Final Chapter: Aftermath and Judgments
When Richard came to, he found himself right onto Komachi's boat, lying down on it, as he began to feel himself around, finding that his body was alright, but only because he was reduced to a mere soul, as the shinigami realized that Richard had awoken.
"Well, Richard. I suppose that you did choose a good way to die." Komachi remarked. "When a shinigami like me warns you about your impending death, it's going to happen one way or another. Otherwise, it will put things out of whack, and really bad things happen. Now you're on the way to the hereafter."
"...The incident is over, and nobody has won." Richard stated. "...That's the best outcome that I can have."
"You do know that no-one will know you're the one to finish the fight, except those who happen upon Tenshi's body, and that weapon of hers which is stained by your blood. Still, I wonder how your body ended up fading away…" Komachi stated. "Does this happen to your kind often?"
"More or less. And I never really cared about being the one responsible for saving Gensokyo in a way. I'm fine with being forgotten. Some things deserve to be forgotten by the masses, especially who I once was." Richard answered back. "But I know that there are still people who knew that I was a kind person who overcame his rotten upbringing to become better. And for me, that's enough. You already know what I regret, Komachi."
"Right, you should pay the crossing toll. You know how much, right?" Komachi asked, before Richard then deposited exactly six mon coins into her hand, as she took them. "Just so you know… I think that after seeing you work for so long… you really didn't deserve to die this kind of death… but we both know that you chose this for the best, and it was necessary."
"Please, don't comfort me. I feel bad enough for making people mourn for me." Richard answered back, as Komachi looked at Richard's sorrowful expression, as she nodded in understanding, before ferrying Richard across the Sanzu River, and right into the court of the Yama, as Richard took his place on the witness stand beside the judge's seat.
Some time passed, before Eiki took her seat right in the judge's seat, before holding the Rod of Remorse in one hand, and a gavel in the other.
"Richard Liu." Eiki declared with the tone befitting of a judge condemning a criminal. "You find yourself at my court for the actions that you have committed. You are a reincarnation of a god of chaos who sought to destroy everything and anything to quell the gaping void that your heart has become after being betrayed for so much that you forsaken everything. You have killed countless people in your rampage, even heroes who could have secured a better future. Only by the hands of the all-powerful gods were you finally defeated and destroyed once and for all, with only your purified soul left to reincarnate. It seems that your sins have followed you here, to have lived a life of sin. Despite all attempts to reform you, you still indulge in your sins, despite the fact that even the slightest indulgence will make you the second coming. As such, your soul is ruled to only be reincarnated, if you truly proven that you have risen above your sins. Or else, you will be thrown into Hell to be repurposed, with no second chances. As such, I shall be the one to decide your verdict personally. How do you plead?"
"I reserve my own judgment." Richard answered back with calm, as Eiki glared at Richard. "For I cannot truly say that I am either guilty or innocent in my actions. Your perspective shall be the one that truly matters. List me my charges, and I shall do my best to justify them. If I cannot convince you, then I will accept my guilty judgment. But if I can convince you, then I have proven my own innocence. Do not take this for arrogance, Shikieiki Yamaxanadu, I merely wish to hear what you truly think of me."
"I see." Eiki answered back. "Your actions, while on the surface, are considered to be selfless, but in truth, they are selfishness by the definition of fulfilling your own desire. You sought to keep peace and placate others, so that you could avoid tragedy as you have before. You manipulated others into believing what you say, and doing what you believe is best for everyone. Do you know what that is called, Richard?"
"Zealotry." Richard responded back with a lack of pause. "Perhaps it is, but if I performed it, then it was not truly with direct intention. I carefully chose my words in order to make people relate with me. But my words are too strong for others. I grew up with a snake's tongue in the alleyways. And I can't just simply turn that off on will. If I did, then I have long forgotten how. And what about my desire to make others happy? Did I not do this so that everyone will not live in misery?"
"And in doing so, you have brought short-term misery that will still take ages to heal." Eiki argued back. "Need I remind you that suicide with spite, in Buddhism is considered a sin, and your actions constitute to assisted-suicide by Tenshi. The path to hell is paved with good intentions, Richard. The ends do not truly justify the means. You have tried to avoid doing things at the expense of others, but in the end, your final act is one such thing."
"Then you say that my death is no sacrifice, but a resignation to life?" Richard argued back. "I didn't want to die in glory, Eiki. Do you know why I made it so that everyone was away from me? Because I wanted to die alone. I didn't want anyone to feel like they're responsible for me dying. If they could help me, and failed, it would embed regret in them. Out of every resident who took my side, the only three who truly had that kind of regret were Reisen herself, Aya and Momiji. I will stand for myself here: My death was no vanity. Tenshi said that Gensokyo will change after the incident, no matter the outcome. And I strongly believe that Gensokyo will change for the better, with how I chose to end it with my fated death."
"We shall see." Eiki stated, before raising the Crystal Mirror for Richard to look through. "If you truly believe your actions have done things for the better, then gaze into this mirror, and then tell me if you believe it strongly."
Richard did so, as the mirror began to review the aftermath of the incident, after several hours had passed, into the next day, and everyone recovered to learn the result of the incident, however horrible it was.
Marisa landed at the door of the Hakurei Shrine, as she noticed that Reimu wasn't outside, as Marisa knew the reason, due to the fact that she knew that Richard's sudden absence meant one thing, as she slowly walked up to the door, as Genji stopped her.
"Lady Kirisame." Genji stated. "I assume that you have come to see Lady Hakurei?"
"I… I have to." Marisa answered back, as there was some regret in her voice. "It's the only way that I can help Reimu break free of her own guilt."
"...If that's what you believe." Genji stated, before nodding.
Marisa then slid the door open, finding that Reimu was sitting by her kotatsu, as there were dark rings and bags under her eyes, indicating that she hadn't slept so well the previous night, as in her clasped hands was a cold cup of tea.
"Reimu, I've come to see you." Marisa stated, only to get no response from Reimu, who only lowered her head. "...Look, I know that what happened has gotten you down, but-"
"...Did we do the right thing, Marisa?" Reimu asked.
"What?" Marisa asked, before Reimu raised her head, as there was a bitter expression on her face.
"Did you think we did the right thing, treating Richard so distantly… and never being there to help him when he needed us…?" Reimu harshly said. "He was a Gappy, but he was someone who just wanted to help out whenever he could. And because of us… all of us, he's dead."
"There's nothing we could have done to save him. We weren't supposed to save him. He knew it as well, from the looks of it." Marisa firmly said. "That's why he must have engineered this thing into a double knock-out… well, death in his case. But that's the best choice: That means we all get to live. That proves that from the beginning, he respected the balance and sacrificed-"
Reimu then banged a fist against the table. "And do you think that will change something!?" Reimu howled in emotional pain. "It's going to start over! All of it is going to start over again! We barely got by, because it was Richard, who managed to earn Gensokyo's sympathy in his final moments… and that will mean nothing when Yukari gaps another child in, and another, until we have another incident like this!"
"We won't let something like this happen again! Not as long as we don't naively put trust into the Gappies!" Marisa exclaimed. "If there is good in the Gappies, we can convince them to rise past their own arrogance, and acknowledge their human sides."
"There won't be another Gappy like Richard." Reimu declared with despair in her voice, as her hands began to shake. "I'm already at my limit, Marisa… I can't take any more of this. I have to keep Gensokyo in order, and witness the consequences of what the Gappies have done, and what the residents did in retaliation to punish them. It's finally too much for me, Marisa. It's finally too much…"
Marisa then took a moment, before she then slapped Reimu across the cheek hard, with a cross expression.
"And do you think that staying here, waiting for it to happen again, will change anything!?" Marisa shouted, genuinely angry at Reimu's defeatist nature right now. "That's the exact same reason that drove Richard away! Because we've already been taking things for granted, and let things happen! We acted too late to save Richard, and this is what happened as a result! We will be better, Reimu. We will be there to keep watch over the Gappy, for better or for worse. I'll even drop my damn routine of messing with Gappies, to actually be a proper learning figure for them! So do the same for them! Or else nothing will change!"
Reimu paused for a moment, before she then recovered, gently brushing her red cheek with her fingers, as her expression recovered slightly, as if Marisa's harsh words knocked some sense back into her.
"...Look, Reimu.I'm broken as well down inside after what happened to Richard." Marisa stated with a sympathetic tone. "But he died to give us the chance to improve for the better, to make the right choices this time around. He wouldn't want us to keep on fighting each other over some trivial matters, and because of the Gappies. We have to be there to mediate matters, and ensure that nothing goes past the boiling point."
Marisa then turned away. "And if Yukari pulls something like this. Threat or no, I won't hesitate against her." She declared firmly. "I don't care if I have to give my own life, but if she still thinks that this is not enough to make Gensokyo learn a lesson, after all of the pain and misery that everyone got for this… I'm not letting her continue this."
Marisa then floated away, as Reimu then looked at her tea-cup, as she briefly imagined the reflection of Richard enjoying the tea she made, as Richard's happy expression caused Reimu's heart to twist.
'If only I accepted that you were different…' Reimu thought, before she then laid her tea-cup down. '...Then would all of this have been avoided…?'
"For disobeying direct orders to protect the Tengu Village, and losing 52 airmen on an unauthorized mission." Lord Tenma declared in the military court, as tengu of varying positions acted as jury and audience to the court-martial of both Aya and Momiji. "You are both on dishonorable leaves from the Tengu Army until further notice. In addition, Miss Shameimaru, funding for the Bunbunmaru Printing Press will be cut until further notice."
"Yes, Lord Tenma." Aya and Momiji answered back stoically.
"Officer Hiraku Okami, you are now in charge of Miss Inubashri's route. Take her and Miss Shameimaru's tokins."
"Yes, Lord Tenma." Hiraku stated, before walking over and taking Momiji's and Aya's tokins. "Momiji, I'm sorry…"
"It's fine, kid." Momiji smiled back. "You don't deserve blame for going alongside us. We thought we were doing the right thing."
Lord Tenma merely looked at Hiraku, before Aya and Momiji left, as the entire court was dispersed. As Hiraku was about to leave to try and speak with Momiji and Aya, before they would proceed with their self-imposed exile from the Tengu Village.
"Officer Hiraku, a word please." Lord Tenma stated, as Hiraku froze up for a moment, before he then nodded, and followed Lord Tenma to a small balcony that seemed to be far from anyone in the village.
"Lord Tenma, I didn't want-" Hiraku tried to desperately plead.
"It's fine. You were merely sending Miss Inubashri and Miss Shameimaru with respect." Lord Tenma answered back. "...And in a way, you're conveying the same feelings that I wish I could give them both."
"...What do you mean, Lord Tenma?" Hiraku asked back.
"...As much as they committed such a serious folly… they were close to Richard, and did have reasons that could be justified." Lord Tenma answered back. "If I could… I would have given the order myself. But after what Momoi stated… the Village's safety comes first."
"Then why-" Hiraku asked.
"Think of it from a political perspective, it is not that difficult." Lord Tenma asked back. "What do you think would happen if I allowed either of them to walk with anything slightly more than a slap on the wrist? This is already as lenient as I could give them, and for a reason."
"...You would be seen as too soft, too biased…" Hiraku answered back.
"That's right. Richard's death was not something that he fought against. I know from the look on his eyes, that he knew that his death was coming. He walked to death, and faced it with the dignity of a warrior." Lord Tenma stated. "In that case, that means that Miss Inubashri's and Miss Shameimaru's attempt to rescue him was nothing more than a worthless effort. And a gambit that left so many of our people dead, trying to breach through the fairies. It is my own compassion that I did not ask for something more severe. I bent the rules enough."
"...I… I understand." Hiraku said, with a downcast expression. "...Lord Tenma… What about the legacy of Richard…? He deserves some acknowledgement for the fact that he saved a good number of our men with his own assault."
"Perhaps when the flames of the incident die down…" Tenma remarked, before her expression tensed. "The Celestial wench was afraid of retribution for her deeds, and so she made it so that if any shred of the truth is revealed of what Richard truly has done… it would spark another war… and this war will be far more bloody, waged not between youkai and fairies, but youkai against youkai. It would be a war that burns the realm away. And I will not grant her satisfaction by allowing it to pass. So for now, the truth must only be spoken in whispers. Only when the realm has healed, can the truth be told truly… and that will be the day that both Miss Shameimaru and Miss Inubashri will be welcomed back into the Tengu Army. Until then, you are free to visit them, but do not try to assist them overtly."
"Thank you, Lord Tenma." Hiraku responded back, before walking away.
Lord Tenma then took out a smoking pipe, before then taking a puff out of it.
"...Richard Liu, you are the most influential Outsider that I have ever met." Lord Tenma stated. "To have shaken this realm with your own actions to this degree, and for the better… even if it is not clear… you are an existence that should have remained, for it would have benefitted all of Gensokyo. A shame that good men die young… truly a shame."
Nitori sat in her bar, as her fellow kappa were celebrating their own survival, free from Tenshi's threat, although the head kappa engineer was in no celebrating mood, merely glancing through her glass of beer.
"What's wrong, Nitori?" One of the kappas asked Nitori. "The incident ended perfectly. No more of us will have to die from this incident. And Tenshi won't ever have the chance to hurt us, after the Moriya Shrine took the responsibility for helping our rebuilding efforts!"
"At what cost…" Nitori intoned. "We betrayed the one person who put his faith into us, and because of it, he had to die for this incident to end peacefully. He was so kind to us… and we just… We just capitulated to Tenshi's threat and tried to kill him first."
The kappa was fairly solemn herself, before she then shook her head.
"Look, he's already passed us by." The kappa answered back. "...Mourning him won't do much good. We still have a future, and we can use that future to devote something in his name… so that we can show the others that he wasn't all that bad."
"So you're saying we devote a project in his name?" Nitori answered back.
'Yeah, what's the harm in it? We done so much things for the Gappies, who did nothing to repay us." The kappa answered back. "But Richard? He asked for so little, just small repairs here and there, and he didn't mean harm when he tried to divvy up our defenses. We thought too that we have enough. I guess the blame for how Kappa Valley ended up is also on our shoulders…"
"Wait… that gives me an idea!" Nitori shot up, as her expression lit up. "I think that I know a perfect thing that could help create a brand in the name of Richard's peace!"
"What is it?" The kappa asked back.
"An automatic barrier system!" Nitori exclaimed. "We've been focusing too much on the offensive side of things. After all, Richard did say that one day, we would need to protect ourselves. And we never truly had any proper shielding technology. And after seeing how Richard fights, we can derive a barrier system based on his own magic."
Nitori then hugged the kappa. "I know you didn't expect to cheer me up this way… but I feel much better, now that I have something to work towards! I can't afford to mope, when there's proper work to do!"
Nitori then stepped onto the table, before banging her foot against the table, getting attention from everyone.
"Hey, listen up, everyone!" Nitori exclaimed. "We kappas have been made door-mats by the Gappies for so long, but for the first time, we met a Gappy who thought for the best of us. He was the one who gave us materials to help develop some projects that we have had on the back-burner. And although we were part of the reason that he ended up dead… he's also one of the reason that so many of us are alive. If he truly hated us, he would have sicced his friend to burn us all away. But he merely wanted to stop us, and force us to stop fighting."
Nitori then raised her beer glass. "So let's keep our cooperation, and build something in his name!" Nitori declared. "It's the least we can do for the vilified hero of Kappa Valley. We know that we got a lot to pay for our betrayal… so let's make it up by creating a new idea that will be used to protect everyone, not just the youkai."
"And what's the name of that project?" One of the kappa asked.
"Why, that's a no-brainer. I'm going to call it… the Ryukawa system!" Nitori exclaimed.
"Just ease it out, and we're done." Tenshi instructed Momoi, as she finally managed to get rid of the keystone that she embedded right into the mountain's leyline, which created the scarlet mist that caused the incident, as the mist was sucked back into the keystone itself.
"Done." Momoi answered back.
"Bring it back to Heaven. I want a word with Miss Kochiya." Tenshi remarked, looking towards Sanae, who had an expression of tranquil anger on her face, as she merely glared back at the Celestials.
"Are you sure that's smart?" Momoi asked with concern, looking at Sanae, who whipped her head around towards her, making the pink-haired Celestial gulp slightly. "Alright, just don't get yourself hurt more than you should, You're already pushing it with all the injuries that you have taken from that battle."
Tenshi and Sanae were silent for a moment, before Tenshi decided to break the silence. "Well, Richard Liu is dead, and so are thousands of tengus and kappas." She admitted off-handedly. "But look on the bright side: If Richard was that much of an issue, the death of-"
"Don't you dare finish." Sanae growled deeply. "That is nothing like a 'necessary evil'. You dragged everyone into that damn feud you have with Gappies, and everyone suffered for it. I wanted to do the right thing for Gensokyo's wellbeing, even if it meant hurting Richard… not this entire incident of pain and suffering!"
"You know, Kochiya… you don't sound much too different from Richard himself. That's the greatest tragedy, really. He truly loved every single one of you, and he even had it in him to forgive all of you, and at worst only wanted to teach those who wronged him a lesson that they can recover from." Tenshi remarked with a hint of smugness. "And they all killed him. It's not fair for him. So ironically, that's why when your goddess came to me in order to help stop Richard, I accepted without hesitation. I wanted him to die fighting someone that he truly detested, so that he can feel like his death meant something. I saved him from the despair of being betrayed hard by those who he believed cared for him."
"Wrong. He died for all of us." Sanae answered back with a dark tone. "He died for all of us so that this incident would have ended peacefully with no more deaths, no more suffering. He died to deny you the victory that you have wanted so much. And I bet that this wasn't just your idea."
"I have no idea what you're talking about." Tenshi answered back, her expression growing a frown.
"Fine, play the fool. It's not like you can do anything else." Sanae snapped, as Tenshi bit her lip to avoid making a retort. "Besides, I hope you're truly happy with what you have done. You just killed one potential person who could have helped a lot of people find some meaningful peace in their lives, and change their ways. Thanks to you, we're stuck in this wretched status quo."
"Oh, don't act as if you did anything to rebel against it. You lack the resolve and power to even try." Tenshi mocked, as Sanae's expression heated up for a moment, as her hands clenched into fists. "This was going to happen one way or another. There would have been an incident that would have made for the intent of killing Richard. I caused it, and because of it, I got to control who got the blood on their hands: Everyone."
"Everyone except you Celestials." Sanae scoffed. "Like always, you will brush this incident under the rug. After all, since when do Celestials have to care about the happenings of the mortal realms. Above consequences, you get the right to push the pieces around and watch the show from behind the curtains, like the sick bastards you are. The people who wanted to become like you, are a thousand times better than any of you will be for eternity."
"I would not speak so derogatory about my own kind, Kochiya." Tenshi spoke with a glare in her eyes, as she reached for the Sword of Hisou.
"Or what?" Sanae asked with a bitter smile. "You'll just start this all over again? You'd do that on a mere whim. You Celestials are not so different to the Gappies that you so hate and despise. You manipulate people for your sick amusement, and kill them just because you think that you're in the right. What do I have to lose, Hinanawi? The shrine? Kanako and Suwako? You'd take them away if they suited you. The only reason why I haven't tried to gouge your very body apart is the fact that the status quo must remain, for that is what Richard died for, and the fact that the Spell Card Rules apply to both of us again… fortunately for you."
Tenshi merely remained silent, before she then turned away. "That is some lofty words for a shrine maiden who is overshadowed by her rival." Tenshi scoffed. "Celestials come down to give people advice. But for you, there is nothing that can be said."
"And even if you gave me your 'advice', I would tell you to shove it up where the sun doesn't shine." Sanae hissed. "Mark my words, Tenshi. One day, you will slip up, you and that clique of yours. One day, you will do something truly unforgivable in the eyes of the majority here. And when that day comes, you will believe that as Gensokyo tears its own throat out, and you are sitting in Heaven, devouring those heavenly peaches and making entertainment of what you see… I will be there, and I will make sure that the truth will be rooted in the heads of everyone. You will be painted as villains as we all shall, and unlike this incident, there won't be a choice to walk away and get off without consequences. If we had to suffer to be able to get this peace, and have it taken away because you were 'bored', then you deserve to suffer alongside us. When the gods themselves take away what makes you powerful, and hang you on the cross, I will be there, to watch you slowly perish. Thanks to you, I have a hatred that will never fade. I am no longer as pure as I was before, and I will make you pay for that. Remember this clearly and firmly, Tenshi Hinanawi: As you have left me in a pit of despair, I still hold the very key to the demise of the Celestials, and when the opportunity comes… I will use that very key, no matter what it costs, and what it takes. You will face consequences, and you will, for the first time in your slothful lives, realize what it truly means to suffer."
Tenshi did not speak, nor turn around, knowing that the expression that Sanae was making was completely demonic, just by the very atmosphere feeling like it was burdened by a heavy weight, before she then flew off until she was out of sight through the layer of clouds.
As soon as Tenshi was gone, Sanae then fell onto the ground, before she then began to openly weep, as she let out a pained cry of emotional agony at the aftermath, which had left her hollow inside, and taken away what she felt was a friend that she felt was a truly good influence to her.
"Kanako… Suwako… I wish I could hate you both for what you have done…" Sanae whimpered, before she then slowly sobbed and sniffled on the rocky ground of the mountain.
Suwako was sitting on a rock, observing the unmoving bodies of Mokou and Kaguya, as they suddenly woke up on the ground, with a pair of harsh rasping gasps, rising to their feet.
"Th-That was strange. It's never taken us that long to revive." Kaguya remarked, fairly concerned about what happened.
"Hey, froggy. Just what's the big idea, dueling us and then pulling that stunt on us?" Mokou asked Suwako with a stink-eye.
"It was a necessary step towards the death of an existential threat to Gensokyo…" Suwako stated, as there was a deep tone of regret in her words, as her eyes were dull from internal turmoil.
"Wait, you don't mean Richard Liu, do you!?" Kaguya asked with shock, as Suwako hung her head. "Hey, I asked you a question! Is it him-"
"Yes." Suwako admitted firmly, before Kaguya then grit her teeth.
"Suwako of the Moriya Shrine… I'm going to ask you to explain yourself." Kaguya answered back, before she then summoned her treasures, as there was a deadly glint in her eyes. "Explain why exactly Richard is an existential threat, and why he had to die. Because if I don't like what I get… I cannot kill you… But I will certainly make you suffer with my own ability. Richard is someone dear to me, and Reisen's fiance. His death is not something I will take lightly. So start talking."
"You haven't realized it?" Suwako asked back. "The fact that he has so much power on his fingertips, and the dark history that he had before arriving here. What's to say that he hasn't been stringing us all along with his words?"
"I know a liar when I see and hear one." Kaguya answered back with a growl. "Richard may have hidden his past, but everyone he had done was done from the bottom of his own heart. I doubt that he has told any lies from the moment he arrived here, and most certainly not before my presence. And what of his power? He's strong. But he's not powerful enough to upturn Gensokyo by his lonesome."
"You would think that, but reading about him made his actions more reasonable." Suwako answered back. "...But still, I wished that I could have believed it earlier… if only I did, then he wouldn't be dead right now. I regret the fact that I played a part in his death, and I intend to atone for it, with both Sanae and Kanako."
"And how's that?" Mokou asked back.
"Sanae suggested that we help with the recovery of Youkai Mountain, no strings attached. After all, we have lost quite a lot of face after news of what his own bond-brother declared in the open. We are not very liked for what we have done, and we wish to atone for that." Suwako stated. "...I came here to apologize and beg, yes… beg for forgiveness. Richard died so that the incident would not turn into a war where more people would have died as a result. So many people have died, and we almost lost a few residents as a result of the fighting. I ask that you allow us a chance to redeem ourselves, because it's the only way to make things right. If you wish to punish me afterwards… then I will allow it. Just leave Sanae out of this… she wasn't responsible for a single thing that happened."
"...That's mortals for you. Their lives flicker out after their ideals are realized, or fate drops a cruel hand on their laps." Mokou sighed. "Still… A shame he had to die. In all of my time in Gensokyo, I almost felt like I could have become truly close friends with him. He was a refreshing change of pace at the very least… and someone unforgettable."
"I don't intend to forget what happened." Kaguya stated. "But since he was such an exemplary guest… and he died for the sake of Reisen… I will make sure that his name will be immortalized at least within Eientei as a hero. He deserves that at the very least. And as for you… nature goddess. You can go. I'm willing to allow you and your shrine to atone for what you have done, because I believe that you mean your words. But try anything that disgraces his name… and there will be punishment. Understood?"
"...Crystal." Suwako answered back.
"I suppose that we have to come clean with everything we have done." Byakuren declared, as her eyes looked fairly sullen, as she met with Remilia, Patchouli, Sakuya at the ruins of the SDM, with Mamizou by her side. "...Sakuya, I'm truly sorry that all of this had to happen."
"I cannot forgive the fact that you intended to betray us at the last moment." Sakuya remarked. "How could you? Richard was going to die for Gensokyo, and you decided to burn your own bridges!"
"Hey, lay off!" Mamizou shouted. "If you were in our shoes, you would have-"
"Enough, Mamizou." Byakuren declared, giving Mamizou a death glare that silenced the tanuki yokai in an instant. "I have strayed from my own righteous path for all of this. And if there is any justice for me… It would have deemed my soul fit to be thrown into the depths of Hell itself, for the sin of betrayal. Repaying Richard's resolve to protect all of us by embracing death which, is a saint-like act that has saved countless lives in Gensokyo, by backstabbing him… is the greatest of evils that I have unknowingly colluded myself to."
"Mistress… when you went to Myouren Temple on that day before you encountered Richard… did you expect this to happen?" Sakuya asked Remilia with a firm tone that hid some hints of discontent in it, although she kept her tone level.
Remilia remained silent, before she then closed her eyes, and sucked in a deep breath. "...Yes. Yes, I did." Remilia asked back, as Sakuya's expression wound up tightly, as if the same thing was happening to her very heart itself.
"...Why?" Sakuya asked, as she let her own etiquette fade away to reveal the betrayed tone behind it so clearly.
"...I was angry, Sakuya." Remilia answered back. "I was angry that Richard caused all of this… and I wanted him to pay. You thought that I was thinking straight at the time… but the truth couldn't be further off. I did this behind your back, and had the chance to use that regret to call it off… it wouldn't have ended like this. Because of this, I feel a sense of hollowness inside of me, despite his death supposed to bring about a positive change."
"Mistress… I appreciate your honesty…" Sakuya answered back, as she nodded gently. "But if I must be frank, you caused all of this to happen. You did not listen to reason when I told you that Richard's character was far better than what the articles wrote him as. You believed that he was going to puppeteer your sister for his own schemes. He tried everything to be reasonable, Mistress… He fought by the Spell Card Rules, and was aiming to disable you, not harm you. But your attempts to kill him forced him to truly fight, and overpower you. And when your sister came… he was forced to hold back himself in order to avoid hurting what goodwill was left in her for him. He didn't even fight, Remilia, against Flandre. He begged to stop over and over again… and when the attacks hit the supports… he was powerless to do anything… but then everything happened in a sudden, and I was forced to take care of you, while Flandre got Richard out.. And when Richard saw the casualties, he truly broke down out of guilt and despair, and ran away only because his mind couldn't bear what he had done. Does that sound like someone who has committed heinous crimes willingly with a black heart, Mistress…? Or does that sound like someone who wanted to rebel against his dark fate and aspire to be better, no matter what?"
"...Sakuya has a point." Patchouli conceded. "Richard's soul was something that fits the true description of 'judge not a book by its cover'. His actions were deplorable at some point of time, but there was good within him, and someone nurtured that good until he was able to stop committing evil for his own needs. He was a reformed criminal, Remilia. He wanted to be a better person. And trying to kill him was the biggest mistake you made, you should have calmed down and get his side of the story. But your pride is your flaw, Remilia. It makes you do things under an assumption that is entirely wrong. Your actions caused this, as much as Richard believes himself to have caused this."
Remilia could only bite her lip in burning regret, as Sakuya's and Patchouli's words tore deep into her, like emotional wounds that could be felt so strongly within her own psyche, as she tried to keep herself calm, and stop herself from breaking down into tears and remorse about what she had done.
"Mistress! Mistress!" Meiling cried from a distance, as it caught Remilia's and Sakuya's attention. "Lady Flandre! We've managed to get her out!"
Remilia quickly put aside her own regret, as it was replaced with a sense of hope, as she rushed over towards where the rubble pile was, as Meiling handed a large parasol to Flandre, who looked fairly injured, but well enough to stand and walk on her two feet, with her clothes torn, and several bruises across her entire body.
"Flandre!" Remilia exclaimed, as she hugged Flandre tightly. "We finally managed to get you out of the rubble! I'm so glad that you're alright! Don't worry, everything is going to be fine. We're going to get help rebuilding the mansion. And we're going to be-"
"...Where's Richard?" Flandre asked gently, as Remilia immediately froze, while Meiling winced visibly, and Sakuya kept her expression neutral to avoid giving any hints away.
"Richard…?" Remilia asked, before she then went silent, as she knew that her sister was vulnerable emotionally due to what had happened. "He's… He's gone, Flandre. He's gone somewhere else. And we managed to make up for-"
"LIAR!" Flandre shouted, as she shoved Remilia off, as the elder vampire sister was caught by Sakuya, as Remilia saw the angry expression on Flandre. "After being trapped for so long… all I could do was feel and hear everything around me… and my hearing was far better than it was after relying on it for so long… I know what you were talking about with Miss Byakuren… Richard is dead… And everyone says that it's your fault!"
"Flandre, please!" Remilia pleaded. "What I did, I feel regret for it! I didn't mean for it to truly end this way! Please, you have to believe me."
"Believe you…? Sister, I know that you care for me… but I don't know if I could trust you." Flandre declared, as she lowered her head. "Do you remember the first time we came here, you decided that it would be better if I would be as far away from the guests as possible, because of my own 'twisted' way of playing? I was fine with that, and I didn't complain much for it, since I could make friends another way. But then Richard came, and decided to be a good friend to me, like Miss Marisa did for me… But now he's gone… and because you were responsible for it… I just… I just can't be with you for a while. I want to be alone… Don't come after me, or I'll make you go away."
"Flandre…" Remilia repeated, as her voice lost any resolve in it, as Flandre then turned and left, as she silently wept with her face turned away from the group.
Sakuya then looked towards Patchouli. "Patchouli, please take care of Remilia in my stead. Someone needs to take care of Flandre, now that she's out and about." She stated calmly.
"Go. I won't stop you." Patchouli nodded, before Sakuya then disappeared in a flash of gray, as she used her time-stop abilities to get closer towards Flandre and shadow her.
Remilia fell to her knees, as she stared at the ground, before she then began to bitterly laugh.
"Mistress of a decrepit mansion, with her own staff leaving her… What have I sunk to…?" Remilia lamented, as she began to sob gently.
"If you truly feel sorry for what you have done… then do your best to make up for it. Help keep the staff of this mansion in order with that charisma of yours." Patchouli stated. "After all, that is what Sakuya would have told you, and what we all feel like that you could accomplish. And in a way, keeping Gensokyo in its peaceful status quo is in line for Richard's final wishes… so he wouldn't want you hung up too deeply on this mess."
"...Right." Remilia silently answered back. "...Just give me a moment. Once I'm done moping… we'll do something about this mess."
Byakuren and Mamizou observed the entire scene from afar, before Byakuren then turned to leave, as her own expression became more somber.
"Let us go, Mamizou." Byakuren stated. 'There is nothing more we can do here. What Remilia Scarlet is going to face, it must be between her and her friends to resolve it."
Mamizou took a long look at Remilia, who was so proud and haughty when they met a few weeks ago in the balcony of the mansion, and compared it to the miserable and sullen state that she was in. At first, Mamizou wanted to feel like she found some kind of amusing irony that the mistress had fallen so deeply, but her own sense of sympathy ceased that line of thought.
'Everything will go back to how it is…' Mamizou thought to herself. 'With one less bastard in the equation… After all, what good could he have done…?'
Mamizou then thought back to the moment that they still were cordial with each other, as Richard was fairly grateful for Mamizou's concern, even if it was faked, as he listened to her own tales, and gave a few of his own.
'After all, if a tanuki can change her stripes, then I certainly can change for the better.'
That statement lingered in Mamizou's head, before she then followed Byakuren, as she shed a single tear out of the fact that she truly wished that she could believe in Richard.
'Yeah, a true bastard indeed he was… No less than myself…' Mamizou thought with a hint of melancholy.
In Eientei, Tewi decided to enter Reisen's room, as she found the moon rabbit grieving inside her own bed, which she confined herself to, in order to softly cry into the pillows themselves, with her own blanket over her, as the earth rabbit couldn't help but feel a sense of sympathy for her grieving acquaintance.
"Hey, Reisen. It's me." Tewi declared, only to get silence in response. "I… If it makes you feel any better, even the slightest, I'm truly sorry about all of the teasing before… If I knew that things would turn out like this, then the jokes I made were truly out of bad taste."
Reisen didn't respond, as she sunk deeper into the pillow.
"H-Hey, look at it this way, Reisen." Tewi stated with a shaky smile, as if she was trying to convince herself to be positive. "You actually found someone who loved you truly for who you are. And he wasn't some shallow dick! Even after that hiccup you both had, it turned out to tie you both together even better than before! You'll have those happy memories of those months with you forever."
Tewi then waited for a response, only for her faint smile to fade when Reisen still didn't answer, as Tewi sucked in a deep breath, preparing herself for what she might say, due to the fact that it prods into Reisen's history a bit too deeply.
"It could be worse. You could still be stuck with the Watatsuki sisters on the moon, and you would've never met Richard in the first place." Tewi stated. "It's like you always say: After looking back on all the good times you've had in Gensokyo and all the people you've met, you realize-"
"I should have stayed and fought." Reisen stated, as Tewi went silent out of shock. "...If only I had a backbone strong enough and enough courage to say no to Richard… then perhaps Tenshi wouldn't have been able to kill him. But I ran away… like I did back then… I'm truly not fit for him… I'm just a useless coward in the end, after everything I have tried to train myself otherwise… Even worse, I was supposed to be a good little soldier for Richard to act as my caring superior, and I couldn't even manage that… I hate myself, I truly hate myself… If it wasn't for the fact that I still want to protect the one thing that Richard left for me, I would have lost the will to live on."
"That's right… your child." Tewi answered back softly. "Please, you have to snap out of this eventually, this kind of gloom is bad for your child. Richard didn't just put his life on the scythe so that you could sit around and mourn him for the end of time… He wants you to be the proper mother that he couldn't be the father to. You're a widowed mother, Reisen, and you have to face that responsibility."
"Why do you even care…? You always think that I'm useless… playing pranks on me with such mean-hearted intentions…" Reisen spat, as she slowly rolled her head around to face Tewi, as her red eyes were almost soulless, although Tewi could sense the animosity in her glare, as it unnerved her, before Reisen then turned around. "Just leave me be…"
Tewi opened her mouth, before she then closed it, and shut the room door, only to bump into Eirin, who was holding a parchment in her hand.
"Tewi, as much as I don't want to bother Udongein in her fragile state… I'm afraid we have no time and no choice." Eirin stated. "We need to inform her of the results of her and Richard's DNA."
"So, is it gonna be mostly human? Mostly moon rabbit? Half and half?" Tewi asked.
"The third. In fact, it's a perfect union that I rarely have seen." Eirin answered back. "But I understand why it has happened: Unlike most other kinds of DNA, which have a parasitic nature to them whenever a power struggle occurs, it follows a symbiotic nature… That is, his DNA not only lowered its own genetic strength to match its partner, but also bestowed said power to its genetic partner in order to create the equilibrium. Udongein's and Richard's child will possess the power sets of both parents, as well as the physical and mental attributes."
"That's excellent!" Tewi exclaimed with joy. 'We can tell her that her child is going to be the healthiest, and one of the most prominent of the next generation!"
"Unfortunately, it is still going to be a difficult delivery, even with my expertise. I will need all hands in the theater for this, because I owe it to Richard in order to deliver his child in his absence alive and well, without a single complication to child and mother." Eirin declared. "Speaking of Richard, this parchment contains a letter that has been addressed to Udongein from Richard himself, a direct address. Momiji handed it to me when she passed by Eientei several hours ago."
"Oh boy, I do not like where this is going… Are you sure that I should be the one to deliver it?" Tewi asked. "I'm sure that you would be more composed to handle it."
"Unfortunately, as unprofessional as it may seem, I have far too much pity on her current state to deliver this message to her, after skimming what is inside. And I myself am compromised with emotion. I could not deliver this message well. And if you want this to be properly delivered, you will hand it to Reisen, and leave. Do not attempt to read it, you will not appreciate what is written inside." Eirin stated. "I give this to you, because you are the only one who wouldn't invoke any more negative emotions in delivering a message: If I deliver it, she will assume it is some sort of eulogy self-written by Richard, but with you, she'll think that it might be a message of hope. And it may be cruel to toy with her emotions this way… she has to read this… in order to move on, and besides, after everything you have done to her out of mischief, do you think that you'd care much about her feelings?"
"That's exactly what she said to me…" Tewi sighed deeply, before taking the message from Eirin's hand. "F-Fine. I'll give the message to her. Whatever you need to do, doc, I won't stop you."
"Thank you." Eirin answered back, as her voice shook a little, as Tewi barely managed to see the tears running down the side of her cheeks, as Tewi realized what Eirin meant by herself being too compromised to deliver the message.
Tewi then entered the room, as she walked over.
"Reisen, I just want to leave something for you. It's a message from Richard." Tewi answered back. "I feel like you should give it a read. Maybe you might be able to understand what's inside. And I promise that this isn't some prank of mine. I really don't want to make you far worse than you are, and that's pure honesty."
Tewi then slowly backed away. "I hope that this message will be something good about all of this…" She remarked, before closing the room door.
Reisen then slowly moved out of the bed, before she then opened the parchment, before reading through it, from the start.
To Reisen Udongein Inaba,
If you're reading this, then I have most certainly perished in the incident. If it hasn't been told to you already, my death was my own choice, and I did not go to it without regrets, but it was the only choice I had to save Gensokyo, and in particular, both you and our unborn child.
I am writing this message, as my final apology for everything that I have done, and to tell you everything that I tried to hide from myself.
If you don't want to continue reading, then I won't blame you. What you will read will be truly heart-wrenching and depressing. And considering that I know how you'd feel about my own death, I rather not end up being the reason that you lose that last ounce of will to live on.
But if you are willing to steel your heart and learn the truth about me, then I shall tell you in the next few lines.
Reisen took a moment to take a deep breath, before she then moved onto the next section.
Let me tell you first why I was branded a criminal, Reisen.
Once upon a time, I was no different to any other person in this world. I had a family, a dream, a future, and people to care for me. I truly believed that I would grow up to become a great person.
But reality was cruel to me. You see, my parents are famous enough to be considered geniuses in their expertise within their own country, if not the continent or even the world itself.
And what does talent get you? Envy.
Turns out that there was an entire company of people who hated my parents from the bottom of my heart. They have tried everything to undermine my parents, but my parents did not earn their fame without having some smarts to avoid such issues.
But knowledge only gets you so far, and all it takes is a single lapse of distraction to give someone the chance to set up the perfect trap.
My parents died by arson, as my own house burned furiously from the diesel that was poured around it. My own parents were taken from me by injustice.
You would think that would be enough to push me into villany, but I still naively held hope.
No, the issues began when they learned that I was still alive. They did everything to try and ruin my life. A forgery to ensure that I would never be educated again, my own funds stolen from me, and men who sought to beat me to death.
It was truly despair itself, and with no-one around who cared for me enough, or anyone who could save me, I was forced to rely on myself.
Reisen could only gasp gently in response, realizing that Richard's childhood was anything but pleasant.
Using my own wits, I became a criminal. At first, it was simple pick-pocketing, and other thievery. A few times I came close to being caught, but I managed to make sure that no-one would be able to clearly tell what I looked like, so I faded into obscurity within a short time. Human minds tend to forget undesirable things fairly easily, with a few exceptions.
But it wasn't enough, so I escalated myself, by buying the necessary gear, and wearing a mask to hide my true face. I became 'Pianzi', a pretender.
I will not speak gently about what I have done. What I have become is the amalgamation of multiple criminals who would certainly deserve the death sentence here. I have committed fraud in order to swindle the money away from others, and I have murdered anyone who had any association to the company that sent my life to hell, and I have worked with the scum of the underworld to earn myself favor, in order to cash it in towards achieving my long-term scheme of sending that company to hell.
There were only a few lines I didn't cross, one of them being that I did not directly intend to kill anyone who still had a childhood to live through. Otherwise, the world was nothing to me, I threw away every last thing that I felt about the world, only caring about making those who made me suffer pay, and teaching the world a lesson about caring more about those who are downtrodden like me.
It was only by fortune that I didn't end up a terrorist, which would be the natural progression of my dark desires.
Reisen did not comment on that, as she understood that what Ricahrd stated was something that couldn't be easily forgiven, but Reisen felt like that considering what Richard went through, his criminal life was justifiable, after having no-one else to trust, even though she pitied Richard for it.
But then I met Yukari Yakumo. A different one to the one you're familiar with.
While I was licking my own wounds after a job went wrong, she suddenly appeared before me, and offered to give me an opportunity to get a better life. And I told her to fuck off, as I believed that she was a deranged lunatic, as she actually found my abrasiveness amusing.
She tried several times after that first meeting to get me on her side, as she began to persuade me with arguments to inch me to her side. And it did eventually work, despite the fact that I tried to attempt murder on her when she touched sore parts of my life. But we know that this gap youkai isn't going to die from simple bullets and knives.
Eventually, I relented, and came along with her, but I promised myself that I wouldn't let her take control of my life.
However, she did manage to do exactly that, because she gave me everything that I have lost, even though it would be a real arduous project for her, since I didn't trust her to start with.
I lived in a Gensokyo much like this one, Reisen. A Gensokyo where you aren't so different to the 'you' before me.
I began to devote myself to studying powers, so that I could survive in this world, and so that I could find something that could help me attain my revenge.
But eventually, the focus shifted away from that terrible desire, as the residents slowly molded my heart to be better. Even though I was truly a terrible person, there were a few who saw that deep inside, I was a child wronged by the world, and that there is still hope to appeal to it and fix me within.
Day after day passed, week after week passed, and in several years, I became a proper and true resident of Gensokyo, revenge put aside for the sake of enjoying this truly sweet life that Yukari offered me.
And then Yukari came one day, and offered me the chance to have revenge, since she believed that she truly had me in the palm of her own hand.
Don't misunderstand though, while my Yukari is wily and clever, and does not always have good intentions in heart, she is a thousand times much better than this Yukari, for she actually speaks in truth, and cares about Gensokyo, both realm AND residents.
I accepted the deal, because I knew that Yukari offered me this, so that I can cast away that last tainted link that chains me to my former home, which torments my mind to this day.
And so I went on the warpath. By the end of it, the company was burnt to ashes, never to rise again, and everyone who was responsible, directly and indirectly, died in very gruesome ways, ways that would make one beg to die quickly to avoid. But it was a far cleaner routine than I would have done if I was given the same offer before I went to Gensokyo. Only the company was the ones hurt by my revenge. No-one else was factored in as collateral.
And that was the story of how I turned from a remorseless criminal into a proper hero of the people.
Reisen couldn't help but make a faint smile, because hearing that Richard was able to shed his bloodied past to become a better person, meant that her impressions of him was right from the beginning, and hearing his journey lightened her heart a little.
But I should address something else, and that is the reason why I was truly broken after I came back to Eientei that day.
That was because I was responsible for killing Flandre Scarlet, because of a dispute with Remilia Scarlet that turned deadly.
I would have stayed and tried to apologize, but her death weighed deeply in my own mind.
You see, we are similar in another way: We both have suffered trauma on the line of duty. Your trauma was running away in cowardice… and mine was the fact that I have killed good men, whether it was by my own hand, or by sending them to their deaths.
At that moment, when I saw her severed arm… I remembered all the loss I had to go through. Losing my friends, losing my own squad… the list goes on. My second-in-command, killed by a sniper shot through the heart… a dear friend that I had to perform a mercy kill on, and an entire group of friends dead trying to save a world that was crumbling.
That was my greatest regret, as it made me feel like I truly shouldn't have been able to win the war for Gensokyo… But it was also not the first time that something like this had happened in the war.
Sometimes, a sacrifice was needed to hold the lines, and it was my hand and pen that signed the order… and sometimes, it was pure misfortune that a good soldier was gunned down in the open. Either way, each death was like a weight of burden on me.
So, I sought comfort in anyone to help me. Byakuren, Miko, Sanae, Eirin, and you.
And I feel truly that it was the reason that this entire intercourse had happened. I know that we accepted that it was not truly something to regret, but I feel like what I did was emotionally manipulating you to copulate with me, especially when I should have realized that moon rabbit heat period was on that day. So the blames lies with us both… not just you.
But please, do not feel like that our child was a mistake… They are far from one. That act of love was genuine, even if it was done on accidental circumstances. I would give anything to make sure that my child would grow well.
"Richard…" Reisen whispered, as she felt deeply sad for hearing those words from Richard himself.
With that, that is everything left that I had to tell you, but I didn't have the time to do so.
Reisen… The reason why I didn't want to tell you the truth about what I have done right now, is because I don't want you to feel like you're responsible for leading me to my death.
I chose to die, because it's the only way to end this incident peacefully, so that there would be no eternal conflict. If a war was to break out… even if your side wins… it will not mean peace at all.
And a world without peace is not a world that I want our child to live in. He deserves to live happy, happier than what both of us have gone through. And my life was the only way to ensure that they would be able to have the chance to do so.
One day, if they ask what has happened to me, tell them that I died long before they were born, fighting against a true evil. It is no lie, since what truer evil is there than the wretched status quo that perpetuated the suffering of many?
Even though our love was rushed… I believe that everything I felt for you was genuine. It didn't matter if I already had a woman that I loved, I could just simply say that you both deserve my equal love. There is no need to fight for it, as you both truly hold the same kind of special place in my heart.
Reisen Udongein Inaba, in this entire world, for my entire stay here, you were the kindest and most honest person to me. You could have backed out of this relationship, or felt like that I was using you because you desperately wanted someone to care and love for. But you stayed and you told me how you truly felt for me, and I accepted it with all of my heart.
You saved me when I was in the deepest pits of despair, where I saw that there was no light ahead of me… no hope for me to continue on. That hug you gave me… was the reason why I was able to live until now. Because of you… I made my life mean something for Gensokyo, rather than be a mere casualty of the status quo.
You don't need to be a brave soldier or a perfect medical assistant to earn my heart. I like you exactly because you are a caring person, and because you connect to me on a deeper level.
I love you, Reisen, and I'm sorry that it had to be this way. Take care of our child for me.
Sincerely,
Richard Liu
Reisen then noticed that there were tear stains at the end of the letter, as she knew that Richard must have been crying when he was writing this letter, as if he truly hated what he had to do, but had to carry through with it, regardless, as she felt that it was a sign that he loved her enough for that.
In response, she gently held the letter to close her heart, before she then began to weep loudly.
"Why… Why did this have to happen!?" Reisen cried, as if expecting an answer. "Richard… He didn't deserve this…! He deserved to be happy! It's not fair…! It's not fair!"
She then fell onto her bed, before she then let out a mighty cry of emotional anguish, which rang through Eientei itself.
Eiki then packed away the Crystal Mirror, as Richard had a gloomy expression on his face, although there was still hope lit in his eyes.
"...Flandre didn't die." Richard remarked, before tears of relief dripped down his cheeks. "...Thank god… I didn't do it… I shouldn't have blamed myself so much for doing all of this…"
"Before I hand down my verdict…" Eiki stated. "I will let you make your own argument. You deserve that much. But know that, your presence is merely a tool to make Gensokyo appreciate its own order and peace. Your actions have resulted in the same outcome as the other Gappies, despite your different methods. And that has brought you here. So tell me, what do you believe you deserve?"
Richard was silent for a few moments, before he then made his argument.
"...If you want to ask me from my own perspective, with minimal personal bias…" Richard stated, before he then shook his head. "No, I believe, by your very standards, Hell is not what I deserve. You may hate Gappies for the destruction and pain they have left behind… and I have done the same thing… but while they failed to give Gensokyo something good… I did."
Richard then rose up. "I gave Gensokyo hope." Richard declared firmly. " I gave Gensokyo the future that it deserved, not what it was supposed to be. Yukari's wish was for Gensokyo to be a perpetual engine of conflict. Maybe she had good reasons for why she did what she did, but it was unacceptable for me. A world where good people suffer for merely existing, is not a world that I will allow to come to life. With my few months here, I have undone most of Yukari's plans to turn Gensokyo against each other, and thus ensured that the peace that has existed here, remained as it is."
As Eiki narrowed her eyes on Richard, he merely kept his eyes straight on Eiki's own. "Call me arrogant, call me selfish. Because we all are selfish in our own ways. Everyone does things for their own benefit, whether it makes them happy that they can help others, or they get something out of it. It's a constant law, Eiki. Every action has its effect. I merely trained myself to get the best for everyone with most of the actions I have taken. I have felt betrayed, and I have spoken venom to people. But that was only because I was hurt so deeply, that I felt that lashing out was the only way I could feel better. But I got better, and I got control of my own life again. Compared to the good that I have done, the evil that I have caused in my anger barely matters."
Richard then pointed at Eiki, with a determined look in his eyes. "So, tell me, Eiki." Richard stated. "...Now that you have heard all of this, do you think that I deserve to go to Hell? I am a flawed being, but at least my faults are ones that I admit to. I have learned to become better by realizing my own faults and becoming better. That is the virtue of self-awareness, which counters many mental sins such as arrogance, wrath, greed and pride. You have given chances to far worse people than I, and we both know that. I may have threatened Gensokyo with my existence… but it was my own will to perish and disappear that saved it."
"Is that your final words?" Eiki asked sternly back.
"Make your judgment." Richard stated, with no fear in his voice. "I am willing to accept what comes next for what I have done."
"Very well, as per my judgment as the Supreme Yama…" Eiki stated, before a respectful smile crossed her face. "Richard Liu, is to be absolved of his guilt, and entrusted to one Elder Magician Magina, who shall take possession of his soul."
"Magina…!?" Richard exclaimed, before he then turned around, as Magina teleported right in.
"You are right, your self-awareness has proven that you are above your own sins, both past life and present life." Eiki declared. "And you indeed gave Gensokyo a future. Magina has shown me what would have happened to Gensokyo, if you chose to leave. Gensokyo wouldn't have a lasting future. But your own sacrifice changed that. You fixed Gensokyo's future to be better, by salvaging the relationships between the residents. They will be hurt by your own departure, but they will certainly move on, and see the positives of your actions in the long-term. You are a rare case of a sinful one becoming a far more virtuous person, even though you still are tainted with some evil because of your upbringing. If I must tell you something that you should keep in mind: Remember that it is not always what you have, but who you are inside that truly matters to some people."
"...I understand." Richard nodded. "...Thank you, Eiki, for your fair and wise judgment. I sincerely hope that the future that you have seen, and that I helped create will last on. One day, I shall come back here, and on that day… I will finally see my child for myself."
"Come, Richard. The rest of our allies have retreated. It's time for you to join them." Magina spoke with a soft smile.
"Of course." Richard stated, before walking over to Magina with an apologetic expression. "...I'm sorry, Magina. I know that I shouldn't give my life so freely… but…"
"There is more to discuss back on the Golden Blaze for your actions, Richard. Not here." Magina spoke in slight sternness.
"Yes, Goddess." Richard nodded back.
Siege cried for hours in a secluded part of Gensokyo. No one knew where he was or even if he was still in Gensokyo given all the events, as Siege's own sadness was about to turn to fury, when suddenly, he was warped into a pocket dimension, as he jumped and looked around… before suddenly seeing Cataclysm within it.
"...Of all the people to show up when I'm at my goddamn lowest." Siege growled. "What the fuck do you-"
"I know the pain you're feeling, Siege." Cataclysm remarked. "You think Echo is originally the Richard I called a friend? No. He's far from it. But he does the job for me. To numb my pain."
Siege was silent, as he couldn't help but feel sympathy with Cataclysm at this moment.
"But rumor has it, Richard's not staying in Hell. Not yours." Cataclysm spoke with a tone of sympathy. "The last thing he wants. The last thing I want is you not at your best, and you definitely seem distraught. If you want… I'll take your memories from this portion of your adventure. That way you can forget it all happened and be back with Richard as it was before. So, Siege. What do you say?"
"...Fine. You sound genuine enough." Siege sighed, not having the discernment through his sorrow to know otherwise as Cataclysm slyly smirked.
"Very well." Cataclysm smiled as he began to take Siege's memories… but it didn't stop at his recent ones.
"Wait… no… no, no, stop! STOP!" Siege exclaimed.
"BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! You fool! You utter fool! I GOT YOU HOOK, LINE, AND SINKER BWAHAHAHAHAHA!" Cataclysm laughed as he soon finished, all of Siege's memory gone as he kicked Siege through a portal, only to have Siege's memories gapped away from his hand. "Eh!? Well, no matter… he'll die before he gets them back in that world. Just as I planned it." Cataclysm cackled maliciously.
Aboard the OSA Golden Blaze…
Magina was in the process of reincarnating Richard, as she approached him with a stern look on her face.
"Despite what I must scold you for throwing your life away like this, there is a far worse consequence you must now atone for because of it." Magina spoke, as Richard was suddenly handed a glistening white orb that had quite a few speckles of darkness in it. Richard recognized it as an orb containing memories.
"...A orb of memories…" Richard remarked, before touching it, and realizing who it was. "...No, it can't be… Siege…!"
"In his weakest moments, he fell victim to a way to ease his pain. By the silver tongue of Cataclysm. His memories have been removed, and contained here, and he has been sent to a random world. Cataclysm believes it's a world that Siege will perish in, but he's sadly mistaken… but without these, Siege won't last long there. Your task is to fix it all, Richard. And your reward, should my time math be correct… will be seeing the birth of your son back in the Gensokyo you came from. I'm reincarnating you as a traveling Spellsword across the continent of Elyos."
"Of course. I would do anything to ensure that Siege is safe." Richard answered back firmly. "No matter what, I was prepared for what was going to happen. And even though I didn't expect this… I will perform that duty with everything that I have."
"Then find Siege. And return his memories. I will prepare other allies in proper attire and classes to join you in trying to help Siege until he reaches you." Magina spoke. "By the time the adventure concludes, it should well be time that Reisen of the Gensokyo you came out of
will be giving birth, and we will make sure you get to see it." Magina spoke with a soft tone.
"Thank you." Richard merely answered back, with a gentle nod.
He then looked at the orb of memories in his hands, before holding it firmly.
"Hang in there... Siege... I'll make this right... for everyone's sake." Richard declared. "...Including for Reisen and everyone in Gensokyo who mourned me."
And so, Magina finished reincarnating Richard into his usual body, then quickly provided him with a clothing fitting of Elyos, before sending him down to rescue Siege from his amnesia, as Magina would return to everyone else.
"Alright. Who wants to go down with Richard to save Siege?" Magina asked.
"You better fucking believe I'm going!" Nihilister exclaimed. "I'm tired of this disappearing act!"
"So shall I. Siege means the world to me and I'm not giving him up so easily." Geina spoke sternly.
"I ain't missing this out." Mokou declared. "Been a while since I have tested my mettle. Besides, someone will have to keep an eye on this self-sacrificing idiot."
"I'm coming along as well." Quency exclaimed. "I think that I can handle whatever is down there!"
"I'm not wasting an opportunity this time!" Hitomi Uzaki would call out, rushing into view. "Lemme down there! I'm tired of not seeing some goddamn action!"
"Anyone else? Last call." Magina would ask, as she was greeted by silence. "I suppose that's everyone then."
"So, we follow after Richard immediately?" Mokou asked Magina.
"Some, yes. But not all." Magina spoke. "Each of you will be infused into the history of the land to make the transfer easier." Magina stated. "As for Siege's status, he fought alongside the current Divine Dragon in pinnacle moments of the past, so he is seen as the Divine Hero of the land as well. Geina, you will be making first contact as an ambassador of the country of Brodia. You will be in a meeting with Céline and Alfred the moment news of the awakenings of the Divine Dragon and Hero rreaches them.."
"I can manage that." Geina nodded.
"Hitomi, you will show up slightly later, as one of the last remaining beastkin warriors of the continent, fighting for Brodia." Magina ordered.
"Alright, sounds good!" Hitomi smirked.
"Mokou, you will show up alongside Hitomi, as Brodia's master martial artist." Magina stated.
"Will do." Mokou grinned back, flexing her own hands slightly. "I can't wait to see how this will turn out."
"Nihilister, you will show up a bit later as Brodia's best pyrotech user, whether it be in magic or physical." Magina spoke.
"Hell yeah!" Nihilister smiled.
"Quency, you will be the one to join up with Richard as a traveling thief. And yes, you are allowed to use Sol Katti." Magina spoke.
"I wouldn't mind if I can't. But thanks!" Quency exclaimed.
"You have your objectives and your histories for the land. Don't break character." Magina ordered, before she opened a portal, and began shifting their attires to fit the land. "Now, go, and make sure Siege meets Richard!"
With that said, they all left through the portal, as they had one goal in mind: Saving Siege…. Again. But at least this time, they would be able to press on past this for a new future of adventures. Siege and Richard had conquered their demons… and Magina knew, once this ordeal was done… the adventures were only going to get more and more grandeur.
Heroic New Era: Dark Anthology
END
End of Season 1