Yo, dear readers. It's been quite some time eh? I'm really sorry about the delays! College is quite the b*tch, on both my time and focus. But then again, I won't be able to get a job and get my own money if I DON'T graduate, right?
…Nah, enough about me. Let's get it on with the story!
Touhou: Subarashi Shin Sekai Chapter III: Say hello to my little friend. He's called DANMAKU!
In the middle of a forest somewhere in Gensokyo…
A young man has found himself in quite the pinch, it seems. Not only losing his way home, but to be pinned down by a youkai on his second day in the land of forgotten paradise…
Will the Goddess of luck keep on tormenting him with her endless trials? Will his journey end becoming a youkai's mere lunch?
Is this how his story shall end?
"Now then…" Kyouko flashes a toothy grin as she spoke, "Why don't you stop squirming and…let me talk for a bit!" The youkai girl declares, while putting all of her strength unto restraining the human outsider she has managed to pin down. This human boy she's holding down seems a little more…stronger than the usual humans she would manage to catch…
"Ple…please…" The human, Ryuuji Kuzunoha, speaks in a fear filled voice as he lost all his strength to resist, "…don't kill…me. I didn't do anything wrong!" The fear in his voice made Kyouko twitch a bit, reminding her that when it comes to youkai, humans are not the bravest of creatures, and considering the situation she is in with the human right now, trying to talk some sense into him would be…quite difficult.
"Then please listen to me first, and please, look at me in the eyes." Kyouko speaks, slowly lossening her grip, but not up to the point where the human would be a able to escape. The human, in turn, slowly moves his head towards the direction of Kyouko's voice, and opens his eyes, earning him the sight of Kyouko's own eyes, which is filled with a sincere feeling similar to what the human felt as he heared Kyouko's voice.
"I'm not here to kill you. I…I'm here to help you! I'm even here to help you get home if you want to." Kyouko attempts to say in a comforting manner, earning her a confused look from Ryuuji.
"…For real?" Ryuuji asks in a doubtful tone, remembering that youkai were known in legends as frequent liars. However, considering his situation, he has no choice but to put his fate into a gambit, "I'm not gonna end up as youkai dung, or something like that?"
Kyouko quickly felt a little of her confidence rise up at the question, "No you won't. With me around you, I swear that won't happen!" Kyouko confidently replies, making the human below her sigh out of relief…
"I…guess I should trust you. You live here, after all." Ryuuji replied, his fear having evaporated a little bit, allowing him to speak a little more clearly than normal. His doubts, however, are still as strong, "But first…could you get off me? This position feels…awkward."
"Oh. Okay!" Kyouko cheerfully complies, quickly getting off Ryuuji and helping him get up.
"I'm…Kuzunoha Ryuuji by the way. You can call me Ryuuji if you want. What was your name, again?" Ryuuji asks, prompting Kyouko to reply rather quickly.
"I'm Kasodani Kyouko, a yamabiko! But just call me Kyouko! Nice to meet you, Ryuuji-san!" Kyouko quickly bows after introducing herself…in a louder volume than before. Ryuuji himself does the same right after, only without the shouts…
"She's a…mountain echo? And does she really have to shout at every split second?!" Ryuuji lightly massaged his head before talking himself, "Nice to meet you too, Kyouko-san. So…uhh…" Ryuuji attempts to start a conversation, all the while still trembling a bit, "Where are we going?" Ryuuji asks, earning him a thinking look from Kyouko, who then puts a hand on her chin…
"Hmmm…How about the temple? Hijiri-sensei might be able to help you get home!" Kyouko suggests, making Ryuuji put on a questioning look as he absorbs Kyouko's words…
"A temple? Is she talking about a human temple? Or maybe…a temple for youkais? I can't help but wonder about that…but, she did say she was a Buddhist during that time she was chasing me…wait, did she just say she had a religion?! What's wrong with this part of the planet?!" Ryuuji once again massages his head as he tries to actually absorb what he just heard.
"So, then, where is this temple?" Ryuuji asks quickly, with tiredness already washing all over his body as he tries to maintain himself standing up…
"Ah, it's actually a short flight from here…"
"A short what?!"
"Uhh, Ryuuji-san, don't tell me you don't know how to fly-"
"Get the hell back here, Aya! And give me those damned pictures! I swear, I'll cleave you in half when I…"
Before Kyouko could finish speaking, a black flash, followed by a white one, dashed between her and Ryuuji at high speed, blasting the two away from each other with a gust of wind, with Kyouko being able to land on her feet, and Ryuuji crashing his head hard onto a nearby tree…
"Ahh…" Ryuuji felt a slight pain from the back of his head as his consciousness slowly slips away from him, "Someone up there…really hates me…such misfortune…"
"Hawawa!" Kyouko shouted as she dashed towards the fallen Ryuuji, who now lays down on his back on the ground, with blood pooling from the back of his head, "Oh no…Ryuuji-san!"
Ohh…my head frigging hurts…just what was that gust of wind?!
…Wait, I'm…in 'here' again, in this field of glowing flowers…in this dream…
Oh, look, there she is, again. The woman with hair and eyes of gold so shiny, she puts all 24 karat jewelries to shame.
"How surprising…" The woman before me speaks in an amused tone, while looking at me like I did something…spectacular, or something like that.
"For your true nature to have not kicked in, even at the face of fear, has proven to me how strong the tenacity of your humanity is…" The woman sighs before speaking in a slightly disappointed tone, "Which can prove to be quite a problem to the future, my little Ryuuji…especially if you truly aim to survive in this world…" Her tone slightly changes into a stern, scolding voice as she continues to speak, "You cannot remain a fragile, weak, and powerless human forever…"
The woman then closes in on to me, glomping me again into one of her…usual hugs. And once again, I am enveloped by this…mysterious warmth all over. I feel like I'm…back home whenever I'm in her embrace…
I felt her breath on my right ear as she proceeds to whisper some words…
"No matter how you will deny it…your true nature will resurface soon…" Her voice sent chills throughout my body…in a rather creepy way, "You are…not truly a human, in body and soul…and you never were to begin with. Your instincts will take over, and by then, old friends might become sworn enemies, and your former foes might even become your greatest companions…That is the truth. And you will never be able to change it…Denying it will only delay the inevitable…"
"You're wrong!" I retorted, yet I am not able to break free of her embrace. Neverthless, I still kept talking anyway, "I am a human! Both body and soul! I have been a human as long as I can remember, and it will remain that way! Just…" I took a deep breath before I continued, "…Just who the hell do you think I am?!"
"…Such confidence. But is there really conviction behind that confidence, I wonder…" The woman tightened her hug as she spoke, "However, empty confidence won't save you…or your so-called 'humanity'. No matter how long, I know that you will yearn for my embrace, and you will return to me…This time, it will be in the real world. And by that time…" Her voice suddenly took a turn for the creepy as she spoke, "You will realize…That you and I are not so different. After all…You and I are…" She proceeds to place her head beside my right ear as she whispered the last line…
Inside a room somewhere in a hospital in the middle of an extremely wide and thick bamboo forest…
Ryuuji is lying down on a bed, dressed in a hospital gown. A blanket covers the entirety of his body except on the area from the neck to the head…
"Interesting…All of his wounds have recovered, even the crack on the back of his skull has completely disappeared as well…How curious…" A 'young' woman declares. She has dark grey eyes, long silver hair which is tied as a large braid on her back. Her clothing is red and blue, and is covered with constellation patterns, concealed beneath a white lab coat. She also wears something similar to a nurse's cap. From the tools she had with her on the moment, coupled with her clothing, one can easily guess that she is someone specializing in the art of medicine and healing.
A doctor, to be exact.
"And to think that all happened within a span of 3 days…This isn't exactly what I'd call normal, for human standards, anyway. But then again…there are some exceptions." The silver haired doctor says to no one in particular, before taking out a piece of paper and began writing something on it…
"Excuse me, Eirin-sensei. " A girl's voice rang from a door behind the doctor, Eirin, before sliding open, revealing Kyouko, who had a slightly tired, but concerned look on her face. Eye-bugs are present under her eyes, a testament of what she had been doing until now: Taking care of Ryuuji, who got knocked out cold after crashing his head hard onto a tree three days ago, and he hasn't woken up since then…
"How is he?" Kyouko asks in a gravely concerned tone as she gestures towards the sleeping form of Ryuuji on the hospital bed. Eirin puts away the piece of paper she held earlier before answering.
"Surprisingly, for someone who accumulated a head wound, he's alright. He only got a few scratches on the back of his head, and they have been completely healed." Eirin says in an assuring tone, earning her a sigh of relief from Kyouko.
"Well then…I'll be taking my leave. I'll be leaving him into your care. Oh, and don't hesitate to call me or any of the nurse rabbits around here if anything happens, understood?" Eirin states, eliciting a quick nod from Kyouko. As Eirin left through the door of the room, Kyouko shifts her attention unto Ryuuji…
"I'm really sorry about this, Ryuuji-san…" Kyouko says in a regretful tone of voice to Ryuuji, who remained unconscious as Kyouko continued, "Getting you into this much trouble when I promised not to let you get hurt…I'm really sorry…"
Unknown to Kyouko, Ryuuji's hand suddenly twitched as the former was about to start speaking, and without Kyouko knowing, Ryuuji was already awake during the whole time…
"…Don't worry about it…"
"…Eh?" Kyouko gasps in surprise at the sound of Ryuuji's sleepy voice, as the latter slowly opened his eyes…
"I said…don't worry about it…" Ryuuji once again says in a sleepy tone, "Both of us…didn't see that coming…so stop…apologizing already…"
"Hawawa?! You're awake! I have to call sensei! Wait here!" Kyouko rushes out of the room, leaving a rather confused Ryuuji, who just stared at the door of the room with half-open eyes…
"…Was she…even listening?"
"So, how are you feeling right now? Does it hurt anywhere?" Eirin asks Ryuuji, who's still lying in bed, with his eyes still half-open.
"I…don't feel that much…pain anywhere…but…" Ryuuji slowly reaches for his forehead with his right hand as he explains his current situation, all the while speaking with a strained, tired voice, "I'm…really tired…"
"Hmmm…I see…" Eirin jots down something on a piece of paper as Ryuuji spoke, recording whatever Ryuuji pointed out in his current condition, for medical purposes.
As Ryuuji finishes speaking, Eirin quickly puts away the piece of paper she held earlier, and faces Ryuuji, "Looks like your already recovering, Kuzunoha-kun, but the entirety of your body still needs rest, especially after recovering from a rather dangerous accident. And by rest, I'm saying that you shouldn't move too much, and try not to stress yourself as well. Oh, and by the way," Eirin softly palmed her face, as if suddenly remembering something, "The Hakurei miko visited earlier today, and brought you some food, and this letter," Eirin quickly reaches to one of her pockets of her lab coat, and takes out a letter, and hands it to Ryuuji right after.
"Eh?! The Miko came here earlier?!" Kyouko exclaims with surprise and…fear. It's as if the mention of the "Hakurei Miko" is some sort of taboo to her…"Good thing I went back to the temple for food…"
"…By Hakurei Miko…you guys…" Ryuuji forces himself to speak, barely able to make audible words as sleepiness is slowly but steadily consuming his consciousness as he places the letter he received beside his head, "…You guys mean…Reimu…right?"
Eirin and Kyouko nodded, making Ryuuji close his eyes in relief, "Ahh…At least…she knows where…I am…" Letting sleepiness fully consume him, Ryuuji begins to fall unconscious once more, but not before saying one last thing…
"I…want to…go home…Reika…"
And with that, Ryuuji falls unconscious once more…
"Home? And who is this Reika?" Kyouko says in wonder as she looks at the sleeping form of Ryuuji, who now wears a relieved expression on his as he slept.
"He wouldn't be able to tell you, even if he wanted to. Just let him rest for today, and so should you. Excuse me then." Eirin states as she bows slightly towards Kyouko, before leaving the room.
"Home, huh?" Kyouko looks at the sleeping form of Ryuuji, focusing on his face.
"Such a peaceful look…I guess I…" Kyouko couldn't finish her sentence as she suddenly yawns. "I guess I should rest too. I must maintain my healthy looks and beautiful voice, after all!" Stretching her limbs for a bit before sitting down on the chair beside the bed, Kyouko then proceeds to lay her upper body on the side of the bed…
"Good night, Ryuuji-san…" Kyouko declares as she closes her eyes…
"*Sigh* Looks like he'll be staying here for over a month…thanks to my own stunts. Oh well…I've been needing a helping hand anyways, so I think it's not that bad. I should be free from maintaining the shrine for a month, at least…" Reimu lazily rolls side to side on the floor of her living room, as she thinks of what to do in the incoming days. This is due to the fact that, thanks to a certain…mishandling during flight, Reimu ended up almost losing the outsider. Oh wait, screw that, outsiders would always get their asses in trouble, for no good reason. However…
This time, Reimu's new 'guest' is quite the obedient one. Not only that, he's quite the thankful one too, knowing how to thank someone who's actually working her ass off to keep them safe. And to think that Reimu almost lost that one guest because of a simple mishandling…
"He would've been home by now, in the safety of the outside world…But I…nah, screw that, I'll just make sure he lives for this month and I'll be done. But to think that the youkai who found him didn't eat him, and even brought him to a hospital, he sure has the devil's luck…I guess this means easier things for me…" Reimu declares with little to no motivation, as she wasn't exactly expecting the flow of events.
"…This wouldn't have happened if that idiot was minding his own business…" After rolling lazily on the floor for about a hundred times, Reimu proceeds to stand up, with her stomach growling in the process…
"Oops…I worried too much, and now I'm hungry!" Reimu rubs her stomach, which growls in response, much to her chagrin, "…I guess I should start making dinner now, before I collapse or something. After all…" Cheerfully skipping out of the living room, and towards the kitchen, Reimu happily declares as she begins to plan out tonight's dinner, "I can't face youkai on an empty stomach!"
"What?! He hasn't been home, too?!" The loud shout of Hakurei Reika resounded at the entrance of the Kuzunoha residence, particularly about a certain subject…
"Well, it's been three days. I actually even thought that he already eloped with ya! I guess I'm gettin' old…" A middle-aged man complained as he scratches his head. He has brown hair and hazel colored eyes, and a tanned skin. He wears a sleeveless black shirt, a pair of black pants and sandals.
"And what does my eloping had to do with you getting old, Kuzunoha Genjou-san?!" Reika irritatingly asks in a raised voice combined with a stare reeking of killing intent, causing Genjou to jump back a bit…
"Okay, okay, I'll stop with the jokes," Genjou sheepishly laughs as he bows in apology, before continuing, "Hakurei Miko-chan." The last part from Genjou caused Reika to raise an eyebrow, making Genjou jump back again…
"W-well, ya see…it's just as what ya heard from me," Genjou begins to explain, "Ryuuji hasn't been back in three days already. I tried to look for him by askin' around, but I never did find him…" Genjou says in a disheartened voice, before continuing, "…However, I did find where he was seen goin' to last…"
Reika's eyes perked up at those words, eliciting her to ask, "Really?! Where did they see him?!" Her crimson eyes were beaming with hope…
Genjou's tone suddenly turned dark as he answered, looking Reika in the eyes as he did so, "He was last seen running towards the direction of the northern forests of Mikage-Cho…" Keeping the dark tone of voice, Genjou spits out the answer, "…And that's that. Everyone else says he disappeared around that part of the city while chasing a wild animal of some sorts…which some witnesses say to be a golden furred fox."
"…Eh?! You can't be serious!" Reika answers in shock. However, Genjou simply shook his head at her words, before retorting.
"I am serious, Hakurei Miko-chan."
Reika grits her teeth and clenches her fists. If Ryuuji ended up going to those eerie forests up the north, and hasn't been back for days, it would mean one thing to Reika…
"…This isn't good." Reika muttered in worry, her crimson eyes now close to the color of fading flames as she stares in anxiousness towards the ground, before muttering one last word…
"I should check this out…But first…" Thinking deeply, Reika tries to think up of a way to start her investigation and search for her missing loved one. It was then that an idea struck her head, "Ah! That's right! I should ask the elder shrine maiden about that place in the northern forests!"
Streaks of sunlight entered Ryuuji's sight as he opened his eyes, signifying the start of morning. As his consciousness slowly and steadily awakened, Ryuuji could tell that his body is now in top condition, which he could tell from the disappearance of the tiredness that washed over his body the last day.
Ryuuji then proceeds to get up and get off the bed to stretch, cracking more than one joint in the process.
"Oh yeah…Ou… Ou…that felt good!" A joint cracked at each syllable…
After his morning stretches, Ryuuji then proceeds to take a look around the room…
The entirety of the room appears to be of Japanese style, judging from the wooden materials that the floor, windows, and the walls are made of. There were two windows, one on the wall on the left side of the bed where sunlight sprouts from, and one on the head-side of the bed. A door is found on the opposite side of the latter. Meanwhile, a wooden cabinet is found on the right side of the bed.
"Hmm…Kyouko-san's not around, it seems. Geez, how am I supposed to get back now?" Ryuuji complained, before his sight fell on the cabinet inside the room.
"Now that I think about, I've been dressed in a hospital gown all this time. Maybe…my clothes might in that cabinet." Taking that guess into consideration, Ryuuji then proceeds towards the cabinet, and opens it.
"Ohohoho…Just as expected! Nothing defeats the intuition of the mighty Kuzunoha Ryuuji-sama! Just who the hell do they think I am?!" Ryuuji declares in victory as he finds his clothes inside the wooden cabinet, much to his happiness. He then proceeds to…smell them.
"Hmm…It's newly washed too…This is some generous hospital!" Ryuuji says as he strips off his hospital gown, and changes into his regular clothes…
However, as he was in the middle of doing so, Ryuuji suddenly felt a sharp chill in his spine, as if…
…Someone, or rather, something is watching him, and he couldn't find where it is. A second after that, the cold chill disappeared from Ryuuji's senses…
"…Mother of Kami…What the hell was that?!"
As soon as he was done changing, a series of knocks is heard from the door of the room that Ryuuji is in. "Hmm? A visitor? Who could it be?" Ryuuji says quietly as he picks up the unopened letter from his bed, and faces the direction of the door in the room…
"I'll just read the letter later…"
-Music Cue: "A girl at the window" from Revelations: Persona-
The door then slides open, revealing a young woman with a unique beauty, which appeared to be inhuman by Ryuuji's standards. She has red eyes, pale skin, long light-purple hair and long rumpled rabbit ears. She wears some sort of schoolgirl uniform…She also holds some set of papers. To Ryuuji, the woman before him a total bunny fetish cosplay fuel, despite being a youkai as shown by the woman's bunny ears.
Ryuuji swore he heard his brain scream 'She's got BALLISTICS!' as his eyes landed on the bunny girl, or rather, her chests. The bunny girl's features were too much for him to handle, that he froze on the spot…
"Ah, you're awake. And healthy too it seems." The purple haired bunny girl says, who then notices Ryuuji's shocked expression, "Oh, I'm sorry for surprising you. I'm Reisen Udongein Inaba, the apprentice of the head doctor of this hospital you're in, which is called Eientei, the House of Eternity." The bunny girl, called Reisen, bows right after her self-introduction, eliciting the nervous Ryuuji to bow down quickly as well and introduce himself…
"I-I'm Kuzunoha Ryuuji. Nice to meet you, Inaba-san…" Sweat profusely rolled down Ryuuji's face as he struggles to avoid looking at Reisen, who slightly tilts her head in confusion at Ryuuji's action.
"Damnit, Ryuuji! You already have a girlfriend! And you love vanilla, not netorare!" Ryuuji mentally slaps himself in an attempt to recover his composure. Reisen, however, wastes no time and begins to speak.
"Please call me Reisen, Kuzunoha-san. As you can see, all the other rabbits here in Eientei are given the last name 'Inaba' as well." Reisen explains before taking a piece of document from the set of papers she's holding, and reads it, "Kuzunoha-san, how are you feeling right now? Are you having pains anywhere?"
"There are a lot more of her kind around here?! AAAWWWW YIIISSSS-I should stop that…" Ryuuji quickly obliges to answer, "Well…Nothing really. Actually, I feel like I'm in top condition today!"
"Hmm-hmm. I see." Taking a pen from one of the pockets of her uniform, Reisen writes up whatever she had heard from Ryuuji. After doing so, she resumes her questions.
"Do you still feel the same tiredness from yesterday? Even if a little?"
"Nope…"
"Is your eyesight well?"
"Yep."
The questions continued for a few minutes, till Reisen finally puts away the paper and her pen, "Thank you for your time, Kuzunoha-san. Oh, and by the way, the youkai who brought you here…Kasodani-san, was it? She's currently at the lobby, waiting for you. I could guide you to there, if you would like." Reisen declares, earning her a nod from Ryuuji.
"Then please take the lead, Reisen-san."
"Hmm-hmm. Then please follow me." Reisen says as she nods, before going towards the door of the room, followed by Ryuuji…who is then greeted by the sight of a large, wooden Japanese hall, with so many doors on its sides. From what one might guess, behind those doors are also hospital rooms, similar to where Ryuuji just stayed. As he and Reisen walked through the halls, groups and groups of…bunny-girl nurses passed through Ryuuji's eyesight…
"Damn…I should have Reika cosplay when I get back! Ufufufu…How does a miko-nurse work, I wonder…?" Holding himself back from making a big grin on his face, Ryuuji meekly follows behind Reisen as the duo passes through another group of bunny girls in…nurse outfits.
The costume itself was not bothering Ryuuji that much, but, however, it's just that the bunny girls he just saw…
…physically looked like they just barely hit their teens. In other words, the hospital itself is teeming with loli-bunny girls in nurse costumes, a sight sought by those who are into the way of pedophilia…
"…Looks like the other bunnies aren't equipped with ballistics like Reisen-san here. Damn it, how disappointing-wait, what the hell did I just think?!" Ryuuji sweat drops as he keeps on stealing glances at the passing groups of loli-bunny-girl-nurses…
A few more halls and doors later, Ryuuji found himself in a large Japanese lobby, filled with many people, ranging from children to the elderly, and most of them appeared injured or sick, which is a normal sight considering that the whole place serves as a hospital.
"Ah, there she is, Kuzunoha-san." Reisen calls out as she points to a person with a teal colored head. Ryuuji recognizes the teal haired person and decides to call out to her.
"Hey, Kyouko-san! Over here!"
"Huh? Are you talking to me-" Kyouko says as she turns around to face Ryuuji, who's waving at her, "Wah, Ryuuji-san! You really look fully healed now!" Kyouko cheerfully exclaims as she goes towards Ryuuji…
"A-ahem…I know that you two are quite are quite happy with your little reunion, but could you please lower your voices? We're in a hospital, just so you guys remember." Reisen sternly warns the yamabiko and the outsider, causing the latter two to apologetically bow.
"Wah, I'm sorry Reisen-san!" Kyouko apologizes as she kept on bowing. Ryuuji also apologizes right after, "Sorry 'bout that, Reisen-san. We won't do it again, right Kyouko-san?"
"Hmm-hmm. We won't!"
"Okay, okay, I hear the two of you.. Oh, and by the way, Kasodani-san, you really should fly him back to the shrine as you promised, else the shrine maiden will be raiding your house tonight." Bowing down right after saying that, Reisen quickly leaves.
"So…to the shrine, then?" Ryuuji asks, eliciting a nod from Kyouko, who answers right after.
"Yup! Let's go outside first. Oh, and don't forget to hold tight, okay?"
"We're…seriously gonna fly?" Ryuuji asks as he slightly sweats, with his answer being a quick 'Hmm-hmm' from Kyouko, confirming his doubts…
"Oh boy…Here we go again…"
-BGM Fades-
Kyouko and Ryuuji stepped out of Eientei, exposing them to the few streaks of sunlight that managed to pass through the gaps between the surrounding bamboo trees, which seemed to slightly blind Ryuuji as his eyes made its first contact with pure sunlight after a long while of being closed…
"Oww…I feel like a NEET who hasn't got out of his house for a millennia…" Ryuuji exclaims as he covers his eyes, as they had yet not fully adjusted to the bright environment of the outside. He releases his hands after a few seconds while blinking his eyes hard.
"Eh? Ryuuji-san? Are you all right? And what's a NEET?" Kyouko slightly tilts her head as she asked, eliciting her an answer from Ryuuji.
"I'm okay. Just getting my eyes used to sunlight, is all." Ryuuji says as he looks up at the sky, revering in its calming blur color, "And a NEET is someone who's…umm…how should I say this…" Scratching his head for ideas, it took a few seconds before Ryuuji remembered the clearest definition of NEET he has learned, "A NEET is a person who never goes to school, never got employed, and spends the rest of his days inside his house, just napping it off. In short, a lazy-ass person with no goal in life. Or is just unfriendly and doesn't like people."
"Wah, really? Do humans really survive in the outside world like that?" Kyouko asks in surprise. She has never heard of any living being able to survive living like that, not even from youkai.
"Sadly, some of them are really like that. But nah, who cares? It's their decision." Ryuuji says as he rolls his eyes. "So, uh, aren't we going to…fly to the shrine?"
"Oh, right! Ryuuji-san, please hold my right hand with both of yours." Kyouko reaches out with her right hand as she says that, prompting Ryuuji to comply, knowing that he'll be able to see the grand sight he saw when Reimu took him up to the air. But before that…
"Say, Kyouko-san," Ryuuji begins to speak as he held tight on Kyouko's right hand with both his own hands, "Why don't we just walk?"
"Well, you see, Ryuuj-san," Kyouko also has her left hand hold Ryuuji's right, making the mutual grip tighter, and safer for the aerial activity that they're going to do later, "This whole bamboo forest we're in is known as the Bamboo Forest of the Lost. Many people who simply waltzed in here on foot were lost, and never returned or seen again. And even if they managed to get out or get into Eientei, only very few managed to do so. And most of them are…are…" Kyouko hesitated to say the last part, as she knew that it is an unpleasant information to her human companion, "…they are humans…"
"…Oh. I see…" Ryuuji's grip tightened as he absorbed the possibilities and implications possibly behind those words from Kyouko, with the outsider's face becoming slightly pale. Ryuuji starts to sweat bullets as he says another sentence, "Let's stick with plan A…"
"Okay!"
And with that, Kyouko takes off to the air, with Ryuuji in tow, leaving a small gust of wind in the process…
Up in the air…
"Woah…" Ryuuji marvels at the sight of the bamboo forests below, the mist covered mountains by the east, with the sun already half-way rising over it, and the beautiful forests all over the other directions…
"This whole place is really like a museum of nature! You don't get to see THIS much nature in Japan, nowadays!" Ryuuji mentally praised at Gensokyo's overwhelming abundance of nature. Kyouko herself seems to be doing the same as well…
"Gensokyo's a really beautiful place, isn't it Ryuuji-san?" Kyouko asks the outsider, who responds happily.
"Yeah, it really is. But…" In the middle of his answer, Ryuuji's tone switched from a happy one to a tone that can be described as…being melancholic, "…My world…The outside world, is just as beautiful, too…" Homesickness is obviously making itself known in Ryuuji's voice. The outsider himself notices it, and speaks, "Oh, I'm sorry for rambling like that, Kyouko-san…"
"It's okay. You really don't have to apologize, Ryuuji-san. And also, I'm pretty sure the shrine maiden will take you home! Believe me, I've heard that she's already successful in sending many outsiders home before!" Kyouko reassures the outsider, earning the yamabiko a small smile from the latter…
"…By the way, Kyouko-san…"
"Y-yes?" Kyouko answers to the outsider's call…
"Thank you. For helping me out. And…" Ryuuji declares in a soft, grateful tone of voice, "I'm sorry, too. I was…being a spineless idiot when I first encountered you, and I was pretty rude to boot, even though you actually wanted to help me…If it wasn't for you, I…seriously wouldn't be able to go home. So…thank you."
"Hawawa! Y-y-your welcome, Ryuuji-san!" Kyouko replies with her voice steadily drifting down in volume, out of being flustered, which is also evidenced by her slightly reddening face. It appears that she doesn't always get to be…thanked this much.
Ryuuji notices the red tint on her face, but reconsidered asking her about it, remembering the little accident with Reimu before…
"…Well then, let's hurry to the shrine!"
"You got it, Ryuu-KYYAAAHH!"
"WOAH! What in the hell?!"
Kyouko and Ryuuji's conversation got interrupted as Kyouko had to abruptly dodge a ball of flames that came from below her from behind…
After that, a person dashed from below the outsider and the yamabiko, slightly disorienting their flight route. The said person is a woman with dark brown eyes, very long black hair in a hime-cut style, wears a pink shirt with many white bows, and a long, dark burgundy skirt decorated in yellow with bamboo and flower shapes…
"You won't escape, moon-bitch!" A female voice roars from the same direction below, and at the same time, flames are converging in the place as well, "Immortal "Fire Bird -Flying Phoenix-""
"A…spell card?!" Kyouko exclaims in fear as she watches the flames below change shape into a burning phoenix, and then, it then turns into a thousand crimson colored bullets, each one of them at the size of a large plate!
"A spell card? What the hell are you talking about-WOAH!" Ryuuji didn't get to finish as Kyouko suddenly increased her flight speed, as if flying away from something…
"Please, hold on real tight, Ryuuji-san! It looks like we got caught up in the range of a deadly spell card!" Kyouko loudly warns in a serious tone as she attempts to fly even faster…
"…Huh? Caught up in the range? Spell cards? What the hell is she talking about…?" Ryuuji mentally wondered, only to look down, and see the thousand crimson colored bullets heading above at very high speed…
…In other words, towards the outsider and the yamabiko.
Ryuuji could only scream two colorful words at the beautiful sight of crimson heading towards his direction…
"OH MOTHERFU-"
And so, the outsider met danmaku for the first time…
Looks like things are finally getting burned up! In more ways than one! First action scene next chapter! Although it will be between Mokou and Kaguya. Ryuuji ain't cut out for them danmaku…yet.
Will the outsider be able to escape unscathed? Find out on the next chapter!
Also, please tell me what you think about this chapter! Constructive criticisms are welcomed with open arms!
Note: If you're wondering why Eirin gets called 'sensei' here, it's because sensei is often used to refer to not only when talking to teachers, but doctors as well, based on my research. Although, the term for doctor itself is known as 'Ishi.'
