Kaimonkyo: Land by the Waves


Chapter 1


Passing through Kaimonkyo's barrier was no different than doing the same at Gensokyo. The only difference here was that Reimu had no control over it. She secretly attempted to manipulate it when she thought Chizuru was not looking, but she could not manage to make even a tiny crack. It felt like an attempt to bend solid iron, and the iron is pushing back twice as hard. Shaking her head in frustration, Reimu picked up the pace and fell in line with the unkempt youkai. A couple of seconds later, Chizuru stopped in her tracks, and Reimu nearly bumped into her. Before she could ask what was going on, the gap youkai snapped her fingers. A gap opened up, and sunlight flooded Reimu's eyes. Being in the border dimension for so long, her eyes struggled to get accustomed to the light. She shielded her eyes for a moment while squinting as hard as she could, until the light no longer felt like an assault on her vision. It took only ten seconds for her to adjust. Had she been a human, it would undoubtedly take longer.

With beckoning from Chizuru, Reimu gingerly took out of the border dimension and into the sanctuary of Kaimonkyo. It was not the first time she has been outside of Gensokyo, but being in another sanctuary felt different. She had never seen or heard of other sanctuaries until recently, and deep down, Reimu did not know what to expect. It made her twitch her fingers in anticipation. Instinctively, she tried to reach for her gohei, only to realise a few seconds later that she was unfit to carry one. Sighing softly, Reimu pushed forth. The moment she stepped out of the gap, a salty and unfamiliar smell greeted her nostrils. She could not describe it, but she did not enjoy the smell one bit. Chizuru on the other hand took a deep breath, stretched her limbs, and let out a long and pleasured sigh. She cracked her knuckles and flexed her arms, as if preparing herself for a fight. When she saw Reimu looking at her, Chizuru smiled softly. With red cheeks, she quickly looked away.

Looking around, Reimu noticed that they were standing next to a torii. There was a stone path that led from the gate to the steps of a shrine. It was built in the middle of a small clearing, and it was sheltered by the tops of trees that grew over the opening. To the immediate left of the shrine were a gingko tree and a small hut, its purpose unknown. Seeds from the tree were scattered across the ground, and some of them were stuck on the roof of the shrine. The shrine seemed unoccupied, but Reimu heard instruments being played and it sounded like it came from within. The drum beats were slow and purposeful, and she immediately recognised them. There was a wedding going on in there. Having conducted several wedding ceremonies before, she knew better than to interrupt the procession. She distracted herself by taking a look at her surroundings.

They were on the side of a mountain as Reimu could see that there was a settlement located at a lower elevation. It was next to a body of water which she recognised as the sea. She had seen pictures of seas in books that Marisa 'borrowed' from Patchouli. She had an idea on how seas should look like, but an odd curtain of fog obscured the horizon. It was a puzzling sight because it looked like as if something was keeping the fog at bay. Reimu made a mental note to check out the fog when she had the chance. Normally, as long as things did not cause trouble, she would not bother investigating it. But ever since becoming Yukari's shikigami, curiosity for unusual things and occurrences crept into her. With the intelligence programming in her, Reimu felt compelled to investigate almost everything. Almost. Things like 'what grows under Marisa's bed' and 'how long can she hold yin-yang orbs before dropping them' were best left unanswered. It was annoying that they think that just because she was given super intellect by Yukari, she could answer all of life's questions. Kanako even came by to talk about science, only for an irate Reimu to shoo her away with a piece of stick.

"Enjoying the view?" Chizuru asked and disrupted her train of thought.

"It's almost the same as Gensokyo," Reimu said with a shrug. "Everything seems quiet too. What exactly is the problem?"

Chizuru reached her hand into a gap and pulled out another sake bottle. She popped it open and took a long and heavy chug. When she was done, she looked at Reimu. "Problem is we're always low on sake. I had to borrow this from the shop."

"Good grief," Reimu muttered while dragging a hand down her face. "Not only are you an oni, you're Marisa as well."

Chizuru pointed the bottle at Reimu. "Hey, I'll have you know that I'm an honorary oni," she said in a mock irate tone. "And my drinking puts the Oni Lord to shame."

Reimu crossed her arms angrily. "Can we please get back to the point? What is wrong with Kaimonkyo anyway? I don't see any problems around here."

She chuckled and said, "Not all problems are obvious, Reimu. This one requires a little more...investigative work than outright brute force."

"Well, have you found out anything then?" Reimu asked.

"Yeah, I found out that the shop I frequent has terrible sake, and I don't wanna go to the Outside World to get some. Need to find for a better place to buy."

Reimu narrowed her eyes, the latter still oblivious to her annoyance. She asked for help, but now she was trying to shrug off attempts to look into the issue. It was obvious that Chizuru had something to hide, and Reimu wanted to know what it was. She spent the next three minutes drilling her for the real answer, but each time she said something, it was something trivial or unrelated to anything important. For a moment, the former miko began to wonder if this was an elaborate prank.

"I'm guessing there isn't actually a problem here?" Reimu said with finality in her tone.

Reimu's stomach growled, causing her face to go deep red with embarrassment. Chizuru chuckled. "There's your problem right there. I tell you what, let's go get something to eat. I still owe you that bowl of soba after all."

Soba was not the food that ran through her mind though. The smell of humans was enticing, and the fact that her hunger was back was not helping much. Eating humans was a necessity for survival. That was a fact. But deep down, Reimu has yet to accept it entirely. Another thing that bothered her was the fact that her hunger had returned much sooner than she anticipated. Yukari was right. The blood cakes alone were not enough to sustain her for long periods. She had hoped it would last for at least half a year, but that was not the case. The hunger gnawed at her memories of the time when she attempted to starve herself because she felt it was morally wrong to eat humans.

Reimu looked towards the shrine hungrily. Chizuru eyed at her, and her mouth creased while she nodded her head slowly. "You know it's not a good idea, right?"

"Yeah, tell me something I don't know," Reimu snapped while clutching her stomach.

"Well, I'm not gonna force you to do something you don't like. But just in case you change your mind, there's a youkai food stall just halfway down from here," Chizuru said softly.

"...that's way too close to the shrine, don't you think? Won't that get the attention of the miko?" Reimu asked.

"Let's just say we have an understanding going on between us. She won't try to kill us as long as we leave the settlement alone."

"And I'm supposed to feel better about that?"

"We don't need to eat a lot, you know."

No different here it seems. Reimu knew where this was going, and if Chizuru was anything like Yukari, she'd throw in the same argument as well. It made sense in the grand scheme of things and life itself involved creatures eating each other. Humanity may be apex predators in the Outside World, but in sanctuaries like Gensokyo, they were subject to predations by the youkai and perhaps even the celestials themselves if they so fancy it. After all, the strong fed upon the weak. And as Yukari so elegantly described it: it is just being part of the food chain. Cows ate plants, humans ate cows, and youkais ate humans.

"But still..." Reimu muttered.

"Frankly, I wouldn't really care, but Yukari made me promise that you'd be safe during your stay. If you die here...well...she'd probably have my head. Or my limb. Since you're her shikigami, she'll know if anything happens to you." She casually tossed the empty sake bottle aside, earning a huff of disapproval from Reimu. She then let off a short and soft sigh before doubling over from hunger-induced pains.

"I guess both of us don't have a choice then."

"Yep."

"Damn it..." Reimu pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration.

Chizuru stood up and gave her a pat on the shoulder. "But trust me. You have this one meal of human flesh, and it'll sustain you for at least a couple of years. All you need to do is eat a limb, like a leg."

For a moment, she was silent. After half a minute or so, Reimu said, "Let's just get this over with."


The aforementioned food stall was just a couple of flights of stairs down the mountain, but they had to take a left turn onto an unmarked path. Because Reimu was starting to tire herself out due to the hunger, Chizuru offered to carry her. She promptly refused, stating that she was able to walk. The further in they went, the more Reimu started to wobble and lose balance. Her vision was getting blurry, and sweat rolled down her face.

By the time they reached a seemingly unassuming stall in the middle of the forest, Reimu took a seat slowly and immediately collapsed onto the table. The commotion caused a youkai to pop her head out from behind the stall. When she saw Chizuru taking a seat along with an unfamiliar face, she quickly flew over to greet them. Reimu managed to turn her head to the right. She raised an eyebrow and pointed at the youkai.

"Mystia?" she said.

The youkai blinked in confusion before letting out a soft laugh. Chizuru, on the other hand, looked at Reimu. "Who is Mystia?"

"I'll explain later," she said in a sweet voice. "It looks like your friend needs some nourishment."

"Anything fresh?" she asked.

The youkai nodded. "Yep, I caught this one attempting to leap off a cliff not too long ago. It'd be a waste for her to be food for the isonade."

"Yes, a waste indeed," Chizuru muttered. She struck the table with her palm and said, "So, let's give our friend here a bowl of ramen and a healthy serving of leg."

"I thought we were eating soba," Reimu said weakly.

"Change of plan. And don't make me feed you."

While the youkai was busy preparing her food, Reimu caught the whiff of fresh blood. It made her stomach growl again, and her mouth watered with anticipation. Chizuru was quiet, not wanting to strike up a conversation. She did not attempt to grab anything this time, opting to look at Reimu to make sure she did not pass out. There was a small clearing in the tree canopy, and a pink leaf flitted down from the skies above. It landed on the table, just in front of Reimu's face.

Her eyes wandered upwards, and her mouth was agape with awe. There was a tree unlike any other, and even in her weakened state, she managed to run some calculations in her head. She estimated the cherry blossom tree to be around 100 metres tall and 12 metres in diameter. Not even the Saigyou Ayakashi was this large, and that was saying something. Some memories of the Spring Snow Incident and images of Yuyuko popped into her mind. Then, a thought hit her.

"Your food's ready!" came a sing-song voice, causing Reimu to jump a bit.

She sat up just in time to see the youkai place a large bowl of hot ramen on the table. With a smile, she gave Reimu a pair of chopsticks. When the night sparrow youkai turned to look at Chizuru, she shook her head. "Come indulge me with some answers though," she said while patting on an empty chair.

Reimu fished a piece of meat from the soup, and her mouth creased. It seemed no different from any other meat, but it smelled different. It was definitely human. She took a deep breath and looked at the two. The night sparrow had taken her seat when she noticed Reimu's stare, and she cocked her head slightly. Chizuru gestured for her to take a bite.

"Like you said, Reimu, we don't have a choice."

After taking a big gulp of saliva, she took a bite. Then, she completely forgot about her objections towards eating human meat. The taste was too good, too tempting to stop. It had awoken something in her that she had kept suppressed for the past 7 months. Not even the cakes and teas could make her lose control. Reimu wolfed down large chunks of meat, only stopping to wipe some sweat from her forehead before continuing her meal. Only when all the meat was gone did she go for the ramen. It tasted good, but it was nothing crow about. She had tasted better ones back at Gensokyo.

"There, don't you feel better now?" Chizuru asked with a grin on her face.

She paused to slurp some of the ramen. After she swallowed it, she said, "I'm probably gonna regret this later though."

"But why?" the night sparrow asked.

"She's just going through a phase. Give her time," Chizuru answered in Reimu's stead.

Reimu said nothing and continued eating her meal. When she finished the last strand of noodle and slurped up the last drop of soup, a few more cherry blossom petals flitted down and landed on the table. She put down the bowl and let out a very long sigh of content, her fangs gleaming in a sunray that managed to reach through the hole in the trees. The devil in her seemed satisfied, and she felt the gnawing pain disappear. Hopefully, this would last her for a while so she would not need to eat another human. Her mind was in conflict over the moral implications, but there were pressing matters to look into.

"How was it?" the youkai asked.

"If you want my honest opinion, it could've been better. It's a little salty. Otherwise, it's perfect," Reimu said.

"Hah, I told you, Gracia! I always said your ramen was a little too salty, but you think I'm lying to you!" Chizuru exclaimed.

She rolled her eyes. "Oh rub it in, will you?"

"Your name's Gracia?" Reimu interrupted just as Chizuru was about to retort.

She turned to her and nodded with a smile. "Yep, Gracia Lorelei! Originally from Aichi, moved to Kaimonkyo a couple of centuries back."

Reimu leaned forward a bit. "You don't happen to be related to Mystia, do you?"

"Yep, I am," she chirped happily. "We were from the same nest, but Mystia migrated northwards while I moved south."

"...that explains why you look so much like her."

Gracia's eyes widened. "Wait, you know Mystia?" Then, she launched into a barrage of questions on how she was doing, what she was doing, and any question she can think of. Reimu was used to dealing with magical barrages; not barrages of questions. Chizuru stepped in and put a hand over her mouth, but she refused to stop. Muffled questions continued streaming from her until Reimu raised her hand, causing her to stop.

"She's fine. A troublemaker, but doing fine. But I'd like to know something from you as well," she said. When she nodded her head, Chizuru let go of her. "What's the name of that cherry blossom?" She gestured towards it.

"Oh, that tree?" Gracia turned her head to look at the mighty cherry blossom. "That's the Eien no Sakura. We can go there anytime, but humans are forbidden to come close to it."

"Why's that?"

"...I have no idea actually."

"Ye gods..." Reimu planted a palm onto her face.

Chizuru cleared her throat and said, "It's a bit of a long story, that one. Here's the short and sweet version: its fruits are not meant for consumption by humans. There were cases of people dying because they ate from it. I had to personally stop a few samurais from harvesting it back then. I dunno where they got the misbegotten idea it'd grant them immortality."

"Suppose I should walk up to it and eat from it, will anything happen to me?"

"Reimu, you're a youkai. I don't think anything's gonna happen to you. If you fancy it, by all means. Heck, grab some of the leaves too. I hear they make great tea."

Giving the tree one last glance, she leaned forward slightly and looked at Chizuru. "There aren't any dead bodies buried underneath it, right?"

Gracia and Chizuru gave her puzzled looks. "No, and I don't see why there should be any. That tree's sacred to youkais here," Chizuru said.

"Huh." Reimu rubbed her chin. "I never had the impression that youkais held things sacred, especially if the tree is just another youkai."

"I guess we're not all the same," Chizuru said with a shrug.

As far as Reimu was concerned, the youkais she encountered back at Gensokyo held nothing sacred except for their own wellbeing. Symbolisms were never something they indulge in, preferring a straightforward approach to matters in life. With the exception of Yukari, Ran, and a few other youkais, the rest did not bother with meanings and implications. She found it interesting that Kaimonkyo's youkai population had something common they held dear to. But if they were just as selfish and individualistic as Gensokyo's common youkais, it would inevitably lead to some conflicts with each other.

Though, it was funny to think of the youkais fighting tooth and nail for the biggest piece of fruit or the best branch to sit on. Reimu chuckled thinking about it. If she was still a miko, she would probably let them exterminate themselves. So if the tree was nothing more than a picnic spot for youkais, then the issue must be something else. Reimu was up for some investigative work, but she had no lead to start on. Inevitably, her thoughts went back to the shrine uphill.

"That shrine up there, is it the only one?" she asked.

"Yes, it is. Why, are there many shrines at Gensokyo?" Chizuru asked in return.

"Eh...let's just say I have some friendly rivals," Reimu answered.

"So does the Akami Shrine. Ako has a decent number of followers, but the shrine isn't the only place of worship in Kaimonkyo."

"There are Buddhists here too?"

"Eh, there is a small Buddhist temple by the human settlement, but it's nothing compared to Saint Michael's Chapel located at the other side of mountain."

Reimu raised an eyebrow. "Saint Michael's? What religion is that?"

"I think they're called Christians," Gracia interjected. "Heard one of the humans call themselves that anyway."

Chizuru nodded. "The religion is tied to the south's history, but I digress. What's on your mind though, asking about the shrine all of a sudden?"

Reimu stood up. "I need to talk to the shrine maiden."

"I think you should sit down," said Chizuru.

"And why should I do that?" Reimu turned to look at her.

"Because she's already here."

Reimu heard some rustling come from the pathway, and before she could react, a young woman landed next to a dying tree. Her outfit was that of a typical miko, unmodified and traditional in many ways except for her detached sleeves. Her hair was tied into a ponytail of medium length. Reimu had expected ying-yang orbs, instead, the miko brought with her an ornate catalpa bow with a quiver of arrows strapped to her back. Her gohei was strapped to the belt, and Reimu noticed a stack of ofuda sticking out from a small waist bag she carried. She was even more equipped than Shiko, Reimu thought.

"That's Katakura Ako, miko of Akami Shrine."


Lt Colonel Summers: No, I don't see the sanctuaries as a country of some sort. They have no leader such as a president or prime minister, but they do have key figures like Reimu and Yukari to maintain the barrier that makes up the sanctuary. All in all though, both Gensokyo and Kaimonkyo are leaderless, and power of authority mainly rests in the hands of settlement leaders and chieftains.

onie: Thanks for reading!

narysowany: Good eye there. Admittedly, I wasn't feeling so good when I wrote the prologue. I had initially intended to upload it during my birthday, but then I fell sick. I do appreciate you pointing out the inconsistency, and I immediately rectified it. Thanks for that, and thanks for the review! Never a good idea to write while you're under the weather, and especially during 3 a.m.

Author's Notes: I hope to put this out before Chinese New Year, and thankfully, I did. First of all, I'd like to thank those who commented. And as always, I want to thank UnMovingGreatLibrary for letting me base a story off of his fic. It's not easy attempting to replicate writing style, but I do my best to make this story as entertaining as possible. I know I've made some mistakes here and there, so feel free to point it out so I can rectify it. Hey, I'm not perfect after all. Other than that, peace out, fellow Touhou fans. See you in Chapter 2.


Extra Data


Eien no Sakura (永遠の桜): Eternal Cherry Blossom, largest tree in Kaimonkyo and a popular gathering spot for youkais

Katakura Ako (片倉 亜子): Shrine maiden of the Akami Shrine

Gracia Lorelei (グラシア. ローレライ): Nest sister of Mystia, a good cook but likes salt a little too much

Aohara Chizuru (青原 千鶴): Yukari's former protégé (currently close friend) and architect of the Akami Barrier, also a self-proclaimed champion drunk

Kaimonkyo (海門郷): A youkai sanctuary similar to Gensokyo, located in the southern regions of Japan. Located next to the sea, it sports unique sea-based youkais not found in Gensokyo

Akami Jinja (赤見神社): The Akami Shrine, the main and only Shinto shrine in Kaimonkyo, functions similarly to the Hakurei Shrine of Gensokyo