Small Disclaimer :

This is a derivative work of the hit game Project Touhou, thanking Zun and his one-manned team, Shanghai Alice.

While Zun has explicitly stated his wishes on stories with free rights, I give my respects due to the high priest.

Thanks for listening. Oh! and expect slow updates due to world building and time from this guy.

OCTOBER 20, THE YEAR 1598

AKASAKA VILLAGE

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.. fwwwwoooooossshhh...

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The skies were donned in a twilight dusk, clouds meticulously drifting in droves. Weak eyes watched the dimming skies dully, a tenuous visage staring off the great expanse, with her loose mouth gasping in a slow decaying rhythm, disheveled physically.

She remembered the gush fluttering splinters raining down on her then the portions of her wall crumbling down, blackening her vision. Now awake from her stupor. Still disoriented.

She felt extremely numbed, the air was tremendously dense; leaving her to sucker in the parched atmosphere through her teeth then puffing them all out haggardly in small sparses..

Just as the sun set downward, towering streaks of black smoke slowly crept to her vision. Her eyes shifted focus on the stalking plumes, at that moment her hearing gradually became clearer to what sounded to be crackling scorching embers. They were distant and still.

She attempted to turn her head slowly to the right. The notion she received was a distinct and foreign feeling; crease until feeling a rough object restricting her head moving any more, so she ceased.

Her eyes oriented a gaze on her stomach but only debris is all she sees. She beckoned her arms to move but her hands were stuck under the rubbles, even if she gripped them tightly then attempted to lift them off but to no avail.

Her body was inhibited in like a sandwich, with her back lying on the tatami floor and her lower anterior, below the waist, pinned down by a mixture of wood, thatch, and residue of thin paper.

And so she laid, helpless, stuck, and lonely. The girl tried pushing the debris with her own body but it was simply too heavy, and in all that effort of trying to extricate herself out, made the numbing interval a vestige, inducing this strong and egregious affliction. Instinctually she recoiled, backwarding her head into a wooden beam bluntly before grunting in pain.

So she wept, cried of agony, reeling from this discomforting entanglement. The girl asked for closure and expectedly, her wishes were for nought. Again, she stared at the starry skies desolated, hoping for any spiritual guidance while enduring the excruciating throbbing pain, like a multitude of prickling needles poking her.

She observed her surroundings yet again, the entirety of her home was greatly blown off, concluding that the entrance of her own abode had come crashing down on her. The neighbouring structures beside this dilapidated collapsed of a home seemed to also suffer the same fate. Broken and run-down.

Till her corneas were met with a bright light spire of incandescence before her, in only she could see. Twirling upward in the darkening skies before a part began veering its descent, reflecting this coruscating gyrating dance of light in her eyes.

..

Nearby, through mangled carcasses and torn-down dwellings, a statuesque figure dressed in a regal tabard entertained herself the sight of the destruction of Akasaka village. She stood, standing atop a precipice, on the periphery. She searched the surrounding area, the hunting youkais have all left the broken lands and the alive, left for dead.

The landscape was disgraced in roughened formations of fractures and craters, pieces of flesh encompassed shattered roads of the hapless victims. Most importantly to her, there was a great presence of arcane particles scattered around but she didn't come to care. Despite the whole massacre unfolding right in front of her very eyes, there was no remorse at all paid.

The breeze softly blew at her with a scent of arsony and viscus smell but it didn't deter her all though her golden hair and dress did otherwise, striding with the flowing, which was unlike her countenance, shifting to no kinds of emotions, it sat just as she stood.

She gazed at the sight with no concern, noticing the twinge of emotion within her, catching her a bit alarmed. "... Ho~? Am I really feeling something for these humans?" She spoke. "... Or~? am I getting too lethargic?" Saying this, she knew it spoke true with all youkais like her. Over a hundred years of domination over Japan; was it the same.

Sighing. "Ha~... Maybe, a new stage of balance should be in store." Concurrently, a rippling sound began to bellow from behind. The source of the noise was a forming slit that shifted and tore like a cleft, with the bottom and top ends being tied by two red ribbons with the innards being a tapestry of conglomerating eyes adjoining a colour of velvet darkness all around.

Slowly and surely, she turned to face the gap. Slipping into the portal carefree, walking inside and with it, the gap swiftly reconnected the tears as the ribbons holding it open; loosened.

.

"Oh? You're willing to construct a world to protect these mortals?" A small thump hit the lacquered floor. They took their legs crawling under the blanket of the kotatsu, repositioning at times to get comfortable.

"Eh.. In a way, yes." The gap youkai responded, reaching her hand into her gap, taking out a freshly-baked bread from the basket at the middle of the kotatsu. "Separating them from this world that is." *chomp*

The woman in an orange tabard, their apparels like a vestment, held out her hand and elbowed the tabletop before placing her hand under her own chin. "My~ How radical of you, Yukari." watching her gnaw on a piece of bread.

"But, don't we need them?" The pink-adorned, horned oni interjects into the conversation. Yukari merely kept on chewing before gulping the piece of bread down, she waved her right hand in a brief circle gesture. "Don't worry about that, we'll be collecting some.. unfortunate victims along the way." She eyed Okina.

One of Okina's brows raised, "Mm~? Looking at me just because I made those two humans my dancers?"

"Non-consensually."

"Who cares~ They're my servants, everyone needs one nowadays."

"To think you're a benevolent god."

"A Secret goddess." She emphasised. "You'll need one someday. You know, managing an entire realm would be exhausting."

"..."

Kasen abruptly interrupts with an, "Ahem.", catching the two's attention. "I know quarreling a drivel with each other makes a great bond and all but, why are we here exactly? What has it got to do with us?"

Okina nodded, "Mm. Kasen's got a point, you want us to do labours for you?" The two watched her, awaiting a response for a solid five seconds.

Yukari managed to form two words out. "Your abilities.", answering in almost slow delicance and perfect enunciation.

. . .

"ehe- Want me to prop up a door for you~?" The secret goddess smirked.

"I meant entirely something else.." Annoyed, she noticed the Okina's lips curl in a smug. "I know you're being satirical so stop it.. but I imply your status."

Unlike Okina's quip, Kasen queried with a brow raised. "Our status?

"See it to this. You've all got connections."

"What's this? You want us to be your safety net?" laughed the god.

Almost, Yukari felt offended; almost. Maintaining the inexpressive facade, "Wow, is that how you think of me? No, that's not what I'm inferring."

"So what is it you are inferring?"

"An accordance."

Both Okina and Kasen looked at one another, "For the local youkais?" Kasen adds, a tid bit suspicious. 'This is Yukari they're dealing with here, a youkai who's got a tongue to swivel youkais in persuasion.'

"Mhm. Merely spread the word, in obligation."

"You want us to speak on your behalf?"

"Making friends is harder than you think, and I don't think I could convince onis as you are as a Deva, I can't feign in yamas and kamis, they're still a bit stingy after my attempt of boundary breaking, that'll be with Okina."

"Fair enough." sighed the Deva, trying to befriend onis is, reputably, difficult due to their propensity for violence and brutality, just ruthless in nature. Contemporarily.

"Awh, how sweet of you. but I believe they've got not a single inkling about me." Okina informed the gap youkai,

"Oh? I thought you gods are cognizant of each other," she snarked. "-or perhaps you truly stick up to your title?"

"Hah, I can easily go through the back of any of their domains; just give me a list."

"Hm? and how would you achieve on getting their good sides if you choose to intrude." She set the half-eaten bread down.

"A little bit of incentive would do the trick. After all, they would see great prospects in what is an eternal life with expecting promises."

"Real virtuous."

"A secret goddess doesn't follow what people think, specifically of me~ neh?"

Kasen, visually annoyed, spoke again; "Pardon again.. we're great.. friends, and all, but I just can't agree when we're really used for your own interest."

"Who said it was all about me?"

"Of no reason to build a place just because you said so."

She stared Kasen down in a cool manner, "Easier said than done. The kamis and other youkais are heavily discontent with the new advent of unorthodoxy overtaking Japan quite recently."

Kasen hummed ambiguously, ".. The monotheistic beliefs of Christianity. Yes I've come across them before, they're in a way invasive but at good implications.. almost."

"Yes and albeit, while small, many kamis despise the continuous conversion rate of their followers, moreover it especially made youkais nervous when the usage of foreign divination casted people's belief to fear them less, making them a prime target for them."

"I get what you're saying, but the shogun and those shogus of his; detests the growing religion, no doubt they'll try to banish it out of Japan just so they won't get off their high horse."

"Does not completely wipe away the stain, there'll always be an adherent devotee.. remember, the human emperor has passed away recently, causing those chosen governors by the shogun; to keep the westeners safe for their technology, keeping their motives a secret."

"Hm.. unfortunate.. I hope some of them keep their word..." Suspensefully she paused, her eyes downward before looking back on Yukari, "but I am still inclined to disagree." Kasen said tersely.

"ah..?"

"There is still one thing, Ryuujin; the Dragon God."

Her shoulder tensed as soon as she heard its name, as a new spike of sensation rang over her, she mused and contemplated; phasing the Dragon God to talk is beyond all prominent figures in Japan can do, even so in the worlds of other beliefs, it was absolute, cause, and daunt.

"You may be able to manipulate boundaries and pass through said boundaries," Kasen continued, "and I believe you're one of anyone here in Japan or at least the world to communicate with it," she paused. "-but a youkai like yourself, can you really convince the guardian of the domain to subscribe to your act?"

Yukari made a gulp unbeknownst to the other sages, and she made sure of it, "aha. Well, if you managed to get everyone to agree I'll try to disclose the matters with it afterward."

"As long as you convince the god, you have my good word." Her eyes leapt around the room; examining ornate murals and paper panels, "..I'll follow through this grandiose plan of yours and I believe the other sages would too."

"Right.. how about you, Okina?"

"Eh. I was already on board, every word of what you say is true," she shrugged, "while we may not be able to predict fate, we can just choose what will be intertwined. neh?"

"I suppose that's settled.." Yukari 'finaled' with a tone, "This is an act that is irreversible and can be heard of by all deities in different realms throughout the planet."

The room suddenly turned down in silence and the myopic temperature deadening in just the right temperature, the secret goddess slumped her head into the table; aset in a taxing notion of teeth chattering of 'brr's'; catching Kasen to bore down on the dozy queer goddess before eyeing Yukari, seemingly lost in thought.

"Okay? What are you doing?"

"Deliberating."

".. While you do that I may as well leave, I've got a matter of business to do rather than personal inducement."

"... You do that."

In response, the oni sighed. "There was an eminent proverb I heard among the masses, it's almost fitting."

Yukari watches her in the eyes solemnly, "Mm? Go right ahead, entertain us." Promptly, Okina turned toward the oni's direction.

Father Andre rode down the hill from the castle, at the head of his Jesuit accompanies. All were robed with kasayas like Buddhist priests but had carried their rosaries. He held the jesses tightly in his hands, watching the skies. It was supposed to be the usual kind of sky adorned with azure waters washing ashore, turned to a sparkling pool of the darkest shade of purple awry.

This is... not what the spirits he toils calls for..

"A fish predominant, is dated to be eaten by bigger ones..

Through the streets of a particular outgrowing settlement, many who walked upon the surface they were very on, can feel it churning until it curled in a way that it would. There was a small scent of a grounding dirt spiraling upward and areas deforming slowly, where the lush fields begin to be undone and its nearby river curving outrageously unnormal. A meander it became than a straightened lax stream to the coast, doubting there'd be a coast. Exploration now lies heavy.

At the wake of a traveling march of commoners, wrights, and merchants alike felt their sandals being pricked by a surge of a small shake, akin to a rummaging oni.. or an earthquake cursed by the gods. Mitsuko could tell that what was transpiring was the expanse of opportunity. A bloom as such.

-But if you were to be alone, isolated, there is none to rival you."

.

"It's a good adage."

"Thank the ones who made the wording possible, I merely modified it."

"It relates heavily."

"oi." uttered the god, "-what are we calling the place? It better be nice."

"Considering that we're still limited to how the Dragon God and its servants determine, it's likely they'll conceal the world through a regulatory barrier."

"Meaning?"

"They'll seal the land off by a barrier, isolating us from the outside world but still existing in the boundaries of Japan." she finished, "Granted.. They'll need me to ascertain and succor said barrier."

"Soo.. in simple terms, an illusionary space."

"Yes."

"May as well call it the land of protective illusion."

".. We'll call in a vote with the other refined sages."

"Sure." she affirmed, after saying so; Kasen had seemingly left the room without a noise or any sort of indication, leaving the two alone.

"So it'll be, a land for us, so we may never disappear…" she stopped. Yukari looked around the seamless empty room, inspecting the spot where Kasen was then on over to Okina's but she remained slugged down to the tabletop, "Where's Kasen?"

"She's already left."

She sighed.

.

[GLOSSARY]

[1] Kotatsu - a short wooden table with comfy blankets or duvets to trap heat under the table with the help of conduction

[2] Oni - seeming evil-natured youkais of superhuman strength are beyond an ordinary person.

[3] Deva - are heavenly beings in Japanese Buddhism, but from what Zun applied, it bases off Shitenno(8] but now referenced as onis(2].

[4] Yama - deities regarded as determiners of the dead and as protector of the guaranteed souls from Japanese Buddhism.

[5] Kami - spirits, deities, or ambiguous beings that are worshipped in a particular occupation in Japanese Shinto.

[6] Shugo - constables appointed by the shogun to landown a province; on behalf of the shogunate.

[7] Kasaya - garments specifically for Buddhist monks, explicitly robes.

[8] Shitenno - a group of four legendary individuals loyal to an absolute one.