Disclaimer: I don't own Touhou!
I am back at 120% health status!
To celebrate my quick recovery, here's a quick chapter I whip out from the dark recess of my mind.
It was supposed to be a quick interlude, but it kinda upgraded itself into a mini chapter of its own. So without further ado, please enjoy.
Day 26: The Full Moon Interlude... And Then Stuff...
I never expected that the host of the house that I'm currently visiting would herald my simple question with so much respect. "So after you exercised the body, now you are also exercising the mind? You're such a hard worker Shirou-san" Hieda no Akyu praised me when I told her of my intentions for my visit today.
I can't help but to let out a tired sigh as I listen to her praising me with such conviction. "It's nothing like that, I was just passing by after playing with the children and I decided to stop by to say hi"
"And tired as you are, you still have enough desire to learn about the full moon, which is why you asked me about it no?"
"I was just curious..." Plus I'm not that tired anyway.
"Is that not what I said?" My host smiled at me not accepting my explanation.
Let's recap from when I woke up this morning. After getting dressed and strapping my sword on my back which is my usual norm, I left the house to take a walk around the village. A few minutes into it, I quickly became aware of the tense atmosphere around the village. It seems everyone is on edge about the full moon.
But then I run into a few kids, and in the middle of the anxiety ridden mood of the villagers, they're like a bundle of energetic sunshine that is clouded with boredom; a very dangerous combination at this time of the month. So to make sure they won't do anything dangerous, I decided to watch over them, and what better way to watch over a bunch of kids than play with them?
So with that thought in mind, I gathered the kids and take them to a clearing I know that is located safely near the centre of the village. I found another group of children already playing ball in that clearing, so it's but a simple matter to join the two groups of children together for a game. As the kids started playing, I watch from the sideline to keep an eye on the children like I promised to Keine. It wasn't long before more children started appearing in that clearing, and it's even less long before I got dragged into their game. So I ended up playing with the kids for the whole day.
We stopped playing just when the sun is setting as the skies turns red, and as I wandered around looking for food, I notice that I am passing by the Hieda house. Since I'm not that hungry yet, I decided to stop by. Hieda-san is not troubled at all by my visit; she even had a light snacks prepared for me; a flavoured rice ball with a juicy plum in the middle. I didn't have the heart nor will to say no to that.
As we were eating, she asked me about what I was doing with the children; apparently one of her servants saw me and told her about it. Not having anything to hide, I told her about what I was doing for the day, and that's how the conversation started.
And then I offhandedly asked her about the full moon, and she instantly praises me as a hard worker.
... Well, I actually am, but hearing others said that to me is just plain embarrassing, which is why I'm trying to deny it. This is not low self confidence by the way; it's just an effective method to maintain a balanced and healthy ego, as taught by the boss. In his exact words, 'Never allow yourself be swooned by a woman's words for it is nothing but poison that'll only corrupt your manliness'. It sounded harsh, but the boss always has my well being in mind when he taught me while growing up, so I do take his advices to heart, no matter how weird they are.
This is why I'm insisting that I'm not a hard worker when Hieda-san praised me as one. She should be glad that I'm too tired to keep denying it or we'll be at it for a much longer time. "Okay, whatever you say..." I said with a tired sigh. "So? What was it about full moon that makes youkai so much more dangerous than any other day?"
Hieda-san looked me fully, her previous mirth all but gone as she take a seat next to me in her veranda. "It's not a hard problem if you think about it. The moon is a powerful force. It affects every single being in this world, from the smallest insects to the largest animal, to those living under the water, on the ground, and flying on the skies. When the moon reaches its fullest circle, its influence reaches its highest peak. Youkais are amongst those that are particularly sensitive to the moon, just below were-creatures and vampire, so they receive much power during the full moon"
"How so?"
"Hm... let's take a nekomata for example. Did you know how a nekomata is born Shirou-san?"
"A nekomata? You mean those demon cats with two tails? If I remember it right, a normal cat can become one if they lived for too long, then their tails split into two and they are reborn as a nekomata" I recalled what I know based on the old folktales I was told a long time ago.
"Yes, that is correct. What's missing from that explanation is that the moon also plays a role in their transformation. Have you not wondered why many cats often gaze at the moon?"
Now that she mentions it, I often see cats walking along rooftops during night time, but I usually didn't think much about it since cats usually just likes high places.
"They do it instinctively because the moon is energizing them. Most animals feel this attraction simply because of the power emitting from the moon. It energizes them, and to some lucky few, it transforms them. A nekomata, as the prime example, is a cat that has lived through many moon cycles and survives to be reborn"
"Ok. I think I get it now" I do notices some unusual animal behaviours during a full moon, but the matron told me they were animals being animals. In the end I just assumed that they get confused by the full moon, or in a dogs case, the giant play ball in the sky. But if what Hieda-san said is true, then that put a whole new spin on that theory.
"Animals aside, what about you Shirou-san?"
I am completely taken off guard when she asked me that question. How did this conversation suddenly shift towards me? "What do you mean?"
Hieda-san peered expectantly towards me. "Did the full moon affect you too?"
"Huh? I don't think so... Did the moon affect human too?"
"Of course. I did say the moon affect everything on this world did I not? Human is no exception. Sadly most humans have lost their affinity with their inner energy, so the moons effect on them is mostly negligent. But you're different than most humans, so the moon might have some influence on you"
"Will it? I dunno... I for one didn't feel any different"
"That's because it's still another hour or two before the moon appears on the sky" She told me.
"Oh yeah..." Looking up to the sky, I can't help but awkwardly laugh when I saw the cloudy sky that is still void of the moon. "Just in case I do get affected, what kind of changes should I expect?"
"Let's see..." She hummed in thought for a few seconds before she answers. "At the very least there might be some mental changes; you might feel more active or even restless for example. And then depending on your sensitivity to the flow of energy surrounding you, you probably would become strengthened also, becoming stronger and faster"
The last part sounded very familiar to me. "Sensitive to the... okay, then I most probably will be affected then" I groaned while tiredly scratching my head in annoyance.
Hieda-san just smiled as I express my frustration. "There's nothing bad about it. I personally think it's a wonderful thing"
"Haah... If you say so. But don't you think..." The sound of people shouting cut my words away. Feeling curious from the commotion, I get off the balcony and approached the voice as much as I can without tripping over the fence surrounding the house, which means I stop moving just after five steps.
"There seems to be something going on outside" Hieda-san stated the fact as she too stands up.
It's painfully obvious that we're not going to get answers if we just stay here, so in the end, we both headed outside. The moment we walked out past the gates, we quickly run into the problem at hand, or to be precise, the problem is charging straight at us!
"Watch out!" I yelled as I grab hold to her and yanking us both backward, just in time to miss the charging cow that was about to ran into us. The offending cow didn't even spare us a glance as it keeps running.
Both me and Hieda-san is completely bedazzled as we stare at the retreating cow. "Is the moon making me hallucinate that we were about to be run over by a cow or did that really happened?" As much as I realize how stupid it sounded, I just have to ask.
"No... The moon might have some association with lunacy, but that just now was very real"
"Okay, so what exactly just happened?"
"I'm... not sure..."
As we both pick ourselves up from the ground, I notice a pair of villagers rushing toward us. "Hey, you two okay?" One of them, a scruffy looking old man asked us. He and the younger man next to him are both sweating heavily.
"We're fine, but what's going on?" Hieda-san inquired as she stands up.
"Someone forgot to close the cattle pen after we finished milking them. Now they're all loose and running rampant across the village"
Hieda-san visage turns into a frown as she listened to the explanation. "I can see that, but what aggravated them in the first place? The cows won't just go on a rampage without provocations"
"We don't know, but we're too busy rounding them up to figure it out"
"Oi boss, that cow is getting away" The younger man pointed out as he started running after the cow that nearly ran us over.
The older man also start running off again, but he only manages to take a few steps before he tiredly leaned on the fence. "You go on ahead! I still need a minute. I'm not as young as I was anymore" He tiredly called out.
I look at the tiredly panting old man and the retreating figure of the other man. Judging by the rampancy of that cow, I doubt he'll be able to stop it by himself. It would be good if the cow will calm down by itself, but it doesn't...
"I'll help!" I yelled before I chases after him.
He must've heard me as he slowed down a bit allowing me to catch up with him. When he saw me next to him, he speeds up again. "You're that freelancer kid right? I appreciate the help, but if you just want to get paid then don't bother, I don't have anything to pay you with" He told me.
"Then I'll settle with a thank you. Or is that still too expensive for you?"
"No, it's a deal. Thanks in advance kid, now let's get those cows"
"'Kay boss"
It took some time, but we manage to round up a lot of cows from throughout the village with no small thanks to the villagers who also jumped in to help when they saw the cows that are roaming around the village. With their help, we manage to round up the cows back into their fence much faster than I expected and with minimum damage to the village.
"Wooo, now that's a hassle. Thanks for the help kid" I nearly fall forward when the old man from earlier gave me a hard slap on the back for the job well done.
"No problem, it's quite a new experience for me" I answered while edging away from him, just in case he wants to show his appreciation more. For an old man who was heaving heavily from just running, he sure got a lot of strength in those arms. "Is that all the cows?"
"Gonta is doing the headcount right now, but these should be all of them"
"Oi boss! We got a problem!"
"What now?" The old man groaned as he turns around.
The same man from earlier runs toward us, as he gets closer I easily saw the distress on his face." Boss, we're missing one. Taniko is still missing!"
"Say what!?" And now the distress has also infected the old man. His previously cheerful face is replaced with panic riddled scowl. "Are you sure?"
"Yes. I checked it three times and she's not here"
"Then don't just stand there, start looking!"
"But where should we look? We already scoured through the village twice, and these are the only ones we found"
"Ugh..." The old man scowl becomes deeper. In his aging face that scowls nearly makes his eye brow disappear between the crevices that adorn his face. It can't be healthy for him...
"Excuse me, but who's Taniko?" I asked. I could already guess, but just in case I got it wrong...
"Taniko is the name of the boss' prized cow"
"Cow? She's no ordinary cow! She's the best milking cow this village has seen in years!"
"Uh-huh..." I quietly distanced myself from the old man. His affection to this cow is just creepy. "Well calm down, We can still look for her. What does she look like?"
The younger man of the two nodded in agreement before he described the missing cow to me. "Well, she got these white stripes on the dark fur around her face. The unique pattern should be easy enough to spot even for people who didn't know her"
"And I also put this large red bell around her neck, so I can find her every time" The old man chimed in too.
"A bell?" I look at him questioningly.
"You did?" The man beside the boss looks at him questioningly too. This must be news for him too.
"I did two days ago. But it's more like a wind chime than a bell, the design is quite unique. It make this tingling sound that seem to echo for miles away"
At that moment a light breeze drifted lazily into the area, carrying with it a light tune with it. Wait a second. That was a chime just now! The other two must've also heard it as we all turn to face the same direction. And there and behold, not too far from us, is a cow walking out from the barn.
"Taniko! Good cow you! You never left the barn did you?" The old man looks very happy as he rushed out in joy. Well, I'm just glad the problem is over. Now I can go get some food. Or maybe I should try cooking again, there's still time before dinner after all.
I was just about to leave when I heard another loud commotion. "Boss! Wait!" The man beside me yelled out.
The elder man stopped when he heard his voice. He turned around to look at him. "What's wrong now?" He seemed irritated that his happy reunion with the cow is being delayed.
"That's not Taniko! She doesn't have a horn!"
At the word horn, I finally notice the pair of sharp pointy things protruding on the cow's head. Horns on a cow are nothing special, but now that I take a good look at them, I quickly notice that those horns are NOT cow horns! A cow horn doesn't curl back like that! That is a goat's horn! But it's on a cow!?
I already start running forward before my mind can make sense of what I'm seeing.
To everyone's horror, the cow let out an a very un-cow like roar as it starts charging at the old man, horn pointed down to deal extreme amount of damage. Thankfully I got a head start from it so I manage to push the old man out of the way.
Having missed its intended target, the rampaging cow didn't stop, as it keeps running straight into the bordering fence. It smashes through the fence like it's made of paper before coming to a stop and then turning around to face us again, its slitted red eyes glistening in the night sky as it glares at us before it bares its sharp pointy fangs.
I helped the old man stands back up. "Is that really a cow?" I fearfully asked since this things species seems to have eluded me. The old man slowly shakes his head; it seems he doesn't have an answer either.
And then it roared again, much louder than the first time. As the roar is directed at me, I can't help but to be a bit shaken by its intensity. But the old man fares much worse than I am as his feet trembles from fear. "C'mon old man. This is not the time to let your age get the better of you" I let the old man lean on me to support him.
"Heh, kids these days, no respect of their elder" He manages to laugh, but he still needs me as support to stay upright.
And then the cow (?) charge at us once again. With the old man leaning on me, I'm fairly limited on mobility so it would be hard to evade this one. "... Man, a thank you is way too cheap for this." I groaned before I push the old man away and take a step forward to brace myself.
I got a full second to see the cow's (?) eyes directly before it rammed right into me.
The impact is jarring, but I manage to grab hold to both its horns to lessen the damage before using the momentum to slam the damn cow (?) into the ground.
I can hear the surprised chatter from the passerby when I slammed the cow down. I don't blame them, in fact, I was also as surprised as they are when I first noticed it earlier. I shifted my gaze toward the full moon in the darkening sky. Who would've thought the full moon would have this much effect on me? One moment I was struggling to push a cow to move, the next second I am shoving them forward with little effort. I even manages to wrestle down one of the more unruly cow.
Now let's see if I can wrestle down this one...
The cow (?) suddenly got back up, much faster than what I would expect from a body that meaty, as it once again tries to ram me. I'm still faster though as I once again grabbed hold onto its horns once again. Unlike before, the thing planted its feet on the ground, and lacking the momentum, I can't just slam it down like before.
"Ugh... stupid cow thing... stand down or I swear you'll be sukiyaki before tomorrow" I grunted out as I tried to push it back, but failing to do so as the cow is much stronger than me. Despite my best effort, it slowly pushed me back step by step. "Oh come on!" I want to reach out to the sword on my back, but if I take my hand off its horn I would probably get smashed before I can even draw the blade from its sheathe.
Then in a burst of strength, the cow thing swerved its head to the right in a fast motion, and not expecting that move, I was carried along with it before losing my grip on it, thus sending me flying away. I tumbled and rolled before I came to a stop just inside the nearby forest edges. "Ow, I'm gonna felt that one tomorrow" I ignore my aching body as I pull out my sword. "That's it! Animal cruelty be damned! I'm going to hurt it soo much!" I growled in anger.
"Calm down" A voice whispered to me from the forest.
Surprised at the presence of an unknown, I tensed and tightened my grip on the sword handle. "Who's there?"
"... A friend. Listen, that cow is possessed; it's not at fault for attacking you" The voice, clearly a female, told me from the shadows of the forest.
I tried to look around for the speaker, but she hides herself very well as I am unable to detect any sign of her presence. "Okay, then I'll beat the crap out of it then take it to Reimu and let her exorcise it after"
"Calm yourself. Don't let the moon change what you are" The voice scolded me.
"The moon... what...?" Then I remember how I been feeling restless even during the cow chase earlier and how I felt a surge of irritation whenever something doesn't go my way. This is the moon's effect? It... It's fine right? Nothing to be concerned about, having quick temper is not a big problem. But then...
Taking a deep breath, I suppressed down most of my temper, at least for a while. "Okay, talk and make it fast" My temper is still flaring, but I manage to clear my mind enough for me to think.
"Listen, I believe the thing that possesses that cow is a mere low level spirit, else I would've detected it the moment it entered the village. If that is true, then it would need some kind of medium to channel itself somewhere in the vicinity. If you get it away from the cow, you should be able to exorcise it without hurting the cow"
I nodded as I listened to the voice, that's actually a good idea. "What's the medium look like?"
"... I don't know"
I instantly get frustrated by the lack of information. I have a few choices of words to say to whoever this is for telling me for giving such a half-assed advice and falling short at the most important thing, but I squash the urge to bad mouth her since she did tried to help after all. "Right. Thanks for the info. Now if you'll excuse me, I've got a possessed cow thing to beat down"
I can hear the voice sighing through the air. "Haah... very well, just try not to hurt it too badly"
"I'll try" I muttered back before I rushed out of the forest once again, sword in hand and ready to do some damage.
The hidden girl sighed as she watched as the boy runs off away from her hiding place. She was honestly surprised when the chronicler managed to find her; the fact that she knows about her secret hiding place does not bode well with her, though probably it's a given considering her extensive knowledge of every being in Gensokyo. But then she told her about the boy's possible connection with the full moon and how it might affect him; her being surprised at the information is quite the understatement.
The moment the chronicler bides her farewell, she quickly decided to take a break from her 'job' to check on the boy. It took her some time since she's avoiding the villagers' eyes, but she found him soon enough. When she first laid her eyes on him that day, the full moon is already hovering above the sky, so she's only half surprised to see him managing to wrestle down a cow.
From there, she observed him from the shadows, trying to see the possible influence he receives from the moon. The first and most obvious one was his enhanced strength. While he by no mean is as strong as her, he still become much stronger than an average human.
The second one, the one that concerned her, is the slight change in his personality. At first it was very unnoticeable since the boy acted the same as always when he helped the villagers with the escaped cattle problem. But then she notices how the boy seemed to frown a lot more compared to his usual happy-go-lucky attitude. The fact is hammered down when the boy chooses to use his newfound strength without holding back to subdue the cows, even with eyes watching him. Then there's the victorious smirk every time he manages to subdue a cow. He's clearly acting more brashly compared to his usual self.
... Then again, she herself is in the same boat as him though she got a much tighter rein on her emotions during the full moon, but there are still some occasions when she slips up...
Trailing him a bit further before heading back home, she quickly scolded herself for letting this minor spirit to enter the village. She could just jump in to handle this herself, but then she would expose herself to the villagers, something she have tried not to do for years. So it's a good thing the boy is here, he should be able to handle this without her having to expose herself. Let's just hope he'll be able to end this incident before his rampant emotions causes him to put down that cow for good.
The cow is terrorising the nearby villagers by the time I came out of the forest. There doesn't seem to be any fatalities just yet as a number of them are still trying to fight back with farming tools.
... What a stupid thing to do...
I quickly shake my head to clear my head. Dammit, my thought is running haywire. What kind of arrogant line of thinking was that? Anyway, time to jump back into the fight. It would not do for me to just stand in the line while there's a fight going on! Plus I owe that cow a massive payback!
I start running toward the cow. Pushing my feet to go as fast as they could, I quickly cleared the 20 metres distance. "Guess who's back you damn cow!" I roared before I tackled the cow away from the villagers.
The cow roared in pain as it gets sent hurtling away.
"Kid, you're okay!" The man from before shouted out, surprised at my intervention.
"Yeah, I'm good, and pissed, and apparently a bit insane because of the moon, but that's beside the point. Anyway, this cow is possessed. Any idea what kind of cursed item could have caused this?"
"Well, uh..."
The cow roared as it gets back up and starts charging at me again.
"Take your time; I've got a score to settle with this guy" I rushed to meet the cow once again, but this time, I'm ready to hurt this thing so bad it'll wish it never attacked me. A pierced eye should be a good start to the beat up.
I levelled my sword to its eye level...
But wait...
The cow is innocent. The evil spirit is the cause.
It's NOT my style to beat up the innocent!
Having a sudden change of heart, I quickly draw back my sword, and just like that my mind suddenly cleared, and for the first time I actually notice the rapidly closing proximity between me and the possessed cow. Panicking slightly, but not having time to move out of the way, I jumped, and landed my feet square on its face.
It roared in annoyance and it soon become obvious that my kick is not enough to stop its movement. "Uh-oh" I yelped as I quickly use my left hand to grab hold to its horn and use the leverage to firmly plant my feet on its face before quickly pulling myself onto its back. The moment I landed on its back, the possessed cow started trashing wildly. "Whoa! Bad cow! Heel!" I yelled as my possessed ride tries to throw me off. It would've succeeded easily if not for a conveniently placed rope around its neck that I use as a rein to hold on to. But the rope alone is not enough for me to stay on top of this cow; it's only a matter of time before it throws me off.
I glared daggers at its unprotected head. Oh how easy it would be if I just bash it's skull in... My sword may not be able to cut, but it should be enough to give this thing some serious brain damage if I keep hitting its head until it caves. So why am I not doing it...?
My dark thought was put aside when I notice one of the villagers waving his hands wildly to get my attention. "Hey kid! The bell! Around her neck! Get it off her!" He yelled at me.
Bell? Suppressing my haywire mind, I remember the owner telling me about how he gave the cow a bell to easily find it. Said bell is tied around its neck using a rope, the same rope I am currently holding on to. Lucky me, this should be easy. Would be easier if my sword could actually cut though it, I'll have to untie this rope by hands, however to do that I will need both my hands.
I quickly sheathed my sword back... or at least that was the plan. The moment I tried to do that, the cow thing buckled upward hard. The sudden shift in movement makes me drop my sword.
The cow thing then let out a roar before it starts running off again. But this time, it just runs in a straight line past the villagers and away from the village. "Kid! The village border is just past those trees! Just get off it!" I barely heard the yell amidst the thundering stomp the cow thing makes from each of its step as it barrelled forward in high speed.
Looking ahead, I saw a group of trees about 40 feet away. Past those trees means I've left the village border, so past that is a hell lot of youkai that want to eat me. I need to get off this cow now!
...
But then what'll happen to the cow? Will it stay possessed? Will it be devoured the moment it left the village? It's probably the same fate for it even if it stays in the village, it'll surely be turned into food when it can no longer produce milk. It's just a cattle right? So why do I feel bad about abandoning it, I mean her?
For a second there I hesitated to just abandon the cow to her fate, and in that short second, the cow is already 30 foot away from the trees. It let out another roar, this one sounded happy as it getting closer to the village border. Hearing it make such a triumphant sound makes me get pissed once again. There's no way in hell I'm letting it get away this easy!
Grabbing hold of the rope with both hands, I pull hard at them. In response the cow reared its head back when the rope digs deep into its neck, it slowed down a bit but is still going strong.
At this point it's only 20 metres left to the trees so I didn't have much time left. "God dammit you damned thing! I said STOP!" Rationality flew out of my head as anger once again filled my mind. Gripping the rope so hard that my hands started to bleed, I jumped off to the right side of the cow and pulled on the damnable rope as hard as I can.
...I must be out of my mind for doing this, but right now I just don't care!
The cow veered to the right as I started pulling, but it's still not enough. So ignoring the ground scraping my foot, I dig my heels down into the dirt and pulled once again. The momentum change from this brash stunt is much more noticeable as the thing actually loses it balance and started heading to the right. But that's not enough! I want it to STOP!
Letting my back rest on the thing's hide, I use my body as a lever to spin the damn thing back. It roared, this time in pain and desperation. The thing's neck turned at such a sharp angle that I won't be surprised if I just snapped its neck, but I really don't care anymore as I pull on it even more before slamming it face down to the ground.
Taking a breather while observing my handiwork, I observe its chest moving up and down. The thing is still breathing, and soon enough, it starts to struggle to stand up once again. I'll be damned to give it a chance to get up again. Quickly getting to its face, I forcefully push its head up. It sneered at me, but I ignore it as I focus my attention on the red bell hanging on its neck. It's connected by a thin ribbon-like strand that went around the rope around its neck. That ribbon looks much easier to snap than the rope, so I did just that. Grabbing hold off the bell, I easily tore it off.
The effect is instantaneous.
Dark mists suddenly disperse the thing's body. It swirled upward before it all rushed at me, or to be more specific, to the bell I am currently holding.
"Throw it away!"
I heard the same mysterious voice from before once again. As much as I would like to find out who the speaker is, the advice she just gave me seems very sound for this situation. I quickly throw the bell away with all my strength. With the moon's effect, the cursed bell is hurled across the distance, landing somewhere in the forests past the village's edge. The dark mist soon follows suit.
I watched as the dark mists whirled past me and flew further and further away until it completely dissipate in the distance. Now the problem is gone, I scoured the area looking for the owner of the voice that helped me twice now. But as expected, I found no one, for only the sound of rustling leaves remained in the area. "Moo..." That and a moo... Huh?
Quickly turning around, I saw a harmless looking dairy cow trying unsteadily to get back on its feet. It's... I mean her head is no longer adorned with a goat horns and her eyes are no longer slitted. The cow look at me for a few seconds before it mooed once again.
"Uuh... Taniko?" I called out to her as I slowly approached. Don't want to scare her even further, I did just beat her up after all. Thankfully she did not back away from me as I approached her; in fact, she even nudged her head toward me. Taking that as a good sign, I lightly place my hand on top of her head and lightly rubbed it. "C'mon girl. Let's get you home" With my enhanced strength I easily help the cow back to her feet before I lead her back to her owner.
"Truly Shirou-san. You amaze me once again" Hieda-san commented as she watches sips on her tea. "While it's surprising that an evil spirit managed to possess one of our livestock, I'd say you handled it quite nicely despite your lack of experience dealing with such cases"
"You call me being all wrapped up like this a job well done?" I growled at her, showing the layers of bandages that tightly wrapped my hands and legs.
Apparently the number of bruises and blisters I accumulated during my scuffle with that cow while negligent is quite numerous. The moment Hieda-san saw me when I walked back to her house after the whole cow fiasco is over, she quickly had one of her servants treating my wounds. I would've been wrapped up like a mummy if I didn't refuse the full body treatment, only letting them treat my hands and legs since they're the most injured part of my body.
"Careful now, your emotions is flaring again" She calmly chided me.
I chewed my lip lightly. "Grh... I hate the full moon..." To my annoyance, I found out that even outside of combat situation I still get pissed off quite easily. The moment I felt the slightest annoyance my temper quickly flared and I need to quickly rein it in before I lashed out at nearby people. Unfortunately, it's a bit hard to do that since my 'episodes' are quite random, so once in a while I just snapped at people. That is why I excused myself quickly after I gave back the cow to her owner. Thankfully I don't snap at him back then, my rep is shaky enough after that brawl with the possessed cow. I'm already getting a lot of weird stares from the villagers who watched the fight. But at least the owner and his employees are thankful enough for saving his cow.
"I don't know whether you're insane or not. But if you are insane, then you're a good lunatic in my book. Thanks for the help kid" That's what the owner said to me.
After that I bid my farewell and quickly run off. I later happen to passed by Hieda-san's house so decided to stop by since I run off on her earlier, and now this happens...
"So other than your increased ability and mood swings, is there anything else about you that changes because of the moon?"
At the question, I glanced to the wet spots on the floor. I spilled my tea there when the cup cracked and break just from me trying to hold it. This is so annoying, and it happens on the day when I cannot leave the village? What a pain... "Hopefully not. I don't need any more problems that what I already have"
Hieda-san nodded sagely at that. "Then let's assume nothing else changes for now. But nonetheless, you shouldn't ignore the fact that the moon does benefit you, side effects aside. Won't you agree that this incident is a good advertisement for your freelancing business?"
"Probably, though I don't know if that was fame or infamy that I was getting back there..."
She shakes her head. "The villagers know better than to mistrust you just because you were able to fight evenly with a minor spirit. It would be a different story if you caused a lot of collateral, but you didn't. So there's no need to worry about it."
"That's good to know..."
We chatted for a while longer, but soon I have to leave since it's already quite late. Hieda-san escorted me out where she then gave me a pair of slippers since my previous footwear is now in tatters. She said it's a reward for the job well done. I won't say no to that, so I accepted it.
As I was getting ready to leave, a thought popped into my mind. "Hieda-san, you wouldn't happen to be helping me out with the cow thing did you?"
The girl tilted her head slightly in confusion. "What do you mean?"
"When I was having trouble with the thing, someone whispered me advices while in hiding. Was that you?"
"No, I never left my home after you left. But why do you asked me?"
"Well..." I lightly scratched my head in remembrance. "Her voice sounded familiar... but I can't seem to remember to whom it belonged to"
"I see, sorry I can't be of help here"
"No it's fine. Have a good night Hieda-san, until next time"
"Indeed. A good night to you too" She lightly bowed down at me before she turns around and walked back into her home.
I politely waited until she entered her home before I start heading back home.
During my walk home the mysterious voice from before once again popped in my mind. I keep repeating it over and over in my head, trying to match it with the people I've known ever since I got here. I know for a fact that the owner of the voice is someone I know, but why is it so goddamn hard to remember?
"Hey Shirou!"
A kid's voice called out to me, interrupting my thought. Turning around I saw two familiar kids I've become acquainted with in the village. "Hayate? And is that Kasumi hiding behind you?" When I said her name the little girl poked her head from behind her brother. "What are you two doing out so late? Aren't you supposed to be home by now?"
"I don't want to leave my doll behind..." The little girl answered my question.
"Doll?"
"It's just a stuffed doll our father gets her for her last birthday. But more important than that, can you get my ball down from that tree?" The brother pointed at the nearby tree right behind him. Looking up at its branches, I saw a black and white ball stuck on it.
"My doll too please" And next to the ball, just above it is a small doll, also caught in the branches.
"Okay, a ball I can understand, but how did that doll get up there?"
"My brother threw it up there, trying to get the ball down"
"Hehe, my bad, I thought I could nail it in the first try-Whoa!" The kid is surprised when a loud crack reverberates in the area. Reason is I just planted my fist onto the tree trunk.
My punch is strong enough to shake the whole tree. Leaves and branches start falling off as it shook violently, and along with those are a ball and a small doll. The latter item I caught with my hand before it dropped to the ground. "Here you go Kasumi" I offered the doll to Kasumi and let her take it herself to make sure I won't hurt her by trying to hand the thing to her. "And Hayate, I'm telling what you just did to your teacher"
"Thank you Shirou" Kasumi happily take the doll from my hand.
"What! Oh please don't! She's so going to headbutt me!" The boy complained.
"You reap what you sow. Just be glad I'm not the one punishing you right now because you'll end up like this" I pointed at the deep indentation on the side of the tree. I probably overdid it a bit, but my annoyance spiked when the kid told me what he did to his sister's doll. I needed to do something to let it out before I hurt anyone, so the tree became my unfortunate victim. But since that also dropped the stuck items it's a win-win situation I'd say.
"You sure? I'm pretty sure Keine-sensei's headbutt could actually knock down that tree"
My temper flared once again when the kid talked back to me. "And I pretty damn sure could punch through this tree if you don't be quiet soon!" I raised my voice at them. When I saw the two backing away from me in fright I instantly get flooded with regret and shame for what I just did. "I'm sorry. It's been a weird day for me, and the full moon's not helping"
Hearing my apology, the two kids stopp looking at me with fright in their eyes, though Kasumi still clings to her brother. "The moon?" Kasumi asked me.
"Yeah. Apparently it hates me, so it to gives me the temper of a cranky old man whenever I look at it"
The children laughed at my explanation. I'm just glad that they accepted that explanation and hope they won't push further into that. How am I supposed to explain that the full moon affects me in a non human way? It'll probably scare them off if I said it like that.
"So Shirou, I wonder what Keine-Sensei will think if I told her that you raised your voice at us?" Hayate said with a big smirk on his face.
The answer to that is very easy to guess. I can already feel the phantom pain from the headbutt she just did in my mind. "Ah crap..." I muttered in realization. Then I remember that I got kids audience in front of me and I just cursed. "Ah double crap" I groaned.
"And now you use bad words! Keine-Sensei's not gonna be happy with that" The smirk on the boy's face is getting wider and wider.
"... okay, I know blackmail when I see one. What do you want kid?"
"You keep quiet about the shoe thing to Keine-Sensei and I'll keep quiet about this. Deal?"
"... So tempted to say no, but since its two head butts against one, then fine... It's a deal. No pinkie promise, I might break your finger if we tried doing that now" I can't help but smirk when the kid quickly lowered his hands away from me.
"Fine. Then it's a man's promise. I won't tell if you won't tell" The kid say with a finger pointing at me.
I chuckled as I slowly shake my head, amused at the kid's choice of words. "Okay, man's promise it is"
Hayate nodded enthusiastically. "Great. Then the one who break the promise will eat a thousand—no two thousand needles!"
But then Kasumi stepped aside from her hiding place behind her brother. "...I'm not a man. And neither am I in trouble like you two. So I could tell Keine-Sensei right?" She said to us in her usual quiet voice, with the most innocent smile befitting of a small child like her. From where I'm standing that smile looks so evil...
The same thought must be running on Hayate's head as he quickly fall down to his knees and bow down to his sister. "Oh come on sis! Not you! Please don't tell sensei!" He begged her with his face on the ground. Pathetic really, but it's not really an underrated action since the other valid option is a very painful corporal punishment delivered via head blow.
"... I won't tell, but promise you'll stop being mean to me" She told her brother.
"Okay fine. Anything. Just don't tell sensei!"
"It's a promise then. And you too Shirou-san"
I tensed slightly when she turns her attention towards me. "Why me too?" I groaned before squatted lower so I can see her at eye level. "So? What do you want from me?"
At my questions, the girl shifted her eyes down to the ground. "... Play with me... and my brother..." Her usually quiet voice is less audible than usual.
"Come again?"
"... Please play with me and my brother some more" She repeated what she said in a slightly louder voice.
"Play with you two? Didn't I already do that once in a while after school?"
At my question, Kasumi raised her eyes to look at me with the most determination I've ever seen from the little girl. "Just with me and my brother... No one else..."
So she's asking me to spend more time with her and her brother? I guess I could do that. I never said this to anyone, but I do have a soft spot for this girl since her timid personality reminded me of Suzuna back at the orphanage. So the answer to her request comes to me very easily. "Fine, then I'll promise you this; whenever I'm not busy with my freelancer job, you can hire me to work for you for free. You do that and I'll do whatever you wanted for the whole day, okay?"
The girl blinked owlishly at the answer I gave her. I admit it's probably a bit too dramatic for my usual self, but I'm blaming this moment of spontaneity to the moon. "If you don't get it basically I'll play with you whenever you want, as long I'm not busy" I quickly simplify it for the little girl.
The girl quickly shook her head. "N-no, I understood it the first time. Thank you very much" She bowed down gratefully towards me.
"Hey, how come you only say that to my sister?" The brother quickly complained.
"Because you're too much of a brat"
"Tch, you can be so uncool sometimes"
"Yeah-yeah..."
She stood above the broken pieces of the bell. Now that its vessel is destroyed, the dark spirit feebly tries to flee away from her, away from the village before the full moon ended and it returned to being a powerless spirit.
As tempted she was to just annihilate the spirit completely, it was not her job to do so for the task belonged to the ones who worked for death. For that reason she begrudgingly let it go. Surely it knows better now than to try to hurt her precious villages any more, if left alone it most probably will stay far away from the village until a Death God manages to corner it and harvested it to be judged by Yama.
Now that the distraction is over, it's time for her to go back to her previous task. There's still plenty to do and so little time for her to complete it be before the moon goes down at dawn.
As she makes her way back, she absentmindedly thought about the quick alterations she did to the boy's past. It's unfair of her to write off their meeting from the timeline, but the boy shouldn't notices it since his mind is clouded by his emotions. She of course rewrote it back straight away after that and by doing so she ensures that he won't recognise her voice back there.
Hehe, he'll probably be frustrated for not being able to identify her. Maybe she should stop by tomorrow and ask him about today's event. It would be quite amusing indeed.
Landing quietly on top of a tall tree near her place, she takes a deep breath as she gazes at the full moon. Her red eyes closing as she allowed herself to have a quick moment of peace to enjoy the night weather.
Truly this peace is the best... and she'll work hard to ensure this peace will last as long as it can... if not forever...
Day 26-End
To people who doesn't know who's the mysterious girl who helped him in this chapter, then your Touhou knowledge is lacking!
What do you think of the chapter? please review and let me know.
Btw, your reviews does matters! Point out mistakes to me and I'll fix em up and I'll try not to do it again in future chapters.