1/26

This was it. Today was the day we officially infiltrated Byakuren's Fortress, and would bring her injustices to an end.

First, though, there was one thing I had to do first.

Yesterday, I had offered to come to Alice's house to pick up Mamiko before heading to our hideout. Gliding above the snow-frosted trees, I arrived at the quaint home in the middle of vast woods, with no sign of life or activity on the exterior.

I knocked on the door. "Alice? Are you there? It's me, Goro A-"

"Oh, good afternoon!" Alice said, opening the door. "Sorry, for some reason I didn't think you'd be here until later!"

"Well, Kirisame-san only makes me work thirty hours a week with no set schedule."

Alice nodded. "Understandable." She turned around and called out, "Mamiko, are you ready? Goro-kun is here!"

"Coming!" Heavy footsteps could be heard rushing toward the door, and as Mamiko neared I realized her appearance was vastly different from yesterday. Instead of the black maid-like dress from yesterday, she was wearing burgundy combat armor with gold trims reminiscent of the type she wore as a Vajra shadow, adapted to fit the female form. Her hair was also cut into a much shorter bob with two white hair buns on top. Finally, she quickly grabbed and strapped on a pair of matching combat boots kept near the door.

"Mamiko-san…" I chuckled. "Sorry, I didn't recognize you!"

"Alice-sama made me a set of combat armor to go into the Metaverse with," she said. "I gave her instructions and specifications on what I wanted."

Alice smiled. "It was an interesting challenge. I'm used to sewing dresses, not forging battle armor. Thankfully, Mamiko's instructions were very thorough and to-the-point, and I'm quite satisfied with the result." She slid her hand over part of Mamiko's armor. "The only enchantments it has are waterproofing and underwater maneuverability so that she can reach your hideout, since any other enchantments would be meaningless in the Metaverse."

"I see… Well, it certainly looks formidable, and in the Metaverse that should be enough." I pulled out the knife I used in the Metaverse. "After all, this may not look like much more than a regular knife, but in the Metaverse its blade is quite deadly. And this pistol," I pulled out a pistol, "resembles a toy gun in the real world, albeit one which can shoot danmaku. In the Metaverse, it fires real bullets. As long as the shadows believe it to be real, it actually will be real."

"Fascinating…" Alice mused. "This really is fascinating!"

"Indeed," I nodded. "Now then, we must be going. Mamiko?"

"Wait, hold on," Alice said suddenly. She rushed back into the house, and came back with two canteens. "Coffee. Just like you requested. Plus, here are some tarts." Alice giggled. "You know, it's hard to believe that coffee and sweets would be of any help doing what you all do, but again, the Metaverse is such a fascinating place. I can't wait to study it even more."

"I'm sure there will be plenty of opportunities for you to do so," I assured her. I turned to Mamiko. "Now then, you can fly, right? If so, follow me."

"Guide the way," she said.

Alice assured me that Mamiko the doll had been enchanted with the ability to fly, but even so, Mamiko the person had never done so. So, I took her hand and flew with her toward Genbu Ravine. As it was her first time seeing the world in this way, I could tell, in her eyes and face, that she was as awestruck as a child, venturing into the wider world for the first time in her life and spreading her wings. It was surreal for me as well, having learned to fly just last month, and now here I was showing someone else how to do the same.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" I said.

"...wow…"

I smirked, and did some reflecting too. A person accustomed to ending lives, helping someone else begin theirs.

Eventually, we reached the spot in the ravine closest to Nitori's cave. Standing on the riverbank, Mamiko stood still, staring at the cold, swift waters of the river.

"Now then, our next step is to dive under the water and swim towards Nitori's." I pointed to the opposite cliff face. "It's just over there right below those rocks. I can swim with you, just as I flew with you."

Mamiko hesitated, before steeling herself. "If this is for justice, there is no danger I will not overcome."

"Splendid. Now, let's dive right in." Taking her hand, we jumped into the river and began our crossing. Being a doll jacked up with enchantments, Mamiko did not require air, and she was strong enough to resist the current even without the assistance of gillyweed. Again, I could see in her eyes her innocent marveling of the underwater world, from the moss-covered rocks, the gravelly, sandy bed, the wispy milfoil flowing in the current, to the sheets of ice on the surface which from our vantage appeared as a glistening, sapphire glass ceiling.

Soon, we reached the entrance to Nitori's cave. Surfacing, we made our way to the metal doors, on the other side of which Nitori waited.

"This is Nitori's home," I explained. "As well as our hideout."

Mamiko observed the cave around her. "What a strange place for someone to make their home."

"Strange for most people, but perfect for a kappa such as Nitori." I knocked on the door, and within moments it opened up to reveal Nitori, already dressed for action with her azure dress, green backpack and assortment of tools.

"Y'know, you can just use the passage in the Metaverse I chiseled out, you don't gotta swim every time."

I shook my head. "I was not sure if you were ready to have me yet. And besides, I wanted to give Mamiko here the experience of swimming for the first time."

Nitori looked up at Mamiko. "Mamiko? ...oh, this here a new recruit?"

Mamiko bowed. "Yes. My name is Mamiko Shinshou. It's a pleasure to meet you, Nitori-san. I serve Margatroid-sama."

Nitori paused, before saying, "oh… oh yeah, you're that doll Marisa was talking about. And… you're also the shadow from that one time?" Nitori bowed. "Let me apologize. I was just awakening my Persona, see, so I didn't have full control over that Forbidden Fruit Wave-thingy I fired off."

"There is no need to apologize," Mamiko replied. "You freed me from Ethos's distortion, and for that, I am grateful."

"Oh, uh… hehe, no worries. Anyway, come on in. We got a lotta stuff to go over before we bust into Byakuren's fortress!"

Me, Nitori and Mamiko all entered the Hall of the Daybreakers, with the others showing up within minutes of us doing so. Of course, they were all curious about Mamiko, being our newest member and, for Reimu and Youmu, their first encounter with her ever since that day in Ethos.

"So, you're now a doll, and also Alice's servant?" Reimu asked.

"That is right," Mamiko said.

Reimu grinned. "Hehe. Well, I've always said Alice could benefit from having another person living with her. I just didn't imagine you could be that person." She bowed. "Anyway, welcome aboard."

"My greetings as well," Youmu said. "I… apologize that our first meeting wasn't exactly peaceful. I… hope you can look past it."

"It is not a problem," Mamiko said. "All that matters is that you all freed me from the distortion. I am here to repay you, by helping to free another person from the distortion's control."

Marisa smiled. "Well, I guess that settles that!" We settled around the table. As we were now an even six people, we simply took every other seat, with Nitori on the side closest to a projector screen she had set up, and me on the opposite side where I could get a good view. "Now then, Nitori, what's the buzz?"

"Two things, actually. First, I wanted to discuss a problem I feel we, as a group, must address: communication."

"Communication?" Youmu wondered.

"Since we all live spread out across Gensokyo, right now we have to rely on promising to meet back up on certain dates to discuss our plans. I didn't like that. So…" She reached into her backpack, took several objects from it, and set them on the table. "I created these! Messaging devices!"

I picked one of them up and inspected it. "It looks just like a phone…"

"Uh-huh, that's the point! With these, we can send messages to each other whenever we want and discuss our plans instantly. They're solar-powered, so no need to charge them either. I also made them super-secure so they can't be intercepted, not that anyone else in Gensokyo knows how to. In short, we can now make and change our plans on the fly!"

Reimu examined the device, fiddled with it, and held it upside-down. "Okay… how do you use this thing?"

"Oh, uh, they don't work in the Metaverse," Nitori admitted. "Actually, for whatever reason, real-world electronic devices don't work here in general, only stuff made inside, like my training course outside the cave or this here projector; conversely, this all doesn't work in reality. So I'll have to show you how to use it later."

"Well… alright." Reimu and the rest of us stowed the devices away.

"And now, for the second thing." Nitori got up from her seat and activated the projector screen. "A couple days ago, Goro went on a secret mission to plant a camera inside Byakuren's room. This is the footage it captured right after he left." All of us adjusted our seats to see the footage on the screen better; Mamiko at first wasn't sure what was going on, but she copied what she saw the rest of us do very quickly.

The footage showed me and Byakuren sitting in her room talking, starting from shortly before I left.

"Oh, young man, you wouldn't understand. Saints throughout history have come to those whose lives are clouded in fear and uncertainty, unable and unwilling to find the path to the light for themselves."

"So you're calling yourself a saint, even though no true saint would ever do that."

"Erm… I…"

"My my. It would seem as though sister Byakuren has herself failed to realize she has strayed off of the path to enlightenment. After all, to try and lead youkai down the path to dharma, in spite of that running completely contrary to their very nature as manifestations of man's fear and weakness…"

Once again, the footage showed her attempting to respond, before she held her head and squeezed her eyes in pain. "It would seem as though you are still lost. Please, you are invited to come back here frequently."

"I appreciate the offer, but I do have other matters to attend to today. I do promise I will return, though."

"Safe travels, Akechi-kun. It was a pleasure having you today."

"It was a pleasure talking to you, too." Afterwards, I exited her room, after which Byakuren continued to stand there for a few moments. We all waited with bated breath as we awaited what would happen next.

She then looked up… and glared. "Hmph. What would that smug, entitled brat know about enlightenment? He has no idea what kind of shit I've gone through to get to where I am. Those thousand, godforsaken years I spent rotting away in the depths of Hokkai, waiting for my followers to resurrect me, and then what? They all go out and get themselves plastered on cheap sake, not caring at all about the kinds of sacrifices I've made for them." She clenched her fist. "No matter, I'll set them back in line." She grinned evilly, hate and insanity shining in her eyes. "I'll show them. The humans, the youkai, those goddamn Taoists and their smug bitch of a leader. I'll show them all who the true Messiah of this land is!"

This was where the tape ended. Apparently, Nitori did not feel the need to record past this. I had to agree.

Marisa slumped back and flipped up her mask. "Well… damn."

"That's… well…" Reimu said.

I sighed. "So… she really is highly distorted. To think that it would run this deep, however…"

"Her story is well-known," Youmu added. "And she never seemed to have a problem with it, at least publicly. But this… could these be her true feelings, which she vents only when no one else is around?"

"Seems like it," Marisa said. "I'd prolly be really bitter if I gave up a thousand years of my life for my followers only for them to drink all the time afterwards."

"That may be," Reimu said, "...but the way she looked and talked at the end, with that much malice… I've known her for the past eight years, and I've never seen her get anywhere near that angry."

"There is something else which troubled me as well, when I was meeting with her," I added. "Did you all notice, right as she was about to say something after I criticized her, how she seemed to have a sudden attack that made her hold her head in pain?"

"What about it?" Marisa asked.

"I was criticizing her in an attempt to make her see what she had lost sight of, which was to act as a leader of many disciples to dharma. For that attack to strike at precisely that moment…" I paused to think. "It's possible that her distortion is preventing her from coming around, from being able to reason. Any attempt at doing so triggers a 'course correction' of sorts, forcing her to keep following her distorted desires."

"A 'course correction' you say…" said Marisa.

"So in other words…" Youmu also took a moment to think. "Like how Yuyuko-sama's 'core' was imprisoned within chains and a strong barrier. If this is also the case with Byakuren, if her 'core' wherein her resolve to change, to become a better person, is locked away, as long as that is the case, then any attempt to reason with her is fruitless. Only upon the core's destruction will she be able to be reformed."

"Superb line of thinking, Fury," I complimented. I turned to Mamiko, who so far had said nothing. "Is any of this making sense, Mamiko?"

Mamiko looked down at the table.

"...inconceivable," she muttered.

"...Mamiko-san?" Reimu asked.

Mamiko looked up at the rest of us, putting her hand on the table. "Utterly inconceivable. A Buddhist nun who sees herself as a 'Messiah,' and her followers as nothing more than sheep. She does not seek enlightenment. She is not searching for a path to the Buddha. She is merely stoking her own ego and running her temple like a castle where she reigns supreme as the central idol." We could all hear the anger building up in her voice. "She must be stopped, made to see the error of her ways, torn from the distortion making her see her disgrace, her bastardization of Buddhism as self-righteous."

"So you vote to change her heart?" I asked.

"There is no other option," Mamiko insisted. "I cannot allow the Buddha to be insulted in such a manner."

"Sounds like someone's got a strong opinion here!" Marisa smiled.

"Well, she is the shadow of a prominent Buddhist figure," I said. "It's only natural that she would take offense to someone desecrating the religion." I fixed my tie. "Now then, we all previously agreed to take on Byakuren's fortress, so Mamiko's approval was all we needed to continue forward."

"Hm? How… come?" she asked.

"We don't start a mission without a unanimous vote," I said. "If all of us come to an agreement on a target, that prevents us from devolving into infighting and creating internal rifts over who to target, who not to target, whether our current target is worth pursuing, and other matters."

"A unanimous decision…" Mamiko nodded. "That is indeed a noble policy."

"You better believe it!" Marisa said.

"Now then," I said. "There is one more thing we must do before we head into Byakuren's fortress: come up with a code name for Mamiko."

"A 'code name…' Oh, do you mean those other names you use when in the Metaverse?"

"We don't use our real names in the Metaverse, 'cause it could cause bad things to happen if the ruler became aware we were doin' shit while tearin' down their fortresses,' ' Marisa explained. "I'm sure you know all of ours by now, but I'll go over it again. I'm Starburst, and those are Crow, Seraph, Fury and Doktor. And now, we're comin' up with a code name for you as well!"

"I… think I understand…" Mamiko said. "When I am in the Metaverse, my name is not 'Mamiko Shinshou,' but something else entirely…"

"That's the gist of it," Reimu said. "Now then… what would be a good code name for you?"

"We haven't seen her in combat yet," Youmu said. "That is how we came up with my code name."

"Nor does she have a swanky Metaverse outfit like Seraph and myself do, just regular battle armor," Nitori added.

"Well, she IS one of Alice's dolls," Marisa said. "Maybe if… nah, that'd just make her sound really weak."

"This is troubling…" Reimu said.

I too thought hard about a good code name for her. I thought about how she was a shadow, specifically a Vajra shadow, and how Vajra was a being who took the form of a bull…

"...how about 'Bull?'"

The others looked up at me. "Eh? 'Bull?'"

"She was once a shadow taking the form of Vajra, who resembles a bull. Alice built her to be as strong as a bull, too, and I'm sure you'd agree she has the will and determination of a bull as well."

"Bull…" Mamiko thought about it. "...I suppose it is literal, but it does describe my personality and strength well."

I smiled. "So, that is the codename you choose?"

"It is so," she nodded.

We all clapped. "Then it's settled. From now on, during our missions, you will be known as 'Bull.'" I looked around. "Now then, anything else, or are we ready to go to the fortress?"

Marisa got up and stretched. "I can't think of nothin'. Let's get right to it."

"No objections?" The others nodded. "Then, let's start the mission."


Within minutes, we were all back in the safe room within Byakuren's fortress where he had left off last time.

"And this is a 'safe room,' a weak point in Byakuren's distortion which enables us to take breaks during infiltration without fear of discovery, and as I just demonstrated we can warp between them as well."

Mamiko marveled at the room around her. "Fascinating… a room where we can rest without fear of discovery, where the distortion is weak…"

"Precisely," I nodded. "But, I must caution, it is a different story the moment we set foot outside. From the shadows' point of view, we will spontaneously flash into existence, causing them to raise the alert level and attack us. If we're spotted too many times, we'll be overwhelmed by powerful shadows, and will be forced to either retreat or face certain death. We can reduce the alert level, however, by taking out shadows we come across without being detected; that will knock out a component of the security and prevent us from being overwhelmed."

"I do have some tools in case we get spotted…" Marisa produced what appeared to be smoke balls, "...but really, nothin' beats good ol' fashioned stealth. So we just gotta keep from gettin' spotted, ambush 'em, and knock their lights out."

Reimu got up. "Well, I don't know about you all, but this fortress isn't going to infiltrate itself. So why don't we go out there and get stuff done?"

"Absolutely, I think we're all ready to go and know what to do," I said. "Now, Mamiko, you haven't proven yourself in combat yet and have no weapons, so stay by my side at all times."

"Understood," she nodded. I got her arm and led the others outside of the safe room.

Not a moment after doing so, however, we walked straight into a patrolling guard who resembled one of the Swiss guards at the Vatican.

"Oh, shit!" Marisa exclaimed.

"Hm? Intruders! How did you get in here?!"

I grunted. "Geh, looks like we've already been spotted." I drew my knife. "We have no choice. Prepare for combat!"

The shadow quivered, then dissolved before reforming into three beings: an Apsara, an Archangel and a Yaksini. "In the name of our lady Hijiri, you all will perish!" declared the Archangel.

"Pfft, I've wiped my ass with idiots tougher than you!" Marisa sneered. We all drew our weapons and pointed them at the group. "Now, step aside, or else we'll have to-"

"Leave this to me," Mamiko said, making her way to the front. "I will show you all how it is done."

"Huh?" Reimu wondered.

"So you will…" I crossed my arms. "Let's see what you've got then."

Mamiko stood still, and meditated. Then, she reached into the air, causing a strong wind to blow in all directions from where she stood, knocking the shadows back. Two golden lights materialized, one of which formed into a crossbow which she caught with her left hand and stowed in a holster which simultaneously appeared on her back. The other elongated and formed into a long, brass staff with vajra tips, which she took with her right, before twirling it around her body and striking a battle stance. "Now then… let's dance."

The shadows all immediately attacked her, but she effortlessly parried their blows and danced around the Archangel's Hamas. One end of the staff glowed, and she struck the Apsara right in the head with it, seemingly causing her to be brainwashed and to start attacking the others. Mamiko capitalized on the infighting by charging up another attack, jumping into the air, and striking the ground with tremendous force causing a shockwave to hit all three and knock them down.

"The enemies are down!" I called out. "It's time to LET 'ER RIP!" And so we slashed, bashed and kicked the shit out of the shadows, causing them to dissolve into a pile of yen and treasure.

"Hot damn, you ain't no joke!" Marisa said.

"I am a strong shadow," Mamiko replied. "Combat is second nature to me."

"I could tell," I said. "You'll definitely make a very strong front-line combatant… ah." I looked around. "That reminds me of something."

"What is it?" Youmu asked.

"A large group such as us running around in the same area is sure to quickly attract attention from shadows," I said. "Now that we are up to six members, we need to decide who is in the front line and who hangs back."

"How so?" Nitori asked.

"I suggest having no more than four of us, plus the navigator, pushing into the fortress at one time."

"So," Marisa asked, "does that mean one of us has to stay behind?"

I shook my head. "No, everyone goes into the fortress, no one gets left behind either in the real world or at the entrance. All extra attackers will split off from the forward group, staying hidden, watching for danger and looking for clues and treasure as well. As the leader, I should always be in that forward group. I would also like to take Mamiko here along through the fortress to help her get used to infiltration and combat. That means one of you three will have to follow behind the main group." I thought for a moment, thinking about who would be the most tactical choice to do that.

"I did a quick scan of those enemies," Nitori said. "Two of them were ice-resistant."

"And there are likely more across the fortress," I said. "With that being the case, I suggest that Fury be the one to hang back and be in reserve, ready to take over for fallen teammates."

"Understood," Youmu bowed. "I will keep my eyes and ears out for any threats around and behind us." She then dashed towards cover, virtually disappearing from existence.

"Excellent. Now then, we should-"

"Did someone say ice, ho?"

We jerked around, looking for the source of the voice, before a snowy wisp came out of Reimu's gohei and formed into a Jack Frost.

"Wha- where did you come from?!" Reimu exclaimed.

"You don't remember me? I'm the Jack Frost living in your gohei, ho!"

"But… I thought you turned into that band that attached itself to my gohei! I replaced it with a stronger one!"

"That was just a little gift from me, ho! I've been living in your gohei the whole time. With my power and your power, nothing can stand in our way!"

"Uh-huh, yeah. I'm not too happy about having a fairy living rent-free in my family's ancestral weapon."

"I can make you stronger, though! I can do this!" It then demonstrated Bufu on a nearby post. "You can use my power however you like!"

"Whenever I like, huh…" Reimu grinned. "Well then, if that's the case, then you'd better earn your keep, or else I'll have to exorcise you."

"It's a deal then, ho!" It looked around. "This is a really weird place, with no snow or ice or anything. I'll stick out if I just stay looking like this!" The Jack Frost then spun around very rapidly; when it stopped, it was dressed like a priest, in black clothes with a cross necklace and a cap. "I'm Father Frost, ho," it bowed. "Let God's grace touch you all, hee-ho!" Finally, it sucked itself back inside the gohei.

We all looked at each other for a moment. "...that was random," Marisa said.

"Indeed," I said. "But, let's not linger. Let's start looking for the first Will Seed."


With no pre-made map on hand, we had to rely on the one Nitori constructed as we explored the buildings around the eastern part of the fortress. We encountered more shadow guards, and besides the Archangel, Yaksini and Apsara we initially squared off with, we also encountered Nandi, Agathion and Unicorn shadows, all of which I negotiated with to add their masks to my growing collection.

"Okay, which way to that Sistine Chapel place you were talkin' about?" Marisa asked.

I looked around. "It should be adjacent to the basilica… but without a map, all these tall buildings all around us and no clear point of reference, it's hard to tell how to get back to it from where we are. Plus, this place may not have exactly the same layout…"

"Look, over there!" Reimu pointed out. We looked at where she was pointing, and saw encouraging signage etched onto the entryway of a building on the other side of the courtyard: "Library."

"Bingo," I snapped my fingers. "There's sure to be a map inside of there somewhere."

"Sweet, let's check it out," Marisa said.

The library was decently sized, with towering shelves filled to the brim with books - books which, upon closer inspection, all sung praises to Byakuren in one way or another. Marisa, I could tell, was very tempted to take some of the books, but I had to remind her that these were all cognitive manifestations that would disappear if she attempted to take them out of the fortress; luckily we did also discover actual bits of treasure scattered around the place, including treasure chests which, somewhat conveniently, had even better pieces of equipment for all of us, including knife gloves for Marisa which claimed to be 'authentic fake replicas' of the ones used by Freddy Kruger himself. Not to mention the tens of thousands of yen each of the shadows coughed up every time we beat them up, or offered to spare them in exchange for money or items, something which Reimu in particular seemed to be rather excited about.

Finally, near the top of the library we discovered a golden armillary sphere, along with a single shadow guard. There was only one shadow, although it was a stronger one, a Principality. We marshaled our combined strength to overcome it, with me smearing it with Eihas to keep it down. Once it was down, we inspected the desk which sat in front of the armillary sphere.

"Anything good?" Marisa asked. "I mean, a tough shadow was guarding it and all, so it's gotta be worth defending."

"Give me just a moment," I said. I opened a drawer, which held, among other things, a rolled-up piece of parchment. Unfurling it and spreading it out on the table revealed just what we were looking for.

"Well well," I mused. "Look at what we have here."

"Can I take a look?" Nitori asked.

"Absolutely." I stepped aside, and allowed her to scan the map using her Persona. Afterwards, she generated an enlarged, holographic replica of the map, which showed seemingly the entire fortress right before our eyes.

"So this shows the entire fortress?" Reimu asked.

"Looks like it," I said. "And," I pointed at a building next to the basilica. "It even tells us where the Will Seeds are. This building must be the chapel, and the green Will Seed is here." I studied the map some more. "However… I cannot see the blue Will Seed anywhere."

"Maybe it's somewhere else?" Marisa said. "You said there might be an underground section, maybe there's another map somewhere that tells us where it is."

"Hopefully, that is the case," I said. "But we won't find it if we remain here. Let's head out."

"Roger that," Nitori said. "I'm picking up a safe room nearby. Let's head there and warp back to the other one."


In the other safe room, I laid out the map on the table so that everyone could see. "Alright," I said, "as I thought, there is a Will Seed, the green one, inside the Sistine Chapel stand-in. The red one seems to be located in a building on the southern side of the gardens. The blue one, it could be anywhere."

"So we should try and obtain the green one first, as it is closest?" Youmu asked.

"Yes," I nodded. "It is nearest to here, a safe room we have found and know the location of, in case we need to leave quickly."

"Alrighty, then let's get right to it!" Marisa said, tipping her hat.

I looked over to Mamiko. "How are you doing so far? Are you understanding our objective well?"

Mamiko nodded. "Yes. We have to find three 'Will Seeds' in order to access the central temple, and defeat any shadows in our path. I trust you will guide us to the objective."

"You have my word." We made our way out and headed straight for the chapel. There was only one weak shadow along our path, before we encountered the chapel's tall, ornate doors.

"Alright, we made it," Nitori said. "I'm definitely picking up the green Will Seed inside. It's giving off really… creepy vibes." Nitori shuddered. "Are they all like that?"

"Of course," I explained. "They represent the ruler's deepest buried desires. Taking them for ourselves will weaken the distortion here, which will allow us to access the core."

"Alright then," Marisa said, winding up her arm. "Let's bust on in there and kick-"

"Hold on one second," I said, interrupting her and pulling on the collar of her jacket. "Let's not be hasty."

"Why not? The Will Seed's just inside!"

"Perhaps, but those doors are rather large and heavy. Not only that, but there are most likely guards inside. If we all simply charged in at once, it could raise the security level so much that we'd quickly get overwhelmed." I looked around. "Let's see if there's a side entrance or window from which we can enter instead. That way, we can also gauge the security situation inside."

"But the windows down here are stained glass," Youmu pointed out. "We can't see through them effectively, not unless we broke one." She looked up. "And those square-shaped openings near the roof are very high up…"

"Then we look for an opening, or else make it," I said sternly. I studied the surrounding buildings to see if there were any we could use to climb up. "Over there." I pointed out an adjacent tower. "We can ascend that tower, then jump out a window onto the roof."

"Sweet. Let's head up," Marisa said.

Once we were up the tower, we crawled out a window and ran along the rooftops until we were atop the chapel. The entire way, we had an up-close and personal view of the basilica, which taunted and tantalized us with the promise of Byakuren's core but which was completely surrounded by bars, spikes, and a pit lined with spears. Soon, though, we would be inside. All we had to do was snatch up the Will Seeds in order to degrade the distortion.

We found a skylight with one panel broken, allowing us to peer right inside. Getting down to its level, I peeked my head in to try and look around.

"Anything in there, Crow?" Nitori asked.

I scanned the enormous chapel some more, and immediately zeroed in on the far end. There, I could see three shadows: two Swiss-guard style ones, and between them, one very tall figure whose face was obscured by a blank mask with black slits, and who was draped in gold.

I stood back up and faced the group. "There are three shadows in there, no others."

"Then we should go down there and take them out?" Reimu asked.

I shook my head. "Not so fast. One of them, I could tell, is very, very powerful. Combined with the other two shadows, it could overwhelm and overpower us very quickly."

"So, what should we do then?" Youmu asked.

"We should separate the lesser guards from the strong shadow," I suggested. "If we lure them away and take them out, that will leave the strong shadow, who will most likely not abandon its post, alone, and therefore be much more manageable for us to take out."

"Alright… but how do we do that?" Marisa asked.

I looked around at the buildings, then out toward the gardens. "I don't know. For now, let's move toward the other Will Seed; we may find a way somewhere."

"Well… alright," Nitori shrugged. "We passed a safe room at the top of the tower we came out of. Let's head there and back down to ground level, then we'll head to the gardens."

"Good," I said. "That will also allow us to get back up here quickly."

From the main "city" we ventured into the gardens, a labyrinth of stone, sand and dirt paths, bridges over ponds and bubbling creeks, flowers, hedges, cherry blossoms, lanterns and, of course, statues and fountains depicting Byakuren's glory. As much as I hated to admit it, it was all very beautiful and breathtaking.

"These gardens are…"

"The gardens behind the real Myouren Temple are among the most beautiful and well-maintained in Gensokyo," Youmu explained, "since Byakuren's acolytes work tirelessly to care for them. They regularly hold prayer sessions, flower-viewing and moon-viewing parties there."

I rubbed my chin. "I see… do they maintain the gardens on their own volition, or perhaps does she, well, encourage them to do so, per se?"

Mamiko looked around. "Judging by the appearance of this abhorrent place, she is absolutely forcing them to maintain them in her own image, for her sake, not for the Buddha's."

"Splendid deduction, Mamiko," I praised. "Of course, once we take down this fortress, that will all come to an end, if all goes well."

We continued through the maze of hedges, taking out the shadows we found along our path. These shadows were different from the ones over by the main structures, consisting of High Pixies, Lamias, Setantas, Ame-no-Uzumes, Koropokkurus and Kodamas, all of which I negotiated and wooed to my side. I took note of Ame-no-Uzume having Dodge Fire, for when I went to fulfill Rika's current request. Using our map, Nitori helped guide us through the winding paths, gathering treasure, breaking chests open, amassing money and generally doing thief business, just like the Phantom Thieves.

Once we were near the Will Seed, we passed by a building with what appeared to be radio transmitters coming out of the top.

"Hey, look at that!" Marisa exclaimed. "What are those tower things?"

"This must be a radio station," I said.

"A radio station?" Reimu asked. "What's it doing here? "

"What is a 'radio?'" Mamiko asked in turn.

"A radio is an Outside device people use to communicate and send messages over long distances, using invisible waves which travel through the air." I turned to the building. "As for why this is here, I recall that the real Vatican City has its own radio station which it uses to broadcast sermons, hymns, religious programming, news and messages from the Pope all over the world."

"Wait," Nitori said. "If it can transmit messages, then maybe we can use it to draw the guards away from the chapel!"

"Would that even work, though?" Marisa asked.

"It would be worth trying," I replied. "We're close to the red Will Seed. Let's deal with that and then return here."

We continued to where the red Will Seed was: an isolated chapel attached to a government-style building. We found a side entrance on the north side, and approached the main chamber.

"This place looks almost exactly like the main prayer room at the front of the temple," Youmu noted. "And…"

Once we came up to the chamber, we saw Minamitsu, Ichirin, Unzan and Shou standing and facing a tall, grandiose portrait of Byakuren, seemingly praising it and bowing down, along with several other figures, including Mamizou, Kyouko and Kokoro.

"Look!" Mamiko pointed at them. "There's people in here! How did they get in there?"

"They're not real, Bull," I explained. "Those are only figures existing in Byakuren's cognition. They represent how she perceives them, her acolytes. Mindless drones who will endlessly sing her praises and who, to her, serve no other purpose or higher importance."

"No importance, huh?" Marisa said. "Even though Mina, Shou and Ichi literally got together to break her ass outta Hokkai, which they did solely because she saved them a long time ago and are all loyal to her. This is how she treats them regardless? Tch."

"She even lumps Mamizou in with them, even though Mamizou is a very powerful tanuki. To think Byakuren's ego is that bloated, for her to think so little of such a strong being. And…" She looked at the group. "I don't see Nue in there. I guess she's not important enough to even register in her mind?"

"...who's 'Nue?'" I asked. "Is she the mythical Nue?"

"...was she not there when you visited?" Reimu asked.

"I didn't meet anyone with that name, no. She wasn't even mentioned."

"...hm, strange. I'll have to ask them about it later. For now, let's just go grab that Will Seed, then see what we can do about that other one." We jumped onto a high ledge to sneak around the cognitive churchgoers and toward the back chapel. The door to the Will Seed was unguarded, and overgrown with jungle vines like those one might find in an Indian swamp. Inside, the unmistakable whispers of Byakuren's deepest, most subconscious thoughts echoed:

"...I can't lose control again… I have to be their savior, or I'll have no purpose… I couldn't save Myouren, so I have to save everyone else… that smug bitch doesn't know the utter hell I've gone through to get to this point, all the sacrifices I've made… I'm the only one who can lead Gensokyo from the precipice of desire and sin…"

"Ironic, isn't it?" I said. "One who claims to be a messiah but who is only acting in her own self-interest."

Mamiko walked over to the Will Seed, from which the whispers emanated. "So this is one of her 'Will Seeds.' She picked it up, causing the whispers to stop. "Taking these will weaken her distortion?"

"Correct. Will Seeds are the congealed manifestations of the fortress ruler's deepest desires. Taking them will remove a component of the distortion by forcing her to subconsciously accept them. Once we claim all three, we can strike at the core, as all the defense mechanisms will be taken down."

"I see…" Marisa came over and took the Will Seed into her bag gun. Like clockwork, upon exiting the room, the whole place shook like an earthquake. The cognitive acolytes looked around, disturbed, before going right back to their prayer session. Heading outside, we looked toward the basilica.

"See anything different?" Reimu called out.

"I can't tell, the shrubs and hedges here are too high."

"There's a tower near the radio building," Nitori said. "Let's head there and check it out." So we rushed over to the tower and made our way to the top, cracking open a treasure chest at the top. From there, we looked out toward the basilica.

"What can you see, Doktor?" I asked. Nitori generated a pair of binoculars and observed the distant structure.

"It looks like the spikes and the bars around the windows have been taken down," she commented. "But we still have that wall and that moat to deal with."

"I'm sure those will disappear once we have the other two Will Seeds," I said. "Once we have a path, we'll sneak in through the back and strike at that core."

"But we have to get them first," Marisa said. "One of them's being guarded, and we don't even know where the other one is."

"That's where the radio transmitter comes in, at least for the first one." I looked down at the transmitter. "One of us will go down there and send out a false distress signal, asking the guards in the chapel to come to the top of this tower."

Nitori raised her hand. "I'll do it! I'm the most technically savvy out of all of us!"

"Hmm, yes, but… you can't defend yourself if shadows happen to find you. Therefore, one other person should be your bodyguard." I looked over at Mamiko. "I nominate you to do it."

Mamiko jumped back. "Who? Me? But… why?"

"It's all part of gaining experience infiltrating fortresses," I said. "I'm sure you'll perform excellently. Any objections?" Everyone else shook their heads.

Mamiko stood up to attention with her staff. "Then, if I am to defend her, I shall not let you down."

"Splendid," I smiled. "The rest of us will hide near the base of the tower. Then, all of us will rush up the stairs behind the guards, corner them, then kill them. After that, we'll race right over to the chapel and deal with the strong shadow. Understood?"

"Understood," Youmu bowed.

We guided Nitori and Mamiko over to the radio building, quickly swept it for any shadows (we found one, a lone Setanta at the controls) and treasure (a chest held a heavy iron-and-lead bar which Mamiko felt hit harder than her initial staff, as well as a blank card and a black rock), then left Nitori to the controls while Mamiko waited outside the room's door, and we hid behind the tower, waiting for the guards to take the bait.

I turned on my earpiece, which Nitori had each given us so we could communicate over long distances, so I could listen in on Nitori and give her advice as needed.

"Attention, attention," Nitori called out, "guards in the chapel. We have an alert in the western tower, intruders have taken it over."

"...affirmative. Alert in the western tower?"

"Affirmative," Nitori replied.

"Roger. We will be right over."

After the transmission was finished, Mamiko and Nitori returned to where we were and joined us in lying in wait. Minutes later, the two guards from the chapel came by and started ascending the tower. We waited a moment before following them up, before I gave the signal for us to move in.

"Do you see anything?" said one guard.

"I'm not sure, must be a-" Then I cut them off by jumping from behind and ripping off their masks, leaving a pair of dazed Shiisas on the ground facing us.

"Must be a what?" I asked, drawing my pistol.

"You! Tricked us! Clever human!"

"Oh really? It wasn't that hard, with my friends here helping me. Now you are at my mercy. Speak now, or prepare to die."

"Wait!" said one of them. "Me can't die now! Me must guard Will Seed with boss for Hijiri-dono's sake!"

"And what would a Shiisa such as you, tasked with guarding Okinawan holy sites, owe to someone who sees themselves as a bloated Western messiah?"

"Hijiri-dono not bloated like blowfish! She… wait, me hear that name before, what was it… me remember now! Me Shiisa. Me become your mask and bring you good fortune!" The other one disappeared into light, while this one turned into a mask and got sucked into mine.

"Excellent," I smiled. "One obstacle out of the way, and another shadow liberated from the Metaverse's distortion. Now, let's head for the chapel. We must be quick, as they'll surely start suspecting something's wrong before long."

"There's a safe room near here," Nitori commented. "Let's use that to warp right over."


We dropped into the chapel from the skylight and walked right up to the tall, golden guard.

"Sorry to keep you waiting," I said.

"Who are you?!" it accosted. "Thieves?! I knew it, this was a trick so you could all take me on alone!"

"We're here to take the Will Seed," Mamiko declared, "and clear the distortion of your wicked master who has so sullied the great name of Buddha!"

"Foolish girl," it shouted, "I have been tasked by the great Hijiri-dono to guard this place! I am her strongest and most trusted servant." It stood silent for a moment. "No matter, I will kill you all myself, without the help of my minions whom you all lured away and killed without mercy or honor!"

"As if," Marisa balked. "Once we're done with you, Imma sell that fancy gown of yours for a fatass pile of cash!"

"Fools," the shadow threatened. "Your greed and arrogance shall be your downfall!" The room started to shake, and the shadow began to distort and quiver.

"This is bad," I cautioned. "Everyone, get ready!"

The shadow dissolved into blackness, which then rose up from the floor, a writhing, pulsating mass of pure darkness, before exploding into light. We were hit by a wall of wind as a figure emerged from where the mass had been, its cry echoing throughout the chapel, then swooping over us. The being, a large bird with colorful plumage and five red, blue, yellow, black and white tail feathers, hovered in the air in front of us, letting out another piercing screech and spreading its wings threateningly.

"Holy shit, it's Suzaku!" Reimu exclaimed. "One of the Four Gods!"

"Get ready, everyone," Nitori said. "This one's gonna be rough!"

Both of them were right. Suzaku, one of the Four Gods and protector of the South and the Summer Season, also known as the Vermillion Bird or Zhuque. It was, without a doubt, the toughest opponent we had faced thus far, and its strategy consisted of trying to burn us with its Agi attacks, then capitalizing on the burn with Frei attacks. It was a good thing Bond had Baisudi, or else we all would have been in a great heap of trouble.

"Ow, shit, that's hot!" Marisa exclaimed, her robe and hat both ablaze. "Doktor, got anything on it's weak spots?!"

"Just finished the scan," Nitori replied. "Fire and Nuke are no good, but Ice attacks will freeze its feathers solid!"

"Okay, cool. Fury, get your ass up here!" Marisa shouted.

"Allow me!" Youmu swooped in and called Hioari to use Bufu, causing Suzaku to stagger and allowing her to follow up with a vicious slash. I myself called up Nigi Mitama, which I had fused during one of my Velvet Room visits here, and used Mabufu to freeze a wide area, keeping the bird frozen to the floor.

"Alright, let's move in!" I called out. We closed in to deliver a group attack, before Suzaku exploded into a ring of flames, melting the ice and catching Youmu in the crossfire.

"Owowow!" Youmu fell onto the ground, her armor ablaze. "When did fire start hurting so much?!"

"Geh. It's risky for Fury to take it head-on." I looked over to Reimu. "Don't just stand there, Seraph, do something!"

"What the hell am I supposed to do?!" Reimu shouted. "That thing's on fire, I can't do a jack of shit against it!"

"Shoot it or something," I said back. "Doesn't your Persona also have Gun attacks?"

"Yeah, but-"

"Looks like it's my time to shine, hee-ho!" All of a sudden, Father Frost emerged from Reimu's gohei and wasted no time casting Bufu on Suzaku, knocking it down again. "I told you you could use my power as you wanted, ho!"

Reimu looked down at him, then looked back at Suzaku. "Oh, yeah… well, I guess you're not completely useless after all." She pointed her gohei at the bird. "C'mon, let's dogpile it!" So we all got together and smeared Suzaku with ice attacks, with even Marisa, who didn't have any, getting in on the fun by taking out a freeze spray, before Mamiko moved in and mightily whacked it, shattering the ice and leaving Suzaku a shriveled heap on the floor.

We wasted no time surrounding it in a hold-up. "Now then," I said, "we can either settle this peacefully, or we can cut you up. Don't worry, we'll put your feathers to good use in the real world."

"I refuse!" it shouted. "I would rather die than betray Hijiri-dono!"

"Tsk tsk, that's too bad. So, the great god Suzaku meets its end, a brainwashed guard in a false shrine, at the hands of a kappa, a doll, a half-ghost, a witch, a miko and the Charismatic Ace Detective…"

Then, all of a sudden, it looked up. "Wait, I know that name… ah! I remember now!" It got up, perched itself and spread its wings. "I was taken by a malevolent force and brainwashed into being a guard in this place. Now, you have all freed me from that curse, and I can return to my home in the stars. I am Suzaku, guardian of the Summer and the South. Take this as a symbol of my gratitude, and when the time is right, we shall surely meet again." It twirled up into the air and disappeared into light, dropping a talisman with each of its five colored feathers on it, as well as a piece of parchment.

I picked up the talisman and put it in my pocket. "Another job well done, another fight well fought, and another shadow freed."

"Yeah, but that was a really rough one," Marisa said, fixing her outfit.

"I'd expect no less of one of the Four Gods," Reimu commented. "It's almost like we were fighting the real deal, even if it was just a shadow…"

"It did say it was 'returning to its home in the stars,' Youmu said. "Maybe we actually did fight and free the real one?"

Nitori picked up the parchment piece and looked at it. "Look at this! It's another map! And it tells us where the blue Will Seed is!"

"Really? Where?" Marisa asked.

"There's a basement level under the basilica which we can access from this chapel," Nitori said. The Will Seed is in there. I'll save it to the map so I can guide us all there."

"Excellent," I said. "Let's grab the Will Seed that's here, then head down."


The stairs in the chapel led us down several flights, until eventually we arrived in a dark abyss, a maze of halls and catacombs lit only by sparsely placed torches.

"What is this place?" I wondered.

Reimu looked around. "If I had to say, probably someplace based on the Hall of Dreams Great Mausoleum, the system of tombs underneath the Myouren Temple where Miko and her subordinates were laid, waiting for the day that they would be resurrected."

"But why would it be built underneath the Temple?" I asked.

"Well, technically, the Temple was built over the Mausoleum," Marisa explained. "It can turn back and forth between a building and a large flyin' ship called the Palanquin Ship. Several years ago, Byakuren's acolytes resurrected her from her imprisonment in Hokkai, and the Mausoleum's grounds were where the ship landed, although no one knew it was there since they had only appeared in Gensokyo a couple centuries prior in what had been a remote and fairly boring patch of land. Unfortunately, this also caused the seal on the Mausoleum to break, which led to conflict between the two since they hate each other for reasons. Nowadays, though, Miko and her gang live in Senkai, and the only person who really goes down there anymore is a hermit named Seiga Kaku 'cause that's where she keeps her zombie, and she otherwise lives near the village."

I wasn't even going to ask about the zombie, at least not until after we were out of the fortress. Instead, I turned my attention to Youmu, who appeared to be clinging to my leg shaking like a Hitachi Magic Wand. "Are you scared?" I asked.

"N-n-no… it's… it's just-"

"If it makes you feel any better, there are no ghosts in the Metaverse. If there's anything down here, it'll likely just be more shadows like the ones we've been slaughtering like cattle up to this point."

"Oh, okay…" Youmu got up and drew her sword. "If anything crosses my path, I-I'll k-k-KILL THEM."

"Just watch where you're pointing that thing," Reimu reminded her. "Now then, let's move forward."

"Right. Lead the way, Doktor," I said.

"Got it." Nitori got in front of us and produced a flashlight, which allowed us to see better in the dark catacombs. The place was a labyrinth, with many hallways criss-crossing each other and others which led to dead-ends. Some shadows patrolled the hallways, although none we hadn't seen up to this point. There were treasure chests, scraps and other materials scattered about. We checked every nook and cranny, leaving no stone unturned, as we searched for a way to the blue Will Seed.

In the center of the maze, we came to a brightly lit area much different in appearance from the rest of the catacombs: a garden area, with a reflecting pond and a bridge lined with Byakuren statues leading to a central tower. "Bingo," Nitori said. "We're almost there. The blue Will Seed is in that tower."

"Let's head in and head up, then," I said. We crossed the bridge, checking for traps or ambushes, then entered the tower itself. There was a safe room at the base; we theorized that, since Byakuren didn't really control the Mausoleum in real life, her control here was weaker than on the surface, hence why there was a safe room right smack in the middle of the catacombs so close to the Will Seed. Once we were ready, we ascended the stairs, ready for anything and everything.

Once we got to the top, we were faced with what appeared to be a sealed tomb. No doubt, this was where our Will Seed was kept.

"This looks just like the tomb Miko emerged from…" Youmu mused.

"Brings back memories, eh?" Marisa said.

"If it's Miko's tomb," Reimu said, "then no doubt it would exist within Byakuren's cognition as the place where her nemesis sprung forth from, and which she would try to subconsciously bury…"

"HEHEHEHEHEHEHE…" came a cackling, Skeletor-like voice.

We jolted and looked around frantically. "Who was that?"

"I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR YOU, BRAVE SOULS. YOU HAVE DONE WELL TO BEST THAT GUARD AND MAKE YOUR WAY ALL THE WAY DOWN HERE."

I drew my knife. "Show yourself!"

"MY MY, SO BRASH, SO WILLING TO RESORT TO FORCE AND VIOLENCE." The tomb creaked open, revealing a skeleton draped in gold-and-jade robes - Daisoujou.

"A Sokushinbutsu?" Mamiko asked.

"ONE MIGHT REFER TO ME AS THAT. ALLOW ME TO INTRODUCE MYSELF. I AM DAISOUJOU, THE ULTIMATE ENLIGHTENED, AND SERVANT OF THE AGENT OF PROVIDENCE." An object, the Blue Will Seed, floated up from just behind him. "I PRESUME YOU ARE HERE TO CLAIM THIS, THE LAST OF BYAKUREN HIJIRI'S WILL SEEDS? SHE TRULY IS A WICKED PERSON, ONE WHO USES THE NAME OF THE GREAT BUDDHA FOR HER OWN SELFISH GAIN AND VANITY. SUCH A PERSON DESERVES NO MERCY, NO SALVATION, NO CHANCE TO ATTAIN NIRVANA."

I lowered my weapon. "You… you do not serve Byakuren's shadow?"

"I SERVE THE AGENT OF PROVIDENCE. I TRUST YOU HAVE MET MY COLLEAGUE IN ANOTHER DISTORTED REALM AS THIS?"

"You mean the Matador?" I asked.

"YOU PASSED HIS TRIAL RATHER WELL. BUT I WONDER, CAN YOU PREVAIL AGAINST THE TRIAL I PRESENT TO YOU NOW?" The Will Seed disappeared, and he floated up out of the tomb towards us. "ONE MUST BE AWARE OF THEIR SURROUNDINGS, AND BE OPEN TO GAINING NEW KNOWLEDGE. NOW THEN, HOW KNOWLEDGEABLE HAVE YOU BECOME OVER THE COURSE OF YOUR TRAVELS?"

Suddenly, the area we were in began to light up, before flashing brightly. When we opened our eyes, the scenery had completely changed, to that of a kitschy game-show set with shadows in the audience and three podiums with attached buzzers.

"What the hell?!" Reimu and Marisa exclaimed in unison.

"AND NOW, WELCOME, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, TO THE 67TH ANNUAL SUPER FUN QUIRK QUIZ!" Daisoujou announced. "THE ONLY GAME SHOW THAT TESTS YOUR MENTAL MIGHT AND METTLE LIKE NO OTHERS IN ALL OF THE METAVERSE! NOW, LET US WELCOME OUR CONTESTANTS!" Two shadows entered the stage, a Principality from the left, and a Flauros from the right. Each took their respective podiums, leaving the middle one empty. "AND NOW, LET US REVEAL TODAY'S CATEGORIES!" A large TV screen lit up, revealing nine squares arranged into three categories: "Gensokyo Trivia," "This Very Fortress," and "All About Outside."

"ALLOW ME TO EXPLAIN THE RULES," Daisoujou announced. "EACH ROUND, A QUESTION WILL BE ASKED FROM ONE OF THESE CATEGORIES. THE FIRST QUESTION WILL BE CHOSEN RANDOMLY. ONCE I HAVE READ THE QUESTION, AND SHOWN ITS POSSIBLE ANSWERS, YOUR BUZZERS WILL ACTIVATE, AND THE FIRST PERSON TO BUZZ IN WILL GET THE CHANCE TO ANSWER. IF THEY ANSWER CORRECTLY, YOU WILL RECEIVE ONE POINT, AND YOU WILL SELECT THE NEXT QUESTION. ANSWER INCORRECTLY, AND THE PERSON TO YOUR LEFT WILL RECEIVE A CHANCE TO ANSWER. THE FIRST PERSON TO RECEIVE THREE POINTS WINS TODAY'S PRIZE... THE BLUE WILL SEED!" He stuck his hand out, revealing the Will Seed in question. "OF COURSE, IT WOULD BE TOO EASY IF THE WINNER WERE TO SIMPLY WALK AWAY WITH THE PRIZE. ANY OTHER CONTESTANT MAY THEN CHALLENGE THEM TO A DUEL, AND TAKE THE PRIZE RIGHT FROM THEIR HANDS!" He turned to face us. "NOW, WHICH OF YOU BRAVE SOULS WILL TAKE THE CHALLENGE?"

I studied the question board, and thought about the rules Daisoujou laid out. "These categories… I just arrived in Gensokyo, so I feel as though I would not do well answering questions from that category."

"And 'All About Outside' would be tough as a nut for the rest of us," Marisa said.

"Not only that, but the way the questions are set up, not only would at least one question from either category be asked in the event all of us tied," Youmu said, "but we could get unlucky and have all three questions from that category be asked, and the Will Seed taken from us just like that."

Reimu sighed. "So we have to choose our weakest category…" She looked up, then stepped forward. "I'll go."

"Are you sure?" I asked her.

"We've told you some of Gensokyo's stories, but no one knows its lore and history as well as I do. Plus, I feel like I know enough about the Outside from Sanae's and Sumireko's ramblings that I could make educated guesses."

We all nodded. "Very well. Please do not let us down."

Reimu assumed the central podium, and faced us and the crowd. "EXCELLENT, WE HAVE ALL OF OUR CONTESTANTS." He faced us all again. "JUST AS A FRIENDLY REMINDER, IF AN AUDIENCE MEMBER TRIES TO HELP A CONTESTANT, I WILL KILL THEM."

"Oh, gee, thanks," Nitori said sarcastically.

"NOW, LET US START THE GAME!" The screen lit up, and the squares began to flash like a roulette wheel, gradually slowing until it settled on the first question, which, much to our luck, was in the "Gensokyo Trivia" category. ""FIRST QUESTION: WHICH OF THESE INDIVIDUALS IS NOT A RESIDENT OF THE SCARLET DEVIL MANSION?"

KOAKUMA

YOSHIKA MIYAKO

PATCHOULI KNOWLEDGE

Almost immediately, Reimu buzzed in. "Simple: Yoshika Miyako." She smiled confidently.

"THAT IS CORRECT." One of the three lights on Reimu's podium lit up. ""AS EVERYONE KNOWS, YOSHIKA MIYAKO IS THE JIANG-SHI OWNED AND CONTROLLED BY THE WICKED HERMIT, SEIGA KAKU. NEITHER OF THEM LIVE AT THE SCARLET DEVIL MANSION, WHILE THE OTHER TWO WORK IN THE MANSION'S LIBRARY." The crowd clapped and cheered. "YOU GET TO SELECT WHICH CATEGORY TO ANSWER NEXT."

"Alright, let's do another 'Gensokyo Trivia' question." A square on the screen lit up and flipped around to reveal the question.

"GENSOKYO HAS THREE SAGES, ONLY TWO OF WHICH, YUKARI YAKUMO AND KASEN IBARAKI, ARE KNOWN TO BE ACTIVE. WHAT IS THE IDENTITY OF THE THIRD, LOST SAGE?"

KEIKI HANIYASUSHIN

CHIMATA TENKYUU

OKINA MATARA

Reimu paused and grimaced. "I-I don't know that! Nobody is supposed to-"

The Principality buzzed in. "I believe I have heard the name 'Okina Matara' in some circles.'" The bell rang and a light lit up on his podium.

"GOOD, GOOD. OKINA MATARA, FOR THOSE OF YOU AT HOME, IS THE THIRD SAGE OF GENSOKYO, WHO STEPPED AWAY FROM ACTIVE DUTIES SHORTLY AFTER THE HAKUREI BORDER WAS CONSTRUCTED, AND WHO WAS QUICKLY FORGOTTEN AFTERWARDS AS A RESULT."

"Wow, somethin' even Reimu didn't know," Marisa said.

"This isn't going as planned…" I sighed.

Since the Principality answered the question correctly, it got to choose the next category, the one which just so happened to be our weak point: All About Outside.

"JAPAN IS DIVIDED INTO SEVERAL REGIONS. WHICH OF THESE REGIONS IS LOCATED RIGHT OUTSIDE OF THE HAKUREI BORDER?"

CHŪBU REGION

HOKKAIDO REGION

SHIKOKU REGION

I figured out the answer in my head: Keine mentioned that Gensokyo was once located in Nagano Prefecture, which I remembered was in the vast Chubu Region. Not that I could assist Reimu with that, though, and so I witnessed Principality buzz in again.

"Is it… Hokkaido?"

BZZT. "NO. HOKKAIDO IS ITS OWN REGION AND PREFECTURE." Play then passed to Reimu, who hesitated for a moment before guessing "...er… I don't know Outside regions that well ...Sh-Shikoku?"

BZZT. "WRONG AGAIN. SHIKOKU IS THE ISLAND REGION IN WESTERN JAPAN, SOUTH OF KANSAI."

Play then passed to Flauros. "Finally, I get to answer! It must be Chūbu!"

"THAT IS CORRECT. CHŪBU IS THE SECOND LARGEST AND MOST MOUNTAINOUS REGION OF JAPAN, STRETCHING FROM SHORE TO SHORE AND BEARING THE SACRED MT. FUJI, THE TALLEST MOUNTAIN IN JAPAN. THE LARGEST CITY IN THE REGION IS NAGOYA. GENSOKYO WAS ONCE LOCATED IN THE CHŪBU REGION, IN THE AREA IN WHICH THE TOWN OF CHINO NOW STANDS." Flauros chose the next category, This Very Palace, one which seemed would be a complete toss-up.

"WHICH OF THESE IS THE ORIGINAL CHINESE NAME OF SUZAKU?"

FENG HUANG

ZHUQUE

HUANG LONG

Someone in the audience shouted, "Oh! Oh! I know this one! It's F-"

"I SAID NO HELPING," Daisoujou barked, before lifting his bell and ringing it, casting Samsara into the audience and causing several shadows to explode into black mist. I thought I could hear a Wilhelm Scream from there as well.

"Holy shit, he wasn't kidding," Nitori commented.

Shortly after, Reimu buzzed in, seeming more confident this time. "I know this one, it is Zhuque, the Vermillion Bird of the South and the Summer season."

"THAT IS CORRECT. SINCE YOU ALL JUST DEFEATED SUZAKU, IT'S NO SURPRISE YOU WOULD ALL KNOW THAT." All of us smiled. We were now all just one question away from victory.

"Now then, I kind of blew the last one, but I won't fail again," Reimu said. "Gensokyo Trivia!" The last remaining tile in that category flipped around to reveal the question.

"THERE IS AN INDIVIDUAL BY THE NAME OF MOMOYO HIMEMUSHI. WHAT IS THEIR SPECIAL POWER?"

CREATING TYPHOONS

REARRANGING STELLAR OBJECTS

EATING DRAGONS

Reimu jumped back, buzzing in as she did so. "Ah! I don't know who that is! Uh, er… creating typhoons?"

BZZT. "INCORRECT."

"WHA- another one Reimu didn't know?" Youmu exclaimed.

Play passed to Flauros, and Reimu mumbled to herself, "what her power be? Certainly it couldn't be eating dragons, since dragons are the most powerful beings in-"

"Eating dragons," said Flauros.

"THAT IS THE CORRECT ANSWER."

"What the- how could be-" Reimu exclaimed.

"MOMOYO IS AN OOMUKADE, A GIANT CENTIPEDE YOUKAI CAPABLE OF EATING DRAGONS."

Reimu paused, then slumped over her podium. "... God dammit. How could I forget that?"

Flauros selected a 'This Very Fortress' question next, which flashed on the screen:

"WHICH OF THESE SHADOWS DOES NOT APPEAR IN THE FORTRESS'S GARDENS?"

HIGH PIXIE

SUDAMA

AME-NO-UZUME

Reimu, who was panicking at this point, thought aloud, "I thought all of those were in the gardens, though…"

Principality buzzed in. "I often patrol out there, I have never seen a Sudama."

"THAT'S RIGHT. THERE ARE NO SUDAMAS IN THE GARDENS, BUT THERE ARE PLENTY OF KODAMAS." The game was now completely tied up. Whoever answered the next question would win the round. I recalled, of course, that Reimu could simply beat up whoever won the Will Seed, but both shadows looked tough, and I was unsure if she could win. "Please let the next category be Fortress, please let the next category be-"

"All About Outside," Principality said.

"...fuck."

"THIS IS THE LAST, TIEBREAKING QUESTION! ARE YOU ALL READY? THEN HERE WE GO!" One of the tiles in that category flipped over on the screen:

"WHO IS THE WORLD-FAMOUS MASCOT OF THE POCKET MONSTERS FRANCHISE?"

PIKACHU

CHARIZARD

LUCARIO

"...err…" Principality hesitated.

"What the hell's a Pokeymonster?" Flauros asked.

Reimu buzzed in. "I… I actually know this one. Sanae won't shut up about them. I think it's… Pikachu?"

Silence, for a moment, before the entire stage lit up with a rainbow of lights, a deafening chorus of bells and whistles, and a shower of confetti as Reimu's podium lit up like a Christmas tree.

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, WE HAVE A WINNER!" Daisoujou floated over to Reimu as she stepped off her podium. "AS PROMISED, THE BLUE WILL SEED IS YOURS! AND, AN EXTRA PRIZE FROM OUR SPONSOR, .JP!" He handed Reimu a red Fidget Spinner. Reimu triumphantly held the Will Seed over her head, before being accosted by Flauros.

"Now wait just a moment, missy!" he demanded. "This guy said I could beat you up to take that Will Seed all for myself!"

Reimu spread her wings, whipped out her gun and her Bless-infused gohei, and Father Frost also appeared alongside her. "Wanna try me?" I knew from experience that Flauros was weak to Ice and, as the shadow of a demon, afraid of Bless as well.

Flauros stepped back, then exited the stage. "Uh, er, you keep it, then!"

She turned around and pointed the gun at Principality. "How about you?" Principality just silently floated offstage.

All of us gathered in the center of the room, where the Will Seeds combined into one Crystal of Vanity. Nitori took it into her hands, and marvelled at it. "Whoa… I can feel the power brimming from this thing!"

"THANK YOU FOR PLAYING! DO WELL ON YOUR JOURNEY, AND WE SHALL SURELY MEET AGAIN, AS COMRADES FIGHTING SIDE-BY-SIDE!" A circle formed around us, before it started lifting us in the air as the crowd cheered and a cheesy tune blared at full volume.


We emerged in the center of a grand chamber, filled with murals, golden support beams, and in front of us, a hazy rainbow cloud hung in the air.

"What's this place?" Mamiko asked.

Nitori summoned a radar dish from her Persona to scan the area. "According to my sensors, we're… inside the basilica."

I clasped my hands together. "Seems as though our hard work has paid off. All thanks to you, and especially Seraph in the end."

"Yeah, but she ain't as knowledgeable 'bout Gensokyo as she claims," Marisa said, poking Reimu.

"Like you would have done any better," Reimu countered.

"Yeah, but I ain't claimin' I know everything there is to know about Gensokyo!"

"But she still got one question from each category correct," Youmu pointed out. "We should give her credit for that. I would not have gotten that last question right, for example."

"Indeed, we should be grateful she was able to answer all the questions correctly." I turned to the hazy cloud hanging above us. "Now then… this must be where the core is."

"Inside that cloud?" Mamiko asked.

"It looks different from the core in Yuyuko's fortress," Reimu noted. "It's not a white ball wrapped in chains and a force field."

"Maybe we have to draw Byakuren out now that we got all the Will Seeds?" She looked up and shouted, "HEY, HIJIRI! YA HEAR US? GET YER ASS OUT HERE SO WE CAN PUMMEL YA!"

There was no response.

I sighed. "That's not going to work, you know." I looked at the cloud again. "Perhaps, and this is just from my experience with the Phantom Thieves, perhaps the core looks like this because Byakuren does not currently believe her distorted desires are in danger of being taken."

"But I thought the path to the core was opened up after collecting the Will Seeds!" Marisa said.

"Yuyuko may have been an anomaly," I suggested. "First off, she herself admitted that she took a weaker form during our fight with her, and that she could have dispatched us rather easily. I've come to believe she may have somehow subconsciously fought against the distortion, which allowed us to defeat her in spite of being greenhorns."

"Indeed," Youmu said, "in retrospect, it seemed like she was chaotically flip-flopping between carrying out her duties, most notably handling the developing Outside case, and being a childish glutton. By contrast, Byakuren seems to be fully living out her distortion, which is strong enough to even snap her back." She kicked her feet. "Yuyuko-sama has always been a strong-willed person, very strong-willed, so it wouldn't surprise me that she could fight against her distortion."

"But that clearly isn't the case here," Reimu said. "So what are we supposed to do?"

I looked at the hazy cloud one more time… and smirked. "Do you remember when I was talking about Calling Cards?"

"Calling Cards?" Nitori asked.

"If we send Byakuren a Calling Card, warn her that we are about to take her distorted desires, that should elicit a reaction from her, and make her core manifest here as well."

"I see," Mamiko observed. "If we warn her that her heart will be changed, that will make her think her distortion is in danger of being broken."

"Precisely," I said. "Now then, we have all the Will Seeds and have secured a route to the core. Let's leave the fortress and meet again tomorrow to hash out the details of the Calling Card, and how to send it."

"I'm sensing a Safe Room near here," Nitori said. "We can all warp back safely to the entrance. Or, if you all still have some energy, we can train some more and collect some treasure…"

"Eh, I still got some kickin' left in me," Marisa said. "We never checked out the buildings on the northern end, I kinda wanna scrounge 'em for treasure."

"Understandable," I said. "I have no objections. If you all want to do it as well, we can go up to the north side and look for treasure."

Everyone else nodded.

"Alright then, let's head right over." We warped to the Library safe room, then spent some time exploring the northern buildings, extracting money from the shadows, stealing objects and opening chests for armor and weapons. Once there were no shadows left alive in the entire fortress, we took our leave. It was dark, cold and snowy when we left, so we all immediately went our separate ways, with Marisa guiding me back to the Village before taking off into the dark abyss of the Forest of Magic. I was tired from the infiltration, so after dinner I went straight to bed, thinking about how, tomorrow, I would write and send my first and very own Calling Card, just like Joker and the Phantom Thieves of Hearts I had once opposed, and a step which, as Black Mask, had been unnecessary, to say the least.