Author's Note:

Back when I was writing this chapter, I left work one day to go get groceries. There's usually this one corner of the store I go to where they sell stuff for TCGs. Without fail though, the section for Yugioh cards is always empty. I used to get stuff from there all the time as a kid, so it's a bit of a sad nostalgic feeling.

I recently got back into Yugioh via Master Duel, and have had some fun messing around with the Traptrix archetype. I joked to myself while driving to the store that if I saw a Traptrix pack or something there, I'd have to buy it on the spot. It's never full of anything, so obviously there was no chance I'd see something.

I ended up finding a single Traptrix structure deck hanging on the shelf all by its lonesome, and lost $15 to myself. I don't even have any local places to play… Oh well. It's nice to have a physical version of the cards. I wonder if they were waiting for me? 😂

~ STAGE 18: Behind Closed Doors ~

[START]

Luka got the impression that this was a room she could die in really easily. A single cough, an errant sneeze—suddenly there'd be a fun little piece of surrealist art decorating the floor: a Tenma piece, 'Assorted Head And Limbs'.

So she shut up. No snark. No jokes. Luka stood silently and let the big kids talk.

As Kasen spoke, Luka tried to discern some kind of emotion in Tenma's black void of a face. Some kind of tell that could help her figure out this strange new figure. All she got was a gazing abyss that, thankfully, wasn't staring back at her.

Kasen, meanwhile, continued to surprise Luka. The hermit seemed so warm and inviting a person the previous night, but in this room, Luka swore she was looking at a completely different person. She didn't raise her voice, but it carried authority. Like a seasoned crime boss calmly outlining her terms.

Neither argued and there was no sign of friction, yet Luka felt like she could be torn apart just by standing in the same room as them. Two wild beasts staring each other down, with her as the tiny animal caught in the middle.

"In summary, my request is," Kasen concluded, "to provide passage for both myself and this girl, so that we might reach the mountain's peak."

The glue sealing Tenma's eyes to Kasen seemed to loosen. Like a horror movie monster, the pupils snapped over to Luka.

"—'Luka East'." It didn't sound like speaking, or even like sound at all. How she could still 'hear' the words being spoken both eluded and terrified her. "Last I recall, you are a half-youkai. That was the official story that spread upon your arrival." For a moment, Tenma's eyes drifted down to their desk, pupils scanning something. "Was that information inaccurate?" Their hand was moving. Were they writing something?

Luka hesitated. After gathering her courage, "To be honest, I can't accurately answer that. That's kind of why I'm here. The half-youkai story was mostly out of convenience." And not her idea.

"Do you think there is a chance you're merely human?"

Luka felt the urge to affirm that, but stopped herself. Not a wise line of thought in the demon den. "... I don't know. If I go just off of what everyone else has said, I appeared in Gensokyo because I was…" She swallowed. "'Forgotten'."

"I see." Their hand started moving again. Then, suddenly stopped. "... Is there anything else you would like to share?"

"... Share?"

Tenma suddenly seemed annoyed. "I should be more specific. Would you care to explain that little outburst you had a few minutes ago?"

It was subtle, but Luka felt like the shadows in the room were creeping around her.

"W-What do you mean?" Luka dug back through her memory. Outburst? She didn't remember doing anything too strange. Unless…

"'Big Three'. What was wrong about that term?"

Luka's blood froze. "I… I don't know. It just sounded wrong."

"What part of it?" Tenma rumbled. "Speak."

"The… number, I guess." Luka felt herself sweating. "It shouldn't be 'three'. That was all I felt."

"Is that all?"

A glare like nothing else she'd ever seen. Black clouds wrapping around them, Tenma made Luka feel like she was staring down a living hurricane, something that would tear her apart and drown her in an instant. The oppressive atmosphere made Sannyo or even Yukari feel mild by comparison.

Faced with that, Luka felt like she was choking on air. It took all her effort to maintain her composure and stand her ground.

"Tenma." A bandaged arm cut through the dark, placing itself between Luka and Tenma. Kasen intervened, a serious expression in her face. "Is this really necessary?

A staredown, between the hermit and the storm. Tenma's glare turned to Kasen, but the suffocating sensation came to an immediate halt. It was as if Kasen simply standing there was enough to repel it, both from herself and from Luka.

"Do you think that you specifically coming to her defense is supposed to deter me?"

"That I'm challenging the purpose behind this line of questioning should, yes."

"..." Tenma released a sound that resembled a long, suffering sigh. "The tengu cannot be too cautious. You understand how precarious our authority is, in the face of those names."

Kasen frowned. "Speaking as a hermit, I am well aware."

With those words, the clouds dispersed, and Kasen lowered her guard. Luka could breathe again.

"We will speak privately about this." Tenma didn't sound happy, but they seemed to accept Kasen's words. Suddenly, their eyes snapped to Luka once more. "Luka East. Step forward."

Their voice didn't carry the same malicious intent, but they still spoke with authority. Seeing Kasen step aside, gesturing for Luka to follow through, she did as instructed.

"Bow your head."

Luka fought her instincts and lowered herself a solid 45-degrees. She held that position for a few seconds, locking down her urge to make an annoyed comment.

"Let me be clear. You are allowed passage through my territory, but only by my blessing alone. I may revoke this right at any moment, and should I decide to, I will have no qualms with making sure you 'disappear' before you can cause any trouble. Are my terms understood?"

'Disappear'. That word was colored with a certain antagonism, and it tinged Luka's fear with indignance. Why was she suddenly being treated like a threat? She could hardly put a dent in a journalist. She saw no reason for such a big shot to be so concerned with her. Even still, Luka nodded her head. "Yes, Lord Tenma."

"Good. You are dismissed." With that, there was a familiar click behind her, followed by the creaking of a door opening. "Turn right at the end of the hall, then a left at the end of the next. Leave through the third door on the right."

'Hall'? Luka firmly recalled the outside they had wandered through being a nondescript stormy void. But the moment she turned, she saw a dim hall that seriously looked like a modern-day office hallway. It was just short of a few cubicles and a distant ringing phone.

As she looked to Kasen, the hermit nodded. "Go on, Luka. I'll catch up with you shortly." She smiled, probably thinking she was comforting her.

It didn't. This whole situation made her uneasy. Even still, Luka stepped through the door, and reached back to close it only for it to slam behind her with no visible action taken on it. Another click, and she was alone.

"... What am I, the resident chew toy?" Luka sighed. "... So, straight, then…"

She repeated Tenma's instructions, resisting the urge to nose around out of spite and morbid curiosity. The space felt almost liminal, and would probably embody an office worker's worst nightmare otherwise. Looking down each path, she didn't see an end. It took minutes of following the path Tenma provided her before she even saw the first turn. Was she even in a normal space? Was it like the vampire's mansion, someplace that operated outside of normal laws of reality?

Once she reached the final door, Luka twisted the knob and stepped through, only for a painful white to blind her vision. Shielding her eyes from the sudden daylight, she got a better view: a rooftop, seeming to be… back in the tengu village?

"How did…" Luka grumbled. "Forget it. Guess I'll wait here—"

"Where is the hermit?"

Luka nearly leapt out of her skin, spinning around to see a stoic Gin closing the door to the rooftop bulkhead she'd just stepped from.

"Oh, it's just you." Luka took a deep breath. "How'd you sneak up on me like that? You're like 3 heads taller than me…"

"Trade secret." Gin deadpanned. "Where is the hermit?" She looked impatient.

"Yeesh, calm down. She's back there with Tenma." She shrugged. "No clue what that talk is about. Got any ideas?"

"Not my concern." Gin folded her arms and leaned against the wall. "We wait here until they are finished."

That was the end of her sentence. Gin stood there, silently, like a robot entering standby. After several seconds of silence, Luka started shuffling awkwardly.

"So, got any hobbies?"

"Bonsai."

"Oh, that must be nice."

"It is."

Silence again. Gin simply stood there, not adding anything else to her statement.

"... You must be fun at parties." Luka quipped dryly.

Gin closed her eyes. "No. Alcohol and I do not mix well."

(... … … Kasen, please hurry up.)

The sound of a door closing sealed away the rest of the world. The only sign of life was a quietly muttering Luka on the other side, until her gradually fading footsteps vanished completely.

Eventually, Kasen was left in silence, alone with only herself and Tenma.

"A 'hermit'." Tenma said. It was difficult to make out through that annoying 'mask', but she almost sounded amused. "That was the best you could come up with?"

Kasen huffed. "It explains my long age well enough, wouldn't you say?"

"Do you know what being a hermit even entails?"

"...? Anyway, we're getting sidetracked." She scowled, swatting at a cloud that passed her by. "Would you turn that veil off for just a moment? It's very annoying to try to talk through."

A rumbling sigh. With Luka gone, there was no reason for her to keep hiding. The silhouetted figure raised two hands, so close as if preparing to pray. Then, in a calm yet forceful motion—

Clap, clap!

The black clouds surrounding them shifted and vanished, like a ship arriving at the eye of the storm. What was once pitched in a pure black gained color, a strange fixture embedded in the ceiling filling the room with new light.

That light illuminated and revealed all. What was once an ominous, vague space turned into a normal room. An office, actually, with piles of human-sized paperwork and messily organized all throughout. A recently toppled pile laid at the foot of the wooden desk at its center.

Mildly bothered by the sight, Kasen leaned over to sort them. "So messy… How do you manage to keep track of anything?"

She directed her frown at a newly visible person, sitting at the desk. Where there was once a storm, an entity beyond recognition, there was now a woman dressed in a formal black suit. Said woman brushed at her fine ebony-colored hair with a huff. "Good memory." The same piercing yellow eyes as before looked back at Kasen. "Just set them over there. I'll go through them when I get a—"

Be-be-be-beep. Be-be-be-beep.

A tiny shikigami made a shrill sound at her desk, earning a sigh from the woman. She gestured to a distant cabinet (which Kasen made her way to) and poked at the shrieking familiar.

"Megumu, I believe I told you to redirect any calls for the next hour…"

A scratchy voice replied from the shikigami. "Huh? I thought I told Tsukasa… No, nevermind. I'll get on that right away, Lord Tenma."

"Thank you."

Another beep, and the woman groaned as she rubbed her temples.

"Busy?" Kasen asked, setting her armful of papers down.

"Ever since that damned celestial's little 'game'. It's been an uphill battle sorting out all the damages." She grumbled. "The humans' abysmal harvests from the weather shifts alone have had us running around like maniacs. This would be a lot easier if we had some help…"

Kasen could tell she was being stared at. She averted her eyes from that authoritative gaze, trying not to focus on the dark circles under the woman's eyes. "I'm doing my part where I can, believe me. Besides, would you rather either of the other sages?"

"I'd have better luck teaching Gin how to perform improv comedy." A scoff. "That aside…" The woman leaned forward, tenting her hands. Her mannerisms shifted, and Kasen felt the atmosphere of the room shift once more. It chilled, making Kasen's hair bristle and demanding her attention. Indeed, the young woman was all about business. Her diligence set her apart, perhaps even more so than Kasen herself. "I want some proper answers for what that girl is doing here."

So asked Amaya Kurosawa(雨夜 玄沢), the Unseen and Unknown Sage of Obscurity, as something dark swirled around in the yellow of her eyes.

"To be quite honest, I'm just as curious as you are." Kasen answered bluntly.

"I find that hard to believe." Amaya frowned. "I mean, really, a girl that seems to have some recollection about 'her'? Showing up under your care, to see Suika of all people? You expect me to believe that's a coincidence?"

"Not a coincidence, a choice." Kasen said. "When I said she appeared to me by pure luck, I really meant it. I brought her to you to clear the air, among other things. I've no interest in retaking these old stomping grounds."

"... Hmph. Don't blame me if your past reputation makes me hesitant to believe you." Amaya mused. "As an aside, what is that girl? I've seen quite a few youkai, and I hardly recognize this one."

"... I don't know." Kasen shook her head. For now, she would withhold that information. Amaya wasn't one to simply let matters rest where they lay. "At the very least, I don't believe the half-youkai identity she's been wearing is a complete lie."

"Do you have any suspicions of what that other half could be?"

"Not yet. She's been… rather unimpressive, so far. I've yet to even see her display an ability."

Amaya raised an eyebrow. "Her sense of self is that weak?"

Kasen nodded grimly. "Yes, it would seem so."

Abilities were a curious thing. None understood the true nature of them, but their origins often had ties in an individual's self. For youkai especially, an ability was representative of who they were, what they viewed themselves as, and so on. If Luka's story was accurate, and she had existed in Gensokyo for over two whole years without awakening to one…

It was a puzzling thought. But not a surprising one, given what Kasen had seen the previous night.

"Either way, the girl is lost and confused. As a hermit, it's my duty to guide her."

Amaya looked at Kasen like she'd suddenly sprouted multiple heads. "You really have changed." A conflicted expression reached her eyes. "Hm, how long has it been since…"

"Please. Let's not bring that up right now."

Amaya backed down, though Kasen was sure more out of politeness than any real empathy. A brief pause in consideration. "... Perhaps you ought to know: I was personally aware of her arrival before she even stepped at the mountain's foot."

Kasen's face turned quizzical. "Is that supposed to surprise me? You have eyes everywhere on this mountain." Crows were not an uncommon sight here. Very few outside of this room understood their significance.

Amaya shook her head. "Having eyes is not the same as seeing with them. I don't personally look for every rock-climbing idiot with a death wish. Someone told me she was coming. 'As a warning', in her own words."

"A warning?" Kasen's eyes widened. Luka had said she hadn't spoken with anyone regarding her trip. It would've been purely private knowledge. "I take it there's a reason for you to be telling me this?"

Amaya nodded. "The identity of the person in-question. She—"

"Hello~"

A skin-crawling voice. Kasen felt her blood ignite at its sound, and the knowledge of its speaker. She didn't even need to turn, she could already envision her presence. That smirk creeping in from a void, leaning out from a gap in the filing cabinets she had just stepped from. Slithering, like the disgusting snake she was. Kasen dared not turn to see the purple in her eyes; she'd want to rip them from her skull.

"I was the one who did that." Said Yukari Yakumo, no doubt smiling innocently. "... Also, my, the weather here's a lot nicer than normal. I can actually see what's going on now—"

A crack like lightning. The black clouds which had stepped down immediately rushed in, forming what looked like a fist closing around the gap youkai. Like a paper ball, her puffy dress crumpled a bit in its grasp, yanking her from her peeking spot and in front of the two others. Yet Yukari only let out a playful 'oh?', continuing her smile and meeting the eyes of the one responsible.

"What do you want." Amaya's voice thundered. Cold, without an ounce of tolerance.

"Mmph." Yukari struggled coyly. She snuck an aside glance at Kasen. "Oh my, that's no way to treat a coworker. I came all this way to see this shut-in, and this is my thanks? Can you believe this?"

Kasen wordlessly made a squeezing motion with her palm to Amaya, who, without reacting, made sure the room heard a sound akin to an egg being stepped on.

"H-Hey." Yukari squeaked. Her eyes bugged as her face started slowly turning purple. Voice slowly growing in pitch, "Hurts. Hurt. Hhg. I have a reason for showing up, calm down—"

The fist released her, and the clouds were dismissed. Yukari let out a relieved sigh, but Kasen knew she was playing it up. Such a minor action wasn't something that could pose any actual threat to her. Not that either of them cared. Kasen thought she could've squeezed harder, actually.

"I'll ask again. What do you want?" Amaya grumbled, not bothering to even turn to face Yukari. "Besides attention."

"Aren't we in a hurry?" Yukari huffed, puffing her cheeks exaggeratedly. "I can't check on my fellow sages?"

"It's never that simple with you." Amaya deadpanned.

That got a chuckle from Yukari. "Oh, fine. I was just seeing how you were doing with that little intruder of yours. Put my tip to good use?"

Amaya scowled. "What's it to you?"

"It wouldn't do for the Tenma to freely let such rogue elements travel as they wish in her territory, would it? She'd have to repel said threat before it became an issue. Besides, I'm repaying my debt to you~"

Amaya's scowl twisted into a glare. "I hardly see how this is repayment for my part in that little lunar escapade you went on."

"Oh come now, a bird for some intelligence…"

"One of my finest scouts. I lent both of them to you with the expectation they would both be returned. I got one." A scoff. "And for what? A bottle of alcohol?"

Yukari frowned petulantly. "It was a little more important than that."

"Not from where I sit!"

Kasen listened as Amaya tore into Yukari. As they spoke, her mind lingered on that earlier comment. 'Intruder'. That was a specific choice in words. Yukari saw Luka's trip up the mountain as something bad? Meaning, she wanted to prevent it somehow?

"Pardon me for interrupting this 'pleasant' conversation," Kasen spoke, eyeing Yukari, "but, am I correct in understanding that you warned Amaya about Luka's arrival?"

"Hm?" Yukari innocently tilted her head. "Yes, is that a problem?"

"No, I'm simply curious." Kasen said. "You don't normally put such effort in. It's an odd thing to see."

"How rude!" Yukari obviously feigned being hurt. "I work very hard to make sure my fellow sages can sit and relax as they need, without any trouble!"

Amaya growled. "Oh, do you now?"

"I do, I do, but it's so important that no one can ever see it. Such a thankless job I have, boo-hoo…"

"Saying 'boo-hoo' aloud makes that sentence even less believable."

"Boo-hoo-hoo…" A fake sniffle.

Kasen tried to study Yukari's expression. She was a difficult woman, in all sorts of ways. It was never easy to tell whether she was slacking off or simply plotting another scheme. But, Kasen had made her judgment. For whatever reason, Yukari didn't want Luka to reach the top of the mountain. And she was relying on Amaya to do so.

"You know something about Luka, don't you?" Kasen glared at Yukari.

"Hm?" Yukari snapped from her fake crying, snapping to a smile as naturally as breathing. "Maybe. Why do you ask?"

"I want to know." Perhaps she was getting too riled up. But, with Yukari acting so cavalier around her, and thinking back to Luka's emotional outcry the previous night, old memories were prodding at her heart. "That girl mentioned you by name when we spoke before."

"Did she now…?"

"I'm not sure what your plan is, but I can tell you don't want her to meet Suika." Kasen said. "Is there a reason for that?"

Yukari's smile seemed to shift, almost. As if she was nervous. "Please, Kasen, I can assure you I've no plans for that girl in the slightest—"

"I can tell a lie when I hear one. You of all people should know that by now."

Yukari seemed to balk, continuing to play up whatever act she had going on. "... Ah, it's no use hiding. You can see right through me, can't you?" A sigh. "It's true, I do have something in mind. It's a work-in-progress, and it really requires her to stay where she is for just a bit longer, but I promise I'll fill you in on the whole thing once it's finished. So, if you could help it, don't go bringing her to anyone unnecessarily, will you?" Her eyes resembled that of a puppy. "Please? As a friend?"

'Friend'.

'Friend'?!

Kasen's vision nearly went red. "We aren't friends. Do you remember nothing?!" The comment came out like venom, spitting from her mouth, bleeding out from her heart. "I should have known. Should have known you'd try something again. What makes you think I wouldn't recognize this situation? That I'd just sit by and let you have your way with that girl? You sick, sick woman, you disgust me. I refuse to let you ever hurt someone like that again!"

Her rage blinded her. It gorged on the satisfaction from watching Yukari's act crack right in front of her. How her smile remained, but showed the slightest wrinkle at the edges of her mouth. The tiniest show of effort, the lack of shine in her eyes. It was like a demon getting its first taste of blood in centuries. That was all that mattered to Kasen; to fulfill that thirst, to vent that emotion.

"..." Behind Yukari, there was a sound like fabric unraveling. A hole, a 'gap', opening behind her, pulled by two ribbons into a gaping maw. "It was a pleasure to speak with you, Kasen." She turned, hiding her expression. "And you as well, Amaya."

Kasen gritted her teeth. It'd tasted blood, and it wanted more. She reached after her. "Don't you dare—!"

In an instant, Yukari slid through the gap and it threaded itself shut, leaving no trace she had ever been there. Kasen's hand barely slipped past the spot where Yukari's throat had been, too caught up in her emotion to think about what she would've done after that point.

"Coward." She spat.

It took a few moments of silence and stewing in her sudden outrage for Kasen to remember she was still in Amaya's office.

"Have you gotten that out of your system?" she asked.

"..." Kasen frowned, releasing one final growl before gathering herself once again. "Yes, I apologize."

"No apologies necessary. I would've enjoyed the show, had you landed that grapple." Amaya dryly remarked. "Though, you had best be careful. That wasn't very hermit-like. Someone from the old days might recognize that attitude if you let it show."

Kasen felt her cheeks flush a bit. "I haven't totally let that side of myself go, I suppose."

"So it would seem." Amaya leaned back into her chair. Kasen was sure she was forming her own opinions on the events in her office. "... We should cut this meeting short. I booked this for an hour, and we're coming close to the end." She leaned forward, looking at Kasen closely. "What's your plan from here? Do you plan on taking that girl further up?"

That seemed to be a suggestion more than a question. She'd already approved of Luka's passage just a few minutes prior. Kasen had to assume she'd done it purely to spite Yukari. Kasen looked back at the empty space where Yukari had once been standing. She kept imagining that evil smirk, mind no doubt concocting some devious plan. A woman who looked so proud of herself, that she wanted to show off how smart her big plan was.

Kasen wouldn't allow it. Not again. Never again.

"Of course. If it means spoiling Yukari's little games, I'm more than willing to."

Amaya seemed to smirk, for the first time since Kasen had stepped into her office. "Excellent. Give Suika my regards, would you?"

Author's Note:

The sages all act like they don't really do any kind of governing or management. But in a place with as fragile a balance as Gensokyo's (especially this version of it), someone has to do some kind of oversight. In the end, the concept of a lone, extremely stressed-out tengu who ended up stuck with all the hard work evolved into this Gensokyo's version of 'Tenma'. The one member of the Sages who actually does her job regularly.

To clarify, this is an original character. I based her on canon information (as of this writing), but she's entirely unofficial, much like many other aspects of this fanwork. As for why she's wearing a suit… I like women in suits. I think ZUN should add more of them. That's about it.

As an aside, I wonder if some people really believe Yukari doesn't have feelings or can't get them hurt… Hm…