Disclaimer : Touhou and all its characters are belonged by ZUN. I only own my OCs and this story. Any similarities on any parts of the story with another fanfic are unintended.
Chapter 7 : Sabit and Surya
"Mistress, I will be taking my leave shortly."
…eh?
"Our times together were short, but I could assure you that it is the best moment of my life."
Wait, what are you talking about?
"I wish I could be together with you more, but I am afraid that my time is running out."
You're making me afraid… this is a joke… right? Tell me this is only a joke!
"However, before I take my leave, I would humbly request that, if it is acceptable, for me to call you by your name."
My… name? What are you talking about?! Answer me!
"I wish that I could see you, not only as my Mistress, but also as a friend, a companion, and the first whom I could call a 'family'."
Stop it! You're my servant, and that won't change for as long as I live! Stop your rambling!
*DONG* *DONG* *DONG*
…the bell?
"Ah, it seems that my time is up. Thank you for taking your time to have a last chat before I leave. Farewell… Remilia…"
Stop! Come back here! Don't leave me alone!
…why…
Why don't you hear me?!
COME BACK HERE! SAKUYAAA…!
"-AAAAAAAH!"
I opened my eyes and recognized that I'm in my own room. To be more precise, on my bed. I could feel that my heart's beating like a drum set. My eyes are open like a sunny-side up. Also, my body is sweating bullets, making my pajama sticks to my body.
…pajama? Don't tell me… it's all a dream?
"Mistress?"
I looked at my left and noticed that it is her, the girl from earlier.
"I heard your scream from the outside. Is everything alright?" she said with a hint of worry, unlike in the dream.
"*sigh* It's nothing. I just had a bad dream, is all."
"Bad dream? Are you really sure that-"
"I'm fine, I'm fine." I cut her words before she could think about anything else. I gave her a small smile, just to make sure. "In fact, after I woke up, I realized that it was nothing but a joke."
A joke. Yeah, it's just a joke. A lame joke played by my subconscious. After I woke up and saw that she's still the same as always, I realized that it was all just a joke.
I think I need to consult to the Satori later.
I looked up at her again, a tint of worry, mixed with confusion is still attached on her face. But, she stopped her question. "By the way, prepare the bath. I want to clean this sweat with cold water."
"At this time?"
I raised an eyebrow. "What time is it?"
"It's 1.32…"
"It is? How long has I slept any-"
"…in the night."
…what?
"You're joking, right?"
I swiftly went down my bed and strolled to the only window in the room. I moved the curtain to the side and revealed the darkness, complete with the moonlight. Then, I did the most obvious thing one would do, considering the situation. I glanced back at her, "Sakuya, how long has I slept today?"
She looked at the watch on her hand. "It's… approximately 5 hours. Yesterday you went back to your room around 9.15, and you haven't come out ever since."
5 hours, huh… no wonder I still sleepy. "Are you sure you wanted to take a bath now?" she asked again.
I smirked. "Heh, I've been a nocturnal being even before you're born, you know?"
She smiled with a sigh. "If you say so, then…" in a blink of an eye – note that I didn't actually 'blink' – she's gone, leaving me here alone in the room.
Alone. How terrifying it could be, after I think about it.
I quickly shocked my head off my musing. Did you know that thinking about something could actually make it happen? Especially in my case.
"…then I found myself thinking about it again. *sigh* How troublesome…"
I found myself in the morning, companied by my longtime friend, along with thousands of her books and a cup of tea each in front of us. Well, in her case, she and her cup were separated by a thick book which she reads at the moment.
"Mm-Hmm…" she slowly nodded.
"Seriously, I couldn't sleep until now! Not that I cared anyway, since I'm a nocturnal, but still!"
"Hmm…"
"And also, I- wait… did you really hear my story or not?" I asked, seeing her lack of reaction.
She sighed, closed her book and looked at me with an indifferent expression. "Remi, tell me one good reason why I shouldn't hear your story."
I raised an eyebrow. "Because… you're reading?"
"Exactly." she nodded. "Then, if there's no more I would like to go back to my book." she said as she open her book.
Seriously? Is that how you treat your friend?
"Hey, hey, come on Pache… I need your brain for the moment…" I pouted at her. This always works.
She took a deep breath, then sighed, longer than before. A moment after she closed her book quite abruptly, she looked at me, more annoyed than before. "Fine, if that's what you want. Have you ever thought that your dream is the excess of your power over fate?"
Excess? "You mean like a vision? If that's what you meant, then no. I've never had a dream like that before."
"If that's so, then you have nothing to worry about. Dream is, after all, only a flower of sleep." she took a sip of her tea. "But, if it's you we're talking about, then you should take some precautions."
"Like what?" I reached my cup to take a sip.
"Like pray, maybe."
The tea that's almost an inch from my mouth stopped. I put it back before I let out a stream of laughter while holding my stomach.
"Ahahahaha! That's a good one, Pache, real classic! *sigh* As if a devil could pray to a god." I finally took a sip to rinse my mouth after a good laugh.
"Can't they?" she asked.
"They can?"
"I don't know. Ask yourself." she shrugged.
That raises a question on my head. Have I ever pray before? Have I ever closed my eyes, gazing upon a star and asked for a miracle?
Have I?
"I'm not really sure…" I answered. "…how about you, Pache?"
"I once went to the shrine. The results weren't very satisfying." she answered while opening her book again.
"Oh, that time, huh…"
A pregnant silence followed before she finally opened her mouth. "By the way, are you really sure about bringing that replacement teacher here?"
"Why not? It's about time for Flandre to associate with another human." I took a biscuit which on the center of the table. "After all, this Outsider seems interesting."
"Interesting? How so?" she asked while lowering her book slightly.
"If my intuition's correct, this particular one could have a good connections with Flandre on a later time. I wouldn't be surprised even if she somehow became Flandre's personal maid." I took a bite. "Hmm… did Sakuya made this?"
"Wait, 'She'? Remi, did you read the newspaper?" she asked, ignoring my question.
"Paper? Since when did we subscribe?"
She put down her book. "*sigh* I thought so. Just to make sure, who did you order to go to the village yesterday?"
"Well, I was going to ask Sakuya, but since yesterday's laundry day, I had her had China to go instead."
She massaged the bridge of her nose. "I knew there's something wrong. Remi, I really feel that you should reconsider your plan from the start."
"Hmm? Why's that?" I asked before I took a sip of my tea.
"This 'she' you referring to, is actually a man."
*BUUUU-*
*-UURRSSTT!*
"Déjà vu… it's gotta be a déjà vu…" I mumbled.
"Yep, definitely a déjà vu-ze. Want some napkin?" said Marisa while handing me one.
"Thanks." I took it and wiped my face. "Reimu-san? You okay there?" I asked the miko.
"*cough* *cough* Just *cough* shut up for a second *cough*."
"O-kay~…" I averted my gaze to my cousin, "…how about you, Mia? Need some napkin?" I asked while handing one.
"*cough* *cough* Shut it, stupid *cough*."
*sigh* I knew this won't end well. After we ate our lunch, Mia decided to help Reimu to wash the dishes, so they left me and Marisa together in the middle room. That's when I decided to told her about me tutoring Flandre. Sure, she was surprised at first, but she was quick in getting her focus back.
She said something like neither Reimu nor Mia will agree – talk about obvious – about this thing, so it's better if we sneak out before they finished. Unfortunately for us, Reimu and Mia caught us barehanded when we almost took our flight. Note that neither one of us actually wear gloves, hence the punch-line. Now, both the miko and my cousin interrogated us in the middle room while we sit in a seiza position. Long story short, they were absolutely shocked.
Well, who wouldn't?
"Okay then… well, if that's all, Marisa-san?" I glanced at the magician.
"Yeah?"
"Ready to go for some weapon-hunting?" I offered her, so we don't need to confront with anyone again.
"You bet-ze!"
Just before we reach the shrine's door, Reimu suddenly shouted. "Wait, you two!"
I looked back, "Is everything okay?"
"Look, do you understand how stupid and reckless you are?" she asked. "And Marisa, why didn't you say anything?!"
"Pretty much." I shrugged.
"Ah, chill out, Reimu. I've known Flan-chan ever since I met her. 'Sides, what could possibly go wrong-ze?" said Marisa care-freely, her hands were on the back of her head.
I was actually surprised by Marisa's reaction a little. I guess it's either she doesn't really care, or that Flan isn't actually as dangerous as everyone suspected. As for Reimu, I'm not really sure. Maybe because she didn't hang out with Flan as much as Marisa? I don't know.
"Everything could go wrong!" she said, exasperated. "*sigh* Fine, I'll go with you both."
I raised an eyebrow. "Why?"
"It'll be quite a news if someone found out you're dead meat in her hand. After all, Aya already met you once, so she wouldn't let such opportunity go." she confessed.
"*chuckle* Just say that you worried about him-ze." teased Marisa.
"Shut up!" shouted Reimu. Man, seems we've made her angry too much. Better calm her down a notch.
"Look, Reimu-san. I'm really sorry about this, but do you remember what I said about how much did I know about Gensoukyou a couple days ago?" I asked her.
"Yeah, and what about it?" she crossed her arms on her chest.
"I only know roughly 70%, and that's not much. For example, before I came here I didn't know exactly how you or Marisa-san talk, behave or socialize with others completely. I also only know how's Flan personality from fando- I-I mean, from rumors…" Phew, pretty close back there, "…so I'll admit that I'm actually really curious."
"'Curious'. That's your only reason?" she raised an eyebrow.
"Well, aside from helping Keine-san, well, yeah, that's pretty much how it is."
She face-palmed. "Fine, fine, if that's what you want. I'll look after you when you teach, then we go back immediately. Got that?"
"Got it. Thanks, Reimu-san." I smiled at her.
"*sigh* Whatever."
"Yanto."
I looked back to see that my cousin's already have a scowl on her face. Her foot's already recovering, though she still need a stick – which Reimu found in the storage room – to stand. Judging by her condition, there's no way she could follow us to the SDM even if she wanted to.
"Yeah?"
"You know what you'll be facing later, right?" she asked.
"Pretty much. So?"
She suddenly punched my stomach real swift and hard, making me hunched my back.
"Ugh, damn, it hurts…"
"You really are stupid, you know that?" she commented.
"H-Heh, Y-You're not the first one to say that…"
"*sigh* Judging by how hard-headed you are, there's no way I could force you back. Just go back alive, or I'll kill you in the spot. Remember that we're leaving as soon as I recover."
I looked a little more focused on her face. I don't know if it's just my eyes playing tricks on me or what, but I had a feeling that she looks worried for a moment there. Well, it's kinda obvious. After all, if one of your family goes to the devil's den, literally, who wouldn't be worried? I'd be more surprised if she didn't care.
"I'll try, but I won't promise, though. Also, I got two of the best incident-resolver in the land with me, so you should relax a little bit."
The two's reaction after I praised them varies between surprised, excited, slightly blushed, or all of them combined. Well, you could guess who makes which reactions.
"Well, take care then. By the way, have you got any ideas for your type of weapon?" she asked out of curiosity.
I gazed at the sky, pondering. "Hmm… I think I'll go with a short-sword type. Probably better if I have a gun too."
"Short sword? Not a katana?" she asked back.
"Nah, I'll pass. I know you're the type who likes the longer one, but you really shouldn't get people to follow your taste." I chuckled. "Sometimes the short one feels better, you know? Or do you like it if it could hurt more?"
For a second, the three looks puzzled by what I've said, until they simultaneously let out their own perspective reaction.
"Ooh!" realized Marisa.
"Wha-" blushed Reimu.
"Y-You… PERVERT!" shouted Mia.
"Hehehe, let's go, girls!"
"Bye, Mia! Take care-ze!"
"Look for the shrine for me, and tell Suika not to drink all the sake!"
"COME BACK HERE… DASAR SEPUPU MESUM!"
"That's one smart move, you know?" I commented him.
"Huh?"
It's been about 15 minutes since the three of us flew from the shrine. We're now headed to the outskirt of the Forest of Magic, towards Kourindo. We're currently flying side-by-side with Marisa and Yanto on my right.
"You know, joking earlier, even if it's a dirty joke." I continued, "That's really considerate of you."
"Nah, Reimu… it's even better because it's a dirty joke-ze." chuckled Marisa.
"Huh? What're you girls talking about?"
This man… at first glance I thought that he only worried about his cousin just because her life's in danger. But as time goes by, I realized that she meant more in his eyes.
"You don't have to hide it. You made that joke earlier just so she didn't worry too much, right?" I said.
"Not really, it's just a spur-of-the-moment idea, is all." he shook his head.
"Wah, we got a shy-baby right here-ze… Even if you're like that in front of her, you actually care, don't you?"
I decided to tease him just a little more. "Don't tell me… you're a sis-con?"
"Wha-?" he blushed slightly. "I'm not! Definitely not! Where do you get that idea?!"
"It's okay, it's okay, everyone has their own fetishes-ze." said Marisa. "After all, there's no way you're not a sis-con after you run away from your house for 3– oops!"
I face-palmed. Damn it Marisa, you're such an idiot!
"How did you- wait, don't tell me…" he narrowed his eyes at Marisa.
"N-N-No, I-It's nothing-ze! I-It's not like the two of us got curious of your conversation with Mia so we decided to eavesdrop or anything like- OUCH!"
I swatted my gouhei to her head, prompting her to shut her mouth.
"Oh, 'the two of us', huh…" he glanced at me. "Reimu-san, got any explanations on your part?"
*gulp* I don't know he could make such gaze. We decided to stops in midair so we could explain everything. His reaction? Mostly exasperated, but also acceptance.
"Look, girls, it's already a long time ago, okay? I mean, you've heard the conversations, right? There's no evidence if she even exist!" he reasoned.
"Yeah, yeah, we know that-ze. But what about Yukari?" countered Marisa.
He raised an eyebrow. "Yukari?"
"I also heard that part." I admitted. "That time, you sighed and muttered her name behind your breath. So, what's her connection with this?"
He face-palmed. "Well, for your information, Yukari actually said something like I shouldn't be surprised this morning. I suspected that she somehow knew, but keep it a secret from me."
After he released her hand, he continued. "Because she gave me such hint, my mind is restless and I can't think straight, so sorry if I act strange. I somehow got a feeling that she's still alive somewhere in Gensoukyou, but my mind just won't accept it."
Somehow, we both got worried by his downcast expression that we tried to cheer him up.
"Aw, it's okay-ze, cheer up! I'm sure if she's still alive, she'll be happy to see you!" said Marisa.
"Make that definitely happy." I added.
He smiled a little. "Thanks, girls."
After we continued to fly, he decided to speak more. "By the way, have you got any ideas on who could she be?"
"Nu-uh, not really-ze." said Marisa as she shook her head. "None of the girls we know fits the description."
"Description?" he raised an eyebrow.
"All we know is that she's somehow a human. More than that, we drew a blank." I confessed. "Though, even with that, we still don't have any clue."
"Hmm… I also got the same conclusion, actually. If she's just a normal human, then she might be only a normal outsider that got stranded here. After all, most of your fellow incident-resolver somehow have a non-human side, right?"
"Whoa, you're not lyin' when you said you knew a lot about us." surprised Marisa.
"Well, overthinking will get us nowhere. Time will tell anyway." he dismissed while he gazed forward. "Is that what I think it is?"
True enough, in front of us is hectares of lush forest that spreads from left to right, almost reaching the horizon.
"Yes, that's the Forest of Magic, and that…" I pointed down to the border of the forest, "…is our destination. Let's go." I said while we descend.
Have you ever asked yourself "Why does bad things always happened to me?" No, I'm not going to say that I'm a man with the worst fate in the world, because I believe that someone out there is having a day even worse than me. Disclaimer again, it's not that I'm happy that someone out there is having a bad day, it's just that I'm grateful that at least God haven't give me his worst, yet.
It's just that right now, that particular question is the one I really wanted to ask.
I mean, how could I not? Let me arrange it for you. First, Mia wanted to bring me back. Second, Yukari tasked me to save the land. Third, there's a high possibility that my sister is actually exist. And last but not least, I still haven't got any clue about that day at all. With so much on my mind, it's obvious that I couldn't think really straight.
Surprisingly enough, teaching Flandre is the least of my worry.
It's not that I'm not scared of the fact that in the next couple hours I'm gonna enter the drag- I mean, the devil's den. No, I'm not cocky enough for that. Heck, I haven't even tried any danmaku to know what I'll face in there. It's just that with how much things on my mind, plus with my curiosity over the SDM, teaching somehow became overshadowed by them.
As funny as it is, my runaway ticket from my problems is a highway to hell.
Not funny enough? Well, suit yourself. The author's a complete nutbag anyway.
…
Meanwhile, in the author's room…
"Why, exactly, did I degrade myself in such way?" muttered the author.
"Am I actually…" the author continued, "…*chuckle* nah, I'm not like that crazy gorilla."
…
*sigh* Okay, okay, enough overthinking. Let's just put aside those problems for a bit, and face what's in front of you right now. Take a deep breath… and release it… that's better.
As we descended, I noticed a house-like shop in the border of the forest. It was made of three parts, one which looks like a traditional Japanese store with red-colored roof which is the main part of the store, one which looks like a two-story storage sheds, and a corridor that connects them. Around the store is filled with old posters, old electronics and other old knick-knacks scattered around, gives it the feeling of a garage sale instead of a proper store.
"Now, Yanto…" said Marisa after we landed, "…welcome, to Kourindou!"
"It looks, well… unique." I commented.
"Yeah, just like the owner." said Reimu. "Come on. You don't wanna be late to the mansion, right?" she said as the two marched to the door.
"Ah, yeah…" so I followed them.
Marisa, who's in the front, opened the door quite abruptly. "Yo Kourin, you got a customer-ze!"
"Rinnosuke-san, you're in there?" followed by Reimu who's also waltz in like she didn't have any care in the world.
A male voice was heard from the inside. "Reimu, Marisa, didn't I tell you two not to enter the store without cleaning your shoe first?"
That was close. I almost didn't notice a doormat in front of the door. It's kind of unusual, considering that it's in Japan. But it's Gensoukyou, so common sense doesn't work in here.
"Sorry for intruding…" I said as I make my way inside.
The first glance of the inside of the store says it all. Lacks of lighting, even though it's summer and it's still considered as noon. More stuff – I wanna say 'junk', but I'll feel bad at the owner – than the outside also fills the room. Seems that the outside is for the bigger stuff, while the inside is for smaller knick-knacks. Marisa already sits on the nearby couch, foot raised to the table in front of her, while Reimu is nowhere to be found.
"Ah, I didn't think I would have a customer this day." said a man over the counter. He has short – albeit longer than mine – silver hair with one strand pointed upwards, golden eyes, and a pair of glasses. He wears a seemingly modified blue-black traditional Japanese outfit, with black covers his right arm, his lower stomach and the fabric that hangs on the front and the side of his legs. Overall, he carries the aura of a perfect store owner. That, if he actually sell any of his goods.
He is The Unmoving Used Goods Seller, Morichika Rinnosuke.
"Finally, a male character." I thought to myself. No homo, tho.
The man holds out his hand and smiles, "Good afternoon, sir. My name is Morichika Rinnosuke, and I-"
"Or you can just call him Kourin-ze. He won't mind." cut Marisa through his word.
If I squint harder, I might noticed a little annoyance under that glasses. "Right… as Marisa might have said, I am the store owner of Kourindou. So, is there anything I can help you with?"
I shook his hand. "Hello. I'm Yanto Bahar, an outsider and the newest addition to Gensoukyou. Just as you might think, right now I'm as powerless as a rat, so I was just wondering if you have some sort of weapon for me to defend myself in this world."
He nodded. "Weapons, huh? We might have some in the back of the store. So, what do you have in mind?"
Ah, here goes the hard part. "Hmm… something light, easy to swing, probably a short sword or something of the short. I think I'll deal with speed and agility more than just some powerful slash."
"You might wanna have somethin' for the long range-ze." added Marisa. "You know, for danmaku and stuff. By the way, what's taking Reimu so long?"
"Just a second!" shouted Reimu from the inside of the store. "Rinnosuke-san, did your water heater broke?"
"Reimu, I told you that was my last tea…" said the store owner with a little grumbling.
"A busy day at the store, huh?" I joked.
"*sigh* Even more than usual. Contrary to your belief, a store like this didn't have that much visitor. The only one coming is only these two and some other unusual customer."
"Maybe…" said Reimu as she comes out from the inner side of the store, carrying a tray of tea, complete with its cups. "…if you start selling real things here instead of these useless junk, you could have real customers."
Wow, talk about blunt. Rinnosuke seems to already have a little scowl on his face, so I better come to the rescue. You know what they said, bro's before hoe's.
"I don't wanna agree with you on that one, Reimu-san." I said, as I ventured deeper into the store. "This store, no matter how you look at it, is actually really well managed. Look, electronic stuff are separated from home appliance stuff, which also separated from smaller knick-knacks. Also, considering the variety of the stuff here, I'll say this is a wonderful store."
It was no exaggerations, though. I always fond of exploring, without care of what I could found. Antique store like this were always my playground. So, Kourindou is like a treasure chest for me.
He smiled. "I see that someone understands my point of view. You know what they said, one man's trash…"
"…is another man's treasure, and it fits the store well, Rinnosuke-san." I continued. "You girls simply couldn't grasp the awesomeness of this store."
If I had a mirror, I might noticed my face made a haughty smirk. Now, let's see your reply at this…
"Well, in your case you simply turn a junk into another junk."
…that damn miko…
"So, did you have the stuff, Kourin? We not gonna stay her for long, you know." asked Marisa.
"*sigh* Just a second." Rinnosuke, which already resigned to his fate, started to walk to the back of the store. "While you wait, you could look more into our stuff, or you could just sit on the sofa if you want, Yanto-san. Please, have some tea while you wait." said the store owner from the back.
"Thanks, Rinnosuke-san."
As the three of us wait for him, Reimu started the conversation.
"So, why a short sword?" asked the miko while holding her cup.
"Well, I was considering for a land combat, actually." I confessed.
"Land-da ze? But, danmaku-"
"Performed on air, I know." I cut the magician's words. "It's just that my status as an outsider hasn't changed yet, so I'll have to prepare for the worst case scenario, which is surrounded by hungry youkai with no one to help me."
If I wasn't mistaken, there's a rule in Gensoukyou that forbids the youkai to hunt for human in the village. Unfortunately, this particular rule doesn't works on an outsider, which is why I choose a sword. It'll be good if I have a counter-measure against a short-ranged attack.
"That, I understand. But why a short one?" asked the miko again.
"Hmm… I guess it's because I'm not looking for a sure-kill weapon, but more of a stunner. With a long, heavier sword, my movement would become slower and made me a perfect target. If I use the shorter one instead, hopefully I'll be faster and able to at least run away from them."
"Smart thinkin'-ze. But what about for spell card battle? You still can't use any magic, right?" asked the magician. "What're you gonna do for some long range shoot?"
"*sigh* That's the real problem. I was thinking of using a gun as a substitute, kinda like Sakuya with her knife or maybe Reisen."
"Reisen doesn't shoot real bullets, right?"
"Well, no, it's just that her danmaku looks like a real one, thus my analogy. Back to the topic, it was then that I realized that I can't shoot the same amount of danmaku as them. I can't stop time to collect my bullet, nor can I reproduce magical bullets with my power." I answered the miko.
"It'll be such a great luck if I somehow found an equipment that can generate danmaku out of thin air. *chuckle* Yeah, like that'll ever happen."
"Aw, don't be such a bad sport, will yah?" said Marisa, cheering me up. "I'll be damn sure Kourin got just the thing for you."
Once again, I'm at the mercy of their words. "Thanks, Marisa."
"Here… you… GO!"
*THUMP*
With a loud sound, Rinnosuke brought back a big wooden crater and put it in front of us. Judging by the size, I'll say it's over 10 kilos. Wow. Such weight.
"Phew, that was quite an exercise…" he wiped out his sweat. Then, he bent down and open the lid, which shows dozens of weapons of many shapes and size.
"Whoa…"
"See if you found the thing for your liking." he patted his hip to clean the dust on his hand.
As I looked inside, I noticed that there's not just one, not just two, but almost three dozens of swords, maces, sticks, tridents, and many other weapons I won't bother to name laying in the box. Yanto had an awe expressions on his face, while Marisa face almost said "I wanna rob the hell outta them!" as expected of a kleptomaniac.
Suddenly, I realized something weird.
"Wait…" I asked Rinnosuke-san, "…why didn't you ever told me you have any of these?"
Yanto scoffed, "Well, duh. It's not like anybody wants to show these to some trigger-happy girls who likes to fight all day, taking stuff outta innocent while shouting "Danmaku's all about firepower-da ze!" It would be like giving Trump a presidential seat."
"Hey, I'm not a trigger-happy!" shouted Marisa.
"He never said your name, you know." I chuckled.
"But I- wait… darn it." she face-palmed over her stupidity, prompting me to giggle even more.
We waited for at least 10 minutes while Yanto search through the crate. He looks carefully, though swiftly, through each and every weapons, then put aside some which isn't to his liking.
"Did you found anything you like?" asked Rinnosuke-san.
Yanto thought for a moment, before he lets out a sigh. "I don't know. These are all pretty good, but… I'm still not sure." he looked at Rinnosuke-san, "You still got anything else?"
"I am sorry, but unfortunately, we- wait…" he put his hand on his chin while sporting a thoughtful look. Suddenly, he rushed to the inside. "Just a second."
"If you would, could you find any shooting weapons too?" asked Yanto with a little shout.
"On it!" said Rinnosuke-san from the inside.
Once again, we wait. Luckily, he comes out in less than 3 minutes. On his hands is a medium-sized maroon box.
"I remember found this laying in the middle of a way towards the village while I am on a stroll a couple days ago. Unfortunately, I forgot to examine the thing inside and just put it on a shelf." he said while he hands the box to Yanto.
"So that's why the store's empty…" thought Marisa loudly.
Upon closer look, the box has a glossy design, like it's never even touched a ground before. There's a row containing 4 columns of symbols I don't understand, with a design of a silver head of a creature with a red eyes over the row. On each side of the creature's head is a pair of upside-down wing feather.
"A… cryptex?" mumbled Marisa.
"A what?" I asked.
"A cryptex-da ze. It's kind of a container to hide messages in it. Or in this case, stuff." she explained.
Yanto eyed her. "Did you read any novel lately?"
She answered, "I read it in Patchouli's library. I think it's called 'Da Capo's Code' or somethin'."
"Ah, that…" mumbled Yanto in in realization.
"It is called a 'combination lock' to be precise, used to secure items through a combination of symbols. Though, you might understand it more, Yanto-san." said Rinnosuke-san.
"Well…" he started, "…'combi-lock' refers more to this symbol thingy right here. These were actually discs which could we rotate to change the combination. The box only opens if we got the combinations right."
"So, what's the combination?" I asked.
"That is where the problem is. The lock contain symbols I do not understand. It is not like any other alphabets or numbers I have ever seen in my life." confessed Rinnosuke-san.
"Maybe we could ask Kosuzu-ze? She might understand." suggested Marisa.
"Wait girls…" said Yanto. "I think… I got it."
"Do you understand the code?" asked Rinnosuke-san.
"I guess, but…" he let out a sigh, "…I don't know if it's a joke or the maker is actually really dumb."
"What'dya mean?" asked Marisa.
"These lock contains at least three number symbols from different culture. Sundanese, Javanese, Arabics… and I might also found Japanese in it, all combined in each disc." he explained while rotating it. "This might be a sign of cultural exchange, or the maker is simply stupid enough to think that it's amusing to see people suffer. Luckily, I've learned them a little when I'm still in school."
He then moved his finger to the creature's head. "This button shaped like a goat's head. After we got the combination, we push the button to see if it's right or not. Usually, goat represents the sign of devil in a pop culture. Did you know what the number of the devil is?" he asked.
"It's… triple-six?" answered Marisa with a little doubt.
"Right, 666. But, let's see the design again. There's a pair of upside-down feather wing on the side of the head. Feather wing means birds, flying creature, or…"
"An angel." mumbled Rinnosuke-san.
"Yep. Angels also described as the opposite of devils. Now, devils, angels, upside-down, plus consider the wings on each side. Combine these together, and you get…"
"999?" I guessed.
"696?" Rinnosuke-san guessed.
"313-da ze?" guessed Marisa.
"It's 969…" he face-palmed. "Though, we need to test it to see the answer." then he started to rotate the disc for a moment before he stops. "Wait…"
"What again this time?" I grumbled. Seriously, this is taking too long!
"There's 4 columns right here, yet 969 only need three. So how…" he put his hand on his chin.
"Maybe it's 0969?" asked Rinnosuke-san.
"Let's see…" and he rotates it. Then, he tried to push the head. "It… won't budge."
"Let me see." said Marisa as she took the box abruptly. She eyed all sides of the box for a couple seconds, before she lets out a "BINGO-DA ZE!"
On the lower side of the box, there's a matte colored symbol which almost unnoticed without squinting our eyes. I might not know much about magical symbol, but I at least know that it's an infinity symbol.
"It's an infinity symbol! Means that the code is the largest possible number in there! Yanto, try 9999-ze!"
"9999? So what's the connection between them and the goat?" Yanto said as he raised an eyebrow.
"I dunno. Just try it first!" she said as she handed him the box again, which he replied with a sigh.
"Let's see… nine, nine, and… nine." he mumbled. Then he tried pushing the head again. "Still nothing."
I smirked. "Know-it-all."
She scoffed. "Better than know nothin'."
"Maybe we should look more into what the symbol's philosophy." said Rinnosuke-san. "Infinity means…" he mumbled, "…unbounded, unrestricted…"
"…something very big or very small…" continued Marisa.
"…eternal, imperishable…" mumbled Yanto, "…or simply… wait, THAT'S IT!"
"You found it?"
"If I was right, it doesn't mean infinity, it's only an 8 laying down! It's not in decimal, but in octal! Rinnosuke-san, do you have a calculator or any other counting device?"
"I think we have one on that cabinet." he said while pointing at it, "Wait for a second." then he marched away.
"Octal?" I asked.
"Means that after 7, you jump-count to 10, not 8. Geez, Reimu, try to learn sometimes, will yah? I'll let you borrow Patchouli's book if you want-ze."
I let out a low grumble at her. "Shut it. It's not my fault that books and me are not compatible."
"Here it is." said Rinnosuke-san while handing Yanto a small device which looks like the one Yukari called a 'cellphone'.
"An older type, huh… let's see…" Then, he pushed down some buttons from it while asking us to remember some numbers. After he finished, he took the box and play with the code.
"So, is it correct-ze?" asked Marisa.
"Just a second. A seven, which in Japanese… the second one, which in Javanese, and the third one… oh, it's in Sundanese… there. 1711. Now let's see if it's works."
He pushed down the head. Then, with an audible *cackle*, the box opened, revealing the objects inside.
I swear, if this is like that cartoon Nitori once showed me, there should be that "Aaa~" voice comes out right now. What's inside is, as we expected, weapons. Two, to be precise.
One of them is a tiny knife that looks like a bird-claw. It looks small enough to be concealed in one's hand. The blade, which is dull grey-colored, has a crescent moon which enclosing a star carved in it. The knife itself doesn't have a cross-guard. The handle, which is made of light-colored wood, has a hole at the top of it that looks as big as a thumb made out of iron. On the side of the knife is its scabbard which has the same color as the handle and the symbol on the blade. Somehow, it looks like a stealth weapon used by ninjas.
If the first is already weird, then the second one is even weirder. It is a short sword, probably one-half times longer than Sakuya's knife. The dull black-colored blade which shaped like a wavy-serpent or a thunder looks really wicked. It's also lacks of cross-guard. However, the end of the blade widens to one side of the sword, made it looks like it has one. On the middle of it carved a sun-like symbols in the middle of wavy-patterned carvings. The handle is made of dark-colored wood with a silver carving similar like the blade in the middle of it. The scabbard which also placed on the side of the sword looks like it has its own cross-guard. It has the same color and carving as the handle and the blade, with the exception of the scabbard's cross-guard which is light-colored wood.
"What… are those?" asked Reimu in awe.
"They look… peculiar." commented Kourin.
Yanto, which still held the box, looks the most stunned. We even needed to shock his shoulder in order to attain his consciousness back. After we did, he blinked twice before he speaks.
"E-Eh?"
"You okay?" I asked.
"I-I guess… by the way, what did you three said earlier?"
No way… he didn't even remember?
"I was just wondering about the swords. Did you know anything about them?" asked Reimu.
"According to my ability, the smaller one is called "Karambit", while the bigger one is "Keris". Oh, I forgot to mention that I have an ability to recognize the name and purpose of an item that I saw. Though, the purpose of those two seems the same as any other sword, which is to cut things." explained Kourin.
"That's… a very useful ability." said Yanto. Again, he showed no reactions an Outsider should have. "By the way, you're correct. This small, claw-like knife is a karambit. It usually used in extremely close combat as a stealth weapon. The other one is a keris. Some said the older type have some magical powers in it, such as preventing bad luck or bringing good luck for the owner. Now, keris usually used for a traditional ritual or dance, or even as a decorations in wedding."
My eyes glimmer in awe upon hearing his explanations. Somehow, I just wanna 'borrow' it and took it with me. However, Reimu slapped my hand just before I made a contact with it.
"Ouch!" I rubbed my hand. "That hurts!"
"You know what? I think you should really see an expert to remove that kleptomaniac disorder of yours." commented Reimu, her arms are crossed on her chest.
"Hey, I'm not gonna steal it, I was just going to borrow it!"
"Yeah, like, until you die, which is the same thing as stealing." scoffed Yanto. "Think about it. What if the owner dies before you does. How is she going to take it back?"
"That's…" I tried, but I just couldn't find the answer to that question. Damn you and your mind games!
"So, what do you think? Is it to your liking?" asked Kourin.
"It looks… cool, actually." commented Yanto.
It was no exaggeration, though.
Both the knife and the sword have really unique shape, compared to modern weapons in real life or anime. Karambit's shape made it useful for slashing and hooking. Its primary goal is for self-defense in close combat. While keris, its wavy blade supposed to increase the severity of wounds caused by stabbing. Keris, in itself, is a work of art. It's rare to see one for combat today. Even on older days, the art embedded in it is fascinating.
This raises a question in my head.
Karambit and keris, even though originated from the same country – my country – it is unusual to see both of them so close together. Both were originated, or at least renowned, from two different island. The box, the code, the contents, all of them makes it hard to tell that it was mere coincidence. A line was made in my head.
"Rinnosuke-san…" I asked him, "…when did you said you found it?
"Hmm… If I wasn't mistaken, I found it around three days ago."
Monday? "Are you sure?"
"I am personally sure of it. That day my food stock runs out so I was going to the village to refill it. I remember because that day I forgot to take my pouch with me. Then I found the box on my way back." he explained.
Heh, so that's it…
"Seems the gap hag has it all planned, huh-ze." commented Marisa.
"Obviously. So, are you going to take it?" asked Reimu.
"Maybe…" I mumbled. I held the karambit with my left hand, but just before it reached my eye level…
"WATCH OUT!"
Suddenly, Marisa punch-slap my hand, makes me release the grip and toss it to the other side of the store.
"Hey, what gives?!"
Marisa, with sweat-dropped face, speaks a tone of nervousness.
"You almost blow up back there."
What?
"Blow up? Like, a balloon?" asked Reimu.
"That knife's dangerous-da ze. When you touched it, the flow of mana in this room changed, some get sucked by the knife and into your body. One second late, and you'll blow like my Ecological Bomb."
I gulped by her explanation. Not only because of the knife's ability, but because I can't feel anything weird when I held it.
"So, if that one's dangerous, then…" I said to myself as I reach to the sword. Three seconds after I held it, Marisa shouted again.
"DROP THAT ONE TOO!" she shouted, makes me release the sword immediately.
"That sword literally sucks the magic filled on your body earlier. If you let it suck a little longer, your life span could be reduced-ze." she explained.
I gulped once again. Compared to its design, the knife and the sword were actually really dangerous. Weapons that can kill the owner? Wow…
[Bersama-sama.]
Eh?
"Did you hear that?" I asked.
"Hear what?" asked Reimu.
"It's quiet in here." said Marisa.
"I am certain that I didn't hear a thing." answered Rinnosuke.
I raised an eyebrow at their statement. Just before I asked them, I hear that voice again, a little louder this time.
[Kami. Berdua. Bersama-sama.]
Wait… "We… both… together?"
"What're you talkin' about?" asked Marisa.
"I hear that sound ringing through my head. We. Both. Together. Together…" suddenly, a light bulb shines on top of my head as I realized something. "Don't tell me…"
I walked to the karambit, still holding the box with the keris in it. After that, I crouched and put the box on the side of the knife. Then, slowly and simultaneously, I grabbed the knife's handle with my left hand and the sword's with my right. I let it there for five second before I stood up and turned around facing them.
"So, how is it, Marisa-san?" I asked.
"The mana, it's… flowing freely from your left to your right, in and out. It's almost right a river-ze." she explained.
"How do you feel?" asked Reimu, a little worried.
"I feel fine, actually. It wasn't hurt or anything. In fact, I somehow feel refreshed." I answered.
[Beri kami nama.]
That voice again… "I guess that voice earlier comes from the knife and the sword. Now, both of them asked me to name them."
"If that's so, then I suggest that you think about it deeply. In Gensoukyou, naming is a very important thing. It represent the owner as a whole, sometimes even the ability of the owner." explained Kourin. "Strangely as it is, I can't seem to find any name on both weapon except for just "karambit" and "keris"."
I smirked. "Unfortunately for you three, I've already got a name since I saw them." I looked at my left hand. "This karambit could absorb the energy from outside. It doesn't have its own energy source. With a crescent moon carved in it, I call it… Sabit."
Then, I looked at my right hand. "This keris could use the energy from within and let it out freely. It also has a sun carved in it. I called it… Surya."
As if responding to my words, both the knife and the sword suddenly starts to shine brightly, forcing us to either shielded or closed our eyes. Then, as fast as it shines, the light disappeared, leaving the four of us in utter confusion.
[Terima Kasih…]
"That was… weird." I commented.
"Yeah, not every day you saw an item reacts that way. By the way, what kind of naming sense is that-ze? Sabit and Surya? That sucks!" mocked Marisa.
"Shut it. It's not my fault I'm bad with naming." I frowned.
"Yanto, I've got an idea." said Reimu, gaining everyone's attention. "Try to release one of the weapon and see what happens."
I nodded. Then, I put the karambit on the table and asked Marisa, "How is it now?"
"Weird… it doesn't suck your energy anymore." commented Marisa.
Curious, I tried the same thing again. Only this time, the one I put down is the keris. "Now?"
"It also doesn't fill you with energy anymore. What a weird weapon…" she said. Somehow, I noticed a trail of drool running down from one side of her mouth.
"Marisa, get to you senses." said Reimu while snapping her fingers in front of Marisa's face.
"Huh, e-eh? I-I'm okay-ze! I-It's not like I wanna borrow it or somethin', definitely not!" she stammered.
I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, like hell."
"So, how is it? Is the item to your liking?" asked Rinnosuke, back to his seller tone.
I smiled and nodded. "I'll take it."
"Seems like Yukari got you good, huh-ze!"
The three of us were on our way to the SDM. It's almost '17.00', according to my watch. I'm almost late, so we decided to crank up the speed a little. After I told Rinnosuke about my job as a teacher, he somehow prayed for my safety there.
Is Flandre really that bad?
Anyway, we both decided that I'll play for the weapons next week, after I got my paycheck. He also reluctantly asked me to help him with his stuff, such as telling him how to use it. I gladly accept it, under the pretense of the payment.
Unfortunately, he can't find any kind of long-range weapon at the moment. Plus, I don't have time to test my weapons because of the lack of time. Now, Sabit is in my left pocket because of its small size while Surya is being held with my belt.
These two… ability to absorb and release, huh? If my guess was right, then they haven't yet to release their full potential. I somehow got a feeling that Yukari just gave me a cheat to boost-up my level a bit. I got a bad feeling about this. It's either that she prepared me for the worst, or the worst is just around the corner.
Unconsciously, I gulped.
"Well, I can't say that I didn't appreciated it, though! Getting these two is like getting power-ups!" I answered.
The wind's pretty heavy because of our speed. I could feel that my short hair flutters freely from the wind. We have to shout a little so we can hear each other.
"By the way, are we there yet?!" I asked, seeing the forest below us has no end.
"Just a little more! Look!" said Reimu as she pointed forward.
As I glanced, I could see a dense mist covered a big lake in the middle of the forest. The mist is so thick that I can't see what's on the other side.
"Is that what I think it is?!" I asked.
"Yeah! Welcome to the Misty Lake-ze!"
My eyes widened in realization. If that's really it, then maybe we could found a lot of fairies there. Maybe I'll meet Cirno, Lily or Dai there!
"Which is… a pretty bad thing, if you ask me…" I mumbled.
"Did you say something?!" asked Reimu.
Out of nowhere, hoard of fairies suddenly showed up and fired multiple danmakus of different shape and size at us.
"HOLY-!"
"Watch out!"
We were forced to evade the bullets by going left, right, up, down, and sometimes going back in impossible maneuver I never thought anyone could perform. Reimu fired dozens of ofuda at the fairies, which made some who get hit exploded in white light. Marisa took her time in maneuvering with her broom and fired green meteor-like bullets which makes more of them exploded. Meanwhile, the mighty me, desperately hanging onto my life while my head swaying left to right, sometimes back and forth because of the movement Marisa made with her broom.
"There's no end of them!" I shouted.
Our vision and movements were restricted by how dense the fog is, making us harder to evade and forced to graze. Suddenly, a stray petal-like bullets flew just millimeters from my eyes.
"AAH!"
"You okay?!" asked Reimu.
"I DON'T KNOW! THIS IS NUTS!"
I hope I haven't crapped my pants. I REALLY hope I haven't crapped my pants! Is this what spell card battle's all about?!
"Sh*t, this is takin' too long!"
Marisa took down her witch hat and pull out an octagonal block from it. After she put her hat back, she held the block with both her hands and pointed it forward.
That small block of abomination is her Mini-Hakkero.
"Yanto, now I'll show you why it ain't magic if it ain't flashy!" she glanced back. "Welcome to Kirisame Marisa's Spark 101!"
"F*CK." was the only thing in my mind after I saw her weapon. Whatever happens after this, it won't be good…
"First, concentrate you mind. Second, mutter the spell to mini-hakkero tenderly." she explained while muttering gibberish to her weapon.
"Hurry up!" shouted Reimu.
"Chill, girl!" said Marisa. "Now where was I? Oh yeah! Then, aim at someone you don't like…"
The mini-hakkero on her hand starts to glow brightly. This won't be good…
"Now unleash you annihilation of love!" she shouted. [Love Sign "Master Spark!"]
Suddenly, three massive rainbow-colored magic circle appeared in front of her hand, one is bigger than the others. Then, a narrow white laser shoot out from the hakkero, followed by a massive rainbow-colored laser, obliterating everything in its path.
"FUUUUUUUUUUUU-!"
The force of the spark force us back a little. I have to grab he broom even harder so I don't fall off. Meanwhile, Reimu leisurely floated on our left.
When the spark end, all I could see is clear sky, lake and forest. The force of the spark actually managed to clear most of the mist. There's no fairy in sight at all.
"You could've done it faster, though." commented Reimu.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever. So, how's your first danmaku-ze?" asked Marisa while glancing back.
"NUTS!"
And that is it!
Sorry for being a little late. Exam plus homework really took my time. In fact, right now I have like three or more assignment due this week. Looks like there's no rest for me, huh.
I was going to post this chapter a couple days, probably a week ago. But since it's already long, I decided to take my time and extend it a little more. As of now, I still think I'm going too far with the Kourindou scene.
Anyway, what do you think about Yanto's weapon? Is it too shabby, too ugly, or too OP even? Well, I will answer some questions that might pop out on your head after you read this fic:
1. Can Yanto, with his weapons, copying danmaku?
Unfortunately, no. As for now, the weapon's primary ability is absorb and release. Danmaku is even more complex than just shooting energy at your opponent.
2. Will Yanto be too OP with his boundary ability?
No again. As of now, Yanto's ability is considered as only "Opening", not "Manipulating". He still have a long way to reach Yukari's level. Don't forget that Yukari forbid him to use the ability without her watch, so his progress might be restricted.
I actually wanted to add Yanto's weapon testing in here. But, I decided to skip it for another chapter, maybe after he teach Flandre. The weapon's real ability will also be revealed.
By the way, sorry for not adding Flandre here again.
Now, I wanted to reply yet another review! Yay!
Nefer Nightbug : I believe these 'idea waves' are called scintillas, which are invisible electroparamagnetic aerial worms which pulluate throughout the atmosphere.
Umm… *sweat-drop* could you, or anyone, link me where I could learn more about this 'scintillas'? I actually couldn't find it, and I'm ashamed by my ability.-_-
The 'idea waves' is just something that pops out of my mind when I thought "What's the connection between anime in another dimension with our world?" So don't take it as real, folks. It's just a pseudo-science.
By the way, the fact that someone actually took their time to read my explanations really surprised me. I mean, wow. I myself even bored reading it. Nevertheless, Mr./Ms. Nightbug, NormalMortal here sincerely thank you from deep within my wallet.
I was actually going for heart, but my wallet's deeper… and emptier.
Also, please review if you find something lacking, not right, or maybe can be improved. Please, it's really important to me.
Until next time, then :v
Btw, is it really okay going 3+ chapter without any epilogue? If you're displeased, just imagine that the scene in the SDM as a prologue.
