I would not die there.

Once at the top of the volcano, the men tried to throw the elixir into the crater to finish it off. But something unexpected happened. The goddess of Mount Fuji's eruptions, Konohana-Sakurahime, warned them that if they threw the elixir, the volcano would start a series of violent eruptions that would never cease. She suggested in return that they could travel to Yatsugatake, where her older sister, Iwanagahime, a goddess of immortality, was located. She told them to take the elixir with her and that the goddess would take care of it.
But the men ignored it and tried to burn it anyway.

What happened that night on Mount Fuji was not entirely clear. But the next morning, all the emperor's men lay lifeless near the crater.
Only the man who helped me up and I were left. So Iwakasa collected the elixir and decided to return without burning it.
It was then that things became as gray as the ash of a volcano, and my life was never the same again…

I became filled with greed and hatred. So much so that my senses were completely blinded, and I did the unforgivable.
As we descended the mountain, passing near one of the high rims of the volcano, I snatched the bag with the elixir and pushed the man who had saved my life. I watched as his body descended into nothingness with an expression of complete confusion.

I ran back to the top of the volcano, and with desperation and arrogance, I drank from the cursed jar until there was not a drop left.

The power of the mysterious elixir was to grant immortality to whoever drank from it. The soul would be so strongly bound to the body that no harm would be able to end the victim's life.

One sip. My body begins to reject any physical change.

Two sips. I feel my body burning in agony as I try to endure the pain.
Three sips. I have lost the only thing that made me human and now I will suffer the consequences of a life filled with hate and bitterness for eternity.

My eyes and nostrils began to drip blood. The pressure my body felt was unbearable. I felt the weight of guilt, hatred, revenge and the weight of chaining my soul forever to my body.
I stood up looking at the immortal smoke of the volcano with my heart covered with regret and rage. All for wanting to have a chance to take revenge on the arrogant princess.

After a while, I returned to the village with my father.
He was worried about me, and I told him that I had only strayed into the forest, but that I was fine.
I lived with him for several years as a normal human, but something was out of place.
My father was getting older and older and I still looked young. I hadn't changed at all.
Years passed and my father passed away due to natural causes. I had no one to stay with, not a single relative to turn to. I was completely alone...
From that time on, the people of the town began to consider me as a cursed being. My hair had reached my heels, and it turned white as snow, but my body did not age.
During my life after taking the elixir, I noticed that, if I hurt myself, my wounds regenerated in a matter of seconds. Such was the fear that I tried to commit suicide countless times, but in the blink of an eye, my body was reborn unmarked. The physical pain and fatigue were always there, but everything would return to its initial state without me wanting it to.

The townspeople lynched me never to return. I no longer belonged there.
So it was that I spent 300 years on the outskirts living a life in complete solitude.
My immortal rage had taken hold of me, to the point of destroying everything that crossed my path. The eternal flame of hatred that dwelled in my heart began to reflect in my hands.
I developed the ability to create flames of fire so intense that they burned everything they touched. I had become a monster that roamed the woods like an urban legend. A vengeful spirit that no longer thought and only lived by revenge.
I spent many more years traveling around Japan until I stumbled upon a strange place with a different energy. Through a small, abandoned temple hidden in the mountains, I came to a place that changed me completely.
I had crossed a barrier from which I could not return once inside. If I tried to get out, it was as if I was in an infinite loop, and I wasn't really moving from where I was. That was how I ended up in Gensokyo after hundreds of years.
I had found a place full of inhuman monsters like me, so I had no choice but to stay. At least here I wouldn't provoke fear in others.

And this is where things got interesting.
While wandering around Gensokyo, I discovered that the Lunar Princess, Kaguya, never returned to the Lunar Capital, and instead stayed here, on Earth.
My heart began to beat rapidly, and my fists and hair became covered in powerful flames of fire.
For more than 300 years now, we have been killing each other every day without stopping. But since we are both immortal, our bodies regenerate, and everything becomes an endless cycle of revenge.

I started to notice that no matter if I killed Kaguya hundreds of thousands of times, my desire would never be satiated. I lost my only purpose in life and now I'm just a doll with an empty and lonely life. And no matter if the universe ends, I'll still be here watching my friends and acquaintances die, while I'll still be the same as I was over a thousand years ago…
I wanted to start having a more normal human life in Gensokyo, so I spent a lot of time in the Human Village helping others and guiding those who were lost in the great bamboo forest. I made some friendships here and there in all this time, but nothing too close since I was never good talking to others. Believe it or not, this was the first time in ages that I had a meaningful conversation with someone... Spending time with you has helped me a little to remember what it was like to be human.

“...” “Now I understand your wish...” I muttered in a muffled tone.

[Sighing heavily.] “It's been a long life full of pain and suffering... But I've stayed in this forest with a stupid hope. After realizing that the Eientei nurse was the one who created the Elixir of the Hourai, I set out to help by collecting ingredients or whatever was needed so that she could work on an antidote. But it seems that in Gensokyo we don't have anywhere near what's needed.”

I steeled myself with some courage after being silent for a few seconds.
[Clenching my fists.] “I will help you get rid of your curse.” I exclaimed firmly.

[Lowering her gaze.] “Heh... I appreciate your intention. But-”

“I'm serious... Once I can return to the outside world, I will search every corner of the world for some ingredient that will succeed in completing the antidote.”

[Waving her hands.] “Wait wait, what were ya not paying attention to me? That thing can't be reversed.” Mokou claimed in confusion.

[Smiling.] “One thing I've learned in Gensokyo... is that if the probability isn't zero, there will always be a glimmer at the end of the road. No matter how small that glimmer may be, if there is even a single chance, anything is possible.”

“...” “Ya really don't get it...”

“No, and I won't understand until we try.”

Mokou let out a small smile amidst such darkness.
“I guess I just can't turn ya down.” “I don't understand why anyone would want to help me with this, but... somehow it eased some of the burden I always carry with me. Thank ya for listening to me.”

“It's what any decent person would do, I haven't done anything yet. But I promise I'll at least help move the investigation forward. I may die before they manage to finish the antidote, but I'm sure they will eventually.” I murmured looking at the mountains and the gray sky.

I could see how on the rock, a small drop fell coming from Mokou's cheek.
[Putting my hand on her shoulder.] “You don't have to carry this alone anymore.”

Mokou reacted immediately only to realize that she had started to tear up without realizing it.
[Wiping her face.] “I-I'm sorry, I didn't expect to get like this! It's the first time in ages that I've felt this way…”.

“Let those feelings out once in a while. It'll make you feel better.”

Mokou nodded with a small smile.

[Placing my hand on the rocky surface.] “Why did you decided to tell me that story here?” I asked.

“I used to... come here to spill my blood to express myself through drawings...”

“It looks like some kind of super old artwork like the ones in museums.”

“Heh, it kinda is.”

[Standing up.] “Well, I think I'll go finish my errand. Are you staying?” I asked.

“Ah, yeah. I have to take this wood to my cabin.”

“Okay. See you tomorrow!” I exclaimed as I prepared to take off from the bamboo forest.”

I took off to the east heading for the Forest of Magic. I had a little plan, but I had to stop by Rinnosuke's store first.

During the flight, I got to overthinking the conversation I had with Mokou.
[Lowering my head.] “That was definitely embarrassing... I don't even know how I managed to keep calm.” I said to myself. “But well, I guess it all worked out.”

Arriving at the Forest of Magic, I stopped by Rinnosuke's store first.
“Good afternoon.”

Rinnosuke was reading a book, so he only glanced sideways at me for a second.
“Do you need any more decorations?” He asked.

As I looked at the shelves, I noticed another similar stuffed animal on the same shelf.
[Taking both stuffed animals.] “I wanted to take these two.”

“Sure.”

“The thing...is that I don't have anything to pay you with right now. I don't know if I could pay you later.”

[Hesitating.] “Hmmm... You're from the outside world, aren't you?”

“A-Ah, yes. How did you know?”

[Letting out a small laugh.] “I just guessed. I have a good eye for such things.” “But in that case, let's make a deal.”

“I'm listening.”

“I usually collect items from the outside world that come to Gensokyo in some strange way, which are the artifacts I sell here. The problem is that my power does not allow me to understand how such objects work.”

“So... You want me to help you by explaining how each object works?”

“That's right.”

“I have no problem with that. I'll come again as soon as I can to help you.” I said smiling as I shook his hand.

“Have a good day.”

[Waving goodbye.] “Likewise, thank you!” [Turning back.] “Oh, by the way, do you know where Marisa is right now. If you know her, that is.”

Rinnosuke let out a warm smile.
“I certainly know her... She should be at her house right now. It's a two-story wooden dwelling located in this very forest. If you proceed north from here, you should be there in a matter of five minutes.”

“Understood, thank you very much.” I said as I gave a small bow.

After flying off in the direction Rinnosuke pointed at me in, I could see in the distance a curious house with a European style from a couple of centuries ago.

“I don't see any other houses... I guess this will be it.” I said to myself as I approached the front door.
[Knocking on the door.] “Marisa! Are you home?”

After a few seconds, I heard footsteps coming towards me.

[Opening the door slowly.] “Ah...? Good morning.” She mumbled scratching her eyes.

It's already noon...
“Sorry to bother you. I was just coming to let you know that we're having a party tomorrow at the hut that's on Youkai Mountain. I'd really appreciate it if you could come and tell Reimu too.”

“Aight, thanks for the invitation. I guess I'll be there ze.”

“Sure, we’ll be waiting for you two.” I said waving goodbye.

Well, there's only one invitation left. I must go to the lake near the Nine Heavens Waterfall to look for Nitori.
I flew back to the Youkai Forest trying to guide myself through the gigantic mountain soaring through the clouds.
And passing by the snowy forest, I made it.

[Landing.] “Will she be around?” I muttered looking around my surroundings.

Walking along the riverbank looking for someone, I heard an explosion in the water.
“Here we go again...”
This time, I snapped my fingers to create a dense electric field.
When the strong wave falling from the sky touched the field, it began to evaporate.

[Coming out of the water.] “Ack, sorry hehe...” Nitori apologized as she saw me standing there on the riverbank.

[Sighing deeply.] “It's okay. I had to talk to you anyway.”

“Oh yeah? Tell me.” She said as he wrung out his tank top.

“We're going to host a party at Hina's house tomorrow afternoon-evening. I'd really appreciate it if you could come.”

“Hm... I guess I won't be that busy tomorrow. I might attend.” She responded by giving me a thumbs up.

Just as I was about to leave, I remembered what I had talked about with Mokou a couple of days ago at the Eientei.

“By the way. I needed your help with something from your area.” I said.

“Uhm, sure.”

“You see... I don't know if Hina has told you about this, but I'm someone who comes from the outside world who acquired strange powers thanks to a friend. I'm still trying to figure out what these powers really are...”

“And you think I know what your powers are about?”

“As far as I was told, you are the only ones who know about the subject of electricity in Gensokyo.”

[Placing her hand on his chin.] “Interesting...” “Agreed. We kappas are recognized by helping humans, so let's see what I can tell you.”

[Looking down at my hands.] “The only thing I know, is that when I snap my fingers, it produces a sort of electric field that surrounds me. With that activated, I can do some things like shoot current at high speeds.” I explained.

Nitori thought for a moment before turning away.
“I'll be right back. I'll go get some measuring instruments.”

I didn't think they had that kind of equipment here. I wonder what she'll bring...

It wasn't long before Nitori was flying back with a cardboard box from which some wires could be seen peeking out.

Upon landing, she pulled out what appeared to be an ammeter and a voltmeter along with a pair of clamps and wires.
[Taking the clamps.] “Hold out your hands.” She ordered as she placed a clamp in each hand and connected the clamp wires to the voltmeter.
“Aight, activate your power progressively without snapping your fingers.”

I proceeded to close my eyes and try to control the power flow to gradually increase it.
But after a few seconds, I lost control, and the flow began to rise higher than it should.

[Waving her hands.] “Stop it stop it stop it!” Nitori exclaimed. [Sighing.] “If you keep going, it's going to break, it can't measure that many thousands of volts.”

“A-Ah, sorry, I lost my concentration for a moment.”

“That's all right. But now snap your fingers and let's see what happens. I'll hook up the ammeter this time to measure the current.” She said as she disconnected the wires to put them on the other instrument.

“Okay.”

As I snapped my fingers, something different happened this time.
The instrument reached its maximum reading capacity within a second, but more shockingly, the wrench Nitori was carrying in her pocket flew out at me and stuck to my hand.

[Letting out a proud little laugh.] “I think I know what this is all about now.” Nitori muttered.

[Taking the wrench.] “E-Electromagnetism...” I said to myself.

“Heh, I guess I don't have to explain much to you on that one. But I'll sum it up for you as far as I understand it.” “You see, your body is now able to store energy because of the modifications that were made at the time you had that power transferred to you. You can release that energy because your hands have charges, one negative and the other positive. Snapping your fingers activates the internal current of your body, so a magnetic field is created as well. But in short, you are a human battery with an unknown energy source.” Nitori explained.

[Astonished,] “Then it wasn't that far from what I thought...”

“It won't be the strongest power; many beings dwell here that could finish you off without even trying. But... your power has a lot of potential hehe.”

[Letting out a laugh.] “I didn't expect to hear that joke here.”

[Winking.] “But all kidding aside, with that power you have a lot to work with. It's just a matter of you being creative with your surroundings.” She added pointing at me. “Use it to your advantage I guess.”

“I understand. I appreciate the explanation.”

[Holding up her thumb.] “You're welcome.”

“We'll see you tomorrow!” I exclaimed as I soared into the sky of that cool evening to return to Hina's house.

*****

[Knocking on the door.] “I’m back.” I said as I walked into the hut.

Hina and Michu were talking in the living room by the tree.

[Pointing at me.] “Oi! Why didn't you wait for me to come with you today?” Claimed Michu from the sofa as she saw me enter.

“Get up earlier then.”

[Crossing her arms.] “Hmph.”

“Were you able to give all the guests notice?” Hina asked.

“Ah yes. Looks like they're all coming.” I replied smiling. “Give me a moment, I'll be right back.” I said as I went up stairs at a fast pace.

I had to hide the presents in the meantime. So, I stuffed them in my school bag and went back downstairs.
“Alright.” I said as I joined them in the living room. “What were you guys doing during the time I was gone?”

“Not much really. Miss Michitsuju was helping me tidy up the cabin to welcome guests tomorrow.” Hina replied.

“And how about the food, have you already planned what we're going to cook?”

“Ah, right. In the time you were out, I went to the village for a moment to get some ingredients that were needed.”

“Wait... Isn't it that the Human Village doesn't allow youkais access?”

[With a nervous smile.] “Well... in theory yes. That's why I should try to keep a low profile.”

“Out of the three of us, you're the one they'd think is a youkai the least. Michu and I have a tough time hiding our horns heh.”

[In a proud tone.] “I told you we can take advantage of that to get more free food fu fu~.” Michu bragged.

[Narrowing my eyes.] “I'm not taking you with me again...” I muttered looking into her eyes.

[Sticking her tongue out at me.] “You're afraid of success.”
[Getting up from the couch.] “But well. We have a lot of work to do between now and tomorrow. We'd better start preparing some things right away. We can start cooking the pork tomorrow morning.”

[Laughing] “As you command, Mr. Cook.” Hina joked.

 

*****

The rest of the chilly afternoon was spent making salads, arranging furniture, making drinks and preparing a couple of desserts.
The three of us fell resoundingly asleep that night from all the work we did. I don't think I've ever been so pleased to lie in bed and close my eyes.

By the next day, all we had to do was cook the main dish and wait for nightfall.
Michu kept looking out the window in the afternoon just to see if the guests were arriving. It seems that she became the number one fan of Christmas.
And when the sun started to set, it was the great moment to turn on all those beautiful and colorful Christmas lights to liven up the atmosphere.

[Appreciating the lights from outside.] “Well, I think this is enough for the guests to locate the place heh.” I said to myself.

And as I stood there watching some flakes fall, I heard someone calling me in the distance from behind.
It was Marisa who came flying on her broom along with Reimu.

They both landed in front of the hut to be amazed by the lighting as well.

“Wah... What are those?” Marisa asked pointing to the roof.

[Smiling.] “I'm glad you like them. They're Christmas lights.” I replied.

“Heh. They look so nice I could borrow them anytime.” She muttered with a smug grin.

[Giving her a nudge with her shoulder.] “Hey, you're not stealing anything...” Reimu answered her seriously.

“You can come in if you like.” I said.

“Aight, thanks.” Reimu replied in a curt tone.

I guess she still doesn't like me. She's always walking around suspicious of me for some reason. But well, I'm glad she came ^^;
It started to get a little chilly, so I had to go inside too.

When I opened the door, Michu greeted the three of us with a Christmas hat.
“Welcome, Christmas guests!”

[Scratching her head.] “Ah haha... I don’t quite understand but thank you very much ze.” Marisa replied as she took off her witch's hat.

After about half an hour, the Eientei people arrived, so we received Princess Kaguya, Mokou, the nurse and the purple-haired rabbit girl. I really should ask for their names…

Finally, when we had started to eat, the last guest arrived.
[Apprehensive.] “Sorry I'm late hehe... I had some things to do.” Nitori apologized.

“Don't worry, there's still food left.” I replied with a laugh.

With all the guests present, the atmosphere began to come more alive that night.
Some didn't know each other well or had simply met during a past fight.
Reimu and Marisa apparently already knew the Eientei people. I don't understand much of what they were talking about, but I half heard that the princess and the nurse caused an incident a few years ago and had to fight over it.
Mokou also knows them, but it struck me that they referred to her as “the guts trial.”
Marisa and Nitori also seem to get along quite well.
Michu took a little while to start striking up conversations, but she doesn't do as badly as I thought she would. It's good to know that she's somehow making friends.
But the civilized conversations ended when they started bringing out the alcohol. I figured people from Gensokyo might have such tastes, but not to that extend…
All the guests started drinking until they became completely different people altogether.
Mokou and the princess arguing as usual, the bunny girl was not taking off from the nurse, calling her “master” while rubbing her face in her... big attributes. Reimu, Marisa and Nitori were competing to see who could drink the most, and Michu had me trapped in her arms on the couch while she was talking nonsense.

[With a nervous smile.] “D-Do you think they're having fun...?” Asked Hina who was next to me on the sofa.

[Smiling.] “Yeah, it's not much different from happens in the outside world during these holidays.” I replied. “By the way. I'll go take the empty bottles to the shed, so they won't start accumulating, I'll be right back.” I said as I struggled to free myself from Michu’s grip.

“Sure, thank you.”

I removed several bottles from the table and from the floor. There were so many that they no longer fit in my arms.
[Opening the door with my foot.] “Agh, how can they drink so much?” I asked myself trying not to drop the bottles.

Once in the shed behind the cabin, I put them all in a wooden box.
“Maybe they can be recycled for something.” I said as I walked out and closed the door.

But as I was turning back, a voice stopped me right in front of the cabin door.
“It's a nice holiday, isn't it?” the voice behind me asked.

An icy fear ran down my spine, but I knew who it was…

[Turning my back to her.] “What did you come for this time...?” I asked in fear and seriousness.
Yukari stepped fully out of her gap and stopped beside me to appreciate the rooftop decorations.
“It's a pity I wasn't invited too.” She said smiling in a wry tone.

“...” “You could have been enjoying yourself with us if you hadn't done what you did to her.” I replied in a dry tone.

“Even with all the information you have collected, you still fail to open your eyes.”

“...”

[Looking me in the eyes.] “But oh well, you'd better enjoy the present, because for you there is no future...” She muttered in a menacing tone with a sinister smile.

“If that was all, you can leave now.”

Yukari opened another portal and walked slowly towards it.
“Happy holidays. Let's hope your Christmas miracle gets granted...” She said as the gap under the snowflakes faded away.

Despite that bitter feeling left by her presence, I tried to still be able to enjoy the activity.
And so, it went on until the wee hours of the morning when everyone had already been left lying on the table from too much drinking.
With difficulty, they were able to get up and leave, thanking us for the food and for the invitation.

[Looking around the room and sighing loudly.] “Tomorrow there will be a lot of cleaning up to do...” I said to myself already exhausted. “Hey Hina-”

I was interrupted by some powerful snoring coming from the couch.

[Smiling warmly.] “I see you two are also exhausted beyond belief.” I whispered so as not to wake them up.

I went upstairs to my room quietly and took some scraps of paper and a pen out of my backpack. I took the stuffed animals and stealthily went downstairs to put them under the tree along with the notes.
After that, I fell into bed like a log.

*****

[Michitsuju's point of view.]

Birdsong greeted Christmas morning. But along with those pleasant sounds, I was also awakened by the sound of someone knocking at the front door.
I lazily and sleepily got up to open it.

[Scratching my eyes.] “Who's knocking at this hour-”
In my blurred vision, I could make out a figure in a red suit with a long white beard. That's when I remembered what Akumu had told me about the Christmas man handing out presents.
I immediately jumped in and hugged him.

[Excited.] “What presents did you bring me!? I've been very good this year fu fu~”

[Pushing me back.] “Hey, what's gotten into ya?!” Exclaimed the figure in front of the door.

As I took a step back and cleared my eyes, I realized that it wasn't a red suit or a beard…
It was Mokou whose hair had blown over her face because of the wind outside.

[Sobbing.] “How dare you trick me like that?” I demanded.

“...” “How much did ya drink last night for ya to still be drunk?”

I let Mokou pass. Standing with the door open was freezing me out anyway.

[Pouting.] “So, what did you come here for?” I asked in a bored tone.

“Ah, I had some things to talk to Akumu, is he home?” Asked Mokou.

“He's still asleep, I guess you'll have to wait.”

[Sighing deeply.] “Aight, thanks.”

As I was going back to lay back down on the couch, I noticed something strange under the tree that wasn't there before.
It was a pair of stuffed animals that had a small tag that read:
“To: Michu. Merry Christmas!”

A few tears of happiness began to drip from my face as I saw that I had been given the bunny I had seen in the store.
I hugged it tightly and jumped up and down a few times. So much so that my joy ended up waking Hina up.

[Yawning.] “What's all the fuss...?” Muttered Hina leaning back on the sofa.

[Excited.] “He came to leave us presents! There's one for you under the tree too.”

Hina full of curiosity bent down to take what was under the tree.
[Reading the note smiling.] “You really had it all planned out, didn't you…?” She said to herself as she held up the stuffed animal.

*****
[Akumu’s point of view.]

[Yawning.] “Ah... I feel like I slept for an entire day but I'm still tired…” I muttered.

But looking at the clock in the room forced me to get up at once.
Staggering from sleep, I went downstairs only to see Hina, Michu and Mokou sitting in the living room.

[Turning to look at me.] “Look who decides to finally come out and say hello.” Mokou joked.

[Scratching my eyes.] “Sorry... I was exhausted from last night.”

Michu ran over to me to put the stuffed animal on my face.
“Look look, he brought me this!” She exclaimed with a twinkle in her eye. “Unfortunately, there was no present for you under the tree. But I'll find a way to give you something.” She murmured somewhat apologetically.

[Smiling.] “I'm glad he didn't forget about you hehe.”

I paused to think for a bit.
“I didn't expect to see you here, Mokou.”

“Ah, yeah. I came because I wanted to thank ya for yesterday's activity heh.” She smiled.

“Thank you guys for attending too.” Hina replied.

“The other reason I came, Akumu, was to ask you if we're going to train for the next tournament. Because if that's the case, I might stop by more often.” Mokou asked.

Looking out the window, I could see white frost starting to fall from the sky on that sunny winter day. It was a beautiful morning where the sun's rays reflected off the layers of snow that covered the Youkai Forest.

[Smiling without looking away from the window.] “There's still more to celebrate this year. We'll start training by greeting the next year.”

Chapter 17: ༄【Fragments of a future past】༄

I think it's time to get a new journal, this little notebook only has a few pages left…
But hey, I guess it's not bad for having narrated all this in a small notebook.
I've never treasured a book so much before, but this book is not just any book. Between these pages, are written the experiences of an ordinary boy in a hidden fantasy land.
There has been so much that I have had to go through in these five years, so much so that it seems like all this happened yesterday. It is as if it has all been one long, vivid dream…
This is only the beginning of an exciting but at the same time dangerous adventure that we still must go through.
I must say that I had a difficult start, full of conflicts and questions that to this day, I can't answer either. But despite everything, it is thanks to them that I am still here.
Thanks to Hina I regained my trust in others, she was always by my side taking care of me and supporting me. Thanks for always showing me a smile in the face of everything…
Michu was the reason why all this started. And even though her methods were not the best when we met, I enjoy her company more than she could imagine. I will keep my promise until the end so that you can enjoy everything that was taken from you during all this time. Thank you for showing me the world with a different perspective and for helping me change. Thank you for making me understand that a past full of bad memories does not define our future.
All those little fragments of memories are part of this unparalleled present that I never thought would ever exist.
I still remember clearly those days when I explored this land full of illusion and fear.
Entering the great scarlet mansion and facing its owner, flying over snowy landscapes, entering a mysterious mansion deep in the bamboo forest, visiting the temples of the priestesses, snooping in a huge underground palace full of spirits or flying into the sky full of floating pointy rocks.
Thanks to all those experiences I was able to meet all kinds of people and beings. Some were truly kind and others... not so kind. But at the end of the day, all those experiences helped me to leave behind that boy full of fears and insecurities.
During these five years, things were calmer, or at least for us. I heard about some incidents that occurred, but these were quickly resolved by Reimu and Marisa. I'm not really up to speed since Marisa explains everything without much detail, but they were things related to a giant mysterious entity roaming around Gensokyo, a competition between newspaper reporters, a war between the fairies, the awakening of an ancient prince, a youkai who lost her masks, and a tsukumogami rebellion along with the appearance of a giant floating castle that was upside down.
I would have liked to have seen those amazing battles on my own, but I guess they were a bit dangerous for me to be a part of.

Instead, I spent it at Hina's house having some intense training along with Michu and Mokou. Aside from practicing my attacks and Spell Cards, I needed to improve my physique in order to perform better in combat.
So, after endless sets of pull-ups, push-ups and endless sessions of jogging around the forest daily, I was able to improve my body considerably. I also had to stop eating Hina's delicious desserts so often. But hey, it was a necessary sacrifice to change.
I grew quite a bit in this time, going from 1.63m to 1.75m. I was already wondering where those centimeters I didn't grow during school had gone.
Oh yeah! I also managed to get my first Spell Cards after many attempts. The names may not be the most creative, but I'm proud of it.

And to finish this last entry of my diary, I had to write about something especially important.
As Michu regained some of her strength during these years, she wanted to try once again to take control over my mind.
She told me that my memory was still covered by a strange black fog with a disturbing aura. She was not able to remove it completely, but she was able to remove some fractions that, when discovered, made me remember at last…

I could remember that I came to Japan from Germany. I could remember my parents. I could remember more memories from my childhood.

But the most important thing...

I now remember that my name is...

Arno Winter.

 

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Series this work belongs to:

• Part 1 of TOUHOU: Fate of External Boundaries VOLUME 1