Disclaimer: Shin Megami Tensei: Persona belongs to ATLUS. Touhou Project belongs to Zun. I have no ownership of the copyrights of either series in any way.
Chapter 18: Uneasily Easy Pace
"Ne, Onii-chan? Why do you like me?" Koishi's question caught me off guard. I hadn't visited her in a while so I wanted to rectify that, but I didn't think she'd ask a question like that. It's been months since I first arrived in Gensokyo. I fell into a steady pace and before I knew it, summer ended and now fall is in full swing… I took her hat off, placing it on the table and began to pat her on the head. As she closed her eyes and began to smile a bit, I gave her my answer.
"I don't know," I told her honestly, but followed with my own question of, "But do I really need a reason? I don't a have a reason to hate you, and even if I did, that would be silly, as I couldn't think of any reason to hate you to begin with." Koishi seemed to ponder this as I stopped petting her and she grabbed her hat again. I let her think for a little bit before she asked another question.
"Then why do people other people hate me?" Another blunt question that I couldn't just brush off…
"People are easily scared, Koishi," I tried to start, the words struggling to form in my mind to answer her with confidence. "They… they don't like having their minds read."
"But it's not like I can help it! At least back then…" Koishi rebutted meekly at the end.
"I know…" I started again. "And that's not your fault."
"So then why do they hate me then?" Koishi asked, still not understanding, though it's not like I gave her a really good answer.
"… I don't know, but can I can ask you question instead, Koishi?" She nodded her head. "Why do you want them to like you?" She seemed to think about it with great difficulty. She started to float up and then drifted around the room, almost like a cloud. She was like this for about a minute or so before she seemed to suddenly snap and then flew right back onto my lap. "I don't like to be hated…"
"So it's not like you really want them to like you then?" She pondered what I said once again, only this time she gave me a quicker answer than before as she slowly, and hesitantly agreed with me with a nod.
"Then you don't have to care. Koishi, listen carefully to what I'm about to say," I asked of her. She then nodded furiously as she focused all her attention towards me. "Not everyone in the world is going to like you. There will always be people who will not like you no matter what, and you shouldn't care about people like that. It's a waste of time. Do you know what you should do though?" She shook her head in a 'no' as I asked her. "You should instead pay attention to the people who do like you. There's an English saying that goes 'One in the hand is worth two in the bush' which just means that you should appreciate what you do have. You have an older sister right?"
"Yeah! She's the nicest, bestest sister in the world!" She exclaimed with both excitement and childish pride as she raised her hands in the air.
"And I'm sure she misses you." Koishi became sullen as I said so. "It just means that she does love you."
"But… but I've been gone so long… what if she's different now? What if she doesn't like me anymore?" She asked me.
"Sisters should get along, and besides you told me that she was the nicest sister in the world."
"And bestest!" She corrected.
"Right, and best…"
"Bestest!"
"…Bestest…" I relented. I could feel a wry smile creep upon my face.
"But… she's only one person, and you're only one person… that's only two people who like me," she noted… perhaps that saying wasn't direct enough.
"You don't need the whole world to like you, Koishi. It's okay to have only one other person like and believe in you," I told her, trying to simplify it again.
"So I don't need a lot of friends?" she asked in a fascinated tone.
"It's nice to have a lot of friends, but there's nothing wrong with just having a few if that's all you want. I'm one of your friends after all. It doesn't get much better than that," I jokingly bragged.
"So if you're my friend like my sister, does that mean you love me too?" Kids…
"Yeah… like… like a sister…" I said in order to placate her. I don't have a sister complex, thank Pharos.
"I love you too, Onii-chan," Koishi softly cooed as she hugged me from my lap… I'm really glad I don't have a sister complex… "By the way, what's a sister complex, Onii-chan?"
Break
I stepped out of the velvet room to enter the Tartarus' first floor lobby. I looked around the lobby to take stock of just who was here. In one corner, Mokou was sitting on the floor and seemed to be performing maintenance on a katana that she brought here, occasionally heating it with her flames and then rubbing it down. In another part of the room, next to the stairs, sat Patchouli as Sakuya attended to her every need. Patchouli had brought some magical items here with her, or at least had Sakuya bring it here, and she seemed to be preparing it for our journey up. Sakuya herself was simply acting out her duties as a maid and making sure Patchouli was properly attended to. I suppose this will have to do, though I admit I would do by myself at this point. It wasn't the most coordinated party in the world, but it would do for now.
"I'm stepping out for a bit. Call me when everything is ready," I told the rest of them as I walked towards the exit. I needed some fresh air before going back up this tower.
"I will be sure to do so first thing when we are ready," Sakuya assured me, as she then returned to helping Patchouli out.
"Don't go out too far! We can't start without you!" Mokou told me from her spot as she looked up from her blade. After giving her a nod to confirm that I heard her, I then opened the door and left. Stepping outside onto the grass, I found that the air was still as stifling outside as it was inside. There was no wind, no real sound, save for my own breath or the grass that crumpled as I stepped on it. All was unusually still and dead.
"It's a bit nerve-wracking," I said to no one. Today was the new SEES's first official excursion into the tower. It had to happen at some point, but it's like going back to a reunion. There's both fear and excitement going in, but you ultimately don't know how it's going to go. What was perhaps the oddest thing was that apparently, the rest of them see me as a sort of pseudo leader for us all when going up the tower. They didn't officially declare it, but I can see and hear it in the way they interact with me. They seem to look to me for any small thing regarding the tower, or just now when they stated they couldn't start without me. It's not like I can't handle the role… it's just I'm reluctant to take it up again. I was never gung-ho about being the field leader, and that hasn't changed, regardless of whatever else has. It feels like quite a bit of work…
I look up into the night sky. The green and yellow moon that wasn't quite full yet, filled my sight as I stared aimlessly upward. The sight was perhaps a bit too melancholy and I closed my eyes, waiting for a breeze that wouldn't come. In just a few moments, it will really start all over again. Last time was just the preview for tonight, but that was months ago, and it's now barely October… man does time fly fast. I feel like time is just slipping by me now… I have to get to the bottom of this as soon as I can, so that I can get rid of this tower for good.
"Can it though…?" I asked towards the sky.
"Oh, it's you; the boy who beat Marisa," a voice rang out from the silent darkness. Opening my eyes while still staring upward, I saw a woman who was floating in the sky with a parasol. I was about to call her Yukari, but upon looking closer I found that the parasol was a different shape than Yukari's, and seemed to have a more flower like look to it. The woman herself was also quite different in terms of looks as well. She had short green hair that seemed a bit tussled, but had a sheen that reminded me of tall grass. She wore a simplistic, and perhaps old fashioned, ensemble of a white button down shirt and yellow ascot along with a red plaid vest and skirt, of which went down below her knees and blended nicely with her red shoes. Because of the angle, it was difficult to see her face, but it didn't matter because even then, a set of red eyes glowed in the shadows, and seemed to look almost condescendingly at me. "How do you do?"
"I'm fine. I'm Minato Arisato," I told her just in case, followed by, "What's your name?"
"Yuuka Kazami, Minato. It is a pleasure to formally make your acquaintance," she said as she bowed from her high vantage point, not bothering to descend to the ground.
"And what brings out here, Kazami-san?" I asked her, wondering what another Youkai was doing here.
"A fair question," she started. "There have been some unsightly weeds of sorts popping up in my garden you see? I tried to get rid of them by scattering their atoms to the wind, but they just kept popping up regardless. I decided that it might be best to find the source, and imagine my surprise to find you here when I decided to investigate this obviously suspicious tower."
"Are these weeds by any chance, black blobs with masks?"
"Oh? So I'm close to the source? How serendipitous! "She gleefully cheered. "I suppose that this tower is it then? Well I'll just blast it to pieces before more can show up." What!?
"Hey! Wai-", but I couldn't do anything as Yuuka then pointed her parasol at the tower and said words that I didn't expect to hear from her.
"MASTER SPARK!" She called as a familiar rainbow laser beam burst forth from her parasol and hit the Tower with oppressive velocity and strength. The light of the attack shining brightly in the night as it almost seemed to warp the color spectrum of the world. A burst of dust appeared as the laser died down. It seemed to cloud the very sky above the tower, but as it cleared, it showed how vain such an attempt was. The tower remained standing, as if laughing at Yuuka's efforts to destroy it. "Oh my, not even a scratch? Then I suppose even a Double Spark won't do anything either. Well nothing ventured, nothing gained so-"
"What was that!?"
"Minato-kun! Are you okay?" Patchouli, and Mokou called as they burst forth from the entrance of the tower, with Sakuya following closely behind the Magician. I was about to answer them, but they seemed to notice the perpetrator of the attack on the tower. "The Flower Youkai!" Mokou called Yuuka, as she prepared a pair of flames in her hands.
"Hoh? The Immortal Phoenix and Unmoving Library. Things just get more and more intriguing!" Yuuka exclaimed excitedly.
"Please stand aside, and vacate the premises posthaste," Patchouli succinctly attempted to command Yuuka.
"Why?" She asked condescendingly like a child trying to annoy an adult.
"Your attacks may cause unrest to the entities within. Our venture up the tower will be greatly hindered in such an event," Patchouli answered without succumbing to Yuuka's obvious provocation. Sakuya also silently prepared her knives.
"Oh? You wish to travel up the tower when flying would be much easier?" Yuuka asked, this time with genuine curiosity.
"It was Minato's idea. He wishes to make a thorough investigation. As the person with the most experience with this tower, it would be most logical to follow his leadership," Patchouli answered again, this time indirectly passing Yuuka's attention from her to me.
"Oh?" Yuuka began as she descended towards the ground. "So you know the most about this tower then? Could you perhaps be the cause of this incident?" Yuuka put forth as she finally landed, her parasol dragging in the air, before she replaced it on her shoulder.
"Hey not so close!" Mokou said as she moved in front of me, and placed herself between Yuuka and me.
"Oh come now. If I wanted to kill him, I wouldn't ask him so many questions. Actually I would still do it, but my curiosity outweighs any murderous intent I may have right now." This woman is scary… Yuuka smiled the whole way through that; borderline giggling. I can feel a chill run up my spine when I look at her. It's a similar feeling to when I heard clinking chains in Taratarus.
"Exactly why I'm telling you to not get so close." Mokou, I could tell, was giving Yuuka an intense glare as she the said to me, "Get inside while I keep her here." If even Mokou, an immortal, is showing caution, it might be in my best interest to listen. I turn to Patchouli who was already giving Sakuya directions.
"Minato, I agree with the immortal. You'll be safest inside. We need your expertise on the tower if we wish to make progress at a reasonably fast clique to satisfy Remi." I assume Patchouli means Remilia when she says Remi, but regardless, they're both telling me to get away. Not even Yukari gets such a radical treatment from Reimu or Marisa outside of my first time meeting them in the same place. I silently nod as I begin to back away into the tower, but before I could move too far, I seemed to bump into someone. Before I could turn around however, the person said-
"Aw, leaving so soon? I was hoping you could show me that wonderful inner beast again," Yuuka's voice seemed to come from behind. I quickly skipped forward and turned around to find another Yuuka behind where I was standing.
"Two?" I instantly said as I then quickly whipped my head back and forth to find that there were indeed two Yuukas. The only difference between the two was this second one seemed to look more unhinged than the original with slightly more frazzled hair and a more psychotic expression.
"Do you like it? I made her myself. She's just like me in every way; a clone made of plants that I can control," the original Yuuka explained. I need to think fast!
"Um… can't we talk this out?" I asked nervously.
"We could," Yuuka answered frankly, but the speed and tone of which seemed to indicate that she didn't think much of my suggestion.
"Want to try it?" I asked, trying to push towards a non-violent solution. Patchouli, Mokou, and Sakuya began to bunch up near me to try and prepare for if things go sour.
"Hmmm… why not? What do you want to say?" She asked with a bit of a sadist's bent to her voice.
"You want to get rid of those blobs right; the shadows?" I asked her to confirm her motive for being here.
"Yes, they have been intruding in my Sun Flower garden without my permission. I'd like very much to annihilate them," she said, this time through her clone.
"Then why not work with us to make sure they're all gone? We're going to go up the tower to try and figure out where their source is." I already know, but whatever I can say to get her to calm down. "If you come with us, you can destroy them as much as you want. It could cathartic!" I tried to add as a draw at the last moment.
"But aren't you supposed to be an expert on this tower? How could you not know where they come from?" Yuuka asked with suspicion.
"I never claimed to be an expert. That's just what they call me. All I claim to be is the person who knows the most, but not all of it," I rebutted her.
"Hmmmm…" she intoned upward with an amused smile. Both Yuukas examined us for a good few seconds. All was still once more, but this time the air was thick with tension as it almost seemed like our lives were being held in someone else's hands, which might have been the case. With no wind, and no sounds from nature, time truly seemed to stop and choke us. In a single moment however, the tension seemed to be cut in two as Yuuka then looked at her clone and made it dissipate into petals right before our eyes. "Alright, I'll work with you." I could hear breaths being let out by the rest of my party as she said that. "I have a lot of pent up stress and it would be fun to take it out on those blobs." Yuuka then just walked up to, and right past us as she then made a spot for herself in the lobby, about halfway up the stairs. "Just tell me when we are to start." As if the final string had snapped, the tension seemed to completely dissipate. I began to walk back in before I felt a hand on my shoulder.
"Hey are you sure about this?" Mokou asked me as Patchouli and Sakuya cautiously took their places again; their eyes not easily leaving our latest addition.
"Not really, but it's probably better to work with her than against her," I reasoned.
"True enough, but if anything happens, I might not be there to tell you so," Mokou seemed to both joke and raise her concerns.
"You don't seem like the kind of person to just let things happen though. I'm counting on you and your judgment as we go up the tower."
"Hmph! Well you shouldn't… but thanks…" Mokou said as she whipped around to walk back into the lobby
*CRACK*
Thou art I… And I am thou…
Thou hast tempered your bond…
Thou shalt have our blessing when thou chooses
To create a Persona of the Adjustment Arcana…
I really wish that would stop now…
Break
"How are things on your end?" I asked Patchouli as we tested the communication line we set up using magic using my dolls as a conduit
"I'm sensing you just fine. What floor did you say you were on again?" Patchouli asked, coming in loud and clear.
"14. There shouldn't be anything here since I cleared it out already," I stated as I began to lean on one of the walls.
"Ah so that's why I couldn't sense any other forms of life besides you three," she noted on the other end.
"Any shadows show up yet in the lobby?"
"So far there is nothing. Sakuya is remaining vigilant in case Yuuka's attack did agitate the shadows, but for now we're safe," Patchouli reported as I turned back towards my current party of Mokou and Yuuka, finding that the two were waiting on me.
"Okay, then we'll go with the original plan to try and get to the first teleporter in the second block, and if there's enough time, try to go further," I said to reiterate the plan to both my current party and the two on the other side of the line.
"Be sure to make regular contact with me so I can test the strength of the magic line, and so that I can relay support when I can with 'life detect' magic. I'll directly contact you again should you engage more shadows or something comes up," Patchouli said before ending with, "Standing by."
"You two heard that?" I asked Mokou and Yuuka as I shifted my attention back to my immediate surroundings.
"Got it!" Mokou replied with a bit more energy than the last time we were here.
"Let's get going already. I'm getting tired of waiting," Yuuka said impatiently as she looked almost ready to bolt for the stairs.
"Alright, the follow my lead," I commanded as I took point. It's time to get started with our second operation.
Break
"And this should be the stairs to the second block," I explained as we started to come up from the stairs to small square floor that had only a teleporter and a wide staircase that lead even further up.
"That was quick…" Mokou noted.
"I was hoping to crush more of them before we got here…" Yuuka… lamented.
"Well these floors tend not to be too far away from the Guardian Floors," I explained to them as we continued to move on without rest. "Let's move right on while we still have momentum."
"Well let's see what's next," Mokou said while following close behind.
"I wonder what it will look like." Yuuka asked quietly to herself as she lagged behind.
"Can you still hear me Patchouli?" I asked as we ascended the stairs, remembering that I needed to contact her regularly.
"There are no problems on my end, but I'm getting stronger life readings above you. Still weak, but stronger nonetheless," Patchouli told us as the inside of the tower seemed to twist from the classroom look into something entirely different.
The green color slowly started to fade away as it was replaced by purple. The tower almost seemed to take a more organic look as its walls that seemed to be a heinous mockup of my old high school were replaced by structures resembling medieval designs but made with a chitinous material. The tower's interior seemed to blur terribly between these two worlds before finally settling upon, almost with a flash, the latter design. The walls were now enclosed upon us and every so often, a face looking like it was made of marble could be seen, crying more blood which would pool on the light purple floor. Every so often a window could be seen, but that was a sight far and few between. Arqa was in no way, shape, or form similar to Thebel. Upon making one more step, we found ourselves completely in the second block, and the stairs down completely gone, though that would be like with any other floor.
"Well this is certainly different," Mokou was first to comment.
"I personally find the blood crying faces to be a bit garish," Yuuka surprisingly said. "I mean, you would only cry blood if you were severely hurt, and those faces are far too pristine for that. Maybe I should fix that with a few punches." Okay, never mind.
"There are too many faces for you to do that, and we can't waste time. I want us to at least make it to Arqa's first teleporter before the end of the night," I directed.
"I'm detecting fewer shadows than normal on that floor… be careful," Patchouli told us over the line.
"Why? Less shadows means our job is easier… Let's split up and find those stairs," Mokou suggested.
"I wouldn't mind being let loose for a while," Yuuka noted, a bit of anticipation in her voice making me nervous.
"Further reading shows that while there are fewer shadows, they seem to be stronger on average than the ones on subsequent floors. Do you think you should split up?" Patchouli asked to confirm my decision, which somehow became the final one.
"We're staying together. We are not splitting up if I can help it, or at least not on this floor." *CLANK CLINK CLANK* Oh… crap… "Let's get moving…" I said calmly so as not to worry them… my initial reaction aside, the Reaper really isn't a problem for now, but I'll keep my skill usage to a minimum so that I can use an Armageddon if I need to. [Change] Alice… her megido spell should be cheap enough, but powerful enough to get rid of anything in our way. As if on cue, one of the few shadows on the floor showed up, its red sheen standing out amongst the purple patterned floor. "Let's try to take them out quickly," I said as the shadow morphed from its blob form and transformed into its true form, that of a masked wrestler from one of those pro wrestling shows in the US. "Megido!" I chanted, calling Alice into existence and bringing forth a searing white explosion of energy that seemed to almost disintegrate the shadow.
"More are coming!" Patchouli's voice resounded to warn us as more red shadows had found their way towards us, and morphed en route, revving up to strike me; thinking me to be the greatest threat.
"Megido!" I called again, the spell this time creating similar explosions for each of the shadows that came forth. "We've got to find the stairs before more show up."
"I'm sensing a great presence… of… of Death. It might not be too much trouble for you, but be careful all the same," Patchouli piped in to tell us… fun.
"I don't want to waste the energy dealing with him," I told Mokou and Yuuka. It ultimately isn't, but I don't want to constantly expend that energy. It's tiring in the sense that I get sleepy.
"Are you so sure? I want to see what this 'Death' has to offer!" Yuuka said excitedly.
"Well then you can be on the lookout for him as we head to the stairs," was my rebuke as I started to move, the two of them following my lead.
"What a cheap name…" I think Mokou said that, but just in case…
"What was that Mokou?" I asked to be sure as we quickly moved through the halls, a set of chains becoming louder as we continued on.
"Nothing…" Right… dammit, don't tell me those chains are…
"Oh is that it?" Yuuka asked gleefully as a figure stood ominously in front of the room that held the stairs. The rare window happened to shine the moon light on the figure, shading it in a somber, melancholy light. The long black coat that seemed to be a bloody red at the chest area seemed to float in the air, suspended by nothing. In its two long arms were a pair of long revolvers that, when hung by its side, were next to a pair of chains that crisscrossed the figure through some unknown means, much like how it could float to begin with. Its head was wrapped completely in bandages, bloody around the only part of its face that could be seen, its yellow left eye that stared unblinkingly at us. The Reaper once instilled a wave of fear in me and my friends. Not now however.
"Yeah that's it. That's the Reaper that roams the halls of Tartarus," I told Yuuka, who was walking towards it!
"I was waiting to find something like this. You'll be a lot of fun," Yuuka said, her sentence of which almost seemed to be ended with metaphorical hearts. The Reaper's only response was to crinkle his chain as it stood simply in our way, unyielding. "Not scared? Good! It will make this so much more fun to see you become scared." I couldn't see Yuuka's expression as she had passed by me, but I could tell she was genuinely delighted, almost to the point of arousal actually…
"Yuuka," I called to her, gaining her attention. Her expression definitely was one of a sadist's…
"Minato, be a dear and stay out of my way." Yuuka smile… I'm not going to argue with that… [Change] I'll just keep Helel on standby then.
"Let's just let her go, Minato," Mokou suggested, though I was already ahead of her.
"Shall we begi-" Yuuka tried to say before the Reaper silently shot her with its gun. The sound of the gunshot was then followed by a small explosion in Yuuka's general vicinity, dust obscuring the results. I can't be hasty here. Patience is key in a situation with what is veritably a monster… that and the Reaper. Almost as if on cue, Yuuka's form was revealed from the dust, completely unscathed, and looking just as… serene. "Such a bad child. It's rude to interrupt somebody as they are talking," Yuuka said as she resumed her walk. The Reaper, seemingly unperturbed, continued to fire more shots at the Flower Youkai, but just as with the first, the volley was doing nothing to stop her approach, in fact they didn't even seem to even make her pressured or even push back in the slightest. Yuuka then spoke again once she was right in front of the manifestation of death.
"Finished? Well then it's my turn," Yuuka said right before she jumped at her prey and grabbed its head. From there, in the air holding the Reaper's head in hand, she threw the Reaper's head towards the ground, creating a sizable crater on the floor upon impact, and then landed on top of the creature, making fairly disturbing crunching and squelching noises as she landed with a particularly high level of force. Yuuka's face was now in full view and from what moonlight hit her. I could see that she had a distorted, psychotic look on her face that seemed to indicate extreme delight. "Oh? Is that it?" She taunted as the Reaper started to move again to try and get up, but as its hands started to move, Yuuka stomped on it, creating a shockwave in the process that shook the reaper's entire body. She then knelt down on to it, grabbing its head from behind and putting her face right next to where its ears would be if it were human. "I haven't even begun to have fun," she whispered, as she slammed the back down onto the floor and grabbed the Reaper by the chains. Lifting the Reaper by said chains, she then slammed the now impotent Reaper onto the other side of her.
"Hmmm… these gaudy things have to go," Yuuka nonchalantly pondered as she let go of the chains and walked over to one of the hands. Once there, she lifted her foot up and slammed it right on to the wrist, causing the Reaper to writhe once more as its hand let go of the elongated revolver. "There! One down," she said as she kicked the gun away with almost a girly glee. She then literally walked over the Reaper, stomping particularly hard each step of the way, as she made her way over to the other hand doing just the same as she did to the first.
"You know, this isn't so much fun if you don't scream or cry. Maybe it's those bandages that are in the way." Yuuka then went back to the head, standing on the reaper's chest as she then got on her knees and grabbed the head, its one eye moving erratically, trying to seek something, anything. "Let me take those off for you." Yuuka grabbed the bandages that surrounded the Reaper's head and then began to pull. I think I know where this is going. I turned around to see Mokou was still rapt with the scene. I was about to ask how she was, but then a sick sound that resembled splitting flesh and pulled bone resounded behind me… turning around I saw only smoke and remnants disappear into nothing, most of it dissipating beneath Yuuka's heels and one bunch in her hands as she was standing.
"Awww… I was hoping to use him as fertilizer…" Yuuka intoned with disappointment.
"Ready to go up?" I asked her.
"Hmmm… I suppose I'm satisfied for now," Yuuka said cheerily. "Shall we?" She said as she gestured towards the stairs. I turned towards Mokou who seemed to be a bit shaken, but for the most part did seem fine.
"You know, there just are all kinds in the world," was Mokou's only comment.
"Right, let's move," I commanded as we then restarted towards the stairs up. Note to self… don't piss off Yuuka Kazami. As we entered the room with the stairs proper, I took a glance towards the window. "Waxing Quarter…" I noted as I looked at the sickly yellow moon.
"You say something Minato?" Mokou noted.
"Just looking at the moon…" I answered in what I noticed to be a lethargic tone after the fact. "It's almost full…" But will it do something this time?
"Yeah…" she noted in a similar tone.
"Are we going on, or do you wish to rest for a bit?" Yuuka asked, standing on the stairs, though she seemed a bit more clam than before. I guess that really was cathartic for her.
"A small rest then…" I said as I looked out the window… I remember looking out one of these windows the night I met Fuuka…
"A small rest will allow me to calibrate my observation spells and make further tests," Patchouli noted all of a sudden. Now I have someone other than Fuuka watching my back… and a new SEES… and new friends… It feels like they're drifting away from me… I wonder how they're doing now…
"Hey does that bird look a bit… erratic to you?" I heard Mokou ask me as I snapped myself out of my pensive thoughts to see that there was indeed something flying towards the tower that seemed like a bird… Wait… a bird?
"Could it be a shadow?" I asked, directing my question towards Patchouli.
"It's a bit far, but its signature is not a shadow. It feels… familiar however," Patchouli answered…. Familiar?
"What do you mean by…? I mean, can you remember what it is then?" I asked her, trying to avoid a stupid question in the process.
"I think I've felt it recently… I can't remember though, and I don't feel like trying more than I already have. If the information isn't immediately forthcoming from my own mind, then there is no point in pursuing it further if I can't access other avenues to obtain it," Patchouli said extensively.
"Oh, is it flying towards us?" Yuuka noted while I was distracted. My attention then returned towards the window to find that the flying creature was indeed coming closer. As the light of the moon shown upon the creature, I could feel confusion as a name entered my mind upon finally recognizing the creature for who she was.
"Utsuho?" I said cautiously as I finally registered in my mind that it was Utsuho who was flying towards the window. Her expression was one of such glee and determination that it only served to further confuse me as to what in the world was going on… I mean wasn't she supposed to be in Hell?
"Incoming!" She yelled; her voice coming in muffled from the other side of the window as she focused on entering through the window…
"Um… she does know that there's glass here… right?" Mokou asked. I could only nod a negative as I stared at the surreal sight before me.
"7...6…" I heard Yuuka count down to what I assume was impact. "5…4…3..."
"Oopmh!" Utsuho let out at as she practically made a splat upon the window… I guess she really is a birdbrain. A few seconds after impact though, the glass began to crack little by little until the entire thing seemed to be laced with them. As if it was a dam that couldn't hold any more back, the glass completely shattered, letting the Hell Raven in. Still a bit dazed, she unceremoniously fell on to the floor…
"Where was the teleporter on this floor Patchouli?" I asked her, as I began to lift the Hell Raven who was evidently knocked out. I held her so that she was on my back.
"Right, then second left, then right, then right again," She answered with the instructions.
"Let's end it for the night as the hour is almost up, and this is going to delay us too much for us to make any meaningful progress for the night," I commanded.
"Well I don't mind," Yuuka replied cheerily.
"This has been some night…" I agree Mokou… The two of them took point as I was preoccupied. I then looked onto the shoulder where Utsuho rested her head upon.
"This is your fault tonight's so unproductive…" I told the sleeping girl.
"Unyuu…" she mumbled in her sleep.
"Hey Minato, get over here!" I heard Mokou yell from down the hall.
"Right!" I said, rushing as fast as I could without disturbing Utsuho. One pretty unproductive night…
Break
"If you wish to join our future expeditions, please come to the Scarlet Devil Mansion in a week's time," I overheard Patchouli tell Yuuka, though a bit reluctantly. The Dark Hour had once again passed without too much incident. We were all standing in the clearing, simply getting ready to leave for the night. Well, save for myself as I sat next to Utsuho who was sleeping on the ground.
"I'll think about it," was Yuuka's only reply before coming over to where I was. "Thanks for having me. It was a bit more fun than I expected."
"I'm glad you like it?" I cautiously replied.
"I sure did… I'll see you next time," she said as she began to float upwards like an uplifted dandelion seed. "Bye!" And like that she seemed to fade into the night.
"Please be safe, Arisato-san," I heard Sakuya tell me from my right.
"I'll be sure to be," I told her.
"I apologize for not being of more use this night…" Sakuya said as an apology. "I hope that next time I'll be able to provide more of my services during the next expedition."
"It's no problem. We do need people on the first floor just in case after all…"
"I suppose you are right. Still, I would like to take a more active part of the exploration of the tower during our next excursion," Sakuya requested from me.
"I'll think about it," I replied, not guaranteeing anything.
"That is all I can ask for," Sakuya replied, satisfied by my answer.
"Sakuya! It's time to go!" Patchouli called, apparently ready to leave.
"Yes, Patchouli-sama! Be well Arisato-san." Sakuya then elegantly hurried towards her Master's Friend and they too left soon afterward. I turned to the only other person there, besides Utsuho.
"Where are you heading?" Mokou asked me.
"I'll be taking this bird home. I think her master misses her," I said as I pointed at tonight's unexpected guest.
"You really are a pretty nosy brat," Mokou seemed to reprimand, joke, and nicely say all at the same time. "That's going to get you killed one day."
"I told you, it already has."
"Yeah, yeah… just don't get too hurt okay? You still haven't tried my Yakitori," Mokou said before hastily turning away. "I'm quite proud of it and it would be a shame if you didn't try it."
"I'll be sure to, soon."
"Well it's already been a couple of months, summer is ending soon." Mokou's right… Summer is ending… Time is passing by so quickly…
"Right… I'll see you later?"
"Yeah… see you later," Mokou said as she then began to walk through the forest towards the human village; even her white colors fading into darkness as she disappeared.
"Now how am I going to get you home?" I asked Utsuho rhetorically. This is going to be interesting…
Break
"My apologies for my pet's idiocy," Satori said with a bow. I somehow managed to fly Utsuho all the way back to hell, using the elevator as a shortcut. Besides I couldn't just leave her there by her lonesome." Of course, and I thank you for that."
"If everything is fine, then I'm going home." I'm still right at the elevator so it won't take too much time. I want to go home and sleep.
"I apologize, but would you allow me a few moments of your time before you depart," Satori asked me. I can't help but feel irritated, but the faster I cooperate, the faster I go home. "I apologize once again, but my only question regards my little sister." I guess she wants to know if I'm any closer to getting her home. "Precisely," she said in reaction to my thoughts.
"Sure… I haven't really made any tangible process, which you can see if you read my mind," I say, expecting her to follow through with my suggestion. Her eyes widen upon hearing me.
"You are perhaps the first human to ever just let me read their mind without a care… how strange, but I'll accept your offer," She said and without delay, began to scan my memories… I think. I can't honestly tell. "I'm getting there… though how unfortunate for you to meet the Flower Youkai." I can't tell if it's convenient or not to have my mind read… I don't have to speak, but…
"What have you been doing with my little sister!?" Satori yelled all of a sudden. My tiredness seemed to fade almost immediately in concert with Satori's outburst. She was completely angry at me…
"I swear I don't have a sister complex…" I don't, I really don't. She's just… well… affectionate, like most little girls her mental age.
"You better not do anything to her. I know how much of a womanizer you are, and I won't let you use her to stymie your loneliness, even if it was a trauma from losing your parents." Hey I don't like that being brought up. "Well from what I'm reading, you're already mostly over it, and that you really don't mind deep down anymore."
"Please spare me…" I plead in desperation, but it seemed that Satori was completely unmoved.
"Unyuu…" Satori's and my attention was flipped towards the sleeping Hell Raven who apparently was being roused from her sleep. "Where am I?" she asked as she wiped the sleep out of her eyes.
"You're home Utsuho," Satori was the first to say.
"Home… Home! I was… Tower! Darkness, Reactor Failure! Need to investigate! Nuclear Smell!" Utusho panicked and jumped between these phrases. "… Actually what was I doing?" She suddenly said with a halt.
"I don't know…" Satori told her simply.
"You crashed while flying in Gensokyo," I told Utsuho.
"But I'm not hurt…" Utsuho replied confused.
"Well I guess you're just really sturdy…" I stated as a half joke.
"Well then it wasn't even half funny," Satori stated in reply to my thoughts. "But do you think it will happen again during the Dark Hour?" How did- Mind reading.
"Well considering that based on what she said, that she came out because of a reactor failure of some sort… probably." All electronics and energy just seem to halt and fail in general during the Dark Hour. "Do you think you can keep her restrained during that time?"
"Perhaps… it seems Youkai aren't affected by the Dark Hour's… Transmogrification, based on this fact…" That is a really interesting fact… why is that? Maybe I can ask Yukari for details on Youkai physiology…
"Well it is something to keep in mind. I'll try to handle Utsuho from now on, as I wondered what was agitating her at night for the past few months…" Yeah that would be a great source of annoyance. "Now about my sister…" Oh crap…
Break
"I'm home…" I quietly whispered as I opened the entrance to the mansion. Instead of an empty hall like I expected, I apparently had someone waiting for me to come home.
"Welcome back, Minato-sama, Ny-Nya~!" Yo-Youmu!? Huh? In front of me stood Youmu in what was her usual attire save for the addition of cat ears and a cat tail. Myon was shyly floating behind her human half.
"Um… are you okay, Youmu-sensei?" I asked, addressing her in the manner I'd become accustomed to thanks to our training sessions.
"Youmu, go for it!" I heard whisper from behind a corner. It would seem Yuyuko was the one who put Youmu up to this. I made a sigh as I then gave Youmu a pat on the head.
"I'm sorry," I told her, and not much else. Unfortunately it seemed my attempt to sympathize with her was misguided as she then began to tear up, and Myon began to droop.
"UWAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!" She cried as she brought her hands up to her face and wilted on to the floor.
"Mou… stupid Mina-chan! You were supposed to cuddle her and treat her like your personal kitty," Yuyuko said as she came out of hiding. She then held Youmu in her arms and told her. Also I forgot she started calling me that too…"There, there, Mina-chan's just an idiot. You look absolutely delicious."
"What kind of expectations were setting about me?" I asked, as deadpan as I could to try and suppress any outburst on my part.
"Those of a beast!" Yuyuko enthusiastically answered. I could only place my palm upon my face.
"Please refrain from having such wild delusions, specifically about me…" I told her, as I knelt down to reach eye leve with Youmu. "I know how much Yuyuko-san-"
"Yuyuko-nee," Yuyuko interjected. I could only look awkwardly at her before turning back to Youmu and say-
"I know how much Yuyuko-san-"
"Yuyuko-nee," Yuyuko once again softly interjected.
"Yuyuko-san," I tried to continue before she once again said-
"Yuyuko-nee," she tried once more with greater emphasis.
"…Yuyuko-san," I tried once more.
"Yuyuko-nee, Mina-chan. I want you to call me Yuyuko-nee," She clarified this time… she's pretty serious about this… I simply turn back to Youmu.
"I know how much Yuyuko…nee, teases you. I know it's not your fault. If it makes you feel better, I do think you look cute," I was finally able to say to Youmu to try and console her, Yuyuko looking satisfied, almost too much, out of the corner of my eye.
"Really…nyan?" How ingrained is that into Youmu? I mean you're still sniffing every now and then…
"Ye-yeah… You're really cute." I said, trying not to acknowledge Youmu's imitation of a cat's call. Perhaps I should have paid more attention as she then-
"Ny-nyan!" –suddenly hugged me, and while I couldn't see her face, she was probably embarrassed considering how her voice came out. Myon was also attacking me from the other side…
"I'm taking your food portions tomorrow breakfast," I said to Yuyuko while patting Youmu on the head and trying to placate her.
"You'll have to pry it from my cold dead hands," Yuyuko said to me, a competitive fire beginning to spark between us.
"You're already dead," I told her in a calm manner.
"Oh…"
Break
"Hey! Leader! Hey, can you hear me!" Huh!? Who's that? "Oi, Earth to Leader!" I realized it was Shinji who was calling me.
"Are you okay, Arisato-sama?" I felt a thumping on my cheek. Opening my eyes, I found that I was sitting on the patio with Shinji and Sukuna… who simply wouldn't leave after we dealt with that incident… Instead she was perched on my shoulder. I saw that in my hands was a cup of half full tea.
"I'm awake…" I said with what I noted to be lethargy.
"Are you sure? If you need sleep, you should get some. Sleepy company makes for bad company," Shinji said.
"Arisato-sama, rest is a necessary component to life, unless you're on an adventure, in which case it's okay not to have sleep!" Duly noted, Sukuna.
"How's that search going?" I asked Shinji to try and shift the conversation…
"Not good… The afterlife's a pretty big place…" Shinji said as he took a sip of tea.
"Search? For who?" Sukuna said, lighting up as well with a typical childlike curiosity.
"Nobody you should concern yourself with kid…" Shinji told Sukuna. "Seriously why don't you just tell her to hit the road?" He asked me.
"Well…"
"No, don't say anything, I get it. You've always been like this…" Shinji cut me off.
"Sorry."
"Don't be. I probably would be surprised if the Leader of SEES acting as anything less," Shinji said with a huff.
"Hey what's SEES?" I heard Sukuna whisper into my ear.
"I'll tell you later," I told the inchling as I tapped her on the head with my finger.
"Hey!" She indignantly cried. All I could do was smile a bit to see my teasing working so well.
"Got any leads on how to find them," I said, once again shifting the conversation back.
"None, and I couldn't find any to begin with," Shinji seemed to lament.
"That's really too bad… Just who were you trying to find?" I asked, my curiosity overcoming my caution.
"…Ken's Mom, and Aki's little sister…" I felt myself go wide-eyed as I heard Shinji's answer…
"Those are… some interesting people…" I don't think Akihiko even mentioned having a little sister to me… "Maybe I could help you?" I finally offered.
"You're busy enough as is, and besides that, just what the hell do you think you can do your already strained time?" What can I do… what can I do… wait…
"I think I have an idea…" Sukuna and Shinji raised their brows upon hearing my answer. I smiled as I got up to get it started.
Author's notes: Well here's the second of the chapters I'm posting today. Thing is I made this chapter to fill the time gap between The next one and the previous one, as the gap was otherwise too freaking big. Another thing is that I finished the chapters in a reverse order due to my procrastination. I finished the chapters in the order of 19, then 18, then lastly 17, which I finished yesterday. I hope that explains my lack of updates, it's because I'm pretty bad at counting, even if my logics class would say otherwise.
Well anyways, as I asked before, if you have specific grievances with this chapter, please write them in a review for this chapter. This will make it easier for me to digest the criticisms and address them more formally. If you have a more general grievance, you can just write that for the next chapter. I'll see you there.
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Kogasa: HOW COME I WASN'T GIVEN A SPOT IN THE UFO ARC WHEN IT'S MY DEBUT!? *cries*
Because I'm a sick individual, that's why.