Forgotten Harmony of Germane Errant
Chapter Six: Visioning
Overhead, the sight of ebony wings flapping wildly greeted me.
The bird was just flying by, without a care in the world. Observing every dark feather on the bird as it soared through the sky, I felt a small bang of envy.
"Become something greater for me, okay?"
At that point, I did not even know if I had a choice.
Not bothering to glance away from the grey sky, or to even check my surroundings, I let my mind wander, indifferent. The bird was free, but due to recent events, I felt as if I was bound to a predetermined path, one set before me by a higher being. One that I had no say in. I had realized that back when I was in Makai, training under the old man Youki, and had even accepted it as reality then. Yet, my mind still managed to persuade the rest of me that it was all a dream; that I could not have that much lack of control.
But that was no dream. I really was so pathetic that I could not even step out of the path.
If only I had found the exit that time, at that moment. Then, I would have avoided what was to come to me.
No. If I had found the exit then, I would have never become what I am now, and would have never met that girl again.
As the bird glided without restraint in the grey sky, a sudden hunger came over me as I kept watching it and watching it and watching it… For some time, I gazed at it, an odd and sick thought in my mind.
What if…
What if I killed the bird?
A sudden bump in the road brought me out of my thoughts.
As whatever I was on hit some random rock or heap of dirt, my body flew up in the air for a short second. Just as soon as I was airborne, I plummeted down onto the back of my head. Hard.
Feeling pressure taking hold of my head, I cupped the back of my head and squirmed a little from the pain and discomfort. Now that I think about it, that bump was one hell of a wake-up call. The unpleasant sensations fading away, I sat up, only one of my hands remaining on my scalp.
"Looks like someone's finally awake." A voice to my right jeered loudly, the mocking tone almost too obvious. Turning to look, I saw a Japanese man in his thirties, donning an all brown kimono and lengthy hair.
"Good. Another pair of eyes will be helpful." Another voice replied from my left, sounding quite familiar to my bruised mind. Gulping, I slowly twisted my head the other way to confirm a suspicion on the source of the voice.
Sure enough, it was Kosuke.
"AAHHHHH!"
After screaming, I quickly inched away from the man who had previously threatened to kill me. When my back collided with a leg, I reflexively looked back. The leg belonged to a man with a scar on his lip, and a katana in hand.
"I think you scared him, Master Kosuke." The man said, or more specifically, growled. Seeing the cold, merciless steel of the blade in his hands, I quickly detached myself from his leg and dove away from them. My escape would have worked too…
…Had I not dived off the cart we were all on.
Airborne, I was once again reacquainted with the experience of sudden free falling. For an instant, my breath left me, and I was subject to nothing but the wind and gravity. An instant later, I came to remember the taste of dirt in my mouth.
"He seems to have jumped off, Master Kosuke." I managed to catch one of the men say as I was coughing and groaning on the ground.
"So it seems. Dojin, stop the cart."
Still a bit stunned, I rolled over onto my back to get off my hurt front. After doing so, Kosuke appeared next to me, blocking the light from sun overhead.
"Mister Emil, I must really ask that you discontinue this habit of throwing yourself to the ground. It will not heal your injury any quicker." The man said, offering a hand of assistance. I made no motion to take that hand.
"I'm sure you can understand why I have that habit in the first place." I growled at Kosuke before placing my hand on my bandages. Moist. Not good.
"Do you not remember what I said before you fell unconscious last time? I made it clear that I was not going to harm you." Kosuke replied. Retracting his hand, he then crossed his arms, the authority I had felt before resurfacing at that moment. Somehow, it did not affect me that time.
"Sorry, I was too busy worrying about having steel cut through me." I shot back, knowing that I was acquiring a bit of an attitude towards the man. I did not care then. The fall had made me bitter and forgetful of the status quo.
"You have no need to be concerned about getting killed on a trip to get you healed." The man said calmly, keeping in place.
"A trip to get me healed?"
"Yes. I'm afraid that the wound on your chest is only getting worse. Though we do have the medicine to cure you…"
"The medicine doesn't work?"
"Unfortunately, it does not. However, we do know of a doctor that can help you. She has served the people of the Village for some time, and her servant often sells us medications and tonics. In fact, this trip is to restock our medical supplies as well." Kosuke revealed; stepping back towards the cart the other men were on.
"You were going to kill me a while back. Why act so worried now?" I asked, getting up to one knee. Oddly enough, it wasn't as hard as it used to be.
"Consider it a form of apology for last time's… misunderstanding. Also, we cannot have another Youkai hunter injured. We need all men that can fight healthy to defend the Village."
Again with the Youkai hunter thing, I thought to myself as I glanced at the cart, noting the two men sitting in it with swords in hand.
"Then why the armed guard?" I questioned as I strained my body to get up completely. Again, strangely little to no effort.
"The times call for them. Many Youkai would love to ambush a defenseless cart and its driver. Especially if it has supplies that would benefit them... and the driver being injured himself." Kosuke answered, lifting his body up to get into the cart once more. Puzzled by what he said, I moved my eyes to the driver in question, and then allowed them to widen.
There sat Dojin, bald, grinning… and covered in bandages.
"What happened to him?" I questioned Kosuke as I point at Dojin, who was attending to the single bull that was pulling the cart.
"Some impulsive man who saw an opportunity to get away took it, and then proceeded to slam into the poor man. I would have kept Dojin at home and punished the impulsive man myself, but honor forces me to aid them both. Also, Mausu is the Village's best bull, and only Dojin can make him move." Kosuke answered as he took his seat next to the man with the scarred lip, a small smirk barely noticeable on his lips. I fell silent, because I knew full well who the 'impulsive man' Kosuke was talking about was. What could I say to that? Right, I could have said 'well, you were about to slice me up like a carrot'. In fact now that I remember I was going to say just that, but he beat me to the punch.
"Now, let us keep moving. Some youkai are still active even in the early hours of the day. Mister Emil, I suggest you take a seat."
Staring daggers at Kosuke, I reluctantly followed his orders. Yes, he did try to kill me. Yes, he could have been lying about going to get me medical aid. So what? I was in an unknown world injured. The man said that they were going to take me to get healed. If he wanted to kill me, he would have already done it.
Minutes later, the cart was in motion again; the only sounds around us the creaks of the turning wheels and the crack of Dojin's whip. I kept silent as we moved along, suffering through the aches of my previous fall. Resting a hand on my bandages, I soon discovered that I was dressed in a faded-blue kimono, complete with bits of dirt and leaf. Glancing up, a wonderful azure sky was on full display overhead.
"How is that possible?" I muttered to myself under my breath.
I had honestly thought that when I opened my eyes I was in my world of grey, just lying in some forgotten field of ashen grass. Though the bird was a little off from the typical dreams, I could have betted my life that I was in that world. However, I also knew that I had not woken up again after opening up my eyes for the first time. Sure, the bump was painful, but I was awake during it, not slumbering. Gazing down at my hand, I tried to make sense of what had happened.
Had I somehow accessed the world of grey while I was awake?
"What are you staring at, boy?"
Realizing that I was spacing out, I quickly recovered and looked to the person who spoke to me. It was the man in the brown kimono.
"Nothing… just the landscape." I lied, though I did take in the scenery soon after. It turned out that we were on a modest dirt road alongside a calm and small river, with woods on the other side. The river was clean, the sun was out, and the sky was littered with full white clouds… I soon realized that the land of Gensokyo was much different than that of Makai. For one, I could breath easier, since I was out of the toxic atmosphere Makai had. Second, the place looked far more pleasant to be in than the dark woods and eerily crimson water in the world of demons. Finally, I found that I was able to hear and see more clearly in Gensokyo. I could identify most of the noises in the woods next to us, and make out every splash in the river. I was even able to make out some of the fishes underwater!
Entertained by my seemingly improved senses, I looked around like a curious kid, fascinated by every little thing. The more I heard and saw, the less I fought the smile forming on my face.
"Master Kosuke, I think he landed on his head too hard." I heard the man in the brown kimono say in a mocking manner, which transferred my budding smile onto his face, leaving me with a bitter frown.
"Toshiyuki, you must remember that Mister Emil here was previously in the world of demons, and he has probably not seen the beauty of this land," Kosuke lectured the man before turning his head to look at me, "but then again, his childlike behavior is rather… perturbing."
Toshiyuki laughed loudly after that, smacking a hand on his knee.
"Oh, Master Kosuke! No wonder you are so popular in the Village! You are a riot! Don't you think so, Iwao?" Toshiyuki guffawed to the stoic man next to me, who only grunted before closing his eyes, his arms folded in front of him. I kept silent and brought my head down, somewhat humiliated.
"Anyways Master Kosuke, why didn't we just take Emil-chan here to old man Unshuo? Wasn't he famous for curing any injuries in the village?"
Though I managed to hear the whole question, I suddenly felt a sharp pain in my head when he said 'chan'. I soon forgot about it when I remembered that 'chan' was often used to address little girls.
"You do not recall mister Unshuo declaring that he could and would no longer act as healer? The entire Village was deeply saddened by his decision. How was it that it slipped your mind?" Kosuke inquired back to Toshiyuki without any reaction towards him calling me Emil-chan. I, however, provided the necessary reaction of burning a hole through the man in the brown kimono with my glare.
"It was shadowed by the Water Pillar incident, Master Kosuke." I jumped at the sudden revelation from the man next to me, the stoic named Iwao. Kosuke nodded his head in understanding, while Toshiyuki grinned.
"I remember that! The whole Village was almost flooded because of that!"
"If I am not mistaken, the Pillar was at the base of Youkai Mountain…"
Completely lost in the conversation, the mention of a Youkai Mountain sent a chill down my spine. I could still remember the fight I was in right before I left Makai, and the creatures that attacked Youki, Meira and I. If there was an entire mountain of beings like the blue-haired man…
Gulping, I looked up on an impulse, and caught sight of a mountain in the distance. Was that the Youkai Mountain Kosuke referred to?
"…-fore we went into this war. You okay there, Emil-chan?"
Another bang of pain hit my head as Toshiyuki spoke to me, but thankfully it was weaker than the first one.
"I'm fine. Um…. What can you tell me about Gensokyo?" I asked the men around me, attempting to start the conversation for once. If I was to be in the world, the least I could do was learn more about it.
"Of course! Why not? It's best to acquaint tourists with the basic information of the land, like the landmarks, best restaurants, best fishing spot, best…"
"The land you see now once belonged to a great country known as Japan. You may have heard of it, Mister Emil, since you are an outsider, but I do not know if it is still referred to by that name. In the past, this land was a grim and desolate place where Youkai ran amok and without restraints, terrorizing nearby villages and abducting the people in them." Kosuke lectured, interrupting Toshiyuki mid-sentence. As he spoke, I found myself listening closely. So Gensokyo used to be a part of Japan? That explained the culture of that land.
"Of course, youkai hunters existed then too, and many would travel to Gensokyo to brave through the hordes of man-eaters. Many were unsuccessful, and many more lost their lives." Kosuke continued; his eyes turned to the sky.
"It was not until over a hundred years ago that the tide went against the youkai. As more and more fell to human hunters, a single being rose up to act as their Sage, and to request for the sealing of Gensokyo from the rest of the country. Taking it as an opportunity to rid Japan forever of the night creatures, the human onmyoji and priests at the time approved the Sage of the Youkai's plan, and with her they called forth the great Dragon God Itself, Ryuujin, for permission and assistance."
"Wait, Dragon God?" I asked, once again bringing in the bewildered stares of the people around me… except Kosuke.
"Yes, the Great Dragon God. We consider him to be the God of Gensokyo. We have a statue dedicated sorely to him back in the Village." He answered, seemingly unaffected by my question.
"Oh, I see. So did he help them?" Having already seen the unreal and magnificent creatures and places that were in Makai, a Dragon God did not seem any different than a Demon God. At least I had met the former.
"He did so." Kosuke said as he looked back to me, "Considering the plight of the youkai and the benefits for the humans, the Dragon God granted them Its blessing and power in exchange for the guarantee of Its place as highest-god of Gensokyo."
"Which explains the statue." Toshiyuki added in quickly.
"And so, the Sage of the Youkai and the human onmyodji and priests established the Great Hakurei Barrier, named after the human family whose descendants would act as the new border's guardians. Before it was raised however, several humans entered Gensokyo to leave past troubles or to continue the hunt for youkai. It was from those humans that the Village was established so long ago. They were thei- I mean, our- ancestors." Correcting himself, Kosuke kept on speaking as if nothing had happened. Yet, I would later remember that mishap.
"Since then, the bouts between humans and youkai have decreased, and every incident that has occurred has been dealt with by the Hakurei… the newest descendant having even set up a form of dueling that prevents the full use of one's abilities." Once he said that, Kosuke allowed a proud smile to play upon his face.
"Because of her 'Spell Card system', we humans are stronger than ever. Even a mere fisherman could successfully fight off a minor youkai alone. We grow more and more in strength while the youkai only turn softer with the limitations, many of them even halting the consumption of humans. Soon, we hunters of the Village will be able to rid the land of the creatures, and claim it all for our own!" Kosuke announced with pride, lifting his sheathed katana over his head dramatically. As he did so, the grin returned on Toshiyuki's face, and even Iwao allowed himself a small smirk.
"But why?"
Now that I think about it, it was amazing how none of them snapped their own necks by how fast they turned to stare at me.
Realizing that I had to make my case, I nervously cleared my throat and explained my position.
"Well, you said that the youkai stopped eating humans. Isn't that a good thing? Why kill them all?" I asked timidly while suffering through the men's looks. Though my past experience with youkai was not at all pleasant, the story Kosuke told had made me begin to wonder. What if Gensokyo youkai were different than Makai youkai?
"Why? It is because it is our duty to eradicate any threat to the Village. Do you not know the sensation that is to protect yourself at all costs? Every hunter has felt it before. We merely extend that sentiment towards our home as well. That is why we must exterminate the youkai. To ensure that our home is never threatened again." Kosuke declared with a hint of passion towards the subject, causing me to back down. I never really had a home, so I could not understand what the man was referring to, but I did experience the urge to protect someone. Only, it was not myself.
For the rest of the trip, the four of us stayed silent, once again allowing the creaks and the whip to overwhelm any other noise. Soon, we made it to an aged wooden bridge that connected both banks of the gentle river. Crossing it, I checked my bandages. They were stained, but fortunately dry.
"Master Kosuke, we are about to enter the Bamboo Forest."
Moving my eyes to Dojin when the other injured man spoke, I suddenly became aware of the nearly endless cluster of bamboo shoots in front of us. There only appeared to be one opening in the entire forest, seemingly as wide as the typical human.
"Here's our stop. Iwao, don't forget Emil-chan now." Toshiyuki grinned as he stood up and hopped out of the cart, the word 'chan' sparking yet another headache and forcing me to cringe and close my eyes. Unfortunately, that same headache along with the resulting reactions prevented me from stopping what was to come next. Feeling two strong hands grab my sides, I quickly opened my eyes to find that I was no longer sitting in the cart, but rather high in the air.
"What the-?!" I blurted out in fright and shock before finding myself with my stomach on Iwao's shoulder, being carried like a sack.
"Relax, Emil-chan! Iwao not going to… heheh… to drop you! H-He's the strongest man in the v-villag- HAHAHAHAHAHA!" Toshiyuki explained to me after seeing me with the back of the stoic man's kimono in a death grip, succumbing to the chuckles he was failing to hide.
"WHY AM I BEING CARRIED!?" I screamed at that hooting man, losing whatever self-control I had left. The headache did not help either.
"Mister Emil, allow me to inform you of the situation. This location is called the Bamboo Forest of the Lost. It is home to many youkai, and as the name dictates, it is very simple to become disoriented once inside. They are only securing a method to not lose track of you." Kosuke answered coolly to me, having not left his seat in the cart nor making any motion to do so.
"Still, this is a bit extreme, don't you think?!" I shot back, but then gave up fighting it. I figured then that if I struggled any more, Iwao would drop me if not by accident.
"Toshiyuki, you know what supplies we need. Iwao, keep Mister Emil safe and be cautious of his wound. Dojin, remain here with me. Mausu only obeys you, and we can remedy your bruises with the medicine from the healer. I will stay to defend the cart until your return. Understood?" Kosuke ordered; each command followed up by only two words from everyone except me.
"Yes, Master!"
A moment later, Toshiyuki, Iwao, and myself entered the Bamboo Forest of the Lost. If only I had asked why Kosuke had stayed behind then.
After several minutes of walking down the trail, I was ready to release the contents in my stomach all over the back of Iwao.
" You okay there, Emil-chan? You look a bit green, my friend." Toshiyuki grinned at me as we continued to pass through the bamboo, Iwao leading the way.
"Hanging like this isn't exactly the best thing in the world, and can you stop calling me that? I get a headache every time you say it." I grumbled to the grinning man as I shut my eyes in an attempt to relax my mind. However, my plea for the death of the nickname only rewarded Toshiyuki with a new tool of mass destruction.
"Oh really, Emil-chan? That's a bit hard to believe, Emil-chan. Why don't you like the name Emil-chan, Emil-chan? Perhaps if I saw it more and more, then maybe you will like the way it sounds, Emil-chan. So, let's start! Emil-chan! Emil-chan! Emil-chan! Emil-chan…"
With every time he sang the name, I gripped my head tighter, and it even got to the point where the mental agony overcame my previous urge to vomit. Opening my eyes to glare at the man, I began to imagine a bizarre scenario that at the time seemed like a proper idea.
I thought of myself taking hold of Toshiyuki's head just to see how many times I could make it turn.
"Toshiyuki."
Hearing Iwao call his name, Toshiyuki stopped tormenting me, and I realized what I was thinking about. In a way, the stoic man carrying me saved me from two things then: the headache that I seemed to experience every time Toshiyuki called me by the nickname he gave me, and my own desperate mind.
"What is it, Iwao?" Toshiyuki asked the stoic man, suddenly sober. There was more to what he said, but I did not hear him after that. I was too busy trying to comprehend the thoughts my mind had come up with a few moments ago.
What was wrong with me? Was I going insane? I had never wished to kill anyone like that in the past. Why did I think about that? How could I?
Why did I still feel like it would have been a great idea?
Confused beyond reason, the noise of rustling to my left brought me out of my delusional mind.
"…say this about as lost as we can possibly get. She should be here in any minu-"
"Shut up."
Turning back to me with his mouth open, Toshiyuki soon let out a cold chuckle, as if he did not believe what I had just said.
"Say agai-"
"Shut up. I heard something move over there." I interrupt again, that time giving the stunned man a reason for wanting his silence as well as pointing in the direction of the rustling. Looking at me closely, Toshiyuki then reached for the hilt of his katana, which was strapped to his side. In the corner of my eye, I saw the end of Iwao's sheath rise up slightly, meaning he had done the same as well.
"I didn't hear anything. How far away was the noise?" Toshiyuki asked me in a whisper, surveying the immediate area around us. However, due to the multiple bamboo shoots, there was little visibility in the forest.
"I'm not sure. It sounded like something moving through some plants. How much more till we make it to this doctor?" I whisper back to the man, straining my ears to hear anything else.
"I'm not sure. We got lost sometime ago." Toshiyuki said simply. It was then my turn to stare at him with my jaw on the ground.
"What do you mean, we got lost?"
"They don't call this the Bamboo Forest of the Lost for nothing."
"How were you going to find the doctor, then?"
"Well, if that noise belongs to what I'm thinking it belongs to, you will see."
"And if it doesn't belong to what you are thinking of?"
"Then the fun begins."
Once Toshiyuki finished his sentence, I once again heard the rustling noise from before. Only that time it was much, much louder. Out of nowhere, I felt Iwao tense up, and then caught the sound of steel leaving a sheath.
"What's wrong, Iwao? What do you see?" Drawing his own katana, the man went back-to-back with the stoic warrior, glancing quickly at everything. Iwao stayed quiet for a moment, before uttering one word that caused my body to go cold.
"Youkai."
At that moment, I heard a low growl coming from my left. Glancing quickly, I saw an animal of some kind dash through the bamboo towards us.
"Over there!" I yell out, aiming my finger towards the approaching creature. By that time, the animal lunged for me, and as time slowed down, I realized I could not do anything to protect myself. I was defenseless.
"Ancient ancestors, grant me your will! Touwarai!"
In a flash, Toshiyuki appeared in-between the animal and I, his katana already in the air. As it began to fall, I noticed that the blade itself was glowing slightly.
A slash and a yelp later, the animal fell right under me, twitching as its life escape from its sliced neck. I only watched as it glared at me with dangling crimson eyes, its whimpers growing fainter and fainter.
When it finally perished, I almost vomited. Shaking uncontrollably, I kept a hand to my mouth, not at all able to remove my eyes from the dead body before me. It was a humanoid, but with unnaturally dark skin and eyes that hung out of their sockets grossly. Suddenly, a flashback of when I was visiting my great-grandfather took over my mind, right at the moment when his hand went limp.
It was the second time I had seen a living thing die.
"Damn, it's a Nuribotoke. Iwao, stay alert! There may be more in the area!" Toshiyuki's warning to Iwao brought me back to reality, and to the sight of two more of the creatures approaching from behind.
"Iwao, turn around!" I shouted, almost falling off as the stoic man followed my instructions.
"Miyasuraka!"
Hearing Iwao declare out an unfamiliar word in the same manner that Toshiyuki had done before, I ignored the sounds of steel cutting flesh as I saw more and more of the nuribotoke appear from the bamboo, discovering that they had surrounded us.
"What the-?! This is impossible! How can there be this many nuribotokes?" Toshiyuki exclaimed as he kicked away an attacking creature, keeping his blade at ready. I was about to ask what he meant by that statement until I suddenly felt Iwao's hand leave the back of my knees, sending me falling forward.
"AHH- Uff!" I screamed as I landed onto my back, having fortunately flipped a little too much forward during the fall. Coughing from the impact, I looked back to see Iwao grappling with two more of the zombie-like beings, his sword lying next to his legs. Already sensing the adrenaline taking over my body, I quickly shook off the impact shock and dove for the sword, my hand gripping the hilt tightly. Standing up, I raise the weapon over my head with no technique, aiming for the creature that ready to gnaw into Iwao's throat.
"Move!" I bark as I slash down into the disgusting youkai, careful to avoid the stoic man's arms. The only problem was that the sword went right through the creature… as if it was just a ghost.
"What?!" Muttering that single word, I found myself tipping forward due to the momentum of the slash, and soon I collided with the inugami, sending it a good distance away.
Left with only one demonic humanoid, Iwao threw it off and took the sword from my unsteady hands. The minute he touched it, a faint glow surrounded the blade, just like Toshiyuki's sword.
"Miyasuraka!"
Roaring out the word, Iwao cut into the inugami he had thrown off, severing its head from its body. With the slash, dark liquid flew up and fell on my face, freezing me on the spot. I knew that both Toshiyuki and Iwao were still fighting off the nuribotoke around me, but I could not for the life in me move. Gritting my teeth, I shut my eyes tight, trying to escape the situation, trying to find shelter within my own mind. Again, I was pathetic.
A vision of the woman with the parasol appeared in front of me.
"Become something greater for me, okay?"
How could I when I kept getting ill at the sight of death and becoming paralyzed by a few mere drops of blood?
A moment later, another vision replaced the woman. It was of my great-grandfather's hand on the head of a younger version of me.
"Neegoosi… my son…"
Shut up.
"My son... please…"
Shut up.
"My son… please… protect your… soul…"
SHUT UP!
"Emil-chan!"
My eyes snapping open, I managed to see one of the many nuribotoke jump at me, its yellowed teeth bearing closer and closer to my throat. Yet even with the danger, I could no longer will myself to move. Tears in the corners of my eyes, I brace myself, for the pain and for death.
However, my story does not end there.
Suddenly I was hit with a wave of intense heat, which finally granted me control of my own body once again. Bringing my arms up to protect my head from the heat, I squinted my eyes and looked forward, trying to find the source of it.
The 'source' stood on top of the smoldering body of the nuribotoke that would have taken my life seconds ago. Fire surrounded the legs of the 'source', while two massive wings flowed behind it; each made out a crimson aura. Entranced by the flames, I let my arms fall to my sides, as the 'source' turned around slowly. As the 'source' turned, a divine fire began to surround us, burning away at only the feral youkai, leaving human and bamboo intact.
Pallid hair with a tint of violet flowing among the flames, the 'source' gazed at me with indifferent hale eyes, her hands stuffed into her pockets casually. Her scarlet pants, or rather overalls, were littered with some type of paper charms, some of which were tied into her hair. She did not say anything to the others, or to me but that did not matter at all.
When I had awakened that day, ebony wings greeted me. Now, I was saved by another type of winged being. An angel with blazing wings.
Afterword:
Hello, anyone and everyone. Thank you for reading Chapter 6 of Forgotten Harmony of Germane Errant. It's been a month since the last update, and I feel like I'm letting people down with the long waits. Despite starting school soon, I will do all that I can to put up the future chapters more frequently.
Now, there are some things I would like to talk about in this Note. For starters, I would like to thank Katsugi for beta-reading this chapter. If it was not for his help, this addition would have been ridden with inaccuracies and mistakes. So, you have my gratitude, Katsugi. I hope you can remain with this story for future chapters, but if not I completely understand.
Secondly, since I shamelessly started this back in Chapter Five, I'm making a shout-out to someone whom I consider to be a friend, Blidnga. Their story, Ancient Arcane Curse, is an amazing Touhou fanfic with a darker theme than FHGE, and is extremely enjoyable to read. I highly recommend it to anyone who likes OC-inserts or just Touhou in general. Best part is that their story is up to 18 chapters now, and is frequently updated! (Thus being a part of my motivation to write chapters quicker)
Finally, to anyone who caught the references I have placed in this chapter, let me know so that I can give you the proper props (and an internet cookie).
Again, thank you for reading. Reviews are always appreciated. As of this note, Chapter 7 is already halfway done!