1/15
When I woke up, I saw the familiar ceiling of the Velvet Room. Lifting myself up, I could see all three of its residents looking at me expectantly.
"Welcome back," Lavenza bowed. "My master has requested to speak with you once more."
I looked up at Igor, whose grin was as unbreakable as ever. "It would seem another possibility has come into being, and has been given form," he said. "A rare occasion made possible by the actions you have taken."
I thought for a second about what he meant. "You mean Mamiko?"
"Shadows are beings from the Sea of Souls, representative of the collective unconscious. Just occasionally, one of these shadows will find itself in the physical realm, in one form or another. These souls, this new life, enter the world with no knowledge, and yet also burning curiosity, of this strange new world they are thrust into." He chuckled. "Your actions have allowed one such shadow to enter the world, not by intention but rather as a consequence of the choices you have made, in the new environment in which you find yourself."
"Alice is really great at makin' dolls,'' Rika said. "She'd always wanted to bring one to life, and, well, she had the doll made and you had the means to get a shadow into it, even if you didn't mean to."
"Indeed," nodded Lavenza. "That shadow which you had freed from the control of Ethos was allowed to eventually find the doll and bind with it. Now, that shadow begins its own journey, a journey to find purpose and to define itself."
"Of course," Rika added, "since you were responsible for it comin' into the world, you should be there to support it. Just sayin', she's a blank slate, wouldn't want her to turn out rotten. And who knows, a shadow could be a strong ally in the Metaverse."
"I do ask that you take responsibility for your actions as well," Igor added. "You have brought a shadow into your world, and have attracted several powerful individuals into your circle."
I thought about their words, about the shadow, now named Mamiko Shinshou. How she was essentially little better than an infant in terms of life experience. She could talk and act like an adult, and she was likely a capable fighter as well, but other than that, she didn't know how to interact with people, make a living, or do other things adults could. Nor did she possess the kind of basic skills children would be taught. She would have to be taught these things by Alice, by us, by… well, me as well. And she would need to make friends, be shown the world.
I was used to ruining lives, ending them too. Now, though, I had to help someone build their life.
"I understand," I bowed. "I will be there to help guide her."
A bell rang. "It seems dawn is drawing near," said Igor. "I await the continuing developments of your journey…"
I made my way back to the shrine, hoping to find Reimu and tell her what the plan was. Thankfully, she was there, along with Ran and her shikigami Chen.
"Welcome back, Akechi-kun," Ran said. "Do you have business with Hakurei?"
"Private matters, yes," I bowed, "but I'm also here as a friend."
Ran turned and looked incredulously at Reimu.
"Don't get any funny thoughts," she snarled. "It's not like that."
"Oh, my apologies, I didn't mean to assume." She turned and shouted, "Chen, could you make some extra tea for our guest?"
"Absolutely, Ran-sama!" the bakeneko chirped. She brought out some tea and cups, and we all visited, mostly talking about our lives and such. Ran in particular went on about all the work she did trying to keep Gensokyo together, and about the Outside incident.
"Any news?" Reimu asked.
"Our first scout came back recently," Ran said.
"What did they say?"
Ran yawned. "...sorry, I haven't gotten any rest in days." She stretched out, chugged her entire glass and poured another. "They said the Outside appeared fairly normal, at least at first glance. There were no obvious physical changes to the world to note. He did mention a few things which seemed odd to us, though."
"Such as?"
"For starters, he observed no crime within the affected area, which by our estimates essentially covers all of Japan at this point, with evidence of influence in the Koreas, Russia and China as well. The news reports also painted a rosy picture of the world, with no major wars or conflicts going on between nations. And everyone he spoke with seemed to be very happy and satisfied with their lives." She sipped some more tea. "The scout happens to be a tengu as well; he took some newspapers from Japan and travelled to the United States to compare news reports from the two nations. He touched down in Seattle, and discovered some troubling information."
"How troubling?" I asked.
"When he looked at the Japanese newspapers again, their headlines and stories had all changed, and they matched their American counterparts. Outside the affected area, for instance, news outlets talk about the upcoming inauguration of Donald Trump, but inside, he had succumbed to heart disease back in 2015 before he could announce his candidacy, and ultimately another man, Dave Reichert, won the election instead. Furthermore, when the scout returned to Japan, the American paper changed to reflect this 'new' reality."
I rubbed my chin. "Did the papers mention the anomaly in Japan at all?"
Ran shook her head. "It was very strange: it should be big news, there should be mass panic, and yet not only does the rest of the world not know of it, their depiction of events in Japan doesn't even correlate to what the scout saw. The same paper had a section regarding the ongoing scandal and trial surrounding Masayoshi Shido, who won the Prime Minister election before confessing on live TV to ordering assassinations and committing rape. In Japan? The man doesn't even exist, as in, he never existed."
I resisted the urge to comment on that sack of shit. "...that's insidious," I said. "It sounds like the anomaly has the power to retroactively rewrite history, but unless you're within it, its changes cannot be perceived."
Reimu sighed. "This is much worse than I feared. What's the threat to Gensokyo?"
Ran shook her head again. "We simply don't know the full scope at this point, or what might ultimately happen for sure. But given the nature of the Hakurei Border, as a hard boundary between fantasy and reality, and the fact that the anomaly has surrounded Gensokyo on all sides seemingly to no negative effect so far, it's safe to say the anomaly can't actually destroy it, as its underpinnings seem to be beyond the anomaly's scope. However, there is a risk the anomaly could cause a number of things people used to fear or believe in to be dumped here, throwing off Gensokyo's social order and potentially throwing the land into chaos. Furthermore, as it is not yet evenly spread out these effects could be unstable. We've already gotten unconfirmed reports from villagers and youkai about things like Shido campaign signs, nuclear warheads and the like sporadically phasing in and out of existence at different places all throughout Gensokyo, as well as various things and, in one case, a minor god vanishing from Gensokyo as well, only to turn up again hours later."
Reimu crossed her arms. "So the danger isn't any direct threat to the Barrier, but rather what the anomaly will cause to be dumped here which puts us at risk, not to mention what could be unleashed Outside."
"Precisely, yes."
Reimu put her hands on the table. "Dammit. Well, I guess Gensokyo not getting destroyed is better than nothing, but if a whole bunch of shit that this thing wipes from cognition ends up here, unpredictable doesn't even begin to describe what we'll be facing. Depending on what ends up here, it'll be absolute bedlam, and even if the anomaly can't destroy Gensokyo directly, the things coming here could throw the balance of power between youkai and humans off so badly that it could cease to exist anyway." She looked back up and took another sip. "Anything we can do to stop it? Where's the source?"
"We don't know for sure," Ran replied, "but apparently there's a rough circle around Odaiba that youkai cannot enter, and two scouts have already died establishing this. We think the source is in the center; we'll be sending human scouts to go check it out. If we think the situation can be solved via means we have, including you, we'll act, but we have to know what we're getting ourselves into first."
"Fair enough," I said. "If there's anything I can do to help, please feel free. I am a detective, after all."
Ran smiled. "I'll think about it. I can already tell you possess notable potential." She turned to Reimu next. "Now, with that over with, how did the youkai hunt go yesterday?"
"Fine," Reimu said. "It was a werewolf, still being influenced by the full moon last week, apparently acting out of instinct because she thought the man was a hunter. A spell card duel was all it took to make her get the point. I did lecture the man as well, though; nights around the full moon are the absolute worst times to wander away from the village and he should have known that."
"So we have werewolves as well…" I noted.
"Indeed." Ran got up. "Anyway, that's all I have to share. I need to return to my duties." She yawned again.
"Are you sure you're alright?" I asked her.
"I am. It's just that a shikigami's work is never done. Come, Chen!"
Once the two had left, I got straight to the point. "Wednesday the 18th, Underground Cave entrance, 7 P.M."
"...what for?" Reimu asked.
"That's when me, Shou, Ichirin and Minamitsu are going on a drinking date so I can get information."
"I see… they're going bar-hopping in the Underground." She thought for a moment, then went into the back to dig out something before coming back with an ofuda. "Keep this with you, just in case. Underground's a very dangerous place for humans to be, and since I have to keep at a distance this will be how you get yourself out of a bar brawl. It's got extremely potent holy power, though, so don't use it if you don't need to."
"Thank you," I nodded.
"Great. See you then."
1/16
Early in the morning, just after breakfast and right as I was getting to work, the bell rang. It was Keine, wrapped up in many layers and speckled with snowflakes.
"Good morning, Akechi-kun," she said.
I smiled. "Good morning, Keine."
Keine hung up her jacket. "Just starting work for the day?"
"Technically, we're not open yet, but you're always welcome in," Masato said as he got his counter set up for the day.
"Thank you," Keine bowed. "I need to start school in a bit, but I thought I'd drop by and check in on you, since it has been a little while since we last talked." She sat down while I fetched the tea pot and poured her some.
"So, tell me what's been going on lately. Are you still adjusting to life here alright?"
"Of course," I replied. "I've had to learn to slow myself down compared to life Outside, but I still make plenty of time to go out and meet new friends, and visit existing ones."
"That's very good." She took a sip. "Although, it certainly seems like most of your friends are outside the village, and Masato tells me you're meeting a lot of ladies, too."
"Is… that a problem?"
"Oh, by no means. You've made some very good friends so far, and you're very charming too. It's just that… well, villagers may start talking about you, spreading rumors, because you're an Outsider who meets with the Shrine Maiden, the witch and various youkai. I'm just suggesting you not forget to mingle into the community as well. Everybody knows everybody here, after all. I've already talked to several of the villagers, and many of them, especially the older ones, have either met you or have heard of you and they all think you're very charming and sweet."
I smiled. "That's great to hear. Perhaps I should go out and explore the town today."
"It's a good day for it. The sky's clearing out and the Dragon statue is predicting blue skies for now. We don't get many clear sky days in winter, so you absolutely should go out there and enjoy it while you can."
I looked back at Masato. "I do have to finish my work for the day first, of course."
"I didn't mean to distract you from your work." Keine got up and put her coat back on. "And I need to get to the Temple School so I can get everything set up. I'm going to be lecturing my older students on the Mongol Invasions, and Mokou is going to be there as a special guest since she saw them happen."
My brain skipped for a moment before I realized. "Ah, yes. Lecturing history must be different when you have people around who actually got to experience it as it happened."
"That's right. We might be 'backwards,' but I'd say we're still more knowledgeable about our past since we have those kinds of long-lived people with us, and because their teacher can see and hide it at will."
"Maybe I should attend one of your lectures."
"That'd be very sweet if you did. I look forward to it."
Later that day, as promised, I went out and explored the Village's streets. I wasn't the only one taking advantage of the beautiful, sunlit day, even if it was very cold out. Children were making snowmen and having snowball fights, teenagers hung out, the market was bustling with people, and men, women and children walked in and out of the shops, trading money or goods for other things. Some of the farmers were buying feed and hay for their livestock, while others whose fields were buried under the snow worked jobs in town, helping out the craftsmen, handymen and blacksmiths, making food deliveries or helping provide care to the town's elderly.
One thing I learned quickly was that the people of the village place great respect on traditional values, including respect for one's elders. Young children would stop playing to help a man across the street, even if the man's own son was already accompanying him. People would spend their extra money at shops, cafes and bars run by old couples. Children would live with their parents, taking over responsibility for the house while still considering them the heads of the house for all the work they did raising them, while those who married away would always visit home frequently to care for their aging parents. The reason for this, Masato explained to me, was to honor the life's work of elders, all of whom cared for their own aging parents when they were younger while also raising children and earning a living. He lamented the fact that his daughter would never come visit, but also voiced his thankfulness that I could be there helping him out and that my work, even if it was just keeping the shop clean, meant worlds to him. Somehow, despite how jaded I was, this resonated with me. Outside, elders were nominally still supposed to be treated with respect, but in practice society would segregate and confine them into assisted care facilities when they were no longer able to work themselves ragged, and therefore were no longer "useful," instead leeching on social security and taxpayer money for years until they died, often alone and neglected. To see them actually be honored for their hard work was very refreshing.
And, even if he wasn't actually my father, Masato had already come to be more of a father to me than Shido ever gave a shit about.
I was at the market again, stocking up on food and groceries for us. Another man, somewhat portly and wearing a straw hat, came in with a girl whom I assumed was his daughter as I was paying for my things. She was hard to miss, since she stood tall, taller even than the man beside her. When I saw her, she was looking down, and it seemed as though she didn't want to be there. Of course, I knew from experience teenagers didn't exactly like being dragged out on grocery runs, much less making them on their own or being made to. And yet… somehow, it seemed to me that wasn't what it was. As in, she was dissatisfied with her life somehow…
...hold on… did I not… see her somewhere before?
She looked up, perhaps noticing that I was staring at her. She had red eyes like mine, and dark brown hair bordering on black…
...that was her. The girl at Suzunaan, when me and Reimu went there to go talk in the back. It was the same girl.
A moment later, her eyes turned to me. They widened, and she turned her head toward me. Our gazes met the other's. For a moment, neither of us blinked or looked away.
"Kana, are you coming with me?" the man said.
She turned her head and bowed. "Yes, sorry, father." The two of them then went deeper into the crowds, and I lost sight of them.
As I walked back home with the groceries, I kept thinking about her, about "Kana." I… wasn't too sure what to think. She was just a village girl, not like the magic-slinging women I had met thus far. And yet, there was… something about her that I didn't quite feel when I was around the others. Perhaps it was her striking appearance amid the sea of generic faces, how she stood tall, nearly my own height, above the crowd, her blank yet expressive face, and her distinctive red eyes.
It was a feeling I had never quite felt before in my life, and I didn't know how to describe it.
I shook my head, and continued home. I would likely cross paths with her again, I thought. I decided to work the afternoon and evening as well, so that I could have the day after the drinking date to… ah, recover, if necessary.
Later that night, as I was washing the dishes, I still had Kana's image stuck in my head. Masato was nearby putting away the food.
"You're awfully quiet over there, young man," he said. "You've been quiet ever since you came back from the market."
"Ah, sorry," I said. "I just have a lot on my mind right now. I am still adjusting to living here, after all, and I've been quite busy lately as well."
Masato looked at me, with a rather scrutinizing expression.
"...is something wrong?"
He shook his head. "Ah, it's nothing." He went back to putting away the food, before retiring upstairs.
...he knew, didn't he?
1/17
Shortly after the store opened for the day, Reisen stopped by to deliver Masato's medicine again.
"Good morning, Goro," she said to me.
"Good morning. It's a pleasure to see you again," I smiled.
Reisen counted out Masato's drugs and took his payment, before coming over to me. "You remember our deal, right?"
"I haven't forgotten. Your master said she wanted me to wait two weeks after the last visit so that her detox treatment would have time to take effect. I will be coming over in a few days."
"Good. I'm just making sure you remembered." She sat down. "Now then… could I ask a favor of you?"
"What is it?"
Reisen handed me a note. "Hakygyoukoro has an herb which can only grow there. It has potent medicinal properties, so I wanted to meet with Youmu to try and get some of it as well as some Netherworld soil to grow it in."
"Do you know her?"
"We're friends. We first met during the Endless Night. I… suppose you could say we bonded over being servants and perhaps the only voices of reason between our two places." She sighed. "I've been too busy lately to go visit her, though. Master keeps giving me tasks to complete, I have to make all these deliveries, and I have my own experiments to take care of."
"That sounds like a lot of work. Do you not get any days off?"
Reisen shook her head. "Sadly. Neither does Master. So long as people get sick, somebody has to be there to take care of them."
"I see," I nodded. "Outside hospitals are much the same way. They must always be open, even on holidays, they're always understaffed, and the staff are all overworked. I wouldn't ever want to be a doctor."
"But you're willing to be a detective. I can't imagine that's any easier."
"True, but I enjoy it greatly and I have talent for it."
Reisen smiled. "Hehe. I guess work isn't really work if you enjoy it. Anyway, I understand you've visited Youmu and Yuyuko at their place before. If you have time, could you run this note over to them saying I'd like to have those things? I promise I'll make it up to you."
"You have my word."
Reisen got up and bowed. "Thank you. I really appreciate it."
A few hours later, after lunch, I made my way to Hakugyokurou. Even though I had made this trip a couple times already, I still couldn't get used to the transition between the physical and spiritual realms. It really drove home how this was a place the living were never meant to tread.
When I arrived, I could see the two of them in the middle of an intense sparring session. Youmu was all but invisible, her green-and-white silhouette dancing and dashing all over the courtyard accompanied by the sounds of the air being slashed and metal clanging against metal as Yuyuko struggled to parry and counter all of her moves. Eventually, her sword was forced from her hand, and Youmu pointed her sword down on her in victory.
"My my~" Yuyuko said playfully. "Your technique is as superb as ever."
"Only because I train every day," Youmu said. "Unlike a certain someone who's gotten so rusty they aren't much better than a beginner now."
"That may be so, but let's not forget I only played fair and square according to your rules." Yuyuko got up and brushed herself off. "Still, I can't remember the last time I felt a rush like that. I regret having ever neglected my training, it really is a lot of fun."
"It's not 'fun,'" Youmu insisted.
"Oh, but, you know how it is, being a millennium-old ghost such as me. Life can become empty sometimes, especially when you're dealing with the same bureaucratic matters over and over again. I'm sure you'll agree some excitement is needed to break up the tedium."
"Yuyuko-sama," Youmu frowned, "the purpose of your sword training is to empower you as the princess of the Netherworld, to command the spirits here with absolute authority, to express grace and femininity and yet also skill and strength. I understand very well you wield colossal magical power, but this is still necessary for you to grow as a princess and as a person."
I spoke, "your sword technique is quite excellent-"
"GAAAAH!" Youmu shrieked and jumped in the air before clinging onto Yuyuko, her ghost half frazzling up like a startled cat. "Don't sneak up on me like that!"
Yuyuko laughed, patting Youmu's head. "Welcome again, Akechi-kun."
"Ah, I apologize," I bowed. "I didn't mean to startle you."
Youmu breathed out. "No, you're fine. I just… I just get so focused on my training, I mute out the rest of the world when really I should be keeping aware of my surroundings at all times. If I were out there in the battlefield, an enemy could-"
"Why don't we make some tea for our beloved guest?" Yuyuko suggested.
"That sounds wonderful," I smiled.
"So Reisen is asking if she can have some samples of those herbs and some soil?" Youmu asked me.
"That's right. She told me that they want to grow some of their own and conduct experiments."
Youmu sipped her tea. "Well, I suppose, Reisen is a close friend of mine, and I could cut her a favor, but…" She looked up at me. "She's sending you to get it for her, and technically, we have a deal: I provide you the herbs and tea, you take me out to practice being in public. So… what I'm asking is, could we do that tonight? I will give you everything in exchange."
I nodded. "Absolutely. We do have a deal, and I would never renege on it."
"Ohoho~" Yuyuko giggled. "I see Akechi-kun is taking my beloved Youmu out on a date!"
Youmu turned around and blushed. "I-it's not a date!"
"Oh, alright…" Yuyuko came close to me. "Be sure to guide her back home once you two are done."
"I-I can get myself back just fine!" Youmu pleaded.
"Oh?" Yuyuko put a finger under my chin. "But we have a kind gentleman here, and it is simply his duty to guide a lady to and from where she needs to. You will do that, won't you?"
"...er, yes."
"That's what I wanted to hear!" She backed away. "Have a good time, you two. Don't be out too late~"
Youmu shrugged. "We changed her heart, and yet somehow she hasn't changed that much compared to before."
Youmu changed out of her normal outfit and into more casual clothes before we headed out. We had planned on heading toward the village to visit one of the local pubs, since one of the things Youmu wanted to do was get out and socialize more. Partway down the path, however, a delicious smell entered our noses, wafting out from the trees. Hungry as we were, we soon found ourselves subconsciously following it, going deeper and deeper inside until we saw a glowing light from in between the trees. Emerging from them, we came across a small clearing, and in the middle of it was a food cart, the one owned by the bird girl from New Year's Eve, who appeared to be grilling several pieces of eel. Nitori was also there, drinking sake.
"Oh, more customers! Welcome! Please, have a seat while I get you something to drink."
I looked at her. "You are… you are the bird girl from New Year's eve who was selling eel then sang for all of us."
"That's me! Name's Mystia Lorelei. You're Goro Akechi, correct? The guy who came in from Outside recently? Nitori over here told me all about it."
"Hi there," Nitori said. "Wasn't expecting to see you and Youmu out here."
"We were on our way to town, just to have a night out," Youmu said.
"Oh really?" Mystia smirked. "Looks more like you two are on a date, if you ask me."
"Ahh-" Youmu blushed up again. "That's… not…"
"We're merely friends, that is all," I sighed. "But, eel and drinks sound good right now."
"Excellent. Let me get that all started for you."
We sat next to Nitori, with me in between her and Youmu. "What brings you out here tonight?" I asked her.
"I come here about once a week or so," Nitori said. "Mystia here makes really good grilled eel, and her sake's some of the best in Gensokyo."
"I brew it myself," Mystia commented. "I go into town, with a human disguise, and buy up all the best rice. I've been doing it for so long, I can instantly tell the good stuff from the crap just by glancing at it."
"Human disguise?"
"She's a night sparrow youkai," Nitori told me. "She can cause night blindness with her singing."
"'Can,' but it's been a while since the last time I actually did that," Mystia added. "I think it was back in, oh, '04, season 119, back during the endless night, I had several run-ins with the groups trying to solve the incident. I had a friendship for a while with Rumia, Cirno and Wriggle around that time, but we split up a few years after that mostly because I was getting tired of their shenanigan, plus I grew up outta nowhere so I wanted to act more 'adult,' I guess. Then I met Kyouko at the Myouren Temple one night after we drank out of Kasen's liquor box and did a rock band routine, and we liked it so much we got in touch with the Prismriver sisters and Raiko and now we have a band for real." She took the eel off of the grill to cool. "And of course I run this eel cart to support myself. I guess you could say I don't really act like a youkai. I run a business, two if you count the band, and I spend the profits on food and other things from the village. I just hang out here in the forest since my customers tend to mostly be other youkai, but Marisa and Reimu will come by here from time to time too." She served up the drinks and the eel to us. "Now then, what's your story?"
"My story? Well…" Since Mystia was an outsider to our group, I told her my original story about narrowly escaping a fire during an investigation, and coming here since it looked like I had perished in it.
"So you were an ace detective and a high school student? That's impressive." She rubbed her chin. "And how you came here… it's a little far-fetched, I'll say, but I've heard stranger. And for the most part, it seems you're adapting quite well. I mean, you've already got these two AND Reimu and Marisa as friends. And you can fly too. Can't say I know any other Outsiders who can claim all of that."
"I was the Charismatic Ace Detective, after all, and had a number of fangirls, although I'll admit no close friends because of my busy schedule. I'm an orphan too, so I had no family to rely on either."
"But," Nitori said in between drinks, "that also means you don't have any family who'll miss you. You can start fresh here, slow down a bit, and make some real friends. Like us!"
I smiled. "I suppose so."
Mystia looked over at Youmu, who was quietly eating. "You haven't been talking much over here. Something bothering you?"
"Oh, uh…" Youmu jolted up. "Well, I mean, you all have been talking about his past, and I didn't feel like I could add anything…"
"Eh, loosen up, just go with the flow!" Mystia smiled. "Even if you don't think you can add anything, it's all part of being in a conversation!" She leaned over the counter. "I mean, come on, if nothing else, you've got to have all sorts of crazy stories about living with Yuyuko. I still remember you grumbling about her being an 'overgrown child' even as you were beating me up back then."
Youmu shot up in her seat. "I never said that! I could never say such a thing!"
"Uh-huh, sure, keep tellin' yourself that. I can see it in your face, though: you mouth says one thing, but your face and attitude totally agree with what I'm saying."
"She certainly is an interesting character," I said. "She rules over the Netherworld, and can be serious and business-like when she needs to, but she also seems very playful in her mannerisms. I can imagine she often talks in riddles."
"...well, I mean, she does," Youmu said. "Yuyuko-sama is very intelligent, and good at coming up with complex schemes. She just doesn't seem like that most of the time, because she's very good at hiding it and never wants anyone to know what her plans are. Even Yukari herself sometimes has trouble following her, and she's an intelligent, scheming mastermind herself. One time, the two of them came up with a plot to invade the moon."
I blinked. "...they did what now?"
"Oh, he's never heard this story," Mystia smirked. "Guess we'll need to fill him in. Go on, Youmu."
"Oh? Oh, well, I suppose. So, several years ago…"
...
"...all that just for one bottle of sake?"
Youmu shrugged. "To this day, I'm still not too sure what all happened." I wasn't sure I completely understood either: apparently, Yukari wanted to invade the moon, the proprietor of the mansion got jealous and built her own rocket to reach it, Eirin warned the two Lunar princesses about the plans, which were both covers for Yuyuko's plan, Yukari, Reimu and several others dueled the princesses and lost while Yuyuko carried out her theft, in the process also exposing the two princesses sympathies for a criminal who created an "impure" elixir of immortality?
If I were in that situation as Black Mask, I would've used the opening to inflict mental shutdowns on the two, and perhaps Tsukuyomi as well, and watch the seemingly advanced and powerful Lunar Capital burn down and tear itself apart in the ensuing chaos and confusion. But now, not only did I have to keep Black Mask an absolute secret, I'd rather not have half the Shinto pantheon out for my blood for committing such a comically grave sin. Redeeming myself for killing or driving insane scores of "normal" people was going to be hard enough.
"It must've been killer sake, though," Nitori commented. "One thousand years old, aged on the moon. If that can be improved, even I don't know how to do it. Wonder how much money it would've gone for Outside."
"Probably enough to pay the rent for a one-bedroom apartment in Tokyo for two months," I said. The other three burst out in uproarious laughter, and I could swear I saw sake coming out of Mystia's nose. Even Youmu, who was usually rather reserved and level-headed, was banging the table and braying like a donkey, and it became clear to me that she was both a lightweight and a terrible drunk.
"Ahaha, holy shit, that was a good one!" Mystia chortled. "I mean, I always figured Tokyo was kinda pricey, but damn!"
"I used to live there, after all. And as bad as Tokyo is, Hong Kong is even worse."
"How bad is Hong Kong?" Youmu asked.
"You might be able to pay the rent for two days." Again, we all burst out laughing, and even I was starting to really feel the alcohol talking and acting. I didn't know why, but right now I felt more relaxed sharing stories with these three girls than I ever had at any point in my life. If this was what it was like to mingle, visit and have friends, I would gladly take it over the lonely existence I had led before.
Unfortunately, I had to travel all the way back to Hakugyokurou with Youmu hunched on my side slurring incomprehensible nonsense, and being subjected to Yuyuko teasingly chastising me for letting her get like that. I did help her set up a bath for Youmu before I left, while also telling her I had news for her and Doremy the next time they were together. She thanked me, and promised to send for me once they were ready for it, as Doremy was very busy and had other matters to take care of first. I went home after that and went straight to bed, wanting to be well-rested for tomorrow's mission.
