Chapter 51: Robbery! Hand Over All the Talisman Cards!
"Alright, nobody move! Hand over all your valu—I mean, hand over all your Talisman Cards!"
Haruto brandished a single Talisman Card, attempting to look as menacing as possible as he faced the two women sitting peacefully at the tea table.
Even though Kazami Yuuka and Alice Margatroid had long since grown immune to Haruto's eccentric personality, they couldn't stop their eyelids from twitching at the sheer absurdity of the scene.
Meanwhile, watching from the hidden safety of a nearby Gap, Yakumo Ran was utterly stunned. Her expression twisted into something subtle and complex. She had genuinely believed the letter she'd found, which claimed Haruto-sama had run off to train with Lady Yuuka. She never expected his grand entrance to be a declaration of armed robbery.
A robbery… in Gensokyo?
And he had specifically chosen the Sunflower Field, of all places, to commit it?
Just how ridiculous could her young master get?
"I only have a few Talisman Cards on me," Alice said, her beautiful face a mask of pure helplessness. She calmly placed her entire collection on the table. "If you want them, you can have them all."
There were four in total, all of them support-types. In a place like Gensokyo, there were few occasions to use them. Aside from adding a bit of flair to banquets, they were typically reserved for formal duels.
"That's plenty, that's plenty! Thank you, boss! I'm a very easily satisfied youkai!"
Haruto grinned, snatching the four cards and stuffing them into his robe without a hint of shame. Who said social graces were useless? Hadn't he spent the last few years cultivating these relationships for this very moment? If everyone sponsored him with a stack of cards, his complete and utter dominance in the Death Game was practically guaranteed!
"Yuuka! Where are yours?"
He turned his expectant gaze toward Kazami Yuuka, only to be met with a flicker of exasperation in her crimson eyes.
"Do you really think," she asked, her voice dangerously smooth, "that I would ever make something like a Talisman Card?"
"True, you wouldn't," Haruto conceded, not the least bit disappointed. He'd only asked on a whim. If she did have some, it would have been a massive score.
But the idea of Kazami Yuuka, the Tyrant of Flowers, crafting cards to play turn-based games with people? What a joke. If you dared provoke her, you could count yourself lucky if she didn't just punch you twice, pummel you into the dirt, and turn you into fertilizer for her sunflowers.
Wait a minute…
A sudden flash of inspiration struck Haruto. His eyes lit up as he stared at Kazami Yuuka, a look that made her frown deepen.
"Yuuka, that umbrella… can I borrow it? The parasol you always carry."
Haruto had noticed that the true powerhouses of Gensokyo seemed to have a fondness for carrying umbrellas. Yakumo Yukari and Kazami Yuuka were prime examples. They carried them day and night, rain or shine, which led him to speculate that they were likely divine artifacts—at the very least, far stronger than Marisa's Mini-Hakkero.
Reality, however, is often cruel.
"What do you want this for? It's just an ordinary parasol."
"Huh?" Haruto's face screamed, 'Who do you think you're fooling?'
"Aside from being relatively sturdy," Yuuka elaborated, "it really is just a normal umbrella."
"No way… Then why do you carry it around all day!" Haruto protested, but he refused to give up. "Ordinary is fine! I want your umbrella! Holding it gives me a sense of security."
"A lack of security only proves that your strength is lacking." A glint of disdain flashed through Kazami Yuuka's crimson eyes as she scanned him from head to toe. "If you were strong enough, what would you have to fear?" She paused, a predatory smile touching her lips. "You've made a bit of progress, but it's still far too slow. Give me three days. I'll double your strength."
"No!" Haruto refused instantly. That single, short day of her "training" had already left an indelible shadow on his young soul. Three more days? He'd probably end up in Eientei for psychological treatment.
Kazami Yuuka was about to retract her offer and put the parasol away, but she stopped when she saw Haruto slump back into his chair, his face a mask of theatrical sorrow as he began talking to himself.
"Haruto, don't cry, you have to be strong… From now on, you'll have to live alone, brave the instances alone. Eat well, fight monsters well… It's just… it's just that no one will help you anymore…"
A throb of a headache pulsed at Yuuka's temple. With a soft, defeated sigh, she pushed the parasol across the table.
"Here. Stop acting."
"Thanks, Sister Yuuka!"
Haruto's sorrow vanished in an instant. Beaming, he swiftly tucked the parasol into a Gap. He then picked up the teapot, refilled the cups for both Kazami Yuuka and Alice, and poured a fresh cup of flower tea for himself.
"Now that you two have gifted me equipment to aid in my growth, I promise that when I achieve great mastery in the future, when I control an entire instance and attain the status of a god in Gensokyo, I shall surely appoint you both as my Great Generals!"
After his heroic declaration, he downed his tea in one gulp, then fixed the two women with a burning gaze, signaling for them to drink as well.
Though they both felt a deep sense of helplessness, Kazami Yuuka and Alice chose to cooperate, each finishing their cup of flower tea.
"Oh, right," Haruto said, as if suddenly remembering something. He gave his chair a light kick, sliding it over to Alice's side. He leaned in conspiratorially, lowering his voice. "Why have you been staying here at Mugenkan these past few days? You and Yuuka aren't plotting some big event, are you?" He winked. "Rest assured, you can tell me. My lips are sealed. I promise only heaven knows, earth knows, you know, and I know."
"I really just came to stay for a few days," Alice explained, her voice laced with weary patience. "There's nothing else going on."
Haruto sized them up suspiciously for a long moment. Seeing no signs of deception, he reluctantly believed them. After downing half a pot of flower tea, he finally got up to leave.
His next stop was the Misty Lake.
There, an ancient, Gothic-style castle stood by the water's edge, its architecture a striking interweave of red and white. This was the Scarlet Devil Mansion.
"Haruto!"
The voice belonged to a girl with waist-length red hair, wearing ornate clothes and a braided ponytail—Hong Meiling, the gatekeeper of the Scarlet Devil Mansion.
"You're actually not slacking off and sleeping today!" Haruto exclaimed, finding the sight unbelievable. Ever since their first meeting, he had only ever seen her dozing at her post.
Of course, anyone who thought they could sneak into the Scarlet Devil Mansion because of this would be dead wrong. Her long years of guard duty had turned vigilance into a physical instinct; if any outsider approached, she could snap awake in an instant and deliver a devastating flying kick.
"Is it that strange that I'm not sleeping?" Meiling muttered, looking a little dissatisfied at his ghost-seeing expression.
"It really is," Haruto replied with a very sincere nod. He noticed that the hat on her head, embroidered with the character for "Dragon," was slightly crooked. He naturally reached out and straightened it for her.
"Your hat is crooked."
"Thank you."
"You're welcome. Just give me eighty or a hundred Talisman Cards as a thank-you gift."
"..."
Hong Meiling stared at Haruto, a look of deep life-questioning doubt on her face. Was he really here just to rob her of her Talisman Cards?
"I don't have that many," she said, her well-defined cheeks puffing out in helplessness. "I only have about ten right now. You can have them all. If you need more, I can help you make some over the next couple of days."
Meiling would never be stingy with Haruto. He was, after all, her only fellow countryman in Gensokyo. Since they'd met, he often brought her handmade Chinese pastries, allowing her to feel the familiar taste of home even here at the Scarlet Devil Mansion.
"That's enough, that's enough," Haruto said, naturally not wanting to be insatiable. He accepted the cards with satisfaction and, in return, handed over a snack box he had prepared long ago.
Though he didn't usually venture into the kitchen, he had specifically taken the time to learn how to make things like the deep-fried tofu that Yakumo Ran loved and the Chinese pastries that Hong Meiling missed, ensuring the taste was always authentic.
"Thank you!" Meiling accepted the snack box gratefully.
The moment she opened it, a familiar sweet aroma wafted out. This time, the pastry was Lotus Crisp. She picked one up, took a light bite, and her eyes narrowed in pure bliss. After finishing the entire piece, she carefully put the box away and led Haruto into the Scarlet Devil Mansion. They handled various corridors until they reached her bedroom.
The room was simple and tidy.
From a drawer, she retrieved a small wooden box, inside of which was a neatly arranged stack of Talisman Cards.
"Here, this is all my stock," she said, handing the box to Haruto. "If there's anything you need help with, you have to tell me."
Haruto nodded, accepting her sincerity without any pretense. He sifted through the pile and picked out one specific card. A large "Dragon" character was carved into its surface.
This was a support-type card with no offensive power. Its effect was to exert immense, soul-level pressure on fish and fish-type monsters.
Haruto was definitely going back to the Mermaid Pension.
He wasn't the type to let a grudge go unsettled. Besides, there were other reasons—reasons that made it absolutely necessary for him to kill the Mermaid Prince.
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