It's been two days since my fight with Meiling, and I'm still staying in bed. I can function just fine, apart from a great deal of body aches and some unsteadiness in my body. But since that might be a bit of risk considering the presence of fairies around the mansion, I decide to play it safe. Awakening does have its price... which is why Sakuya doesn't use it that often. The sound of my room door opening makes me look up from the scroll I'm reading.
"Well, this is a surprise." I say dryly when I realize just who has come to visit. "What brings you down here, Eirin?"
"I happened to overhear that someone I know very well got himself injured again." The Lunarian pharmacist answers in an equally dry voice.
"Glad to know you care... or is it only about a certain part of my anatomy?"
She raises an eyebrow expressively to indicate just how bad my comebacks are. "I care about every part except your brain, since that was a lost cause."
Damn... "I surrender." I choose to accept a quick defeat rather than let her blast me any further.
"Perhaps I was wrong about you not having a brain after all." Eirin takes the seat next to the bed I'm in. "How are you feeling?"
"Very, very stiff." I reply, then facepalm. "Not in that sense. Sorry."
"Sometimes you make me want to explore the extent of your slipping up in your speaking when you're tired." Eirin says amusedly. "But I'm afraid you'd end up going into a long bout of depression afterwards."
I give her a wan smirk. "Always glad to amuse, Eirin. Always glad to amuse."
The pharmacist responds with a soft laugh. "I miss you sometimes, you know. The princess and Udonge as well. Arm." She beckons to me.
I extend my right arm out obediently. "Me too. Maybe I'll come by to stay for a short while after I leave the mansion." I watch as she places a finger on the artery at the wrist, measuring my pulse.
"You're welcome to." Eirin answers absently, her eyes examining my face even as her finger remains on the artery. "Okay, flex your arm."
She continues to inspect the rest of my body, asking me to bend or stretch the muscle currently being examined, until we're finally done. I notice that she glances a few times at my hips, clearly considering the act, but eventually she dismisses the idea.
"Severe muscle strain, as you already know. But you'll recover soon enough. By dinnertime, according to my estimation." Eirin digs into one of the pouches on her belt. "Here, take this pill."
She drops a small round black pill into my hand, and I only give it the briefest of suspicious looks before tossing it into my mouth and washing it down with a glass of water.
"No questions?" Eirin asks, amused.
"I'm sure I can trust you on this." I tell her, lying back in the bed. "You've never really hurt me before."
"It's actually poison." She tells me in a serious manner.
I just raise an eyebrow.
"Hm, no reaction at all." Eirin smiles, and leans over to kiss me on the lips. "I'll be waiting for when you come by," She whispers, a slight blush on her face.
Thus she leaves me with an uncomfortable pole to hide from the other inhabitants of the mansion. Thankfully it's early in the afternoon, and Flan is asleep. I don't want to be caught in this state by anyone else, most of all the Scarlet Devil's little sister.
"I~~kuto!" The door slams open to reveal a cheerful redhead, a bag in her hands.
I instantly pull my knees up and pretend that I was reading with my book resting on my thighs. "H-hi, Meiling."
The gate guard bounces over to me, and presents the bag with a cheerful smile. "I've brought you some meat buns from the village!"
"Ohh, thanks!" I accept the food gratefully and immediately bite into one. "Gahk!" I blow quickly to cool my burnt tongue.
"Hahahaha!" Meiling laughs out loud, but pats my thigh comfortingly. "Careful, it's hot."
"You flew rather fast, then, if it's this hot." I look down at the bun, then back up at her. "Thanks."
"You're welcome, Ikuto."
I hold the bun with one hand while placing the other on top of hers. Even through the thick blanket, I can feel the warmth soaking through; it's solid and comforting, and I smile back at her.
After a while, we start talking about the duel. Personally, I wouldn't mind if she never brought it up again, but since she wants to discuss it with me, I just play along.
"Your stamina has improved greatly, you know."
"All thanks to your training, Meiling. But still nothing compared to yours."
The redhead grins. "That's because you aren't training enough!"
"Oh, really? Not because you're a master of Ki?"
"Aw, come on, I'm sure you can make it to my level... eventually."
Who knew that Meiling had such a teasing streak in her? I grip her hand and pull, but she pulls back, making me put more force into it. Of course, no matter how much strength I exert from my disadvantageous position, there's no way I can budge Meiling in a straight-up challenge.
Which isn't what I was intending to do in the first place; suddenly switching from pull to push, I send a pulse of Purple Ki into her body with a twist of my wrist, sending her flying into the air, before I yank her down on top of me.
"Oof!" Okay... maybe I didn't the last part through enough... I wheeze a little as her body crashes down on top of mine, nearly crushing a very sensitive part. Lucky it calmed down earlier...
Meiling's brown eyes meet mine for a moment, the surprise evident in them. Then she smiles and embraces me around the shoulders, pressing her lips against my forehead.
"Geez... you're such a naughty little brother..." She chuckles.
I can feel her breasts squashed against my chest, despite the blanket between our clothes. Mischievous older sister... "Not little brother anymore, remember?"
Her eyes widen slightly, before crinkling with tender humor. "That's right..." She kisses me again, but this time on the lips. "I recognize you as a man now."
"You're making it sound like I was a kid all that time back then..." I mock-complain.
"You do act like one sometimes, remember?" Meiling reminds me with a hint of teasing in her voice, her eyes twinkling with amusement.
"That's the way I am!" Although it could be a side effect from staring Reisen in the eyes too much...
I forgot she can see through me with her Ki reading. "You sound like you don't believe it."
"Should I try to prove my maturity with my body?"
"Should I use my knives to separate the two of you?"
We both freeze at the sound of the new voice, before our heads turn to look in the same direction like rusty mechanical dolls, directed by the instinct of 'move slowly and the danger will pass you by'. The instinct is a very good one, but it's useless if the source of that danger already knows where you are, and is waiting for you.
Sakuya is looking down at us from the other side of the bed, smiling with a tic in her left eye. "Meiling? May I ask why you're on top of Ikuto?" The maid asks sweetly, toying with a blue-hilted knife in one hand.
"Umm..." Beads of sweat start to form on the redhead's brow as she stares at the slowly spinning blade. "Ikuto's really comfortable...?" She tries.
Apparently that's the wrong answer, because Meiling receives a knife straight in the head, causing her to topple off me and off the bed, falling with a thump on the floor. I want to lean over and check if she's okay, but the instinct is still going strong. Keep your eyes on the knife... you'll need the slightest warning in order to dodge it...
"Ikuto." Sakuya calls my name crisply, causing me to bolt straight up in my bed.
"Y-Yes!"
"Come with me." Without waiting for a reply, Sakuya walks out of the room, ignoring the 'dead' body.
I quickly roll out of bed and check my clothes, calling over to Meiling, "You okay?"
"Yep, just fine." She calls back cheerfully.
Before I realize it, I breathe a sigh of relief. She's alright... Apparently, even though I know that Sakuya doesn't seriously throw her knives, seeing that up close (compared to the first time I met Meiling) gives it a realism that is hard to deny.
"You better hurry after her, or she'll get mad." Meiling advises.
"Got it."
As I hurry out of the room, I hear her say, "I'll just lie here taking my time to recover..."
Sometimes I wonder if she sleeps on purpose or not...
I manage to catch up to Sakuya at the top of the stairs leading down, skidding to a halt before the annoyed-looking maid.
"Well?" She demands.
"I have no regrets." I blurt out without thinking. "Meiling and I had an agreement on the outcome of our fight, and I was just exploring the limits."
"Is that how you think of all of us?"
"Hell no!" I say, shocked. "Every one of you are important to me! Every one!" I'm really bad at putting my feelings into words...
Sakuya doesn't seem convinced. "So how are you going to explain what I just saw?"
"It's difficult for me to treat everyone equally," I tell her quietly, "So I decided that whoever I'm with at the moment, would be the one I view as the most important."
She frowns. "Doesn't that come across as being fickle?"
"I'm broken." I admit honestly. "But that doesn't mean my feelings aren't genuine."
Without any warning, I suddenly wrap Sakuya in a tight embrace. She struggles a bit, but I press my body tightly against hers, transferring as much of my body heat to her as I can. The chain on my wrist seems to ring slightly, and I can somehow sense her confused emotions; dislike, outrage, jealousy, pity, but underlying it all, the basic emotion that formed the bond between us in the first place. She can sense it too, and her struggling ceases.
We stand there for a while before Sakuya speaks. "I wonder how does that heart-reading youkai find you..." I hear her murmur softly.
"She has some difficulty reading me." I reply at the same volume.
Her body shifts, and I feel her arms wrap around my waist and squeeze slightly. "You're a strange person, Ikuto. But somehow, for some reason, I like you."
I pull my head back slightly so I can meet her eyes. "I know," I tell her, "And I like you too."
Then we kiss. Slow, simple, with barely any lust involved.
And it's wonderful.
We spend the rest of the day together, walking around the mansion supervising the fairy maids at work, staying together in the same time without any of Sakuya's time stops occurring. Normally, with Sakuya managing the maids, they can do quite a bit of work, but with her attention diverted to me, most of the fairies take the opportunity to spy and giggle on us when they think we're not paying attention. The mansion certainly does get a bit dirtier, but she reassures me that it's perfectly alright for just a single day. I'm sure tomorrow, the fairy maids will remember the fear of the Vampire's Dog. Just because she likes someone else other than her mistress, doesn't mean she has lost her fangs.
Whatever medicine Eirin gave me is doing its work; by the time it comes for me to call Patchy and Koa to the dining room for the evening meal, I'm hardly aching at all.
"Patchy! Koa! It's dinnertime!" I call out as I walk through the spaces between the bookshelves, seeking the sorceress and her summoned succubus.
"Over here, Ikuto!"
I head over to where I heard Koa's voice come from, and find her in the central area with a book-reading Patchy, busy drawing a large spell circle on the floor.
"This is for your runes." Patchy informs me without looking up from her tome, "We'll be carrying it out tonight."
Part of me is yelling in joy, but instead I just nod and say, "After dinner then. Will you need any help with that, Koa?"
"I'm fine on my own, Ikuto," Koa replies, her attention focused on drawing out the magical formulas properly. "Go ahead first, Patchouli-sama, Ikuto."
"After I'm done with my book."
And so, I end up heading down for dinner by myself. It's worse than I expected...
Because the only one sitting there is Remi.
Sakuya pulls out a chair for me at the end opposite her mistress, before leaving to bring the food without saying anything to me. This doesn't look good...
"Ikuto, I think we're overdue for a long talk."
I wouldn't mind if this didn't come for a long while. "Of course," I say instead.
Food appears on our plates without Sakuya showing herself, and we start eating. I'm picking at my food while Remi takes delicate bites out of hers. She doesn't speak until we've both finished the main course, by which I'm sweating uncomfortably wondering just what is she planning to talk to me about.
"You've been rather busy recently." Remi suddenly says.
I tense up. "Yes?"
"Trying to poach my staff after my little sister?"
It does seem that way, doesn't it? "Poach is a little..."
"I don't take any attempt to steal Sakuya or Meiling away lightly." Her crimson eyes drill into mine.
"Uhh... I don't... think they'll let me in any case." I take a deep breath and meet her eyes without backing down. "You have very loyal servants."
She doesn't say anything, just keeps staring at me.
Where's Flan? Did Remi send her away so she could talk to me alone? I wonder.
"Perhaps it is because you..." I hear a murmur from her, missing the last part. But long experience with the vampire teaches me not to ask any further.
Dessert appears on the table, Sakuya somehow sensing the need to push the conversation along. Conversation... I scoff mentally as I dig into the pudding.
"Come to think of it..." I freeze at the casualness in Remi's tone. "It has been a while since I had you serve as my butler instead of Sakuya."
"Oh?" I say with barely disguised uncertainty.
Remi goes on, "A week would suffice. The day after tomorrow would be a fine day to start, of course?"
"Y-Yeah..." That's damn long compared to the usual one day sessions!
"You've done so enough times, so surely a bit more responsibility will be nothing for you."
"Of course, Lady Remilia." I reply, unable to stop myself from getting carried away by the flow.
"Good. Sakuya will fill you in on your duties after this." Remi wipes her lips with her napkin. "Gochisousama-deshita."
I just sit there not daring to move as the mistress leaves the room, my dessert forgotten on the table in front of me.
"Ikuto?"
"I'm dead, aren't I?" I say in reply to Sakuya's query without looking at her.
"Don't be so pessimistic." She scolds me lightly, but I hear something else in her voice.
Looking at her, it confirms my suspicions when I see what looks like a barely-restrained smile on her lips. "You're enjoying this, aren't you?"
"Of course not." But she doesn't stop smiling.
As I help Sakuya clean up, she proceeds to tell me about what's involved in one of her days of attending to Remilia. It's lucky that she gets free time off to take care of the mansion, but somehow I don't think it's going to be that easy for me. But for now, I have a magic ritual to undertake, and I'm not entirely sure I will come out safe.
"Ikuto."
What? I want to sleep longer...
"Ikuto."
G'way. Let me sleep... just another five more-
"If you don't wake up..."
"Mmmrph."
"I'm going to stab you."
I bolt up straight. "I'M UP!"
It's amazing how much of a wake-up call adrenaline can provide. Looking around, I realize I'm not in my bed, but somehow in the library. Besides that, I notice that I'm not only naked and covered in dried fluids, but sporting a very embarrassing physiological condition, especially so considering that Sakuya is the one who woke me up.
"I can see that." The maid says dryly, her vision angled downwards instead of meeting my eyes.
"Guh." I spin around to hide it from her, only to end up facing towards Koa.
The already dressed redhead immediately covers her eyes, but I can see her sneaking looks through her fingers. "Kyah! You're so bold, Ikuto-sama!"
Oh god... Rather than try to face away any further, I think quickly and summon the ice crystals in their compressed form, maneuvering them to float around my hips in a concealing manner. Wait... "Ikuto-sama?" I ask curiously.
"Yes~" Koa smiles brightly. "You were so energetic last night that I couldn't resist forming a contract with you!"
Oh yeah... now I remember. Last night, I headed down to the library after dinner to get my runes from Patchy. There was some explanation about how normal humans have resistance to magic, so if she had resorted to the normal way of tattooing runes, it would have taken really, really long. Which was why she roped me into a tantric ritual with Koa's assistance, where a simultaneous climax would have caused our respective powers to link together and increase, while decreasing my innate magical resistance, allowing Patchouli to inscribe the runes on my body. Except I can't really recall anything past a certain point... after Patchy shot me in the head when I wouldn't calm down. Judging by what I CAN recall, I think Koa must have ended getting pulled along, then...
I glance at Sakuya, who raises one eyebrow. "But aren't you bound to Patchy already? She summoned you, remember?"
"Oh, that's why it's only a provisional contract between us." The succubus explains, never dropping her smile.
"Provisional? What's involved with that?" I frown slightly. "Wait, don't succubi usually take souls?"
Koa's smile becomes even more... positive, is the most encompassing description I can use for all the attributes that increased, and she presses her hands together, tilting them slightly in an innocent begging posture. "That's possible too, but a certain body fluid would suffice. Like maybe, once every night?"
"That remains to be seen." I turn my head to look at Patchy, who has some bags under her eyes despite her normal appearance. "As for your previous question, the most likely result is an increase in your... appetite."
Somehow... this doesn't sound good for me. She's probably referring to THAT appetite. "Uh, huh."
"However, aren't you forgetting something?"
"Huh?"
"The purpose of what we did last night."
Oh, right. I lift up my wrists and look at them. Wow... the runes are like a faint tan on my skin, but once I run energy through them... The runes suddenly turn blue, and I can feel a breeze curling around my hands, even in this closed-in library. Looking at my feet, the runes on my ankles are reacting the same way. Cool.
"Looks like it works." I turn to face Patchy, who nods. "Impressive, actually."
Patchy glances down, just like the other two did. "Your control over your crystals is impressive as well."
Wow, I didn't realize I was moving the crystals unconsciously; they floated in sync with my own movement, preserving what's left of my modesty.
"Perhaps you should get dressed." Patchy suggests.
"Kyah~" Sakuya chuckles as Koa squeals again.
I facepalm, but go to do as Patchy advises anyway.
Sakuya meets me outside my room once I'm in proper clothes. "Had fun last night?"
"You could say that." I mutter darkly. "Not the first time something like that happened to me anyway."
"Are you in need of sympathy?"
"Maybe." I grab her hand, feeling it squeeze mine right hand. It's nice to hold her hand like this...
I blink; for a moment it looks like Sakuya's hair is extremely long, and her skirt is a long blue dress instead. Then it's gone, and Sakuya looks just like she always did, not like that other... familiar... appearance. But that shouldn't be possible, because Sakuya never appeared in anything other than her usual maid uniform, apart from that dinner party.
Sakuya stops and looks at me. "Hm? Is there something wrong, Ikuto? You're staring at me strangely."
"No, it's just..." Something's not right... I look at my left wrist.
After the first chain changed into the ring, the second ring came after I stuck the key into my hand and turned it again. The first chip was from Iku. The second came from Flandre. The third came from Sakuya, but it's still blank. So is the fourth, which represents Meiling. Then why is there a fifth one with a book on it? And looking at it closely... there's a pair of bat wings on it. Is it supposed to represent Patchy? Or Koa? Does this indicate that I can bond with people through other means? To be honest with myself, I never expected to have this sort of link with Patchy; we may share a love of books and discovery, but our characters just seem too different. Despite all her research into the true nature of the key, I haven't really found out anything new about how it works besides the fact that it does.
But what about Koa? I have a feeling that I awakened her to her succubus side.
"It's just...?" Sakuya tugs on our connected hands, snapping me out of my thoughts. "Ikuto, there's something bothering you, isn't there?"
I look at her again and rub my eyes once more. There's that hallucination again. "Just feeling like I've forgotten something."
"Really..." She steps closer and leans in for a quick peck on my lips. "You're such a hopeless person, Ikuto..." The silver-haired maid teases, stepping back.
I suppose... I can just forget about it for now... I initiate the kiss this time, and she accepts it happily.
Later, after a light breakfast, I'm outside with Meiling watching on as I prepare to try out the runes. Taking a deep breath, I reach for my magic core and start channeling power to the runes. The dull brown markings turn blue, and the grass around me sways as wind gathers around my position, funneling down around my limbs and flowing out in the same direction they're pointing. Slowly... ever so slowly... I start to levitate off the ground.
"It works!" Meiling sounds surprised.
"That's my line." I tell her, keeping my hands aimed downwards so I still remain upright rather than-
The next thing I know, I'm slammed to the ground after a world-whirling flip.
"Ikuto! Are you okay?"
"Y-Yeah..." What the heck happened?
"Your left leg suddenly jerked back, then you went flipping head over heel." Meiling informs me.
I can't believe I forgot about my legs... "Okay," I grunt as I get up, "Attempt number two."
During my repeated tries, I somehow get the same impression I did when I first started training: that I'm a glutton for punishment. Trying to work this set of runes effectively is like trying to ride a bicycle, except with much more propensity for damage; if not for my Ki kicking in to protect my body, I would have had dozens of bleeding scrapes all over.
But it pays off.
"Oh yeah! This works just nice!" I call out to Meiling as I skim over the lawn, the grass beneath my feet pressing down with the wind I'm channeling.
My right leg acts as the main support, bent to support my center of gravity, while the left leg is aimed slightly behind to provide the boost for the forward momentum. My hands are held out to the sides, regulating my balance with streams of air that I can alter at will to turn. At the maximum output, I can lift myself up a total of six feet off the ground, since the wind dissipates in strength the further out I push it; it's like standing on a pyramid of air based on Newton's Third Law, the base of the pyramid is built out of strong wind that can hold my weight, increasing in power the closer it gets to my legs. I think at close range, I can probably hit with about... damn, where's a calculator when you need one? It'll be enough to throw a man about ten meters back at least, with the combined force of a normal punch.
It'll take a while before I can adapt this into something more than just moving around. I try to lift myself up while in a pushup position, and my arms strain with the pressure of trying to control my balance. This is like trying the same thing on an exercise ball...
"Looks like you're having trouble." Meiling observes.
I answer with laughter. "I don't care, it's just another thing to work on mastering!"
I thrust one hand out in front of me, the other behind, performing the heavy palm strike that Meiling beat into me with my own permission. But this time, I channel my magic into the runes on both arms, and release a torrent of wind strong enough to warp the air slightly-
And crash into the ground once again. Ow. Guess it's not easy to fire off an X-cannon like Tsuna does. (1)
"That was quite powerful, Ikuto."
"What?" I lift my head up to look at Meiling, who's standing over me. Woah... nice legs...
"Look." She points somewhere over me, and I crane my neck around to see what she's pointing at.
The gates of the mansion that I had been aiming at are slowly vibrating... strong enough that I can hear a faint humming. My mind takes a while to process it, but then I realize it must have been ringing quite loudly previously; just how strong was the initial strike?
"Woah..."
"Alright!" Meiling suddenly exclaims, making me look at her with a bit of worry.
"Uh, what?"
"We'll be training really hard so you can get used to working these moves into your style!"
Uh oh... "I'll be serving as Remilia's butler for a week starting tomorrow..." Maybe she'll forget about it...
"Okay, I'll wait!" Meiling gives me a cheerful smile.
Doubtful. I sigh and get to my feet. "Okay. Anyway, I'm going to try doing this outside. Want anything from the village?"
Meiling crosses her arms, cupping one of her elbows while that hand taps her chin thoughtfully. "Mmm..."
I wait for her to come to a decision.
"Can you get me some dango from that store?" She asks me hopefully.
I flash her a grin. "Sure. Let me get my money first." What's left of it.
It's a random whim, but I listen to it; channeling Ki and magic into the required areas, I crouch down and jump upwards, enhanced muscles and wind propelling my body up high enough to grab onto the balcony railing on the third floor. Even then, the force is enough to swing me over to land heavily on the tiles.
"I'll be back soon!" I wave down at a surprised Meiling, then dash off to my room.
Still, I don't dare to try jumping from the fourth floor just yet. Third floor's still fine though; I execute a smooth landing in front of her from the same balcony I used to enter the mansion. Before she can say anything, I flip her a smarmy salute and blast off on my new wind boosters, jumping the gate with another huge burst of wind.
Wheeeeeee~ Even after all the magic I spent on practicing earlier, I still have slightly more than half left to use. Alright, first up, the village!
"Heyyy! Is that you, Second?" Someone I haven't seen for a while darts onto the road up ahead as I come off the bridge.
I risk a quick wave back to Cirno as I speed by her, wobbling dangerously for a moment. "Hi-howyadoin-seeya!"
Seconds later, she comes blasting after me. "Are we having a race? You're on! Prepare to lose against the Strongest!"
So that's the way she sees it, huh? Fine, let's give it a shot! I angle my right arm out slightly, and shift my legs accordingly; centrifugal force pulls on me slightly as I cut right, going off the path and into the forest.
Instantly I realize I've done another jump from easy to lunatic difficulty. While this place isn't really part of the Forest of Magic, it's still a forest, with trees closely packed together. Not a good place to go at high speed with low control. Within five seconds of entering it, I'm reacting on pure combat-trained instinct, adjusting my magic output frantically as I move my limbs around at a breakneck pace to avoid slamming myself into a heavy, solid trunk. As it is, I'm still getting hit by multiple low branches and shredding my way through bushes. Without my Ki, I'm getting really beat up.
Branch. Ow. Another branch. Ow. Youkai. Dodge! "Coming through!" Bush. Ow. Small fairy. Ow. "Sorry!" Branch. Ow. Branch again. Ow. Yet another branch. Ow. Bush. Near miss- BRANCH! "Ow!"
"Aye'm catching up!" Cirno calls, much closer already.
This is starting to seem like a really bad idea. Spotting a clear line, I quickly change course and head along the route. Okay... think fast, I zigzagged my way through the forest, have no idea what direction the village's in, so- TREE!
Instantly, I thrust both hands forward and turn on the power full blast, but it's a bad idea; the rapid deceleration would strain my body muscles, and I go with the flow by lowering my hands slightly, aiming downwards instead. For a brief moment, I recall some game where the character had to run up a tree trunk and dodge the broken branches in his way, as I do something of the same while relying on my hands' output to lift me up. (2)
A barrage by a thick foliage, then-
Sunlight.
I blink at the sight before me, triggering the slow fall ability in my ring as I take in my surroundings. In the distance, imposing as always, stands Youkai Mountain. Around me is a sea of greenish-orange, a forest that has yet to go entirely into the autumn (What is Shizuha doing?), but still shining brilliantly with beauty nonetheless. Next to the mountain, a field of yellow dotted with black; Yuuka's field continues to deny the turn of the seasons. Turning slowly, I can see the spindly green forest that hides Eientei, and there- the smoke plumes, that's where the village is.
"Hah! Aye win! Aye'm the strongest!" Cirno pops out from the tree cover, celebrating a victory that only her mind can perceive.
"How've you been, Ninth?" I ask the cheerful ice fairy.
"Having fun!" She spins around in place, scattering snow dust around her. "Aye froze... um," She starts counting on her fingers, then holds out eight of them, "Six frogs today!"
"Really." Bet Suwako has something to say about that.
"But then that frog girl came and hit me with a ring before Aye could freeze my eighth!" Cirno crosses her arms grumpily. "Why does she have to spoil my fun?"
Yep, she did. "Well, maybe you could go look for Dai or Rumia to have fun now?"
The fairy perks up almost immediately. "Hey, that's a good idea! Aye'll go do that now!" She darts back into the trees, leaving me descending slowly alone.
Let's try a bit of wind to push me in- I end up dropping abruptly.
Apparently I can't slow my falling and use the wind at the same time. At least I know which direction the village is in now, so I can head over there without any worries.
After at least twenty minutes, I finally reach the village, panting furiously with my clothes ripped and torn. Head over there without any worries? Tell that to the three youkais who I had to fight off without my Keyblade! I think furiously as I stop against the gate for a rest.
A man comes up to me, having noticed my state. "Woah, what happened to you?"
"Run-in with... some unfriendly... types..." I wheeze.
The man whistles. "Need any help?"
I nod, deciding to just follow things for the time being.
"You know, Boss, I think staying at that mansion has dulled my sense for danger." I tell my favorite bartender over a mild drink later. "I seem to just do things without caring that they might be potentially risky."
"Took you that long to realize that?" Boss snorts, running a cloth over one of his bottles.
"Guess so. I mean, I've been around them long enough that I start to forget just how much power they pack." I swirl the liquid in my cup around, then take another sip.
He raises an eyebrow. "But you were training there, weren't you? Surely the wild youkais outside the village should be easy for you."
"Easy... you could say that." I take a gulp this time. "Unfortunately, there are youkais that just go for small fry who can't really fight back," I gesture on my left to indicate one group, "And youkais that enjoy fighting strong challengers." I gesture to my right next, to indicate the type of youkai I ran into earlier.
"So you can't tell the difference?"
"Not yet," I sigh. "There's a great difference in their skill levels." Damn second group is danmaku-trained. Didn't help that some fairies decided to join in... against me.
"So what else is new?" Boss asks, switching from glass-wiping to counter-wiping.
"Portable fan!" I point my hand at him and let loose a gentle breeze. "Useful for hot weather!"
"Woah, that IS useful." The man reacts with some amazement, before returning to his normal expression. "But it's already autumn. The weather's not hot anymore."
I nod. "Yeah, it's actually meant to help me travel around faster."
He returns my nod. "I see. So you're planning on going onto some other place soon?"
Shrugging, I polish off the remainder of my drink. "Probably."
Just have to sleep with Sakuya, Meiling, and Remi first.
I facepalm. Stupid personality. "I was thinking of Myouren Temple, actually."
Boss stops moving. "You sure about that?" He asks, somewhat tentatively.
I blink at him curiously. "What's wrong?"
"You know, I heard you have to be with a woman every night. Won't you have to stop that if you want to stay there?"
Stupid tengu rumors. "I'm not that much of a sex maniac, you know. Besides, I can control myself."
"If you say so. But I heard that they already have a guest."
That's news to me. "Huh, who?"
"I don't really know. It's a guy, but he rarely leaves the temple. I heard that even the tengu can't get any information about him."
A whistle of awe escapes my lips. "That's... I can't believe Aya can't get any info." Should ask her about that guy.
"Aya... you mean the tengu who does Bunbunmaru, right? She tried, apparently."
"What happened?"
"I'm not sure if it's true or not, but she couldn't locate the guy in question even after invading the place."
"Hmm..." I rub my chin thoughtfully. Is he very good at hiding? Hard to tell... even in a small place like Gensokyo, word of mouth tends to get distorted very quickly.
Boss gives me a look that says 'I know what you're thinking'. "Going to try your luck?"
"Maybe. I'm going to be tied up for the next week, so if I'm going to do so, it'll be today. But I've already got an errand waiting for me."
"Well, suit yourself." He shrugs, resuming his wiping.
I get up from my seat. "Thanks for the drink. I better get going."
"Come in more often than just whenever you feel like it, okay?" Boss reminds me.
"Sure."
My next stop is at another old friend's place: Akyuu's. The Child of Miare actually smiles widely in welcome when I show up in her garden, putting aside her brush and scrolls to ask about my time in the SDM. I give an account of what I can remember, excluding certain details that are meant to be kept bedroom-private. She seems pleased to hear that my training is paying off for some reason, but before I can ask about it, Akyuu starts telling me about things in the village.
The harvest went fine, not many youkai attacks on those unwary villagers who were caught outside the village area, some families had children while others lost members to old age. Reisen's still doing her job of restocking the medicine boxes, Sanae came through trying to get more faith for her goddesses, Suika made a few appearances as a miko, crow tengus are starting to show more activity as their annual newspaper competition is about to start, overall the same old Gensokyo life.
"How's Keine?" I ask, a bit cautious at bringing up the half-youkai who took me into her home for a period of time. Still don't know why she reacted like that...
Akyuu pauses and looks at me oddly. "She's fine. Why do you ask?"
"Well, she did let me stay with her..." I trail off, unsure of what to say next.
The young girl shakes her head, and changes the subject to another village matter. I'm not entirely sure what's going on with Keine, but it continues to poke at my thoughts even after I bought the dango and headed back to the mansion to pass them to a pleased Meiling, to the point that I only recall my intention to visit Myouren Temple after dinner. It didn't even cross my mind until I was nearly asleep that my control over my new abilities were almost unconscious by the time I came back.
Sakuya wakes me up early so she can start giving me lessons in how to cater to Remi's- I mean, Lady Remilia's wishes properly. Of course I've done my time as a butler before, but most of my tasks during those times were simple, like serving tea or fetching items. What I'm going to do now is slightly different.
"First, you'll have to wake Milady up the second hour past noon," lectures Sakuya. She sketches out a layout on a sheet of paper. "She'll expect you to help her dress. Her clothes are in the dresser here," She indicates a small box against what represents a wall.
"The same dress as usual?"
My maid girlfriend nods. "Right down to her underwear."
My body twitches. "So I get to see her naked?" I ask.
Sakuya delivers a chop to my head. "Focus. After helping Milady dress, you'll escort her to one of the four typical places for her afternoon tea with snacks. Of course, I'll be on hand with them, but you'll have to do the serving personally."
"Alright." Did that before... "What next?"
"That depends. You might do nothing strenuous if Milady chooses to spend her whole day here, but if she chooses to go out, then you'll have to follow her with a parasol to shelter her from the sun."
"That's going to be a bit difficult... especially since I can't fly."
"Milady has chosen to walk a few times before." Sakuya reassures me.
"Okay..." I say slowly, turning the information over in my mind. "What about afterwards?"
"For dinner, I'll leave the serving to you, unless she chooses to have her meal outside. You remember the proper etiquette?"
I take a moment to revise what I know... Sakuya always uses her time stops to do the serving... but yeah. "I think I can. Just need a refresher."
Her head dips in a nod. "Afterwards then. As for post-dinner, she might choose to go out again, or engage you in one of your usual games of chess. And after that, she might decide to have a moonlight tea party, so you will have to escort and serve."
Pretty much just acting like a servant... "So... what about if she commands me to fight for her?"
Sakuya gives me an 'Are you joking?' look. "Then you do so."
"Alright." Stupid question...
We spend the morning going through and practicing various situations that I might encounter, including waking up a dozing Meiling in the role of a staff supervisor (She preferred my way, since I made sure to miss), with Sakuya driving me relentlessly to perfect my actions. I slipped a little into my impersonal mode in order to deal with her harshness, but I can understand her motivation; it reflects poorly on her if I do a poor job, and besides, if she used to act like that, surely I can get away with it a bit...
After a light lunch fixed by yours truly, it's time to enter the lair of the vampire. Here goes... I think, before rapping lightly on the dark wood and turning the handle to let myself in.
Like the last time I came (3), the place is dimly lit, most of the afternoon sun shut out by dark red curtains. I step up to the bed and call out to the slumbering occupant within.
"Mmmwhuh...?"
My lips twitch. Damn, that's a rather cute reaction. "Lady Remilia, it is time to wake up."
A reply comes back in the form of a mumble. "...Sakuya?"
"It is Ikuto today, Lady Remilia." I remind her of the arrangement she herself decided. "I am here to help you dress."
The covers surge upwards, then slip off to reveal a drowsy Remilia, whose nightdress is slipping down on one side. "Oh... okay..." She murmurs, rubbing her eyes with one hand. Then those eyes finally lock onto me.
The next thing I know, I'm dodging her red bats and needles. "Please calm down, Lady Remilia-AAAH!"
"Wh-wh-why are you in my ROOM?" Remilia screeches, one hand holding the blanket up to her chin while the other flings danmaku at me.
"I'm supposed to be your butler for the week!" I cartwheel and drop down to all fours to avoid another bunch of bullets.
Remilia's hand freezes in mid-swing. "...now that you mention it..." She says uncertainly.
I finally stop my dodging, breathing a little hard from the sudden burst I needed. Oh goody. She finally remembers. "May I see to my duties now, Lady Remilia?"
"U-uh, yes... of course."
I doubt I'll admit it right this moment, but it's damn satisfying to see Remilia having a charisma break. Even though she regained most of her usual haughty composure while I help her get dressed, I think having my presence close to her when she's naked is unsettling her a little; I felt her tremble a little when my hands made contact with her skin. She relaxes when I start combing her hair, though. Really, I wonder how would she apply makeup and all that without any help, considering that she can't be seen in a mirror.
And so, my week of servitude begins. The first day ends uneventfully, as Lady Remilia chooses to spend the whole day in the mansion. I'm kept busy catering to her wishes, like serving her tea, massaging her feet, playing with Flan to prevent her little sister from getting jealous... at about three AM, I accompany her up to her room, undress her and help her into her nightdress. But before I can do anything else, she leaps into her bed and pulls the covers over her... coincidentally hiding her sleepwear appearance.
"Have a good sleep, Lady Remilia."
"Just get out already!"
The second day is quite a bit harder, since the toll on my body clock is starting to set in, and Koa surprises me in the morning to feed off my energy. Lady Remilia sends me out on errands in the afternoon, and while I run into Youmu and Reisen, I don't hang around to talk, but try to finish as fast as possible. She doesn't seem to enjoy the difference between me and Sakuya when it comes to speed, so I'm set to cooking dinner while Sakuya does the serving. After dinner, she orders me to play a game of chess with her, which predictably results in my utter defeat, before putting me to read a story to Flan while she watches the moon. Once again, she avoids letting me get a good look at her in her nightgown when she turns in for the morning. Sakuya gives me a light peck on the lips before I do the same, and when I go to the Sanzu River, Komachi assumes the smirk on my face is a sign for her to jump my bones.
It doesn't seem like staying awake affects my spirit traveling. Still, Koa wakes me up again with her feeding off my energy. Of course it feels good, but really, I like to have my rest.
The third day sees me following Lady Remilia out to Hakurei Shrine, where she engages in small talk with Reimu and Marisa while I peel oranges for her. She later sends me back to the mansion for ingredients, and the five of us (Suika came back from wherever she went) had some hotpot for dinner. Both of the heroines seem to find it funny that I've been... conscripted into butler duty. Marisa comes up with the smart idea of having an after-dinner danmaku battle to help digest the food, and I'm treated to a colorful fireworks display, complete with rainbow barrier blocking a carelessly-aimed Master Spark. The final result leaves all three girls exhausted, and I pack Lady Remilia back to her mansion for a proper washing up.
"Ikuto."
"Yes, Lady Remilia?" I respond, gently scrubbing her arm as she lies back in the bathtub.
"You're doing a good job. Continue as you are."
"Thank you." Impulsively, I plant a small kiss on her fingers, and she snatches back her hand with a flushed expression.
I finally get used to the new timing on the fourth day, and I hardly feel drowsy despite being kept on standby nearly the whole day, unlike how I normally acted before. Yuuka comes by, and ends up getting into a fight against the mistress when she tries to get me into a maid uniform again. The two powerhouses end up wrecking the entire entrance hall with their spell card battle, and at the end of it, Lady Remilia scores a narrow win, and I get to stay in my butler uniform. Still, I think I'm getting too emotionless about this butler thing...
"Lady Remilia. Kazami-san." I hand out wet towels to both of them.
"I gave you permission to call me Yuuka, didn't I?"
"Unfortunately, in my current role as Lady Remilia's butler, I have an image to uphold," I tell the flower youkai innocently. "Thus, I must refuse."
Yuuka eyes me with a suspicious look on her face, then turns to face Remilia. "Got him broken to the leash already, have you?"
"Not entirely." Remilia rolls her shoulders. "Ikuto. Come give me a massage."
"Yes, Lady Remilia."
A few minutes later, Yuuka speaks up again. "Could I borrow his services for a short period of time?"
Oh shit. I try not to let her request shake me, but my hands unconsciously tense up a little, and Remilia glances at me over her shoulder.
"Shall we negotiate?" She offers.
Is this revenge for last night?
After several minutes of fierce offers and counter-offers, all I have to do is to just give Yuuka a massage of her own, which is actually quite okay. I mean, compared to trying to survive a fight against her, this is nothing! NOTHING! I just hope that if I ever stay with Yuuka, this will be all she makes me do for her...
Eventually, Yuuka leaves and I have to give Remilia another sponge bath, leaving Sakuya with another set of clothes to mend. Flan interrupts, asking for some of my blood; has it really been that long since I fed her? Whatever the case, I oblige her and bite my finger so that she can feed.
"Okay, that's enough."
"But it's been so long..." whines Flan.
Remilia suddenly speaks up. "Ikuto is right, Flan. He'll give you some more tomorrow. Go and play elsewhere."
"Okay..." Flan leaves, sullen.
Oh right, now I remember why I stopped. Because I don't have Blaze Revive to-
"Let me have some as well, Ikuto."
"Yes, Lady Remilia." I reply without really thinking, and move my hand over to her face. Wait, WHAT?
I look around, and finally realize that the Scarlet Devil herself is suckling on my bleeding finger. But before I can pull away, she releases me and licks her lips contemplatively.
"Hmm... I can see why Flan enjoys your blood." She smacks her lips. "It's more of an acquired taste for me."
I have no idea what to say, so I just keep silent.
"I'm not going to feed on you every day, so don't worry."
I bow to her, and resume cleaning her petite body. Later that night, Sakuya visits me in my room, and after making out for some time, we share a bed for the first time. I take it slow with her, and she lets me know how much she appreciates it. We eventually fall asleep nestled together, contented smiles on our lips.
The fifth day is uneventful as well. The whole mansion turns out on top of the roof for an autumn gathering, with snacks and stuff as we appreciate the bright orange colors of the forest around the lake, and the fairies hold a danmaku battle royale between themselves while we watch on. After Lady Remilia turns in early that night, I meet up with Sakuya for another round... only to find Meiling spying on us. In a strange twist of fate, instead of having one bed partner, I end up with two. Komachi seems to find it funny when I try to recount to her how it happened afterwards, though.
On the sixth day, something unexpected happens in the early afternoon.
"Sakuya, return Ikuto his key."
My jaw drops even as the maid hands me the small piece of metal I gave to her all those months ago (Part of me notices that she's trying to hide that her hips are sore). "Wh-why?"
Lady Remilia doesn't answer, but points outside, somewhere in the direction of the village. "Ikuto. I want you to head outside, and stay out there until the time is right."
"Huh?"
"Ikuto. Go."
"Uh... yes, Lady Remilia."
At first, the thing that comes to mind is that she wants some alone time with Sakuya... to reassert her dominance over my maid lover and remind her who her mistress is. After I've gotten away from the Misty Lake and into the Bamboo Forest, I start thinking with my actual head; Remi doesn't usually do stuff like this, but if she sent me out, then maybe there might be an incident...
Oh god, she doesn't expect ME to resolve an incident, does she? I consider the idea for a while, then discard it. Nah... it's too unlikely. So what else... Aha! Her fate power! That means... she set something up for me outside the mansion? Uh oh... big UH OH.
After waiting for a few minutes, I start feeling stupid since nothing big happened. In the end, I decide to just go exploring around the places I know.
Eirin and Kaguya greet me warmly when I drop in, and I spend a few minutes recounting what I went through so far in my butler job. Alice welcomes me for tea, and I make excuses to leave early when she starts fiddling with the cloth band around her neck. No one seems to be around at Hakurei Shrine when I go there, though there's a pile of tengu newspapers. Just as I'm about to leave, Aya comes by to drop off a copy, and advises me to move soon... she doesn't come out and say it, but she's clearly hoping to use the account I usually give after moving to a new place as a way to boost her readership. If I recall correctly, the deadline for the decision is just before winter...
As I sit on the steps to read, I notice that there hasn't been much of note lately. Aya still hasn't managed to get any information on the guy who was said to be staying at Myouren Temple, though she did some good work in investigating his presence. Investigative journalism? Or criminal peeping? There's definitely a guy staying there, but the Myouren people aren't talking. I turn over to the next page. Another outsider came in... doesn't seem to be like mine, but Aya doesn't think too well of him. According to this, he's quite rude and abrasive... not the sort of guy I'd like to know.
In the end, it doesn't seem like anything is going to happen from waiting around, so I take my cue from some of the old text adventure games I played before, and try to trigger an event by going somewhere else. Based on my experience, the event usually occurs in the latest area to be unlocked, so...
"HOLY SHIT!" I yelp, barely ducking the blade aiming for my neck.
Just how did the path to Myouren Temple come to be guarded by some guy in full-plate black armor and wielding twin blades? He nearly managed to get me the first time while I was traveling using the wind runes, giving me a nice shallow cut across the chest.
I charge from below with an uppercut, but he jumps back out of the way, and attacks again. Damn, this guy is fast!
The armor looks kind of bulky... resembling obsidian in texture, but this guy moves around like it weighs nothing on him at all, and when I try slipping around him to find a point where he would be hard put to bend his arms to block, it turns out to be a failed plan as he twists around to deflect my spear hand strike.
Alright, calm down. Don't care about why he's trying to kill you. Read his moves, adapt accordingly. I focus my vision on the body, looking for cues that precede an attack. Duck, sidestep left, jump, flip back from the follow up, le-
Something heavy hits me in the chest and sends me hurtling back. "HARHK!" I choke, skidding across the ground when I land.
Whoever that guy was, he's experienced. I barely read that kick and- What the hell? The signs that were there before... shit! He was faking those!
It's too risky to try dodging; instead of stepping back from his next strike, I step in, and intercept his slash by stopping his gauntleted grip. This close, I can see the deadly edge of the blade up close, and while I sense no magic from it, it has some unearthly quality to it, like it wasn't some ordinary weapon that any smith could make. The flat of the blades have a dark tone to them, ribbed with green veins, and even though it has been cleaned quite a bit, I can smell blood on them. Looking up to meet his eyes, I realize that his helmet has been fitted with white eyepieces that prevent me from getting any clue as to his identity.
This can't be the guy that was staying at Myouren Temple! No way they'd let a bloody killer in there! "WHO ARE YOU!" I yell.
His reply is to shove back at me with a loud cracking sound. Going with the flow to reduce the force, I realize that the sound came from the ground, which is now severely cracked under his feet. This isn't any simple opponent that I can beat with just my fists and feet.
Landing with a thump, I suddenly recall that I'm not exactly unarmed, as a sensation against my thigh reminds me... that I have my key. Do I have the-
A blur of black barrels towards me, and I yank out the key, materializing- after so long- Future Gazer; it feels extremely familiar in my grip. Bracing my feet with Ki, I meet weapon with weapon in a loud, ringing clash. We push against each other, his two swords crossed against the shaft of my weapon in an attempt to scissor it off. I don't know if my Keyblade can be cut, but I'm not taking the risk.
"WHY ARE YOU ATTACKING ME!" I demand, channeling Purple Ki into my long-missed Keyblade and deflecting away the weapons to create an opening.
I feint a stab, and he twists away, but before I can follow it up, he intercepts my strike before it can start. That's... what I did! Is he learning from me? He pulls his other arm back for a swing that would bisect me, and I quickly perform a palm strike to the chest, putting all the Green Ki I can to throw him back. Now! Burst Needle! I inject myself in the thigh.
This time, I attack first, using Phantom Blossom to boost my speed. As much as I'd like to try out the Keyblades of Flan, Sakuya, Meiling, or Patchy, it might take me too long to get used to calling them out, so I stick to what I'm familiar with.
My first swing causes him to stagger a little even though he blocks it, and a slight giving of way tells me that I managed to make his feet sink into the ground with the force of that attack. Amazingly, he's using only one arm to defend, and the other comes for me in a counterattack, which I parry away with my enhanced speed.
Target the arms! I slash for his limbs, but he deftly avoids them, switching one of the blades around in his grip to block some of my attempts to disable him. Oh wait, cutting with my Keyblade doesn't work that way.
I'm rustier than I recall, but not as bad as I expected after all that time. Still, it's not enough to even land a blow on this guy, even with my abilities boosted by Ki and injection. It's like he knows where I'm going to strike before I do...
No way, he can't be another satori, can he? There's no third eye! I duck another swing and go for his legs, only to miss again as he dances out of the way. Alright, time to try a flurry! -Sakura Falling!-
Just as I begin the first swing, the man hunches up and turns his weapons sideways, placing them in front of him and shielding himself with the flat sides. A cacophony ensues as my swings mostly land on them, few even making it through to his armor, where the cuts are so light even a fairy could shrug them off. Halfway through my maximum limit, I quickly break off rather than waste any more energy, and retreat a short distance to observe further. The few petals that I managed to get out of him fade away to leave him standing seemingly unaffected. He holds his defense for a few moments longer, then flick his wrists to reverse the grips on his blades again, before sheathing it behind him and dropping his hands to his sides.
"Who are you? Why did you attack me?" I ask again, keeping Phantom Blossom ready. What the heck? Who puts away his weapon in the middle of a fight? I could take him now...
My body tenses further when he suddenly points at me with his left hand.
When he speaks, it sounds oddly familiar, but I'm sure I've never heard someone speak that guttural and slow before. It takes me a while to decipher what he's saying "Remember. Keine."
Keine? Why is this guy saying her name? I blink as I recall the last time I met the were-hakutaku. "...you!" I breathe, "You were the one who threw that rock at me?"
No movement at first, but then his covered face dips in what is unmistakably a nod, and he lowers his pointing hand.
The next thing I know, is that my body has reacted to a sudden attack, settling into a blocking stance set in my body memory. What surprises me isn't his sudden burst of speed, or the increase in power; he didn't even use iaijutsu (4) with his twin blades. No, the thing that is causing my eyes to widen in shock is the new weapon he's using.
A red Keyblade with a malevolent aura. There's no mistaking that bit.
Before I can get a good look at its features, he's attacking again. At a much faster rate; scarlet blurs are all I see as he pummels me with repeated strikes, and I can only defend frantically. How? How can he be this fast? Phantom Blossom, Burst Needle, Ki, and I'm forced to defend only? WHY DOES HE HAVE A KEYBLADE? He's forcing me back at an increasing rate, and more than a few times, his weapon slips past my guard to graze me, draining me the way my Keyblade does with a burst of red dots.
I try to think of a way to get out of this, but I... I can't remember if I've got any Keyblade that can help me surpass this! Damn, so I did decline from the lack of practice! That just leaves...
It's a random thought in the panic of battle, but I do it anyway. Channeling all the magic I have remaining into my hands, I unleash a heavy blast of wind at point-blank range, right in his chest.
And it works; the explosive impact sends the two of us flying away from each other, going really, really far with the amount of force involved.
I want to know. I want to know who that guy is, why was he there, what connection he has with Keine, why does he have a Keyblade. But I restrain myself.
And run from that battle.
This isn't a friendly danmaku spar, this isn't a fight against someone who won't kill me if I lose. And I know for sure that I will lose if I continued.
So I flee, back to the Scarlet Devil Mansion. To lick my wounds. Turn my key back over to Sakuya. Wonder uselessly about the guy I fought. In the end, I come to one sure conclusion.
Goddammit, Yukari.
(1) Hitman Reborn's main character's special move. Tsuna needs to support himself with a backward-pointing flame or Newton's Third Law kicks his ass.
(2) One of the Naruto Narutimate Hero games, forgot which.
(3) The summer at the beach when Yukari gapped the mansion there.
(4) The Japanese art of drawing one's blade. Usually very fast, and can be applied to surprise attacks.
I know I said I'd do an X-chapter for this one, but then I realized it wouldn't seem right if the H scenes came BEFORE the story scenes. It doesn't help that I keep getting distracted by the Internet and other fanfictions... I was intending to do something of a fortnightly update at the slowest, but being at work really takes away the time I have to type, and I'm spending weekends on my other story. It doesn't help that as mentioned many times previously, my muse works on and off at random.
So yeah, Ikuto finally got to Patchy & Koa, Sakuya, then Meiling. Eventually he'll get to Remi... but the question is how? Even I'm not entirely sure how I'm going to write that part. Speaking of X chapters, this purge by the FF people in charge is something that seems a bit excessive, considering that they could do a better job of keeping those too young out. Logically speaking, thanks to my segregation of material, I could transfer all my X chapters elsewhere while leaving the main gist of the story on FF. But I would like to say that I'm a lazy guy, and won't do anything until the story is actually deleted. So there.
Anyway, I've introduced another mystery to the plot. A new guy who's staying at Myouren Temple. An outsider who has just come into Gensokyo. And another guy who has a Keyblade of his own. I'd like to hear your theories on these.
