Reimu Hakurei was currently enjoying a nice hot cup of tea, the origins of which she dared not ask.
All she knew was that this tea is just as good, if not better than the ones she often brews for herself.
But while her mouth was busy being drenched in the marvelous flavour of fresh leaves, her mind was in a different place altogether.
She was never quite accustomed to modern technology, being a shrine maiden who had always lived far away from the modern society, and it didn't help that the average person in Gensokyo doesn't even know about electricity. Hell, she herself didn't quite know how electricity really works.
As such, the concept of a "television" is very much novel to her. The very thing in front of her eyes right now. Honestly? The concept of an object which could visually and audibly display a entire person, object, location, or something else entirely, through the medium of a thin glass sheet, is very intriguing. Not the weirdest thing she's ever seen in Gensokyo, but considering it's apparently not magic, it sure is something to pique the Hakurei maiden's interest.
Sanae had told her stories about how advanced the outside world was in terms of technology, specifically in information and commodities. One such product of the outside world that truly stood out to her, was what Sanae called the "Internet".
The way she explained it made it sound more like magic than science. An invisible, untouchable cloud that spanned across the entire world, where any and all sorts of information can be accessed with as easily as the movement of a finger or a simple sentence? Sounded like a power that only a powerful youkai or deity would possess, yet apparently everyone in the outside world could do just that. Would privacy even exist in such a society?
And now, this so-called Internet is also what she, as well as a select few individuals of Gensokyo who was also unfortunate enough to be "invited" here alongside her, will have the privilege of experiencing. Though the question of whether it's for better or for worse, well.. they're about to find out.
'What will we be watching?'
--
[After a long moment of static, the TV screen finally cleared itself to show... some type of warning?
'MAY CONTAIN CONTENT INAPPROPRIATE FOR CHILDREN
Visit for rating information' ]
"Imm-apro-priapp fer cheel-drmmm? Wooh- hdeshh -hdhat meemm? (Inappropriate for children? What does that mean?)" Said Marisa, while having a mouthful of French toast in her, ermm.. mouth.
"I think it means that whatever we're about to see may have somewhat mature themes?" Sakuya guessed, while taking a spoonful out of her cereal milk bowl.
"*Gulp*... and, what does 'ESRB' mean?" Marisa asked once more after swallowing her breakfast.
"I don't remember very well, but I think it's a sort of organisation that assigns age and content ratings for video games." Sanae explained.
"Video games?" Marisa questioned, still not familiar with the terms that the Moriya shrine maiden used.
"Well, it's uhh... how do I explain this.. think of it like a normal game, like checkers for example! But instead of the pieces and the board being physical things, they only exist virtually inside a video display like a television screen or computer, hence the term video games." Sanae further clarified.
Reisen had a look of confusion on her face. Despite having lived in the Lunar Capital in the past and knowing of its technological advancements even compared to the current human world, the term 'video games' itself is just as much alien to her as it was to Marisa.
Yukari Yakumo narrowed her eyes, while sipping her cup of tea. So the first thing they are going to watch... is a video game? She was familiar with the concept, as with most other outside world concepts that the average citizen of Gensokyo might have not even heard about, but she had never personally played one herself.
Outside, Yukari kept a calm composure, but inside her mind was racing through a multitude of different possibilities and explanations for their current predicament.
What exactly does this 'Truth' want from them? What benefits does it gain from bringing all of them here? Why is it intent on showing them all this stuff from the outside world? And most importantly, will it affect Gensokyo in any way, and how?
There was no doubt that this unknown entity is indeed more powerful than meets the eye, as it was able to somehow bypass the Great Hakurei Barrier, without her noticing, and even bringing all of them here for its own entertainment, and now she couldn't even open her own gaps no matter how hard she tried. There was really no shortcuts out of this.
If what 'Truth' said could be trusted, then perhaps she wouldn't have to worry about Ran panicking over her master suddenly disappearing from Gensokyo. That is, of course, assuming the best case scenario where they won't have to stay here for an unnecessarily long time.
The silhouette seemed benevolent enough, providing them with some level of comfort and even giving them free food, which humans like Reimu and Marisa were sure to be very satisfied with. But looks can be very deceiving. And there wasn't much she could deduce from its looks anyway, considering its lack thereof.
[An unfamiliar drum beat began in the background.
A huge logo outlining an "X" zoomed inwards.
Several more unrecognised logos flashed in mere moments.
EA
D I C E
FROSTBITE
As it immediately cuts to... a soldier caving another soldier's skull until blood spurts out, with a spiked blunt weapon, while the background looked like the middle of a battlefield. Before cutting back to black. ]
Reimu spat out the tea inside her mouth back into her cup.
Marisa widened her eyes in surprise, but kept chewing.
Sanae dropped her spoonful of cereal, her mouth still wide agape.
Sakuya held both her hands to her mouth in shock.
Patchouli raised an eyebrow, but kept a stern look.
Alice was immediately intrigued by what was happening, but slightly winced at the display of brutality.
Reisen let out a tiny squeal in accident before closing her mouth in horror.
Yukari was stunned for a moment, but she immediately figured out what was happening.
'So it's one of those kinds of entertainment, huh?'
"What was that just now!?" Marisa shouted, slightly disgusted but also excited.
"I didn't need to see that, and now I just lost my appetite... " Reimu expressed her displeasure, putting back her cup of tea onto the table.
"I think... I've seen this game before... " Sanae uttered softly. She wasn't a fan of violent video games herself, but that didn't mean she was completely unfamiliar with them.
Reisen slightly shuddered at the thought of how humans would somehow enjoy such obscene display of violence. "T-this.. is what a game looks like?"
[The black screen slowly faded away as the scenery of a wide, rocky desert landscape bathed under the sun took over. A lone man, or woman, riding a horse could be seen in the distance.
The next cuts showed the warrior up close with a scimitar, as they rode the horse towards... somewhere not shown.
The next shot follows a soldier on top of a flying fighter plane handling a machinegun, above a large muddy field, with fires in the distance, and other planes flying nearby.
The next scene that followed was another soldier, smacking his enemy in the head brutally with a shovel, as explosions can be seen from a distance. The scene lasted seconds before fading to black again. ]
"Are we just gonna see more of the same thing?" Reimu questioned, visibly paled.
"Why are these humans killing each other? I don't get it!" cried Reisen.
"Didn't Sanae say this is a 'video game'? It looks cool as hell!" Marisa exclaimed in excitement.
"Of course something so barbaric would appeal to someone like you, my dear Marisa." Alice slyly joked, prompting a nasty glare from the former.
"I don't see how a... 'game' about killing another human being could be considered an acceptable form of entertainment." Sakuya voiced out her concern. Some, if not most youkai might find pleasure in killing humans, but even then, it was only necessary for their own survival.
"The society of the outside world is truly intriguing." Patchouli muttered to herself.
[ "ENEMY PLANE!!!"
The screen immediately cuts to the perspective of a tail gunner shooting at an enemy fighter plane trailing behind, as they flew above rocky terrains.
Another scene shows a different plane, now up in flames, crashing into a stone building, destroying it. A random soldier could be seen up close, away from the building and recovering from said crash. The scene eventually fades to black.
"Come on MEN!!"
The next cut shows a man spinning a metal barrel, before it immediately cuts into, a tank moving uphill with infantry soldiers beside it, charging forward.
The once ambient drum beats immediately increased in volume as the beat begins to drop.
"GO!!!"
In the next scene, a cavalry can he seen rushing across a sandy landscape, as a hostile fighter plane rains down bullets upon them from the sky.
The next cut shows a random soldier rushing into a building as stray bullets flew past his head, breaking all the windows.
" A seven nation army couldn't hold me back "
The next scene follows the first person perspective of a soldier gunning down a hostile coming out of a cloud of green gas, with a bulky machinegun, as an explosion tore a stone structure behind it apart, and another fiery explosion can be seen in the forest background.
The next scene is a heavily armored soldier carrying a large machinegun, firing it towards the distance. And in the next shot, a squad of infantrymen were immediately gunned down, as the mountains and hills behind them were getting bombarded endlessly.
The last shot shows the perspective of a pilot flying their fighter plane above a mountain range, as multiple planes can be seen flying in the sky fighting one another and explosions happening randomly in chaos. A red fighter plane eventually flies from the opposite direction directly into the pilot's perspective, presumably crashing into them, as the shot immediately cuts back to black. And the music suddenly halts. ]
Everyone in the room was frozen in stupor after witnessing the chain of events that just unfolded.
All the killing, the uncountable number of things blowing up, and the weird contraptions that most of the citizens of Gensokyo have never seen before, it was all a weird experience.
"What.. the..." Reimu couldn't finish her sentence, as her mind was still struggling to process what she had just saw.
"It all happened so fast I can't even figure out what was happening, but it all looked so cool..." said Marisa, clearly fascinated by the chaotic display.
Sanae, meanwhile, noticed something prevalent in all the shots. "Those uniforms... and those guns and aircrafts... I think, this is a digital recreation of World War 1."
Her comment caused the rest of the room to move their attention towards her.
She felt an invisible pressure to further clarify. "It's... a global war between human nations that happened a century ago, in the outside world?"
"So this, video game, is recreating a brutal war between humans that happened a century ago? For what purpose?" Sakuya queried.
"Perhaps for educational purposes. It is a vital part of their history after all." Patchouli surmised.
Reisen was having a hard time digesting what she had just witnessed. The earth rabbit found it hard to believe that humans were actually this violent towards themselves. "So.. these human nations were fighting one another? For what? What could they possibly gain from sacrificing so many lives?"
Sure, she did come to Earth somewhere around 50 years ago, but that didn't mean she was well-versed in human history, especially concerning the outside world. The most number of human interaction she had was from the ones in Gensokyo itself, specifically with Reimu and Marisa. And neither of them were that knowledgeable about the outside world as well.
"There are many answers to that question, earth rabbit. Land. Resources. Ideology. Humans have always been interesting creatures, very complex, yet at the same time, very simple." Yukari lectured, as she continued to finish her cup of tea.
[ "Move! Away!!"
A tank's tracks were viewed up close as it spins, moving the tank forward.
Then the next shot reveals a number of infantry soldiers preparing themselves while inside a man-made trench. Then, the tank from earlier can be seen driving into the trench, possibly running over the soldiers as well. The scene cuts back to black.
The next shot shows an armored soldier firing a cloud of flames from their flamethrower, which engulfed the entire screen.
The screen then quickly cuts to a moving train in the middle of the desert. Which then cuts to a montage of different shots, including a battleship in the ocean firing its shells into the air, a fighter plane that was seemingly hit by one of the shells which then crashes into sea, and then finally a shot of a different plane crashing into the ground, as a few soldiers were desperately running away from the ensuing explosion. The scene cuts to black before their fates can be seen.
And then the pumping music kicks up again.
"GET READY MEN!!"
The next few shots show an explosive shell being loaded into the barrel of an artillery, as a soldier fired it along with a few others into the sky.
The next cut shows a soldier holding his ears tightly together, recovering from a loud deafening sound. The scene immediately cuts into an explosion nearly covering the entire screen.
The following two scenes showed a pilot getting onboard a fighter plane, and at the end, a presumably the same plane was engulfed in planes as it spirals out of control and possibly crashes. And the screen goes back to black.
Another shot slowly fades in, closing in on a man whose expression slowly turns into pure shock and terror, as a huge shadow covers his entire surrounding, including himself.
The final shot, reveals what the man was staring at, as an unfathomably large airship closes in from a distance, emerging from the fog, covering the entire field in darkness.
The drum beats pick up again, as the title of the game was revealed.
BATTLEFIELD 1 ]
--
The whole room was met with silence.
Opinions regarding the video were, mixed. Some were genuinely interested, others simply wished they never had to see it again.
"... The music was pretty nice." Sanae mused.
"What? Is no one going to talk about that gigantic floating balloon at the end? That thing looks even bigger than the entire freaking Scarlet Devil Mansion!" yelled Marisa towards the rest of the group.
"But you must wonder, what benefits would a massive balloon bring in the middle of a war?" Alice responded, obviously trying to make a fool out of the childish magician.
"Uhm.. well, I guess.. it makes a good distraction in broad daylight?" Marisa answered blindly.
"You know there's alot of other things that happened in the last 30 seconds of all that we've seen, and a balloon is what excites you the most?" Reimu questioned her friend's misplaced attention.
She was never a history nerd, so she wasn't that interested in an event that happened so many decades before she was even born. The concept of flying metal machines and large metal boats on the sea did pique her interest, but at the end of the day, it was all just stuff from the outside world, and it didn't really matter to her as a citizen of Gensokyo.
Besides, it wasn't like knowing more about historical wars was going to help her gain more donations to her shrine anyways.
"Actually, that wasn't a balloon. It was a type of airship, called a Zeppelin, if my memory is correct. They're usually used for transportation, but I think in this game, they serve as aerial support and thus probably have cannons and maybe even bombs outfitted." Sanae explained.
"So, a weaponized balloon? That sounds even cooler!" Marisa shouted in zeal.
"A balloon with guns.. heh... " A mental image of a balloon with firearms taped onto its sides appeared on Reimu's head. It was actually quite funny to imagine.
"Well, at least you could admit that humans of the outside world are, 'creative' when it comes to weapons of mass destruction." Alice mused.
"What did you think about that show, Sakuya-san?" Patchouli asked the silver-haired maid.
Sakuya kept a stoic face, but she did answer the question. "I don't think that any of those matter to us in the end. It all happened in the outside world, and it should stay that way. I'm only concerned about mistress Remilia and how my absence as well as yours will affect her and the mansion."
The purple haired magician contemplated the maid's answer. "I suppose you're right. But I'm sure Remilia will be fine for a while without her favorite maid. Although, the things we have seen, it is fascinating to think about, doesn't it?"
As the two blonde magicians and a Hakurei shrine maiden continued to bicker, the earth rabbit wallowed in her own thoughts.
"All that senseless killing, and for such simple reasons... their weapons seem so much different than ours... and that balloon ship, it's bigger than anything I've seen in the Capital... the humans are much scarier than I initially thought.." She muttered to herself.
"Sanae, you said this was a video game right? How exactly do you play it?" Marisa asked the Moriya shrine maiden, eager to know more.
Sanae sweat dropped, as she herself wasn't familiar with all types of games. "Well, I don't really know much myself, but I think it's a first person shooter set in World War 1, and from the looks of it, most of the gameplay revolves around... well, pretty much everything that we just saw. I saw some promotional materials for this game before, but I was never interested in it. I prefer more relaxing games like farming simulators?"
'Or Pokemon.' She thought to herself.
"Farming simulators? As in... you farm and stuff?... That sounds really boring." Marisa coldly replied, much to the shrine maiden's dismay.
"Huh? So in this 'game', you play as a human soldier, shooting other human soldiers? For fun? B-but, why would anyone find wars fun?" Reisen struggled to find the logic behind such appeal.
"My my, you really don't know how human nature works, do you? It's simply natural that they find enjoyment in simulated violence, even if it's directed towards their own kind. But why should you be surprised, former moon rabbit? Don't the Lunarians whom you once served believe that humans are after all, impure and thus inferior to them? Why do you think they share such sentiment?" Yukari shed light on what she knew of human society, prompting a reaction from the rabbit.
The youkai's explanation felt logical in Reisen's head. Perhaps the reason humans are considered so impure, is their fascination with things regarding death, and their lack of mercy towards their own kind for personal benefits. It is a scary thought.
But, humans can't all be that bad, right? After all, Reimu and Marisa are both humans with their own quirkiness, but they have a sense of selflessness, and would never treat death as such a trivial concept. It did bring her relief in the end.
Humans may not be perfect, but she could still care for them and even relate to them to an extent. Even Lady Kaguya and Eirin cares for them somewhat. She called herself a proud earth rabbit, and she will not regret those words.
"Didn't the title at the end says 'Battlefield 1'? Does that mean, there's more like it? A Battlefield 2 and 3 and so on? I wanna see how they all look like!" Marisa squealed enthusiastically.
"Well, actually they do exist. They are part of a rather large franchise, and each game primarily focuses on a recreation of one of many historical wars that happened in the past, which you could basically take part in." Sanae further confirmed.
"You're saying there's alot more of these games just like the one we just saw? Jeez, what's up with the people in the outside world and their addiction to wars and stuff?" Reimu wondered, truly baffled by the outside world's idea of 'games' being related to their own violent history. Reisen had a good point. What's so fun about re-enacting an actual war as a game?
"You never know, Reimu-chan. Maybe if we ever get a chance to play one of these Battlefield games, you might change your mind.. " Marisa remarked.
"I suppose, this is just the first of many more to come, right? I wonder what we will be watching next... " Alice said to all of the girls.
"Well, whatever is fine to me, as long as it's not as nauseating as this one.. " Reimu said, unwilling to lose her appetite again.
"I think I could agree with Reimu-san.. " Reisen softly voiced out her opinion.
"I don't mind watching more of what the outside world offers. Any kind of information can be beneficial in some way or another." Patchouli claimed.
The gap youkai chuckled, attracting the eyes of everyone. "Well, it's not like there's anything else we could do, except to simply sit back and watch. I sincerely hope the next thing we will see, would be more... amusing, than this."
Yukari put the empty cup in her hand on the table, her mind busy as always.
There was no real benefit to be had from watching that video. She was over a thousand years old. She already knew about most of human history, before and after Gensokyo was established. And this wasn't even a documentary. It's just a trailer for a video game.
She knew that there's always a reason for everything to happen, no matter how small. She had dealt with many strsnge incidents in Gensokyo to know that there are times when one must suspend their own disbelief.
So far, she simply couldn't figure out why 'Truth' would be doing this to them, forcing them to watch random stuff gathered from this 'Internet', and basically making them react to it. It felt like the entity was doing this simply to see how they would react to it. Like there is an invisible audience watching them.
She had never felt this insecure before. Thid must've been how most people she had met would've felt whenever she manipulated them into doing her bidding.
There could be a million different answers she could come up with, but in the end, it doesn't really matter. She was still stuck in this room, with seven other people who perhaps feel the same way, or are simply trying to enjoy their time here. Maybe that's what she should do as well. Just stop worrying and enjoy the show.
'What will we be watching next?'
Author's Note
This was definitely a surprise.
I didn't expect so many people to be interested in this story in such a short amount of time. Still, I appreciate the attention. The number of suggestions in the comments do help though, and I might incorporate some of them in future chapters.
So, why oh why, did I decided that the first thing the Touhou cast will lay their eyes upon, is the Battlefield 1 Reveal Trailer?
Simple. Because that trailer is a timeless masterpiece.
But seriously, I didn't actually plan to have this be the first video they watched. I had plenty of other ideas, like showing them some of Bill Wurtz's videos, but they're way too long and I'm just not feeling like dedicating 2-3 chapters to a single video. Even if his videos are all works of art.
I thought long and hard enough, and then one day I just got recommended to this old gem, and I thought to myself, 'Eh, screw it. This trailer blew me away my first time. It should probably almost feel the same for these characters too.'
I tried my best to make the characters sound as accurate to canon as possible, but I haven't indulged myself in the Touhou universe in a long time, so my knowledge of these characters are only limited to what I could find on the wiki and random snippets of official works online. Forgive me for any inaccuracies.
Thank you for reading, and until next time. Oh, and merry Xmas.