Eientei · Bamboo Forest of the Lost
This is one of the most famous areas in Gensokyo. After all, it is inhabited by the mysterious "Brain of the Moon" and the "Princess Kaguya" she serves. Generally, besides some acquaintances who visit proactively, no one else comes here. As its name implies, the "Bamboo Forest of the Lost"—anyone without skill who enters will 100% get lost. Additionally, a rabbit who loves pranks resides here year-round, making the forest's danger level rise sharply.
The only saving grace is that the rabbit only pulls pranks and eventually sends people out of the bamboo forest alive; as for how much weight they lost in the end, no one knows. Thus, it is usually very quiet, but today was an exception.
"BOOM!!"
Accompanied by a terrifying explosion, a small mushroom cloud appeared in the bamboo forest. Subsequently, a figure was seen flying into the air.
"NEET Princess! Finally willing to come out? Hmph!"
Using the explosion's recoil to temporarily distance herself from the battlefield, Fujiwara no Mokou glared fiercely into the distance. In the direction she was glaring, a girl in a pink kimono walked out elegantly. Even though her clothes were as tattered as Mokou, it could not hide her innate elegance.
Facing Mokou interrogation, Kaguya Houraisan didn't care. Instead, she showed a confident smile.
"Mokou-chan~ You surely haven't forgotten who taught you spells back then..."
"Who gave you permission to call me 'Mokou-chan'!"
"Ho ho~ back then, I wonder who it was that curled up in my arms and acted spoiled..."
"BOOM!!"
Before Mokou could finish her sentence, another massive explosion occurred. Whether out of shyness or anger, her face was completely red as she roared and rushed toward Kaguya. Kaguya was not to be outdone and countered. Moonlight and fire surged through the bamboo forest, and a section of the forest was instantly turned into ruins.
While a certain rabbit leader led her subordinates to shiver in the corner, another rabbit-eared girl walked toward a certain spot in the bamboo forest carrying teacups.
Watching the three people sitting there pick up their teacups, the rabbit-eared girl unconsciously turned her gaze toward where the battle was unfolding, but she quickly retracted it because a hand was already resting on her shoulder.
"Reisen, there's no need to worry. Isn't it like this every year?"
"Master..."
Reisen didn't know why these three were so calm. She had asked them, and even Kaguya and Mokou themselves, but unfortunately, they never told her the reason. This was why, despite it not being her first time seeing it, she was still incomparably worried.
However, Eirin Yagokoro was quite satisfied with her new disciple's concern for Kaguya. Pressing the girl's ears down and stroking her hair, Eirin revealed a helpless smile.
"It's about time. Miss Keine, let's go pick them up together."
Keine Kamishirasawa, putting down her teacup, also nodded. However, another person remained in an elegant posture drinking tea, with no intention of going over.
"Count me out. If I go, those two will probably get even angrier, right?"
Yukari Yakumo was very self-aware. Neither Keine nor Eirin made any move to persuade her. As those "in the know," they naturally knew the reason. Over five hundred years ago, when the seal around "Gensokyo" was just finished, that "bastard" appeared once. However, that time he seemed to stay for very little time; only Yukari met with him using her abilities. Afterward, Mokou and Kaguya were naturally very upset, and the relationship between the parties became strange.
For example, although Yukari would still secretly help the two, she rarely appeared directly before them. However, the relationship was actually not as bad as imagined. The most direct evidence was a box Yukari pulled from her "chest" (gap).
"By the way, Eirin, this is something Kaguya asked me to bring from the outside. Hand it to her for me."
Eirin really didn't know how to complain about her using her "Gap" ability for such things, but she took the box nonetheless.
"I will give it to Kaguya."
——————
Just like children fighting in school, once the "parents" of both sides arrived, this "mess" was forced to end. The only difference from a children's fight was that the two's destructive power was sufficiently terrifying.
On the other side, being led away from the "Bamboo Forest of the Lost" by Keine Kamishirasawa, Fujiwara no Mokou crossed her arms and muttered in a low voice.
"It's all because of that damn NEET Princess Kaguya. If it weren't for her, my chest wouldn't have stayed unchanged for over 1300 years! Hmph!!"
Hearing her good friend's complaint, Keine only smiled. In the beginning, she would comfort or try to persuade her, but later she gradually realized this was actually a special way of communicating between her and Kaguya, so she stopped saying anything to spoil the mood.
However, seeing the disappointed look in the other's eyes, Keine couldn't help but sigh.
She really didn't know what kind of man could make Mokou unable to forget even after 1300 years. But right now, the only thing she wanted to do was to give him a good lesson once he appeared!
To make the cute Mokou-chan show such a sad expression—though she certainly couldn't use heavy hands. She'd just use a "Headbutt" as a warning!
Returning to the Human Village Security Force, Fujiwara no Mokou looked no different from usual, drinking and celebrating with the others. But Keine, sitting quietly beside her, could perceive the loneliness and sadness flowing from the seemingly rowdy Mokou.
Unable to help the other party resolve it, the only thing Keine could do was quietly stay by her side. This was the only meaningful method Keine had found in these past several hundred years.
When the banquet ended, Keine, carrying the drunken Mokou back to her home, slightly turned her head to look at Mokou, who was frowning even in her sleep. She unconsciously used her hand to smooth out the girl's brow, but unexpectedly, her hand was grabbed.
"Mr. Lancer... I've become stronger now, I can take care of myself, you don't need to worry anymore... so can I now...? I don't want to be your sister anymore..."
——————
On the other side, Kaguya Houraisan didn't express it as obviously as Mokou. Instead, she showed an excited expression upon receiving the box from Eirin.
"That baba (hag) is useful for something after all..."
While speaking extremely dangerous words, she opened the box. As expected, it was full of perfectly packaged, unopened games. The top ones were blockbusters released in the past year, and below were some GALgames—both male-oriented and female-oriented ones.
"Master! I'm going back to my room to rest!"
While speaking, she ran toward her room clutching the box. Eirin, following behind, shook her head helplessly. Kaguya actions had zero persuasiveness; as expected, the girl was probably going to pull an all-nighter again. However, she didn't plan to stop her, as this was also the girl's own way of relieving pressure.
In the dark room, wrapped in a quilt, Kaguya Houraisan stared at the screen with wide eyes, muttering strange things.
"Recent Otome games are getting more and more boring; aren't there any interesting scripts? But this Red Oni route is actually quite interesting..."
At this moment, a game that had just been opened lay by Kaguya feet. It said "Kaguya · Fujiwara-kyo ~ Love of the Seven-Tenths."
This was a female-oriented reverse harem game where the heroine was Princess Kaguya, and there were seven conquerable characters. The characters included the five suitors, as well as the Red Oni and the Lunar Envoy.
Kaguya suspected the game's creator might know some of the rumors from back then, as the prototype for the Lunar Envoy seemed to be her Master. The only difference was that he was a caring young man wearing glasses, not her physician Master.
Although the "Red Oni route" was indeed somewhat similar to back then, it was actually quite different. For example, the "Red Oni" in the game was a standard overbearing CEO type, who declared his ownership without hesitation upon meeting "Princess Kaguya." But the "Red Oni" she knew was a resolute man who looked unreliable but actually filled one with a sense of security.
However, when she saw the "Red Oni" shielding "Princess Kaguya" behind his back, covered in wounds from the "Lunar Envoy's" attacks, she also unconsciously put down the controller in her hand.
As if she had lost consciousness, she rubbed the joystick with her fingers. Undoubtedly, the controller in her hand was the one Lancer had given her back then. Even the controller case was custom-made at Youkai Mountain; later, after she recovered, she used her ability to permanently fix it at that point in time...
Finally, she looked out the window with a face full of loneliness. This house was very different from the one she used to live in, in both space and furnishings. But the only thing that was the same was that retro bamboo window and the teacup placed in the small wooden cabinet beside her.
"Lancer... you bastard, when do you plan to come back..."
——————
In the quiet bamboo forest, everyone except Yukari Yakumo had left, but she remained, quietly drinking tea.
Today was a special day for Kaguya Houraisan and Fujiwara no Mokou—it was the day that man left over one thousand three hundred years ago. But was it not the same for her?
The letter that man left before departing pointed out the path to "becoming stronger" for her, which caused her strength to reach another level. Later, over five hundred years ago, when she was at a loss, he appeared again and handed the precious "World Fragment" to her.
Although the other party had never asked for a reward... youkai have hearts too.
Looking at the moon in the sky, Yukari Yakumo drank her tea silently until her shikigami arrived.
"Lord Yukari, it's time for us to head back."
"Mhm~"
Draining the tea in her cup in one gulp, Yukari Yakumo walked into a gap...