Disclaimer: Melex Rengsef is too busy with school to ever think to claim the rights of Touhou Project which is property of ZUN.
[Location: Forest of Magic, outside Marisa's house]
Day one of training
Mateus's POV
Next day, right at 9:00 a.m.
Master, along with Chiyuri and Gustav followed me all the way to the forest, calling Marisa and Alice first to help me, as for Makoto, Alice told me that he needed to practice weapon combat more than danmaku in a way to refine his style of handing his staff, so he went to the other floating island where the Youkai Mountain and Moriya Shrine lies, paying a visit to the tengu first (I'm expecting some skit like he is an intruder or a bum because of his looks, and knowing our luck, that'll be the case). Now I recall that Makoto used to always swing a pipe like a bat or club, so in this way he can expand his knowledge
When I asked Master if she needed to learn about danmaku as well, as to what she responded quickly that there is no need for that, that in the past she managed to enter here and in the meantime she witnessed some fairies shooting fireworks at each other. I pressed more on the matter but she said that she felt something ominous as if she was being watched by some powerful being so she just decided to leave and that was all that she said.
After some introductions from Marisa and Alice to well… my family in a way, Chiyuri and Gustav grabbed seats while Marisa and Alice wanted to see that what my Master can recall from that duel she witnessed on her past.
Time to see the power of my Master in action.
Marisa "Okay, let's finally see that great potential put in use lady."
Yumemi "Don't worry, I'm also excited as well, but don't you mind if I just throw a bullet hell at you? From what I can tell, the duel that I saw is way too different from how it is."
Alice "There is no trouble, we are going to dodge it and time out your danmaku, so just keep us moving around."
Marisa "Oh my, it feels like an eternity since I haven't done the old duels. Can't wait!"
Chiyuri "Wooo! Let's go Oka-chan, teach them where should they stand-"
*bop*
Gustav "Arrête ça! (Stop it!)."
Yumemi "Well then… Have at you!"
Alice and Marisa stand at 5 meters away from Master, in an opposite direction from each other. As soon as Master finishes her words, she starts to take deep breath of 15 seconds while opening and joining her hands with the middle, index and thumb finger touching its other side forming a rectangle where in the center of it a red, mystical and glowing white cross appears as where it starts to channel through all of Master, a light red and foggy aura, with her long hair braid starts to rise up and starts to float.
Suddenly Marisa's cocky and relaxed expression changes to one more energetic and dashing one, but somehow it shows that she's starting to feel cautious about Master, while Alice maintains her cold composure and extending already her right hand, deploying more in front of her more dolls that look a lot to Shanghai, holding a rounded thick shield and a pointy and a large joust lance.
Master takes flight at a high altitude and the magic red cross that was on her hands shatters and extends her arms at Marisa and Alice.
Then the bullet rain starts.
Break
Marisa/Alice "WHOA!"
The magician girls get a scared and surprised expression on their faces as they are about to get caught into the strawberry colored crisis they are approaching to. Each second, dozens of bullets came out through the wavering hands of my Master, while Marisa dashes back and forward with some bullets grazing at her and Alice uses her dolls' eyes to search for any gap that is visible enough for her to slide in.
Gustav "Sacrebleu!"
Chiyuri "What a view, oh my god."
*thud*
Well if Gustav's face isn't a very expressive jaw-drop, I don't know what it is and Chiyuri falls of her seat.
Mateus "Don't get your hopes up guys, even if this curtain of bullets seems to be extremely deadly and nearly impossible to dodge for a normal person, the bullets in itself has the same damage as if you are trying to hit someone with a plastic bottle."
Gustav "But would you look at that! You would require like tons of magic essence to even cast just a spread of those bullets."
Yumemi "In fact to cast only one bullet, it takes like a nano, roughly a pico fraction of my magic to do this, I think this type of battles were made for few humans to be capable to stand against minimal rank youkai."
Wow, she can even hold an explanation in the middle of a battle. That's the Master for ya'.
Mateus "I mean, I gave it to you two a brief written tutorial about this, what happened to that note."
Chiyuri "Well…" "sneezes"
Gustav "Guess that pollen season hit lady Chiyuri too late."
Well, I'll let it slide.
Marisa and Alice are struggling to dodge and keep up their speed with Master's fire rate, but as it looks, I can't distinguish much from the curtain of bullets, neither its pattern of if it's a spellcard, which makes me think if she had in the first place some secret spellcards.
It has been 3 minutes since they started
I fly to the left where I can see right at the back of Master, where I can see that she is shooting in a spread cone range against Marisa and Alice.
I can see that from Marisa flies more to the right as there is few bullets to evade, as for Alice, she has no problem to evade them from the left.
But as I step back and fly a little to see from above, I manage to see what Master is trying to do. As the magician girls are evading from opposite sides, they are getting near each other, which makes Master keep the aim right at them, in the end it'll be that the two will meet each other, making more difficult for each other to move around and find an open space, as the two barrages that went for each other it'll combine into a big messy barrage of bullets. Or well, maybe they can still manage evade it, as Marisa is regarded as an expert incident solver it seems, as well it seems that she and Alice are like a good duo.
!
Suddenly the amount of burst bullets decreases leaving Marisa and Alice more chances to move around inside the range of the spread.
Marisa "What is it woman? Are you getting tired already, ze?"
Yumemi "Well I'm tired of just shooting at you as if I had a shotgun, so I thought about another thing that I can do, so if I were you, I wouldn't be slowing down."
Alice "What do you-" "cough"
*pichuun*
Marisa "Whoa!"
*burst* *boom*
Suddenly a big red cross appears above Alice doing a direct hit upon her back, as she was paying attention and being more relaxed to the curtain's intensity slowing down. The red cross passes through her and crashes onto the ground releasing many big red spheres flying upwards in an expanding circle pattern. Marisa notices Alice and the cross, as she reacts quickly and moves away.
*burst* *burst* *burst*
Break
Marisa "Well thanks for the challenge, I was pretty tired of that mediocre danmaku."
Suddenly many crosses appears randomly following Marisa's path, as each of them crashes on the ground releasing the same spheres while the easy spread of bullets continues, putting more pressure on Marisa.
It doesn't take long for her to get nervous and get hit by a stray sphere from a cross that bursted several feet in front of her.
*pichuun*
Gustav "Rosen, do you still believe that this danmaku thing is actually child's play?"
Mateus "Let me tell you right now, it gets worse than that."
But actually, I have to say that Yumemi's danmaku was more aggressive and overwhelming than the other danmaku that I've saw, let alone the fact that this one wasn't a spellcard, in fact this one doesn't give a damn about pattern and style of barrage, it only wanted to defeat Alice and Marisa.
Yumemi "Oh I'm sorry, did I went overboard with you two?"
Marisa "Phew, that's no problem at all, is just that it has been like ages since I don't get to do these discontinued danmaku. Phew, I feel alive."
Alice "You say that Marisa, but Okazaki-san, you really are powerful, right before you casted your danmaku, I sense an unreal amount of magic flowing through and around you."
Marisa "And your student says that you are human right? Guess that this is the peak that I'm willing to look for, hahahaha."
Yumemi "Aww, you flatter me, Kirisame, but something is clear after this duel, Margatroid not only you lowered your guard, but also it seems that you were struggling much in evading. It seems to be that your mind is not connected totally with your body."
Alice gets flustered by her remark.
Alice "What's that supposed to mean?"
Gustav "Dame Margatroid, is either you were not focused on this because the lack of performance in this duel or you had emotions that kept you distracted, don't take it as a big embarrassment as your skill to dodge that is really remarkable."
Chiyuri "Says the one that had his mouth so open that it could even suck di-"
*bop*
Gustav "Arrête ça! (Stop it!)"
But is right, Marisa despite being human, she indeed possess the connection with her body and mind really strong, no wonder she is actually considered to be on par with Reimu.
Marisa "And what about me?"
Yumemi "Talk to me when you grew older like in 3 years later and we'll see if whether you are actually on my level."
Marisa "So it's settled then, ze!"
Yumemi "So I think that I'm getting clear isn't it, Rosen? What's the message in all of this?"
… Suddenly flashbacks of Master punishing my lunch and break time came back, in fact a drop of sweat is already running through my cheek. Dammit.
Mateus "Not only you had to trust in the capabilities of your body but also in the capabilities of your mind right."
Yumemi "Roughly speaking, so Mateus Rosen, I get that you have been using a lot your ability to perform lucid dreams in order to attain knowledge and training yourself while resting your body while you sleep, right?"
I nod firmly.
Yumemi "Well then, so everyone present here, I want you as well to keep this teaching to heart, as you are about to know that there is actually three sides or beings that make you who you are. The Body, the Mind and the Soul."
Mateus "So what is this new technique for the mind and soul, if there is a name for it?"
Yumemi "The Mind's Eye and the Mana Muscles."
Break
So now Master told me to stand in the center while Marisa, Alice, Chiyuri and Master are circling me, as for Gustav he is still on his seat but Master said that this technique is also useful for him as his powers can synergy pretty well with this.
Yumemi asked me that to enable this technique for the first is to be at an almost lucid and delusional state of mind, as I try to sleep with my eyes open, resting my body while letting my brain to project many shapes and lights. Basically trying to almost do a WILD (Wake Induced Lucid Dream)
I close my eyes.
I have sunshine in my stomach… like a child riding along a box through the ocean.
…I hear a heartbeat… I hear a stretched out chord… I hear a clean acustic wave…
These sounds increase to the point along a long baseline in the background.
I detect wavelengths increasing enough… enough… TO EXPLODE
*zap* *shockwave*
I can't see my surroundings clearly anymore, what I see is altered, as if I was born with a deep monochromatic filter on my pupils, with strange humanoid shapes that I get that they are everyone around me.
Alice "Oh my… his eyes, what is that?"
Marisa "Oh boy, this is really a sight to behold, ze."
At least I can manage to hear them clear
Yumemi "Rosen, can you hear me, can you feel your body still moving even though is not awake?"
I nod with my head. My muscles and articulations shouldn't respond but somehow I feel that my limbs are moving thanks to some kind of puppet string that I can control.
Marisa "So I get that this is that mana muscle thing, right?
Yumemi "Exactly, now Rosen, try to detect this several lasers, ready?"
Alice "Okay"
Chiyuri "On your mark, sensei."
Marisa "Hmm"
…
Yumemi "NOW!"
*bang* *zap* *pew* *electrical discharge*
A yellow laser, a blue sphere, a red cross spinning and a white beam. All coming from the humanoid shapes that circles me and I can see as well a line drawn from each attack where they are following then, their trajectory doesn't even reach me.
Yumemi "Okay then, let me wake you up."
What? Suddenly one of the standing shapes zooms right in front of me, as I can see the whole trajectory and detect a thin hollow circle surrounding their hands in movement and-
*blast*
!
My eyes open by a blinding light and the scenery returns to its original state. In front of me I see Yumemi with her hands striking my chest with palm strikes.
Mateus "cough" "winces"
Marisa "Well wasn't that a little bit overboard?"
Mateus "Oh my god, what was those lines, Master?"
Yumemi "Basically enough, that is some precognition or a proactive display of magic being channeled and casted into many directions. What I did is that while in your almost lucid state is to bring those hidden senses to your conscious self."
Gustav "So in other terms, he can use it while awake?"
Yumemi "Indeed, but as far as it goes for when it comes to danmaku, is not really a breaking gimmick, is just predicting to where the bullets may fly by."
Marisa "And about that moving your body with your own magic, I take it is just a speed buff for him, because he really needs that."
Yumemi "And you get a star Kirisame, so Rosen, you want to try this now?"
…
Mateus "Hell yeah."
Break
After some hours passing by.
As Marisa, Alice and Master shot at me at the same time from different directions, I'm faster to fly around and with the power of the Mind's Eye, I can see from many blinks, faint lines that bursts from each girl's casting, letting me know about the possible direction I should look out. Even though I was still getting caught in many bullets from Marisa, Alice, Yumemi or both of them at once, as well from Alice's great offensive dolls, Marisa's powerful lasers (which she also knows about that Master Spark thing of her own) and Master's random crosses. Obviously I need to practice more on this, but I think that with this, I'm more sharpening my flight skills.
We kept practicing (With a little break at noon for eating and resting) till it's 1:00 P.M.
Master and her company have left at that time, telling me to meet them later for more practice, as well Marisa went to her house leaving Alice and I alone.
As I approach Alice to say goodbye, she suddenly holds my head by my cheeks with her hands while staring at me with a non-expressional face with a determinated glare on her eyes, she doesn't seem angry.
Mateus "Ehm… Alice, is there something wrong?"
Alice "Shh…"
With her right hand, she touches my lips keeping my silent while she resumes with her stare, we are like this for an undefined amount of time but it felt really long, until she closes her eyes and lowers her head.
Is she really going for it? Is she actually pretty bold for a move like this?
Was Marisa actually right and not telling nonsense?
No, there is something else about it, she is not blushing at all. Alice opens her eyes lets my head free.
Alice "I'm really sorry."
Mateus "Tell me the why and we will call it a day smoothly Alice."
Alice "Oh no, I'm sorry if I made it uncomfortable, I shall leave now."
As soon as Alice says that, I blink for a second a detect a faint line from her that goes upwards, in an instant I grab her right hand while she turned away and started to float.
Mateus "We'll probably see each other again so to not make it uncomfortable next time, tell me what it is now."
Alice with an embarrassed face falls gently to the ground and holds my hand that is grabbing hers.
Alice "Ok" "sighs" "The thing is that I don't know why but at the moment your eyes went yellow for a second, I felt something inside me, something going on my head with such intensity. As if I've seen that power before."
Mateus "So you think that we've met before?"
Alice "nods" "I don't have I remember seeing you but for some reason you or maybe that power doesn't feel like something new to me."
Mateus "Well there must been other people around here that has powers founded on their dreams but if it helps you, I don't have any slight phrase in my memory about you."
Alice "Thought so, hey thanks to talking about it."
Mateus "Don't worry, don't let it get to you and keep moving."
And with that, we leave the forest then, accompanying Alice to her house back and from there I don't know what to do to kill time.
Looks like things are looking good for me, I wonder how Makoto is doing right now.
Break
[Location: Youkai Mountain, Tengu Territory]
Makoto's POV
At this moment my training has begun some few hours ago, but man what a training regimen I'm having right now, the tengu are really no pushover, at least I can manage to keep up with them.
Makoto "Gasps"
Momiji "Gasps" "It seems you are getting the hang of this, Makoto-kun."
Makoto "All of you are not making it easy for this human."
Momiji "What? Tired already, right now you were taking this seriously."
Makoto "I wouldn't be complaining if… All of you wouldn't be rushing at me the same time."
As my knees lay down on the floor while clinging to my staff, Momiji is in front with me, a little flinched and holding her sword and shield with uplifting stamina, while Momiji is in front of me, her other companions are as well, surrounding me while holding other weapons like swords, spears and staffs, thankfully they are made of wood so this makes it fair to say the least.
The tengu that are here in the training field looks like they are fresh recruits as they are wearing a typical white robe and a red long skirt and a geta only, while Momiji has only her white shirt and black skirt.
One of the tengu companions hands me a cup of water and other hands me a thin towel to wipe out the sweat on my face.
Rin "(Looks like we aren't leveled enough to be around here it seems.)"
Makoto "(Is not that Rin, we can keep going, we just need to think back in our steps and see where are we messing up.)"
Rin "(Ok, if you say so)" "(sighs)" "(Man, you are getting recently only piles of trouble and no resting.)"
…
As it stands now, everytime that Momiji and her team rushes at me, when I'm using my weapon in staff form, I don't see to have any problem. It didn't hit me till right now, but it seems that Mateus was right when he called me reckless, as I tend to do a strike or swing with more force I leave myself more open.
Back there on Earth as soon as I strike anyone on their limbs, it would stagger and cripple them so I didn't had to keep my defenses up and I just have to go on strong attacks.
That's it! I need to keep the distance, holding anyone back and strike in the right moment.
Makoto "(Hey Rin, do you think you can length up both the staff and club form?)"
Rin "(Yeah I can do that, why? Oh! Don't tell me that…)"
Makoto "(Yes, I underestimated the appropriate length of it.)"
Rin "(So you want me to basically reset the weapon's form? Are you sure?)"
I nod to myself, she seems to agree and suddenly the staff increases like 40 centimeters, going from 1m to 1.40m, between the lengths of a jō staff (approximately 1.27 meters) and a bō staff (1.80 meters).
*switch*
I turn to now to the club form and see that instead of folding itself it shrinks itself now adding more width to one side of the tip reaching 1.5 inches, is length has increased by 20 as well now having a length of 70 centimeters.
Yeah I like this better now.
I draw a deep breath and close my eyes for a second as I switch back to the staff form.
*switch*
Makoto "(So you ready Rin?)"
Rin "(Whenever you are! Kirin)"
Makoto "Momiji-han!"
My voice reaches high enough to the point that the recruits that were training in the meantime were staring at my direction from far back.
Momiji "You want to try again Makoto-kun?"
Makoto "This time I want everyone of you to don't hold back."
The other tengus whisper from our surroundings.
"Is this human for real?"
"Talk about being a reckless dude."
"How much do you bet that curious staff toy of his will break?"
Rin "(This girls, sure they don't know that this staff is the best of the best for dishing beatdowns.)"
Well, I hope that Rin's bashfulness doesn't rub me off in the meantime we are together.
Momiji "Silence! Did I ever tell you all to take a break, you still have much work to do, I don't want to hear more gibberish on the back or else we are assigning you to an intense equipment maintenance. Am I clear!?"
"YES Captain!"
Well, she knows how to keep control around here.
Momiji "Well then, Kirinou-san brace yourself, on my mark girls!"
I ready my staff in my right hand, opening more my arms from my chest and pointing the tip in front of me upwards, Momiji and her cohorts takes several steps back from me as they also ready their weapons in many stances. 4 in front of my sight, including Momiji and 3 from my back as I hear them to a closer distance to me compared to the 4 in front.
Feel free like the wind itself but strike with a wuthering steel.
Momiji "Engage!"
!
In an instant, I turn to my back and with my right hand I twirl my staff in 2 circles, making the upper tip spin downwards and releasing two arced beams, which one of them makes the girls that were facing my back stop in their movement and the second one makes them jump back far. With my distance controlled, I turn again to where the 3 tengus and Momiji are, I roll towards them as I impale my staff on the ground in the middle of them.
*explode* *rumble*
As soon as they try to launch at me with an aerial strike. I launch myself with the pressure contained in my staff blasting the ground. This releases a shockwave that sends the 4 more back.
Makoto "Woo!"
Momiji "Let's see if you can withstand this. Fire!"
Momiji and the other tengus in front and back of me swings their weapons, releasing many danmaku bullets. Now that I'm floating I have more space to dodge and think thoroughly. I manage to swing my staff to the beam and large bullets, using that danmaku dissipation from before to move myself more to the sides.
Suddenly more bullets are aimed to me, being 6 girls that are targeting me, this is suddenly becoming like a usual curtain of bullets from the normal danmaku duel.
Rin "(Well, this looks more difficult, are you sure you don't want my passive blessing for this.)"
Makoto "(No Rin, I want to see for myself how long I can stand by myself.)"
Well, the thing to always focus on is to always find a way out in the middle of a hailstorm of bullets. There is always a free gap in the middle either made intentional or not by the opponent, like an object that gets out from the inside of a tornado.
I see a little rounded area where no bullet is passing by, if I can dive and squeeze through it.
I join both my arms and legs and start to roll in midair and dive through the hole to later rise up again on the sky. As soon as I manage to keep this up, many faces of the tengu and Momiji are a bit impressed by it so they start to increase their firing speed and amount of bullets they can cast out of their weapons.
I better sharp my senses too. It takes like around 3 minutes for me to get struck by several of the bullets and falling down to the ground. As I try this again, let's say that they like to keep me entertained flying up and grazing through their slashes.
Many intents later.
Break
After taking a little bit of break at noon and helping around the tengu territory quite a bit in fact since there was some problems with many sluggish and outdated mechanisms, I took this opportunity to showcase a bit some knowledge of mechanical stuff that I've applied along with Mateus back on Earth to the tengu.
I sit back on the main stone staircase that is the main path in traveling around the Youkai Mountain, as minutes passes Momiji comes and seat near me.
Makoto "Well, guess those injuries were nothing at all, feels like you were performing as usual."
Momiji "Well, when we brought you out of that place in the Outside World, the moment the nurse checked on you, your injuries were starting to close up, guess that's your soul friend's work inside you."
Makoto "That's what she says about being an energy source for me. I wondering about something."
Momiji "What is it?"
Makoto "How come all of your squad, even the Yama never intended to capture us when Mateus and I met with you the first time on Earth?
Momiji "About that, how can I say it… hmmm."
Makoto "If that question is difficult for you right now at least tell me about, how long did you knew about us before?"
Momiji "Oh no, don't take it wrong, I thought that it would be a really uncomfortable matter to speak about, I saw you with a slight fear on your muscles tensing up."
Makoto "Obviously it would be that it caught me by surprise about that, but I was thinking about what Mateus would dare to do."
Momiji "How so?"
Makoto "It may not look like it but sometimes he worries about me, that he makes sure that we shouldn't be getting so often in risks, specially me."
Considering it ironic since I'm basically the strength and might of the duo.
Momiji "Just because you have a family right?"
Makoto "It could be that, something is sure is that I can't have a read upon him sometimes."
Momiji "It looks like you have a deep story between you doesn't it? If that's the case, do you think you can talk about it?"
Makoto "Well, that story is long as hell, I tell you right now, in fact when there is nothing of trouble coming for us in the future after this duel, maybe we could gather you and the other girls to talk about it."
Momiji "About this incoming duel, I think we should get moving now."
Momiji stands up from the staircase and moves downstairs while making a signal with her left hand, asking me to follow her. I stand up as well and follow her downstairs, we kept walking till we turn to the right and we stop to what seems to be an open area surrounded with trees and with wide space as if this was made for training a whole bunch of tengus.
Momiji "Stay right there, Makoto-kun."
As I stop my track right at the border of one side of the circle, Momiji keeps walking to the other side of the circle and turns back at me, we staring down each other, the wind resonates within the area being the only sound around us. Momiji then draws her sword with her right hand and the round shield from her back with her left hand.
Momiji "Well then, in how many hits do you think we should do this?"
Makoto "Make it three, I'm already seeing that this will be a challenge for sure."
Momiji "You sure? Then I'll expect you to bring the most of your skill as well, I'm someone who is known for not holding any punch back."
And here we go, I grab my staff and switch it to the new bat form with my right hand and position it in a diagonal down direction. Without any shout or announce, Momiiji and I start to run at each other and start clashing weapons.
Break
This battle even though it has passed like around 45 minutes, it sure has been like one of my most intense fights, speaking from experience another difficult fight was against Mateus sometimes, even though he is crazy to spin like an idiot and do unconventional kicks, those legs of his sure pack an intense heat and swiftness. I see now the huge difference between a swordmaster like Momiji and someone just swinging a weapon rashly.
At moments where I get to strike, Momiji would just usually block it fast enough with her shield to the point where she could switch her sword and shield to the other hand that was holding it, maintaining distance and a slightly momentum and speed. No wonder she is a captain for nothing, if she is that skilled with the sword, well that Youmu girl might be a worse mechanical problem than this, figuratively speaking.
Now that we are at 1 hit point against each other, the tension between us wouldn't be more intense than what it is now. I can hear pretty well the breath of each other and bits of exhaustion, we are just at several meters straight from each other.
Momiji starts to walk at me while putting her shield closer to her chest and her sword downwards, as I walk towards her twirling my staff from the center of it with my left hand.
!
Momiji spins around and swings her sword horizontally, as I hold still the staff in a vertical position preparing to clash the sword and lift one side of the staff touching her arm, which it doesn't count as a hit and only a direct strike to the chest will do. Thankfully that sword magically hasn't ripped through my clothes.
The moment I lift her right arm, I turn around her positioning the other tip of my staff aimed at the center of her back, I spin my staff aiming it to hit around the shin of her right leg, making her stumble.
While she manages to turn around and prepare her shield, immediately I switch to the bat form and with my two hands I strike directly at the shield making her lose balance and dropping the shield on the ground.
*clash*
I prepare another mighty swing aimed to her upper chest zone as she crawls a little back and prepares her sword to intercept my strike, but what made Mateus's fight as intensely hard as this one is that he was a cunning son of a bitch.
I move myself to the back and switch to the staff form at the moment she is swinging her sword, hitting nothing but air, her expression changes to one of worry and shock as she got outplayed and tricked. Now at a safe distance and with only needing to hit her chest, I slid the staff to her chest fast enough, like a billiard cue hitting the white ball.
*thud*
And with that, that's the third hit necessary, as Momiji is now lying on the ground rubbing her chest around the area I hit her in.
I extend my left hand to her as I touch her left shoulder with my right hand.
Makoto "Here let me help you Captain."
Momiji takes ahold of my hand dropping her sword in the moment while having a little embarrassed time to rise up with her cheeks turning a bit red.
Momiji "Thanks Makoto-kun!"
Suddenly I hear many 'awws' or 'woos' from above, as I raise my head up and see that a few tengu and Aya are from above watching us from behind the bushes.
Momiji stares up as well and immediately takes off the ground and changes her expression to a cold and bold one.
Momiji "What did I say about slacking off!? All of you stay right there now!"
While she is shouting to the peeping toms, I grab Momiji's shield and sword and give it to her.
Momiji "Thanks, well so I can say now that your skill is really superior."
Makoto "I don't think so, that was one of Mateus's shenanigans that he pulls off in battle."
Momiji "That is also a superior skill to have, one that manages to use its thinking and wits, can be as powerful as an oni."
Makoto "Good point, still I need to get accustomed to new ways of how I handle my staff."
Momiji "As it stands, just take more practice or if you want you can beg another round."
Makoto "Oh really, do you say that because of your loss and you just want a salty rematch?"
As far as I could see during our clash, Momiji sure is competitive when it comes to sword duels.
Momiji "What makes you say that? And get that grin of your face if you are just going to stand there."
Makoto "Ok, ok I'll calm down, hahaha."
Momiji "So are you leaving then?"
Makoto "Yeah, there is this person that I wanted to ask about some things and the sooner I do that, the sooner my doubts will fade away."
Momiji "Oh, ok then so before you go then, can you wait here a little bit and let me borrow your jacket?"
Makoto "Well I have no problem with that but if I can ask, why?"
Momiji stares closer to my chest, analyzing my jacket, checking the many signatures I have scribbled upon it.
Momiji "Hmmm. I think there is a free space after all, so can I?"
Makoto "Well then, there you have it."
Momiji "Thanks."
I take of my jacket, leaving only my white shirt put on myself, as she bends it over and holds it in her right hand as well she is holding her shield, I follow her leaving from the open space down from the tengu territory.
Momiji "Also, I found an answer for your question about why we never captured you then."
Momiji stops and turns back on me.
Momiji "There was a photo that Aya took of you two, aiding a castaway girl in the ocean from the Outside World, the girl looked like she went through so much and you decided to help her no matter what."
!
Oh right, now that I remember, it was when Mateus and I were going to test out a custom-made boat to travel to more countries on Earth back then, miraculously a safety failure on our boat helped that girl get to a hospital, later we found that she was an immigrant that wanted to reunite with her family.
Momiji "There is that only photo that has a sense of goodwill in it, did you know about what they say, that a photo can say more than words."
Makoto "Well, the only thing that we can say is that this path that Mateus and I walk…"
It certainly gives us much amusement.
Break
[Location: Human Ground, block C]
Mateus's POV
Well, its 3:00 P.M., after getting my ass beaten by Master Okazaki to the point that she tested new waves of bullets against me, Alice and Marisa together, I think this should be enough for today, after all I plan on going with a little of lucid dreaming to train myself. You know what they say Mateus, the worst enemy that you might confront in life is yourself.
But in the meantime, I think I should kill some time wandering through the human city and explore more in depth about it. I have taken around 2 hours into exploring the city so as it is known, the city seems to be divided into 5 sectors or zones in the city from A to D. A stands for administration and relations with the other floating islands of Gensokyo; next is the B zone where it stands for basically business and the working areas where most people here works as an artisans, tailoring, blacksmith, jewelry, carpentry and so on, also in this sector is located the public services HQ's; section C stands for commercial business, such as shops, cafes, restaurants, trading centers and such; and finally D stands for di… Nah, it stands for domestic, it is obvious what it means as well in this sector there is only three schools.
At first I was thinking that maybe this would be an awkward way to organize the city but it somehow thanks to the wide streets and branching sidewalks, it is easy to walk through here.
And right now I'm walking through a peculiar shop that is more separated from the other districts where I can see on the display, many plasma screens, many smartphones and even a prosthetic arm!
Well what is this shop about, right now there is a few crowd being amused and skeptic about what it seems for them to be alien technology. Guess that in this world, it is like the 2000 year on Earth.
My curiosity gets the better of me and I get into the crowd, entering to the shop.
*ring*
Right when I enter, the moment I lay sights on the shelves filled to their brim with many miscellaneous objects.
Mateus "Holy shit, did I stumbled on another dimension?"
The amount of relics in here is so abnormal compared to what I and Makoto have gathered. Back in Earth, we usually spent our time searching through desolate ruins of many countries, from places of Europe, to Russia and America, usually taking like a two week trip of only scavenging and selling stuff that we could manage to tamper with.
I check many other shelves where there is electronical, domestic and mechanical items.
"Who's there? Please wait a moment, I'm busy by the moment."
Suddenly a male familiar voice is heard, unfortunately since we didn't apparently talked too much I can't recall it (also the fact that we are just meeting girls doesn't help either on this).
Mateus "I'm Rosen, you know the most interesting human in these recent days."
As soon as he hears my name, I hear him rushing down from the back of the shop. As soon as he enters to the room, I recognize him, he is that one man from before that gave us the Gameboy Color.
Rinnoske… Rinoke… Damn come on you cunt, remember!
!
Rinnosuke Morichika.
Rinnosuke "Oh hello there, I'm sure you remember me right?"
Mateus "Yeah, you are the one who gave us a really valuable relic."
Rinnosuke "And you are the one who is going to be at death's door by the Flower Master."
Well, information sure goes fast.
Mateus "You know, I don't want many people to be watching me, I have a little tad bit of stage fright."
Rinnosuke "The only thing I can say then is good luck or try to plead to the Moriya shrine maiden for a miraculous blessing."
Mateus "Don't worry, you'll be surprised at the day of the duel just how skilled I will be, hehehe!"
Just like the say, sometimes one has to be smug at the face of trouble sometimes and by the time you start solving it, that confidence will kick in the focus to do it.
Rinnosuke "If you say so, oh right, was there anything wrong with the device I gave to you?
Rinnosuke starts to put many boxes on the counter, giving more space to the hallway to walk in.
Mateus "Nothing at all, the electrical circuit seems to be working fine."
Rinnosuke "Wait what, did you just managed to open it safely?"
He drops the box on the counter aside from the other box and in a cartoon-y way he dashes off to another hallway and picks from there…
A remote helicopter!?
Mateus "Well, you see, I'm an expert when it comes to chips and ships and chills, hahaha. So you want me to examine it, right?"
Rinnosuke "If you wouldn't mind."
I take the helicopter of from Rinnosuke's hands and I start to spin the propelers.
!
It seems that one is really stuck as I tried to rotate it, it didn't even spin 45° from his position. Well, since I don't have with me any tools to do it, let's just hope that phasing through it solves it.
*phase*
… Okay Mateus feel the way of the circuit, the flow… the mechanism… someone sure made the axis really pointy and sharp… a line, a cable at death's door, this pointy axis is going to cut down the cable…
Gotcha!
I transfer my ethereal energy to the inside of the helicopter and…
*glass shatters*
Well look what we have here, a little crystal that somehow grew inside of it. Rinnosuke is surprised now that the propeller starts to rotate normal.
Mateus "Well, for a first time dealing with crystals messing the mechanisms, this went well."
Rinnosuke "I can't thank you enough for that Rosen-san."
Mateus "Don't fret about it, but I have to say it is interesting how you managed to get stuff of the outside world."
Rinnosuke "If that's the case, if you have time to-"
Mateus "Say no more."
Break
I stayed for some time having a drink with Rinnosuke. He says that he is a half-human half-youkai with the power of identifying any unknown item, including its function, purpose and lifetime by only holding it. I asked him if that was the case, why he couldn't repair it.
Well, knowing an item instantly is one thing, having the knowledge and dexterity to fix it without fucking it up is a whole different matter (let aside the tools necessary for the job). From there, he explains that he has been into this business of encountering items from Earth and offering to select clients about them, as soon as I told him that Makoto and I are also in a business of scavenging and repairing, well looks like I encountered another great mind to have a chat then.
I dunno how much time has passed but the sky turned from blue to orange in what seemed like a day just one hour, from stop to finish we kept talking about the stuff he had and the skills that Makoto and I had.
Mateus "yawns" "Hoo boy, would you look at the time, I guess it's time to depart, Rinno-ri."
Well, it's not the worst nickname you could come up with but I know I can do better than that.
Rinnosuke "For real, this was a really long conversation. Well then, if you have the time you're welcome to enter here as well your partner Kirinou."
Mateus "Yeah, I don't know when but be sure that we'll continue this conversation next time."
Rinnosuke "Also I forgot to ask, but if you have a duel with the Flower Master what brought you here instead of-"
Mateus "Preparing, well I had enough training for today, so I thought of just waltz around. But now I'm wondering what makes that Kazami woman such a menace?"
Well aside, from the fact that she is coldhearted and she can do a HYPER BEAM, what else could make her have the creed she has?
Rinnosuke "Well I'm supposed that you saw her power as a youkai and a danmaku performer, let alone the menacing and uncomfortable aura she has around, but there is a tragic story here in Gensokyo that involves her."
Mateus "Well then, let me then go for another round of drinks then."
Rinnosuke "Okay then, so first things first, I don't know the details and the cause of it, but this happened like around 15 years, it was about a conflict that shook some disturbances between here and another world. Makai."
Mateus "Wait isn't that basically the hell of the Japanese folklore?"
Rinnosuke "Not exactly, that's Jigoku in which there is the domain where the Yama resides. Consider Makai as a domain for demons and creatures of innate power and magic, basically the domain of demons."
Mateus "Ok, then so Makai is also one floating island?"
Rinnosuke "No, the entrance is located on the depths of the Hakurei Shrine, but as it stands the entrance is buried so the only way to arrive is to use those ships."
The Multi-Dimensional Gaping Transport, MDGT.
Rinnosuke "Without getting off track, Makai is a place where youkai possess greater power than the youkais that live here in Gensokyo. Those types of youkais are called as the Fierce Ones."
Mateus "Basically a land where the survival of the strongest and the rules are enacted by hands of people of chaotic nature."
Wow, that's some delutional sentence I said there.
Rinnosuke "nods" "In that land there it is a place called Pandæmonium, where the goddess of Makai rules over. Needless to say is that supposedly, that goddess created Makai in the first place, so you could imagine that her power is if not superior to the Yakumo Sage."
Mateus "Wait you mean, that she possess an ability way more absurd than the ability of controlling even metaphysical limits."
Rinnosuke "No, but that's the catch with the Fierce Ones around there. You can guess then how people is always at guard when they detect Yuuka."
Yeah, makes sense that even though she can only control flowers, she possess such raw power, enough to shoot a laser with the area of Sengoku Castle in Japan.
Mateus "Well then, continue with the story."
Rinnosuke "Ok, so what I've had heard about her past is that at a child age, she developed her power, which is highly rare for youkais since it takes like 40 years to develop it at a fine level. Because of that, her early life would get complicated to the point that as her power became evident, people around her stayed away from her."
Mateus "And I guess that thanks to that conflict of 15 years ago, only made it worse for her, right?"
Rinnosuke "Exactly, before she thought of humans so lowly but right now, she can sometimes feel empathy to other humans."
As long as one doesn't try to make a fool out of her, hmm... I see.
Mateus "She had to meet many humans that used underhanded methods to defeat her, so that would be why she acted with spite against me, because of my power perhaps."
Rinnosuke "That would be the case, but as for that conflict in Makai, she had to run away as the conflict ended so she wouldn't get captured."
Mateus "If I had to ask, what caused the conflict in the first place?"
Rinnosuke "It's my theory so take it with the benefit of a doubt, but I think that involved somehow with apparently some kind of coup against the goddess and a heist to take one valuable object, I think it was like a book that contained so much power."
Mateus "Well, I bet that whole plot got complicated."
Rinnosuke "Right, thanks to Reimu's mother, Reina Hakurei, solved it in time."
!
Mateus "Well, that was interesting to know, sorry that I want to end it abruptly but I had to take my leave then."
Rinnosuke "Well then Rosen-san, I look forward to our next meeting also take this."
Rinnosuke hands to me some sort of card, looks like is a membership card for this shop.
Kourindou Select Client: Materu Kozen.
Well, I can't blame him but somehow it seems legit to use the Japanese characters of ma, teru, ko and zen to at least write my name on those characters.
Mateus "Well then, see ya."
Rinnosuke "nods" "Also, I'll be rooting for you when the day of the duel comes."
Break
[Location: Upper area of the Youkai Mountain]
Makoto's POV
Well, the Youkai Mountain seems to be pretty high enough, I keep climbing and climbing and even then I just see the green nature around me. Even to the point that my legs are getting hurt.
Rin "(Maybe it was the best option to take the normal staircase Kirin. Why did you think that this was a great idea?)"
Makoto "(Well blame Mateus and his trips, as we always take the 'unconventional route' for a thrilling experience.)"
Rin "(Is that right? Are you sure you didn't wanted to go sightseeing? Be thankful that we haven't encountered a savage youkai around here.)"
Makoto "(I dare you say that again if you don't believe in jinxes.)"
Well, a good thing that I can learn about this is that I'm training my stamina, yeah that's some progress to say the least.
!
I hear near at my left, a waterfall not really far, I should take a break and rest there.
As I get to the top of the waterfall, I can see a really open space where I can see all the bottom of the island and many other islands that I see on the distance, one to left floating more higher and another one at my right at the same altitude as this one, I think and from the center-left I can see the main island, where the human city is. And of course in between of all that, there is the strange cloudy and white-purple void.
If I had a camera right now.
Rin "(Hey, stay still, let me draw at least the rough drafts of the scenery. Wow, I really missed so much before.)" "(sobs)"
Makoto "(Come on Rin, that's the fifth bottle of tears you are filling now.)"
I know that Rin, but this is stretching to absurd lengths.
*crush* *hush*
!
I sense someone far behind me, I get back to the track of my right and grab my staff, just in case.
Makoto "Who is it? Hello. I'm not lost by the way."
Rin "(Also say that your meat can give anyone diarrhea.)"
Makoto "…"
… Really Rin?
Sanae "Oh is it you Makoto-san, it feels like it passed so long time between our last time."
So it's Sanae over there, what timing, just the one that I've wanted to talk.
I start running along the road beside the lake to greet her.
Sanae "Wait, wait, don't come over here! I'm a little occupied here!"
Ok, just in case, I'll close my eyes in case I just get into another harem trope. Thankfully Mateus isn't here to mock me over it.
I manage to get across the creek as I'm guided only by sound and get to where Sanae is, as I hear some robes and many steps coming towards me.
Sanae "Hey, you can open your eyes Makoto-san."
I do as she asks and I see Sanae in a white robe and a long red skirt, an actual common miko outfit instead of her blue, green colored outfit, her hair seems to be a bit damp as her arms and face seems to be soaked as well.
!
As I see in detail her body, I notice that since her body is soaked, the white robe starts to slightly reveal her body. Thankfully she has her chest binding and the see-through is not that much but still my red embarrassment is noticeable.
Sanae "Huh? What is it Makoto-san, did you got exhausted on your trip back here? Your face is a bit red."
Makoto "Oh no, it's just that… well…have you seen yourself in a mirror?"
Why me? The only thing that I need to suffer is a wardrobe malfunct…
I should better shut my mouth, these jinxes are way too strong for my sanity.
Sanae stares at herself and as she notices that her skin above her cleavage is visible through her robe, she starts to get the same blush and expression as me.
I better do something about this before this escalates to a 'coincidence'.
*fwoom* *wind breeze*
Sanae "… Ehm, thanks."
Makoto "There we go, don't need to thank me."
Good thing that my wind powers are actually not causing 'coincidences' for once.
Sanae "I'm sorry, but I told you that I was busy by the moment, you shouldn't be so hasty."
Makoto "Sorry, but I've been lookin' for you in fact."
Sanae "Oh really, so that brings you to this island?"
Makoto "Not exactly, to sum it all is that I took the train to Momiji's territory to prepare myself for a duel, so I think that I should at least say hello to you."
Sanae "Oh how considerate, huh!? You are going to have a duel?"
Break
And here we go with the rundown. We sit over two rocks that are near the border of the lake, as we see together the calm orange sky of the afternoon as I say everything that Mateus and I have done, about Rin and Mateus's master. Safe to say that she is surprised to know that there is so many special humans on Earth as I mention Mateus's family… Well pseudo-family.
Sanae "Well, looks like you are always bound to thrilling experiences right?"
Makoto "More likely is that we are dragged around so many of here and their antics."
Sanae "giggles" "That reminds me of how sometimes Lady Yasaka and Lady Moriya are hurrying me to do my chores and task as the maiden of Moriya, it gets pretty stressful."
Makoto "So I get that you come here always, just to feel the silence and gaze at the sunset."
Sanae "No, sometimes I also bring my personal stuff like games and books that I managed to get before coming here to Gensokyo."
!
Yeah, the one person of Gensokyo that is from Earth, way before us.
Sanae "What is it Makoto-san? When I mentioned Earth before you got startled, right?
Makoto "Well, it wouldn't surprise me to know about another one from Earth-"
Sanae "So there is something, maybe about me that is surprising to you even your breakdancing friend, did I get it right?" "giggles"
Yeah you got it. Okay then Makoto, stop pussing out and get to the point with her.
Makoto "Well then, let's continue with the guess game, since you haven't brought anything today it seems so can you tell what makes us surprised about you, Kochiya-han?"
Sanae closes her eyes and rubs her chin with her left hand, thinking about the answer.
Sanae "Oh! Is it possibly that I have met you before coming here?"
Well, I would tell you that you are wrong for many reasons that we could get saying for a long time, but I'll just shake my head in negation to that.
Sanae "Oh…It wasn't that, okay then… hmmm."
Makoto "Don't worry I can give you a clue if you want."
Sanae "I don't need that, but I think that you have met possibly my descendant? And it seems that you are close friends, right?"
I nod my head in agreement, and in fact this scene reminds me of the first time I met her and got to know her.
Sanae "Well then, I think you won't tell her name then, I don't want to cause a paradox that destroys the universe, hahaha."
Not exactly, if I'm correct you might be her grandmother so there won't be a problem.
Makoto "No I can tell you her name only, I don't think there is any problem or maybe in your future something happens which leads to a chain of events regarding her name."
And with that it seems that I have established a time loop. Yeah good for me, I guess.
Sanae "So what is it?"
Makoto "Nozomi. Nozomi Kochiya."
Sanae "What a beautiful name, ahhh, Gensokyo just keeps giving surprises to me, do you feel the same Makoto-san?"
Makoto "There is no denying."
Sanae "How close are you two together? What is she doing?"
Makoto "We are really close, in fact I think that I should thank her with a big present, as she was someone that kept me from going down by anxiety and stress before. She is coincidentally the same as you, a shrine maiden."
Sanae "Oh, so the family tradition is still there on Earth at the 2-80's."
Makoto "So you were a shrine maiden in Earth as well?"
Nozomi did say that her family was pretty much acquainted with spiritual stuff, in fact after the tragedy of the 21st Century Apocalypse, her family was tasked among other ones to give shelter and keeping the morale and self-esteem of the people that suffered a huge loss by it.
Sanae "That's right, although all that I did back there was just cleaning the place and just taking care of common offerings. Here, I have more in my plate to do every day, with all of the followers are praying to us and keep the faith they have in us."
Makoto "That includes solving incidents here as well?
Sanae "That's right, although they leave it up to Reimu more often, so you can consider the two of us as some sort of rival maidens." "giggles"
Makoto "Looks like it has been pretty entertaining here since you came in, right?"
Sanae "Well not really, I was scared of the youkais in the first days I came here, as well I wasn't that skilled in danmaku compared to Reimu."
Makoto "What about your friends and family on Earth?"
Sanae "Well, thing is that, I didn't have many friends, I just had few acquaintances, but I wasn't that social with them, I just focused on studying and taking care of the shrine. As for my parents, they understood that it was time for me to depart along with Lady Yasaka and Lady Moriya."
Considering how talkative and supportive you were when we were training 3 days ago, that's difficult for me to believe.
Makoto "But, well you look like you have made friends with many of the people here, let alone the fact that you have the followers and their requests to attend to."
Sanae "That's right, I think you can guess how difficult it was for me, trying to do my best and keeping it together in an unknown place but you see it wasn't that bad. Back on Earth since I hadn't time to spend with anyone, there was my hobbies to help me through."
Makoto "You mean your games and books?"
Sanae "nods" "My old self had it easy there on Earth. My first days here in Gensokyo, I ended having so much stress, as well I couldn't let down Lady Moriya and Lady Yasaka, but all those burdens being bottled up made it bad for me, that was till I met Reimu."
Makoto "So what happened?"
Sanae "Well, Lady Yasaka along with Lady Moriya plotted about shutting down the Hakurei Shrine in order for us to gain all of the faith in Gensokyo, but as I fought Reimu, I saw clearly how unexperienced was back there."
You were no match for her back then, Reimu is a human that has lived all her life in Gensokyo. But if all of this was just to gain popularity pretty much, guess that the situation was pretty bad on Earth too.
Come to think of it, Nozomi say that the shrine in the past it was rare for people to come over, to the point that it was almost abandoned, even the building they say that it disappeared.
!
Makoto "I'm sorry for not noticing how bad your situation was, but I can understand how bad it is, I have been in that sometimes."
I turn to Sanae which her smile seems to have a gloomy tone.
Sanae "Don't worry, later after our plan got busted, Reimu came to me, speaking to me about how I have the potential to get stronger, at first I ignored her, but as she and many others were coming to me, I had no choice but to talk with them, the best decision I've made here."
Makoto "You understood how good it is to have relations, right?"
Sanae "You're pretty empathetic with me isn't? But right, it is as you say, I needed to know where and how my role should be here thanks to them. I should thank you."
Makoto "Why? I just asked about how you were on Earth."
Sanae "That's the reason, getting to meet with someone that is from the same place that I was and knowing that my descendants are doing fine as well getting the chance to talk about this without being embarrassed, that's why I should thank you."
Makoto "You're welcome, I also had this anxiety the moment I knew your surname."
Sanae "So did that anxiety went away now?"
Makoto "Actually, now that I talked to you, feels like it just surged but for no reason, maybe that's how things goes around here, isn't it?"
Sanae "That's right, here in Gensokyo in one minute you might be already be set up into a fairy prank, a youkai dispute or just an incident. By the way, how is your training doing for your next duel."
Makoto "Say it Rin."
My mouth suddenly opens wide.
Rin "Don't worry, we are ready for it."
Sanae "Fufu, is that so? Then you wouldn't mind if I test that out."
Yep, looks like I'll be sleeping so well after this much tiredness.
Makoto "I won't be holding back any punches Sanae-han, bring it then!"
Break
[Location: Alice's house, guest room]
After some roughhousing danmaku duels with Sanae, I head back to the entrance of the Youkai Mountain, receiving a call from Mateus that Alice has prepared dinner for us and that the bed is ready, we better get a house for this world, we are freelancers not freeloaders.
It is 11:00 P.M. Alice is already asleep, Mateus and I are already making preparations. Chamomile tea? Check. Leaving only the mattress of the bed? Check. Dizzy enough? Check.
Mateus "yawns" "I hope you are ready mate, this is going to be a whole experience like no other."
Makoto "So what is the side effect, will I be sleepwalking the same as you or am I going to be floating while asleep?"
Mateus "Nah, just be prepared to close your eyes while you are in the midway of having a high frequency lucid dream, aka… the Psycho-journey."
Makoto "Ok then so how do it do that?"
Mateus "Just close your eyes, but just that, minutes later you'll see some colors, DO NOT try to focus on them just let them pass quickly as this will make more random colors and shapes to appear, when you see those figures merging themselves into a scenery that is when you should focus little by little on the scene you are seeing. I should remind you that your body must be still the whole time, if you fail that's it for you mate."
Makoto "Okay, thanks for the crash course partner."
Mateus "I mean, why I should be saying this to you, you already have a method to go into an astral trip, right Rin?"
Oh that's right.
!
Rin "Thank you Ma-Ro-chan, at least there is someone who acknowledges my prowess." "sobs"
Mateus "Ok ok, I don't want to see a tall thug crying in a feminine voice, that is something more unnerving than this world."
Rin "Ok then, let's get going."
!
Makoto "Phew, ok, later I'll give you an apology Rin. So partner how do you-"
And he is fast asleep with his eyes open on his mattress.
Well then here it goes nothing.
Makoto "Whenever you are ready Rin!"
Rin "(Leave it to me Kirin!)"
Suddenly my head starts to get a bit dizzy and a little confused, I lay down on my mattress and start to close my eyes.
Several minutes passes and I see already a feminine silhouette dancing, while many shapes on many variations of green and blue flashing.
Rin "Psycho-journey commencing in 3… 2… 1… GO!"
I lost consciousness.
Author's notes:
Well then, long time no see.
So addressing first is about the techniques that Yumemi teaches to Mateus, the Mind's Eye, in other games from the main series there has been many gimmicks added to the main dish of the gameplay, examples are the Cherry Gauge in TH 7, the character pair in TH 8, Weapon or Shooting types in TH 9 and so on. So the Mind's Eye works in a similar way like that. As for the Mana Muscles that is something of a passive ability that all magicians can flesh out, so not only Mateus or Yumemi can do it, also Marisa, Patchouli, Byakuren and other magicians can do as well. In fact, since Byakuren's magic is all about physical enhancement, I'd think that she has these skill for her to use.
Then about Makoto's weapon length, I made research about many staff weapons and bat measurements to only found that I gave Makoto a toy bat in previous chapters simply put, so you can blame that one on me. But most importantly, about Makoto and Sanae's relation to their lives on Earth.
Indeed, Makoto has met Sanae's descendants, Nozomi Kochiya, which the first name is according to Google translate (yeah roast me for not learning quality Japanese language) is mainly hope but is also wish if you take it as Nozomu.
And introducing this time the only male character (if you think fortune teller was only a plot device) in the series, Rinnosuke Morichika, as a person who is basically a junk/treasure collector of stuff from Earth, and Mateus and Makoto which are scavengers and repairing techs, I thought of a solid business relation between these men. Which also, in that part of the chapter where he gives Mateus a membership card, the characters of 魔 (Ma) - 照る (Teru) - 幸 (Kō) - 全 (Zen) are mainly just to pronounce Mateus's name completely butchered, which also the meaning for each character and separated from each other means Devil of Shining Happiness, I'll just leave that fact for later.
And also, I gave Reimu's mother an actual name due that basically Hakurei Miko is actually just the role or title she has as the maiden of the Hakurei shrine, so the name of Reina (which you can tell the parallel from Reimu's name) means Spirit, at least the 'Rei' part.
With those facts addressed, I have to say that this and the next chapter is pretty much the training arc, which some of you might consider filler or just 'is there a need for this' but in my opinion, I don't want to make the plot points to just come one after another, I prefer to write little breaks or just a moment to relax, so in that way, I can't harm the flow of the story. So I can understand if you might be indiferent about this chapter.
State of affairs:
To be honest, this chapter was supposed to be uploaded 10 days ago but considering that at that time, I was about to enter in partial exams, I thought that I'll just go on in the same document and write the next chapter, considering as well that I'm a procastinator and this resulted useful in a way to fight this bad habit I have.
Which also about school.
HOO BOY!
This semester's classes are going really fast. And I mean FAST as SANIC. I'll just drop this fact. By the end of September, my class is already at the 3rd Unit of some of our classes.
The seniors really meant when they said that 5th semester is going to be the difficulty peak in my degree, as well the one where I have to kill my wallet for electhronic stuff. I'm glad that I resisted to play any gacha game this year, especially FGO, I won't succumb to your DAISHOURI's and thick burnt french toasts.
So this chapter is not only going to be uploaded but also the next one at the same time. So yeah, enjoy your Wombo Combo guys!
Shine On!
Melex Rengsef