1/7
This morning, the snow had let up, although there was still a thick blanket on the ground. The Dragon Statue, with the Velvet Room entrance in front of it, predicted fair weather for the day.
I decided to go pay Reimu a visit. So I gathered the blank cards Reimu had left me with previously, and flew up to the shrine where I found her clearing snow from the pathway.
As I stepped down, she looked up at me. "Oh, good morning! Are you here to practice spell cards?"
"We did make a deal, didn't we? Plus, we've procrastinated a bit," I chuckled.
Reimu looked around. "Well, I still have to get through my morning chores. If you could help me out a bit, we can get started faster."
"What about the fairies?" I asked.
"They're sleeping today," Reimu said. "They stayed up too late last night drinking and partying."
"I see…" So Reimu gave me another shovel and we finished clearing the pathway.
Once we finished, Reimu asked me to stand opposite of her on the pathway. "Now then," she said, "I haven't actually explained what the rules of Spell Card Duels are. There are three different rulesets: 1-hit, 3-hit, and Capture. 1-hit is the simplest and fastest: you get hit once, you lose. Both sides are allowed to use any means necessary, be it their non-spells, skill cards, and spell cards to hit their opponent at least once. It's designed to quickly settle disputes, as well as test both sides' reflexes."
"I see," I said.
"Next, is 3-hit. It's name says it all: you have to hit your opponent at least three times to win, again using any means necessary. It's designed for beginners, since it's more forgiving about mistakes than 1-hit and not as complex as Capture. It's the most commonly used ruleset for friendly and practice duels."
"Go on," I said.
"Last but not least is Capture, which is the main ruleset and also the most complex. Under this ruleset, the number of times you can be hit is determined by how many spell cards you have: at least one, and as many as ten. You start by attacking each other with non-spells until one combatant is hit. They then have three seconds to deploy a spell card, or else they lose. If you get hit again while your spell card is active, or if your spell card fails to strike your target within a set time limit, that spell card is 'captured' by your opponent and cannot be used again for the remainder of the duel. Once all of your spell cards have been exhausted, you lose. However, if you score a hit with a spell card then you can use it again, and you can always deploy it at any time if necessary to counter the opponent's attack. This is the ruleset me, Marisa and others use to resolve incidents, and we also hold Spell Card tournaments from time to time which always attract large crowds."
"Fascinating," I said.
Reimu reached under her clothes and drew two cards. "There are two main types of cards: skill cards and spell cards. Skill cards don't deal damage, but instead have other effects which either enhance your own movement and attacks or hinder your opponent's. You already know non-spells: basic attack patterns which you can use without limit. Then there are spell cards, the namesake of the Spell Card System, and the main meat of Spell Card Duels. As I said before, spell cards are highly complex bullet patterns which each have a story and some symbolism tied to them. Crafting beautiful yet effective spell cards and wielding them well demonstrates your mastery and form, much like a carefully choreographed dance." She floated up into the air. "I'll demonstrate by signature spell card for you: Spirit Sign: Fantasy Seal. Stand to the side and watch."
I did as she instructed, standing beside one of the komano statues. I watched as she lifted into the air, her hair whipping in the wind, as she drew her gohei and cast her card. A hexagram spell circle glowed behind her, and two yin-yang orbs emerged from her person, from which bullets and amulets shot out like pellets from a shotgun in all directions before locking onto and converging on their target, a practice target depicting an oni which emerged from one of the stone tiles on the pathway. I was taken by the display, the bright red-and-white lights which blasted out from Reimu in large bursts and clouds and the manner in which Reimu moved her arms and directed her assault in a graceful and choreographed fashion, a far cry from my own previously brutal manner of killing enemies which was fueled by rage and hate.
After finishing her attack, Reimu waved her hand to recall her yin-yang orbs and cause the spell circle to dissipate. Touching down on the ground, she motioned to me to come back over.
"That was very impressive," I complimented, clapping my hands. "I can tell you're very skilled from the way you move and direct your lasers."
"Honestly, that attack isn't very technically involved or impressive to look at compared to some of my others," Reimu said. "But then, that's precisely why it's my signature card: it comes out fast, it's hard to dodge even if you're completely focused on micro-dodging it, and since it's a fairly straightforward card it's almost impossible to screw up. It's only drawbacks are that it isn't too good at countering large attacks since its homing nature means it might not reach the target, but at the same time it's great at countering laser beams, like Marisa's Master Spark attack."
"How do you mean?" I asked.
"Well, you can think of it like a rock-paper-scissors triangle when it comes to which spell cards counter others. While different spell cards have wildly differing patterns and symbols, they all boil down to three basic types: homing attacks, curtain-fire attacks and solid beam attacks. Each counters one other type of attack as well as attacks of their own type, but is weak to the second. Curtain-fire attacks involve firing off large amounts of bullets at once and often nullify or at least greatly weaken homing attacks before they reach their mark, since bullets completely surround the user and emerge from them constantly while the attack is active. Solid-beam attacks involve firing off large, sustained laser beams. They can't be canceled by anything except a bigger, stronger laser, and simply plow through regular bullets, making them very effective at clearing out curtain-fire bullets. However, depending on the number of lasers the attack uses they only cover certain angles, often only the front, so a homing attack can sneak around them and strike the target from an undefended angle. Non-spell attacks also fall under these types, although obviously are much less powerful than full spells, meaning they can be used to counter or at least check certain cards. My famous needles are a special example, being a curtain-fire attack fired like a solid beam attack, and the needles themselves pierce through other bullets, even spell card ones."
"Sounds very complex," I said.
"You'll learn it soon enough," Reimu promised.
I pulled out my gun, pointed it in the air, and pulled the trigger, causing a stream of blue dagger-shaped bullets to fire from it, this time seemingly more vigorously than the previous gun I used. "What about this, then?"
"Well… probably a sort of curtain/solid hybrid I personally call a 'whip-type,' in that you can either focus it in on one spot or whip it around to spread less accurate shots everywhere. It's not as effective as a full curtain-fire or solid beam attack, but it can play either side as you need it to, and if you master it it can be difficult to counter without having to resort to a spell card. Probably not the best shot type for a newbie like you to be using, but again, seeing you in action in the Metaverse I bet you've got it in you."
"You'd be surprised," I smirked, twirling the gun around my finger.
"Well, enough lecture. Let's start our first lesson." She summoned one of her yin-yang orbs, which floated up high in the air. "I want you to hit that target with an attack. It'll only dodge, so you don't have to worry about it retaliating. It'll move slowly at first, but as you keep hitting it it'll speed up and its movement will become more erratic. This exercise will end after 30 hits or if you fail to hit it within 60 seconds of striking it last. Now, get in the air and start firing. On your mark, get set, go!"
On the word "go," I took to the air and fired at the stationary target. It flashed for a couple moments, during which all my shots bounced off of it harmlessly, and it began to move through the air. At first, it was as simple as simply aiming at it and firing, but true to Reimu's word with each hit it got faster and harder to hit. Of course, having gone through the SIU's standard firearm training and being a proficient marksman in the Metaverse, I was used to taking aim and firing at fast-moving targets, and if anything this was more forgiving since my gun fired a sustained stream of bullets as opposed to one small projectile which had to be precisely aimed, meaning I could get away with leading my shots. I figured it would be as simple as analyzing its movement pattern; true randomness is effectively impossible to attain, as all things do have some pattern to their movement. But the more I hit it the faster it got, until by about twenty or so it was zipping around me so fast it was like that ping-pong ball from Men in Black and all I could see was a lot of blurs, making telling exactly where it was nearly impossible and causing me to flail the gun around trying to hit it.
"Bzzzt! Time's up!"
The ball stopped and went dark, and down below Reimu motioned for me to get down. "You didn't pass the test this time. Still, you did better than most people on their first try: the record before you was twelve, I think." She cast the orb into the air again. "Would you like to try again?"
"If I may," I nodded.
"Alright then. Then get up there and go!"
And go I did, leaping into the air and shooting it as before. As it sped up and its movement became harder to track, a thought crossed my mind: statistically, given its general pattern, it had to move past a given spot more than once, so rather than wildly shoot everywhere I instead focused in on one spot and waited. Seconds later, sure enough, I struck the orb in place.
Once it stopped flashing, it began to move again, this time at a slower rate. I suspected a trick, given how fast it was going before, and fired some shots at it, only to see they just missed. I was confused, so I fired a solid line, and saw what was going on: the orb seemed to track just beside the stream of fire, grazing the bullets. A quick flick of the wrist, though, allowed me to score a hit. The next few hits were similar, with the orb grazing my shots, only its reflexes improved on top of moving faster each time, until after the 29th hit where it seemingly started predicting my actions and could dodge the instant I jerked the pistol. Again, I thought I had to beat this one by spreading my shots, but it just weaved between them effortlessly.
"Time's up, again!" The ball darkened and lowered, and I came down with it. "So close, and yet so far," Reimu winked. "I personally consider that last phase impossible. Even Yukari has trouble hitting it consistently during that last part. That yin-yang orb is quite the tricky tanuki, isn't it?"
"Indeed," I grunted. "It's like it has a mind of its own."
"I agree," she smiled. "I'm feeling generous. How about a third round? Think you can do it? I'm sure you can~"
As frustrated as I was, I never backed down to a challenge, especially with a woman taunting me. So, I nodded, got back in the air and fired at the target once more. My strategy from before worked up until the 29th hit, at which point I started to observe the orb as I was firing at it. For an artifact, it sure was moving and acting in ways that couldn't simply be programmed.
It was like it had a mind of its own…
...aha.
It occurred to me I never actually looked at Reimu the whole time we were doing this, since I was, of course, expected to focus on the yin-yang orb. I glanced down at her, and saw that, rather than merely watching, she seemed to be intensely focused on thought, in prayer almost.
It occurred to me she was, in fact, controlling it.
So I turned my gun on her, shooting several shots into her chest. Instantly, she yelped and flinched, staggering as she struggled to keep control of the orb. I quickly aimed at it and fired, striking it and causing it to fall to the ground, where it crashed and ejected several colorful bullets like confetti.
I touched back down in front of a very angry Reimu. "Y-YOU CAN'T DO THAT!" she scolded, pointing at me. "YOU'RE DISQUALIFIED FROM THAT TEST!"
I rubbed my chin and thought. "...am I though?"
"YES YOU ARE!" Reimu shouted.
"But you didn't end the test right then," I pointed out, "therefore it was still fair for me to score a hit and have it be counted."
"I… I DIDN'T MEAN THAT! IT DIDN'T COUNT!"
"But obviously it did, or else you would have deactivated the orb instead of keeping it up to take hits. Plus, never once did you say striking you directly wasn't allowed. Therefore, I didn't break any rules." I did a glove-pull even though there was no glove on my hand. "Rules don't define what is allowed, they only define what isn't. One of the first things you learn when studying law, and which all legal systems must remember lest they be rendered ineffective."
Reimu was silent for several moments, seemingly to cool down. She then slumped her arms and grabbed my shoulder.
"...heh. You got me there. I didn't say it wasn't allowed, so now I'll have to add a rule saying you can only hit the target, not me." She got back, and said, "still, even then I'm surprised no one before you ever thought to do that."
"Thinking outside of the box has its advantages," I smiled.
"You're very clever," Reimu said. "No wonder you're such a good detective." She then smirked and glared, "guess I'll just have to account for that going forward and give you 'special' training, just for bad little boys like you."
"I look forward to it," I playfully dared her.
Reimu looked up at the sky. "Oh, darn. I got so wrapped up in this I didn't realize it was getting dark already." She sighed. "I really don't like the winter's short days. It leaves less time to do the things I need to do." She turned to me. "You should get back to the Village. I try to keep the path clear of youkai and fairies, but I can't guarantee your safety after dark anywhere outside of town."
"I understand," I nodded. "See you Monday."
"See you," Reimu said back.
I made my way back down the path, hoping to return to the Village as soon as possible, before bumping into Youmu just past the Netherworld portal.
"Oh, hi Goro!" she said. "Were you training with Reimu?"
"Yes I was," I said. "And you?"
"Well… do you have some time? Yuyuko-sama sent me out to look for you, and I've already told Kirisame-san that she wanted to speak with you."
I thought for a moment, then said, "well, we did make a deal, and I did promise to help her with her investigation. Does this pertain to that?"
"Yes," Youmu nodded. "She says the anomaly has expanded and intensified since you last spoke to her, and wants to hear your thoughts on the matter."
"Hmm… I still don't want her to be aware of the Metaverse just in case she tells others of it, so I'll have to hear her updates and phrase my deduction so as not to mention it."
"My thoughts exactly." She turned around. "Now then, let's hurry there. We shouldn't keep her waiting for long."
We soon made it to Hakugyoukurou, where a waiting Yuyuko sat at the table accompanied by a guest: a girl in black-and-white clothes covered in pom-poms, a red santa-like cap, short blue hair and a cat smile.
"Welcome back, Akechi-san," Yuyuko bowed. "I'm glad you could make it here today. We have many important matters to go over."
"So I was told," I replied. I turned to her guest and asked her, "by the way, what is your name?"
She got up and did a curtsey. "It's nice to meet you, Akechi-san. I am Doremy Sweet, ruler of the Dream World."
Doremy… "Oh, you must be that woman Yuyuko-sama mentioned last time. She said you were the one who detected this anomaly on the Outside?"
"Correct," she said. "I wanted for us to gather around today to discuss the matter further. Not only because it has expanded, but also because I've been able to uncover some more details about it. Yuyuko-sama told me you spoke highly of your deduction skills, and that they could be an asset to our investigation."
"I'm honored to be of assistance," I said.
Youmu worked on making dinner for each of us, leaving me, Yuyuko and Doremy to discuss the anomaly outside, one which I felt was connected to the Metaverse but which I could not reveal to these two women. Phrasing useful answers without accidentally letting slip about the cognitive world was going to be a challenge, so I had to absolutely pay attention both to my own words and the information they presented.
Yuyuko started by producing notes and documents. "Now then, as I promised before, I arranged with Ran and Kasen to send scouts from Gensokyo to investigate the anomaly, as well as coordinate with partners and spies she already has out there to head to Tokyo and check it out." She sighed. "Honestly, this all would be so much easier to do if we just had Yukari with us, but she's in her Winter hibernation, so of course something like this happens when she can't act on it."
"Why is that?" I asked.
"Well, as I said before, she can most easily get things through the Hakurei Border - in either direction - to facilitate investigations like these. Reimu can also use her powers to send humans out of Gensokyo, but she can't bring anyone back, and she won't help youkai, so she's of no use helping us right now. That leaves me, Kasen and Ran to foot all the work."
"And me to interpret it," Doremy added. She waved her hand, causing a rectangular distortion to appear through which an abstract scene in which sleeping individuals floating in bubbles could be seen. "I am a Baku, a being who can manipulate and devour dreams. Within the Dream World, my powers are unmatched, and I can access the dreams of anyone whenever I wish."
...when she spoke those words, I realized I might be in trouble. If she could see my dreams, she could see my nightmares about my past, or any dreams related to the Metaverse. Right now, I just had to hope she didn't know these things…
She reached and pulled out a pink bubble, and held it in her hand. "Like this dream, for example. It is one of yours. I must say, Akechi-san, you produce some very tasty nightmares, and a large number at that, as to be expected from someone with your background…"
I froze in place and my eyes widened.
"...someone who will work in the shadows to fulfill the murderous ambitions of their corrupt politician of a father…"
...oh no…
She put her hands on the table, and looked at me with her indigo eyes and cat smile. "Tell me, how much experience do you actually have with the Metaverse?"
...shit.
"Indeed, how much experience do you have?" Yuyuko asked. "Surely a lot, if you've killed people there as Doremy says…"
I looked at her in horror. "...how do you know?"
"When we first talked, I could easily tell you were hiding something, and when I asked Doremy about it she confirmed it all. There's no hiding anything from her. How you lied about your past, in fear you would be rejected by people here in Gensokyo. How you were a bastard child, hated yourself for it, received those powers and used them to carry out your father's dirty work only to then get your revenge on him. And how you continue to use it, even bringing Youmu-chan into the fold and…" she looked down. "...how you were forced to confront my other self to get me to stop my sinful, selfish actions."
"The Cognitive Realm and the Dream Realm are all but one cohesive dimension born of the thoughts and beliefs of sentient beings, especially humans," Doremy explained. "I have watched you, in particular, for a long time, and now we finally get to meet face to face. I know you wish to redeem yourself, especially after all the killings you've undertaken on the behest of others, and that it will not be easy, but you must be confident in yourself that it can be done. And helping us crack this case is a good way to start."
Yuyuko chuckled. "Don't worry, this secret will not leave this room. We did strike a deal; telling anyone else would be breaching it. But, we do also expect your cooperation, since you have experience with the Metaverse."
...this was exactly what I hoped wouldn't happen, which was having people outside the Daybreakers know about the Metaverse, much less anyone knowing my true past, and yet here were two of Gensokyo's most influential women who knew it all. I knew now I had no choice but to fully cooperate with them if I was to keep their trust and prevent this information from getting out.
I sighed. "Well, I should have realized that the truth would reach some people eventually. I just didn't expect for it to happen this fast. But… why not judge me more harshly for my past?"
"Because there is a difference between killing on your own volition and carrying out deaths on others' behalf when your own rage and wrath blinded your judgement and society's disdain for people like you left you with few other choices. There are many here in Gensokyo, myself included, who can sympathize. That said, sins are sins, and the combined weight of yours is such that it will take considerable effort to convince the Yama not to send you to Hell. Doing good deeds is half of it, the other is making many close friends and having a positive effect on the lives of others. The 'wealthier' you are in life the better your chances of not being convicted, perhaps even getting sent to Heaven. But," she said, "we're getting sidetracked."
"Indeed," Doremy said. "After going back and looking at the anomaly, looking at the dreams, I realized this could be Metaverse related. And you're the expert," she told me.
I shook my head and tried to focus on the meeting's topic, to avoid thinking a second more about my truth being known to them. "I guess you could say that. Now then, what did you notice was strange about these dreams?"
"Well…" Doremy thought for a moment. "...if I had to describe it in one word… artificial?" She shook her head. "No, that's… I wouldn't call them 'nightmares.' Quite the opposite, actually; the flow of nightmares from Tokyo has all but stopped, and people there have happy dreams, dreams in which they celebrate all the excellent things they have and are grateful for, and yet…" She pulled out another bubble. "When I taste them, they're… staticy and off-putting, like they've been manufactured. Like they're not natural, but being created by someone or something else. Moreover, when I compare them to my past files I notice inconsistencies between their present dreams and details of their past ones reflecting developments in their lives. For example, this one girl, who dreams about all the things she wishes to do with her father when he's not busy managing his successful company, like going on hikes in the mountains or traveling overseas. The thing is, if I'm not mistaken, you yourself killed this man last October, and before that she had nightmares about him selling her off to an abusive fiance for political purposes, wildly conflicting with her current dreams where not only is he not dead, but never once did he do those sorts of things."
My eyes widened. "...are you talking about Haru Okumura?"
"Hmhmhm, indeed, I admire your intuition, although I suppose you did know her after all. And of course, she's just one of several million people affected by this anomaly which, by my current estimates, has now grown to cover the entire Kanto region and which could encircle Gensokyo within days. Now, it cannot actually breach the Hakurei Border, that I have already determined, but if it keeps growing there's a very real danger it could affect the beliefs, fears and rumors which keep the Border standing. But I don't know for sure, so I'll need to research the matter further."
I thought about what Doremy had just said. A force which could be affecting people's dreams, seemingly grinding their wishes…
"...well, since you already know about the Metaverse, I do think it's safe to say someone or something very, very powerful is affecting the collective unconscious in a significant way. Are you still sure you don't want me to go out there and see for myself what it is?"
"I have thought about it," Yuyuko said, "but at this time there's no way to guarantee your safety, given just how little we know about the phenomenon. I just thought you could help us distill information before, but now I realize you'll be absolutely essential to solving this mystery and we don't want to lose you. I'll consider it if we deem it safe, but for now we have to continue the information-gathering on our end." She smiled again. "You just have to promise me you will commit to our deal and keep growing as a person. I will guide you as much as you need."
"Er… thanks," I said.
"Dinner's ready!" Youmu shouted.
Yuyuko took in the savory, spicy aroma hungrily. "Mmmm… how I do enjoy Youmu-chan's cooking, and I'm sure you will agree her skills rival those of the best chefs Outside."
"I primarily eat dreams," Doremy said, "...but salmon stir-fry will do quite nicely as well."
"Indeed, it smells quite delicious," I said. Soon, Youmu came in with dishes and set the table, then went back to bring out tea before finally bringing the food out for us all to enjoy.
Over dinner we mostly engaged in small talk, mostly Doremy and Yuyuko telling funny stories while on the job. At one point, the conversation shifted toward spell cards, and how Doremy was working on one involving a giant sheep mech of some sort while Yuyuko boasted about her "100% Blooming" card which she claimed was so awesome even Reimu had never seen it. I suggested I could train to beat it, before Youmu told me that she wasn't bluffing, and that trying to capture it was like trying to eat the Sun. Yuyuko also praised me for wanting to learn spell cards and that she was free for sparring upon request.
After the meal, Youmu agreed to walk me back to the Village, mostly so that we could briefly discuss the meeting and our next moves. "I was in the kitchen and so couldn't hear you. Did you all find something out?"
I took a deep breath: "...they know."
It took her a moment to understand what I meant, but her face went white once she realized.
"...ah, I... see." Her hands shook. "...i-isn't that bad?"
I thought for a moment. "It sounds like Doremy has known of its existence for a long time, long before I ever knew about it. It makes sense; there's not much separating the Dream World and the Metaverse. Which of course means she can see all of our exploits." I sighed. "Well, there's nothing we can do to stop her from knowing, or her having told your master about it. But it seems they're just as keen on keeping its existence a secret as we are, and are glad to have me helping them solve it. We should do everything to keep them on our side. Watch your master closely and make sure she tells no one else."
Youmu bowed. "Understood."
"Good. We'll talk more about this on Monday." Youmu eventually led me back to the shop. I thanked her and went to bed.
When I woke up, I found myself in the Velvet Room again. I got up from the floor to see each of them - Rika, Lavenza, and Igor - looking at me.
"Seems you've come across Dream Girl," Rika commented.
"Indeed," Lavenza added. "There are others in Gensokyo who have long been aware of the Metaverse's existence."
"But who?" I asked. "Is Doremy the only one? What about Yukari, that sage I've never seen?"
"The land of dreams is yet another facet of the cognitive world," Igor explained. "A place where waking cognitions become the building blocks of the collective unconscious itself. Thus, it would make sense that there exist beings whose purpose and duty is to maintain its integrity and ensure it never becomes distorted or altered by outside forces."
"But how can I make sure she never sells us out?" I asked.
"I wouldn't sweat it," Rika said. "Really, if either of them thought you were a threat they woulda blasted 'ya to bits right there. They wouldn't need to sell you out if they could just dispose of you themselves, so the fact that they're not means you're safe. Actually, they need you around now to help them solve this case, since you can enter the Metaverse while Doremy can only kinda sorta indirectly see it, and that'll come in handy if the Phantom Thieves fail."
"That's… not very reassuring," I said hesitantly. Being told that someone would just kill you instead of selling you out was very off-putting, but then, she was right. I had to remember most of these people weren't humans, and none of them were bound by Outside laws or ethics, so I had to realize they wouldn't always act as I would expect.
"For now, focus on growing and fostering your budding relationships," Igor said. "I look forward to our next meeting." And with that, I returned to the real world.
1/8
"Are you sure you're alright?" Masato asked me.
"I'm fine," I said between mouthfuls. In truth, my mind was still stuck on what happened last night, with two people now knowing not only about the Metaverse, but also my true past. It still haunted me, knowing there were two very powerful figures now aware of me being a bastard child and a former contract killer. That one of them was a princess ruling over deceased souls only made things worse, although I suppose it was expected of her to know my sins anyway.
"Well, if you say so," Masato said. "Because it looks like you've just seen a… ghost!" He laughed uproariously and slapped the table, almost spilling his tea.
I hoped living with him didn't mean having to put up with lots of bad puns.
I looked at my list and saw I had two items left to cross off: visiting Nitori, and visiting the temple. Visiting Nitori took priority, since she promised she would help me upgrade our weapons, so I set off toward Genbu Ravine.
It took me some time to find the entrance to her cave on my own, but I did, and after knocking on her door her mechanical eye once again checked to make sure it was me, before the door opened and the short pigtailed girl let me into her abode.
"Took you long enough," she snarked. "I thought we had a deal."
"We do, but I got stuck in traffic," I chuckled.
"Uh-huh, yeah, sure," she dismissed. "Anyway, come inside, I got tons of stuff to go over with you."
"What kind of 'stuff?'" I asked.
"I'll show you," she smirked. She walked me over to her workbench, where there was a tarp covering something. Throwing the tarp off, she revealed five small metallic boxes with clips and small holes.
"These are…" I asked.
"Grappling hooks!" Nitori smiled.
"...oh, yes, of course!" Admittedly, I never used one as Black Mask, since I didn't need one, but the way the Phantom Thieves swung around Palaces with theirs was quite impressive, and now we had our very own set, a huge boon to our investigations.
"See, I thought it'd be nice to have a way to just zip and zoom through Fortresses instead of just having to hoof it all the time. Besides, what are we going to do if we run into a huge pit we need to get across?" She put one hook onto her right cuff. "They don't do anything in the real world, of course. They're designed solely to work in the Metaverse. It was an interesting challenge, really, and it took a couple tries, but after I got the prototype working making these babies was a piece of cake. If you want, you can test 'em out with me, I got a course set up."
"...in the Metaverse?" I asked.
"Yup! Pretty slick, huh? Now c'mon, let's go outside."
Nitori wasn't kidding: within Ethos's version of Genbu Ravine was an obstacle course elevated above the river consisting of metal pipes, ledges and platforms. There were also cannons mounted along the perimeter, designed to keep shadows out of the training ground. We climbed up a metal staircase which led to the start of the course marked by a red line painted on the floor.
"Welcome to my Meta-Gym!" she exclaimed, holding her arms out. "Right now it only has the grappling hook training course, but I'm working on making it a full-fledged training facility for us to safely sharpen our skills!"
I looked around at the whole setup. "Very impressive," I complimented. "I'm surprised you were able to create this at all."
"Well, it was an interesting challenge," Nitori said. "Getting machines working in the Metaverse is really difficult, and I don't have any of my usual magic here, so I spent an entire afternoon figuring out to get everything working, then another setting up and testing the cannons. And I've barely broken ground on this gym's main feature, but I'll let you see it once it's finished. For now," she took out one of the grappling hooks, "clip this sucker onto your cuff and give 'er a go!"
I did as she asked, then looked at the platforms, noticing differently colored numbers on each of them. "What do those numbers mean?" I asked.
"Oh, yeah, so this course has three different difficulties," Nitori explained. "You follow the numbers in order based on the one you're attempting. Some platforms are used for two or all three difficulties but you get to them from different angles-"
"Alright, got it." I immediately shot up to the platform with the first red number, and from there zipped, flipped and tumbled through a series of pipes, platforms and obstacles, at one point actually skipping one step by hurtling toward a cliff face and wall-jumping off of it. Having mastered flying in the real world, I realized I could incorporate many of the same principles to my grappling hook technique even though I had no control over my own momentum and obviously couldn't float in midair, instead controlling my falls and using them to swing using the grappling hook like Spider-Man. It did help that these cables were very, very strong, stronger even than the ones the Phantom Thieves used, giving me more confidence in using it and testifying to Nitori's superior craftsmanship.
I touched down in front of Nitori out of a somersault, brushing myself off as I stood up. "So, what do you think?"
Nitori clapped her hands excitedly. "That was awesome! You're even better at this than I thought you'd be!"
"Well, I do have prior experience," I said. "Surely I haven't lost all of it."
"No kidding. I can barely finish Level 2 yet, and I made the damn course!" She held one of the hooks in her hand. "Still, your showing off and taking that hook to the limit is exactly what I needed to see, so that I can call these hooks final and start making lots of them so we have extras."
"These will greatly aid our explorations," I complimented. "I'm glad to have you with us."
"Ehehe… thank you." Nitori shyly turned around, but I could see a smile on her face.
"Now, let's go back to your shop. I still have other business with you."
"Oh, yes, the guns. I wanted to show you them too."
We went back to her shop in the real world, where she produced a wooden crate full of surplus knives, swords and guns.
I whistled. "Where did you get all this?"
"We kappa are the only race in Gensokyo that use human guns," she explained. "Some of these fell in from Outside, but the rest are all rejected surplus from our factory we have carved into the face of Youkai Mountain." She pulled a pistol from the top of the pile, which I recognized as a Glock. "I've made hundreds of custom guns and modified thousands of others. I bet I could upgrade your pistol there to have more killing power."
I pulled out my pistol and showed it to her. "My pistol? But it's only a model."
"In the real world, but in the Metaverse it works just like the real thing. I can make it look and work deadlier in there so it can take down bigger and badder enemies. Besides, I heard you can fire danmaku from that thing as well. I can refine its magic-focusing so that it works better in Spell Card Duels as well!"
"Is that so…" I put the gun on the table. "If you would, then, please upgrade this gun as you see fit, and have it ready when we meet back up tomorrow."
"Oh please, this tiny thing? I can have it done in under an hour." She took the gun. "But, I guess you got other things to do, so I'll let you go if you don't need anything else."
"None which I can think of off the top of my head," I said.
"Excellent. See 'ya tomorrow then."
I made my way out of the ravine, satisfied with Nitori's work and her apparent enthusiasm for working alongside us. It made me wonder just what all the small girl was capable of, and in some respects reminded me of Futaba.
Come to think of it, I could draw some parallels between my own team and Ren's. Youmu was similar to Yusuke in that she wielded a katana and used Ice attacks, and Marisa shared Makoto's Nuclear attacks, healing spells and revolver. Reimu was less clear: she had Yusuke's assault rifle, Ann's Fire attacks and Haru's gun attacks, and her peculiar personality was unlike anyone I had ever met.
And, of course, I took after Ren himself, up to being a Wild Card. Sure, we couldn't meet face-to-face anymore, but I still considered him my rival. Envious at him having every advantage over me and how easily he could prevail over any hardship thrown at him… at one point did I start feeling that I was the one lagging behind, and needed to catch up? I knew I was supposed to hate him, and yet I couldn't stop thinking about him, living up to him, and musing about how we could have been friends had we met earlier in our lives…
I was thinking about these things, when I started hearing squeaking sounds. Looking around and then down, I noticed there was a very large number of… mice. Of course I jumped up, startled by the crowd of rodents skittering all over the path, and tried to step around them so they didn't crawl all over my feet.
"Ah, sorry," came a voice, "I didn't realize there was another traveller. I'll rein them in now."
Looking down the path, I saw a girl dressed in grey clothes with a blue diamond on her chest, as well as gray hair and what looked like mouse ears on her head. She also had a long mouse tail holding a small basket on the end, and was carrying two dowsing rods in her hands. Raising one of them, the mice all gathered around her feet, with some of them climbing up her clothes.
"Are you on your way to visit the temple?" she asked. "If so, follow me. I will guide you."
Temple… "...I'm sorry, do you mean the Myouren Temple?"
"This is the path to it," she affirmed. "Are you lost?"
"Ah, no, that's not it, it's just… I just came here from the ravine, and didn't know where I was, but I did mean to visit the temple today as well."
"I see… in that case, follow me. It isn't much further."
A few minutes later, we emerged from the trees onto a small mountain ridge, first passing the ropeway station Keine had mentioned, then up a stone staircase leading up to an outer wall and an archway, past which lay a grand, sprawling temple - the Myouren Temple. When I first saw it, I could sense the history and holiness oozing from every centimeter of it, particularly as I passed by the bronze Buddha statues adjoining the pathway up to the main entrance. Near us was a girl with a broom, whom I recognized as the dog-eared girl from New Year's Eve, sweeping the grounds and wagging her tail in sync while singing an echoing, haunting yet beautiful song in Sanskrit, likely some sort of sutra.
Ascending the steps, the door in front of us opened to reveal a tall girl with red clothes, blonde hair with black streaks and a tiger-patterned pelt, and with a small pagoda attached to her hip with a leather strap.
"Shou-sama, I have come," the mouse girl bowed. "And I've brought a visitor."
The tiger-girl, whose name was apparently 'Shou' replied, "I can see that. Did you find the item I requested?"
"Yes. It took a considerable amount of time, but I eventually found it." She reached into her basket and pulled out a moss-covered stone idol. "Now then, I must return to Muenzuka. I have much business to attend to."
"Do as you need, Nazrin," Shou bowed. "And again, thank you for bringing this man here safely." The mouse girl left, with her army of mice in tow.
"Now then, what brings you here to the Myouren Temple today, young man seeking enlightenment?" Shou asked me.
"Good afternoon, Shou-san," I bowed. "My name is Goro Akechi. Truthfully, I only arrived in Gensokyo recently, and heard about this place from others."
"I see, an Outsider. Well, you have come to a very good place. I am Shou Toramaru. Allow me to guide you inside to our master."
I followed her inside the temple, and was immediately met with a scene of acolytes sitting on the floor, deep in meditation. In front of them was a woman, dressed in a black-and-white-robe and with hair which was purple at the top of her head but transitioned to yellow further down. She was quietly reciting sutra, but even so I could feel it resonate through my frame, leaving me with a strange sense of calm and serenity. I closed my eyes, and my mind started emptying of stray thoughts…
"Namaste, Akechi-san," she said.
My eyes flung open and I jolted.
"Nothin' gets past Hijiri, 'ya know," said one of them, a girl with short black hair wearing a sailor outfit. "You were yakkin' pretty loud out there."
The woman raised a hand. "You may all take a break, so that we can all introduce ourselves to this young gentleman." She got up from her kneeling position, folded her hands and opened her eyes. She was a statue of a woman, taller even than myself, with a beaming face, a gentle smile, and… well, she was quite endowed too. She bowed toward me. "Namaste. I am Byakuren Hijiri, and I am the priestess of this temple. And these are some of my followers."
Two of the acolytes, including the sailor girl, got up to come greet me. "Greetings," the girl said, "the name's Captain Minamitsu Murasa."
"Captain?" I asked. "Where's the ship?"
"You're in it," she smiled, "this temple can turn into a flyin' ship, although it's been a few years since the last time it's flown."
The other girl, who wore blue and white robes and had blue hair, introduced herself as well. "And I am Ichirin Kumoi. It's a pleasure to have you, Akechi-san."
"It's a pleasure to be here," I replied.
"Tell me, what brings you to us today?" Byakuren asked me. "Do you come to clear your head, separate your body from worldly desires and pursue the path of the dharma?"
I shook my head. "I merely wished to visit this place, as I have heard good things about it from Keine-san and other villagers. In particular, I wished to visit you, Hijiri-sama."
Byakuren chuckled. "You're a very polite, charming gentleman. Your parents must have raised you well."
I shook my head again. "No… I was an orphan on the Outside; both of my parents died when I was a baby. I've raised myself, mostly, enough to live on my own and be able to work for the SIU as a detective while I was still going to school."
"Impressive," Byakuren commented. "You have already overcome great challenges in your life and have become a successful and strong young man."
"...it certainly did not come easily," I admitted.
"I bet," Minamitsu smirked. "And now 'yer in a whole new mess, away from everythin' you know and here in Gensokyo surrounded by youkai. Literally, 'cause 'yer the only human in the room right now!"
I looked around. "Is that so?"
"It is so," Byakuren bowed. "This is a temple of youkai who have chosen to walk the path of enlightenment, abandoning our man-eating ways. I say 'our' because I myself am a youkai."
"Interesting," I noted. "Seeking enlightenment seems like the very last thing a youkai, a being brought to life by human fears and superstitions and weak to holy powers, would ever wish to do. It's almost like…" I thought for a moment. "It's almost like the sharks from Finding Nemo, who consider fish to be their friends, not food. Except for dolphins, I guess," I chuckled.
"I dunno what you're talkin' about, but I do get the analogy of sharks not eatin' fish bein' like us not eatin' humans," Minamitsu said. "And yeah, screw dolphins, they think they're all fancy and smart and stuff flippin' their fins and balancin' stuff on their noses. Or seals, they just be all fat and slappin' their bellies like this," and then she got on the floor and started slapping herself rapidly while everyone started laughing.
"...is she always like this?" I asked.
"Well, she is a sailor," Shou said. "Bring up any topic related to the sea and you'll get her wound up and ranting for hours."
"I… see."
"Is that a new voice I hear?" came a muffled voice from the back. A door flung open to reveal a brown-haired woman with glasses and a massive raccoon tail…
"Welcome to the temple!" she bellowed. "Name's Mamizou Futatsuiwa. Imma tanuki, and 'yer-" she hunched over and adjusted her glasses. "Eh? Come to think of it, have I seen 'ye somewhere before?"
I thought for a moment, then snapped my fingers. "Were you that woman I saw the day after Christmas go into the store across the street from where I live at the Kirisame Shop, and you had a pink-haired girl with masks with you?"
"...oh yeah, 'yer that guy! Kasen was sayin' stuff about 'ye the other day! You're that feller who fell in from Outside recently?" She chuckled. "Well, of course youkai like eatin' Outside humans, but to think a boy this delicious would just pop in all of a sudden…"
"Er…"
"Don't tease the boy," Ichirin said, giving Mamizou a friendly jab.
"I know, I know," Mamizou said waving her hands, "just givin' 'im an idea what he's gettin' 'imself into."
"I can fly," I said, "and I'm learning spells cards."
"Oooooohhhhh, real fancy pants goin' in with both feet on the ground I see!" She then pulled me in with one arm. "Gonna warn 'ye though: ain't enough spell cards in the world gonna help 'ye deal with this old fart, ahahahahaha!"
Scowling, I managed to push her off of me, before I pointed to her tail. "Are you a tanuki?" I asked.
"Yep, proud of it too!" She puffed out her chest and wagged her tail side to side. "Ain't gonna find a stronger one anywhere, I'll say! I can transform, too. Check this out!"
Suddenly the air around her erupted in smoke - accompanied, I swear, with the same 8-bit sound effect from Super Mario Bros. 3 - causing us to avert our eyes and cough. When the smoke cleared, I looked back, and saw a figure resembling myself, except wearing glasses and having both the tail and the ears of a tanuki.
"Tell 'ye what, though," Mamizou said, adjusting her glasses, "not used to disguisin' as men. Seems like I never get their proportions quite right." Meanwhile I winced at hearing my own voice, as most people do. She chuckled, "Oh yeah, hate listenin' to your own voice, huh? Yeah, I do that to people. They say it doesn't sound right." She burst into smoke again, reverting to her original form. "'Course, a guy with a girl voice doesn't sound right either, 'ye know?"
"I… I guess not," I shrugged. "Still, this is quite the interesting crew you all have here. A buddhist temple of youkai…"
"Humans come up and meditate with us often, too," Shou said. "Me and Sister Hijiri even teach the kids martial arts. Once a month, she also holds an overnight sutra-chanting concert where she chants while banging a wooden fish, and it's quite popular with villagers and youkai alike."
"Great for catchin' up on lost shut-eye," Minamitsu smirked.
Byakuren bowed. "We should get back to our meditation. Would you like to join in with us, Akechi-san?"
Meditation… I had been running around keeping myself busy for quite a few days, and I still wasn't fully settled into life in Gensokyo mentally, much less fully past what had happened back in Shido's Palace, or indeed the months and years leading up to it. If I could clear my mind of stray thoughts and relax, and do so with the help of this beautiful, serene woman, perhaps it could help me find some peace.
I sat down, cross-legged, and closed my eyes. The room was silent, save for Byakuren's chanting. Again, I felt it resonating through my body, my mind, my soul. I took a breath, and focused in.
…
I'm a bastard child, unloved and unwelcome, a killer without remorse and puppet to the country's most corrupt man, my father.
…
What if the truth gets out here? People will hate me and isolate me, just as what happened out there. Then where will I go?
…
And if there is a judge of the dead, what will happen when I die alone, and have to answer to my crimes in front of them, before inevitably being cast into the burning flames of Hell?
"...Akechi-san."
I opened my eyes. "Mh?"
"You fell asleep," Ichirin said to me. "And it looked like a fitful sleep, too."
"Indeed, you seem to still be dragged down by stray thoughts," Shou noted. "And proper meditation shouldn't cause you to completely lose consciousness like that."
I shook my head. "I'm sorry. I've had a busy past few days. I'm still adjusting to Gensokyo as well."
"Hm." Shou crossed her arms. "It's obvious that you still have a long way to go. You should come up here again. We can help you."
"I appreciate it," I said.
"Anyway, it's almost time for dinner. Would you like to join us?"
"Oh, of course," I said, wanting to be polite. They led me to the back, where a spread of food and tea had already been laid out, and everyone was already there waiting for us, including the dog-eared girl, and the pink-haired one I recognized from the other day, who sat next to Mamizou. She looked at me with blank, expressionless eyes, which creeped me out.
"You're awake," Byakuren said, "and able to join us for dinner. There's an empty seat next to Kokoro."
"Is that her name?" I asked.
"Yeah," Mamizou answered. She looked at Kokoro, who was still staring at me quietly. "Don't mind her, she's always curious about newcomers."
"I… see." I sat down next to her, which caused the mask on her head to turn from a fox to one of a monkey.
"Oh yeah, the masks. She's a menreiki, a tsukumogami born from 66 masks used by Hata no Kawakatsu. So, really, she's the masks, and the girl body is created by them."
"Interesting," I noted.
"And, of course, she's prolly just shy right now. If you come here often, I'm sure she'll start warmin' up to 'ye."
I looked at the dog-eared girl across the table. "And you. I saw you perform at the New Year's Eve party at the shrine. You're quite a talented singer, you and Mystia."
The girl blushed and smiled while her tail wagged at high speed. "Thank you! I'm Kyouko Kasodani. I'm the groundskeeper here at the temple! It's a pleasure to meet you, Akechi-san!"
"It's a pleasure to meet you as well," I said.
Being a Buddhist temple, dinner consisted of a tofu and vegetable stir-fry and rice. Over dinner, they all talked about things like recent events in their lives, with me chiming in here and there regarding my interactions with Reimu and Marisa. Again, I mentioned my interest in spell cards, and indeed all of them were quite experienced practitioners of them as well, and invited me to come train anytime. Overall, they seemed very hospitable and pleasant to be around. Even so, though, I could sense… dissatisfaction? I could sense something like dissatisfaction and frustration coming from some of them, Shou especially. I wasn't sure how, and in any case I felt it wasn't my business, whatever it was that was troubling them.
After dinner, Shou offered to guide me back to the Village, and when we arrived at the shop explained to Masato why I had been out late. He thought it was actually kind of funny that I fell asleep during meditation, and assured me that the people at the temple could be trusted by us, and I agreed.
As I got ready for bed, I changed into my robes and went to put away my dirty clothes, when I remembered I forgot to take my Metaverse key out of them. I pulled it out and set it on my desk, when I realized it was glowing faintly.
"Hm?" I inspected it, and two holographic words appeared:
BYAKUREN HIJIRI
MYOUREN TEMPLE
