Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

"The gardens that cannot be tended by my rake, forged by the blacksmith, are next to none!"

Youmu Konpaku brandishes her rake and swathes a path through Hakugyokurou's rock garden, deftly tracing complex lines in the sand. In only a few moments Youmu is back on the deck and does a sheathing motion with her tool before admiring her handiwork: the lines form meticulously crafted waves around the carefully maintained trees and stones.

Excellent. Tending the garden this way is good practice and that was my best time yet. I just hope Lady Yuyuko never hears me, there’d be no end of teasing… 

Going to the storeroom to put up her tools, Youmu grabs the notebook and ink brush she keeps there and jots down her time for the day.

5.14 seconds, that blows my previous 7.11 record out of the water. Seems my new grip method and route were effective. Anyway, I should let Lady Yuyuko know I'm finished and see if she has anything else for me. It’s only midday, there’s still plenty of time to work.

The half-phantom dutifully walks inside to find her mistress. Opening the sliding door to the living room, she says, “I'm done with the rock garden.” Inside, Yuyuko Saigyouji feasts on a large plate of onigiri.

I told her those were for later. Her appetite knows no bounds.

"Ah, Youmu, done already? Then join me!" Yuyuko says between bites.

Youmu sits down at the table. "We were supposed to have these for dinner," she says, reaching out her arm to grab an onigiri despite her words.

"But how could I resist such an excellent snack you made? It isn’t fair to tease me, y’know.”

You’re one to talk, milady.

“Hmmm,” Yuyuko muses, suddenly staring intently at Youmu while the latter is still reaching. “Could you explain why you've written that on your arm? I’m terribly curious."

"Huh? What do you-" Youmu looks at her left arm and gasps. On it is written in black ink:

I MUST GO TO THE UNDERWORLD

"What?! But I never wrote this! My arm didn't have anything on it while I was tending the garden!"

"Maybe so, but I can tell it's still your handwriting. Somewhat sloppily written, though. Were you in a hurry?"

"I just said I don't remember writing this! Admittedly I was writing something a moment ago, but this has to be some kind of trick by a spirit or youkai!"

"Perhaps, but did you detect a presence while in the garden?"

"N-no, I did not."

Yuyuko takes a contemplative bite of onigiri. "Then this hypothetical trickster is either good enough to go under both our noses or you somehow did this on purpose."

“Do you not believe me?”

“If there’s one thing I can count on, Youmu, it’s your loyalty. I’ll believe whatever you say.”

“O-oh! Thank you, that means a lot-”

“Besides, you couldn’t lie if your life depended on it!” says the older ghost while she laughs heartily.

“I fail to see the humor…”

“Where I’m standing it’s plain as day,” Yuyuko says with a playful smile. “But regardless, we shouldn’t leave this unaddressed. I permit you to go to the Underworld and investigate.”

"Thank you for your blessing, but aren’t we getting ahead of ourselves? Besides, I've never even been to the Underworld or Former Hell. I know Reimu and Marisa dealt with an incident there some time ago, though I never heard all the details."

“Then this will be a good experience for you. A resident of the Netherworld, and someone who works for me at that, should be familiar with all the places spirits go. You had to visit New Hell on your way to the Animal Realm only a year ago, so this shouldn’t be too difficult. Beyond that, I’m curious what this message means.”

“But what if it’s a trap?” says Youmu, concerned.

“I have faith you can handle it.”

Not exactly reassuring.

“Getting there might not be hard, but this message isn’t clear about what I need to do.”

“If you did write it, then I believe your mission will become clear if you follow its instructions.”

Despite my misgivings, it will bother me if I don’t get to the bottom of this.

“Alright,” Youmu says as she stands up. “I’ll go.”

Yuyuko gets up to grab a box from inside a dresser at the corner of the room. Opening it, she hands her gardener a small grey device with buttons on it and says, “Take one of these, we can keep in touch this way."

“What is this?”

“It’s a piece of technology called a ‘phone’. Having one lets you call anyone else with one provided you both have ‘service’ as Yukari describes it. She gave me two a while ago. Apparently she lent Reimu and Marisa some when they went underground before.”

“I recall Sumireko having something similar at the fireworks festival. How do I use it?”

“Yukari set it up where if you want to call me, just dial 076. I can call you by typing 075.”

“This will be very helpful. But why didn’t you give me one when I went to the Animal Realm if you already had it? Your advice might have saved me some time.”

“It slipped my mind,” says Yuyuko nonchalantly. “This topic reminded me I had them tucked away. Besides, everything worked out fine, didn’t it? So no harm done.”

Her train of thought is beyond me.

The half-phantom pockets her newly acquired phone. “Anything else you need before I head out?”

“Could you prepare more onigiri? That batch was delicious!”

Sighing, Youmu answers, “Yes, milady. But promise that you won’t eat it all at once!”

The descent from the Netherworld to the Underworld’s entrance is long. While in transit, Youmu decides to test her new phone.

Let’s see… 076 right?

The phone vibrates for a few seconds after the numbers are inputted until a muffled voice on the other end says, “Hello? Is that you, Youmu?”

“Yes, Lady Yuyuko. While flying I thought it’d be wise to test out the phone before going too far. Is there anyone I should look out for once I arrive in the Underworld?”

“After making your way through the entrance, you’ll be in the Former Capital. Mostly oni live there, along with various vengeful spirits they keep an eye on. The oni there are jovial folk, much like Suika, so you shouldn’t have any trouble with them. Beyond that is the Palace of the Earth Spirits, where Satori Komeiji and her pets live. It’s been a year since they visited us when that spirit possessed me, so as a refresher: they’re the overseers of Former Hell as well as the Nuclear Furnace. If an incident really is occuring down there, Satori will know about it.”

The Underworld’s entrance begins to come into Youmu’s view. “So my first objective is to find Satori and speak with her,” she says.

“I knew you’d figure it out!” says Yuyuko with her usual cheer. “Remember that Satori can read minds, so don’t try lying to her for whatever reason. She’ll find out if you do. On the other hand, she might be able to pick your brain about why you left that message on your arm.”

Reading minds, I recall her using that on us before. It was a bit invasive but I have nothing to hide.

Youmu closes in on the entrance. “Thank you for the information. I’ll be hanging up no- AGH!” Just as she crosses the boundary to the Underworld, the world spins. Even in flight, Youmu loses all sense of balance and drops her phone. Any attempt to look around makes her dizzier as she feels a sudden headache.

What’s going on?! Is this an attack? Okay, calm down, focus!

The half-phantom closes her eyes, no longer trusting them, and draws her swords, Roukanken and Hakurouken. With gravity as her only indication of direction, Youmu rights herself and listens for anyone or anything nearby. Slowly she hears a small hissing sound coming from behind her.

“YAH!” One swing of Roukanken splits the danmaku in two. “Coward!” yells Youmu, eyes still closed. “Fight me face to face, none of these tricks!” Another wave of danmaku shoots from her left, another wave is cut to shreds.

I’m at a disadvantage here. Whoever this is isn’t exactly playing fair. If I open my eyes they’ll only disorient me again. 

Yet another flurry, this time from above. The new bullets meet the same fate as the previous ones.

Each of these have only been coming from one direction at a time. If I can close the distance the moment they shoot…!

Youmu concentrates as hard as she can on the sounds and sensations around her. Droplets of water falling from stalactites, the faint breeze from the outside, scurrying animals, until finally from her right the distinctive hissing comes.

“Human Sign - Slash of the Present World!” With blistering speed, Youmu cleaves through the danmaku and tackles her attacker, slamming them into the wall. At the same time as the wall slam, she lodges her swords into the cavern wall in a scissor position to cut off any escape. Youmu maintains her grip on her weapons and, still wary about opening her eyes, hears a pinned body struggling to get free. “Speak! Who are you? Why are you attacking me? Did you leave that message on my arm?”

“Gotta admit that was impressive, honestly didn’t see it coming,” says an exceedingly distorted yet smug voice.

That voice doesn’t sound natural at all, I can’t recognize it. They’re hiding their identity. Do I risk looking?

Youmu opens one eye against her better judgement. Pinned between her swords is a figure whose upper body and head is concealed by a purple and blue checkered-patterned cloak.

“Ooo, and here I thought you knew better than that,” says the figure. “Bad move ghosty.”

The cloaked figure makes an arm motion behind her back and vanishes from sight. Immediately after, the world spins around Youmu once more, but this time she is ready for it. She minimizes the disorientation using her still embedded swords as an anchor. Once the sensation subsides, the gardener pulls her swords free and listens for any movement or danmaku, but all is silent.

They escaped and I didn’t get any information. But this does confirm something is happening down here and that I’m being targeted. I must get to the bottom of this as soon as possible. Speaking of going to the bottom, I need to retrieve my phone.

Youmu floats to the ground to locate her dropped item and finds it in one piece nestled between two stones. She tries out the buttons and everything still responds.

Sturdier than I expected. Yukari was never one for doing things halfway.

The half-phantom takes off once more, heading further down the deep road to Former Hell.

Chapter Text

Bleh, I hate dealing with ghosts. And this place is way too dark.

While she has not encountered another living being since the attack, Youmu’s flight has been intermittently interrupted by various departed spirits aimlessly roaming the cavern. She weaves around them with a wide berth. Her primary light source is her own phantom half.

Just power through it, this is more important than some dumb test of courage at the shrine. I’m still on edge about that cloaked person trying something again. They can turn around my sense of balance and even teleport if I get close to them. But I need to focus on the here and now, I remember Marisa telling me a story about some sort of guardian on the bridge between worlds.

Youmu continually scans the area for any sign of youkai, but no one appears. However, she hears flowing water deeper inside. As she approaches, she makes out another sound: crying.

Is someone hurt?

Ahead is a ravine with a river below. A bridge goes across the gap, so dilapidated it looks like it would collapse under the slightest pressure. On the side closer to Youmu, an upside down bucket is trembling slightly with sounds of a crying girl coming from inside.

“Hello? Is someone in there?” says Youmu, cautiously landing and walking towards the bucket.

“S-stay away!” says the crying voice inside. “Please, leave me alone!”

The fear in the voice makes Youmu flinch. “I promise I don’t intend on hurting you! Did something happen?”

Peeking out from underneath the bucket, a small girl with dark teal hair and a white robe looks at Youmu with eyes red from crying.

Who or what made this poor girl so afraid?

“Y-you’re not gonna hurt me?”

“No, I won’t. What’s your name? I’m Youmu Konpaku.”

“My n-name is Kisume.”

“Why are you so upset, Kisume? Are you the guardian?”

“Guardian? I think you’re talking about Parsee. She lives near here,” says Kisume, slowly calming down and pushing her bucket back upright. “Before you came, some person in a cloak got close and made me really dizzy before blowing me away with danmaku. I tried to fight back at first but nothing worked.”

She was attacked and experienced dizziness, that’s exactly what happened to me.

“I ran into that same person but managed to drive them off,” Youmu explains. “Do you need any help? I’m headed to the Former Capital if you want to come with me. You’ll be safe.”

“You’d do that for me? Why?”

“You seem relatively harmless and defenseless. It’d be wrong of me to ignore you.”

Kisume lights up at the words. “Alright! I’ll stick right behind you! But, um, I can’t fly.”

What? That’s rare.

“We’ll go on foot, then. Stay close and don’t lag behind. This bridge ahead is rickety, so if you fall I’ll make sure to catch you.”

The newly formed duo start carefully walking across the bridge. As Youmu hits the midpoint, a familiar figure materializes on the other end.

“Well look at the congeniality over here!” says the mocking individual. “You must be pretty confident about your chances of making it to the Former Capital if you brought that dead weight along!”

Kisume shrieks, jumping into her bucket, and says, “That’s the one who attacked me!”

So it definitely was the same person!

“You! What do you want with me?” asks Youmu demandingly. “And why attack Kisume?”

The cloaked figure casually leans back on the air, flying to make it work. “I think you got bigger worries than that, ghosty. Or should I call you half-ghosty?”

“I’m half-phantom, not half-ghost!” roars the irritated gardener.

With a dismissive hand motion, the figure says, “Details, details. And what did I just say about bigger worries?”

The figure snaps their fingers and a storm of danmaku appears beneath the bridge, flying upward and destroying it instantly. Youmu slashes away any bullets that get close with Roukanken, keeping Hakurouken sheathed so that she can hold onto Kisume’s bucket with her free hand. The weight makes her left arm tense, but she holds firm.

“You’re really quick with that sword, I’ll give ya that much,” says the cloaked figure. “But I figure holding bucket girl over there slows you down, so you gotta choose: either let her go… or fall."

A brand new wave appears between Youmu and the figure, almost like a wall.

Even with one arm and one sword, this is nothing!

Youmu holds Kisume behind her, closes her eyes preemptively to thwart any attempts to confuse her, and carves a hole through the encroaching onslaught. Her slashes are precise and controlled, white light bursting around her from every destroyed bullet.

“When will you understand that nothing you throw at me can’t be cut through with my Roukanken!” says Youmu with confidence. “If you’re being serious at least try using spell cards!”

“Don’t need ‘em, not for you. Why bother when you’re so blind to what’s around you?”

“Wha-?”

From behind, a single bullet hits the handle of Kisume’s bucket, knocking it out of Youmu’s hand.

The girl in free fall yells, “HELP ME, PLEASE!”

NO! How did that bullet get behind me?! I don’t detect anyone else’s presence! Gah, now’s not the time to think about that!

Youmu opens her eyes to swoop down and catch Kisume, but as she is about to grab her, the girl vanishes from sight.

“What?!”

With no chance to react, the cloaked figure teleports behind Youmu and says, “You’re so naïve.”

She’s too close, I have to do something. Concentrate!

Both parties’ perceptions of time slow down, the result of Youmu’s mental state. She begins to turn around as the attacker starts making a swinging motion with their arm. The extra processing time lets Youmu see that, underneath the cloak, they wear a smiling mask that resembles a traditional Jizo statue. In their hand is a golden mallet with a red symbol on the side, coming down on the gardener’s head.

There’s no time to defend! But that mallet is-!

She is unable to finish her thought as the mallet finally makes impact, returning both’s perceptions of time to normal. Youmu’s consciousness fades and she falls into the river, dropping her Roukanken which the figure catches. The river washes the half-phantom away as she blacks out completely.

“Ugh…”

My head feels ready to split open. Where am I? And what is that light?

The groggy girl lifts her head and looks around. Circling around her are three will-o’-the-wisps. 

Faster than should be reasonable, Youmu shoots up with a jolt and screams, “WAH! GET AWAY! I’LL CUT YOU DOWN!” But when she goes to unsheathe Roukanken, it is not there.

Huh? Where is it?

Youmu scans her surroundings: she is on a rocky shore next to the river, clothes soaking wet and no idea how deep into the cave she is. There is no sign of her sword. A few paces away is Kisume floating in her bucket, who looks incredibly confused.

“Kisume? You’re alright? What happened to you back there? And how are you flying?” says Youmu, rubbing her eyes.

“What kind of question is that? Any youkai worth their salt can fly. To answer the other stuff, I have no idea what you’re talking about. I saw you floating along in the river and fished you out. Thought someone dumped another body down here but realized you were still alive. Well, half alive? Never met a half-phantom half-human before. I dropped some wisps near you to see if it’d wake you up,” says the girl. “Also, how do you know my name?”

“Wait, what?” After saying this, the gardener feels a sharp pain and rubs her head. 

Geh, that stings. Right, the assailant hit me with that mallet.
…
THAT MALLET!

Youmu’s mind races through everything that has happened thus far.

That’s the same mallet Seija Kijin used when we were trying to capture her seven years ago: the Replica Miracle Mallet! And the cloak, the sudden teleporting, those correspond to some of the other cheating tools she used. Not to mention the sudden disorientation matching up with her ability to flip things. No one’s seen her since she hijacked the fireworks festival two years ago, guess she’s decided to make a move. But that mask she was wearing, I’ve never seen it before. Hiding her identity doesn’t seem like her style. And that’s not the only strange thing.

She turns to Kisume and says, “We were with each other at the bridge when that cloaked person ambushed us. You said she attacked you earlier and that you couldn’t fly.”

The bucket girl shakes her head. “Sorry, lady, but we’ve never met before.”

This doesn’t make any sense. Even her demeanor is the reverse of what it was. Kisume was right next to me until she suddenly disappeared during that person’s attack. Was it a trick?

A word from before rings in Youmu’s mind.

‘Naïve…’ Dang it, I must’ve fallen for some kind of illusion. But Seija can’t do anything like that from what I recall. It was extremely realistic, too. There’s more to this.

“It seems to be a case of mistaken identity,” says Youmu dejectedly. “Can you tell me where in the cave we are? Is the Former Capital close?”

“You’re quite a ways from the path. The main route with the bridge upstream is a good five ri away.”

“Five?! It won’t be hard to make up that distance, but I must have been out for a while for the water to carry me that far. I should check in with Lady Yuyuko, assuming my phone wasn’t washed away…”

Against all odds, it is securely clipped to Youmu’s skirt and functional. Something else is still missing, however.

That’s right, Roukanken’s gone! That sword is irreplaceable, I need to get it back. But where did it go? Is it lost in the river? No, no, that’s not right. The attacker, who for now I’ll assume is Seija, grabbed it right before I passed out from the mallet strike. Perfect, now Roukanken is in the possession of the most wanted youkai in Gensokyo. That’s no ordinary sword, she could do real damage with it. I have to find her as soon as possible!

Youmu immediately takes off flying and yells back, “Thank you for your assistance, Kisume! I have to go now, hopefully we’ll meet under better circumstances next time!”

“Uh, sure. Good luck with whatever it is you’re doing,” says Kisume, waving goodbye but still confused about what’s going on.

Time to make a call!

After Youmu swiftly dials the numbers, Yuyuko answers the call in a few moments.

“Ah, Youmu, it’s been a while since our last call. How’s the Underworld? Did you find out anything?” says the cheerful ghost.

“Lady Yuyuko, I was attacked by someone I have strong reason to believe is Seija Kijin! She knocked me out and stole Roukanken and is likely plotting something down here! But I haven’t confirmed if she was the one who left the message or not!”

“Slow down, Youmu, you’re talking far too fast without a breath. Seija knocked you out? I wouldn’t think she would be capable of defeating you given what I know of her.”

She’s right, I need to calm down.

“Somehow Seija made an illusion to trick me into letting my guard down. What bothers me is how she did it. None of her cheating tools can do something like that. It looked and sounded exactly like a real youkai and I was even able to physically interact with it,” Youmu explains. “Another strange thing was this mask she was wearing. I assume it was to hide her identity, but I can’t help but think there’s something significant here.”

“If that’s what your instincts tell you, then it’s likely worth looking into. Can you give me a description? I’ll ask around and let you know if I find anything.”

That’s oddly proactive of her. She must be getting concerned if she’s taking direct action.

“The mask had a face similar to a Jizo statue. If it wasn’t for Seija wearing it I’d describe it as comforting and reassuring to look at.”

“Hmmm, that isn’t much, but I’ll see what I can do. Try to capture her and get your sword back if you can, but remember that telling Satori Komeiji about what’s going on is still one of your primary objectives. You two can help each other.”

“Understood,” says Youmu. “I’ll check in again in an hour if you haven’t called me by then.”

“Bye-bye and good luck. Don’t let your guard down,” Yuyuko says firmly.

“Yes milady!”

The phone goes silent.

An uncharacteristically serious warning, too. Even if she has Roukanken and the cheating items, Seija on her own doesn’t seem like a huge enough threat to make Lady Yuyuko so worried. Is it something else? Regardless, I’ve got a lot of time to make up if I wanna catch up to that annoying contrarian.

Youmu picks up speed and rockets over the river, more determined than ever to reach the Former Capital.

About eleven minutes after her call with Yuyuko, Youmu finds herself back at the ruins of the bridge. On the side of the ravine that goes further into the cave, a woman with blonde hair and green eyes paces furiously. She wears a white scarf and a dress with blue, brown, purple, and white all mixed in different patterns.

Is that the Parsee the fake Kisume mentioned?

“Hello!” Youmu calls out. “Are you the one who oversees those who travel between worlds?”

As Youmu lands next to her, the youkai says, “And who might you be? It’s rude to ask before introducing yourself.”

“Oh, my apologies, my name is Youmu Konpaku. I’m the gardener to Lady Yuyuko Saigyouji of Hakugyokurou,” says Youmu with a bow. “I’m sorry to be abrupt, but I came here on a mission and need to capture someone I believe has infiltrated the Underworld with malicious intent. If you’re the guardian named Parsee I’ve heard about, I kindly request you let me by.”

“Hmm, well you heard correctly, I’m Parsee Mizuhashi. Hakugyokurou is in the Netherworld, which I suppose explains that phantom floating around you. But how would someone from there know about an intruder I don’t and why wouldn’t I have seen them?”

“I encountered the intruder before and I believe it’s Seija Kijin, who has items that allow her to teleport. I can only assume she used them to sneak by you. She’s the one who destroyed this bridge.”

Youmu’s last statement causes Parsee’s eye to twitch. “So you saw this bridge get destroyed and didn’t even stop her?! You useless idiot! You know how annoying it’ll be to fix this thing? I wish I could be as carefree as you!”

“Huh? What’s gotten into you? And I’m far from carefree, thank you!”

“You anger me even more than the last humans who came down here. Well you aren’t going any further! Jealousy Sign - Green-Eyed Monster!”

Why does it always come to this?! 

Youmu jumps back right before giant green danmaku orbs manifest in front of Parsee that begin following the former’s movements.

Cutting through those would be child’s play normally, but with only Hakurouken my options are limited.

Flying in such a way as to not trap herself, Youmu manages to outlast the spell card. “Why are you attacking me?! We could work together to catch Seija!” she says.

“I’m the youkai who rules over jealousy, I can think of hundreds of reasons for why I’d want to defeat you! Tongue-Cut Sparrow - Large Box and Small Box!” Parsee begins teleporting, leaving behind an afterimage that releases circles of bullets around her alongside the real one.

It’s far from the hardest I’ve had to deal with but I don’t have time for this! Her dominion over jealousy must have consumed her, making her irrational… wait, that’s it!

All it takes is one opening for Youmu to charge right through the attack and, having surmised the pattern, get right behind Parsee’s next teleport location.

“Sorry for this.” Her apology does nothing to dull Hakurouken’s blade. It gleams from the green light around them as the half-phantom unsheathes it and thinly cuts Parsee’s left arm, barely leaving a mark.

“GAH!” the jealous youkai yelps. Her danmaku immediately fades and she floats to the ground, landing on one knee, before saying, “My… arm and my head… feel like they’re on fire! What did you do to me?”

“My ancestral blade Hakurouken has the power to cut through confusion,” says Youmu, sheathing her sword and floating down next to her defeated adversary. “Your jealousy of others had overtaken you, so I freed you from that grasp. However, it can be a painful experience for humans and youkai. Now I must insist you let me go further.”

Parsee does not say anything. At first she stares at the ground with a blank expression, until she abruptly starts bawling.

What? Is it the pain from the cut?

After a few moments Parsee partially regains her composure and stands up, looking ready to crack at any moment. “I’m sorry, many emotions I haven’t felt for a long time rushed back all at once,” she says with a tone opposite her earlier one. “Sympathy, remorse, compassion, they were always overshadowed by jealousy. You have no idea the gift you’ve just given me. It’s unlikely this will be permanent given my nature, but I’ll treasure this moment of clarity. I’m in your debt, Youmu Konpaku. Thank you. My deepest apologies for assaulting you like that.”

“You weren’t in your right mind, it’s nothing to apologize for,” Youmu says sheepishly, unprepared for the sudden gratitude.

Her jealousy runs much deeper than I imagined. It’s not just something she controls, it’s her very essence. She has my sympathy.

“From here is a straight shot to the Former Capital,” says Parsee. “With the speed you displayed, it should only take about twenty minutes if you move quickly.”

“Okay, thank you.”

“If we ever meet again,” Parsee continues, “I’ll likely have reverted to how I was earlier. Just know that even like that, you’ve earned a place of trust in my heart.”

I honestly didn’t mean to accomplish something of that magnitude, but I appreciate the sentiment.

The two bid each other farewell and Youmu heads out once more towards the Former Capital. Despite still missing Roukanken and losing time for her mission, after the encounter with Parsee, the gardener cannot deny the feeling of satisfaction that comes from helping another.

Chapter Text

Sounds of flapping fabric echo in the cave as Youmu flies through it at full tilt.

Still no sign of Seija. I can only imagine where she is down here. Hopefully someone in the city has seen her.

Right on cue, the light of the Former Capital comes into view.

At last!

However, Youmu’s elation is cut short when, upon nearing the gate, she sees a blonde-haired oni with one long horn protruding from her forehead sitting in front of it. The oni’s outfit consists of a simple white shirt with red trims and a long, somewhat translucent skirt; in her hand is a sake dish nearly filled to the brim.

I feel like I’ve seen her before… 

“Hello?” Youmu calls out, coming to a halt about thirty paces away.

The oni looks up and, after a brief moment, smiles. Without a word, she stands, revealing her towering and muscular figure. She lifts her leg and stomps once, causing a slight tremor.

Woah! What in the world? Was that her?!

Youmu draws Hakurouken and assumes a defensive stance. The two have a stare down for many agonizing seconds before the oni lets out a hearty laugh.

“I was told to be on the lookout for a maniac with a sword, but I can tell just by your demeanor you ain’t no maniac,” says the large youkai. “The name’s Yuugi Hoshiguma, I’m one of the old Big Four of the Mountain. You?”

Unsure what to make of the complete tonal shift, Youmu sheathes her blade and says, “Youmu Konpaku, gardener to Yuyuko Saigyouji of Hakugyokurou. Was that a test?”

“A bit overqualified to be a gardener, aren’t you? And it seems you’re perceptive to boot. I wanted to see how you’d react. If you ran then I knew you’d be nothing to worry about. If you attacked then we wouldn’t be havin’ this conversation. Normally I’m all for fightin’ strong folk, but now ain’t exactly the best time.”

Yuugi seems lighthearted enough, though I can tell she’s absurdly strong. Fighting her without Roukanken is something I’m happy to have avoided. But why can’t I shake this feeling of familiarity?

“Have we met before?” says Youmu, walking up to Yuugi.

“I dunno. Shrine drinking party?”

“That doesn’t sound quite right… Oh! You were one of the ‘contestants’ at the fireworks festival after it all went off the rails. I barely saw you in the midst of destroying everyone’s bullets.”

Yuugi rubs her head and chuckles before saying, “Ah, gotcha. Sorry if I caused ya any trouble, got a little carried away that night. Parsee and everyone else were going so I figured it’d be fun. Made sure none of it was directed at humans, though.”

Parsee was there, too? Must’ve missed her completely. Makes me wonder who else I missed…

“I remember Satori being in the legitimate judging part of the contest, though I had mostly forgotten that until today,” says Youmu. “But I’m getting distracted, you mentioned a maniac with a sword?”

“Yeah, there’ve been various reports all over the city about someone attacking random people with a sword. No one’s gotten hurt but any attempts to fight back have resulted in sudden disorientation. It’s like they’re mocking us,” Yuugi explains.

“That matches up with the person I’ve been-” Youmu cuts herself off.

Wait. Last time I met someone alone with a similar story it was a trick. How do I know this Yuugi is the real deal? She made that tremor earlier but given the realism of that fake Kisume I could believe it being a localized sensation.

She takes a few steps back, putting a hand on her sheathe, and says, “This might sound absurd, but I can’t know for certain you’re real. If you’re unable to prove it somehow then I must ask we part ways.”

Instead of being surprised like Youmu expects, Yuugi’s face remains composed. “Hm, makes sense the culprit could have an ability like that. You know more about ‘em than we do from what I can tell. Although, how do I know you aren’t some sort of trick? We’re all alone after all. This could be an attempt to disable me while I’m isolated.”

Surprisingly rational, I shouldn’t underestimate her.

“I think I get where you’re going with this. No use being paranoid towards everyone you meet, right? And if we go into town together, it’s unlikely the entire thing could be an illusion,” says Youmu.

“No beatin’ around the bush but ya still see reason where it presents itself. Straightforward. I like you, we’ll get along fine. Let’s grab a drink, you can tell me more about our mystery youkai and how you’re involved in all this there.”

“Oh, uh, I appreciate the offer but I’m not sure there's time for that. We need to track down the attacker as soon as possible and I need to go meet with Satori.”

“Listen, Youmu, if there’s one thing we oni always have time for, it's a drink. The world ain’t gonna explode if we take some time to discuss things. And, well, you’re not gonna like this, but Satori’s been gone for days,” says Yuugi.

“What?!”

“But before we get to that, I need you to tell me more about what’s happening.”

Youmu and Yuugi sit down at a street bar in the Former Capital, the former having given the latter a synopsis of her journey thus far on the way.

“You’re not looking much worse for wear all things considered,” says Yuugi, taking a sip of her drink. “Made of tough stuff, aren’t ya?”

“I’ve been through worse. Now can you tell me what happened to Satori? We need her help to find out just how major this problem is,” says Youmu.

“The fact she’s gone shows just how major it is. It’s her job to keep a lid on this place, making sure the oni don’t party too hard and that no one comes down here to mess with the Nuclear Furnace. My kind, in turn, makes sure vengeful spirits don’t go spillin’ out into Gensokyo. As for me specifically, I’m the leader of this town. With Satori gone, I’ve had to keep a closer eye on the other oni, which makes it where I can’t enjoy myself as much. Haven’t been in a hot spring for a week.”

“How did you find out Satori was missing?”

“‘Missing’ ain’t quite the right word. She told me herself. Didn’t let spill all the details and I don't like hangin’ around her too long cause of the whole mind reading thing. Figured she'd be back soon, but now this intruder and you show up while she’s out.”

Yomu stares into her own cup for a moment.

Great, now the person who’d be most likely to figure this out is nowhere to be found.

“Who’s overseeing the Furnace right now?”

“Technically one of her pets, Utsuho Reiuji, is always there powering it. But that one isn’t exactly the sharpest knife in the drawer. Another of her pets, Rin Kaenbyou, is the one to provide the fuel and regulate it, so she’s the substitute overseer currently. Both of ‘em were also at the fireworks festival.”

“By ‘Rin’ do you mean Orin?”

“Yep, that’s the one.”

“I’ve at least met her before when she and Satori visited my home. I don’t recall this Utsuho, but I do remember one of the youkai Reimu dealt with having absurdly hot danmaku.”

“Heh, sounds like Okuu - that’s Utsuho’s nickname - alright. She’s got an absurd amount of power yet next to no brains to go with it. The longer Satori’s gone, the more I worry about something happening down there.”

“Do you think Okuu will mess up her task without Satori?”

“Nah, she’s done her main job without much issue for years. It’s the fact someone could easily trick her; it’s happened before. If this intruder can make illusions then I need to be worried. Orin cares for her a lot and already keeps a close eye on her normally, which is my main source of comfort.”

“Odd to see an oni so serious,” Youmu muses.

“Believe me, I’d rather not be. But if something happens to that Furnace it’ll affect more than just the Underworld.” Yuugi takes a large swig of sake and continues, “Anyway, you think our culprit is Seija Kijin?”

“At the very least, I know all the items this person has been using, barring my sword and the mask they wear, belong to Seija. They disguise their voice but talk in a similarly smug way. The disorientation matches up with Seija’s ability to flip anything.”

“Seems like an open and shut case, then.”

“But, at least from what I know of her, Seija isn’t the type to disguise herself. She’d lie and trick others, sure, but she’s always loud and proud in her schemes when the time comes to make her entrance.”

“Hmph!” Yuugi grunts with a slam of her cup. “I despise cowards who won’t show their face. Are you certain the one we’re after is working alone?”

“I haven’t seen anyone else. If it is Seija… I didn’t think about it before, but Shinmyoumaru Sukuna is a known associate of hers-”

A switch is flicked in Youmu’s mind.

That’s it! The bullet that came from behind me must’ve been Shin! Everything happened so fast that I didn’t even consider the possibility. Since she can manipulate her size with the Miracle Mallet, staying small and under my notice would be simple. And even while small she can manage a good few bullets.

“There’s a strong chance that there’s someone working with them,” says Youmu. “At first I assumed the bullet that came from behind me was part of the illusion, but thinking about it further it makes more sense for it to be real. That way they had a chance of hitting me with a real bullet to knock me out in case I saw through their trick.”

“And you think this accomplice could be the inchling?”

“I would go so far as to say it’s likely if we’re dealing with Seija.”

“It’s as good a lead as any,” says Yuugi as she slams back the rest of her drink. “So let’s go.”

“Go where?”

“To find Seija. There’ve been three reports in the last few hours, she’s bound to strike again soon.”

“Alright, but we need to come up with a plan for capturing her. With the cheating items at her disposal she can easily get away if we’re not careful. Even when all of Gensokyo was after her she escaped with those.”

“I’m not so sure we’ll have to worry about her escaping when we show up.”

“How do you mean?” asks Youmu, leaving a handful of coins on the bar counter as payment.

“Think about it: she’s got your sword, Satori’s not here, yet all she’s doing is attacking random folks with no clear goal. She’s trying to draw someone out, and if I had to guess it’s you or me she wants.”

“So it’s a trap and your plan is to charge headlong into it?”

“It’s what oni do,” Yuugi says with a beat of her chest.

“Normally I wouldn’t object, but after getting slammed by that mallet I’m not inclined to take chances. I think we should come up with a plan. And I have an idea that could let us turn the tables on her.”

“Fair enough. Lemme hear it, then.”

I just hope this works.

After their strategy meeting, the time comes for Youmu to check in with Yuyuko. Her phone rings before she gets a chance to dial the number, however.

“Hello? Lady Yuyuko?”

“Shplendith!” says Yuyuko, mouth full of food. Youmu hears a swallowing noise before the ghost continues, “You aren’t washed away in a river this time. I thought I’d call first to make sure you were alright.”

“Milady, are you eating the dinner I made for you already? I told you to wait until later.”

“But your cooking is so good, I simply couldn’t wait!”

Youmu pinches the bridge of her nose in exasperation.

My cooking has nothing to do with it, you’d eat the manor if there was nothing else available. What am I gonna do with you?

“Regardless,” says Youmu, “I’ve arrived at the Former Capital and have made contact with Yuugi Hoshiguma. She let me know that Satori left some days ago with no indication of when she’ll be returning. Yuugi and I will be working together to capture Seija.”

“So Satori’s out? That’s unusual, she rarely leaves the Underworld.”

“Furthermore, I have reason to suspect Seija isn’t working alone. My current hypothesis is Shinmyoumaru Sukuna due to their history of working together.”

“You’ve made a good bit of progress in an hour, nice work! Sadly I can’t say things have been as smooth over here. Nothing I’ve looked into regarding that mask you mentioned has bore fruit, but I intend to keep searching.”

“I appreciate your assistance, milady. If I may ask, why such direct action? It’s rare for you to get involved to this degree.”

“Call it a hunch,” says Yuyuko cryptically. “I did find out one interesting tidbit, though: apparently Seija was sighted near the human village a week ago. It was reported to Reimu by a youkai named Sekibanki but nothing’s come of the investigation so far.”

The village? I don’t see how that ties into invading the Underworld, but it’s something.

“Understood. If we capture Seija I’ll interrogate her about it. Is there anything else-”

BOOM

Their conversation is interrupted by a loud crashing sound a few city blocks away. A two story building’s roof was partially destroyed and knocked to the ground, where a dust cloud swells.

“She’s gettin’ bolder, well not in my city,” says Yuugi. “Youmu, let’s go!”

“Right!” Youmu responds. “Lady Yuyuko, I must leave for now.”

“That’s no problem, go get her!” cheers Yuyuko before hanging up.

In less than a minute Yuugi and Youmu are at the epicenter of the disturbance, where various oni are picking themselves up and getting out of the area.

“You wanted us, right?! Well here we are!” roars Yuugi. She stands back to back with Youmu, scanning the perimeter for any sign of an attack. Their visibility is limited due to the lingering dust.

She’s here, I know it. Come out! 

A stream of danmaku rains from above without warning, separating the duo as they jump out of the way.

So that’s your game, divide and conquer. Well this won’t go the way you think!

“Show yourself!” Youmu demands.

“And why should I do that? It’s so fun watching you dance around!” says a distorted voice that sounds as though it is coming from all directions at once.

“Yuugi, that’s the same voice from before! It’s definitely the same person!”

“Good, saved us the trouble of lookin’!” says Yuugi. “I just need to be wary of any disorientation, right?”

“Yeah, try not to trust your eyes too much. Let’s do this!”

“If you really think that’s all I can do, then you’re even more dense than I thought,” the voice says. They materialize next to Youmu and swing the Replica Miracle Mallet, which the latter dodges. When Youmu slashes at them with Hakurouken, the cloaked figure teleports away.

She’s taking the bait! We just need to lure her in a bit more.

Appearing again, this time near Yuugi, the figure keeps out of grappling distance and shoots a straight barrage of bullets. The oni holds up her arms and tanks the blow with barely a mark.

“Man, I was hopin’ you’d be stronger than that. That really all ya got?” Yuugi taunts.

“If you want a contest of power, I’m happy to oblige!” says the figure, summoning an absurd amount of small bullets and directing them in a continuous stream at Yuugi. She plants her feet and does not budge an inch at the onslaught.

“This is nothing! You won’t win like this!” says Yuugi while she blocks.

Youmu rushes over to the figure and swings her sword while her opponent’s back is turned, but as it makes contact, they are replaced by a Jizo doll with a leaf on its head and a tanuki tail.

The Substitute Jizo!

While the last of the bullets are still occupying Yuugi’s attention, the figure appears behind her with Roukanken and the Replica Miracle Mallet in each hand.

“Yuugi, behind you!” calls out Youmu.

“Oni’s Voice - Annihilating Roar!” Yuugi’s roar is so loud and powerful that Youmu feels something akin to wind trying to push her back, nearly hurting her ears. Various red danmaku appears all over the area as bursts of light come from every side of Yuugi that force the figure away. Before they get a chance to recover, Yuugi flies up and uppercuts them squarely in the chin, sending them hurtling into the cave’s ceiling. This knocks off the Jizo-like happy mask, which falls to the ground. The impact into the top of the cave causes disturbed dirt to float around the spot, obscuring the figure from view. 

“Did you get her?” asks Youmu, running up next to Yuugi.

“I got her all right, but I don’t think this is over yet,” says Yuugi while stretching her arms out in front of her.

Her arms are bruised a bit. I’m impressed that’s all there is considering how many bullets she took, however even an oni has limits. Danmaku is inherently non-lethal, but it can still injure her so she needs to be careful.

They look up as the dirt clears; the purple and blue checkered cloak is wrapped around the figure like a cocoon.

“You’re right, this isn’t over. That’s the Nimble Fabric. It lets the user stay in place in exchange for being briefly protected from all damage,” Youmu says.

“She must’ve not had enough time to move outta the way but still reacted fast enough to defend. Can’t fault her quick thinking, at least.”

She’s being too defensive for our plan to fully work. Hmm…

“Yuugi, I’m gonna rush her when she comes out. Try to do what we planned while I have her distracted.”

“Can ya manage that without your other sword?”

“I’ve still got a few things up my sleeve,” says Youmu slyly.

Yuugi smiles and says, “I like seein’ this side of you. Get’s my blood pumpin’! Lemme try one more go at her first.” The oni leaps high into the air and attempts to grab the figure.

She moves fast for such a hulking youkai!

“Guess all bets are off now, huh?” says a new voice from within the cloak. “Reverse Sign - Danmaku Through the Looking Glass!”

Yuugi’s momentum flips vertically right before reaching the figure, sending her back to the ground tumbling. The figure lowers her hood which reveals red eyes and black hair with white and red highlights adorned with two small horns. As Youmu suspected, it is Seija Kijin.

“I knew it! What are you doing down here, Seija?” Youmu asks.

“How much do you really know? I don’t have to answer to you of all people!” says Seija. She brandishes Roukanken before continuing, “You want this? Come and get it!”

Bullets appear behind Youmu and Yuugi, who fly diagonally up at opposite angles to evade them. As they do so, their momentum shifts horizontally, causing them to run into each other.

Ugh, her powers are such a pain!

“Don’t let her fluster you!” says Yuugi, sensing Youmu’s frustration. “That’s her game to win if you play it. You saw what happened when I went off script just now, stay calm and continue approaching her like we planned. I’ll cover you from behind.”

“You’re right, sorry.” Youmu takes a deep breath and says, “Soul Sign - Wheel of Pain of the Living and Dead!” Youmu’s phantom half turns into a semi-transparent clone of her. She bends to one knee and grips Hakurouken’s sheathe, the phantom copying each movement half a second later. “NOW!” Following her battle cry, Youmu propels through the air at breakneck speed, cutting through any danmaku Seija throws at her with the help of her phantom. Seija attempts to fly away from Youmu’s charge, but the gardener continues to gain ground.

“It won’t be that easy! Reverse Bow - Dream Bow of Heaven and Earth!” Seija yells.

“Not so fast,” says Yuugi. “Feat of Strength - Wind Blowing Down from Mt. Ooe!”

Many bullets appear below Youmu, however Yuugi fends them off with her large blue circular danmaku. She also uses their size to slowly box in Seija. The flipping effects of the spell card barely faze Youmu, her concentration slowing her perception of time enough that she can adjust without issue.

“It’s cute how you think that’ll work!” Seija says as she pulls a parasol out of her cloak.

Just as expected, the Gap Folding Umbrella.

“No you don’t!” Youmu throws Hakurouken straight at the umbrella, knocking it out of Seija’s hand below where Yuugi is. The sword ricochets upwards, the phantom sword’s afterimage right behind.

“Ow! You’ll pay for that, you idiot. Why would you throw away your only weapon?” Seija snatches Hakurouken out of the air, but as she goes to swing it at the approaching Youmu her arm locks up. “What?!”

“Hakurouken can only be wielded by a Konpaku,” says Youmu. Finally reaching Seija, she steals Hakurouken out of the amanojaku’s right hand before the latter has a chance to react and slices downward, cutting the string Seija used to keep the Nimble Fabric on her. Attached to the blue ribbon around her waist are the Replica Miracle Mallet and a red and white yin-yang orb. In her left hand is Roukanken.

That’s not all of the cheating tools but I don’t have the luxury of worrying about that right now.

“You apparently knew how Roukanken worked but not my other blade. Who’s the fool now?”

“Still you!” Seija says. She grips Roukanken with both hands and swings it at Youmu, which the latter easily parries with Hakurouken. The two stare each other in the eyes as their blades lock, Youmu’s face bearing an annoyed expression while Seija sports a taunting grin.

“You amateur, treat that sword with respect!” says Youmu. “It is not a club to carelessly be swung!”

“If I’m such an amateur, why are we at a standstill right now?”

“You haven’t been paying close enough attention.” Youmu pulls back her sword, which Seija attempts to capitalize on. However, Roukanken is being pushed back by Youmu’s phantom, which is still copying her moves and overlaid with Youmu’s position during the deadlock.

“What?!” yells Seija in shock.

Using the brief moment Seija is being held in check, Youmu uses Hakurouken to cut the ribbon around Seija’s waist, sending the mallet and orb falling to the ground. She then hits the back of Seija’s head with the hilt to stun her before kicking Roukanken out of her hands and catching it.

I’ll make sure not to let you go so easily again. Luckily Seija didn’t know how to properly wield it, otherwise she could have damaged Hakurouken when their blades crossed.

“You have nothing left, give up!” Youmu says as she points her swords at Seija.

“Grrr… Reverse Sign - Overturnin- mmpth!” The call is cut off by Yuugi teleporting behind her and covering her mouth with one arm while restraining her body with the other.

“This thing works exactly as you described, Youmu,” says Yuugi with Seija’s dropped orb attached to her skirt.

“It’s the Bloodthirsty Yin-Yang Orb. You can use it to immediately teleport to whoever your current target is. Between that and the umbrella, she could get close to us and then escape without a scratch as much as she wanted.”

Seija manages to free her head enough to say, “So that was your plan? One distracts and strips me of my items while the other uses them against me?”

“Those items give you a nearly indomitable advantage in one-on-one battle,” explains Youmu. “I don’t feel bad at all using a little trick of my own to beat you, especially after you stole my sword. You’re too weak to fight us fairly.”

“The strong ruling over the weak is the problem!” Seija retorts.

“You’re only saying that because you’re a contrarian. You’d likely flip your ‘cause’ in a heartbeat if things actually changed. Yuugi, let’s tie her up and question her inside somewhere.”

“You are gonna tell us exactly what you’ve been up to down here,” says Yuugi to Seija, snarling. “And then you’ll face the appropriate punishment for assaulting the Former Capital and its residents. I’m sure many others in Gensokyo would like a word with you, too. We’ll be sure to let them know you’re here.”

That kind of threat is unlike Yuugi. She must be really upset about not getting to drink and lounge as much lately.

“Yeah, yeah, that all sounds great. Can we just get a move on already?” Seija grumbles.

The group floats to the ground where Yuugi ties up Seija with rope from a nearby destroyed stand. Meanwhile, Youmu recovers the Substitute Jizo, Gap Folding Umbrella, Nimble Fabric, and Replica Miracle Mallet.

Yuugi still has the orb and Seija didn’t have the other cheating items on her, so that just leaves… where’s the mask?

She searches frantically for any sign of the mask, but it is nowhere to be found.

“Yuugi, did you pick up Seija’s mask?”

“Huh? No, last I saw it was laying on the ground somewhere.”

“That’s not good,” Youmu says. “My guess of her having an accomplice is looking more and more accurate. The only person who would willingly work with Seija is Shinmyoumaru and she’s small enough to have her presence go unnoticed. And we still don’t know how Seija made that illusion before or why she intentionally drew us out.”

“So it still ain’t over, then. We’ll make sure to get all the info we need out of Seija, c’mon,” says Yuugi.

While the two converse, Seija's gaze drifts downward. Hair obscures her expression, the slightest smirk across her face.

Chapter Text

Inside Yuugi’s home, she and Youmu stand in front of the restrained Seija sitting on the floor. Tied diagonally around the oni’s torso is a bag containing the confiscated cheating tools. The three are in a small room with no furniture near the back of the house; their only illumination is a lamp hanging from the ceiling.

“Let’s start from the beginning, were you responsible for the writing on my arm?” asks Youmu.

“I dunno what you mean,” says Seija disinterestedly.

“Why did you come to Old Hell?”

“I was bored.”

“Do you have a partner that came with you here?” asks Youmu, her irritation growing.

“Amanojaku don’t have friends.”

“How were you casting those illusions?”

“What illusions?”

“Answer the questions seriously!” Youmu yells in frustration.

“And why should I do that? Even if I could answer all of those, no doubt you wouldn’t be able to do anything about it. A naïve half-ghost or whatever like you? The thought’s hilarious!” says Seija, snickering. “You don’t have Reimu’s intuition or Sakuya’s rationality, and unlike Marisa you don’t make up for it with gumption. You’re just a little errand girl.”

You…!

Youmu clenches her fist and glares at Seija, but Yuugi steps between them and says, “Don’t waste your energy getting angry. We need to find out where her partner is.”

The gardener nods and takes a moment to quell her emotions.

I’m letting Seija provoke me far too easily.

“I should call Lady Yuyuko and tell her we captured Seija. I’ll leave the questioning to you.”

“No problem,” says Yuugi. “The two of us’ll have a nice talk.”

“Giving up already, as expected,” says Seija.

It takes all Youmu’s willpower to not respond to Seija’s taunt and walk out of the room calmly. She is now in the main living room; a few casks of sake, some empty and some full, are scattered around the edges while a scuffed-up table with a kotatsu sits in the center.

We caught her, so why does it feel like the situation isn’t any better? I can’t help but feel that we’re playing right into her hands.

While that thought lingers in her mind, she dials her mistress’s phone number. It rings for longer than usual.

She’s not picking up. Is she preoccupied?

The phone continues ringing until a long beep comes out followed by an autotune voice saying, “The number you called is not available. Please leave a message after the tone.”

Message? Does it remember what I say?

Once the tone plays, Youmu says, “Uh, Lady Yuyuko? Yuugi and I have successfully detained Seija. The interrogation is underway as I speak, so please call me back when you have an opportunity. Goodbye.”

Now how does it know when I stop talking?

Youmu fiddles around with some buttons until she hears another beep.

I think I’m happy to leave technology to the kappa.

Sitting down at the table, she belts out a long sigh.

The writing on my arm, Satori missing, the sighting of Seija near the village. What does it all mean? Then there are the illusions or possibly some other kind of manipulation. Even if Shin is working with Seija, her abilities don’t match up with what I’ve experienced. Could it be possible that Seija has two accomplices? Who else would willingly cooperate with her? Hmmm… maybe if I reevaluate everything I’ve seen I can narrow down a youkai or at least ability more concrete than ‘illusions’. So what exactly have I encountered in my battles with Seija? Obviously her flipping and spell cards, those are her trademark. Beyond the flipping gimmick, it’s not that special as far as danmaku goes. Then there are her cheating tools, which we haven’t found all of yet. Shin could be holding onto those, plus she might have been the one to grab the mask back in town. But what is that mask? If it was just to hide her identity, why would an accomplice go to the trouble of retrieving it over the other tools? I’m missing some kind of context here. If only I had a clue or sign… Dang it, Seija’s right that Reimu would probably have a better idea of what’s going on. Compared to her, my knowledge of the various youkai and happenings in Gensokyo is lacking. But that doesn’t matter anymore, I’m here now and I’m the only one who can get to the bottom of this.

Bickering voices escape from the back room.

Sounds like Yuugi’s making more progress than I could. She’s been a huge help. Thanks to her, the capture went nearly without a hitch. The danger of disorientation was a little worrying but- Wait. Why didn’t Seija try that on us earlier? She flipped us around some, sure, but that was more a spatial attack than a mental one. I assumed that flipping our sense of orientation was something she could do but thinking about it further I have no proof of that. I’ve only personally experienced it when she ambushed me back at the cave entrance. Even the encounter on the bridge didn’t have it, though I could buy that being intentional for the sake of the trap. On the other hand, Yuugi said that the oni who were attacked reported the same feeling. Is Seija toying with us? 

Youmu’s brow furrows.

Or maybe she’s switching places with someone? That would explain why someone as loud and proud as her would bother hiding her face. If that’s the case, then the person I encountered at the entrance and possibly the bridge wasn’t Seija at all. They certainly had a similar speaking style, though, so either she was speaking through something remotely or the body double was a good actor. If this hypothetical person is behind both the disorientation and the illusions, then that means their ability is to manipulate people’s perceptions in general. A youkai that can somehow mess with the mind and slip underneath everyone’s notice. This is all still conjecture, but I think I’ve made a decent suspect profile. I should consult Yuugi about this.

As she gets up and turns around, Youmu hears a small hissing sound. She scans the room and notices a small black bowl on the ground near the shōji that leads to where the interrogation is underway. It has a floral pattern and matching cover.

No, that can’t be!

The gardener rushes to the bowl and opens it in a panic, but it is not an inchling she finds; inside is a cartoonish yellow bomb with a lit fuse too far down for Youmu to put out. Chucking it as far away from the interrogation room as she can, she bursts in and yells, “Yuugi, there’s a bomb!”

“Wha-” Yuugi’s question is cut off by a large boom that causes the house to groan. The shockwave throws Youmu slightly off-balance, but Yuugi stands firm. Seija stifles a laugh.

“I found Seija’s Four-Foot Magic Bomb in the living room! I only had a second to throw it away, it was too late to put the fuse out,” says Youmu. “It was hidden in a bowl that was the exact same style Shinmyoumaru uses.”

Yuugi lets out an uncharacteristic growl and says, “First they mess with my city, and now my house. This is personal. You stay here and guard Seija while I find the inchling.”

“Splitting us up might be what they want.”

“Maybe, but to be blunt I’m way too angry to care. This interrogation already grated on my nerves.”

She’s been telling me to keep calm, but this entire time she’s been struggling to do so as well. I can’t exactly blame her.

“Alright, just don’t let your guard down.”

The oni rushes out of the room with steps that cause the house to shake even more.

“So she’s finally cracking a little, huh? She stayed more composed than I expected during all the questions,” says Seija.

Youmu draws Roukanken and holds it to Seija’s chin. “Whatever game you think you’re playing won’t work. Once Yuugi captures Shin this will be over.”

“Man you really aren’t the brightest, are you? Well, I guess you did warn the oni about how splitting you two up was what we wanted, so I have to give you some credit.”

She’s not denying that Shin’s involved, so it is a trap! But leaving Seija alone isn’t wise…

Sheathing her sword and sitting down on the floor cross-legged, Youmu says, “I have plenty of faith that an oni on the level of Yuugi can handle any trap you might lay. You aren’t getting yourself alone that easily.”

Seija’s eyes narrow. “Maybe you have learned something from getting wacked by my mallet. But what’ll you do if Yuugi fails? Then you’re busy guarding me while my partner is free to wreak as much havoc as she wants.”

A slight amount of sweat forms on the back of Youmu’s neck.

There’s no way Yuugi would lose to Shin, right? But given how upset she was, she might rush into something unprepared. And-

Her eyes go wide.

My guess about a third person being involved! If someone like that is with Shin, then Yuugi’s in trouble!

“Oh? Something on your mind?” says Seija. “I can see the gears in your head working really hard.”

“You have another person working with you besides Shin, don’t you?! Tell me who they are!” Youmu demands, putting her face right in front of Seija’s.

“Hahahaha! I guess you really do use your brain after all! But I have no intention of telling you anything. You can try to get info out of me or help your friend. What’ll it be?”

As they converse, a distant crashing sound comes from the front of the house.

I’m running out of time. Maybe I could knock Seija out? But she might fake it. There’s nothing I can do that will guarantee she stays put if I leave her alone. Hmm… maybe I don’t need to leave her alone.

Youmu stands up and walks behind Seija, pulling her to her feet. The former keeps one hand on the latter’s tied up wrists, the other on her shoulder, and says, “Start walking or I’ll drag you by the collar. Don’t even think of trying anything, it won’t end well.”

Seija turns to her captor as far as the restraints allow and responds, “You’ve got your serious face on, color me terrified.”

“Now,” says Youmu with a shove.

“Fine, fine.”

Leaving the room, the damage the house has taken becomes readily apparent. The wall Youmu threw the bomb to has been blasted apart; wood and other debris are strewn around. The ceiling above has become somewhat crooked, as if the foundation is failing.

This house looks like it’s about to come down on top of us, so getting out is the right call. I don’t hear any sounds of a struggle nearby anymore, though. Did Yuugi take it elsewhere?

Youmu continues cautiously marching Seija through the house. The entryway connecting to the outside is in shambles; cracks that likely came from Yuugi’s footsteps line the ground and holes from danmaku make the front entrance more air than material.

“Dang, really tore up the place,” says Seija. “Wonder where they went?” 

“Do you try to annoy others as much as possible or does it come naturally for an amanojaku?”

“Aw, that’s really sweet of you! You’re making me blush over here.”

I should have known sarcasm would backfire.

They exit the house and Youmu scopes out the vicinity for any sign of Yuugi or Shinmyoumaru, but she finds nothing.

Where could they have gone? I heard them fighting only a minute ago.

“Afraid something happened? Annoyed you can’t figure out what’s going on? C’mon, this is your chance to prove me wrong!” Seija says, her voice full of false concern. “I really appreciate the fresh air, though. Well, as fresh as it can be underground.”

Gosh I wish she’d shut up. Am I doing exactly what she wants? Did she manipulate me into taking her outside? No, I can’t let her make me doubt myself. Leaving her alone could only have been worse. Stay calm. What I don’t get is why it’s so quiet. Ignoring Yuugi suddenly vanishing, I don’t even hear or see any passerby. You’d think someone would check out an explosion. It’s almost like everyone in the Former Capital is gone, but that’s impossible… Actually, I can think of something that would make it possible.

Youmu grabs Roukanken’s hilt, ready to draw. “This is another illusion, isn’t it? Your accomplice is messing with my head again.”

“Ding-ding-ding! You’re on a roll today, ghosty! But I gotta know: what are you gonna do about it? How do you know I’m real or that you’re even where you think you are?”

“There hasn’t been an opportunity for me to be moved that far, nor has there been one for you to escape. I can’t deny that there’s a chance I’m underestimating this youkai’s abilities, but I don’t think they have quite that much control,” Youmu explains. “Who knows, you could be a fake; I’m still not letting you go.”

“Tch,” Seija scoffs.

For the first time since coming to Old Hell, Youmu notices a genuine shift in Seija’s demeanor. 

Heh, finally got one over on her. But that won’t do me much good if I get blindsided by someone I can’t see. There has to be a way to break this illusion’s hold on me. I guess mental manipulation wouldn’t be too dissimilar from a kind of confusion? Can’t hurt to try. Well, it will hurt, but needs must.

She takes her hand off Roukanken’s handle and instead unsheathes Hakurouken.

“What are you gonna do with that dinky sword?” asks Seija.

With no intention of answering, Youmu very lightly cuts her own right cheek.

Here it comes!

Immediately her head feels ready to burst. “AGH!” 

“Whoa, what’s gotten into you?!” Seija yells in surprise.

Drawing on every last bit of strength she has, Youmu remains standing and never loses her grip on Seija’s wrists. The scene around her begins to change, as if filling in details. What were before empty streets now have various oni and other youkai running away. Eerie silence is replaced by shouts of spell cards. Looking up, Youmu makes out Yuugi flying through hundreds of bullets towards a lavender-haired girl sitting in a bowl. In the girl’s hands are a yellow mallet similar to but distinct from Seija’s and a lantern with a red swirl design on it.

That’s Shin! She has the real Miracle Mallet and the Ghostly Send-Off Lantern. The latter will make beating her much more difficult, but Yuugi seems to be managing for now. It doesn’t look like either have noticed us yet. I need to find the third culprit; they have to be nearby!

“How did you break free?!” Seija asks. “That shouldn’t be possible normally! Was it that sword?”

Youmu elects to ignore the question and searches her surroundings a second time, intent on finding her target. However, she finds no one suspicious.

Where are they?

Suddenly she feels a tap on her shoulder and hears a young-sounding voice that says, “Hellooooooo, miss? You got a second?”

“Huh?” Youmu turns around but does not see anyone. But despite it only seeming like a split second, the sensation of holding something in her hand vanishes. She turns back to see Seija flying away, free from the rope.

“What?! Get back here!”

Seija pulls down her lower eyelid with her finger and sticks her tongue out tauntingly. “You did better than I expected, but you still couldn’t hold me for long! See ya!” she says. “And I think you have more pressing concerns than chasing me!”

“What do you mean?”

Seija points up as Yuugi falls to the ground hard, landing unconscious on her back. Shinmyoumaru flies down after her.

“Yuugi!” says Youmu as she rushes over to check on her.

“That was way too close! She might have won if that had gone on any longer, what was the hold-up?” the inchling asks.

“I’ll fill you in later,” says Seija. “As much as I’d love to watch, we need to get out of here. Got the stuff?”

Stuff?

“It’s all here!” Shinmyoumaru exclaims, holding up the bag with the recovered cheating tools.

I can’t let them get away with those!

The perception of time slows and Youmu hurtles towards Shinmyoumaru, launching danmaku at Seija to cover her approach. The latter barely dodges the assault, but Shinmyoumaru is not so lucky. As the inchling flies out of the way, Youmu manages to cut the bag holding the cheating tools open and they spill out. Before either of her opponents gets a chance to react, she makes a sharp downward turn. First she catches the Gap Folding Umbrella, followed by the Bloodthirsty Yin-Yang Orb. Seija, now recovered, flies down herself to try and grab the Nimble Fabric. Youmu attempts to charge at her, but Seija flips Youmu’s momentum. Just as it is within Seija’s range, Youmu throws Hakurouken and pins the fabric to Yuugi’s house out of anyone’s immediate reach. The last two falling tools, the Substitute Jizo and Replica Miracle Mallet, are taken by Youmu and Shinmyoumaru respectively.

“Seija, catch!” the inchling yells to her partner as she throws the mallet.

“Thanks! There’s nothing else for it, leave the rest behind. Let’s go!” Seija responds. The duo beats a hasty retreat.

No you don’t!

Youmu attempts to chase after them, even launching more bullets, but out of nowhere the disorienting sensation she felt at the cave entrance returns. Before she can get her bearings, Shinmyoumaru turns around holding a camera and shouts, “Smile!” The flash of the camera briefly blinds the half-phantom and all her bullets vanish.

Tengu’s Toy Camera…!

Her vision clears and the two are nowhere to be seen. “Dang it!” Youmu gripes in frustration.

Wait, Yuugi!

She rushes back to check on her companion. Despite her clothes and hair being slightly tattered in spots, Yuugi seems no worse for wear.

How in the world did they manage to knock her out? She doesn't even seem hurt. Was this the work of the third culprit? Can they forcibly make someone shut down like this? Or maybe she’s trapped in some kind of illusion? I escaped thanks to Hakurouken, so I could try using that on her!

Youmu retrieves Hakurouken and the Nimble Fabric from Yuugi’s house’s wall and uses the fabric as a makeshift sack to hold the other cheating tools. Repeating the action she did to Parsee, Youmu carefully makes a small cut on Yuugi’s arm. After a few moments, Yuugi’s upper body shoots up and she lets out a deafening roar.

“WAH!” a terrified Youmu yells, covering her ears.

Once the roar subsides, Yuugi slumps back over and turns her head towards Youmu. “Ugh… can ya get me a drink?”

Inside the living room, the ceiling is being supported by a makeshift tower of large, empty casks.

“So this third culprit made me see all those weird things? They can manipulate someone’s mind?” Yuugi asks as she downs her tenth shot of sake.

“That’s the most likely explanation, yes. I almost got trapped in one as well, but I was lucky enough to have the perfect countermeasure,” says Youmu, polishing Hakurouken with a white rag.

“Even still, it was more than just luck. You stayed rational even through what you saw and were able to create a solution. When everything started lookin’ weird for me, I couldn’t separate fake from reality.”

“That’s part of what I don’t get,” Youmu continues. “What could have happened to incapacitate you like that? What were you experiencing, exactly?”

Yuugi scratches the back of her head and says, “I was figthin’ Shin above the city and making steady progress when all of a sudden I began seein’ strange things. She vanished and the city was on fire. I didn’t know what was goin’ on. Almost like a bad dream, except I was wide awake. A part of me knew it didn’t make any sense but given how badly I saw red at the time I couldn’t think straight. It didn’t take long for me to exhaust my energy, which is unusual for an oni and especially me. When you cut me with that sword, everything cleared up and I felt the worst headache of my life.”

“Hmm,” Youmu muses, “I was distracted so I didn’t see what happened between you fighting Shin and falling down. Though all that happened in less than a minute, which doesn’t seem to match up with how much happened to you. Unless…”

“Unless what?”

“What I can only assume is the third culprit tapped on my shoulder and said something to me after I broke through their ability. But when I turned around, no one was there and Seija was not only somehow free but a good twenty paces away. It’s like there’s a pocket of time that was skipped, I don’t remember what happened at all.”

“It seems like they can mess with memory too, yeah? My guess is that it was longer than a minute, and during that time Shin unloaded her danmaku on me. Since it can’t kill, it probably wore down my body’s energy. Even an oni can only take so much punishment. My clothes and stuff looked all messed up afterwards, too, and I know didn’t get hit while I was fightin’ her. No idea what you were up to in the meanwhile, though.”

Not knowing what I was doing for an extended period is rather worrying.

“Wonder what would’ve happened if you didn’t have that sword,” Yuugi continues. “Would we have been stuck like that?”

“I doubt that I explicitly need to use Hakurouken to free someone. The youkai doing this would need to leave eventually, right? Once they do, it’s likely a matter of time until it wears off.” says Youmu. “If that’s correct, then using my sword only expedites the process.”

“Not a bad deduction. That would also explain why they left you alone at the river instead of sending that youkai to keep an eye on ya.”

“Exactly. So that way, if they were to commit this youkai to continuously keeping someone under, it could be both of us at once after we met up. Then all Seija and Shin would need to do is take care of Orin and Okuu on their own, assuming the Nuclear Furnace is their target. With the cheating tools and the element of surprise, it’d be easy. I bet they consider you a bigger threat than either of them since Satori’s gone.”

“That would make sense,” Yuugi says with a nod. “Seija getting captured was definitely calculated. She wanted to lure us into a false sense of security, make us upset, and then strike our minds when they were at their most vulnerable. That entire interrogation was a farce for her to set us up. It worked on me and almost did on you.”

“At the very least, it was a failsafe if we managed to beat her. I doubt she would want to get captured if she could avoid it,” says Youmu, sheathing Hakurouken now that her polishing is complete. “And I think Seija was switching places with this youkai while disguised, who in turn used their ability to make it sound like they were her. That would free up Seija to scout around more and sneak attack anyone if it came to that.”

“This duplicity really ticks me off. I’m sorry for losin’ my cool earlier and not heeding your warning, especially after all the times I told ya to calm down.”

“You kept your cool way longer than I did overall. I only was able to stay calm thanks to your advice and already being on the receiving end of Seija’s tricks multiple times earlier. Blaming ourselves is pointless, we need to go to the Palace of the Earth Spirits as soon as you’re ready.”

“Heh, Seija’s wrong about you. Ya got a good head on your shoulders and plenty of heart to see this through to the end,” says Yuugi with a raise of her dish. “Cheers.”

Youmu rubs the back of her head and looks away, embarrassed.

Hopefully she doesn’t see me around ghosts or dark places or Lady Yuyuko… 

“This also wasn’t a total loss. We managed to throw off Seija’s plans,” Yuugi continues. “Instead of havin’ all the cheating tools and neither of us to worry about, now she only has a few and both of us on her tail.”

“Though on the flip side, we still gotta worry about this third youkai. They know I can beat the manipulation now, so they’ll be targeting me. Do you have any idea who they could be? If it helps narrow it down at all, their voice sounded like a young girl.”

Crossing her arms to think, Yuugi spends a few moments contemplating. “It’s weird, it feels like I should know, yet I don’t. Something’s on the tip of my tongue…”

“What do you mean?” asks Youmu.

“The description of the abilities and voice is familiar, like I’ve heard of or even seen her before. But there’s no actual memory associated with it, if that makes sense.”

That matches what happened earlier. Who in the world are we dealing with here? How did Seija and Shin even approach her, let alone get her on their side? And I still don’t know why that message was on my arm.

The two sit in silence for some time before it is broken by Youmu’s phone ringing. “Hello? Lady Yuyuko?” she answers.

“Youmu! I’ve got some good news, I found a lead on that mask you mentioned,” says Yuyuko, jovial as ever. “Is Yuugi with you? She should hear this too. There’s a button on your phone that amplifies the volume of the person talking; Yukari called it putting the phone on ‘speaker’.”

Uhhhhh, this one?

Youmu pushes a button and places the phone on the table.

“So you’re Yuyuko? This is Yuugi Hoshiguma speaking,” says the oni.

“Ah, hello! I hope Youmu hasn’t caused you any trouble.”

“Quite the opposite, she’s been a huge help. You’re lucky to have her.”

“That’s wonderful to hear! I’m proud of you for making friends, Youmu!”

“L-lady Yuyuko, please, we need to discuss the issue at hand,” says a blushing Youmu.

“Yes, of course. Well, while I can’t say for sure without seeing it myself, based on what I’ve found out it’s likely the mask is Hata no Kokoro’s old Mask of Hope.”

“Kokoro? As in the one who was involved with the religious wars a while back? I remember hearing Reimu and Marisa go on about that during some of the shrine parties.”

“The very same.”

“Are ya sayin’ this Kokoro is the one helping Seija and Shin?” Yuugi asks.

“Oh, have you determined that Seija has two accomplices now?”

“Yes,” says Youmu. “Also, I’m sorry to say she got away. But we’ll fill you in on the details after you’re done.”

“Alright! It’s very unlikely Kokoro is helping Seija, she lost the mask during the religious wars and never got it back. Though, it would be more accurate to say the mask was stolen.”

“Stolen? By who?”

“Someone whose existence I was unaware of until Yukari and Reimu told me about her just a little bit ago: Satori Komeiji’s younger sister, Koishi Komeiji.”

Chapter Text

Yuyuko’s statement leaves the room in silence.

“Satori has a sister?” asks Youmu. “How did none of us know about this?”

Yuugi puts a hand to her chin and says, “That… that sounds right. Yeah, I’m sure of it! I’ve seen her a few times before, though it was usually when I was goin’ to see Satori so we barely said a word to each other.”

“Koishi is a satori, like her sister,” says Yuyuko. “However, she’s closed her Third Eye, which effectively sealed away her conscious mind. She can’t read others’ thoughts, but most who meet her forget her once she leaves their field of vision. Outside of being told about her by a third party like this, repeated meaningful interactions can cause her to stick around in your memory. That’s how Reimu and Yukari know about her, as do a handful of others. She was apparently involved in the religious wars, on top of the urban legend and perfect possession incidents.”

“How can someone that doesn’t have access to her conscious mind even function? That doesn’t make any sense,” says Youmu.

“Remember that only her conscious mind is sealed away; her unconscious mind is still there to guide her actions. From what I understand, this means she is entirely controlled by her desires and impulses. Aspects of her personality, beliefs, and morals are still there to an extent, but are channeled in an odd way,” Yuyuko explains.

“I sort of get it, but why did she close her Third Eye to begin with?”

“That’s a question for either Satori or Koishi herself. And I should clarify that you don’t simply see and forget her; she has to allow herself to be seen to begin with. Obviously in order to directly influence others physically, she’s borderline required to let this happen. It wouldn’t be hard to figure out that someone was affecting your environment if things were randomly changing.”

This is hard to wrap my head around.

“That’s all well and good, but how does she mess with our heads?” asks Yuugi.

Yuyuko continues, “By the same token she can control if people see her, she’s able to manipulate the unconscious minds of others. To what extent, I’m unsure. The ability appears to come with the territory of closing her Third Eye based on Yukari’s explanation.”

“Your deduction of her ability was right on the money, Youmu,” says Yuugi. “Not bad.”

“Oh, so you already figured that part out? That’s my girl!” cheers Yuyuko, sharing a hearty laugh with Yuugi.

Must she embarrass me at every turn…?

“Ahem,” Youmu clears her throat, “at least we know exactly what we’re up against now. That only leaves why Koishi is cooperating with Seija and Shin. Also, did you get any leads on Satori’s whereabouts?

“Sadly, none. Yuugi’s account seems to be the last time anyone saw her. I even asked Yukari to see if Aya’s tengu information network had anything, but nothing turned up,” says Yuyuko.

“Out of curiosity, just how involved are Yukari and Reimu at this stage?” Youmu asks.

“Yukari’s the one who asked Reimu if Seija had been seen recently, leading to her telling us about the village sighting, and it was with the two of them that we were able to piece together Koishi’s involvement. I was speaking with them just before calling you, in fact. Since Reimu knows you’re on Seija’s tail, she’s currently heading to Moriya Shrine with Marisa to see if anyone’s been accessing the Underground Geyser Center as a shortcut to the Nuclear Furnace. Yukari’s continuing her hunt for Satori.”

Yuugi stretches her arms above her head. “Lotta people gettin’ involved now. Good to have numbers on our side. But don’t y’all think Satori’s disappearance has to be related to this? She leaves around the same time someone spots Seija, who hadn’t been seen since the fireworks festival, and now Satori’s sister is workin’ with her?”

“Are you suggesting Seija kidnapped Satori and is blackmailing Koishi?” asks Youmu.

“Nah, Satori of all people ain’t fallin’ for some dumb trick Seija might come up with. I could maybe buy her manipulatin’ Koishi, though I dunno how anyone could do that given her condition. To be honest, I have no idea how this fits together. We’re still missin’ too much info. But it’s too big a coincidence for it to be unrelated, so I guess we’ll have to force it out of Seija.”

“Right. Oh, and Lady Yuyuko, here’s what happened since our last call…”

While Youmu explains the events following Seija’s initial capture, Yuugi goes to change out of her tattered clothes. She returns a few minutes later in a somewhat loose fitting light-blue kimono. A gourd of sake is tied to her belt at the waist and she holds her trademark Hoshiguma Dish.

“That doesn’t seem the most practical for fighting,” says Youmu after giving the oni a once over.

“You’d be surprised how easily I can move in it. Don’t worry, they ain’t gettin’ the better of me a second time. About ready to shove off?”

“I believe I’ve covered everything. Do you have any other questions, milady?”

“Nope!” says Yuyuko cheerfully. “Best of luck you two! And Yuugi, I hope it’s not a bother to keep an eye on Youmu a bit longer.”

“No problem. We’ve got each other’s backs, right?” Yuugi says, aiming a grin at Youmu.

The half-phantom smiles back and replies, “Exactly. We will stop whatever Seija’s planning.

The numerous dim lights of the Former Capital fade from sight behind Youmu and Yuugi as they fly over the path to the Palace of the Earth Spirits.

“At this pace it shouldn’t take more than about fifteen minutes until we arrive. I’m sure Seija and Shin had to take some time to regroup and alter their plan a bit after you messed them up, so I doubt they’ve overrun the place yet,” says Yuugi. “Orin and Okuu likely won’t take an attack lyin’ down either. In a fair fight, they have a very strong chance.”

“But even though we have some of Seija’s cheating tools, there are nearly as many we don’t. I don’t like the idea of bringing the ones we have right back to her, but if we left them alone then Seija and Shin could easily double back and recover them. And with Koishi’s help, they might not even need the tools.”

After the bag fell into Shinmyoumaru’s hands before, the duo decided to split the tools they have between them before leaving. Youmu has the Nimble Fabric tied around her torso like a sack which contains the Gap Folding Umbrella and Four-Foot Magic Bomb, the latter of which was never recovered by Seija and Shin in the chaos of their last encounter. Attached to Yuugi’s belt near the gourd are the Bloodthirsty Yin-Yang Orb and Substitute Jizo.

We have five, they have four. Of those remaining four, the only one I’ve yet to see them use is the Cursed Decoy Doll. I know we can match them in a straight fight and use these tools if it comes down to it, the only problem is Koishi. Now that we’re aware of her existence and Yuugi explained to me what she looks like, it shouldn’t be impossible to watch out for her. But her abilities are incredibly dangerous. Pure force might not be enough and if I lose Hakurouken then that could be it-

“Yo, Youmu.”

Youmu snaps out of her thoughts. “Huh?”

“I know Seija’s words shook you, but you don’t need to overthink everything. You’ve already proven that you’re more than capable of usin’ your head, but make sure not to neglect your instincts either. Hesitation will cost ya.”

“Is my thought process that obvious?”

“You and I are pretty similar in a lot of ways. We both like to charge right into stuff and hate cheap tricks. That doesn’t make us stupid, we just have a preferred way of fighting. You’re real sharp when you wanna be, so don’t lose confidence.”

“Thanks. I really can’t state enough how much of a help you’ve been.”

“Likewise, but we can save it for after we actually get those two pests out of here once and for all.” Yuugi stops, holds out her fist, and says, “So let’s do this, yeah?”

Meeting the oni’s fist with her own, Youmu says, “Right!”

That’s the second time she’s encouraged me in the past half hour. I’ll prove that her faith isn’t misplaced.

They continue their flight with renewed resolve, reaching the palace earlier than expected. Upon a cursory glance, they see no signs of anything out of the ordinary. Once the two land at the front door, the sheer size of the building becomes clear to Youmu.

“Whoa, I was expecting it to be huge, but this place is gigantic. Only four youkai live here?” the gardener asks.

“There are other pets here and you’ve got the odd spirit roamin’ round the place,” Yuugi responds. “But yeah, kind of barren inside. Long hallways with dozens of rooms everywhere. They have a garden near the back, too. We can only hope Orin’s here and not off cartin’ corpses to the Furnace.”

A shiver goes down Youmu’s spine. “C-CORPSES?! Why is she carting corpses?!”

“I told ya before how she’s the one who brings fuel to the Furnace, right? That fuel is corpses.”

“Why that of all things?!”

“Don’t tell me that freaks you out. You’re half-phantom yourself and your boss is a ghost.”

“That doesn’t make it any better!”

“Heh, a half-phantom scared of spirits and dead things. Guess it takes all sorts. Well don’t worry, she keeps a cover on the cart so you won’t need to see ‘em.”

Ugh…

“L-let’s just go inside already!” says Youmu, shoving the entrance open. Not even a moment after her foot is through the door, a danmaku bullet lands an inch away from Youmu. “Wah! Who did that?!”

No one responds. She and Yuugi finish entering and look around the entrance chamber until they see a small black cat jump down from a bannister. It seemingly examines the two before turning into a girl in a black dress. Her hair is a fiery red styled into twin braids with a black ribbon on each; black cat ears adorn the top of her head. Underneath her red eyes are lines indicating she has gotten very little rest recently.

“What would you do if someone barged into your home unannounced?” she says.

“Sorry ‘bout that, Orin,” says Yuugi. “We’re kinda in a rush and weren’t sure if you were home.”

“It’s fine, I guess I’m a bit jumpy. Sorry for ambushing you, uh, Youmu, right?” Orin asks. “It’s been a while.”

“Yes, it has. My full name is Youmu Kon-”

“Save the long spiels for later,” Yuugi cuts her off. “Lemme cut to the chase: have Seija Kijin or Shinmyoumaru Sukuna come here recently? They’ve been causin’ a lot of trouble in the Former Capital and we believe the Nuclear Furnace is their target.”

“Those are the two who caused all the chaos at the fireworks festival, right? I haven’t seen them here at all. What’s going on?” Orin asks.

“We’re not entirely sure what their goal is, but they’ve attacked us multiple times and there isn’t anything in Former Hell worth going after besides the Nuclear Furnace,” explains Youmu. “Seija always wants to ‘overturn society’ or something, so it could be that sabotaging the Furnace is part of that.”

Orin puts a hand to her face and rubs her eyes. “Perfect, Mistress Satori is gone and those two choose now to mess with us.”

“You doin’ alright?” Yuugi asks. “You seem exhausted and you’re normally way cheerier.”

“You know I have to oversee milady’s duties while she’s out. I’d do anything to help her, but I underestimated just how many things she has to keep tabs on. Between that, my normal job, and keeping an extra close eye on Okuu, it’s been hard.”

She must be spread really thin.

“I hate to be the one to tell you this, but Satori’s flat-out vanished,” says Yuugi. “We’ve gotten in contact with some people above ground and no one’s seen her.”

“Oh… oh no. I was afraid that might be the case but I didn’t dare believe…!” Orin plops to the floor and stares down.

“H-hey, it’ll be alright,” Youmu says reassuringly, going down on one knee to meet the distraught girl’s face. “There are currently people still searching for her, I’m certain she’ll be found soon.”

“Really?” says Orin, looking up. “I’m glad to hear that. It’s just been hard. She left with barely a word, only ordering me to keep watch on things. It’s so rare for her to leave, and for this long…”

I can sympathize. If something happened to Lady Yuyuko, I don’t know how I’d react. But in this state, if we told her Seija might have something to do with Satori’s disappearance, it could be too much.

“Wait, you said they’re targeting the Furnace? Does that mean Okuu’s in danger?!”

“Calm down. If you haven’t seen them, then it’s pretty unlikely they’ve reached her,” says Yuugi.

“You’re right. I’m sorry, I guess I was more stressed out than I thought. Beyond saying hi to Okuu when dropping off fuel, this is the first real conversation I’ve had since Satori left. Normally I talk to the recently deceased spirits, but I didn’t have time.”

“It would be best if you got rest soon. But before that, we have an important question for you: do you know where Koishi is? When was the last time you saw her?” Youmu asks.

“I’m surprised you know about her. I haven’t seen her in over a week, but she regularly takes leave of the palace and returns after a while. Since she doesn’t have a job here, her presence doesn’t affect my work much. Mistress Satori is fully aware of her sister’s habits, so it would be odd for her to suddenly go after Mistress Koishi now if that’s what you’re suggesting.”

“Well, we believe Koishi is working with Seija and Shin. We have no idea why. And…”

“And what?”

Yuugi sighs before saying, “I’m sorry for being the bearer of more bad news, but our current guess is that Satori’s disappearance, Seija’s plot, and Koishi’s actions are all connected.”

Orin shoots to her feet faster than Youmu’s eye can track. “If Seija did something to either mistress or plans to do something to Okuu, she’d be wise not to come near me. I’ll help you any way I can.”

I underestimated her strength of will. All the weakness and fatigue she was showing earlier vanished. Few things are as powerful as an angered loved one.

“Thanks, but don’t push yourself,” Yuugi warns. “Seija thrives off getting us too angry to think straight.”

“After everything you just told me, my mind feels the clearest it’s been in days. But I appreciate the warning,” says Orin with a bow. “So what’s the plan? It sounds like our job is to stop Seija while your contacts look for Satori, right?”

“That’s the gist. Our biggest obstacle is Koishi. Youmu’s sword can cut through her power, but you and I don’t have it so lucky. We need to stick together if possible.”

“Mistress Koishi wouldn’t attack me, I’m certain,” Orin insists.

“And would you have said before you’re certain she wouldn’t help someone like Seija?” Youmu retorts.

“There has to be some kind of trick or foul play going on. Her mind works in mysterious ways, sure, but she still has loyalty and affection for Mistress Satori and everyone else here.”

“If that’s what’s going on, then doesn’t that mean her normal behavior might not apply?”

Orin grits her teeth, unable to refute the possibility.

“Let’s get to the heart of the issue and go see Okuu,” Yuugi interjects. “Tellin’ her what’s goin’ on should help and will let us guard the Furnace directly. Thanks to our friends up top, time is on our side if Seija tries to wait us out. She has to act soon if she wants any chance of success.”

“Assuming they didn’t sneak by already,” says Youmu.

“Then let’s hurry over there,” says Orin. “Follow me and try to keep up.”

All three take off flying down the central hallway, none of them noticing the front door cracking open as they leave.

After passing through the garden and back exit of the palace, the trio take a cave passageway down. The trip takes some time, with the progress of their descent corresponding with an increase in heat.

I guess I should have expected a place called the ‘Nuclear Furnace’ to be hot, but this is ridiculous.

“We’ll soon be in the Remains of Blazing Hell. This is where the worst of the departed spirits went back when Former Hell was plain ol’ Hell,” says Orin. “There are still plenty around, so be on the lookout.”

“Uh, you might wanna cool it on mentionin’ spirits around Youmu,” Yuugi advises.

“Huh? What do you-” One look at Youmu’s terrified face is all the answer Orin needs. “Right, sorry. Anyway, we’ll be there soon. An oni and half-phantom should be able to withstand the heat just fine, obviously touching magma is a bad idea.”

And of course there’s actual magma. Why wouldn’t there be? This place sounds worse by the second.

Youmu soldiers on despite herself.

This has become much bigger than a weird message on my arm, though I still can’t figure that part out. Koishi might have been responsible for it, but even if that’s true I can’t fathom a reason why. Nothing about this is related to me, I was dragged into it. However, racking my brain won’t help at this stage. We can find out by asking Seija directly when we catch her, like Yuugi said.

“We’re just about there,” says Orin.

The light at the end of the tunnel grows until they pass through and feel immense heat bearing down on them. Seas of molten magma cover as far as they can see, almost too bright to look at directly. Patches of rock sticking out of the magma are scattered about and many spirits roam the large space between that and the cave ceiling.

“It won’t be long until we reach the Furn-” Orin’s cat ears twitch a moment before she flies up and out of the way of a danmaku volley. Youmu and Yuugi turn towards the entrance they came through and see Seija and Shinmyoumaru slowly fly out, each with a mallet in hand. Seija has a bag tied around her torso in the same fashion as Youmu, which the latter assumes is holding the remaining cheating tools.

“Getting through the palace would be annoying with Orin all over us, so thanks for taking care of that,” says Seija. “We could have taken her, but you would have gotten there before we were done. Fighting the two of you immediately afterwards didn’t sound like a great idea.”

“Must be real confident if you’re waltzing up to us and telling us your plan,” says Youmu, swords drawn. “So what now? I doubt this is any better than fighting us in sequence.”

She has some trick up her sleeve, fighting fairly isn’t in her nature.

“Wouldn’t you like to-” Before Seija finishes talking, Orin pounces on her from above in cat form. “Gah! Stupid cat!” yells the amanojaku, flailing under the sudden assault.

An opening!

Having the same idea, Youmu and Yuugi simultaneously charge. Shinmyoumaru pulls out Tengu’s Toy Camera and blinds them before they get too close.

“Grr!” Yuugi growls while rubbing her eyes.

As Youmu tries to restore her vision, she feels a firm slap on her back where the Nimble Fabric holds the tools.

You’re not getting them back that easily!

She performs a spin slash to ward off anyone nearby, taking care not to hit Yuugi.

“Whoa, watch where you swing those things,” Youmu hears the inchling say.

Her vision clears up just in time to see Seija throw Orin off, the latter narrowly dodging a swing of the Replica Miracle Mallet.

Turning back into her human form, Orin says, “Did you do something to Mistress Satori? Answer me!”

“The kitty is feisty! I’ll commend the practicality of that attack,” says Seija as she fixes her disheveled hair.

“Are you even capable of giving a straight answer?” Youmu says, pointing Roukanken at her.

“Sure I am. But who trusts what amanojaku say anyway?” 

“Talking to you’s a waste of time!” Orin yells. “Cat Sign - Vengeful-”

“You’re fighting me instead of checking on Okuu? How sad,” Seija says with a voice dripping with false sorrow. “Here I thought you cared about her. Who knows what kind of horrible visions Koishi is making her see?”

Orin’s stops calling her spell card as her face is painted by worry. She immediately does an about face and races away to the Nuclear Furnace.

Yuugi calls out, “Orin, no! Seija’s tricking you!”

“I don’t care, I can’t risk that!” she says before going out of earshot.

Shoot!

“That was low even for you,” says Youmu.

“Who said I was tricking her? Aren’t you the one who figured out we have a third youkai on our side? You even heard her earlier!” Seija responds. “I’m sure you told the cat all about your theories on what we’re up to, putting all kinds of frightening ideas in her head. Coupling that with a week of worry and exhaustion, expecting rational decisions is a bit unfair. You’re pretty heartless, ghosty.”

“We played right into your hands, huh?” says Yuugi.

“Yep!” Shinmyoumaru chimes in. “After Youmu used that sword to undo the illusion, I wasn’t sure what we’d do. But Seija was able to guess your next course of action to a tee. Now all that’s left are the fireworks!”

“Fireworks?” Youmu echoes back.

“You don’t think we just forgot about the Four-Foot Magic Bomb, do you?”

What does she- That slap on my back!

“That look on your face tells me you figured it out,” says Seija. “Too little, too late.”

There is no time for Youmu to undo the Nimble Fabric before an explosion blasts her upwards. Due to the fabric’s nearly indestructible nature, the actual blast does not escape to hit her, but the sudden force and whiplash is nearly enough to knock her out.

Ugh… I… Seija… 

“Youmu!” yells Yuugi. “Seija, you coward!”

“That one was Shin’s idea, actually. That nonsense about not knowing what to do after Youmu escaped the illusion was a lie to stall for time. Now we didn’t think either of you would , but it pays to prepare for the unexpected. After all, neither of you would be stupid enough to leave my tools unattended, right? Couldn’t have come up with something better myself,” Seija says full of pride.

“Hey, this is an equal partnership and I gotta pull my weight,” says Shinmyoumaru, puffing out her chest. “Wouldn’t do for you to have all the good ideas.”

Yuugi clenches her fists. “You two have ticked me off for the last time. To Hell with your tricks!”

Still shaken from the blast, Youmu floats near the ceiling and looks down at the other three.

Yuugi’s gonna… do something drastic. I… gotta… help her. C’mon stupid body…! MOVE!

Time once again seems to slow down as Youmu forces herself to pour all her concentration into a single attack and shouts, “Human Oni - Slash of the Eternal Future!”

In almost the exact same motion she used against the hooded figure when first arriving in the Underworld, Youmu rockets forth with speed exceeding even that attack. Yuugi, Seija, and Shinmyoumaru do not realize what is happening until Youmu crashes into the latter two with both of her swords, sending them all into a nearby rock formation and nearly destroying it. Once the dust settles, none of them are moving. Shinmyoumaru’s bowl is shattered and both she and Seija have dropped their mallets. However, they each have a hand on the Ghostly Send-Off Lantern, which faintly glows without anyone noticing due to the light from the magma.

“What just-? Youmu!” says Yuugi, rushing to check on her companion.

Youmu tilts her head up and manages to say, “Did… did I get ‘em?”

Yuugi helps her to her feet before saying, “Yeah, yeah you did. That was a stupid stunt you pulled, could’ve ended with all three of ya taking a magma bath.”

“If there’s one thing I’m good at, it’s using these swords,” the half-phantom says as her head clears. “I knew exactly where we’d land.”

“Could’ve sworn you were down for the count after that bomb went off.”

“The perks of not being entirely human mean I’m not as fragile as one. Helps me bounce back quicker. A normal human’s skin would burn on contact with the surface of this rock due to its proximity to the magma.”

My clothes have some charred patches on them now, but I feel surprisingly fine. In fact, I don’t feel as hurt as I should after a crash like that, almost like-

“Now that… I honestly didn’t see coming!” roars a strained voice behind them.

Seija stands up, her mallet and lantern in each hand. Shinmyoumaru follows suit. Both are battered with charred spots on their clothes like Youmu's but still have the strength to continue.

So they pulled out the lantern before the final impact and it also affected me since I was in physical contact with them? That mitigated some of the damage we all took.

“Don’t you two know when to give up? In your state you’re no match for me,” says Yuugi.

Instead of a witty quip, Shinmyoumaru pulls out the camera once more and blinds them in a flash. Seija flips Yuugi’s relative gravity before she and her partner smash the oni back with their mallets. They follow up with hard and fast lines of danmaku without a moment’s delay. Yuugi takes the full impact of the first attack and only barely manages to block the second. Their focus on her leaves Youmu unscathed.

That’s the most aggressive attack from them I’ve ever seen! And surprisingly coordinated. They’re like cornered rats, I need to help Yuugi.

Youmu’s first step is wobbly but she finds her footing and takes off flying.

“You’re not getting in the way this time!” says Seija, seeing Youmu’s approach. She pulls a small doll with a red outfit and matching ribbon out of her bag and throws it in the opposite direction of Yuugi.

The Cursed Decoy Doll! This feeling, I-I have to attack it!

The doll holds Youmu’s attention as she fires bullet after bullet at it before slashing it in twain with Roukanken; though it magically reforms afterwards, the entrancing effect vanishes after the slash.

Gah, that thing makes me only see red. I should grab it before-

Her thoughts are interrupted as she sees up become down and vice versa. “What the- Seija!”

Right on cue, the amanojaku swoops in to grab the doll. “I know better than anyone how long that thing tends to last, you really thought I’d let you take it?” she says.

Her attention’s on me at least, how’s Yuugi doing?

Despite the inverted vision, Youmu makes out Yuugi sending her own danmaku at Shinmyoumaru. The tag-team assault on the oni did damage, but she is far from defeated.

Good, we’re still in this. Keeping these two separated is for the best, their teamwork is uncanny. I need to distract Seija and draw her away while I still have the stamina for it.

“So what? You’re gonna muscle through us?” asks Youmu. “That’s failed every time you’ve tried up to now.”

“If there’s one thing about this whole deal that’s constantly annoyed me, it’s how stubborn you are,” says Seija, dropping the fake congeniality. “You’re just a naïve gardener yet you manage to find a way to circumvent my expectations at every turn. I planned around most of that, but I didn’t anticipate actually needing to use all my backup plans. I truly believed the biggest hurdle would be Yuugi, but congrats, you’ve proven me wrong. You arriving down here was incredibly bad timing.”

That phrasing… 

“Wait, you’re the one who dragged me into this to begin with. You sent Koishi to alter my memories so I’d leave a message on my arm and come down here, right?” 

“Gonna be honest, every time you mention this ‘message’ it confuses me. I stayed quiet up to now cause I figured the uncertainty would keep you off-balance, but I didn’t send her to do anything of the sort.”

What?!

“You ambushed me at the cave entrance the moment I arrived!” Youmu retorts with a point of her swords. “There’s no way you didn’t know I was coming!”

“Ambush…?” says Seija, scratching the back of her head. “You mean at the bridge? I remember you saying something along the lines of ‘that’s what happened to me’ to the fake Kisume after she fed you that fake story, but I thought you were lying to gain her trust.”

What the heck is going on here? Her reaction seems genuine.

“Something’s not right,” Seija says to herself. “I don’t intend on failing when I’m so close, so let’s cut this chat short. Shin, now!”

Youmu immediately turns around to defend, but no attack comes.

Huh? Nothing?

She feels a danmaku bullet hit the knot she tied to keep the Nimble Fabric in place on her back, causing its contents to spill out. The fabric itself remains on Youmu.

“Yep, still naïve. C’mon, that’s the oldest trick in the book!” says Seija as she flies down to grab the Gap Folding Umbrella and Four-Foot Magic Bomb.

“You…!” Youmu stammers.

“Yo Shin, she fell for it! Think you can hold out a little while longer? I got the bomb and umbrella back!” Seija shouts to her partner.

“Why am I the one stuck fighting the angry oni?!” the inchling shouts back, narrowly dodging Yuugi’s bullets.

“I’ll fight the big one when it’s your plan! I’m headed out, good luck!”

“Fiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiine.”

They’re willingly splitting up?

Between attacks, Yuugi yells, “Youmu, I’ve got Shin, stay on Seija!”

“Understood!” says Youmu.

“You big types are all the same, picking on someone smaller than you!” Shinmyoumaru says before launching another storm.

“Oh please, you picked this fight so you’re gonna have to finish it! Let’s see if you have the strength to back up your threats or if you really are just a cowardly weakling!” says Yuugi, responding with more danmaku of her own.

“Danmaku is all about power and excitement! I don’t care if you’re part of some big four or whatever, I’ll show you what happens when you judge someone on size alone!”

The battle between big and small rages over the fires of Former Hell. Seija flies off towards the Nuclear Furnace, Youmu in hot pursuit. 

Orin left for there a while ago and Koishi’s likely there as well, not to mention Okuu. I have no idea what’s happening inside, I can only hope they’re alright. But if it wasn’t Seija and Koishi, who was behind the message?

Chapter Text

Since when was Seija this fast?! I can barely keep up!

As they race to Nuclear Furnace, it takes all of Youmu’s effort to keep pace with her opponent.

I know she has the Replica Miracle Mallet, Cursed Decoy Doll, Four-Foot Magic Bomb, and Gap Folding Umbrella. None of those boost speed, though-

Her train of thought is interrupted as they reach a cave passage similar to the one they used to enter the Remains of Blazing Hell earlier. Seija keeps moving through without a moment’s hesitation, causing Youmu to follow suit.

Another cave? Just how deep underground are we at this point…?

Unlike the last passageway, this one is rather short. After roughly a minute of going down a straight decline, the rock abruptly ends as it reaches a metallic structure.

Here we go.

Seija enters with Youmu right behind. The room in front of them is gigantic; a series of walkways sits above the magma flowing a few dozen meters below. A blood red light emanates from the top of the tall room where more elevated platforms are.

Is that light the core?

Looking ahead, Youmu sees a youkai with black hair clutching her head. She wears a white-collared shirt with a large red eye-like protrusion on her chest along with a green skirt. Congealed matter covers her right foot up past her ankle while her left foot has a normal shoe and an atom-like structure swirling around the ankle; both legs have black socks that nearly reach her knees. Her right arm has a long metal rod on it starting from the elbow. On her back are huge black wings covered by a cape that is white on the outside and has a starry pattern on the inside. She is on one knee clutching her head with her left hand, while Orin, visibly distraught, attempts to console her.

That must be Okuu. Something’s wrong with her. Did Koishi do this?

Once Youmu looks away, she realizes that Seija has already begun moving to the Furnace’s core.

“Seija!” Youmu calls out, flying after her. “What are you going to do?”

Seija turns around and says, “I’d tell you to sit quietly and watch, but I know you won’t. Koishi! I think it’s time for your sister’s pet to have some fun!”

Glancing back to Okuu and Orin, Youmu makes out a figure next to them wearing a black hat, yellow shirt, and green skirt. A bluish-purple cord wraps around her.

“Mistress Koishi!” yells Orin. “What’s going on? Why are you doing this?!”

“Sorry, Orin, hope you’ll forgive me!” the girl responds, her light-hearted tone betraying the situation. She looks at Okuu and then backs away. The hell raven pushes Orin off before spreading her wings and soaring straight up next to Youmu.

“You’re Okuu, right? Listen to me! Whatever you’re seeing, it isn’t real!” says Youmu. “Please don’t make me fight you! Seija is the one responsible for all of this!”

Okuu looks at Youmu with a blank expression, remaining silent. She raises her left arm and points upwards, where a small black sphere manifests above her, and calmly says, “Atomic Fire - Uncontainable Nuclear Reaction.” Bright red light envelops her, creating humongous spheres of energy and heat that move away from her in a circular motion. Hundreds of smaller, faster blue orbs shoot out of the center.

Shoot!

Youmu quickly identifies a safe zone between red spheres and dodges or cuts through any blue ones that get close. Each blitz is accompanied by a shockwave that pushes her back.

Never mind getting close to her with Roukanken, I can barely even see her with how bright it is! And this heat is insane!

Right as the spell card ends does Okuu immediately fly around the Furnace, throwing out lines of white danmaku that make it impossible to approach. Orin scurries around the floor, evading the stray shots.

At this rate I won’t get anywhere! If this were a normal battle I could outlast her but I don’t have the time for that. There must be something I can do!

“Orin! Seija’s heading to the core, stall her until I get there!” yells Youmu.

“But I can’t leave Okuu!”

“You can’t do anything to help her in this state, only I can! I promise to save her, so please!”

“F-fine! I’m holding you to that!”

Taking advantage of a slight lull between waves, Orin zips by Okuu’s attacks to go after Seija.

I feel bad sending her away, but that should at least buy me a bit more time.

“Explosion Sign - Peta Flare,” says Okuu. The red and blue spheres from before reappear, this time much faster and directly aimed at Youmu. They collapse quickly, however, and the spell card is shorter than the last one, so she is able to dodge with relative ease.

You aren’t catching me of all people off-guard with a high-power burst attack. Despite how wild the danmaku is, her movements feel controlled and her spell card calls have been calm. She’s definitely not acting like she’s seeing a confusing or scary image. Did Koishi put her in some kind of pure survival mode? 

Okuu summons more white orbs, blanketing almost the entire room with a curving criss-cross pattern.

This is my chance!

Between shots, Youmu steadily approaches and uses gaps to stay safe. But just as the third one ends, the red energy surrounding Okuu returns and forces the half-phantom back.

Dang it, I was so close! But I’m seeing how her fighting style works. After every big big attack, her cool downs are designed to maintain the distance between us. Combined with her spell cards already making getting close impossible, she’s almost perfectly crafted a method of keeping my sword from finding its mark. It’s not flawless, though; I should be able to punch through if I have some cover. When her next spell card ends, that’s my chance.

“Blazing Star - Ten Evil Stars.” This time the huge red stars circle around Okuu in two layers, with Youmu between them. The blue bullets are spread out as a simple but effective room-wide field, hindering Youmu’s movement further.

Her danmaku definitely favors being overwhelming as opposed to tricky. Well, that just makes my job easier!

Once the latest spell card ends, Okuu repeats her earlier cool down of flying all over the room and laying covering fire.

Yes! If she’s doing this again, then my opportunity is… now!

Youmu charges towards the spot she believes Okuu will end up, using her own danmaku to help approach. Like clockwork, the hell raven stops there, but now she summons previously unseen yellow bullets that come out of her in all directions. Youmu is too close to escape in time.

Whoa!

Just as the attack appears to make contact, Youmu raises Hakurouken and yells, “Voidness Sword - Slash Clearing the Six Senses!” With ludicrous speed and precision, every last bullet that gets near the gardener is sliced to pieces. Okuu backs off before Youmu gets a chance to hit her directly, but the bullets the latter produced earlier still manage to hit and slow her down. The damage seems to affect Okuu’s mental state, as she shows a semblance of emotion for the first time since the fight began, specifically crazed enjoyment.

“My nuclear fusion will consume everything! Hell’s Tokamak!”

What the-?! Where is this coming from?! Did my attack weaken Koishi’s hold on her?

Huge red orbs of heat manifest at the top and bottom of the room, with Okuu entering the former. Each sends out arcs of smaller red bullets. Youmu’s already mildly charred clothes catch sparks at the fringes while she floats in the gap between the mini stars, causing her skin discomfort.

This is becoming absurd! How did Reimu and Marisa even survive this temperature? I swear it’s gotten even hotter in here!

She endures the assault and prepares to counterattack, however, immediately upon the end of Hell’s Tokamak, Okuu screams, “Subterranean Sun!”

Two in a row?!

Okuu flies to the center of the room and a sphere of fire encompasses her. All over the Furnace spawn red orbs that, for a moment, sit still. The small sun around Okuu then acts like the real thing, drawing everything in the room towards it with a gravitational pull, including Youmu.

If I get too close to her in that state I’m finished! But… but maybe this is the opportunity I’ve been waiting for!

Youmu allows herself to be pulled in by the gravity, weaving around the bullets near her. As she gets closer, the heat is almost too much to bear.

Survive just a little longer…!

The spell card finally dissipates and Okuu floats motionlessly, recovering from her attack. There is only a meter between her and Youmu.

Now!

She rushes with Hakurouken, but senses that something is wrong before Okuu softly whispers, “Abyss Nova.” It happens in an instant, pure nuclear energy shines from within Okuu for a final explosion of raw power. Youmu’s concentration kicks into high gear and causes the world to slow to a crawl, but she does not have the time left to counter with a spell card.

I only have one option!

Youmu wraps herself with the Nimble Fabric on her back and remains completely still. Okuu’s blast shakes the entire Nuclear Furnace but eventually passes. Emerging from the fabric, Youmu sees Okuu lying on the ground, barely keeping her eyes open.

“I’m sorry it went this way,” the gardener says, doing her best to comfort her opponent. “You should take a long rest for now.”

A small cut with Hakurouken right above the control rod on her arm is all it takes to knock Okuu out cold. The hell raven reverts to her avian form.

Didn’t even show signs of pain, she was completely spent by the end. Now I have to join Orin-

Youmu drops her swords as she falls to one knee, panting and utterly exhausted. Her hair is ragged, her ribbon and clothes burnt, her skin slightly bruised and also burnt in various spots. As is the nature of danmaku, none of her injuries are permanent, but she is nearing her limit.

Dang it… I haven’t had a chance to breathe since that bomb blasted me. And I can feel all the hits I’ve taken since coming down here adding up. I was able to push aside the fatigue up to now, but defeating Okuu required much of my remaining strength. Can I call Lady Yuyuko for backup?

Youmu goes to grab her phone off her skirt only to find it missing.

You’ve gotta be kidding me! When did I lose it? When the bomb went off? When I landed the attack on Seija and Shin? Not that it matters now, I’m on my own.

She attempts to rise but dizziness prevents it. Her legs are lead underneath her.

I can’t let Seija win! Not after all of this!

Slamming her fist into the ground, Youmu commands to herself, “Stand. Up.” The gardener tries again and, using pure will power, grabs her swords and forces herself to her feet. Finding her balance, she shakily flies up to the core, hearing spell card shouts in the distance.

Orin’s still fighting back. I need to help her!

The sight that greets Youmu upon arrival to the top platform is less than ideal. Orin is breathing heavily while Seija lazily floats upside down, holding the Replica Miracle Mallet.

“Youmu!” says Orin, noticing her ally. “Is Okuu safe?”

“Taking a nap, but yes,” Youmu responds. “She’ll be fine.”

The relief on Orin’s face is palpable.

“Aw, you beat birdbrain?” says Seija. “I had a bet with Shin that you’d lose if it came to that, guess I’m making dinner next time.”

“You have nowhere left to run, Seija! Give it up!” demands Youmu.

“So you say, but by the looks of things Okuu really did a number on you. If I had to guess, you’re running on fumes.”

Youmu grits her teeth.

“That cat over there really did her best to stop me, but with my tools she never stood a chance,” Seija continues. “Even if both of you come at me now, do you really think you can win?”

This isn’t good. As I am, I can continue fighting for a few minutes at best; Seija has an absolute advantage. Unless Yuugi shows up soon, assuming things went well with Shin, our chances of winning are slim. Plus Koishi could pounce on us at any moment.

“You don’t think you can actually destroy the Nuclear Furnace, do you?” asks Orin.

Youmu says, “It’s not like your bomb would be enough.”

“Destroy? No. Damage to a point of causing a long-term hindrance for everyone who uses it? Definitely,” says Seija. “It will incite panic among the residents of Youkai Mountain and the Underworld, which in turn should make waves in the rest of Gensokyo. And I’ll have the satisfaction of knowing I was the one responsible for the chaos!”

So it all comes back to her desire to disrupt society.

“Now then, Koishi, you mind putting these two under?” Seija calls out.

Out of nowhere, the younger Komeiji waltzes out from behind Youmu and Orin.

“What deal did you make to get Mistress Koishi to betray us?” asks Orin.

“I’m not betraying anyone!” Koishi objects. “Seija just said she’d grant my wish if we played around some.”

‘Played around’? Does she not grasp the situation?

“Since when can Seija grant wishes?” Youmu asks.

“Well, it ain’t me granting them, but rather Shin,” says Seija. “You know how the Miracle Mallet works, right?”

“Ergh…” Youmu fails to answer.

“Did you not do your research? It can grant wishes, but only an inchling is able to use it. Those wishes don’t have to be Shin’s, though. We normally don’t use it for anything extreme since it comes with a drawback proportional to the wish. Koishi knew about that upfront and is still willing to risk it.”

“What’s her wish?”

“She insisted on keeping it a secret. Didn’t matter to me as long as she didn’t betray us.”

“Wellllllll, if Orin’s here, I guess it’s okay,” says Koishi. “I wanna try opening my Third Eye!”

Any affability in the room completely shatters and is replaced by a thick tension. Seija loses her condescending sneer and Youmu’s jaw drops.

Orin’s eyes go wide and she yells, “That’s possible?!” 

“With the Miracle Mallet? Should be,” says Seija. “But I figured someone like her would have a really basic wish that posed next to no danger. The drawback of something that extreme…”

“But Mistress Koishi willingly closed it before! She couldn’t handle constantly hearing the animosity felt towards her species!”

So that’s the reason. Not being able to fully control hearing others’ thoughts would mentally tax anyone, especially if those thoughts were full of hate.

“Satori seemed upset the other day about me,” says Koishi, her bubbly tone less pronounced than usual. “I came back from the surface and saw her crying in her room and saying my name. I don’t want her to be sad anymore!”

Putting a hand to her face, Orin says, “You… you saw that, then. I had never seen Mistress Satori cry before, so I asked her what was wrong. She expressed her frustration about being unable to help Mistress Koishi open her heart to others again. This has weighed heavily on her for a long time.”

“That’s… I’m so sorry,” says Youmu.

Even Seija’s face is solemn hearing the story. “I’ll take it from here. This is my first time hearing the reasoning, too,” she says. “I was staking out the palace about ten days ago when by chance I ran into Koishi. Shin met her during the urban legend and perfect possession incidents, so I knew of her beforehand. I thought the jig was up, but then Koishi asked me if I could take her to Shin. Apparently she knew about the Miracle Mallet from their past encounters as well as my connection to Shin after the fireworks festival. I was willing, but I needed insurance that she wasn’t lying and intending on ratting me out to Satori.”

The pieces fall into place in Youmu’s mind. “The Mask of Hope!”

“Yep. Said it was important to her so she offered it to us. I told her to meet us near the human village in three days if she was serious. If she didn’t show, I’d keep the mask and the plan would be aborted. At this point I think you know the rest.”

“But that doesn’t explain where Satori is.”

“Truly couldn’t answer that one. But the timing was convenient for us, so I’m not looking a gift horse in the mouth,” says Seija with a shrug. “I didn’t intend for this to go on for so long, but in light of the new circumstances I can’t be angry. We really had no idea how important Koishi’s wish was.”

“Are you telling me the amanojaku has a heart?” Youmu taunts.

“Sure I do; it’s full of aggravation at your constant meddling. It’s way too late to back out now. Koishi, you mind doing your thing?”

“Got it! I promise it’ll be fine, Orin!” says Koishi reassuringly.

Geh, bad time to mouth off.

Youmu assumes a fighting stance and says, “Orin, let’s go!”

“I…” the cat youkai trails off.

“What’s the matter?”

“If this is what Mistress Koishi wants and it alleviates Mistress Satori’s guilt, I can’t fight her. My loyalty is to them and their happiness, even if it adversely affects Gensokyo.” Orin turns to Youmu before continuing, “I won’t fight you or help Seija damage the Nuclear Furnace, but I have to surrender.”

Orin… I want to say something like we don’t know the result of Yuugi’s battle with Shin, but no matter what argument I make she wouldn’t risk the Komeijis on it. I can’t deny I’d do the same for Lady Yuyuko. Yet beating both Seija and Koishi on my own while I’m this drained seems impossible. Am I really too weak to do this…?

“Thanks, Orin! I knew you’d understand!” Koishi says with an inappropriate amount of cheer. Walking up to her sister’s cat, she gazes into Orin’s eyes and puts a hand on the latter’s head for a few seconds. There is no sign of a struggle on either end. Orin then falls to the ground and reverts to her feline form, similar to Okuu earlier.

“Good kitty,” says Seija. “Now for you, ghosty.”

Youmu looks down, her hair concealing her face, gripping her swords so tightly that her knuckles turn paler than usual. She feels every last ache in her tired body.

Koishi moves over to her and says, “Don’t fight back and you’ll be asleep in a jiffy!”

Guess I lose. There’s no one left to help me. And who am I to stand in the way of Koishi’s wish?
…
I’m making excuses. Losing my confidence because of some words, Yuugi would be disappointed in me. Seija might not have meant to hold Satori’s happiness hostage, but her intentions still need to be stopped, regardless of what Koishi wants. I can do this. There is a way. There is always a way!

The gardener sheathes her swords and takes a deep breath. Koishi begins reaching her hand towards Youmu’s head.

Barely above a whisper, the half-phantom says, “Cherry Blossom Sword - Flashing Scattered Flowers.”

Seemingly vanishing from in front of Koishi, she loops around and launches a flurry of slashes that the poor girl could have never hoped to see coming. She falls faster than Seija can process what happened.

“What?!” yells Seija. “Where is that strength coming from?!”

“My resolve will not falter! My name is Youmu Konpaku, gardener to Yuyuko Saigyouji, and I will complete my mission!” Youmu proclaims. “Now, Seija Kijin, prepare yourself!”

“Heh. Hahahahahahaha! You really are something else, huh?! Fine then! We’ll finish this your way!”

“Ooo… my head feels all scrambled,” mumbles Koishi, lying on the floor but still conscious. “Guess we’re fighting now? Here I gooooooooo!”

That attack wasn’t enough?

Youmu feels a sharp pain in her head, arching her back and clutching her head with the hand that holds Hakurouken before her environment shifts. The heat amplifies, Koishi vanishes from sight, and a dozen copies of Seija appear around the room.

T-twelve?! Can’t tell which one is real!

“Dang, not bad, Koishi,” says twelve Seija voices overlaid on each other. “She seems completely out of it.”

Not bothering to use a spell card, the Seijas create flurries that, from Youmu’s perspective, are multiplied further thanks to Koishi’s illusion. Youmu barely manages to beat back the opening salvo with her swords, but a few stray bullets hit her right arm, left leg, and right side. She falls to one knee, her green vest frayed and falling apart.

“You look like a wreck. You’re not even gonna pass out standing up like those old stories?” Seija muses. “Lame.”

“Oh, oh!” Koishi’s excited voice echoes. “If you try using that shorter sword to free yourself, it won’t take long for the effect to wear off. Now that I know how it works, keeping my focus on you will cause the illusion to come back real quick!”

“And using - Hakurouken was it? - to free your mind seems to be pretty stressful for you based on how you acted in the Former Capital,” says Seija. “Wonder how many times you’d be able to do it before your body gives out? You’re probably better off giving up.”

I likely have enough remaining stamina to do it once at most. But she’s telling me that to discourage me. Deep down, she fears I can still beat her. I’ll make those fears reality!

“I. Will. Not. Fall!” Youmu roars, drawing on reserves she did not know she had to stand back up. “I have said it before and I will say it again! The things that cannot be cut by my Roukanken, forged by youkai, are next to none!”

She throws Hakurouken up and does a single swipe with Roukanken, cutting a tiny sliver off the end of the former that is only three millimeters in width and two centimeters in length. Snatching it out of the air, she takes the shard and pierces her right side. The resulting wound is very small but still causes immense discomfort, compounded by Hakurouken’s mind-clearing effect.

“GRAHHHHH!” With her scream, Youmu’s vision returns to normal and the pain in her head eventually subsides. She plants her feet and picks up Hakurouken, still readily usable due to how clean and small the cut was. “If you intend… to keep me down… with repeated attacks,” Youmu pants, “then I’ll just make sure your attacks never work! With a piece of Hakurouken inside of me, my mind will forever be clear!”

“Whooooooa!” gasps Koishi.

“Are you insane?!” Seija yells at the gardener.

I made sure not to put it anywhere vital, the wound will heal after this is all over. Time to end this!

Youmu’s phantom half circles around her as she gets into a ready stance. Without moving, a single bullet spawns and hits Koishi in the head, knocking off her hat and sending her tumbling back to the floor.

“Owwww… You’re… real strong, miss…” Koishi manages to say before finally fainting.

After her initial shock passes, Seija grins and says, “Y’know, there’s a part of me that’s happy it’s ending like this. You and I finally get to slug it out without anyone else involved. It’ll end for you the same way it did back when you and everyone else tried to capture me: utter humiliation!”

“You escaped that day. This time you won’t be so lucky!”

There are four cheating tools she knows I’m aware of. By contrast I have one. All she needs to do to win is outlast me.

Seija makes two pointing gestures with her hands in opposite directions. “Reverse Sign - Evil in the Mirror!”

“Hungry King Sword - Ten Kings’ Retribution on the Preta!”

Springing from her stance, Youmu rushes from side to side, making wide sweeps that create hundreds of bullets that clash with the flurry Seija calls forth behind her. Their perceptions of left and right flip back and forth while time intermittently appears to slow down and return to normal. However, as masters of their respective styles, neither Seija nor Youmu are drastically affected by the discombobulating combination. Youmu’s attacks require her to move while Seija stays still, enabling the former to close some distance between them.

I win in a contest of raw power and she knows that. Her first instinct will be to avoid damage before I overwhelm her.

Seija pulls out the Gap Folding Umbrella when Youmu gets close and uses the walkway below as a floor, coming out of the ceiling. Yet Youmu anticipated this and is already halfway to her opponent.

“Life-Cutting Sword - Slash of Nether Meditation!” Youmu channels energy into Roukanken, transforming it into a long blade of light. With one huge slash forward, it reaches Seija and knocks the umbrella right out of her hands. The gardener then swoops to retrieve it in one fluid motion, but not before landing a few clean bullets on the way.

“Urgh,” Seija grimaces. “Reverse Sign - Overturning All Under Heaven!”

“Hell God Sword - Sudden Divine Severing of Karmic Wind!”

This time up and down are constantly shifting while bullets come from both ends. Youmu lines up shots horizontally before Seija’s attack reaches her, then slashes her own danmaku to create a storm that rains down on the amanojaku.

Not wanting to risk a repeat of what just happened, next she’ll try to lead me and the bullets away and attack while I’m distracted.

Throwing the Cursed Decoy Doll across the room to funnel away the attack, Seija begins charging the Four-Foot Magic Bomb. However, the moment the doll is thrown, Youmu launches Roukanken to pierce it through and prematurely end the effect. This allows her to turn around in time to see the bomb being thrown.

Earlier the Nimble Fabric contained the bomb’s blast, so…!

Youmu intercepts and wraps the bomb with the fabric, tying a quick slipknot. Using Seija’s own spell card against her, she flies straight down to build momentum and chucks the bomb and fabric upwards the moment the area flips. It explodes a safe distance away and both tools fall to the bottom level. This turn of events utterly surprises Seija, giving Youmu ample time to retrieve Roukanken from the doll and use the umbrella to warp the doll and itself to the bottom floor as well.

Another step down.

“You anticipate my moves and steal my tools yet throw them all away?” asks Seija. “What is this, some egotistical sense of ‘fair play’?!”

“Afraid you can’t win one-on-one without your tools? Not that you did any better with them. I saved your Replica Miracle Mallet for last since I know it’s your favorite.”

Feels nice having the advantage in conversation for once!

Seija’s eyes narrow and, while gesturing with her mallet, she says, “Hmph, you’re right on the money, smacking people silly with this thing never gets old. Maybe I can give you a second bruise to match the first one I left?”

“I’d like to see you try! Asura Sword - Obsession with the Present World!”

“Are all your spell cards such a mouthful?” Seija taunts.

“Oh shut up already!”

“Hahaha! Reverse Bow - Decree of the Dream Bow of Heaven and Earth!”

And she has the gall to call my spell cards a mouthful?

Instead of another direct clash, this time Seija’s attack produces bullets entirely behind Youmu. Dodging them, Youmu sandwiches Seija between red and blue danmaku while locking onto her position with Roukanken and shooting consecutive beams of light from it. Her efficiency is reduced as Seija’s bullets gradually speed up, necessitating more time spent evading, pain and exhaustion slowing her further. Seija, meanwhile, dodges the lasers but is also visibly wearing down.

Her bag of tricks is shallow without her tools. She doesn’t have much left, meaning she’ll try her trump card soon. I don’t have enough in me for another spell card, so I need to endure until then.

“I could do this all day, Seija!” Youmu lies through her teeth. “Are you really this weak without cheating?”

“I’m not sure where this energy of yours comes from, but it won’t be enough! Turnabout - Change Air Brave!”

The flipping sensation for this attack is a 180-degree spin in either direction, with Seija acting as the axis. Spirals of red bullets shoot out from around her with blue orbs covering much of the safe space. While the previous spell cards Youmu handled well enough, the jarring spinning and unpredictable nature revives the dizziness she felt earlier; she cannot properly defend.

I can’t collapse yet! See this through to the end, Youmu!

She closes her eyes and lets sound be her guide. Twisting, turning, and slashing, Youmu eviscerates every last bullet that comes within range using her swords. It works, but that much movement with a shard embedded in her side leaves the half-phantom gasping for breath. Seija is not doing much better, panting while the last of her danmaku fades. The two descend to the walkway and stare each other down.

“I fought a nuclear-powered hell raven before this and have metal in the side of my abdomen,” says Youmu. “What’s your excuse?”

“I’ve always considered myself more clever than strong,” Seija responds. “And I still had to exert some effort against you, Yuugi, and Orin earlier. I’ll also admit you’ve landed some good hits. The near limitless stamina you incident resolvers exude is beyond me.”

“Oh? So you consider me on level with the others now?”

“After every last time you’ve gotten in my way today and that stupid stunt of stabbing yourself with your own sword, I’ll give it to you. You’ve earned my respect, gho- no, Youmu.”

“That might be the nicest thing you’ve ever said.”

“Yeah, I hate it! Amanojaku aren’t meant to be liked or appreciated!”

“You get along well with Shin despite your words.”

“Originally I was using her, and after she caught on she cut ties with me. But then, two years ago, she approached me to help with her plan for the fireworks festival; from there we decided to stick together, now as equal partners. Admittedly I feel a real kinship with her now.”

Seija seems happy in a way that doesn’t come at the expense of others for once. I wonder what caused Shin to partner with Seija long-term again? A question for another day.

“If you finally have someone to call a partner, why do all of this?” Youmu asks. “Youkai cause harmless pranks all the time, you two could do the same if mischief and chaos is what you want.”

“You just don’t get it. You don’t see the world the way we do. As long as it exists as is,” says Seija, raising her mallet, “we’ll always fight against it! It’s in our nature!”

“In that case,” says Youmu, raising her swords, “it’s in my nature to always see my mission through to the end! Regardless of who’s in my way!”

“Then we’ll never see eye-to-eye.”

“I suppose not.”

Their weapons primed, time slows down for the final time as the two run at each other. Their forms are sloppy and their pace is slower than normal, the result of their exhaustion, with Seija being the faster of the two. Right as they are about to clash, Seija performs a downward swing with her mallet while Youmu counters with an upward slash using Roukanken. But the former’s attack is a feint and from behind her back she reveals Tengu’s Toy Camera, intending to blind the gardener for an assured victory. Youmu, however, is also feinting with Roukanken; her real strike is with Hakurouken, already on track towards the arm Seija holds the camera in. Before the flash is made, the camera is knocked out of Seija’s hand and Youmu dashes forward with both of her blades for a final slash while her opponent is stunned. The only sound heard is the machinery of the Nuclear Furnace before Youmu, her back to Seija, sheathes her blades and the amaonjaku falls to the floor with a loud thud, incapacitated.

“How… did you…” Seija trails off.

“I knew since following you here, you were faster than normal. Nothing terribly obvious, to the point you likely didn’t think I’d notice. None of the four tools I knew you had could do that. The hand-off must have happened during the brief period I was distracted by the Cursed Decoy Doll; you asked Shin to give you the camera so you could surprise me with it as a last resort. I specified that the mallet was your ‘last’ tool to guarantee that you believed I had no idea. You thought you were tricking a naïve girl when I saw right through it and set you up from the moment we started fighting.”

Seija rolls onto her back and gazes at the ceiling before indulging in a genuine smile.

“Wow. Guess I really did… underestimate…” Without finishing the thought, the amanojaku loses consciousness and Youmu’s mission is, at last, complete.

“…Phew.” The half-phantom falls to her knees, unable to move a single muscle. She keels over as the last spark of her energy fades. 

Lady Yuyuko… Yuugi… I did it…

Lying face down on the railway, Youmu hears soft footsteps on the metal before blacking out.

“Thank you, Youmu,” says an unfamiliar voice.

Chapter Text

Faint light from a lamp outside shines through a window in the Palace of the Earth Spirits. The beam lands on Youmu’s face as she rests under the covers of one of the many guest beds.

“Mnh… yaaaaaawn,” moans the half-phantom as she sits up and rubs her eyes.

“Youmuuuuuuuuu!”

“Huh- mphf!”

Yuyuko, who had been sitting at Youmu’s bedside since arriving at the palace, gives her gardener an overjoyed hug once the latter wakes up.

“Lady… Yuyuko… can’t… breathe…” Youmu chokes out.

“You did so well!” says Yuyuko, not hearing Youmu’s objections. “I’m so proud of you!”

“Body… hurts…”

“Oh,” the ghost says, letting go, “I’m sorry! I was just thrilled to see you awake. You’ve been asleep for nearly a day. You worked so hard.”

“A day?!”

“About twenty hours, to be precise. When you were found, you looked like an absolute mess and had many minor injuries, the worst being a shard in your side. Yuugi located the phone you dropped and answered when I called you. She filled me in on your condition and that you accomplished your mission, so I rushed down here as fast as I could to bring some spare clothes and look after you. Orin already dressed your wounds and removed the shard by the time I got here.”

Looking down at herself, Youmu sees that she is wearing a green robe with a pattern of white insignias that match her usual clothes. There are various bandages on her body; her arms and legs have multiple while the largest is wrapped around her abdomen where the shard was.

“I got to see the shard before Orin threw it away,” Yuyuko continues. “I could tell at a glance it was from Hakurouken, so I kept it with me. I’ll leave it here now that you’ve woken up. What drove you to such measures was beyond me until Seija told us everything during her interrogation.”

“Seija…” muses Youmu, still groggy. “Seija! Where is she?! Is everything alright? What about Yuugi and Koishi?”

“Calm down, she’s under careful observation and won’t be going anywhere,” Yuyuko says while placing a comforting hand on Youmu’s shoulder. “Though she’s been extremely cooperative since waking up; I don’t think she intends on trying anything. Yuugi fought Shin to a standstill; once they found out you defeated Seija, Shin surrendered. Koishi is in her room, last I heard.”

Their conversation is interrupted by a knock on the door. “May I come in?” asks a voice on the other side Youmu vaguely recognizes.

“Yes, of course. She’s awake now,” Yuyuko answers.

The door opens and a girl with pale purple hair, a light blue shirt, a light pink skirt, and pink slippers walks in. Red cords, similar to Koishi’s bluish-purple ones, wrap around her body with them connecting to an open eye in the front.

“You’re Satori Komeiji!” says Youmu, now wide awake.

“Correct, good you seem to remember me,” Satori responds, smiling softly. “And you’re the person to whom I owe a great deal of thanks, Youmu.”

Yuyuko stands up before saying, “Satori already told me everything, so I’ll go whip up some delicious onigiri for you! You must be starving.”

Youmu’s stomach rumbles, causing her to blush. “T-thank you, Lady Yuyuko,” she stutters as she looks away.

With a chuckle, Yuyuko takes her leave. Satori sits on the chair she was using.

“I’m sure you have many questions. I will do my best to answer them all,” says Satori.

“The last thing I remember after defeating Seija is a voice. That was you?”

“Yes.”

“Where were you this entire time?”

“In hiding. I surmised roughly how long it would take for things to settle and then went to the Nuclear Furnace through the entrance on Youkai Mountain, where I found you.”

“Why were you hiding? Orin was worried about you!”

“Koishi and Orin told you about my… moment of weakness, did they not?” asks Satori, retaining her composure but obviously pained by the memory.

“Y-yeah, they did. While I realize it probably doesn’t mean much, I’m truly sorry you have to go through that.”

“Your sympathies are appreciated. You see, I noticed Koishi was acting strangely after that incident, so I followed her to the surface the next time she went. I then witnessed her deal with Seija and Shinmyoumaru, reading the latter two’s minds to find out their scheme. Normally I would have confronted them right there; however, upon hearing about Koishi’s request for a wish, I-” she sighs. “I hesitated. While I cannot read her mind, the circumstances were too perfect. I want Koishi to open her heart to others again more than anything.”

“What did you do, then? Leave?”

“I was truly considering it and letting them have their way with the Nuclear Furnace - something I fully recognize as selfish given my role as overseer - when I learned about the Miracle Mallet’s drawback. As much as I want her to reopen her Third Eye, the consequences of using the mallet were also a concern. The problem was that once Koishi fixates on something, it’s nearly impossible to shake her interest until she gets bored naturally. In this case, it was much more important to her than usual. If I tried reasoning with her- well, no, that would be a lie to excuse my cowardice.”

Satori averts her eyes from Youmu, her shame clear as day.

I think I know where this is going.

“It was never a matter of whether or not you thought you should stop Koishi,” Youmu says, “but whether or not you could even bring yourself to do so.”

A sad smile forms on Satori’s face. “Pathetic, is it not? I always wanted to do what was best for her, but when the time came for decisive action, building the resolve to stop my sister proved impossible for me. She was attempting to reopen her Third Eye for my sake. How in the world was I supposed to get in her way with a clear conscience? And, hypocrite that I am, I always said Koishi should do this only when she felt she was ready. To do it for herself to prove she had overcome her demons. I wanted to respect her past choices while nurturing her growth. That self-righteousness meant nothing here.”

I feel like I’m intruding on a deeply personal family matter… 

“Please, don’t feel bad,” says Satori, reading Youmu’s thoughts. “I knew you would have to learn these things when I went to you for help.”

“Help? So the one responsible for the message-”

“Was me, yes. I knew logically that stopping Koishi was the right thing to do, for both the Nuclear Furnace and her safety, but I was too weak to do it. However, something I make sure to do is keep tabs on Gensokyo’s notable individuals. People like Reimu Hakurei and Marisa Kirisame, the various religious centers such as Moriya Shrine and Myouren Temple, and so on. By extension, that includes you, Youmu. You’ve helped resolve multiple incidents in the past and are known for your straightforward determination.”

I’m not sure if I should take that as a compliment.

“It is, I assure you. While initially I wasn’t impressed when we met during the time Orin and I visited your home last year, by reading your mind and examining your past experiences I knew you were capable of seeing this through to the end. I also picked you because your Hakurouken was the perfect counter to Koishi’s abilities.”

“Having you answer my thoughts is definitely a strange experience,” Youmu admits.

Satori lets out a chuckle. “I’m happy I haven’t scared you off,” she says. “Most would have asked me to stop by now.”

“I understand you can’t entirely help it and that it’s in your nature to do so.”

…
‘Nature’ huh? I fought Seija to the last because my nature conflicted with hers. Are we really just slaves to that?

“I don’t think that’s the case,” says Satori. “You were born into a hereditary position as a gardener and guardian for Yuyuko, but through your work resolving incidents you’ve made an impact that goes beyond your station. Koishi also chose to deny how she was before, for better or worse.”

“I do what I do because of my loyalty to Lady Yuyuko, though.”

“That’s just it, you do it out of care for her, not obligation. Or, if you would prefer, you could say your sense of obligation is rooted in that care. It’s where you find your resolve. There is theoretically nothing stopping you from abandoning her and striking out on your own, yet you choose to stay. You two share a bond that goes beyond master and servant. Deciding to tread the path that was laid out for you and making it your own, as you have done, is also an exercise of free will.”

“To be honest, I feel some of this has gone over my head,” Youmu says while looking down, “but I understand what you’re getting at and appreciate it. And I guess even Seija subverted her own nature as a friendless amanojaku by truly connecting with Shin. Back to the original topic, how did you get me involved in this?”

“Beyond reading thoughts, a satori can affect the mind in other ways. Once I decided to enlist your assistance, I went to the Netherworld and stealthily approached Hakugyokurou. You were tending the garden in an odd fashion-”

“T-that’s enough of that.”

The look on Satori’s face is puzzled before morphing into one of understanding. “As you wish, your secret is safe with me. I am able to induce a mild hypnosis in others, which I did to you after you finished. It made it where, on the day of Seija’s plan, two things would occur. First, you would go into a trance when you were alone and write a message on your arm imploring you to go to the Underworld. Second, upon reaching the entrance, you would be attacked by an illusion that utilized all the methods Seija and Koishi would employ. I can also copy the attacks of others by reading their memories, though creating a convincing fake that triggered without me being there took the extent of my skill. Fighting it would preemptively give you an idea of what you were up against and ample motivation to keep pressing forward.”

“So the attacker at the entrance was a fake, which explains what Seija said before. This plan seems far from fool-proof, though. There was a decent chance I’d fail.”

“I cannot deny that; yet, these measures were the most this coward of a sister could muster the courage to do. Once that was done, I took a leave of absence from the palace to reflect on what I really wanted for both myself and my sister. …And also because I was too ashamed to face the ones who put their faith and loyalty in me.”

The two sit silently in the guest room, processing their conversation.

“For what it’s worth,” Youmu begins, “feeling like you can’t go against those you care about is a very common thing. When Orin surrendered to Koishi’s will in the furnace, I was reminded of how far I’d go for Lady Yuyuko. Had it not been for Yuugi’s words earlier that day, I very well might have folded under the pressure. Doing everything alone with no one to help you, be it in person or in spirit, will eventually cause you to fail, I’ve learned. I think you faced that with Koishi and, ever so slightly, addressed it by entrusting the mission to me.”

“I used you to escape my own fear!” Satori objects, her stoic façade finally cracking. “My sister’s safety was on the line and I acted selfishly!”

“If your fear and selfishness truly controlled you, you could have run away entirely or even sided with Seija. You did neither.”

“I-”

“You were faced with an impossible decision and did the best you could. It wasn’t perfect, but your love for your sister triumphed. Take the lesson you learned to heart and move forward. Dwelling on the past won’t solve anything; you should know.”

The elder Komeiji is speechless in the face of Youmu’s words. After a while, she calms down and says, “You are absolutely right. The past is indelible, but the future is unwritten. Thank you for reminding me of that. It seems I now owe you twice over. While I am no Miracle Mallet, if there is anything you want that is within my power to grant, please name it.”

The gardener thinks for a moment. “How about a dinner party? Even after Lady Yuyuko comes back with food, assuming she doesn’t eat it all on the way, I could use a proper meal.”

“Consider it done. Who would you like to invite?”

“Everyone directly involved with the incident, including those who helped on the surface. Also, please invite Parsee Mizuhashi and Kisume, if you know of them.”

“I’m familiar with those two, yes. And you might be happy to hear that Reimu, Marisa, Sanae, and Yukari are already here. Yuyuko came first out of concern for you, while they arrived a bit later to discuss the details in person. All of them were present for Seija and Shinmyoumaru’s interrogation, as well. It was decided their restitution would be community service to fix all the property damage they were responsible for in the Former Capital. Koishi was excused due to her condition.”

Considering most incident instigators don’t get punished at all, that’s more than good enough for me. It’ll take months for them to fix the damage they caused if it’s only the two of them. And, all things considered, their plan wouldn’t have caused as much harm as many past incidents potentially could have.

“I will instruct Orin to send out the invitations, gather ingredients, and set up the dining hall right away,” Satori continues. “Reimu, Marisa, and Sanae should be willing to help me with the cooking. Please rest for as long as you need. When the time comes for the banquet, I shall send for you.” She stands up and walks to the door before turning around and bowing deeply. “Once again, you have my deepest gratitude, Youmu. Know that you will always be welcomed in the Underworld with open arms.”

“Thank you,” says Youmu, returning the bow as best she can in her bed.

With that, Satori leaves and Youmu is alone with her thoughts.

It’s finally over. After all that, the Komeijis’ situation likely won’t be changing anytime soon. I’m happy Koishi didn’t end up doing something she’d regret.

She lays her head back down and looks out the window. The dim atmosphere and expansive cavern walls, once unpleasant to her, now feels oddly comfortable.

I hope that those sisters can find a solution on their own terms one day.

A stray spirit flies by outside.

B-but they can do that without me here!

The banquet in the palace’s dining hall is in full swing by the time Youmu enters. 

I should try and talk to everyone since I invited them.

Reimu and Marisa chat at one end of the room, already halfway drunk, while Sanae contentedly drinks tea next to them and helps keep the two grounded. 

“Yo, Youmu! Over here!” yells Marisa with a wave, prompting Youmu to walk over. “How’s it feel to be the hero?”

“The attention isn’t something I’m used to, I’ll admit.”

“We were stuck on guard duty at the Underworld’s front entrance so Seija wouldn’t slip away,” says Reimu before taking a big sip of her drink.

“I was at the Youkai Mountain entrance all alone,” Sanae pouts.

“Did you see Satori, then?” asks Youmu.

“No, apparently she passed by without me noticing her.”

Weren’t you supposed to be on lookout?

“Once Yuyuko sent word that you succeeded we were called off,” says Marisa.

Reimu takes another swig and says, “By the time it was over, it felt like we had been running around for nothing. Though looking at how roughed up you got, I probably shouldn’t complain.”

“My side’s gonna be sore for a little while but beyond that I’m fine,” Youmu responds.

“That’s good to hear,” says Sanae. “I hope you enjoy the party!” 

The three resume their conversation while Youmu turns around to see, near the room’s center, Yuyuko and Yukari laughing heartily. The former sits besides a gigantic plate of food, already half eaten. 

The gardener goes up to them and says, “Lady Yuyuko, is everything alright? Do you need me to refill your plate?”

“Youmu, you don’t need to be worrying about me tonight. This occasion is for you!” Yuyuko says.

“I must say, your performance was impressive,” says Yukari. “Congratulations on cleaning up Satori’s mess.”

“What do you mean?” Youmu asks.

“This was her responsibility that she thrusted on you. She even forced me on a wild goose chase,” says Yukari with an uncharacteristic edge of annoyance.

“Yukari dear,” Yuyuko interjects, “everything worked out, didn’t it? No use getting upset! It’s not like you hunted Seija and Shin after the fireworks festival, so they were bound to strike again.”

“I suppose you’re right. I don’t mean to bring down the mood. Speaking of, do either of you know where our gracious host is?”

“Satori’s speaking with Koishi right now,” says Youmu. “She stopped by before the party to tell me she’d be late because of it-”

“WOOOOOOOOOO!” a loud voice cheers, interrupting the conversation. Where it originates, Yuugi appears to be having the time of her life drinking entire tubs of sake. However, she is not alone; to her left side is Parsee, quietly milling over her cup. The enigmatic expression on her face leaves her mood ambiguous. Standing on Yuugi’s shoulder is Shinmyoumaru, not using the Miracle Mallet to increase her size for the moment. She is drinking a good amount as well. Both the oni and inchling have a few bandages of their own, though not to the extent of Youmu. They are competing in a playful drinking contest, proportional to what each can physically consume. Looking up, Yuugi notices her friend and motions for her to come over.

“Go on, Youmu,” urges Yuyuko. “It’s not every day you’ll get to see everyone.”

With a bow to her mistress, Youmu makes her way to the odd trio.

“Youmu! This party was a great idea! I haven’t gotten to cut loose like this in way too long!” Yuugi says.

“Oh!” says Parsee, perking up. “H-hello, Youmu.”

“Are you doing alright?” Youmu asks.

“I’m sure it’s nice to have the luxury to be concern- uh, ahem .”

She must have already relapsed.

“I-I-I am doing f-fine,” Parsee stutters. “T-thank you for y-your consideration.”

“Dang, never seen you thank someone genuinely,” muses Yuugi.

“Oh shut up- I mean, I owe a great deal to her.”

Or maybe she’s still fighting it? Hmm, I was originally gonna use this for something else, but…

“Parsee,” says Youmu as she pulls a metal shard out of her pocket, “this is a piece of Hakurouken, the sword I used on you before. It retains the properties of the whole thing, so if you’d like to keep it-”

“I… I truly appreciate that offer but must decline.”

“Why?”

“What you did for me before was liberating in a way, but it also forced me to grapple with my own actions. I must be responsible for myself, even if I fully revert; relying on that wouldn’t be true growth.”

“If you’re sure, I understand.”

Parsee manages a small but truthful smile and nods her head.

“Ahhhh!” Shinmyoumaru exhales, oblivious to the mood. “This stuff is delicious! That dish of yours is something else, Yuugi.”

“You hold your alcohol better than I would’ve thought,” Yuugi responds. “Let’s see how long you can last!”

“I won’t lose this time, even to an oni!”

Youmu is taken aback by the sudden camaraderie while Parsee returns to her drink.

D-did I miss something?

“Oh, guess I never got a chance to tell you,” says Yuugi. “Shin and I’s fight went on for a long time. She was way tougher than I gave her credit for, even discountin’ the lantern she was usin’. I couldn’t afford to hold back.”

“Your danmaku encapsulated pure power. It was some of the most amazing I’ve ever seen,” Shinmyoumaru concedes.

“Yours wasn’t half bad either.”

“I already know that! And next time, we’ll finish what we started. I’ll show you the true power of the small!”

“Ha! I look forward to it! But you’re gonna have to prove you can keep up with me here, first!”

The two return to their contest.

“Are all your friends this weird?” says a voice behind Youmu.

“Huh? Who’s- WAH!” the gardener yelps. Three will-o’-wisps dance in front of her in a spiral pattern. “Kisume! That isn’t funny!”

“So you are scared of them,” says Kisume, floating down in her bucket. “Wasn’t sure if it was that or you were just caught off guard when they woke you up.”

Youmu runs behind Yuugi before saying, “Now that you've proven your theory, can you get them away from me?!”

“Actually, I’m curious about that too. Why do spirits spook ya so much?” Yuugi asks.

“What sane person wouldn’t be?! They’re departed beings that could wander anywhere! And just look at them!”

“But you have a wisp-like thing floating around you all the time,” says Parsee.

“That’s different! You wouldn’t understand!" says Youmu, gripping the back of Yuugi’s kimono tightly.

“And she’s the reason we lost…?” Shinmyoumaru asks herself.

“Okay, that’s enough teasin’,” says Yuugi. “You did good, I mean that.”

Youmu lets go of the oni and says, “It was your words that helped keep me going when I was on the verge of giving up.”

“Aw, you’re flatterin’ me.”

“Really, I’m extremely grateful. I never would have succeeded without you helping me.”

“Same to you. Next time ya come down here, be sure to find me so we can get a drink. It’ll be an oni’s welcome!”

“I will say,” Shinmyoumaru begins, a glint in her eye, “you two showed some real spirit taking us down.”

All the youkai laugh at that, leaving Youmu thoroughly embarrassed. “I-I’m gonna go get a drink!” she says, running off.

I can’t help what I find scary!

Utterly defeated, Youmu is pouring herself a cup of sake when she feels a tap on her shoulder and turns around to see Orin and Okuu.

“Feeling better?” Orin asks. “I’m glad to see you on your feet. I hope you weren’t bothered by my treating your injuries.”

“Of course not, you did a great job!” Youmu reassures her.

“I… I’m really sorry!” yells Orin, bowing so deeply that Youmu becomes concerned that the kasha might hit her head on the floor.

“Whoa, what’s all this about?”

“For making you fight Seija alone! I couldn’t bring myself to do anything, I was utterly useless to both you and the mistresses!”

“I-it’s okay! Believe me, I know how you feel. I’d never be able to raise a hand at Lady Yuyuko unless she explicitly forced me to.”

Which she doesn’t need to know has happened multiple times…

“Ohhhhhhh, Youmu!” Orin nearly tackles Youmu to the ground with a hug, tearing up.

“I’d like to apologize as well,” says Okuu, speaking up for the first time. “I don’t remember much, but I was a major hindrance to you, right?”

“It’s not like you were in control of your actions,” Youmu responds while she struggles to remain standing with the redhead squeezing her.

“Though I do vaguely remember our fight being really fun! I wish I could recall the details better.”

I’d sooner like to forget the heat.

Eventually Orin composes herself and lets go. “Really, if you ever need anything, please don’t hesitate to ask us for help. Everyone at the palace really owes you one.”

Youmu takes a moment to breathe and says, “Satori offered similar sentiments. I’ll be sure to keep that in mind.”

“Oh, Orin, I just got a great idea!” says Okuu excitedly. “Wanna see if I can balance everyone’s cups on my control rod? In-house entertainment!” The hell raven runs off before waiting for a response.

“I should go take care of this before we have another incident,” Orin says before hurrying after her companion.

At least Okuu is in good hands.

“I’m glad you’re having a good time,” says Satori’s voice behind Youmu. The latter does an about face and lays eyes on both Komeijis. Koishi is smiling as always, though giddier than usual. Her older sister, while clearly tired, bears a peaceful countenance.

“Hey miss! My sister and I talked a whiiiiiiile,” says Koishi, “but it was fun!”

“Did you two hash things out?” Youmu asks.

“Something to that effect. Koishi does not quite grasp everything, but she expressed her desire to stay as is for the time being if I, in her words, ‘wasn’t sad anymore,’” says Satori. “While I will not ever be truly fine with it, I can make my peace until she is able to reopen her Third Eye naturally. Using the Miracle Mallet to force the issue could very well have made the problem worse.”

“I’m gonna go play with the others!” Koishi says before running off to Yuugi’s group.

“Seems nothing ever gets her down,” says Youmu.

Satori nods in agreement. “Quite. Also, it appears we have company.”

“Reading minds to spoil surprises, huh?” says a voice above Youmu. Looking up, the gardener sees Seija levitating upside down, holding a cup of her own right side up. She, too, has bandages on her arms as well as one on her head. A wry smile rests on her face. “I’d ask if you were fun at parties, but that seems a bit too on the nose.”

“You don’t have to bother with her, Satori,” says Youmu. “Go enjoy your time with the others. I wanted to sit and chat with Seija for a bit, anyway.”

Giving the half-phantom a knowing look, Satori says, “Alright. At the risk of sounding redundant, let me say it one more time: thank you so much.” She leaves to meet with Yukari and Yuyuko.

Seija descends to the ground, landing on her feet. “Enjoying your fifteen minutes of fame?”

Youmu takes a large sip. “Not as much as you’ll enjoy your time doing hard labor the next few months.”

“Tch, got me there.”

“So how about what I mentioned? I figure this’ll be our last chance to talk for a while.”

“What’s your game here?” Seija asks, narrowing her eyes. “Why invite Shin and me to this?”

“It’s a tradition in Gensokyo to close out an incident by sharing a meal, right?”

“Don’t you hate me? Don’t I tick you off?”

“While you certainly annoy me, it would take a lot more than what you’re capable of to make me feel genuine hate.”

“Is that a compliment or an insult?”

“Take it as whichever bothers you more.”

“Ah, you got jokes now. One win and you get all cocky.”

“Besides, I’ll at least cut you some slack for not knowing the severity of the issue you were dealing with by getting Koishi involved.”

“Hmph,” Seija grunts. “Fine then, we can ‘sit and chat’ if you want.” They go to an unoccupied corner of the room and plop down on a laid-out mat. “So, what’d you wanna talk about?”

“Two things,” says Youmu. “First, I heard you were extremely cooperative in the interrogation. Why? That seems very unlike you. Were you scared of Satori’s mind reading?”

“Nah, got nothing to do with her. Once you’re caught for real, that’s it. No use losing my dignity if I can’t see an out.”

“Surprisingly mature of you.”

“Don’t get the wrong impression, I fully intend to figure out a new plan with Shin when we’re free. You better not expect some garbage like I’ll ‘see the error of my ways’ or ‘turn over a new leaf’ or whatever,” Seija warns. “But I’ll be happy not to come back to this stupid, outdated excuse for a hellhole for a long time. I’ve had more than enough of it.”

That must be her way of promising not to mess with the Underworld or Nuclear Furnace again.

“So that’s the only reason you cooperated?” Youmu asks. “You didn’t think there was a point to resist?”

“Heh,” chuckles Seija before taking a swig. “Someone who flips my expectations at every turn the way you do can figure out the rest.”

She’s playing nice because I impressed her?

“Anyway, that was the first thing,” Seija continues. “What’s the second?”

“I want you to have this,” says Youmu, holding out the shard of Hakurouken.

“Isn’t this what you stabbed yourself with? Why the heck are you giving it to me? Don’t tell me this is an offering of friendship.”

“Nothing of the sort. I simply want you to hold onto this piece so that, whenever you look at it, you’re reminded of the one who caught you. The one who beat you. After everything I dealt with because of your actions, that’s my reward for winning our battle.”

Seija stares at Youmu. Her eyes flicker between Youmu’s face and the shard. Finally, she takes the shard from the gardener’s hand and says, “I’ll be sure to return it next time we fight.”

“I’d like to see you try.”

“If nothing else, you’ve got guts. To future animosity,” says the amanojaku, holding out her cup for a toast.

Youmu returns the favor and clinks her cup with Seija’s. As they take their drinks, they see Koishi staring in amazement as Okuu wobbly balances ten cups on the end of her control rod. All the other guests watch with a combination of amusement and horror, but right when the worst happens, Orin catches them all in a flash. The others even give her a round of applause.

“Me next!” Koishi declares. Snagging the cups from Orin, she begins stacking them on her hat. Satori looks on from a distance and, following an exasperated sigh, smiles.

And to future possibilities.