Chapter 43: Haruto's Talisman Haul
"Pay up!"
"Pay what?" Yakumo Yukari looked at Haruto's outstretched hands, held palms-up in a classic beggar's pose, and couldn't help but blink in surprise.
"Talisman Cards! I need more Talisman Cards!" Haruto wailed dramatically.
"Didn't I already give you one?" she countered. "You haven't even used that one yet, have you?"
"It's not enough! That damn instance is far too dangerous, and the talismans were nerfed into oblivion the moment I stepped inside. If I hadn't thought on my feet, you wouldn't be seeing me right now!"
The mere memory of the Mermaid Inn sent an involuntary shudder through him. For the first instance, the Candy House, he'd only had an hour of prep time, most of which was spent explaining the bizarre situation to Yukari. It had been a frantic rush.
For the second instance, he had been far more prepared. He'd not only brought Kaguya along but had also armed himself with two thick stacks of Youmu's talismans, a few of Ran's, and one of Yukari's own special-grade cards. He had thought the lineup was nothing short of luxurious—even if all three ghosts from the Candy House had attacked at once, they could have crushed them with ease.
Who could have possibly predicted that Kaguya would be suppressed and weakened the second she entered? Or that the talismans would be so severely nerfed, their effects reduced to a pale shadow of their true power?
But the most outrageous part was the sheer number of ghosts. Haruto had expected a few more than in the Candy House. It wasn't just a few more. It was hundreds. Maybe not a thousand, but close enough to feel like it. And leading them all was a Mermaid King who possessed both cunning intelligence and overwhelming strength.
"Here, take all of these, Haruto-sama." Before Yukari could even respond, Youmu had already moved. With practiced efficiency, she pulled out every talisman she had on her person, stacking them neatly on the table. "Please wait just a moment—I have many more stored away. I'll go get them now."
She turned and hurried back to her room. When she returned, her arms were laden with stacks of paper charms.
A soft rustle, then another, and another. The talismans kept coming, piling up on the table in a steady stream of paper and power. She ran back and forth, each trip adding to the growing mound.
In no time at all, a small mountain had formed on the table.
Not only was Haruto left dumbfounded, but even Yukari and Yuyuko watched in astonishment.
"Did you make all of these recently?" Haruto asked, his gaze shifting to Youmu. His tone was laced with disbelief. He had made talismans himself and knew the process wasn't terribly difficult, but producing such a massive quantity would have required working nonstop for days on end.
As if confirming his guess, Yuyuko spoke up with a light giggle. "I was wondering why Youmu has been staying in her room these past few days without coming out. She usually practices her sword right on time. So, she was making talismans for Little Bai."
Feeling the playful gazes of her master and Yukari, Youmu's cheeks flushed a brilliant red. She lowered her head, offering no denial.
Haruto looked from the mountain of talismans on the table, each one glowing with a different intensity of spiritual light, to Youmu's visibly tired face. A wave of powerful emotion swelled in his chest.
"Have you... not slept for three days?"
Although Youmu was a half-human, half-phantom whose strength was top-tier even in Gensokyo, her training was focused on swordsmanship. She still needed to sleep.
"I failed to accompany and protect you, Haruto-sama. That is already a dereliction of my duty. I can only do my best in this way to add a small measure of safety for you."
Youmu took no credit for her efforts. Instead, she looked guilty, a look that successfully made Haruto's own eyes well up. 'Where could a guy find such a sensible, devoted, and perfect girlfriend?' he thought, his heart aching.
"Dereliction of duty? There's no such thing!" Haruto declared righteously. "Youmu, not only have you not failed, but you've made a huge contribution! If it weren't for your talismans in the last instance, I might have been left behind for good."
Hearing this, Yakumo Yukari, who was sitting nearby, couldn't help but roll her eyes. Others might not know the truth, but how could she? Before his last departure, Ran alone had stuffed three of her own powerful talismans into his bag, and she herself had given him one. If she hadn't put a stop to it with the excuse that he 'needed the training,' Yakumo Ran's doting nature would have probably led her to stuff their entire family's reserves into Haruto's little backpack.
But—
Yakumo Yukari had already given up on the idea of so-called training. These instances clearly posed a genuine danger to Haruto, and she couldn't arbitrarily intervene. Gensokyo was important, but this boy, her only kin, was infinitely more precious.
Haruto was still talking, showering Youmu with nonstop praise that made the poor girl blush so furiously her head was nearly buried in her chest. Yukari didn't expose his theatrics, simply sipping her tea with an air of leisure, content to watch the show.
Only when Haruto finally seemed to run out of compliments did she unhurriedly produce a stack of her own talismans.
"Don't say I mistreat you. This is almost all the stock I have on hand right now."
"Oh." Haruto took the talismans, his response flat and unimpressed. The casual dismissal made Yukari's teeth clench.
"What kind of attitude is that! This small stack of talismans could easily defeat a great youkai—it's certainly no worse than your dear Youmu's!"
"Yeah, very impressive," Haruto said, clapping twice with a distinct lack of enthusiasm.
Yukari stared at him, incredulous. Had she not explained it clearly, or did he simply not understand? What was with this reaction?
"You don't believe me?"
"I believe you."
"Then give me some kind of reaction! Provide some emotional value, will you!" Yukari ground out, her patience wearing thin.
Haruto sighed dramatically. "My dear sister Yukari, why are you acting like such a child?"
"I'll freaking—!" Fuming, Yukari whipped out her folding fan, ready to open a gap and send him to the moon.
Seeing things were about to take a turn for the worse, Haruto dropped the cheeky act. He leaned forward, pressing his hands together, his eyes sparkling with manufactured adoration.
"Yukari-nee! You're amazing! To think you have such powerful talismans! As expected of the legendary Sage of Youkai! You're just too cool!"
Beside them, Yuyuko could no longer hold it in. Forgetting her favorite snacks entirely, she began to shake with unrestrained laughter. Even the usually serious and polite Youmu couldn't help but let out a small snicker, though she hurriedly composed herself after receiving a resentful glare from Yukari.
"You brat," Yukari hissed, feeling her grand gesture had been a complete waste. "You're definitely doing that on purpose!" She waved her hand irritably. "Come over here and rub my shoulders! Since I gave you so many talismans, I have to get some of my investment back."
"It's wrong when I don't give you emotional value, and you're not satisfied when I do," Haruto grumbled, still sounding reluctant. "It's really hard being one of Yakumo Yukari's people." Despite his complaints, he walked over, squatted down, and began to massage her shoulders with skilled hands.
At that moment, Yuyuko spoke up, her smile radiant. "Since Yukari and Youmu have both given something, and Little Bai always brings me such delicious food, you can have my talismans to play with, too."
She gave her long sleeve a gentle flick.
Specks of cherry-blossom pink light gathered in the air, coalescing into a stack of talismans shimmering with the phantoms of butterflies. They drifted down gracefully, landing atop the already hefty pile in front of Haruto and making the exaggerated mountain grow even taller.
"Thank you, Yuyuko! I knew you still loved me! Next time I come over, I'll definitely bring you lots of delicious food."
"Mm-hmm!" At the mere mention of food, Yuyuko's eyes lit up, and she nodded enthusiastically.
Haruto gazed at the mountain of talismans, a wide grin spreading across his face. With all these cards on the table, even if their power was weakened inside an instance, he could probably just steamroll his way through, even if every single mermaid from the last world came at him at once.
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