The next morning, after getting myself dressed, I made my way into the kitchen to get some breakfast. Masato was already behind the counter sipping a cup of coffee and reading a book.
"You sure were out late last night," he remarked. "I take it you and Reimu are getting along well?"
"I suppose so," I said simply while washing off some vegetables and steeping a cup of tea. "Getting used to the idea of flying is difficult, much less actually doing it well enough to duel effectively."
"You know, I still don't totally understand how it's supposed to work," Masato shrugged. "I can't imagine it would be as easy as just wishing yourself into the sky. My old, achy bones can't even let me jump anymore," he chuckled.
"Well, I was blessed with the ability to drink cow's milk, so hopefully that won't be as much of an issue for me when I'm older," I said. And it was true: I really did drink my milk. Which was strange, because Japanese people generally cannot consume dairy unlike Americans and Europeans. My mother's side of the family was a complete mystery to me, while as far as I knew about Shido's, his family was completely homogeneous ethnic Japanese, so my lactose tolerance couldn't have come from there. I had always meant to get a genealogy test, but never got around to it by the time I confronted the Thieves in his palace.
"We do raise cows here in the village, but only one farmer actually sells milk, and he doesn't get many customers. I'm sure he'd appreciate your business."
"I'll certainly think about it," I nodded. I finished making my meal, and sat down near Masato to eat it while continuing our conversation. For the most part, we just discussed some of the customers he had yesterday, while me and everyone else were in Yuyuko's Fortress unbeknownst to him. He told me about a woman, who had been a customer of his ever since she was a small child, excitedly telling him about how she was getting married soon to another man Masato had known for a few years as well, and how Masato was proud of them and felt they were a great match for each other. He also said Keine came by looking for me but I was out, and how I should go say hi to her sometime.
After breakfast, I mentioned to Masato that Reimu wanted me to come back to the shrine today to help her set up for her New Year's celebration. "Another year gone by, I can hardly believe it," Masato sighed. "Seems time goes by faster the older you get, eh? Anyway, how about this: I'll give you the next couple of days off, because of the New Year. You've been doing a great job so far, and I don't want to keep you from celebrating, especially after all you've been through."
"I appreciate it," I bowed.
"You should probably get going," Masato suggested. "I'm sure Reimu is waiting for you," he said with a wink.
I sighed and shook my head. Our relationship was merely one of partnership, not anything remotely romantic, but it seemed the old man couldn't help but try and set me up with her. Either way, Reimu was likely waiting for me, so I threw on my jacket and made my way through the snow and slush up to the Hakurei Shrine.
As I approached the bottom steps of the shrine, I found the area was strangely lacking in snow, with bare grass and tree limbs surrounded by a white, mountainous snowscape. The cause of this phenomenon soon became apparent: a girl, wielding a torch and dressed in what looked like an American flag-colored dress and tights, was flying around melting all the snow and ice on the trees and the ground. A closer look revealed she had a pair of transparent wings. Was this girl a fairy, I wondered?
As I crested the stone staircase and passed the pair of Komano statues guarding the entrance, I could see the full scene at the shrine: there were several people already here helping Reimu set up. Reimu herself was directing three small girls who also had fairy wings who were busy sweeping the pathway, Marisa was helping a short, blue-haired girl with twintails make repairs to the main shrine, and there were others present as well, including a green-haired girl dressed similarly to Reimu talking with a woman with nine fluffy tails erupting from her back, and Youmu was there as well making snacks. I started by walking over to Reimu, at which point everyone stopped what they were doing and just stared at me, as if I was sorely out of place - and being a man, perhaps I was.
"Hello, Reimu-san," I bowed. "I'm here to help you with-"
"Oh my gosh, is that really him?" The green-haired girl said excitedly. She rushed over to me with stars in her eyes. "Reimu told me all about you! You're that Ace Detective from Outside!"
I stepped back slightly to keep my personal space, only to see everyone else (minus Youmu, who was still working on snacks) had surrounded me by this point. It immediately brought back memories of the fangirls who would crowd around me whenever I tried to do anything in public, and the sudden attention was making me uncomfortable.
"Ah… I see," I said nervously. "Um, do you all mind if I have my space, please?"
"Oh, my apologies," said the fox-woman. "I just wanted to greet you, but it seems as though everyone here had the same idea." She stepped back and bowed. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Ran Yakumo, servant to Yukari Yakumo."
"Yukari? You mean, the sage?" I asked.
"Correct," Ran replied. "She is hibernating right now, so I am acting on her behalf."
"And I'm Sanae! Sanae Kochiya! I came from out there too!"
"Oh, is that true?" I asked. "About when?"
"2007," she said. "I came here with my two goddesses!"
I thought about her name for a second, before it clicked. "You must be that girl from the disappearance case out of Okaya back then."
"You mean you know about it?!" she exclaimed.
"Why wouldn't I? It's an unsolved case to this day, and one of the first things they tell you about in the SIU. I just never imagined I would get to meet you face-to-face."
"I didn't know the case is still open!" Sanae said.
"Sumireko literally told you about it three months ago," Reimu sighed. "Honestly, this girl sometimes, claims to be half-goddess but is still a complete airhead even a decade after I knocked some sense into her." Reimu certainly had a point there: this girl appeared highly eccentric, even compared to some of the other people I had so far met here, and it somehow wasn't even a surprise at this point that she was half-goddess. Her hair also split into two cowlicks on top, and her… well, chest, bounced rather aggressively whenever she moved.
"Hey, don't forget who spent the last two weeks working on that miracle for you tomorrow night," Sanae barked.
"Right, sorry," Reimu grumbled.
"I'm sorry, miracle?" I asked.
"Yeah, I can totally cause miracles to happen!" Sanae smiled, with stars in her eyes again. "But I can't tell you what it is right now! You'll have to come tomorrow night and see!"
"You don't think I will?" I smirked. "I did make a promise to Reimu-san after all."
"'Ey, don't forget about me!" Marisa called out. "We're all comin' together to celebrate, right?"
"Indeed we are, Marisa-san, and…" The twintailed girl was shying behind Marisa slightly.
"Aw, c'mon Nitori, he won't bite 'ya!" Marisa laughed, although I completely understood why she would be nervous, since I towered over her and was at least twice her size. Even Futaba would have edged her out in height.
"Um… hi," the girl nervously waved. "I'm Nitori Kawashiro. I'm Marisa's friend."
"Nice to meet you, Kawashiro-san," I bowed.
"Oh, you can just call me Nitori." She looked up at me with a pair of aqua eyes. "You're hers and Reimu's friend already?"
"Well, 'friend' might be a little too soon, but I have gotten well acquainted with them," I told her.
Nitori then suddenly grinned wickedly at Marisa. "I wonder what your odds with him are compared to Reimu's," she teased.
"Ah-er-uh-I-IT AIN'T LIKE THAT AT ALL, YA IDIOT!" Marisa shouted while blushing heavily. Reimu was also red as a lobster, and everyone else just looked at us awkwardly.
"Snacks are ready!" Youmu called out.
"...let's make our way inside, shall we?" Reimu asked, clearly wanting to change the subject.
Inside, we visited for about an hour over snacks and tea. I told everyone else about my (fake) backstory, but I left out anything having to do with the Phantom Thieves and the Metaverse around anyone I felt didn't need to know, instead sticking to my original story that I was nearly killed investigating a corrupt politician, and that was how I ended up in Gensokyo.
"That's certainly a unique and unusual way of arriving here," Ran commented. "Most people simply fall in through weak spots in the barrier or because Yukari-sama was bored."
"What is your master like?" I asked her.
"Yukari-sama is… hard to describe," Ran said simply. "She's a very effective administrator of Gensokyo's affairs, but she can be very hard to understand sometimes. She will do and request things for seemingly no reason, and she often does little to care for herself or take care of business, leaving the duties to me and my own assistant, Chen. But she cares a lot for Gensokyo, and will do whatever it takes to keep it from falling apart."
"I see…" I rubbed my chin. According to Reimu and Youmu, Yuyuku and Yukari were close friends. Perhaps it was no surprise they would act similarly as well. However, mere laziness wasn't enough to create a Palace or Fortress in my experience. Maybe a Mementos target, but I had no way of knowing if Mementos could even be accessed from Gensokyo. Still, it might be worth remembering her name, in case I ever had to investigate her.
After lunch, we returned to work setting up the event. I was "volunteered" to assist Marisa and Nitori in fixing the shrine, since they wanted someone to "be tall" for them. Since I knew they could fly, I wondered if they were merely trying to save energy or if they were just suckering me into doing things for them and were using their height as an excuse. Either way, we managed to stabilize a support beam by filling a hole with rocks, after which Nitori left briefly and came back with a strange device that could manufacture cement on the fly to fill the cracks before we covered it up with dirt and grass. We also repaired a few doors and windows, including replacing a latch.
By now, a few others had shown up to start setting up stalls, including a girl with wings setting up what looked like an eel cart, and other, blonde girl with a blue dress and red headband with two smaller figures behind her; Marisa and Nitori went over to go talk to her for a while after we finished, so I chose to use the downtime to go talk to Youmu, and find out if Yuyuko had processed her change of heart yet. We moved to a quiet area away from the others so that they would not overhear.
"So, last night," I asked her, "did you notice anything different about her?"
Youmu thought for a second before she answered. "When I first got home, I tried looking for her, but she wasn't at Hakugyokurou. I sought out Ran-san and asked her if Yuyuko-sama was visiting Yukari-san, but she told me she wasn't. It wasn't until this morning that I managed to find Yuyuko-sama in her room," she said.
"And what did she say?" I asked.
Youmu was silent for a moment, before looking back up at me with a smile. "We had breakfast together, and she apologized for her unbecoming behavior. She told me she went out for a long walk in the gardens last night, because she was thinking about her laziness and constant eating recently, and how much of a strain it was putting on me and the Netherworld spirits. She promised to treat me better from now on, and wants to resume her sword lessons."
I smiled back and nodded. "Well then, it would seem our mission had the result we were hoping for. Congratulations."
"Oh, well, it wasn't just me… you helped me gain the courage to make her come to her senses."
"But in the end, it was you who inspired her to make those changes," I countered. "If you weren't there, the result would have been very different. In the end, it truly was all you."
Youmu wasn't quite sure what to think, as if she weren't used to being praised like this. I wondered how long her situation had gone on for, and if Yuyuko, even if we did change her heart, actually was committed to changing her ways. Situations that had persisted for that long didn't just change overnight, after all.
There was only one way for me to find out.
"Would you mind if I came with you to speak to her personally?"
Youmu perked up in surprise. "Eh? W-why so suddenly?"
"I want to assess her change of heart personally," I said. "After all, I do have more experience in changing hearts and know what one looks like even in people I haven't met previously. I want to make sure her change of heart is genuine, and that she won't slip back into her old, wicked ways."
Youmu seemed conflicted.
"Um, well, we don't get many visitors, for obvious reasons, and if I brought you along, I, well…" she started blushing and making that moe face again, blushing and looking away from me. "And besides, Yuyuko-sama sounded like she meant it… her shadow promised she'd change and all…"
"Her shadow merely cast aside her distorted desires and returned to the real person," I clarified. "It's up to the real person to commit to the change. There is a risk she could slip back into manifesting another massive castle just like the one we took down if she's unwilling to fully move on from the behavior that led to it existing in the first place. Therefore, you need to make sure the change sticks. And I would like to help you, if you need it."
"Um… uh…" Youmu blushed again, then nodded quickly. "Yes, please help me help Yuyuko-sama!"
"Alright then." I got up and stretched. "I'll go tell Reimu that we're leaving."
"Wait, we're going now?" Youmu asked.
"The earlier the better, correct?"
I let Reimu know me and Youmu were going. By that point, Marisa had already left with Nitori, and most of the vendors had finished setting up their stands, leaving only Ran who was doing some last checks, so I felt free to disclose what we were actually doing.
"You want to check up on Yuyuko herself?" she asked.
"Yes, I want to ascertain her change of heart myself," I said. "I want to make sure she is actually committed to it."
"But, we beat her shadow and destroyed that thing, didn't we?" she asked again, confused.
"True, we destroyed the core of her distortion, but after that the only way to make sure it sticks is to help the real person overcome the reason the distortion manifested to begin with. Distortions don't simply come from nowhere, after all: they're born from important negative moments in that person's life. As long as the real person can't move past those events, there is a risk that the distortion could return."
Reimu thought about my words. "You do have a point," she conceded. "But if you're going to the Netherworld, you need to be careful. Mortals aren't supposed to be there, obviously, so the spirits there may try to attack you. You'd best not leave Youmu's side. Don't forget your place here in the real world, however experienced and powerful you are in the Metaverse."
"I understand," I bowed. I looked down at Youmu. "Seems I'm in your care from here on," I said to her.
"Er, yeah…" she blushed again. She set off down the shrine stairs, and I followed close behind.
We soon made our way to the Netherworld portal on the side of the cliff. This time, we made our way up the short trail leading up to it. The closer we got, the more I felt a strange, unnerving sensation build up inside me, along with a chill unlike the one the cold weather was causing.
Just before stepping inside, Youmu turned around and looked me right in the eye. "Now then, we will be entering the Netherworld. This place is not meant for mortals to tread; we will be entering the land of spirits. Furthermore, you will be in the presence of Yuyuko-sama, so please be on your best behavior and act like a gentleman."
"I understand," I affirmed. "I will treat her with the utmost respect."
Youmu nodded and turned back around, stepping through the portal. As I followed her in, I realized the portal was less a hard transition between one place and another, and more of a blur where both the conventional and the esoteric seemed to blend and mash together into a surreal scene where trees appeared to grow out of the sky, and the ground beneath me was little more than a dark blue surface which lit up as I stepped on it. Before I knew it, we had entered the Netherworld, where a strange twilight lined the horizon in all directions and streams of white lights, presumably spirits, flowed across the sky.
The scenery was unlike anything I had ever experienced. All around, vast fields of spider lilies and ghostly, pale grasses stretched out across a broad expanse, broken up only by occasional rolls, hills and springs, with tall, bare and rocky mountains lining the horizon. Naked, skeletal-looking trees, undoubtedly cherry trees without blossoms, lined the many pathways criss-crossing this place. In the distance was a truly massive cherry tree, also dead and bare, its many branches creeping into the air around it like veins. This had to be the Saigyou Ayakashi, the basis for the giant cherry tree in Yuyuko's fortress.
We soon came up to a small grouping of buildings arranged at the foot of a staircase leading up the hill to the Ayakashi. These buildings made up the main shrine of the Netherworld: Hakugyokurou. Just as Youmu had described, we first passed a spacious guardhouse along the stone pathway just before the entrance. Its construction was highly reminiscent of the first, smaller castle in the palace, right down to having a similar roof and two windows matching those in the palace version. A gate obstructed our progress; Youmu just flew over it, and I followed her.
The various buildings were adorned with lanterns, each lit by a ghostly violet flame. There was a central garden featuring rocks and more cherry trees. Wooden bridges crossed shallow pools of water lined with river stones, the waters crystal-clear but lifeless, with not even wispy green strands or lichens to be seen. Truly, this was a place between the boundary of life and death itself, seeming both alive and dead, and yet neither, at the same time.
It was here that we found Yuyuko, who was meditating quietly just outside of the main building of the shrine. Two white apparitions floated behind her, just like her shadow. Part of me still felt the need to prepare for a confrontation, as my only appraisal of her up to this point was a belligerent, twisted shadow self. But the woman in front of me conveyed an air of sophistication and serenity, a far cry from her shadow's unabashed indulgence and sin.
"Yuyuko-sama, I have returned," Youmu announced.
Yuyuko opened her eyes, which were of a curious reddish-pink hue, and stood up. "Welcome back, Youmu-chan. I wasn't expecting you back this early." She then quickly noticed me behind Youmu. "Oh? Have you brought a visitor as well?"
"Yes I have," Youmu bowed. "I apologize for not giving you notice that I would be bringing a guest."
Yuyuko chuckled. "Youmu-chan, you could have just told me you were going out with a man instead of making excuses for leaving suddenly. You know I would always support your pursuit for a happy relationship."
"It-it... ah, it's not like that at all!" Youmu stammered while blushing again. "As a matter of fact, I only just met him recently!"
"Ohoho, but you're already bringing him home?" Yuyuko joked.
"It… he said he wanted to meet you!" Youmu said. "So I brought him here with me!"
"That is true," I said. "I wanted to meet with you in person." I bowed. "My name is Goro Akechi. It's a pleasure to meet you, Saigyouji-san."
"Fufufu, what a polite young man you are…" Yuyuko then paused, and spent a few moments seemingly looking over me curiously, tilting her head as she did so.
"...is something the matter?" I asked.
"...have I… met you somewhere before?" Yuyuko asked.
...ah, I should have expected something like this would happen. Normally, shadows had all the conscious memories of the real person in addition to the subconscious ones, but the reverse was not true: the real person was not aware of anything that transpired in the Metaverse. However, interacting with a shadow self before meeting the real person often causes that person, when you finally do meet face-to-face, to have deja vu-like conceptions of seeing you previously, even if they were otherwise completely sure they had never met you before.
"No, I'm fairly certain this is our first meeting," I answered.
"...ah. I must be getting forgetful again," Yuyuko said. "Please forgive this old lady, ghost's memories aren't exactly the best, especially when you have over a thousand years worth of memories like I do."
"I completely understand," I smiled. "Sometimes I feel like I can't keep track of everything either." I shivered a bit, despite being dressed in heavy clothes. "It's rather chilly out here."
"I wouldn't know, I'm a ghost," Yuyuko smiled. "The realm of the dead is a rather cold place at night, especially in the winter. Of course, ghosts and spirits are cold, too, so we don't mind it." She turned around and opened the door. "But, you are a guest, and we don't want you to be uncomfortable. Come inside. We will treat you to some tea and food."
We walked through the wooden, traditional corridors of the shrine, eventually arriving at a room with a kotatsu in the center and tea and snacks already laid out.
"Did you make this yourself, Yuyuko-sama?" Youmu asked.
"I wanted to surprise you after you returned from Reimu's," Yuyuko said, "and we happen to have enough for our guest too. Please, make yourself comfortable."
"Ah… don't mind if I do." Youmu sat down on the floor and placed her legs under the warm sheet of the kotatsu. I took off my jacket and boots and made myself comfy as well.
Taking a sip of the tea, I noted it had a peculiar aroma and taste which I couldn't quite put a finger on. It was certainly very distinct from any tea I had ever had in my life. It also had a unique ruddy color.
"Do you like it?" Yuyuko asked me. "It's brewed using the leaves of a plant only found here in the Netherworld. I picked them fresh from the garden Youmu maintains out back."
I took another look at the tea. "Is it safe for me to drink?" I asked somewhat nervously.
"It should be, because I'm only half-phantom and I drink it all the time," Youmu commented. "It's rich in vitamins and antioxidants. They say that it invigorates the spirits of people who drink it so that they live longer somehow, and it also perks up actual spirits. It only grows in the Netherworld's soils, and it will die if you try to grow it anywhere else."
A potent tea that only grows in the Netherworld and invigorates spirits… that sounded like something that would come very much in handy in our Fortress investigations. I decided I would ask Youmu some more about it later.
"So," Yuyuko asked me, "what brings a mortal man like you into Hakugyokurou today?"
"Well, truthfully, I came into Gensokyo recently," I told her.
"Oh? So you're an Outsider." Yuyuko smiled. "I never would have imagined an Outsider coming here so soon after arriving in Gensokyo. So how did you get here? Did you wander through a weak spot in the barrier?"
"I nearly died during an investigation, in a way that made it look like I couldn't have possibly survived," I explained, again, using my old lie. "I was a detective on the Outside."
Yuyuko nodded slowly. "I see… I see…" She mused for a second.
"Yuyuko-sama?" Youmu asked.
"...I see, how interesting." Yuyuko took another sip of her tea. "And how did you meet Youmu-chan?"
"Kirisame-san gave me housing in exchange for me working at his shop. I bumped into Youmu one day while shopping for groceries, and me and her hit it off quite quickly. Both of us were helping Reimu-san set up for her New Year's celebration, and I asked if I could walk her back here."
"Uh, Goro, I wouldn't-"
"Ohoho, already calling him by his given name without honorifics," Yuyuko chuckled. "Are you two already that close, I wonder?"
"Ah, Yuyuko-sama, we… ahh…" Youmu turned away from Yuyuko and blushed hard.
"And you already know Reimu, Akechi-kun?"
"She came into the shop one day and offered to teach me to fight with spell cards," I said, a bit hesitantly.
"Wonderful," she coyly smiled again. "Not only have you acquainted yourself with Youmu-chan so quickly, you impressed the cold, cranky and lazy shrine maiden enough to get her to teach you spell cards." She fanned herself. "And you live and work for Marisa's father. You're a very unique and interesting individual. Perhaps it's no surprise you would come to see me."
I wasn't sure if I was supposed to be proud of her praise, or embarrassed by her thinly-veiled attempts to "set me up" with Youmu, who was still blushing while trying to ignore the conversation.
We ended up talking for quite a while getting to know each other. In addition to my own life, Youmu and Yuyuko told me a bit about theirs, including the latter's past.
"So how exactly did you become the princess to begin with?" I asked her.
Yuyuko clearly seemed a bit glum when I asked that. I already knew, from Youmu and details I had picked up in her palace, the basic gist of her situation, but I wanted to know some more details, partly in hopes of finding out some more about Yukari, a name I had heard many times but who I had never seen.
"I'm sure Youmu-chan already told you about how I died," Yuyuko said. "I was born with a very potent, and some would say abhorrent, power: manipulating spirits. At first, it was limited to commanding and directing already deceased spirits and phantoms. But as I grew from a girl into a young woman, so did my powers intensify, until it got to the point where I could tear souls from people's bodies essentially on a whim. In other words, I could invoke death. Of course, I was horrified by the fact that I could kill people with a wish, and it did not take long for the lords to vie for my hand in marriage for political and military purposes. In the end, all I wanted was to live a normal life, and I rued that I could never have that. So…" she looked down. "...I turned my own power on myself, and committed suicide."
I put my hand on the table. Up until now, Yuyuko had been an adversary whose heart needed to be changed. But I realized now that me and her were not at all different. Both of us wielded terrible powers, and were used by ruthless and uncaring figures for political gain. "That's terrible," I said strongly. "Those bastards were truly unforgivable."
"Indeed," Yuyuko affirmed. "And that would have been the end of my short, tortured life, were I not close friends with Yukari. She came into my life, seemingly out of nowhere, and offered to be my friend. I didn't really know why, but since I was a bit of an outcast despite being regarded as a beauty, I readily accepted. It quickly became apparent that she wasn't who she seemed at first: she appeared as a woman, but then she revealed she was, in fact, a youkai, and a very powerful one at that. At first, I wasn't sure how to take that, since I, like all people, was taught that youkai were enemies who preyed upon humans and needed to be destroyed. But she seemed to sympathize with my situation, so I kept my friendship with her a complete secret."
"And then you died," I said.
"...yes. She found me just after I did it, and it devastated her. She knew she couldn't bring me back, and she cursed the greedy men who drove me to kill myself, vowing to do whatever it took to save me and keep me from passing on. It was then she revealed not only her skill in manipulating people and politics, and coming up with complex schemes, but also bending borders."
"Bending borders?" I asked.
"Yes, manipulation of boundaries. It honestly doesn't sound like much, compared to my own power or even simple things like telekinesis or shooting lighting out of your fingertips. But in practice, it is perhaps the strongest power one can have, as the term 'boundary' is rather broad indeed. Truth and lies, reality and fantasy, here and there… indeed, life and death too. And it was through a combination of those two that she, for lack of a better term, blackmailed the Ministry of Right and Wrong into giving me this position, making the case that my manipulation of spirits made me a better choice than virtually anyone else. So instead of being judged, I was appointed to the position, and I have held it ever since. That was over a thousand years ago. One thousand years, I have influenced the politics of the dead."
"Perhaps you should run for Prime Minister," I joked.
"I'm not very comfortable dealing with those kinds of politics, thank you very much. If the people want to elect a clearly corrupt, incompetent nationalist prick, they're certainly free to do so."
"Yuyuko-sama!" Youmu objected. "Language!"
"...are you also aware of Shido?" I asked her.
"How would I not be? As the ruler of the Netherworld, I'm not blind to the goings-on of the Outside, especially when it comes to matters relating to their politics. It would seem as though a number of his political adversaries have died mysterious deaths, and no one was objecting to them, hailing him as a savoir even… until recently, for some reason."
"Recently?"
"Yes, for some reason, the entire population of Japan just simply forgot about his existence. This started earlier this week. I was also suddenly approached by Doremy, who was passing around urgent information to all the afterlife bureaucrats and elites who would listen to her."
"Who is 'Doremy?'"
"Doremy Sweet, the ruler of the Dream World. She came to me reporting a colossal disturbance unfolding there. It doesn't affect Gensokyo, since the disturbance seems to be based in the Outside and the Hakurei Border is separating us from it. But she's concerned about the implications it could have on Gensokyo's existence if it isn't kept in check. Yukari is currently hibernating, so I've been in talks recently with Ran about sending a probe to go investigate the disturbance, and hopefully getting an audience with Kasen as well."
Well, that was very unexpected. A 'colossal disturbance' in people's dreams? This was something I needed to know about.
"Does she know where this disturbance is based? As a detective, that sort of thing would interest me."
"And you come from Outside, so it would certainly affect you. She told me the effect was, to some extent, spreading across the world, but after analyzing various dreams she determined its source is somewhere in Tokyo, based on who is having those strange dreams."
The mention of Tokyo as the source of the anomaly immediately made my mind jump to Mementos somehow being involved, especially since it seemed the public itself had undergone a change in cognition, something possible only through tampering with Mementos itself. My mind went wild with imagining all sorts of different theories as to what was happening, since my knowledge of what went on with the Metaverse there ended at Shido's Palace being destroyed. It also frustrated me that I couldn't simply go check, since it was impossible for me to leave Gensokyo on my own. Unless Mementos could also be accessed from here, I just had to have faith that the Phantom Thieves would look into it… assuming it didn't affect them, as well.
"I kept telling Yuyuko-sama I would volunteer to go check for her, but instead she just kept sending me to get food and garden all day," Youmu added.
"And… I sincerely apologize for running you like a mule like that," Yuyuko said sorrowfully. "And for quite a while before that too. Actually, I've done that to some extent with all of your ancestors who have served me, Youki included. I realized last night that the reason I did that must be because, subconsciously, I still yearn for that normal life which I never received, so I ended up abusing my power and influence as an escape. And it's been particularly severe lately, too. So again, I hope you will forgive me."
Youmu went over to hug her. "Of course I care about you, Yuyuko-sama! You're the closest I have to family! I won't let anyone or anything harm you!"
Yuyuko gently pushed her off and smiled. "You're such a devoted and noble young woman, Youmu-chan. I wouldn't replace you with the world." She then crossed her arms. "Even so, I don't want to send you to investigate the anomaly."
"...why not?" Youmu asked.
"You may be a proficient swordswoman, but I fear you would not operate well in the Outside World away from everything you know, interacting with the public and all. It is very, very stressful under normal circumstances, and I know how poorly you operate in stressful public situations. Because of this, it would be best if you did not go out there. I'm not doing this because I'm saying you can't do it. I'm doing this because it wouldn't be safe or good for you to do so. I will get in touch with Kasen and work something out."
I turned to Youmu and said, "I didn't know you were discussing such a plan."
Youmu put her hand to her chest. "I swore I would serve Yuyuko and carry out her desires. That includes addressing any potential threat to the Netherworld, and to a lesser extent Gensokyo as well. I've done it many times before." She looked down. "I want to serve Yuyuko-sama and solve this incident too, but…"
"...but you don't know if you can do it, and she doesn't think you should," I finished for her. "I do fully understand what she means: the Outside is a big, scary place, and few people look out for one another like you do here. In fact, no one looked out for me. For many, it really is survival of the strongest. Add to that the dizzying differences in technology and culture out there, and I can understand why your master wants to keep you safe."
"I don't leave the Netherworld that much except to shop," Youmu said. "So I apologize if my social skills aren't the best."
"I see… Why don't we teach you how to act in public?" I suggested.
"Eh?" Youmu blushed.
"You're not sure if you can handle social situations," I said. "That means we have to expose you to them, have you talk to people, interact, visit. It's the only way you'll get better. And I am willing to help you."
"R-really?"
"Ohohoho," Yuyuko laughed haughtily, "are you taking my dear Youmu-chan on a date?"
"I am only doing this as a friend," I said. "Men and women can be friends without becoming romantic, would you agree?"
"I don't doubt that, it's just that - well - you know how one thing can lead to another without you noticing, a cute girl and a handsome devil like you…"
"Er-" I rushed to change the subject. "So, about that disturbance on the Outside."
"Are we still talking about that?" Yuyuko teased. She then shifted to a more serious tone. "I would imagine an Outsider such as you would want to return as soon as possible, but just like Youmu-chan I don't believe it would be wise for you to do so at this time. According to Doremy it is quite severe, and only getting worse."
"I have no intention of returning," I replied, shaking my head. "I plan to stake it out here in Gensokyo instead."
Yuyuko then leaned back with genuine surprise on her face. "Thats…" she smiled. "Have we charmed you that quickly, so much that you don't want to return to reality?"
"That's… not it. Instead, I think considering the circumstances of my arrival here, everyone would believe I were a dead man walking. I wouldn't be able to escape the media's eye likely for as long as I live. People would treat me differently, especially since I was a prolific detective before. Plus, my apartment would most likely have been emptied by now, and I have no family to board with. I would have to rebuild my life from scratch. As much as I miss the Outside, I feel it would be wisest to remain in Gensokyo and continue my life here."
"That's probably just as well," Yuyuko said. "Generally, only the sages have the power to send people across the border, and even then they hesitate to do it because of the potential damage it may do. Yukari is the only one who can cross the barrier without directly tampering with it, but she's hibernating right now."
"You make it sound like harming the Barrier is very dangerous," I noted.
"If the Barrier were to fall, all Youkai, gods, and other mythical creatures in Gensokyo would die," Yuyuko explained. "That's why it was created: as a last reserve for all things magical. This location, Gensokyo, was chosen because it was already a remote valley haunted by youkai. It's purpose is to protect the youkai from the malign influences of lack of faith and fear Outside, but of course extremely powerful disturbances can harm it, too. It's not just Gensokyo, either: here in the Netherworld, mass disturbances can agitate and harm the spirits here, and a sudden influx can send it into chaos. That's why I've taken an interest in solving this incident as soon as possible."
"Is there anything I can offer to help?" I asked.
"What can a normal human such as you offer?" Yuyuko questioned.
"Well, I am an ace detective, and good at making deductions. Furthermore, I'm very familiar with Japanese politics from my time in the SIU as well as my studies. I could my perspective, if nothing else."
"An 'ace detective' familiar with politics…" Yuyuko thought for a moment, then snapped her fingers. "You know, winters do get long without Yukari-san around, and you seem like a bright, young gentleman. Perhaps you could come here more often and visit us. You can look over the facts we find in this case, me and the others, and we can make pleasant conversation over tea. You get to enjoy the company of the Netherworld Princess, a privilege few others get to enjoy."
I thought about the deal she was offering. Yuyuko seemed very well-versed in all kinds of politics. Perhaps interacting with her would improve my interactions with shadows in the Metaverse during infiltrations. In addition, the events transpiring Outside concerned me, due to the possibility of Metaverse involvement. I could try searching for clues here, but if I could at least listen in on Yuyuko's investigation and offer my advice, hopefully that could also help the situation. All of these as well were my best excuses to meet with Yuyuko and help steer her towards moving on from the reasons her Fortress formed.
"Very well, I accept your offer." I offered my hand to shake.
"Then it is done. You have officially made a deal with the Netherworld's ruler. I hope you understand what you're getting yourself into," she slyly smiled as we shook hands.
I am thou, thou art I. Thou hast acquired a new vow.
It shall become the wings of rebellion that breaketh thy chains of captivity.
With the birth of the Death Persona, I have obtained the winds of blessing that shall lead to freedom and new power…
"You should probably head home," Yuyuko advised. "I will have Youmu-chan guide you back to that portal. I trust you can make it back to the Village on your own?"
"Of course," I bowed. "I've already done it several times."
"Splendid. I look forward to our next meeting. Have a good evening."
As we made our way back to the portal, I decided to talk with Youmu about some plans I had going forward, especially in light of this troubling new situation on the Outside.
"I want to discuss this with the other two after the New Year's celebrations are over," I said to her. "I think this new incident could involve the Metaverse."
"Why do you say that?" Youmu asked.
"If what your master suggested is correct, a very serious situation is developing out there. It sounds as though the public itself had a sudden shift in cognition. There is only one way that is possible, and that is if Mememtos is tampered with."
"Er… Mementos?"
"Grand Fortresses like your master's only form if the person's desires are highly distorted. Most people do not have their own Fortresses. Instead, their collective desires form one enormous, shared Fortress: Mementos."
"Is that so?" she asked. "But I thought they were called 'Palaces.' That's what you called them before."
"I've decided 'Fortress' is a more apt term for what we're dealing with here in Gensokyo," I said to her, "because here, at least in your master's case, it seemed like she was imprisoned by her own distortions, and instead of stealing her distorted desires like I did with Palaces out there, we instead destroyed them, thus purifying her desires and freeing her from them. But even so, that is only a single person's cognition we have managed to change. To alter the public's collective cognition…"
"So you want to investigate it?" Youmu asked.
"If it's possible. I don't know if it is from here. But it certainly wouldn't hurt to try. I need to see this for myself. But, as I said before, we can wait until after New Year's, and not just because I don't want to miss the festivities. Making any sort of move during the holiday would run the risk of drawing attention to us, especially since Reimu and Marisa are such high-profile figures. Once they're over, however? It's showtime. We can't ignore this."
"I agree," Youmu affirmed. "This could turn into a major incident threatening Gensokyo if we leave it be." She bowed. "And… I'm glad we have someone like you on our side, who can show us that place, and let us overcome our own doubts and problems."
"Oh, there's still plenty more growth to do even after awakening a Persona," I told her. "That's why I want to help you overcome your social anxiety. If your master won't let you into the Outside to go see the anomaly because she's worried you can't handle it, then, why not work to prove her wrong? Besides, it would be good for you to get out and about anyway, and it's not like Yuyuko will hold you back anymore now that we've changed her heart."
"I know, but…" she started blushing again. "...it might be a bit embarrassing to do it alone with a guy…"
"You have the others too, if you need them. We're all here for each other." I smiled. "By the way, the tea was quite good."
"Oh, I'm… glad you like it! I grow it all myself, like Yuyuko-sama said. I'm actually very good at gardening, and I can even crossbreed different kinds of plants. I spent almost three years tinkering around with different varieties of that plant family until I isolated a rare mutation that lacked the toxins lethal to mortals in extremely small quantities and had all those vitamins and antioxidants I mentioned, then Eirin-san down in Eientei helped me concentrate the good stuff until I eventually arrived at this result. According to her, something like a typical teacup's worth of this stuff will extend your lifespan by about a week, so because you drank two cups back there I guess you'll be living for two weeks longer than you would have if you didn't drink it."
"Fascinating," I observed. "Is there any chance we could bring some of it into the Metaverse?"
"Eh? Why?" Youmu wondered.
"Remember what I said about the need for caffeine being even more literal in the Metaverse than in the real world? Consuming something like this there would certainly give us the energy to keep going when we're up to our necks in tearing through Fortresses. If you could, I think it would be advantageous to cultivate and make tea specifically for our infiltrations. You could consider it part of our deal, if you want."
"Well, it's not like I can mass-produce it… but I'll certainly give it a try," Youmu said.
"Splendid. Now, shall we enjoy the New Year's celebration at the shrine tomorrow?"
Youmu shook her head. "Sorry, we're hosting our own New Year's party here at Hakugyokurou, and several important people including the Yama and the Satori will be in attendance. Yuyuko-sama offered to help me host the guests, which she doesn't normally do, but even then it will be a lot of work. I do hope you'll have fun at the shrine, though. I'm sure Reimu will appreciate it."
"I'm sure it will be a lot of fun." I turned toward the portal. "Thank you for allowing me to spend time with you and your master. I'll see you again in a couple of days."
"Uh… yeah, it was a pleasure to have you."
"Good night." I stepped through the portal, and re-entered the world of the living.
