The sun was emerging from the horizon, erasing the darkness of the night. Birds started emerging from their nests, chirping filled the forest. Warm sunlight shone down on the earth, warming up the previous cold night.
The secluded European-styled mansion stood undisturbed, the light gleaming through its windows. Below was a grand garden, surrounded by bricks walls and tall iron fences. A stone pavement went directly from the gateway to the entrance of the home. In the center stood a large fountain. Small shrubs and tall bushes decorated the pathway. Planted by the wall were trees and various types of flowers, but most notably roses.
It was a serene atmosphere until a snore broke the silence. Leaned against a pillar by the gateway, someone had fallen asleep. A girl with scarlet hair in a green beret and dress snored in her sleep. She was shivering because of the cold night, tucking her crossed arms closer in.
"Mmm… hungry…" The gate guard murmured in her sleep. She didn't have time to eat dinner last night, all spent on standing guard instead. The sun was slowly warming her, which she smiled happily while still asleep. A small monarch butterfly would fly down, landing on her nose.
Her eyes shot open, abruptly waking from her nap and ducked. Almost out of instinct, she dodged a blue hilted silver dagger. It struck into the pillar, where her head was just a moment ago. The dagger was lodged deep into the stone piercing the butterfly along with it.
"How many times do I have to tell you to not sleep on the job Meiling…" A particular maid sighed as she stood in front of the guard, arms crossed. The maid had silver hair with long braids on both sides of her face, ending in a green bow. She donned a white maid headband and wore a black and white striped long-sleeved shirt with large white cuffs. Below, a black and white skirt with stockings in a similar fashion. She was tapping her foot, shoes clacking onto the stone pavement.
"You could've let someone into the mansion."
"Eh he…" Meiling anxiously replied. "My bad Sakuya… I was just really tired last night, I swear!" Her hands were together, raised above her bowing head.
Sakuya rolled her eyes, hearing the same excuses time and time again. "Here I made some food for you," she said, lifting a big shopping bag and reaching in to pull out a small lunchbox. "Your dinner was left untouched last night, so I figured you were hungry this morning."
A pleasant aroma came from the box. "You made something for me? Thank you~!" She happily accepted the meal and took notice of Sakuya's attire. "Oh, you're not in your usual clothes, what's the occasion?"
"I'm going to be at the human village for a bit," Sakuya responded, showing the shopping bag in her hand. "Our supplies are running short and I wanted to try out a new tea for the young mistress."
"Hm… I see" Meiling listened, getting back up while dusting herself off. "When you come back, want to spar for a bit?" She asked grinning, punching the air in front of her. "I'll make sure to go easy on you."
Sakuya sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "I'll be very busy organizing the food and preparing meals for everyone. Not to mention I have to clean around the house today," She coldly replied. "So no. I'm sure you'll be doing your job properly this time I assume?" The maid was radiating out a threatening aura.
"O-of course Sakuya!" Meiling stammered, reassuring her. She saluted to the maid, taking a guard stance. "I'll make sure no one gets through~!"
"That's good to know," Sakuya smiled at her, the guard suddenly getting chills knowing that something sinister was behind that smile. If she were to mess up, her fate was sealed.
"Oh I forgot to mention, Lady Patchouli needs help in moving some of the books in the library. She discovered some books in the back that were not organized and Koakuma can't handle it all. She requested some assistance."
"Awww, I was just going to enjoy the delicious~ meal you gave me…" Meiling whined in disappointment.
"It's just heated leftovers from dinner," Sakuya bluntly responded. Meiling felt her feelings just get shot down.
"You can eat after you aid Lady Patchouli." The maid walked over to Meiling and reached above her head, yanking the blue dagger from the pillar. She pulled the dead butterfly off and tossed it aside, wiping the knife clean before putting it back in the knife holster on her left thigh. "Now that I've informed you of everything, I'll be off."
"All right then… I'll see you later today..." Meiling wistfully replied, Sakuya nodding back before heading down to the human village. The guard watched the maid disappear into the forest in the distance.
"She didn't have to be so cold," Meiling whispered, but she knew Sakuya for centuries. The maid's personality was always like this, strict on her for slacking off, but she always kept a friendly relationship between the two of them.
From inside the mansion, she could hear a resounding crash followed by a pair of screams.
That sounds like a lot more than a couple of books, the guard pondered, putting down her lunchbox by the fountain. "I'm coming!" She called out, running into the mansion to help them.
"I'm coming!"
Rex's eyelids fluttered open, the sunlight glaring down on him. He raised a hand to block the sun, eyes still adjusting to the light.
"What's going on…" Rex groaned as he sat up, a small headache started forming. He massaged his temples and started to see where he was, vision clearing up. It seemed he was in the middle of a garden, a luxurious one at that.
"Wow… what did I wake up to this time?" He marveled, taking in the scenery. Looking down, it seemed he rolled over a bed of flowers in his sleep. There were small marks of dried blood everywhere because of his injuries.
He moved to get up, but pain shot up from his right arm, suddenly reminded that his arm was broken. "Ah- fuck?!" Rex grumbled, swapping to his other arm to get back up. He was still sore as ever with that bite he took as well.
Taking off his red short jacket, he pulled back his right sleeve to reveal the full extent of the injury. It was a nasty wound, bite marks everywhere, the flesh almost ripped off and small holes from the fangs of his assailant. Nearly all the blood was dried and it was sensitive to the touch. He needed to take care of the wound, otherwise, it'll get worse. The same goes for his broken arm. His entire right side was in agony.
"Holy crap… this is going to leave a mark," Rex said in disbelief. His shirt and jacket were caked in dried blood, prominently at the shoulder area. He couldn't rip his shirt and use it to bandage the wound as they do in movies, his injured arm made any movement with it difficult.
Carefully, he put back on the short jacket and ruffled his hair, which was all over the place.
From what he learned in the forest, it was to not trust anything here. Rex cautiously made his way around the garden, arm hanging uselessly by his side. He noticed a fountain in the center and cautiously moved in closer. Something smelled good in the air, but this made him only more anxious. Peeking from one of the tall bushes, he saw a boxed lunch by the fountain.
This has to be some bait. No idiot would fall for that.
He continued to look at the lunch, stomach growling in tempting him to reach for it. Its savory aroma only made it even more enticing. When you're this hungry, anything seemed to taste good.
I can't stand this, I'm starving.
Taking precautions, he froze time and went to retrieve it, returning time as he got back into his original position.
Goddamnit, I am an idiot, Rex quietly scolded himself, now with the boxed food in his possession. Well, there's no turning back.
Tentatively using one hand, he opened the lunch as far away from him like he was going to open up to a bomb. Unclamping the sides one by one, removing the lid finally and pulled back, covering himself.
…
Nothing happened.
Thank the gods in this forbidden world! Rex was relieved, looking at the food. It was pretty standard; rice, meats, and vegetables. Small cuts of what looked like steak sat by some broccoli. Each has its small compartment, separating the foods.
To Rex, this was a blessing. A gift from the gods. Picking up chopsticks hanging off the side of the box, he chowed down. Holy crap, this is so good.
He was savoring the taste as if he wasn't going to live tomorrow, though he finished rather quickly. Closing the box, he returned it to the fountain. For a small meal, it was quite appetizing, but he couldn't decide if it was just his hunger or actual good food that made it so enjoyable.
Taking his time, he continued to venture through the garden but didn't find anything of particular interest. Rex shook the gate, but it wouldn't budge open. He considered climbing the wall over, but he didn't have the power to make it over. The adrenaline last night was the only reason why he was able to endure through everything. Looking back at the towering mansion, his only option was to go inside, but he had no reason to.
Well, he needed to find something to patch himself up, but amidst his pondering, Meiling came walking out of the mansion.
"Man… why does Patchouli have so many books," Meiling uttered in exhaustion. "She keeps bashing me to read more books to "improve my brain"." She stuck her tongue out, imitating Patchouli's voice on the last line. "Hmph, at least I get to enjoy my meal now."
Rex froze after hearing her voice. Realizing he needed to hide, he hid behind a tall bush close to the gate. He put a hand over his mouth to quiet his breathing.
"Huh?" Meiling swore she heard some rustling in front of her. She stood silent, straining her ears to listen again. She heard nothing, but the fountain spewing out water.
"Hmm… I swore I heard something…" The gate guard shrugged, heading towards the fountain to pick up her food. She picked up the box and immediately felt its weight. Her heart had dropped, along with the box.
"N-No way... " Meiling murmured to herself, instantly dropping to the floor in front of the box, her face in disbelief. With shaky hands, she unlatched the lid. Slowly lifting the cover away, she gasped at the sight.
Rex could hear everything from the position he was in, cold sweat starting to form.
That was her food… Oh, shi-
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
A piercing cry echoed throughout the residence followed by sobbing.
Koakuma ran out of the mansion, panting heavily. "Meiling? What happened?" She asked, hearing the cry.
Someone had eaten my food!? Meiling was on her knees, ignorant of Koakuma. She knelt in front of the empty container. This was probably the most important and exciting part of my routine today!
"M-Meiling?" Koakuma quietly asked once more.
Patchouli was looking at the scene through one of the library's few windows. She had sent Koakuma to check up on Meiling, but she was getting curious herself.
"Hehehe," Meiling chuckled creepily, suddenly finding the situation funny. "Those stupid fairies… they were probably the ones that did it. They are probably still lurking around here with their thieving mouths."
Meiling tightly made a fist. Slowly her sadness would transform into a rage. She punched right into the floor, a small shockwave shook the garden. The area she struck, her fist had gone right through the pavement, cracks emerging from all sides.
"Uwah?!" The little devil assistant nearly falling to the shakes.
Deep inside, Rex knew he fucked up. If he were to come into contact with whoever that was, he was sure to be beaten into a bloody pulp.
Oh dear lord I'm screwed
"I think it's about time to come out fairies…" Meiling menacingly said, starting to walk around the garden.
Rex could hear her footsteps getting closer, his heart beating faster in fear. Right as she was about to turn the corner, he froze time and ran as fast as he could over to a different bush.
Koakuma ran over to Meiling, grabbing her left arm and tried to pull her back. "M-Meiling! I know those fairies always like to pull pranks but c-calm down!" The little devil was being dragged along with Meiling.
"Those fairies need to be taught a lesson!" The guard howled, reaching the breaking point. Her face was almost as red as her scarlet hair. It seemed that the fairies had been bothering her lately.
"First, they hid all my stuff everywhere. Next, that stupid ice fairy nearly froze the entire garden cause of some stupid frog that got in. And now, they ate my food!? What more can they do?! Aaaahhhh!" Meiling clutched her head, swinging left and right.
"I-I'm sure Sakuya will come soon!" Koakuma reassured her, still being dragged around. "S-so please, calm down for a bit! I-I can make a small snack for you if you want?"
"Eh? You'll make something for me!?" Meiling remarked, stopping instantly to turn to the devil, eyes suddenly gleaming.
"Y-yes, so if you would…" Koakuma twiddled her thumbs around awkwardly. She only has made snacks for Patchouli, so it should relatively be the same.
"Oh, thank you Koakuma~!" Meiling tightly hugged the devil, nearly crushing her. All the anger she felt seemingly vanished.
"Uwah~!" Koakuma cried out as she was being shaken around in Meiling's bear hug, face deep into her chest.
From the window, Patchouli sighed looking at the mess of the situation. What kind of blockhead do we have for a guard… she thought to herself, constantly reminded how much of a fool that girl can be. Hah...this is why I tell her to read more...
She's finally distracted, it's my time to get the hell away from here! Rex was not going to let this moment go to waste.
Freezing time, he ran across the frozen pair, taking notice of their appearances. Note to self, do not piss off the green girl and i-is that a devil?! He kept on moving.
His only option was to go inside the mansion. It was better than being caught and beaten to death by the girl with absurd strength. Reaching the entrance of the house, he unfroze time and ran
Hm? Patchouli had felt something strange in the air.
Being naturally born as a magician, she had always felt the essence of magic floating throughout Gensokyo, but something was wrong. The air had felt like something had shifted similar to when Sakuya would use her time manipulation, however, she knew that Sakuya had left to the human village.
Has she already returned from her trip? If so, that was quite fast even for someone to manipulate time. Patchouli looked back into the window, scanning the gardens. Nothing seems to be out of place… Just as she was about to go back to reading, she had spotted Rex hiding behind one of the tall hedges in the garden.
A human? How is that possible?
Patchouli studied the human, watching its every move, curious to how it managed to get inside, let alone reach the Scarlet Devil Mansion. Her trail of thought would be interrupted as she saw the human vanish into thin air.
"What?!" the magician yelped in astonishment, breaking her usual deadpanned face into one of bewilderment. Putting her face closer to the window, she scanned the area once more, finding the human already at the entrance of the mansion. Watching the human run in, she had noticed the man was injured, his right side all damaged. She was left dumbfounded.
Patchouli pulled away from the window and floated down into her library. "This is absurd. It should be impossible for another human to wield power like that," the magician wondered out loud while descending.
She was unconcerned about the human and more concerned with finding an answer to a burning question in her mind. Stopping at one of the bookshelves on the ground floor, she pulled out a book and blew the dust off, coughing at the dust clouds. Flipping through the book, she paused at a page and read its contents before putting it back, unsatisfied. As Patchouli was going through her library, Rex was already deep into the Scarlet Devil Mansion...
Rex had already encountered some of the fairy maids cleaning, though all he had to do was freeze time momentarily to get past them. Strangely, nearly the entire house was left in the dark with candles and lamps being the primary light source. Going down a long red hallway with doors lining both sides of the wall, he was sure that he should be reaching the back of the mansion. Coming to an intersection, he had the choice to go left or right. Peaking into both ways, they were empty and chose to go to the left.
Is it just me or is this house bigger than what I initially thought? Rex wondered, taking another left turn. Occasionally, he would come across large paintings decorating the red walls. Many were your standard renaissance-like paintings, but once in a while, he would stumble upon some eerie looking ones.
A lake of blood with a red moon, roses in a pot of blood, a bleeding human and so on so forth. They all had the same sort of imagery - blood - and lots of it. This creeped him out, shuddering as he passed each one.
Suddenly, he started to falter in his steps, nearly tripping himself. He leaned against the wall for support, eventually collapsing to the ground. His vision was slightly blurring, slowly feeling the headache returning.
"Hah… hah... " Rex let out a shaky breath. His injured shoulder began to feel numb, now realizing the cause of his terrible condition.
No wonder… I've lost a fair amount of blood these past two days… I need to find something to patch my wound up pronto...
Taking one deep breath, he struggled to get back up, using one arm to lift himself. His left side leaned to the wall, he persisted on, pushing himself further into the mansion.
It felt like he was navigating through a labyrinth, each hallway looking identical.
About to turn at another intersection, he heard a small conversation right around the corner. It was a pair of fairy maids with one holding cleaning utensils. Rex stuck closer to the wall, the darkness cloaking him.
"The chief maid is out getting food and we've finished wiping the windows. Can you return these back to the kitchen? I've been called to help wash the clothes," the first fairy asked the other, holding out a water bucket and a dirty rag.
"Sure, I don't mind! I'll help you guys after since I'm done with my tasks," the other fairy said, taking the utensils from the other, offering her help in the end.
"Great! I'll make sure to tell the others!" happily clapped the first fairy. "Make sure you put those back properly!" The fairy disappearing into one of the many doors.
"Umph!" The second fairy lifted the bucket with the rag hanging out of it and flew down another path, not noticing Rex crouched by the wall, eavesdropping on their conversation.
The kitchen? I'm sure I can find something there to fix myself up… Rex thought, choosing to follow the maid.
Stealthily trailing behind her, the fairy would unknowingly lead Rex to the kitchen of the Scarlet Devil Mansion...
I now have mad respect for writers now. Never realized how difficult it is to do this, but I am enjoying it (somewhat). This chapter came out quicker than I thought, which is a good thing :) As always, please point out any mistakes so I can go back and correct it. Thank you for reading and enjoy your day!