Chapter 5: The mysterious maid from the mysterious mansion
It has been one week, since Nijiko has arrived in Gensokyo. Luckily for her, she already made some new friends, got a place to stay and work, as well as the opportunity to learn Magic in order to protect herself.
She is now shown sweeping the courtyard belonging to Kourindou, as she is reminescing on her progress of Magic:
"I have never expected Mari-san to be such a good teacher. At first, I could not even summon my Magic long term, but now at least I am capable to do this."
She stops sweeping and concentrates, making a small rainbow-colored light sphere to appear in her hands. "It is so beautiful!" she marvels at the small light orb as she tosses it from one hand.
"You are right, it is beautiful." Nijiko suddenly hears a familiar voice right behind her. Spooked, she turns around, finding none other than Cassida standing right behind her, staring at the colorful light sphere.
"WOAAAAH!" the heterochromatic girl screams in surprise.
"WHAAA!" Cassida also shouts, being also caught off-guard in a comedic manner.
"Why just cant you leave me alone, please?!" Nijiko hurls the light sphere towards Cassida, but it is so slow and clumsy that the Yokai is able to dodge it with a simple side-step.
"Is that supposed to be a danmaku?" the Tortoise Beetle Yokai questions as she is eyeing the projectile until it pops in mid-air. She then looks back and finds that Nijiko has already gone. "Man, such a funny girl." she remarks with a giggle, then flies off. "I think I took a liking to her."
Meanwhile, Nijiko observes from behind a nearby tree.
"Oh my, that was close. I have to be honest, she is beginning to get on my nerves."
She walks back to the store and returns to her sweeping.
One hour later, as she is doing some packing on the courtyard, she notices a strange aura closing in as she looks towards the forest.
"Huh? What is this aura? Not Yokai, it is... coming from a human... but somehow feels different from Mari-san and Hakurei-san." she says in her head.
A girl shows up, looking like roughly the same age as Reimu and Marisa. She has blue eyes and short silver hair, some of her locks tied into two braids on the front with green ribbons. The girl also wears a black-and-white maid outfit, alongside a frilly maid headress.
"Excuse me, is Morichika-kun currently at home?" she asks Nijiko, while bowing in a refined manner.
"Yeah, he is. Please follow me." the heterochromatic girl replies and leads the maid inside the shop. Rinnosuke is inside, carrying a stack of books.
"Oh, Izayoi-san." he looks at them as he places the books down onto a table. "Can I help you?"
"I am looking for some new stuffed toys. You see, Mistress Flandre..." the maid says.
"Ah, I see. You used them up again." Rinnosuke replies, knowing exactly what the maid is talking about. "Akimitsu-san here is going to show you some new ones, which just has come from the Outside World roughly a week ago."
"Akimitsu-san?" the maid looks at the heterochromatic girl quizzally.
"Oh, n...nice to meet you! My name is Nijiko Akimitsu, the new assistant here." Nijiko bows.
"A pleasure to meet you, Akimitsu-san. My name is Sakuya Izayoi, the head maid of the Scarlet Devil Mansion." the silver-haired maid, named Sakuya curtseys as a response.
"Scarlet... Devil... Mansion...?" Nijiko stiffens up slightly as that mansion is mentioned.
"Is something wrong, Akimitsu-san?" Sakuya asks.
"N...nothing at all." the heterochromatic girl does an awkward grin. "Please, follow me."
As she follows Nijiko, Sakuya looks around. To her surprise, everything is more cleaner and instead of the large heaps, there are smaller ones, with the items being grouped according to their usage.
"Wow, what happened here? Kourindou was never this organized before." she says in her head.
"Ah, here they are!" Nijiko stops where the toys are stored. They are yet again in a smaller heap, but at least not mixed with other items. "So, which one would you like? This teddy bear? Or this penguin plushie?" she asks while picking up two plush toys.
"I would like both of them." Sakuya says shortly as Nijiko hands her the new toys. "Say Akimitsu-san..."
"Y...Yeah?"
"Are you new here? I ask, because I have never met you before."
"Y...Yes. I am happy that Morichika-kun allows me to work here." Nijiko replies awkwardly.
"I see." Sakuya nods and looks around again as they are heading back. "Maybe this girl is the reason, why everything looks more organised?"
Sakuya then pays for the stuffed toys to Rinnosuke.
"Thanks for coming, Izayoi-san. I hope Flandre-san is going to enjoy her new toys." he says.
"I am going to be happy if they would last during next week." Sakuya replies. "Oh and Morichika-kun. I have noticed that Kourindou looks more cleaner and organized that it used to be."
"Oh, that is because of Akimitsu-san." the half-Yokai shopkeeper replies. "I have to admit, she is doing a good job."
"I see." the maid looks at Nijiko, who blushes and looks down.
"We hope to see you again, Izayoi-san." the heterochromatic girl says.
"Thank you so much and have a good day." Sakuya says before departing. As soon as she steps out of the door, she turns back and looks at Rinnosuke: "Oh, I almost forgot. If you ever see Kirisame-san, tell her that Lady Patchouli wants her book back."
Hearing this, Nijiko tenses up again. She remembered that book... which Marisa gave her in order to study the magic runes, was actually one which the witch "borrowed" (actually stole) from the Scarlet Devil Mansion.
"Alright, I am going to keep that in mind." Rinnosuke replies.
"Thanks for the cooperation." the silver-haired maid bows and leaves the shop.
"Say Morichika-kun? What is... the Scarlet Devil Mansion?" Nijiko asks, being now curious.
"The Scarlet Devil Mansion is where Izayoi-san works. It belongs to a vampire named Remilia Scarlet, where she lives with her sister Flandre and all of her familiars. Remilia-san herself is said to be descended from the King of Vampires himself, Count Dracula." the half-Yokai shopkeeper explains, causing the heterochromatic girl to tense up even more. "But enough about them, lets go back to work."
"Oh, okay!" Nijiko goes back to sweeping the courtyard. However, her mind is still racing about that book. "I have to tell Mari-san to bring the book back. I dont wanna anger a vampire of all people!"
...
Later on the afternoon, Marisa comes visiting Kourindou, in order to check on how is Nijiko progressing. The girl is seen reading the book about Light Magic, while the other one about the runes is placed on the table next to her.
"Yo, Nijiko-chan!" the witch walks to her after getting off from her broom. "I see you are studying hard as always, ze!"
"Mari-san!" Nijiko looks up from her book. "Yeah, since I dont want to end up as food for anyone."
"You dont have to exaggrate that part, ze!" Marisa replies. "Show me, how is your Magic doing."
"Okay." the heterochromatic girl stands up from her book. placing it aside. She then proceeds to concentrate, summoning the familiar rainbow-colored light sphere between her hands. To show her progress, it remains intact as Nijiko slowly places it from one hand to an another.
"Well, it seems that would be even a danmaku bullet, ze." the witch says.
"Danmaku? Oh, you havent told me yet, what is the danmaku about. I have heard that phrase several times, since I arrived here, yet I was given no explanation."
"Well, ya see the danmaku is the main way of handling fights if you would ever get into a confrontation with someone. During said fight, you have to dodge the bullets from the opponent, while making sure that yours is flashier and more beautiful than the ones coming from your opponent, ze." Marisa explains. "Said bullets are made out of your own spiritual energy, so everyone has their own unique danmaku, ze!"
"Oh, I remember now." Nijiko remarks, remembering the flashy fight between Marisa and Alice. "So that was that spectacular fireworks display which happened between you and Margatroid-san."
"Well, we can say that, ze." the witch said with a grin.
"Is that dangerous?" the heterochromatic girl asks.
"Thanks to the Spell Card Rules, it is not that dangerous, ze."
"Spell Card Rules?"
"Yeah, but more about that later, once you perfected your Magic, ze. It is still early for you to get into any fights, Nijiko-chan." Marisa tells her.
"Oh, I almost forgot." Nijiko brings it up. "Earlier this day, a maid named Sakuya Izayoi-san visited Kourindou. She said she is from the Scarlet Devil Mansion."
"That is no problem, she is a regular customer, so I am sure you are getting used to her soon, ze."
"But then... she told Morichika-kun that..." the heterochromatic girl then proceeds to tell what does she worry about.
"And does she know that the book is with you?" Marisa asks.
"Well, not yet..."
"Then there is no problem. Just be sure to keep it away from her whenever she visits. I almost got my ass knifed to get you this book, ze." she then glances to the side: "That Sakuya is one tough costumer..."
Nijiko has actually overheard it and cringes. Could that maid to be this dangerous?
"Well then, keep up the good work." Marisa says. "Keep studying and practising, and you are going to hold your own in no time, ze!"
"Thanks, Mari-san."
"But now, I must go. I am going to meet up with Reimu, because a smaller incident has occured near Yokai Mountain." the Ordinary Magician mounts onto her broom. "See ya later, ze!"
She then proceeds to wave goodbye and fly off into the distance. Nijiko glances after her with friend, but her mind is still worrying about Sakuya, and what if she finds out about the book...
...
Later on the night, Nijiko tries to sleep within her warm futon, but cannot due to her extreme worries. In her dream, she suddenly finds herself in a dark, misty forest. She also holds that particular book in her hands. The heterochromatic girl walks down on the part, while looking around frantically:
"Is... someone here?!"
Suddenly, she hears a scream. Nijiko shudders, as the voice is familiar: it is Marisa! She runs towards the direction of the scream, when suddenly everything freezes down around her, including her own body. As if time itself has been stopped.
"What is happening... I... cannot move!" she screams in her mind. Then, she sees Sakuya walking towards her. Instead of her normally blue eyes, they are now glowing in a menacing red color.
"So you are the one who have the book." the maid glares at Nijiko, while slowly walking towards her. "Everything within the Scarlet Devil Mansion belongs to Mistress Remilia and Lady Patchouli. A mere mortal like you does not even deserve such an item."
She then lifts up her hand and hundreds of knives materializes around Nijiko.
"Please dont do that! I dont wanna die! I am going to return the book! WHAAAAH!"
Nijiko yells as she wakes up. Luckily, Rinnosuke is in such a deep sleep, that he does not even react to her scream.
"Huh, so this was just a dream?" she falls back into her futon and glances at the book on the table. "Next time Izayoi-san visits, I am sure to give the book to her... but how can I do so without her noticing?"
...
On the next day, Nijiko is seen to be somewhat less than herself. She proceeds to almost trip, while carrying a box of spare parts. It does not go without notice by Rinnosuke.
"Are you okay, Akimitsu-san? Today, you are somewhat less effective." he remarks.
"I just got hardly any sleep, thats all." Nijiko replies while nudging one of her baggy eyes.
Then the door opens as Sakuya enters the shop. Nijiko is shocked, since has not expected her to visit this soon.
"Oh, welcome, Izayoi-san. Can I help you?" Rinnosuke asks.
"Yes, please. Unfortunately, Mistress Flandre quickly lost interest in the plushies and I was requested for something else." Sakuya states.
"Alright, lets see what we have today." the half-Yokai shopkeeper stands up.
"Please Morichika-kun, let me help." Nijiko speaks up.
"You go and get some rest, Akimitsu-san. I cannot allow you to work in such sleepy condition."
"R...right. "
Nijiko turns and goes back to her room, which is an empty storage room equpped with some tables and chairs. The books, which she is studying from, are seen on one of those tables. The girl goes to the table and picks up that particular book.
"I have to return this as sneakily as possible."
Cautiously, Nijiko glances into the room, where Rinnosuke and Sakuya are. The shopkeeper is seen showing the maid a remotely controlled toy car.
"If you push the controls like this, the car will go forward. If you pull it back, it is going to go backwards. You also can change the directions with the arrows atop the controller."
"Hmm, looks interesting, but I think its a bit too complicated." Sakuya remarks.
"Alright then, lets see what else we have." Rinnosuke enters into one of the storage rooms, leaving Sakuya alone.
Nijiko glances to the other side of the room, where she notices the bag belonging to Sakuya placed onto one of the chairs.
"Alright, here is my opportunity..." she slowly tiptoes towards the bag without being noticed, ready to place the book into it, when suddenly...
"BOOOO!"
As usual, Cassida shows up out of the nowhere and jumpscares Nijiko.
"KYAAAH!" Nijiko shouts and trips, dropping the book in the process.
"Tehehe, I got you again!" Cassida giggles, when all of a sudden, a knife flies towards her and lands in the wall next to her.
"Could you please leave that young lady alone?" Sakuya glares at the Tortoise Beetle Yokai, while holding three more knives in her right hand.
"You are such a joykiller, Sakuya!" Cassida replies, but with a slight fear in her tone. She then shrinks herself down and flies out of the window.
"Are you alright?" the maid helps Nijiko up.
"Yes, thank you..." Nijiko suddenly tenses up, noticing that she dropped the book.
"Huh, this is..." Sakuya is surprised as picks the book up, inmediately recognising it as the one Marisa stole.
"Umm... well..." the heterochromatic girl begins to shiver. "Please forgive me... I wanted to give this book back, because I know how precious it is for the Mansion and I know I am not worthy for it. So please, dont hurt me!"
She bows to Sakuya, closing her eyes in anticipation what would happen next. The maid looks at the book, then and the girl, then smiles:
"So this is whats going on. Dont worry, yesterday I actually managed to bump into Kirisame-san per chance and had her to explain what is going on."
A flashbacks shows Marisa being pinned to a tree by the knives as Sakuya is interrogating her.
"So, you can have the book for now." she hands the book back to Nijiko. "Who knew that a girl from the Outside World here is learning to be a Magician."
"Izayoi-san... "
"Just be sure to let me know, once you finished studying it. It still belongs to the Lady Patchouli, after all."
"Sure, I promise." Nijiko smiles at Sakuya.
Just then, Rinnosuke returns with a box containing a toy train with the tracks.
"Hey, Izayoi-san, I think I have found something..." he then sees Nijiko with her. "Umm girls, did I miss something?"
"Nothing, really." Nijiko says. "I just had a talk with Izayoi-san, thats all." She then proceeds to go back into her room.
"She is really an exceptional girl." Sakuya remarks. "She seems to be so honest and hardworking. Maybe we could use such a girl in the Mansion."
"I doubt that a certain Shrine Maiden would be happy about that. " Rinnosuke replies as he looks at his assistant going to rest.
Nijiko has felt such a relief, when Sakuya turned out to be such a pleasant and understanding person. She looks at her book as she places it next to the others.
"I wont let anyone down. Mari-san, Izayoi-san." she says in her mind as she hides into her futon to get some sleep, which she could not at night. At the same time, she wondered, what kind new friends could she meet next. It seems that despite all of the Yokai running around, Gensokyo might not be that of a terrible place, after all.
To be continued...