"Ok, I can't take this anymore. I got to stop for a bit." I mutter to myself as I sit under the shade of an old bent tree.

I've been walking uninterrupted for about two hours now. The tall grass is now replaced by thick undergrowth, and the once sparse trees are now more numerous. A short distance away is a big sign that has directions written on it.

I wanted to at least read the sign before stopping, but walking is becoming increasingly strenuous. The pain in my legs has been getting worse and worse.

I take a moment to roll up my worn out jeans and check for any damage.

Damn. That's why.

The assault from the fairies earlier had not left me unscathed. Dark bruises entirely cover the back of my legs. It isn't crippling, but the bruises and the pain are both widespread.

I'm going to have to be more careful when I fight.

Although your regenerative powers are minimal, your vitality still exceeds that of a human. Do not fear being wounded.

Yeah, but walking around while hurt is going to cause problems. I reason back to him.

He does not reply. He probably doesn't care.

Anyways… this stuff Reimu gave me is supposed to help heal this. Good thing it didn't get damaged in the fight.

I pull out one of the bags and undo the knot. Inside is a tiny note jutting out from a small pile of oily powder. I take the note out and examine it

"Apply healing herb to injured area for immediate effect. Use only on burns, scrapes, bruises, and sores." I read to myself.

Following the simple instructions, I scoop up a few drops of the gritty substance with a finger and spread it on a bruise. It's surprisingly cool even after being left in my pocket for so long.

Miraculously, the treated area begins to heal. The dark smudge beneath my skin begins to fade.

Oh wow! This is good stuff. I better put more on here.

I act quickly and apply the entire packet to my legs. Although my chest and back are also sore, my legs are my main priority right now, and I want to make sure they are completely healed.

"And… good."

I stuff the empty bag into my pocket and stand up. I take a few steps to test the effects.

No aches! Good. I think I'm ready to move again.

I quickly walk over to the sign sitting before the shadow of the forest.

There are a series of pointing arrows and labels drawn on it. Pointing forward is 'Forest of Magic' and 'Foot of Youkai Mountain'. Pointing right is 'Misty Lake' and 'Scarlet Residence'. And finally, to the left is 'Village' and 'Kourindou'.

Left it is. Time to pick up the pace.

I turn left and break into a light run, eager to reach my destination. I have spent enough time trying to reach this store and was ready to finally get there.

I run away from the edge of the forest along the widening road. Light sprinkles and cool wind make running a painless effort, and my enhanced body gives me an almost endless stamina.

Several minutes pass before I suddenly reach the edge of a clearing. A short wood fence separates the impassable foliage from a grassy field.

I slow down to a walk and approach the clearing.

This must be the place. I think to myself as I stand in front of the building sitting in the middle of the clearing.

The building was about the size of big gas station or a convenience store and had messy gray walls. The outside has a big sign that says 'Kourindou' on it, but that is the only decoration it has.

It's just a simple, rectangular building; there is nothing notable about its exterior. I would never guess that this might be a shop just by looking at it.

Looks a little abandoned. I hope it's still open. I pull on the door and it opens. I open it all the way and step inside.

Once inside I am hit by an artificial breeze. Placed on a shelf near the door is a very modern tower fan, humming softly as it oscillates and cools the room.

Curious as to how it is working in a world that doesn't appear to have electricity, I visually follow the cord to a kerosene generator sitting on the ground below. Next to it is a portable heater that is not in use.

Wow. That's pretty nice little setup.

I slowly walk across the store and examine the room. A roof window and a few lanterns illuminate the store. The rows of shelves were filled with miscellaneous items from the world I come from. There were all kinds of electronics, appliances, conveniences, tools, clothes, books, supplies, and even weapons. There are a lot of expensive items on display, but there is also an even greater amount of outdated junk.

Reimu wasn't kidding about him liking things from the outside world. Look at all of this stuff!

"Greetings stranger. Welcome to my store." A man's voice states.

I turn just in time to see someone emerge from a room in the back of the store. Seeing as he is the only other person here, I assume he is the owner.

He is a young, stern-faced man. If he was human then he would probably be only a year or two older than me, but his bright silver hair hints that he may not be normal. In spite of all of the modern flair the store had, he is wearing a traditional Japanese outfit. His robe was blue and black and his eyes were a faint gold color.

"Hello there." I greet to him.

He pushes up his thin glasses before replying. "What strange eyes. You… aren't from around here are you? What is your name?"

"Just call me Knight. And you aren't wrong about me not being from around here. I'm an outsider." I reply.

"I see. How are you adjusting to Gensokyo?" He asks me. His tone is pleasant and welcoming. After all of these demon women, dealing with another man is a nice change.

"Well, it's not easy. I've already gotten into a couple of nasty fights." I answer.

He smiles a little. "I can imagine. Outsiders always have difficulty adjusting. Although… you are one of the first outsider youkai we've had in quite a while. I'm correct in assuming you are a youkai?"

This guy is certainly likes his questions.

This man is of no interest to me. Do what you need to and be on your way.

I sigh. "Look… um." I trail off as I realize I still don't know his name.

"My name is Rinnosuke Morichika." He offers.

"Right, Rinnosuke." I continue." Look, I have a lot of stuff to do; really important stuff. I was wondering what it might take for me to grab a few things… a change of clothes and maybe some supplies? What would that cost?"

He glances around while he thinks. "Well… lately I've been getting quite a few goods that do not seem to be working correctly. You see, my power is strictly limited to the identification of things, not their use."

The power to identify? That's a little weak compared to everything else I've seen.

He is only half youkai. His abilities are limited.

Huh…

He goes on. " Perhaps, if you have a few hours to spare then you can help me identify these problems in exchange for some of my wares."

That's it? Easy. Although the memories pertaining to my past are gone, my memories of the fine details of human society are still sharp.

I nod. "Sure thing. But just so you know, I can't actually fix them."

"Oh, don't worry about that. I know of a young kappa, a river spirit that is, who is talented with machines. She's been helping me get some of the devices working, but she does get stuck sometimes. Your information would certainly be helpful to her."

"Alright then. Let me pick up a few things and we can talk about how much time it'll cost." I offer.

He nods. "Of course. Feel free to take what you need and let me know when you finish. If you are taking clothes, than I would recommend getting something for the coming of autumn. There is a closet over by the weapons that you can use to change."

"Ok. Thanks."

I walk past him and over to the corner where the clothes hang. To my surprise, many of the items still have store tags on them, and are unused.

There isn't a lot to choose from. I hope he has something I can use.

There weren't very many men's clothes, but I manage to find some things I can wear. I find good duplicate replacements for everything buy my boots and my shirt.

Well… I can wear this… but this is just going to get torn up again. I think as I examine the only men's top I can find: A simple white t-shirt. The rack for tops is almost entirely for women.

I walk around the few clothes racks to make sure there is nothing I missed.

Damn… nothing else. I guess- whoa wait. What's this?

To my surprise, I find a thin safari jacket that was, thankfully, for men. It was about waist length and had all kinds of useful features.

Lightweight, strong material, good against weather, and plenty of pocket space. Perfect!

I take the jacket and shirt along with the rest of the clothes and go back to Rinnosuke.

I show him the items. "How much for these?"

He looks over each thing before answering. "Hmm… how about four hours of your help for those. Is that alright?"

What? It's already noon! If I try to get anything else then I'll be here 'till sundown!

You do not have any more time than that to sacrifice.

"Um… well…" I mutter as I try to think of some way to cut a deal with him. He waits patiently for my response, and I soon come up with a solution.

Let's try this. "I still need something for my travels. Can you maybe throw in something extra with the clothes? I'll give you your four hours then. You'd be doing me a huge favor."

He nods. "Very well. I have a box of supplies I reserve for weary human travelers. I think I left it near the tools."

Nice! "Alright. Let me put this on and I promise to only take what I can use."

He agrees, and I go to the close he pointed at earlier to change.

As I go to the closet, I pass by a small section of collected weapons. Several weapons ranging from classical swords, to antique guns, to modern infantry gear are lined up.

Humans… Imaginative creatures they are. Their ability to mastermind suffering is unsurpassed; not even by the most sadistic demons. Do you see the history before you? This is why I chose a human to be my servant. This is who you are.

I… won't lie… you're probably right.

I feel sick knowing I've already proved him right more than once, but it soon passes and I continue.

I quickly step away from the wall and go into the closet. I change into the outfit I selected and throw on the jacket. After I finish fastening the jacket's belt and buttons, I look into a small mirror sitting there to see how everything fits.

Initially, I was hoping there might be something here that would better protect me against danmaku, but this was still a definite step up in terms of functionality; the blue jeans and tan jacket don't look too bad together either.

Deciding my dirty old clothes have no use, I take everything out of the pockets and throw them away in the garbage can that was there. With that done, I step out into the store again. Rinnosuke is sitting in a chair near the far wall, still waiting on me.

Now let's see where that box is…

"Hello? I'm here! I brought that thing back too!" A young girl's voice calls out.

The door opens and someone enters. Whoever she is, she is rather short. I can only see a green hat atop blue curls as she moves between the shelves.

Rinnosuke readily greets her. "Ah! It's good that you arrived today. I have a visitor you would be interested in." He glances to me and I take it as a sign to head over there.

I walk over to where Rinnosuke is. In front of him is a short girl.

"Eh? Where?" She slowly turns around and sees me.

"Aah!" She then suddenly disappears. It's just me and Rinnosuke again.

"What the?" I whisper in awe.

Rinnosuke smiles and takes a few steps forward. He places his hand in the air and it catches on something.

"Now now. That is no way to act in front of others. Don't be shy; come on out." He says as he strokes nothing.

After a few seconds, she slowly fades back into view under Rinnosuke's hand.

Wow. That's pretty cool.

Now that I can see her I notice she is rather young, almost nymph-like; although that doesn't mean much for a youkai. Her hair, eyes, dress, and boots are all blue, while her cap and backpack are bright green. Her dress has been heavily modified with pockets and mini-satchels all over the arms and skirt. Between her backpack and her dress, she has an extraordinary amount of storage space on her.

"H-hi… I'm Nitori." She mumbles. She is looking down and blushing.

Aww. She's being shy.

I introduce myself. "I'm Knight. I'm from the outside world. It's nice to meet you Nitori. Nice little invisibility trick you did by the way."

"T-t-thanks. I made it b-by myself." She stutters.

Wait, made? Did I hear that right?

Nitori turns to her friend before I can ask more.

"I got that thing you showed me to work. I spent all week on it." She says to Rinnosuke.

"Oh? Why don't you show it to him? He can tell you for sure if it's in proper condition. He is from the outside world after all."

"Oh. S-s-sure." She starts to stutter and blush again as she turns to face me.

"H-here. Tell me w-what you think." She slowly extends her hand to give me a small device.

I take it and look at it the smooth gray device. It's a PSP. These were still pretty popular before I died. Did she really repair this on her own?

I flick the device on and it springs to life with full power. The memory is intact and there are even a few saved games from the previous owner.

Huh… look at that.

I shut it off and hand it back to her. "Good as new."

She suddenly looks up at me. "What? Really?"

"Yeah. Everything checks out. It's just like what you would buy at the stores." I assure her.

Her glowing blue eyes begin to glow brighter. She excitedly takes the device from my hands and offers it back to Rinnosuke, who gladly accepts it.

"Let me put this back on the shelves. In the meantime, why don't you start by following Knight around the store? He is helping me identify some of the odd behavior in the things I showed you last time." He says while walking away.

"Ok then! Let's get started!" She declares. Her eyes are now radiant blue lights.

Ah, so she's pretty friendly once you put her in her comfort zone. But before we start.

"Can we hold on for just one more second? I still need to grab some things." I ask her.

She quietly nods and I go to where the tools are and begin looking for the box he mentioned. It's not in plain sight, so I have to look through the crowded shelves for it.

She's probably getting impatient. Maybe passing the time with some small talk…

"So… uh… why do you come here?" I ask as I examine a shelf.

"I love building machines, and the human technology is so interesting. I do small favors for him, and in return he lets me look at the things he finds. Everything here is so fascinating."

She then asks her own question. "What about you? Where are you going?"

I move over to the next shelf. "I have to go to the… um… Scarlet Devil Mansion? I need to see the librarian there. After that, I don't know."

Nitori stifles a gasp of shock. "There? That place is dangerous! People get killed there!"

I sigh. "I know. But I'm a-"

Remember…

"I'm… in a tight spot right now. I don't have a lot of other options." I finish.

"I see." She sighs.

"Don't worry about me though. I can hold my own." I reassure her. I don't think she really believes it though.

After a moment, I find the box; a rusty first aid kit. There isn't much left inside, but I manage to find a bottle of painkillers and a small flashlight I could use.

I test the flashlight and am disappointed to find it has no batteries.

Argh! Of course it doesn't have batteries!

I am about to put it back when a poke from Nitori grabs my attention.

She grins and hands me a pair of tiny sticks. "You need batteries right? I've found a way to get power to handheld devices a long time ago. These energy rods are a special formula made by me. These will never run out!"

Really? Wow, let's try it then!

I take the battery substitutes and fit them in the flashlight. I test it again and the flashlight sends a cone of light towards the roof.

"Thanks Nitori. You're a gem." I compliment her and she beams back at me.

I pocket the flashlight. "Ok, all set. Now, let's get a look at those-whoa slow down!"

Nitori suddenly pulls me over to a shelf near the electronics and hands me one of the devices.

"This! Can you tell me what's wrong with this one?" She quickly asks.

"Alright, calm down. Let me look at it." I chuckle.

I examine the device in my hands; it's an IPod that has not been activated yet. The screen turns on and waits to be synched with a computer.

"This one's in good shape, but it hasn't been activated by the user. You need an internet connection for that." I explain.

Nitori eagerly listens to my words before speaking. "An… internet? Too bad, I don't have one of those. What about this one then?" She then shows me another item.

Oh man… This girl is going to wear me out. Still, I'll have to thank Reimu for sending me here. I've got some useful gear for my trip to the mansion.

Soon, I'll be on my way to the Scarlet Devil Mansion in search of a way to save my soul, but for now it's just me and this energetic little youkai dragging me around an old store.

It's probably going to be the easiest four hours I'm ever going to get for a while.


A/N

Thank you for reading my next chapter.

Writing about Kourindou was kind of a challenge; it was very confusing at some parts. I think I pulled it off ok, but any reviews regarding how I did would be useful.

Still, I had a lot of fun writing about Rinnosuke and Nitori. These two are usually depicted as the most technologically advanced people in Gensokyo, so I thought they would naturally be friends. And with Knight having just come from the outside itself, I think the three of them would get along pretty well.

I'll have the next chapter ready soon.