Blossom of Bodhisattva (Touhou)

[Getting smashed with Shuten (Suika) Douji]


View: https://youtu.be/PMrrAxeaiSs?si=KA_kyApPIHLbtA0O

—

You look out over the expanse of the mountain as you walk, treetops dusted with snow spanning out past the horizon turning into scintillating stars as they shimmer beneath the light of the sun. A quiet burbling underlines the otherwise undisturbed silence, water from the early snowmelt churning away beside you in a small but growing stream, as spring slowly begins to stake out her claim against the waning winter.

Within your piercing gaze, the illusion of stillness is shattered, and the true depth of life upon the mountaintop unspools. Beneath the trees, a tengu warrior on patrol around the outskirts of their village. Beside one of the larger rivers, some kappa, fussing around some metallic waterwheel contraption. Up amongst the winds, a shrine maiden in green, filled with concern and confusion as she listens to the breeze and stones. And directly before you, amongst the icy and slick pathways up the mountain, an angel, solemnly looking down at a human corpse.

Haruto Takahashi died lost and afraid, suddenly spirited away into an unfamiliar land with unfamiliar dangers. A Mizuha lured the poor man into a dangerous path, to feast upon his liver once he perished.

He was also standing, hands at his side, a confused expression on his face. Light passed through him, wind passed through him, and your group as a whole gathered around and above him. Sariel had flown off the moment you had all set out, and for the last five minutes you had been following after her. You had briefly wondered why she had gone off, but… it was just another one of Gensokyo's vices.

"It is time for you to leave." Sariel says, her voice as quiet as the grave.

"But… but I have to get home, my daughter needs…"

"Your mother shall report your disappearance, and your child will be safe. But your time on this Earth is at an end."

"But I… I don't want to go."

Sariel extends a hand, and gently places it against the spirit's cheek. "I know, and this fate is a cruel one. But there is another, waiting for you."

The man stares at her, then tilts his head like an animal that heard a noise. He turns, eyes widening. "Fath-"

Then he is gone, the last sound, the last essence of a man is a faint breath that blends into the wind. You wave your hand, and the body burns to ash, Sariel stares at it, then lightly prods the chalky remains with her foot.

"Sorry, if the next one's a Buddhist you can have him." Sariel says, looking at you. Her tone wasn't apologetic in the least.

"Who was… that?" Sanae asks.

"Just another ordinary human," Shinki says, peering down at the ash. "The fuel that feeds Gensokyo's existence."

Sanae blinks, before quietly nodding, as she considers this. "Right… right. It's always a bit sa-

Sanae pauses mid-sentence, tilting her head, as a breeze stirs her hair.

"Wait. Is that… hm." She takes a few steps forward, eyes closed as she listens in closely, as the rest of you trade glances and go still, so as to not make noise. Another gust, and the shrine maiden's countenance takes on a mien of certainty. "I'm hearing laughter. Probably hers."

She considers for a moment, then kicks away the snow draped over the pathway, revealing the dirt beneath. She kneels down, placing a hand to the ground in the patch she's unveiled for a long moment, before standing up. "I've got it. Follow me."

And then she's off, like a leaf in the wind, as the rest of you slowly start to trail after her through the skies above the mountain. Sariel and Shinki, then Sakuya and Patchouli.

Remilia watches her go for a bit, then stares at the ashes. "You almost feel bad for the humans. Almost."

You decide to not dignify the vampire with a response, following after the others instead, Cirno choosing riding on your shoulder instead of taking flight herself.

—--

You arrive to a tableau of chaos.

Koakuma (Samyaza?) is currently face down in a snow tuft, giggling wildly, while Shuten continues to sing from her seat atop a tree stump, a bawdy melody about a bucket and a whorehouse. Sariel is staring down at the situation with an expression of utmost disgust upon her features, while Shinki looks to be holding back laughter.

The only sign that Shuten has noticed the presence of so many additional people is that her singing has gotten louder.

"Good morning Shuten," you say cordially. "I see you have found the one for whom we were searching."

Her gaze locks to yours, her smile growing larger, but she still finishes off her last stanza before replying. "Tightass! Didn't think this twiggy one was one of yours, though." Her voice is surprisingly clear of the usual drunken haze - she must still be early into this session. She tilts her head one way and then the other, considering Koakuma's sprawled form. "She was a fun drinking buddy, for one. Bit of a lightweight, though."

"She hasn't had a drop of alcohol in millenia." Sariel says, then lightly taps Samyaza on the side of her head with her shoe.

Samyaza, for her part, whines and hugs the bottle. "Nooooo~"

"How pathetic." Remilia hisses.

"And yet, she is who we require," you say.

"We?" Sanae asks, looking at you. "What is… going on sir?"

"I am not at liberty to say at the moment, if you wish to know, I would suggest stopping by the Hakurei shrine…" You look up at the sky, "this evening." Then you look to Shinki. "My apologies for the delay, would you mind us looking into your… daughter, at another time? I will have to take some time getting to know this one."

For a brief moment, you can see the emotions running through Shinki, before her self-control reasserts itself and her gaze returns to studious diplomatic neutrality. Relief, then guilt at feeling relief. "Perhaps that's for the best."

"I thank you," you reply with a smile. "Now then," reaching down, you scoop up Samyaza into your arms. The devil giggling as she wraps a wing around you. "How did she ever manage to get drunk so quickly?"

"She bet she could drain my gourd in a single pull, and if she could I'd owe her a favor," Suika chimes in from the side. "She couldn't. Made a good try, though."

"If she were a human, she'd be dead," Sariel replies. "If the big guy would let me, she would be dead."

"For now, we should get her back to the Hakurei Shrine where she can… sleep this off," you reply.

"Can ya fix her up with that magic of yours?" Cirno asks.

You smile. "Indeed I could, but it would remove the hangover, and that my pupil, is part of the punishment."

Remilia steps forward. "On the matter of punishment - she damaged my mansion on her way out. I'll be seeking compensation for that, if we can all agree that's reasonable?"

Sariel narrows her eyes at the vampire, but as her distaste for the fallen angel slowly overwhelms her distaste for the undead, she finally nods.

You were somewhat grateful Sariel took the lead on that, for you did not have anything that could be considered 'compensation'. Barring, perhaps, your ability to keep Cirno quiet.

After some final deliberations, Patchouli gives her former assistant one last long gaze before the Scarlet household vanishes from your sight, as Sakuya relocates them. You elect to stay out of the maid's world of altered time this time, lest you once again be drafted into helping with the move.

The rest of you make your way towards the Hakurei Shrine, Samyaza barely stirring in your arms as you do so. But as you touch down in the shrine's courtyard, it seems clear that events have transpired while you were away.

—

[] [Byakuren and Reimu have gotten into a fistfight]

[] [Murasa has started to reassemble some of the buildings into a boat]

[] [Reimu was attempting to sell Kyouko]

[] [Ichirin needed to be… Punished]

—
AN:

Redshirt: Gensokyo is sometimes depicted as purely silly, and more rarely depicted as purely grimdark. A more accurate depiction is that the silliness and the darkness coexist.

Erien: I didn't do shit this chapter and I feel real bad about it, almost nobody talked.