"Suika! Come over here for a second!"
"Ehh...? What is iiiiiit?"
"Can I get you to lift this box up? I need to get something underneath it."
"... That big!"
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Heya, Misaki here. Mark II means this is my second account, yep, but I ain't tellin' nobody what I went as before. Anyway, the usual disclaimers'n stuff.
I do not own Touhou Project. If ya think I do, reconsider before that wrong idea gets stuck in yer head forever.
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Reimu Hakurei was never one to stop and think carefully about what she was about to do. It was always 'jump in and take on whatever comes'. But right now, acting totally unlike her, she was deep in thought.
Beside her, also deep in brainstorm clouds, sits Marisa Kirisame.
... Their eyes were scanning the temple grounds... like lionesses looking for a limping zebra to prey on.
Silence had been dominating the air for god-knows how long... but there is also another thing... tension...
"Reimu..."
"... What is it...?"
Marisa stands up from her place and put her hands on her waist.
"This is gonna take a lot of sweepin', don't'cha think?"
Reimu sighs and picks up a broom.
"This is why I dislike autumn. The leaves just keep falling like there's no tomorrow... Well at least I won't get all tired and sweaty that easily since it's colder."
Marisa smiles and picks up her own broom, apparently readying herself to help Reimu out with the sweeping, though she really has no plans to.
"But ya have more leaves 'ta sweep, so the workload isn't really any different, is it?"
"Heh, you're right. Hey why don't you help me sweep with that magic broom of yours, then? Maybe even work some magic for it," Reimu asks, but her face tells that she already expects a no. In any case, she starts the long session of sweeping starting with the most important area – the one in front of the offering box.
"Hey, I already told ya that my broom ain't for sweepin' anything. And besides, why don't'cha just wait 'til the end of fall? Ya'll just end up sweepin' the same amount of leaves th'next day."
Nevertheless, even with Marisa's suggestion, Reimu continued sweeping.
"Geez, ya can at least pretend ya heard me and my stomach complainin' and all."
"If you want to eat then go cook yourself. I'll eat later."
"I'll be usin' your kitchen then~"
If Marisa's suggestion didn't warrant a reaction from Reimu, her borrowing the kitchen did. But unfortunately...
"Hey, I didn't give you permission to...! Marisa...?"
She was already gone...
... Well at least I don't have to worry about making lunch myself, thought the shrine maiden. Then it's back to sweeping... The month of Nagatsuki sure is tiring. Even the youkai that frequent the shrine knew when to come; they would visit when Reimu was finished sweeping to her own content so they wouldn't get forced into helping her. That said, sweeping is really hard work.
There were even times when she actually had to exert effort for it.
...
Soon after Marisa trespassed into the kitchen, the smell of miso manages to crawl its way up Reimu's olfactory system. It smells delicious but... there was this ominous feeling... like something bad is approaching. Normally people would just dismiss it, but since it's Reimu, her intuition is most often correct.
On the money (as usual), something did happen. The sound of Marisa's yelling (more like screaming) destroyed the serenity of the day.
Worried that her dishes might get broken, Reimu rushes to the kitchen to find...
"Ah, Reimu. A good morning to you."
"Hey, ya haven't answered my question yet! And ya smells like miasma! What's up with that?"
Together with Marisa in the kitchen sitting on a tear in space is Yukari Yakumo, wearing a very luxurious purple dress. She has her fan covering her mouth, but Reimu is absolutely sure that she had a mischievous smile on her face.
"What did I do to warrant such a hostile attitude, mm?"
"What kinda person in their right mind would pop outta someone's skirt while they're preparin' some grub?"
"My, then I guess I'm not in my 'right mind' now am I? Hmhm~"
Yet another bothersome individual introduced herself to Reimu's already-bothersome day.
"You know... people would get the wrong idea if they saw youkai frequenting this shrine..." Reimu mentions with an exhausted face. Yukari drops her fan into the gap and closed it, leaving her to walk on solid ground.
"Oh, little Reimu. You don't welcome the Hakurei god to her own shrine? I think there's something wrong there..." Yukari says with a whimper. "Anyway, I've decided to have lunch with you girls. Ran is away checking on the border integrity, so nobody's left to do the cooking at home... and maybe we could have some tea together right after~"
"You're not the Hakurei god!" Reimu counters. Though she knows that it was just some of the border demon's light jokes... it was still annoying. "And besides, you have those 'pressure cooker' things in your house, so cook yourself!"
"But it's such a bother~"
Reimu's shoulders drop. She knows that she couldn't persuade that youkai if she is this insistent. But, she wouldn't say "okay fine" either. It would hurt her pride as a youkai exterminator.
She closes her eyes and thinks. In actuality, there is technically nothing unusual with a youkai like Yukari to be in the shrine when people like the never-sober Suika, the nosy reporter Aya, the charismatic vampire Remilia and others frequent it more than her. Even people like Yuuka and the Yama visit the shrine every so often, though the latter almost always came with lectures in mind rather than a cup of tea. The visitations even became more frequent with the recent discovery of a hot spring right beside the shrine. It was hard on the money, especially since donations were rare, but it kept the shrine lively most of the time at least... and Reimu wouldn't like it if every single day would come by without anything happening.
"Hey, ya done reflectin' over yer sins? We're gonna start eatin' without'cha y'know..."
Reimu open her eyes to see both her uninvited guests already sitting at her table, though they have not yet started eating. She sighs again, recalling how bothersome today is.
"Sighin' too much is bad for the health, ya know... Just sit'n eat like a normal person."
I'm not exactly a normal person though, thought Reimu. Nevertheless, she takes her place.
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"Your cooking has improved, Marisa."
"Heh, thanks. T'was nuthin' special, really."
"It was a nice change from all that mushroom-based meals you cook in your home."
"Shaddup!"
Reimu calmly sips on her green tea, trying not to hear the two arguing about random matters. Aside from the noise those two were making, everything is peaceful... serene... quiet... In fact...
"It's too quiet..."
Yukari and Marisa stopped arguing to listen. It's indeed too quiet. There's not even birds that can be heard.
"Yukari...?"
"... Fine, I'll take a look."
That said, a gap devours Yukari's body, and she's gone from sight.
"This smells like another incident, Reimu," says Marisa, chugging her tea and eating the accompaniments as fast as that gap did to Yukari.
"... I sure hope not. I have leaves to sweep."
Reimu takes another sip off of her own cup, trying to look calm but silently ranting about the extra work and cursing the world because it comes once a year; too often if you asked her.
...
"Hey, Reimu. How long're we plannin' to play dumb?"
"Aha~ Impatient, are you Marisa?"
"Nah, 'is just I don't like people peepin' at me."
"... Fine. I guess you don't like the feeling of being popular."
In an instant, four sealing needles make their way to the shrubs, seemingly not aimed at anything. Moments later, however, two featureless bodies drop motionless on the ground.
"... They look pretty nasty."
"I didn't know ya grew such weird plants on yer garden, Reimu. Ahahaha~!"
"Shut it. I don't grow weird plants. Plus that's not where my garden is!"
It was like Reimu just took out two insects; a topic not worth talking about.
"Hey! You're just going to dismiss taking out two of my men?" another voice announces. But apparently, the voice's volume isn't enough to cover the distance between where the source is and where the recipients are. Reimu's perception is exceptional though, so...
"... Did you hear something?"
"Hah? Ya growin' hallucinogenic mushrooms now, are ya? Yer head mustn't be on right."
"Look who's talking!"
If they would take the time to notice, that 'something' is currently whimpering.
"No, seriously. I heard something..."
Sensing her chance, the source of the voice walks (jumps) out of her cover.
It was a woman with long blue hair and wearing a red dress. Aside from her appearance, she doesn't look anything special if compared to everybody else, but she did have six wings sprouting out of her back.
"We meet again, Red-White and Black-white... or should I say, Reimu and Marisa?"
The woman laughs mockingly. But...
"Who are you...?"
The woman immediately stops laughing. Instead, she now looks... devastated.
"You... forgot about me...?"
"No, more like, we don't know you."
The woman's demeanor crashes even more.
"Shinki... does that name ring a bell...?"
Reimu didn't even pause to think about it.
"Nope."
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"Okay so let me get this straight. Your name is Shinki."
"Yes."
"And you're the goddess of Makai...?"
"Yes!"
Reimu pauses for a moment.
"... So...?"
Shinki can't help but be depressed. The people that mattered forgot about her, after all, so it's to be expected... She figured that something drastic must've happened. Somebody as important as her couldn't be so easily forgotten, right?
... Right?
"A-anyway! That's not why I'm here!"
"You want to have a drink just like all the others?"
"Ah, thank yo—no wait that's not it either! Makai hereby declares war on Gensoukyou! Prepare yourself, Red-and-White! This is payback for what happened ages ago!"
Reimu tilts her head to the side, expressing her bewilderment. Marisa jokingly does the same, not realizing the (actual) extent of the situation.
"..."
"You don't get it? Makai is going to take over Gensoukyou! There will be a big battle coming."
"... Ah. Just make sure you don't make a mess. This shrine's been rebuilt so many times already."
"... Wahh~!"
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The sun is setting and the Hakurei Shrine is again peaceful. Shinki left whimpering and Marisa had gone home to check on the mushrooms she left to...
"... What does Marisa do with those mushrooms anyway...?"
Various thoughts about it fills Reimu's mind... and most of them sends chills down her spine.
But what about Shinki? Reimu's brain randomly drifted to her. She seemed to know Reimu. Reimu does recognize her face, but it's not coming to her. And what of that 'declare war on Gensoukyou' thing? It was certainly possible if that Shinki woman really was the goddess of Makai. But then again, if she does go about warring, then she'll have to face some very powerful beings. Immortals, youkai, vampires... Gensoukyou has its fair share of unfair advantage. Even Reimu admits that being able to beat them was thanks to the spellcard rules, sheer luck and some skill.
"Ah well, if those people do start a ruckus then I'll have to stop them. Duty calls and all..."
Besides. Reimu was running out of money from the last incident she solved. Donations were rare (if there are any) and, judging by the season, there will be an inflation of prices due to lack of supply.
Not like they could take the Eientei, the Garden of the Sun, the Scarlet Devil Mansion, Higan, the Mountain and Hakugyokurou easily anyway, Reimu thought.
"The only places that would matter are the Forest of Magic, which is like Makai due to certain reasons, the lake, and the human village."
Just then, a black and white mass lands with a crash. The resulting gust of wind blew away the leaves on a large area around the site. That's a whole day's work done in an instant!
When the smoke cleared, it becomes apparent who the new visitor is.
"Ayayayaya~ Looks like I broke some pavement there..."
"And you're going to pay for it. Now, what is it? Pretty late to be distributing papers, don't you think?"
Aya Shameimaru, upon seeing Reimu, drags her up to a standing position so quick that Reimu didn't even had enough time to complain.
"Quick! We need to go!"
"Go? Go where?"
"To the Human Village! It's being attacked!"
Like she thought, the Human Village is indeed one of the places that really matters, especially since there are only a very few skilled individuals there to protect it.
Since Reimu has nothing better to do because Aya had just blown away a day's worth of sweeping, she answered favourably.
"So what's happening now? Is... uhh... Keine was it...? Is she defending the town right?"
Reimu and Aya are soaring the skies at full speed... though it's only Reimu who's going at full speed, really. Aya could have gone in the blink of an eye, but since it's Reimu, she needed to make sure she wouldn't return to the shrine while she wasn't looking.
"No, Keine is currently injured. The mistress of that shady mansion is currently directing the defences."
"You mean Remilia? What is she doing in the village?"
"Everyone is there, Reimu. Not really everyone, but you get the idea. It looks like some alternate world just declared war here. Only your shrine and the human village remain standing."
Reimu grunted in disbelief. It was only until...
The Human Village came into sight.
And just like what Aya said, it was filled with familiar faces. At the village's center indeed is Remilia, seemingly giving orders to everyone. Eirin and Sanae tended to the injured on both sides of the town. Then there is Tewi, selling good luck while Hina was beside her, collecting curses and misfortunes. There were other familiar faces as well, each doing their own thing.
But what is really catching Reimu's attention is what is currently happening just outside of the village. There were countless featureless bodies, similar to those she took out earlier, marching from four directions.
In defence, Alice stands with Marisa and Patchouli along the east gate, showering the area with explosions; Mokou and Utsuho are at the north, gracing the path with blazing fires; Sakuya, Meiling and Youmu bars passage on the western entrance; and Yuuka alone defends the narrow road on the south.
It was a sight to behold, truly. Even Reimu is speechless. She never thought Gensoukyou could be taken so easily, yet, here it is, down to probably only two more strongholds; the village... and her own shrine.
"Whoever these Makai people are, they're really confident about themselves, assaulting Gensoukyou in a surprise attack and all that..." Aya recounts; her eyes showing both anger and amusement. She turns to Reimu, who still hasn't spoken a word ever since arriving at the scene.
"So... Hakurei Shrine Maiden... Will you join the fray, or will you leave your friends...? The choice is yours."
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What? It's vague? Introductory chapters are supposed to be vague, in my opinion!
Everything that happens has a reason. Nothing is coincidence or accident. Stay tuned for the next chapter~!