Chapter 16: A Devil's "True Love"

Under the dark night sky, the only thing that lit up the streets were the occasional street lights and cars passing by.

Remilia's hands were by her side but there was a slight intensity to it. Whereas Reimu followed closely behind, anxiousness creeping up her body as she repeatedly glanced ahead. Whenever Remilia didn't hear her girlfriend's steps, she would turn her head, giving a rather fierce expression.

Reimu had swapped to casual attire. She was actually a bit hungry and thirsty since she had to save up her money for her mother. But she didn't voice that out.

They eventually arrived at a certain park that they were familiar with. Sitting on the bench, Remilia placed one of her hands next to it to indicate that Reimu should sit next to her there.

Reluctantly, the Shrine Maiden of Paradise did as instructed.

Minutes passed by as they simply sat at the bench, not conversing with their minds going neither here nor there. All there was a small bubble that was isolated from the rest of the park.

"Why would you go there?"

Remilia spoke up, her voice dry with some tired to it.

"Sniff… sob…"

She turned her head.

The red shrine maiden was shivering, hugging herself tightly. It appeared that Reimu was quite cold because she wasn't prepared to stay this out for so long. Thus, what she was wearing currently was thin and minimal.

Remilia took out a coat from the small bag that she had brought and placed it around her girlfriend. Seeing such a gesture, Reimu smiled awkwardly, her anxiousness still present.

"What if I didn't hear from Suika when I went looking for you?"

"I… don't know."

"Do you know how long you kept me waiting?"

All these barrages of questions seemed like interrogations coming from the Devil herself.

Yet, the shrine maiden remained unperturbed.

How should I explain to her… It's not like I intentionally want to lie to her…

She knew that this might happen eventually. Yes, perhaps she might be a scheming woman who held almost no romantic feelings for the other, but that didn't mean she would go around being a terrible and unkind person to anyone she met.

"It's not that… I… " Reimu muttered softly, but the other heard it.

Carefully examining Remilia's body language, the shrine maiden realised that she was given a chance to explain herself properly and she better not screw it up.

Reimu turned her body to directly face her girlfriend. Her face showed some grievances," I didn't mean to deceive you… it's just…"

Taking a deep breath, Reimu let out a barely audible voice, "I had no choice. My mother, she is sick. So I need a lot of money."

She looked down with shame. She wasn't one to cry, but there was a feeling of tear ducts in her eye fighting to make them come out.

It's not like they are actual tears even if I let them go. Probably.

I am Reimu Hakurei, the shrine maiden of Gensokyo. She has to keep reminding herself that repeatedly since that day she has decided. I am simply fulfilling her role and nothing else.

Remilia caught her girlfriend's expression before it was hidden away quickly.

Reimu… why are you keeping so much pressure and stress within yourself? You can cry too so why are you holding back...

She slowly raised her hand and suddenly went to use the back of her hand to caress her companion's cheek. She was a bit surprised at the soothing feeling it felt.

Reimu, surprised by the action, smiled lightly.

Seeing that her girlfriend didn't mind, Remilia went closer and circled her arms around the waist. With both of them side by side and looking at each other, anyone would definitely see that they were an affectionate couple.

The vampire's face turned a bit sour suddenly.

"Are you stupid Reimu? I am your girlfriend."

"Huh?" Reimu appeared confused.

"This kind of thing, as your girlfriend, I would like you to share your burden with me."

"B-but Remi… your situation… aren't you…?"

"How much does it cost?"

The shrine maiden told the amount.

"Don't worry, leave it to me, I am sure I can get some money somehow. So please, don't work at such a place again ok?"

I pretty much got my objective at that place so it's not like I needed to work there anymore. Reimu thought, feeling a bit revolting from that night club.

Still, the thought of her mother on her bed… Even if this wasn't the real Gensokyo, the memories of her mother were real. She wouldn't even have a thought of discarding those memories away.

"...Ok."

Reimu noticed that Remilia had calmed down and all the previous coldness and hostility were gone.

Realising that she was hungry and thirsty from all of tonight's events, Reimu was about to suggest eating out when her stomach growled loudly.

"Hmm… seems I need to treat you to a late dinner tonight."

The vampire leaned closer. Suddenly, she placed a kiss on her girlfriend's cheek.

Reimu grinned sheepishly. She brought the coat to cover both of them so that they sat together closer.

They kept at that position for a while, both of the red faces near to each other as they could see their own reflections on each other's eyes. They kept it that way for a full minute as they felt their own heartbeats rising rapidly.

"Let's go, I'll take you to dinner."

Leaving the park, the pair, holding hands tightly, took their time as they headed towards a random night eating place to have their late dinner.

The following day, Reimu went to school as per normal.

Suika immediately greeted her. She started asking various questions about last night.

"Reimu where were you last night?"

"Did you know that Remilia asks me a lot of questions about you?"

"Why are you not with Remilia right now?"

"Have both of you finally done your first time?"

"WHAT?"

Reimu almost shouted during the lecture. It caused a few head turns in the large hall. Embarrassed, she lowered her voice to a rough whisper.

"What do you think I am Suika?"

Suika gave a playful smile, "Who knows… maybe the Shrine Maiden of Paradise could be more daring than I know…"

"Suika… Don't you think you are having your priorities about me wrong?"

"Hmm..." Suika gave it a serious thought, "I believe I have it correct though. I did ask about your situation first."

Reimu simply sighed and started explaining yesterday patiently to Suika, leaving out the fact that she was in the night club to find Sanae. She felt a bit bad for Suika, since the oni only had sincere and thoughtful feelings for her as a best friend. Naturally, not everything could be told.

"Well I have sent you a bit of money to your account Reimu. As always, don't you dare return it!"

Suika said as she raised a finger as she would not accept any excuses from her best friend.

Reimu could only laugh, "I won't, Suika. Thank you for your help."

The oni grinned widely, satisfied that her friend didn't try to argue her way out this time. "Good. I hope you were able to get all the money you need soon."

Reimu could only nod along with her friend.

Is Remi not back? I hope nothing went wrong...

Reimu frowned deeply.

A day has passed and she has yet to hear any updates or reply from Remilia. Now it was already late, in the middle of the night of the following day.

Should I check her apartment?

Growing increasingly concerned, Reimu stood up from the bed in her home and went next door.

Knocking the door several times, she waited for a bit.

There was no answer.

So she's not at home… Don't tell me Remi's been looking around for the money since yesterday?

Reimu reached for the door knob and realised that it wasn't locked. Slowly, she turned it and entered.

Inside, the room was extremely dark.

However, there was a small bright light emanating from the corner of the living room. It suddenly got brighter when Reimu realised the colour of blue and white on it.

"Cirno! You're here!"

Relieved and happy that someone had come for her, Cirno flew right into her stomach, snuggling into Reimu's clothes. The fairy has grown fond of her over time despite her initial allergy. In fact, thanks to their interaction, the Reimu's problem grew less over time.

"Cirno… I'm so sorry about this."

She felt bad for the fairy. Her owner, leaving her alone like this, even if it's just for a day.

The fairy shook her head, her wide smile plastered on her face. Flying out and gesturing with her hands, she seemed to be asking about something.

"No, I don't know where Remi is either."

The fairy appeared down and worried. Seeing such an adorable reaction, Reimu could only smile in encouragement.

"Perhaps she will be back soon."

Cirno only shrugged in return, hoping the same thing.

Reimu entered the room and switched on the lights.

Scanning the room, it was clear that no one had been home for quite some time.

She considered entering the bedroom where Remilia and Cirno sleep in but there was a brief hesitation as she never entered it before. Gathering her courage, Reimu placed a foot inside.

As she didn't touch this room during her cleaning, it remained in somewhat a messy state. But it wasn't as bad as the room outside as there was mainly a bed, a wardrobe, a table and under it was a trash can.

Slowly creeping in, Reimu took her time to observe the room surroundings for any unusual activity.

Then, she immediately noticed that there was a tiny bed on top of the table.

"Cirno, this is where you sleep?"

Cirno jumped up and down. Reimu could only let out a small laugh. Clearly, the fairy had a good owner that she was satisfied with.

"So she really takes care of you properly huh…"

At least those doubts could go away completely.

Seeing that there was nothing else, she turned to leave.

Suddenly, a small glint emanated from the table.

On the table, Reimu spotted a small photo frame. She tried to make out who was on it but couldn't make it out due to the darkness. Taking it out, she went to the living room as it had the only bright ceiling lights.

What's in the photo made the shrine maiden gasp loudly.

"This is… "

It was a picture of Remilia smiling happily beside another teenager wearing some sort of blue-white maid uniform with silver hair. It was the hair that caught her attention in that room earlier.

Reimu could tell that both of them have a rather close relationship despite their difference in position between one another.

All of the hairs on Reimu's skin stood on end.

Where have I seen her before? This person beside her is...

She looked through all her memories but couldn't find anything related at all. Reimu was thinking if she had even met this person in this life yet. Perhaps she was no longer with Remilia. Still, why does this silver-haired teenager disturbed her so much? As if there was something very important that she needed to know and a missing piece of this incident.

Suddenly, Reimu found her lips started moving subconsciously. A flash of related memories appeared in her mind. Her whole body shook as soon as the words came out.

"Sakuya… Izayoi."

A white vision and static noise quickly engulf the shrine maiden's view.

Experiencing it multiple times, Reimu knew what to expect. Still her mind was trying to digest what was just being said.

That name. I need to remember it.

"Thank you, Sakuya."

It was the vision she saw before. It was the exact same setup, with Remilia and herself in the balcony drinking tea.

Except for one major difference. Previously where the black figure was heavily censored, noq it was replaced with a silver-haired teenager with grey eyes wearing a short blue-white maid uniform.

Sakuya pours some tea from the teapot to the 2 cup and pushes it towards each of them respectively. She bows and vanishes, leaving no traces that she is present among the pair earlier.

Remilia sees it normal and so is Reimu in the vision.

It was clearly the work of magic.

"You better drink it before it gets cold."

Reimu takes the cup a bit too aggressively and slams it on her lips. It feels quite warm and soothing such that she calms down quickly. It has this sweet aroma and taste that no one can resist. Partially why she still comes here often whenever she needs to come cooling off some steam from any previous events.

"No wonder you keep Sakuya around for so long. She helps you in many ways."

Remilia smiles proudly, one befitting of a proper lady "That's why she served me for a long time."

The current Reimu felt it. There was a level of unusual fondness towards the maid despite their expected relationship. She didn't realise this previously. That meant that both of them had a rather close relationship. Perhaps more than just simply a master than a servant.

But as this was all guesswork, she put aside all those thoughts at a corner.

The current Reimu waited patiently for the next part to pass as it was just idle chatter. However, soon after came the most important part to her. Taking all her concentration on this vision, she carefully listened to it.

"Reimu."

"Hm?"

"Are you going out with anyone at the moment?"

Suddenly, Reimu laughs out loudly, her hands on her stomach.

"Hahahaha! What's this all of a sudden? You are joking right?"

"I'm serious, Reimu."

The vampire is still putting on her charismatic smile but there is indeed a deep level of seriousness in her voice. Reimu still takes the topic in a teasing manner though.

"No. Obviously I'm not. I doubt anyone will dare to go out with someone as busy and lazy as me."

Despite her joking manner, there is still a slight air of frustration coming out from the shrine maiden. It is as if this topic is something that actually bothered her for some time already.

"Hmmm…" Remilia nodded.

Momentarily, certain thoughts flash across the shrine maiden's mind. Some things that happened for these past few days with other people she met. And it all revolved around the same topic. There's too much of a coincidence at this point that even the Scarlet Devil can bring this up too when she's unlikely to do so.

There has to be something happening behind her back and she needs to investigate it right once this meeting ends.

The vampire falls into deep thought.

Then, as if coming to an extremely important decision has been made, she spoke with an air of authority and confidence, "If that's the case, why don't we get together right now?"

"Huh?"

"Reimu, I am asking you to marry me."

Reimu's frown grows deeper and slowly turns into a scowl.

"Reimu, you don't want me to repeat myself."

It isn't that she couldn't answer. It is the fact that Reimu heard this many times from many different people already. Different variations but they had the same intentions. So for her friend to say that...

"Why me?"

"That's because I heard some things around Gensokyo about you. So I decided that it was best to claim you for myself before anyone does."

"Even if you know about it, it's not like you have feelings or desire to marry me suddenly."

"That's true, but when I heard the news, something in me realised it."

Remilia started explaining.

"I have lived for over 500 years as a vampire. And all this while, I wish that someday I can experience what humans call it 'love'. I never had really cared about this feeling for a long time despite me meeting so many people over the years."

The vampire places the tea cup on her hand on the table and starts looking out of the balcony.

"But then, that's when I realised, me being stuck in this child body, I can never get to experience what it's like to be a proper lady… and a fulfilled woman. Everyone I meet always sees me as this child vampire which no one could take me seriously. Even Patchy never took me seriously."

The Shrine Maiden of Paradise places the cup too, her scowl still evident on her face.

Even then, the vampire pressed on.

"That's when I met her. Sakuya is the first person I met that took me on seriously. Sakuya is the one which opens up these feelings of love."

The current Reimu (not vision) looked up and tilted her head in confusion, Sakuya? So not me? But then why…

"But it is still a problem with her."

"Is that so..."

The vampire nodded. "Our relationship, despite even then, is fated to be of a master and her servant. There is this huge barrier between us that makes it hard for our relationship to continue properly. It just remains in the back of our minds no matter how many times we tried it over the years. It was just… impossible for me to be with Sakuya, despite the kindness and service she showed it to me for all these times."

The current Reimu placed her hands on her now open mouth, completely shocked as her eyes grew bigger. She knew where this was going without the need for it to be mentioned.

"So, since I already said this earlier, you could have it all figured out by now why I asked you earlier."

There is an air of absolute silence in the balcony. Not even the winds or the air dares to make any sounds around them.

"It's because… when you see Sakuya… you see her in me...?" The old Reimu speaks up.

"Yes."

"And… since you cannot go for Sakuya, you went for me instead. Thus, you cannot take your eyes off me ever since we met here during that incident. I am just a replacement for Sakuya."

Remilia smiled, showing her fangs clearly.

No that's not it, the current Reimu thought. Remilia isn't like that… right?

As though refusing to believe it, she repeatedly shook her head, adamantly refusing that her current girlfriend would ever do that.

Remilia… she wouldn't use her in that manner. Not with the way the current Remilia was in.

Remi genuinely loves me because it's me. That's how I felt when she expressed those feelings to me.

Sure, Reimu at first has ulterior motives for doing all these. Perhaps she could have been caught earlier. But with all the previous setbacks, in the end, they had persisted and they eventually became a true couple.

Thinking about it... it was Remilia in fact, that made the first move of forming this relationship that Reimu didn't even ask for. She did indeed approach her in the park, but the one who made the first connection was the vampire. It was never her at the first place.

Nevertheless, for Remilia to say this in this vision… is that really all there is to it? A replacement for Sakuya?

"So, since when?"

Returning her attention to the vision, Reimu could feel the strange hostile atmosphere touching her skin, as if she was really there at the balcony.

Remilia's eyebrows furrowed, "I'm not too sure myself. Perhaps even as early as the first time I met you during the red mist incident."

"I see…"

Reimu's expression becomes unreadable. However, her tone indicated her clear displeasure and disapproval.

"You truly deserve your title as the Scarlet Devil."

" I probably do."

Reimu stands up. She leans in, her hands became fists as she controlled her rage that grew within her. A few ofuda talisman came out of her sleeves which she slit between her fingers.

The other didn't appear to mind it.

Remilia said, with a level of coldness that never been displayed before, "Perhaps… you have feelings for me."

Reimu's ofuda were at the corner of her finger tips, pointing them towards the direction of the vampire. Yet, the Scarlet Devil leaves herself open to attack, not showing any signs of defense towards it.

Suddenly a loud noise of wind passes between them. Remilia's mob cap flows away from her head, landing on the ground.

On a pillar behind Remilia, 2 pieces of the talisman remained plastered on it, causing a crack on it.

"I'm taking my leave," Reimu said casually as if nothing had happened. Then, added before leaving, "Miss Scarlet."

The vampire simply follows the movement of her former companion, still maintaining her level of coldness.

Suddenly, the vision returned to white and static.

Reimu let herself out into her current Gensokyo as everything around her returned to normal.

"So that's it…"

Suddenly, a ring went off in her pocket.

Reimu took out the phone in her pocket. She saw the name and answered it.

"Hello, Satori?"

"Reimu, can you come to the hospital right now?"

The shrine maiden felt a weird churning of her stomach as if it could tell that something bad was about to happen.

Whatever news Satori was going to bring, it's most likely related to Remilia. Regardless of how bad or good it would be, she would have to swiftly put an end to all this mess between the vampire and her.

No matter what, she must reach the ending with the Scarlet Devil soon and move on to the next route.

Reimu felt her stomach churning as she held her breath for the news.

"Remi got into a fight and was now in the hospital for her severe injuries, please come here right now."