2/9
I braved the cold of winter, the persistent assault of snowflakes, and the occasional burst of hail, to fly to the Hakurei Shrine.
I had only one objective. Two, if Reimu felt up to Spell Card practice.
I touched down, passed by the komano statues, and entered the main shrine. There, on the side, behind the bars, was the man who I wished to meet.
"Good morning, Maruki-san," I said. "How have you been?"
Maruki looked up from his breakfast, a bowl of porridge. "Good morning, Akechi-kun."
I knelt down. "I see Reimu-san has been feeding you well? I was told she doesn't have much of a food budget."
"Well, you see…"
At that moment, Suika walked in with fruit and tea. "Good morning! Am I interrupting your 'dude time?'"
I shook my head. "Not at all. I just wanted to check up on Reimu's prisoner, that's all."
"Well, I mean, girls outnumber guys here in Gensokyo. Interrupting 'dude time' is a serious breach of etiquette, after all~" She slipped the food through the slot in the cell.
"Thank you," Maruki said. He took a sip of the tea. "...this is quite delicious."
"We drink a lot of tea here in Gensokyo, and a proud oni like me only wants the best for myself and others."
"I thought you only drank sake," I said.
"'Ey, just because I get my strength from sake doesn't mean that a spot of tea every now and then isn't uncalled for," Suika replied.
Maruki looked at her between bites. "So, you really are an oni?"
"Not just any oni. You probably know me by my old name: Shuten-doji."
"You are… Shuten-doji?" Maruki was puzzled. "But… I thought that you-"
"There's a lotta stuff the history books don't get right," she said. "I'm sure you'll realize that, in however much time it takes for the Sages to come by and make their decision. Of course, Yukarin is still hibernatin', I reckon she'll be up in time for flower-viewin'."
"I have yet to see Yukari-sama myself," I said. "Since I came near the beginning of Winter…"
"How did you arrive here in Genoskyo?" Maruki asked. "Or, well, what I mean to ask is, what was it like when you got here?"
"What was it like?" I thought back to that day. "I fell out of the sky, and was found unconscious in the snow by a forest hermit. She brought me back to her house and nursed me back to health. I woke up on Christmas Day. That day, her friend from town came to visit, and led me back to the village. She found me housing and work with the owner of a secondhand shop, and I've been working for him ever since."
"I see," Maruki nodded. "Your situation now is sort of like Ren-kun's, living in the attic of LeBlanc and working for Sakura-san."
"Well, except I'm not on probation," I smiled.
Suika got up and stretched. "Well, I'd love to stay and talk, but I got shit to get to today, so I'll let you two have your 'dude time.'"
I looked around. "Speaking of which, would you happen to know where Reimu is?"
"That's actually part of the business I hafta get to today," she said. "This month's full moon is a couple days from now, and youkai attacks always ramp up on the days around it, so she has to ramp up her patrols; I offered her a hand in investigating. Usually, she says no, but this time she actually said yes without hesitatin'." She shrugged. "Usually, she's too cranky to let a youkai help her with her job, but she's been actin' differently ever since you came into the picture. Iunno, maybe havin' a guy friend is makin' her act strange." She then promptly left, leaving me and Maruki together to continue our chat.
Once she was out of earshot, I turned back to Maruki. "So, yes, I survived Shido's palace, and ended up here. But… how did you know all of that?"
Maruki chuckled. "Well, I suppose you could say that, just as you were spying on me, so was I keeping an eye on you. Ren-kun. He would talk at length about you, and he confided his suspicions to me about you. That's how I learned about 'palaces,' and, more specifically, how Shido had one." He shook his fist. "After I lost Rumi, Shido and his cronies swooped in like vultures and stole all of my cognitive psience research. I lost everything, and cursed the world around me." He looked up, and adjusted his glasses. "That's when it happened. I was visiting Rumi at the psychiatric ward. Just when I had lost hope that I could heal her pain, I felt… something awaken within me. A power. A power which I found could erase Rumi's memory of that horrific incident… at the cost of making her forget about me."
"Ah, yes, the murder of Rumi's parents," I nodded. "I myself did not investigate that case, but I know Naoto Shirogane eventually found the killers hiding out in a shack in the hills outside Niigata. You have her to thank for avenging Rumi's family."
"I know that," Maruki said, "but that still doesn't heal the pain in my heart from losing her. However… I realized that I had the ability to erase traumas, and give everyone the happy, painless lives they wished for, even if it was, and I realize now, an illusion. I had gained the power to directly alter people's cognitions. I did this with Sumire, to make her think she was Kasumi in order to remove the suicidal depression and self-loathing which she possessed. I realized now that this power was, in fact, my Persona."
I looked down. "So… you awakened a Persona. That's why I could never find your shadow; it had already become your Persona by the time I was assigned to silence you."
"Indeed. Over the course of my time at Shujin, I interviewed several students and asked them about their pasts and traumas, including every member of the Phantom Thieves. I learned enough about the human heart, and advanced my Cognitive Psience research enough during that time, that I was able to piece together a damning report that I brought to one of my old professors. By that point, he was already under Shido's thumb, but I just wanted to stick it in his face and spite him anyway." He took a sip of his tea. "It was at that point that the world around me distorted, and a golden statue appeared before me. At first, I was frightened by what was going on, and what this ghastly thing, with black tentacles coming out of it sprawled across the ground, was. Then it spoke up, explained it was, in fact, me, my inner power, and that the time to change the world was at hand. After that, I understood perfectly. I took control of the cognitive world, the Metaverse, and sought to create a perfect world where there was no pain and suffering, by using my power to manipulate cognitions on a mass scale. I felt that, even if I could never attain happiness again, I could keep others from knowing my pain."
He looked down. "That's when it happened. I took Sumire into my palace, the place from which I controlled the cognitive world, when she remembered the truth about her past and was on the verge of mentally breaking down. I tried to help her regain happiness. Ren, and the version of you I created not knowing you were still alive, disagreed. Eventually, the other Phantom Thieves, who had somehow broken the spell I had placed upon them, barged into the room as well. And… that's when she made her appearance known. She was there with, I guess, Marisa as well, but throughout the ensuing fight she was the focus of my intrigue and fear. An angel with one demonic wing, who fought fiercely and relentlessly and kept going on about a 'Gensokyo' place whose balance I was threatening. In my then-current state of mind, I simply dismissed it all as religious folly, but I know now she wasn't lying. She was hell-bent on delivering justice to me, and were it not for Marisa's intervention, she would have executed me right there."
"We think there was a purpose behind that," I said.
"...what do you mean?" Maruki asked.
"Right after coming here, I discovered that Gensokyo has a Metaverse incident of its own: there's a central tower, known as Ethos, which spawns and imprisons people's shadows within 'fortresses.' It is very similar to Mementos. We're starting to believe this incident has a central mastermind; exactly who, we don't know yet. I met with a tapir named Doremy Sweet, who manages the Dream World and is familiar with these sorts of things. She told me that some force had thrust Reimu and Marisa's dream bodies into your palace, with one goal: killing you. Because of Marisa's action, it failed. This most recent time, it may have sent Reimu alone, figuring that she would kill you for certain, without Marisa to stop her."
"Indeed. The second time I met her, was the 'Day of Fates' on which I meant to finalize my actualization, to rid the world of pain forever. The Phantoms, of course, showed up to stop me, but she appeared as well. The Phantoms fought valiantly, but her fighting style was nothing short of aggressive and relentless. I soon evolved my Persona into its ultimate form, Adam Kadmon, and declared the finality of my reality. She dueled me one-on-one, and managed to defeat me; even though my power was far greater, she was the more skilled combatant, and I simply could not react to her quick movements and fast strikes."
"That wouldn't surprise me, based on the stories she has told me," I said. "Her family is a lineage of warriors responsible for maintaining Gensokyo's balance, eliminating threats posed by youkai, gods, ghosts and evil spirits wielding phenomenal power. She has told me she had been training for fierce combat ever since she was only four, and killed her first offender when she was only five. So, yes, she's a seasoned combatant, because she's been fighting for over twenty years."
"Over… twenty years?" Maruki asked. "But, she doesn't seem that old…"
"Her twenty-seventh birthday is actually next month, on the third. She just doesn't age as fast as normal humans, for some unknown reason."
"Is that so?" Maruki chuckled. "Interesting… then, she is actually only one month younger than Rumi. Her birthday is the 3rd of February, which was also my 'Day of Fates." He shook his head. "In any case, in a desperate bid to win against them, I merged with Adam Kadmon and unleashed the full force of my vision. Just when I thought I had turned the tables, however, they suddenly received a tremendous burst of power, which Sumire noted was due to, apparently, doors on their backs. I saw the cause was a woman, floating in the background, feeding power into them. I tried to strike her directly, but I suppose she saw it coming, because she then used her power on Ren's Persona to power it up and have it land a crippling blow. The Thieves held back our last, desperate strike, and Reimu used the opportunity to fire a shot which broke my mask. That caused Adam Kadmon to die, and my dream world to come apart. She was absolutely unrepentant, still wishing to execute me for my crimes. I cried out, cursing my ruined life and the world's tyranny. The floor broke below me, and I resigned myself to my fate…" He finished his tea. "And then, she reached over and grabbed my hand. She looked me in the eyes. And she proclaimed, 'I will hold you to your actions. I will see justice done."
"...I see," I nodded. "And then somehow, you ended up here, and became Reimu's prisoner, awaiting whatever fate she has in store for you."
"Indeed…" Maruki looked sullen. "I've been taken to another world, away from everything I know. But then… I don't know if I can face the real world anymore."
I shook my head. "Believe me, I thought the same. How the Outside would learn of my crimes, if they haven't already. But it isn't like I don't want to face justice: my apartment would have been liquidated by now, my belongings given away, all in the belief I am dead, so nothing would be left for me out there anyway; if nothing else, restarting would be very, very difficult, and my status as a bastard would be public and inescapable. Here, I have a chance to start over, to build a new name for myself, and atone for my crimes by discarding my sins and pursuing a pious life." I took out my Metaverse key, and spun it around my finger. "And with this brewing incident, I believe I'm off to a good start."
Maruki smiled. "I'm glad you're fighting for your own future and ideals, Akechi-kun."
"Just call me Goro," I said.
Maruki slumped back. "Still… I wished to grant everyone a world without pain or suffering. Where did I go so wrong, that the Phantom Thieves would oppose such a world?"
I looked up at him. "Because great people make the world great, and they inspire others to follow in their steps. Pain and suffering are intolerable, but we also grow from them, and move on from them. Death is inescapable: everyone dies eventually. Everyone experiences loss. The world has corrupt individuals, some of whom escape justice. Unless, of course, great men and women stand up to them and expose them, risking death and ruin while doing so. That is what separates the Phantom Thieves from you. And… what separated them from me, too." I slumped back. "I saw the world as a cruel, dark, dirty place which needed to be eliminated. He saw good in the populace and felt it could be saved. In the end, his ideals saw him and his crew to the corrupt God of Control, formed from the distorted desires of the masses, and defeated it. With Mementos gone and your 'perfect world' no more, the people of the world will surely wake up to the injustices around them and demand action and change. In other words, they'll make their own 'perfect world.'"
Maruki looked down, and chuckled. "Hehe… so, in other words, they would rather create their own ideal reality, rather than accept and embrace the one I literally gave them. I…"
I got up, and walked toward the door. I looked back at him. "Perhaps you will find the strength to overcome your own pain, as others have done." I then exited, and shut the door behind me.
2/10
I was going through my morning rounds, when the bell rang, and I saw Keine come through the door.
"Good morning~" she chirped. "How are you doing?"
"I'm fine," I said, hefting a heavy oak chest across the room.
"It's good to see you," Masato said. "How's the school going?"
"It's going great," she said. "Recently, two bullies came to me and apologized for their actions. It was so sudden, and came out of nowhere, and I'm glad that they did. I did, of course, have to follow through and give both of them detention, but they seemed sincere in their apologies, so I"m glad both of them had a change of heart."
I made no expression, but inside, I was glad that our handiwork had paid off.
"Well, that's great, I suppose," Masato said. "Certainly can't have the kids growing up to be delinquents." He then laughed. "Now, if only you could have been my teacher back when I was kid, then maybe I would have been less of a rapscallion…"
"I'm fairly certain it runs in the family," Keine said bluntly. "You are your daughter's father, after all."
Masato sat back down. "Oh, I suppose so…"
Keine then turned to me. "In any case, I have a favor to ask of you, today."
"What is it?" I asked.
"I'm giving a lecture today on the geography of Japan to my kids today. I was going to have Kosuzu as a guest speaker, but she said she was doing something with Reimu today, so I was wondering if you could fill in for her. You're from Outside, after all, so I'm sure you'd be very familiar with the subject."
I considered her favor. "Well, I mean, my own knowledge of Outside geography is limited to what I remember from my own classes, as well as the places I've had to visit as a detective, and then mostly in the context of police precincts…" I smiled. "But if it's for the sake of you and the kids, then I will do it."
Keine clapped her hands. "Splendid! I knew you would say yes, and I'm glad you did. The kids love you, after all."
Masato chuckled. "Well, that young man certainly has a way with people, I'll give him that." He looked at me. "Tell you what: I'll consider this part of your work for the week. Helping out the kids at the Temple School is important, after all."
"Thank you," I bowed. "I'll do my best." I got my jacket on, and followed Keine over to the school.
"And this island, up here, is Hokkaido. It is a cold place, and gets lots of snowfall each winter. In Sapporo, the capital city, they hold an annual snow sculpture festival which draws thousands of tourists."
The kids in the class looked on with awe, with some taking notes, as I pointed my cue to various places on the map of Japan with my cue.
"How do Outsiders get to the island?" one of the kids asked. "You said there's bridges to all the others."
"Well, there is no bridge between Honshu and Hokkaido," I explained. "The strait between them is too wide and deep for a bridge, but there is an undersea tunnel, which goes right under the strait, which is used by trains, and you can buy a ticket to ride across. There are also boats which can carry their cars across, but most people simply choose to fly there from Tokyo."
The boy's eyes widened in amazement. "They can dig tunnels under the sea? Outsiders are so cool!"
"Indeed," I smiled. "Outsiders are cool."
A girl raised her hand. "Um, you said most people fly there. Do they fly like Reimu-san or Marisa-san do?"
I shook my head. "No, humans Outside can't fly like that. Instead, we have these large, powerful machines called 'airplanes,' controlled by skilled pilots, which do the flying for us. They can fly far higher than any bird, and are incredibly fast, too. One can board a plane in Tokyo, then arrive at a city on the other side of the Pacific Ocean in just a few hours."
"Wow… I wish I could get on one of those and see the world," she said. "Akechi-sensei, have you ever left Japan?"
"I have," I nodded. "I've been to Hawaii on a school trip. I've also visited Korea." I smiled. "Of course, Japan's geography is quite varied, with mountains, oceans, snowy plains and tropical islands."
"Yeah, but are there cactuses?" one of the students asked.
I shook my head. "No, Japan does not have any…" I turned my head to the right, and only then noticed Keine's potted cactus. "...ah. That's why they'd be curious about it."
"Oh, yes, it was a present from Yuuka one year," she said. "My kids think it's just the coolest thing in the world."
We continued our lesson. I explained some more about the various different regions of Japan, and how we were, or at least would be if the Barrier didn't exist, in the central Chūbu region of the country. I also taught them about Mt. Fuji, the country's tallest peak. Afterwards, Keine gave the students her math lessons. Then there was lunch, then recess, then the younger kids were allowed to have "nap time," while the older ones were given Keine's history lessons, focusing on the Heian Period; her lectures were quite different from the ones my instructors Outside gave, given that she had (allegedly) true, real-life accounts of how the events actually went down from someone who lived through the period. The last lessons of the day were reading and writing for the younger students, and advanced composition for the older ones, before the students were let go for the day, their parents coming to the school to pick them up.
One thing I noticed was the overall lack of homework that was assigned; for the most part, only the older students had any. Keine explained to me that she carefully crafted her lessons in such a way as to minimize the amount of homework assigned, so that the students could spend more time with their families and help attend to their needs. It further underscored just how much emphasis was placed on family here in the Village.
After the students were gone, I helped clean up the classroom, putting chairs and desks back into place, wiping the desks and the shelves off, and sweeping the floor. After having cleaned up the shop so many times, sweeping and cleaning had become second nature, and I was fairly certain I could do it in my sleep by now. Meanwhile, Keine graded papers from all the students.
Both of us finished our respective jobs around the same time. Keine got up from her desk and bowed. "Thank you very much. You've been a big help today."
"I'm glad." I looked out toward the window. "If you have some time, we could go out and get a couple drinks, or maybe some sushi? Hopefully, not conveyor belt," I chuckled.
"Ah, sure, I-" Keine paused. "Er, actually, I have… things I need to do tonight." She hurried toward the door. "Apologies. Goro. I-I'll make it up to you later. Good night!"
"Wait, Keine-sa-"
She rushed out the door, slamming it behind her.
I stood there, looking at the door. I was mystified. What would cause her to act in such a strange way? I asked myself.
I shrugged. She must have her reasons, I figured. I took the key, left the school and locked up. I was certain she would come back for it later, so I put it in my pocket and took it back with me.
The evening sky was starting to dim, and the almost completely full moon shone above so large and so brightly, it was impossible to ignore. I looked up at it, and found myself captivated by its clarity and brightness.
I thought about Keine's strange behavior earlier. I also thought about my earlier guess of her possibly being a therianthrope, given Mokou's comments back at Christmas. It would certainly explain why she would rush back home and hastily refuse my request to have drinks with her. But unless I saw for myself what the truth was, it was all speculation. And in any case, it was likely Keine did not want anyone seeing her at this time.
So I shrugged and walked home through the glistening snow. I simply assumed tomorrow would be a normal Saturday. I did not anticipate the circus it would become.
