X

Shinki was dancing on the table, she was holding a half full bottle of wine as she sung "In taberna quando sumus, non curamus quid sit humus, said ad ludum properamus…"

Kaori was at the table with Sanae "I caused an incident…"

Sanae laughed and served her a cup of sake "You popped your cherry!"

"…"

Kanako laughed after she finished her glass "Sanae caused one too… I caused two"

Suwako laughed "You caused four, Byakuren broke free because of your actions… And Miko got released as a result"

Kanako nodded "Thank you I forgot about those"

"So you guys are the villains here!" Kaori said, she looked at her own reflection on the glass

Kanako served herself some more sake "Villain is the follower and enforcer of the law of the local lord. Sanae is a religious figure, and she instills our will even if the locals may not like it"

Sanae sighed "It is not as bad as it sounds… Would you rather be the noble bandit like Marisa?"

"Remember the blue sutra, what your family has done carries to the next generations" Marisa said barging into the conversation "Noble ladies just wanting to keep power. In a way you are the villain of the story indeed, attempting to save those who deserve retribution. Do you know what Nemesis means?" Marisa said, she was too sober for her usual self

Kaori replied "A natural enemy"

"A righteous infliction of retribution manifested by an appropriate agent; personified in this case by a horrible cunt… Yuuka" Marisa said "She is the ultimate mother, coming to answer the cries of millions of people begging to see the very church that has harmed them fall. I helped you because it is only fair to even the ground for you"

"Cries for help! We are their protectors, we are entitled to get that faith!" Sanae yelled "Protect it from enemies of the moral like you! A dark witch, a thief and a faggot"

Kaori punched Sanae, it was not even a slap.

Kanako and Suwako began yelling and tending Sanae, Kaori didn't actually listen to them, she just got up and walked away. Probably they would not save her life in the future, but Sanae didn't stop looking at youkai like the enemy.

Marisa just followed Kaori "You don't get it… I"

"You were not born female… Rinnosuke said a little too much when he handed me the new clothes" Kaori held Marisa by the shoulder "Nobody has the right to speak to you like that, not even a shrine maiden"

"She is usually nice" Marisa said still nervous

"Sanae is afraid of Reimu, she always speaks like that in the shrine"

Reimu flew towards Marisa "Sanae lost a tooth…"

"She called Marisa a dark witch, a thief and" she paused "A slur for homosexual"

Reimu shrugged "She is all those things"

"She called me a faggot" Marisa lowered her gaze

Reimu flew off "COME HERE YOU BITCH!"

Kasen rushed past them to hold Reimu.

"Let me go! She called Marisa a fag!"

Kasen let Reimu go "Oh no she is overpowering me" Kasen said in a very insincere tone.

"Well you are officially an incident solver" Marisa said, she straightened her palm and knighted Kaori as if it were a sword

"I caused one…"

"A small one to be honest" Marisa laughed "You should have seen the Makai invasion of 98, it was a full on apocalypse"

"Oh wow…"

"Yuuka went full kaiju on pandemonium… We got a peace treaty signed, this is just a military exercise"

"That explains the ruins!" Kaori laughed, she didn't feel afraid about fighting Yuuka, even after hearing what kind of things she could do in the capital of hell, treat it like a game and so will your enemy. Youkai do that.

Kaori left Gensokyo that day, nothing on her was not made by youkai, though it did not feel like something full of curses, the protective spells in her clothes made her feel safe, there was nearly no drag in the fabric of her clothes, and moving at high speeds did not generate heat, that was a problem before, that limited her speed, or else she would bake in the heat of her own movement.

She took a full night sleep in the mountains half way reaching Academy City. The next day she continued her walk.

Now she understood it, this was not a fight between good and evil, it was two heroes fighting for different ideas.