While I didn't initially intend for this to be my first fic in a long while, especially since...
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Dream Journey: Realm of Dreams & Illusions (Current Crossovers: Yume nikki+fangames, Touhou)
- Thread starter Yirash
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Yirash
Sword-Stealing Nemesis
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While I didn't initially intend for this to be my first fic in a long while, especially since this fanfic borrows heavily from a crossover fic I cooked up that solely crosses over Yume Nikki and its fangames before this one and will spoil much of the concepts and possibly even character's backstory of the initial fic I cooked up, I eventually decided on writing this fanfic.
The main reason why I decided to write this fic is to help me learn how to write dramatic and emotional moments, and using Touhou's characters, who are pretty well characterized, will help ease the learning process, since the personality of Madotsuki and most Yume Nikki's fangame protags aren't exactly known, and the best you usually get is their backstory. While their backstory does provide some idea on how their personality is like, it's not detailed enough, so you're effectively writing with blank slates, especially with how interpretive Yume Nikki and its fangames are. By writing this fic, I hope that I'll get enough experience to confidently write my initial Yume Nikki+Fangame fanfic.
The main reason why I decided to write this fic is to help me learn how to write dramatic and emotional moments, and using Touhou's characters, who are pretty well characterized, will help ease the learning process, since the personality of Madotsuki and most Yume Nikki's fangame protags aren't exactly known, and the best you usually get is their backstory. While their backstory does provide some idea on how their personality is like, it's not detailed enough, so you're effectively writing with blank slates, especially with how interpretive Yume Nikki and its fangames are. By writing this fic, I hope that I'll get enough experience to confidently write my initial Yume Nikki+Fangame fanfic.
Boundaries Between Dreams and Illusions: Prologue
Yirash
Sword-Stealing Nemesis
- Joined
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Opening AN: Hardcore Touhou purists, beware, for Sumireko and Renko are sisters in this fanfic. I suggest you leave before you get a stroke from me not following Touhou canon to the letter.
Yokai. Japanese creatures of myth. They come in all shapes and forms, but one thing that yokai, along with mystical creatures and beings closely tied to them in general, have in common is their need for humans to believe and fear them. Without belief from humanity, even the mysticals living in an agriculturally abundant area will starve, and even the most magically-inclined will only be as strong as a mundane human.
When the various powerful mystical beings began to take notice of the waning beliefs of mankind, each and every one of them took it upon themselves to solve the issue. Some relied on their own power to tackle the issue of waning belief, while others banded together. Eventually, egos and differing ideals clash, some ending in peace, and some ending with violence. One mystical being who took it upon themselves to solve this issue was a blond woman who wore a purple dress and a white mob cap that had a red ribbon tied in a bow in it.
The Purple-Dressed Woman, who was crouching as she clutched an unconscious body of a blonde girl who also wore a purple dress and a white mobcap, was with a kitsune shikigami named Ran, who stood and wore a white dress with purple cuffs and collar, an indigo tabard with a white print, white footwear with blue cuffs and white frills, and a white hat adorned with many talismans that hid her fox ears. The purple-dressed woman and Ran were panting heavily in exhaustion as they overlooked a corpse of a yokai they just killed. While Ran's facial expression was one of exhaustion and worry, the Purple-Dressed Woman's face was marred with fury and stained with tears of sorrowful rage.
"Ran?" The Purple-Dressed Woman asked with a dissonantly calm tone.
"My Lady?" Ran responded.
"Wipe any memories my younger sister has of me and you and send her to a random point in the far future, far enough where even the strongest magic on Earth is nothing but a faded memory."
Ran blinked and looked at the Purple-Dressed Woman in surprise at her request. "My Lady, but what about-" Ran was about to ask when she was interrupted by a nasty glare from the Purple-Dressed Woman.
"Do not question my decision, Ran," the Purple-Dressed Woman said with venom in her voice before turning back to her unconscious sister. "This is the only way where my younger sister can be safe from the mystical world."
Seeing how much emotional pain the Purple-Dressed Woman was in, Ran decided to not push any further and acquiesced to her request. "The preparations shall be done, my lady," Ran said as she lightly bowed. "However, even with your ability to manipulate boundaries, especially the boundaries between the present and future, the amount of magic required to transport anything to the far future, let alone a person, would be too astronomical for us to carry out alone, especially since the destination is completely random."
The Purple-Dressed Woman took a moment to think before she came up with a solution. "Contact the sages. They shall be enough to help us in this ritual."
"You know they won't help out for free, my lady," Ran said, "especially on a request that holds no benefit for them."
"Tell the sages that I will help them out on their Gensokyo project. I'll even provide most of the work if need be."
"If that is your solution, I shall see it out, my Lady."
The Purple-Dressed Woman slowly got up as she began to carry her unconscious sister in a bridal carry. "And Ran?"
"Yes, my Lady?"
The Purple-Dressed Woman took a deep and shaky breath before continuing. "I've decided to change my name. From now on, I shall be referred to as Yakumo Yukari, and you shall adopt the surname of Yakumo. Inform the Sages of my name change, as well."
"If that is what you wish, it shall be done, Yukari-sama," Ran said as she bowed for the final time before leaving to prepare for the ritual.
As Ran began to leave, Yukari began to cry once more, not with tears of rage, but with tears of sorrow this time. "I'm sorry for doing this," Yukari said as she hugged her unconscious sister tightly. "I'm so sorry."
Yokai. Japanese creatures of myth. They come in all shapes and forms, but one thing that yokai, along with mystical creatures and beings closely tied to them in general, have in common is their need for humans to believe and fear them. Without belief from humanity, even the mysticals living in an agriculturally abundant area will starve, and even the most magically-inclined will only be as strong as a mundane human.
When the various powerful mystical beings began to take notice of the waning beliefs of mankind, each and every one of them took it upon themselves to solve the issue. Some relied on their own power to tackle the issue of waning belief, while others banded together. Eventually, egos and differing ideals clash, some ending in peace, and some ending with violence. One mystical being who took it upon themselves to solve this issue was a blond woman who wore a purple dress and a white mob cap that had a red ribbon tied in a bow in it.
The Purple-Dressed Woman, who was crouching as she clutched an unconscious body of a blonde girl who also wore a purple dress and a white mobcap, was with a kitsune shikigami named Ran, who stood and wore a white dress with purple cuffs and collar, an indigo tabard with a white print, white footwear with blue cuffs and white frills, and a white hat adorned with many talismans that hid her fox ears. The purple-dressed woman and Ran were panting heavily in exhaustion as they overlooked a corpse of a yokai they just killed. While Ran's facial expression was one of exhaustion and worry, the Purple-Dressed Woman's face was marred with fury and stained with tears of sorrowful rage.
"Ran?" The Purple-Dressed Woman asked with a dissonantly calm tone.
"My Lady?" Ran responded.
"Wipe any memories my younger sister has of me and you and send her to a random point in the far future, far enough where even the strongest magic on Earth is nothing but a faded memory."
Ran blinked and looked at the Purple-Dressed Woman in surprise at her request. "My Lady, but what about-" Ran was about to ask when she was interrupted by a nasty glare from the Purple-Dressed Woman.
"Do not question my decision, Ran," the Purple-Dressed Woman said with venom in her voice before turning back to her unconscious sister. "This is the only way where my younger sister can be safe from the mystical world."
Seeing how much emotional pain the Purple-Dressed Woman was in, Ran decided to not push any further and acquiesced to her request. "The preparations shall be done, my lady," Ran said as she lightly bowed. "However, even with your ability to manipulate boundaries, especially the boundaries between the present and future, the amount of magic required to transport anything to the far future, let alone a person, would be too astronomical for us to carry out alone, especially since the destination is completely random."
The Purple-Dressed Woman took a moment to think before she came up with a solution. "Contact the sages. They shall be enough to help us in this ritual."
"You know they won't help out for free, my lady," Ran said, "especially on a request that holds no benefit for them."
"Tell the sages that I will help them out on their Gensokyo project. I'll even provide most of the work if need be."
"If that is your solution, I shall see it out, my Lady."
The Purple-Dressed Woman slowly got up as she began to carry her unconscious sister in a bridal carry. "And Ran?"
"Yes, my Lady?"
The Purple-Dressed Woman took a deep and shaky breath before continuing. "I've decided to change my name. From now on, I shall be referred to as Yakumo Yukari, and you shall adopt the surname of Yakumo. Inform the Sages of my name change, as well."
"If that is what you wish, it shall be done, Yukari-sama," Ran said as she bowed for the final time before leaving to prepare for the ritual.
As Ran began to leave, Yukari began to cry once more, not with tears of rage, but with tears of sorrow this time. "I'm sorry for doing this," Yukari said as she hugged her unconscious sister tightly. "I'm so sorry."
BBDaM Chapter One
Yirash
Sword-Stealing Nemesis
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Opening AN: As I was writing the second chapter of this fic, I realized that the first part of it was actually more in line with the first chapter rather than the second, so I moved it here. Second chapter coming out tomorrow at the latest, as I just finished it's rough draft and am now going over any spelling and grammatical mistakes I might've made on it.
Originally Uploaded: 07/29/2023 (mm/dd/yyyy)
Current Edit: 08/07/2023
Among a myriad of students taking their seats, a girl with brown hair tied up in twin tails and brown eyes takes her seat, located on the second-last row and one desk to the right from the classroom's window. To the right of her sits a blond girl with short hair and blue eyes. As the duo takes their seats, the blond-haired girl clicks her tongue. "Man, I can't wait for school to be over."
The twin-tailed girl chuckles in amusement. "School has barely started, Urotsuki."
The blond-haired girl, now known as Urotsuki, grunts in light frustration. "Exactly, which is why I just want it to be done with as soon as it can be and dream." Urotsuki then turned to the twin-tailed girl. "Speaking of which, Madotsuki, would ya like to dream with me after school?"
The twin-tailed girl, now known as Madotsuki, shakes her head. "As much as I'd like to see your dream worlds, not today. I had my fill yesterday, and I wouldn't want to impose on your parents on having yet another sleepover."
"Ah, come on, Madotsuki, my parents will never mind if you come over every day. Please?"
Before Madotsuki could answer, she was interrupted by the teacher speaking, who had short black hair and glasses. "May I have your attention, everyone? We will be receiving two transfer students today." The teacher then turned to the transfer students. "You may call me Mister Shibusawa. Would you like to introduce yourselves?"
The two transfer students were girls, one with brown hair and eyes and the other with yellow hair and eyes. They both nodded in response to Shibusawa's question, with the brown-haired girl being the first to introduce herself. "I am Usami Renko. Nice to meet you." Renko said as she politely bowed.
Once Renko introduced herself, the yellow-eyed girl was up next. "Name's Maribel Hearn. Nice to meet you." Maribel said as she bowed.
As Maribel finished bowing, she took a quick look around the classroom and eventually locked eyes with Madotsuki and Urotsuki. As the three locked eyes, a message Madotuski and Urotsuki were all too familiar with appeared in their minds.
While Madotsuki and urotsuki were used to the message at this point, Maribel gasped in surprise, causing Shibusawa and Renko to turn towards her.
"You alright, Maribel?" Shibusawa asked.
Maribel shook off her surprise and turned towards Shibusawa. "I'm fine, Mister Shibusawa. I just remembered something, that's all."
"If that is all, then once you two take your seats, class may officially begin."
Maribel nodded in response while Renko took a glance at Maribel before taking their seats, with Maribel taking the desk in front of Madotsuki and Renko taking the seat in front of Urotsuki. As Maribel and Renko took their seats, Madotsuki and Urotsuki looked at each other and nodded at each other, wordlessly deciding to break the news to Maribel at a later time.
During lunch break, as students began to eat their lunch, Madotsuki and Urotsuki looked at each other once more. Urotsuki raised her eyebrows, wordlessly asking if this was the time to break the news to Maribel. Madotsuki took a while to come up with a response, but before she could, she was interrupted by Maribel.
"Excuse me, you two?" Maribel asked, causing Madotsuki and Urotsuki to turn to Maribel. "I never managed to catch both of your names. Mind introducing yourselves?"
Madotsuki and Urotsuki glanced at each other before Madotsuki gestured that Urotsuki should go first. Urotsuki rolled her eyes in response, but despite her protests, she turned to Maribel. "Name's Urotsuki," Urotsuki said. "Nice to meet ya."
"Madotsuki," Madotsuki simply said.
"You likely have our names already, but my name's Maribel Hearn," Maribel said before gesturing towards Renko, "and my friend to my right is Usami Renko."
"Nice to meet you," Renko greeted.
Maribel gestured to Madotsuki, Renko, and Urotsuki to come closer, to which they did, and began to ask a question. "So about that message about us being dreamers… you know what that's about?"
Renko looked at Maribel in response to her question, wondering what that was but she decided to see how Maribel, Madotsuki, and Urotsuki would carry this conversation, so she stayed silent for now.
"Oh, that's simple, really," Urotsuki responded to Maribel. "It's exactly as it says. Mado and I are Dreamers, the same as you."
"Dreamers, huh?" Maribel rhetorically asked. "So you can explore these strange and lucid dreams as I can?"
"Yup, that's the gist of it."
"Do you know why we can immediately recognize that we're dreamers, Urotsuki?"
"No clue," Urotsuki responded as she shrugged. "Not that I really care. Did help with making Madotsuki here as a friend, though, and I wouldn't have it any other way."
"Really now, is that true?" Maribel asked as she turned to Madotsuki.
"It is," Madotsuki said as she nodded. "Wouldn't put it as strongly worded as Urotsuki did, but it did help in making us become friends."
"So, Maribel," Urotsuki said. "You able to manifest your Effects in the real world?"
"Huh?"/"What?" Maribel and Renko responded in confusion.
"Effects?" Urotsuki asked. "You know, the items you get on your journeys through your dreams that change your appearance and sometimes can do some extra things?"
"You can manifest them in the real world?" Renko asked, finally deciding to chime in.
"Wait, you can't, Renko?" Madotsuki asked Renko.
"I'm not a Dreamer," Renko asked, "I just know that Maribel has these special dreams that she keeps on talking about."
Madotsuki and Urotsuki turned to Maribel, unsure of what to say exactly.
Maribel, unnerved by the attention she got, asked a question. "Uh… did I do something wrong?"
"Not exactly…." Madotsuki responded.
"We just didn't expect you to share your dreams with a non-Dreamer, that's all," Urotsuki added. "After all, who'd believe that you constantly have hyper-lucid dreams that you can visit as easily as breathing?"
"If it can be proven, then anyone can believe that you can," Renko responded. "Though I do understand where you come from, it does sound pretty outlandish."
"Renko's younger sister also knows that I'm a dreamer," said Maribel.
""HUH!?"" Urotsuki and Renko loudly exclaimed in surprise as they stood up from their seats.
The class had gotten silent and looked at the commotion Urotsuki and Renko caused, causing them to sit down in embarrassment.
"Your sister also knows that Maribel's a dreamer?" Madotsuki asked more quietly.
"Yes, she does!" Renko hissed before turning to Maribel. "Don't bring Sumireko into this!"
"Why not?" Maribel asked.
"Because she'll definitely let it go to her head knowing that there are special people out there!"
"Your sister blabs about this to everyone, Renko?" Urotsuki asked.
Maribel and Renko froze as their trains of thought were stopped by Urotsuki's question. "Uh, kinda?" Renko added. "If it helps, anyone that isn't us just believes that she's a chuunibyou. Hell, up until you two came into our lives, I myself was pretty skeptical about Maribel's type of dreams."
"You didn't believe that Maribel's dreams didn't exist?" Urotsuki asked.
"No, I said 'type of dreams'," Renko said. "While I didn't doubt that she dreamt, I just didn't believe both the consistency and the hyper-lucidity of her dreams, that's all."
"When you put it like that, it does sound unbelievable," Madotsuki chimed in.
"Getting back to Urotsuki's question of manifesting Effects in the real world," Maribel said, "No, I haven't even thought of that. Are you even sure it's possible?"
"Yep," Urotsuki answered. "Of course, can't show them as proof, as they aren't exactly easy to hide, much less explain to non-Dreamers." Urotsuki then had a lightbulb pop up above her head as she had a sudden idea. "Hey, Madotsuki."
"Hm?" Madotsuki asked.
"Show your Knife-"
"No," Madotsuki instantly replied.
"But why, Madotsuki?"
"I don't want to get in trouble. Just because it's the easiest Effect to hide does not mean that I'm willing to risk wielding it in school of all places."
"Oh, right, haven't thought of that."
"But it is possible to manifest Effects in the real world, correct?" Maribel asked.
"Yep," Urotsuki replied, "Though if you do plan to use them, I'd recommend that you use the ones that are easier to explain away. After all, you wouldn't want to explain why you suddenly gained parts of an animal or suddenly have a motorbike despite you not actually owning one, now would ya?"
The school bell rang, signaling that the lunch break was over.
"Ah crap, I didn't get to finish my lunch!" Urotsuki said before wolfing down her lunch. Madotsuki chuckled at Urotsuki's expense as she also began to quickly finish her lunch at a slower and more refined pace.
Maribel and Renko, having finished their lunch before they decided to discuss the message Maribel got, simply cleaned up after themselves and put away their bentos. After Madotsuki and Urotsuki finished their lunch and quickly cleaned up after themselves, Maribel turned to the two dreamers and cleared her throat, getting their attention.
"Would you like to join the Secret Sealing Club?" Maribel asked the two dreamers as Renko looked at Maribel in surprise. "We could discuss this after school."
Urotsuki was quick to answer. "Sure, why not? Less likely for someone to overhear our conversations."
"I agree," Madotsuki simply added.
"So, Renko?" Maribel said as she turned to Renko. "Do you accept them into our fold?"
"Huh?" Renko asked before she shook herself out of surprise. "Uh, yeah, sure, they can come along."
"And with that," Maribel said as she turned to Madotsuki and Urotsuki, "welcome to the Secret Sealing Club."
After school is over, students usually attend extra-curricular activities in Japan. In one classroom, a certain meeting in a secret sealing club is taking place, with Madotsuki, Maribel, Renko, and Urotsuki sitting around a table, with the addition of a conspicuously empty seat.
"I didn't think of it until now, but wow, despite just transferring here, you already managed to create a new club?" Urotsuki exclaimed before she whistled, impressed. "Damn, that's pretty impressive."
"It was mostly due to Sumireko's insistence that we managed to have our club created on our first day here," Maribel said, downplaying her part.
"Of course, Maribel and I did all of the paperwork while Sumireko went off to who knows where," Renko complained. "Speaking of which, why the hell is Sumireko taking so long to get here?"
"Now now," Maribel replied, "She could just be getting lost in the school's hallways."
Just as Maribel finished her sentence, the door loudly slid open, revealing a girl with shoulder-length brown hair with pigtails wearing red-framed glasses and a black cape with a red interior that's adorned with pinkish-white runes. "Ha hah! A hero is never late or early, for they always arrive just in time!" The girl said as she posed with dramatic flair.
"You're late, Sumireko," Renko sternly said, causing Sumireko to freeze and drop her act.
"Did you get lost?" Maribel asked Sumireko in a softer tone compared to Renko's.
"Huh?" Sumireko exclaimed with surprise. "O-oh, uh… uh, yeah, I did get lost, heh heh!" Sumireko said as she nervously scratched the back of her head.
While Renko didn't believe her sister's obvious lie, she didn't want to push her over something so minor. "Whatever, so long as you're here, we can finally begin our meeting."
"So that's your sis, huh?" Urotsuki commented as Sumireko took her seat. "She sure does have the flair for the dramatic."
Sumireko froze as she registered Urotsuki's voice. "Hey, I thought you two said that you wouldn't invite anyone else into this club!" Sumireko said to Maribel and Renko.
"Sorry Sumireko, but the school required that clubs should have a minimum of 4 people or they get dropped," Maribel said. "Plus, they do have special dreams just like I do."
Any dislike Sumireko had towards the two dreamers were instantly dropped upon hearing Maribel's words as she sat down as quickly as she could. "Really, really? You two have special dreams, too?" Sumireko asked as she suddenly got back up and leaned closer towards Madotsuki and Urotsuki.
Surprised by Sumireko's sudden enthusiasm, the two dreamers leaned back a bit to get some space. "Uh, yeah. We're Dreamers just like Maribel," Urotsuki answered.
Sumireko frowned as she sat down with some of her enthusiasm deflated. "That's a boring and ordinary name. I prefer the term 'Dream Weaver', as that's what I call Maribel's ability."
"Too bad, Sumireko, 'Dreamer' is what Mado and I are sticking with," Urotsuki responded.
"Sumireko, I think you should allow the newcomers to introduce themselves before we get any further," Maribel said before turning to the two dreamers. "If you would?"
Madotsuki nodded. "My name's Madotsuki. Nice to meet you."
"And mine's Urotsuki. Nice to meetcha."
"My name's Usami Sumireko, high school student extraordinaire!" Sumireko said as she got up from her seat and posed dramatically. "Nice to meet you two powerful people!"
"Told you she'd get this to her head," Renko said.
Sumireko ignored her sister's jab as she sat down. "So what's today's meeting about?"
Maribel cleared her throat before beginning to speak. "Today's meeting is about me, Madotsuki, and Urotsuki sharing what we know about our dreams, though since it seems that you two seem to know more about our dreams than I do, would you like to share first?"
"Sure, I'm willing to go first," Urotsuki answered. "You fine with it, Mado?"
Madotsuki simply nodded in response.
"Then that settles it. First off, I'll start with the easiest to show." Urotsuki then got up from her seat and began to equip her Wolf Effect, causing Maribel and the two Usami sisters to exclaim in surprise and amazement. "I might've mentioned this before during class with Renko and Maribel, but as far as I'm aware, all of us Dreamers have something that I call Effects, and we collect them in our dreams. Not only that, but we can equip them both in our dreams and in the real world, though it does take some practice to bring them in the real world." Urotsuki then changed Effects and equipped the Gakuran Effect.
"Oh, wow!" Sumireko exclaimed with amazement. "Can you show your Effects, Madotsuki?"
Flinching in surprise from suddenly being put in the spotlight, Madotsuki wordlessly complied and equipped her Cat Effect.
"Aw, you look so cute!" Sumireko gushed, causing Madotsuki to blush in embarrassment.
"Alright, calm down, sis," Renko said. "I think Madotsuki had enough attention for today."
"Aw, but I wanted to see more from her," said Sumireko as she turned to her sister.
"If Madotsuki wants to show off her effects, she can do it at her own volition," Maribel added.
Madotsuki took a sigh of relief as she unequipped her Cat Effect.
"Okay, Maribel, but that means that you have to show off yours!" Said Sumireko.
"Eh?" Maribel exclaimed in surprise. "But I've never done it before, and Urotsuki did say that it takes practice to manifest effects in the real world."
"But you did once share that you collected some, didn't you?" Sumireko asked.
"Well yeah, but…"
"Come on, Maribel, if Urotsuki and Madotsuki decided to share their Effects, then it's only fair that you do so, as well."
"A-alright, if you say so," Maribel said before she closed her eyes and held out her hand. One second later, an obsidian knife with a bone-white handle and guard appeared in Maribel's hands.
"Damn, that was fast for your first time," Urotsuki said.
"Really, that was fast?" Renko asked as Maribel unequipped her Obsidian Knife Effect.
"Yup," Urotsuki replied. "Took me a while to effortlessly equip Effects out in the real world. Oh, that reminds me," Urotsuki said as she sat down and unequipped her Gakuran Effect. "While you can theoretically equip any effect, and even combine them, I'd recommend that you restrict your use of effects to the more normal-looking effects out in the real world. Said this before during lunch, but you wouldn't want to explain how you suddenly changed appearance so easily, now would ya?"
"Oh, so just like how I mostly use my powers for parlor tricks and sleight of hand, you Dream Weavers mostly use your more mundane Effects, as well?" Sumireko asked.
"Yeah, just like that, and I prefer the term Dream-" Urotsuki said before interrupting herself upon realizing what Sumireko said. "Say what now?"
"You have powers, as well?" Madotsuki asked, equally surprised.
Sumireko chuckled to herself with pride. "Yup, my sister and I have special powers, as well."
Urotsuki has gotten bug-eyed from her surprise and turned towards Renko. "You too?"
"It's not as impressive as the rest of yours," Renko answered, realizing that her powers are beginning to seem inadequate in comparison.
"Come on, Renko, don't be like that!" Sumireko responded.
"So what exactly are your powers?" Madotsuki asked.
"I'm a psychic, and my sister can tell time and location by looking at the stars and moon," Sumireko answered as she gestured to herself and her sister.
"Like I said, my power's not that impressive compared to you all," said Renko.
"Come on, Renko, that's rad," said Urotsuki. "Wish I could tell time and not get lost just by looking at the stars."
"That's not all," Maribel chimed in. "While it is true that she can tell her time and location by looking up at the night sky, her ability also works when looking at pictures of the night sky, and she can even tell what time and location the pictures took place. One time, she saw a picture of a night sky in the middle of nowhere and correctly guessed that the picture was taken in the American Grand Canyon, though she did have to convert the time to Japanese Standard Time."
"See, Renko?" Sumireko said. "Just because your powers aren't obvious doesn't mean that they're not cool."
"It's just as your sister says," Maribel chimed in. "You shouldn't sell yourself short just because your abilities aren't flashy."
"You really mean that, Maribel?" Renko asked as she turned to Maribel.
"I do, Renko," Maribel answered.
"Th-thanks," Renko simply said as she began to smile.
Upon seeing Maribel and Renko's interaction, Sumireko began to smile a smug smile as she chuckled to herself.
"What's so funny, Sumireko?" Renko asked her sister.
"Oh, nothing," Sumireko answered, still wearing a smug smile on her face. "I just thought of something funny, that's all."
"It better not be what I'm thinking it is," Renko said in an annoyed tone.
"Maybe it is, maybe it isn't," Sumireko said before chuckling to herself once again.
"I hate you," Renko said in an exasperated tone.
"Love ya too, sis."
"So what else do you know about Dreamers Urotsuki?" Maribel asked as she turned towards Urotsuki, changing the subject.
"Well, as I've said before," Urotsuki responded, "us Dreamers can enter each other's dreams, though what I didn't mention is that you can only enter someone else's dreams with their permission."
"I tried to get Maribel to invite me to her dreams a few times, but it never worked," Renko added in response.
"Really now?" Urotsuki rhetorically asked. "Guess it only works on Dreamers."
"Ah, that sucks!" Sumireko exclaimed. "I want to see all of your dreams!"
"And with that, that's all that I know about us Dreamers," said Urotsuki. "Did I miss anything, Madotsuki?"
"You didn't," Madotsuki answered.
"In that case," Urotsuki said as she began to face Maribel, "what do you know of your dreams, Maribel?"
"Asides from what Renko said about non-Dreamers not being able to enter my dreams, not much else, Urotsuki," Maribel answered.
"Guess that's it for sharing info, then," said Urotsuki. "What should we do now?"
"We could try out if non-Dreamers can enter a Dreamer's dreams," Madotsuki suggested.
Everyone looked at Madotsuki as if she grew another head.
"I thought we already established that it can't be possible," said Renko.
"You think we need more Dreamers to pull in non-Dreamers to their dreams?" Sumireko asked.
"Maybe," Madotsuki asked. "It's worth a shot, at least."
"I still don't think it'll work," Renko said skeptically.
"If it doesn't work, then the worst we've done is waste a few minutes of our time," Urotsuki said. "Though that does bring the question as to which one of us dreamers will be the one to host their dreams."
"I'll volunteer to be a host," Maribel said before turning to Renko. "You did once say that you wanted to see my dreams, so I think that this is the perfect opportunity for you to see them."
"You'd really do that?" Renko asked.
Maribel nodded. "Consider it as a gift to our long time friendship."
"Thanks, Maribel."
"Hey, what about me, Maribel?" Sumireko asked. "Don't leave me out!"
Maribel giggled. "Don't worry, this is my friendship gift to you, as well."
"You three are awfully confident on something that may not be possible," Urotsuki commented.
"Don't ruin the moment, Urotsuki," Renko chided.
"Alright, I won't," Urotsuki said as she raised both of her hands up in surrender.
"So, Madotsuki, how should we proceed with this test?" Maribel asked.
"Hmm, let me think for a moment," Madotsuki said as she took a thinking pose. A few moments later, Madotsuki turned to Maribel. "I think I have a solution. Everyone, hold the hands of the person next to you." Everyone did as Madotsuki told. "Now close your eyes, everyone."
A few seconds went by before Madotsuki began to speak once more. "Has everyone closed their eyes yet?" Madotsuki was met with a chorus of affirmations. "Good. Maribel, when I say 'go', try to sleep and enter your dreams, and everyone else, just try to asleep."
"Wait, why should we fall asleep now?" Renko asked. "And why does Maribel specifically need to dream?"
"I can answer that," Urotsuki replied. "Whenever Madotsuki and our other Dreamers go on a tour to our dream worlds, all we have to do is just be close by and try to sleep while the person hosting the tour has to specifically try to dream. Perhaps Madotsuki is trying to improve the chances of non-dreamers being pulled in by having all of us be in close contact. Before you ask, as far as I'm aware, us dreamers can fall asleep very easily if we want to."
"Man, I wish I could fall asleep easily," said Sumireko.
"It would be awfully convenient to do so," Renko added.
"Is everyone really?" Madotsuki asked, and she got a chorus of affirmations in response. "Now go!"
Maribel began to try to dream while everyone else began trying to sleep. At first, nothing immediately happened, but a few seconds later, everyone felt the pull of sleep tugging at them, and soon, the Secret Sealing club fell asleep.
Originally Uploaded: 07/29/2023 (mm/dd/yyyy)
Current Edit: 08/07/2023
Among a myriad of students taking their seats, a girl with brown hair tied up in twin tails and brown eyes takes her seat, located on the second-last row and one desk to the right from the classroom's window. To the right of her sits a blond girl with short hair and blue eyes. As the duo takes their seats, the blond-haired girl clicks her tongue. "Man, I can't wait for school to be over."
The twin-tailed girl chuckles in amusement. "School has barely started, Urotsuki."
The blond-haired girl, now known as Urotsuki, grunts in light frustration. "Exactly, which is why I just want it to be done with as soon as it can be and dream." Urotsuki then turned to the twin-tailed girl. "Speaking of which, Madotsuki, would ya like to dream with me after school?"
The twin-tailed girl, now known as Madotsuki, shakes her head. "As much as I'd like to see your dream worlds, not today. I had my fill yesterday, and I wouldn't want to impose on your parents on having yet another sleepover."
"Ah, come on, Madotsuki, my parents will never mind if you come over every day. Please?"
Before Madotsuki could answer, she was interrupted by the teacher speaking, who had short black hair and glasses. "May I have your attention, everyone? We will be receiving two transfer students today." The teacher then turned to the transfer students. "You may call me Mister Shibusawa. Would you like to introduce yourselves?"
The two transfer students were girls, one with brown hair and eyes and the other with yellow hair and eyes. They both nodded in response to Shibusawa's question, with the brown-haired girl being the first to introduce herself. "I am Usami Renko. Nice to meet you." Renko said as she politely bowed.
Once Renko introduced herself, the yellow-eyed girl was up next. "Name's Maribel Hearn. Nice to meet you." Maribel said as she bowed.
As Maribel finished bowing, she took a quick look around the classroom and eventually locked eyes with Madotsuki and Urotsuki. As the three locked eyes, a message Madotuski and Urotsuki were all too familiar with appeared in their minds.
A fellow dreamer.
While Madotsuki and urotsuki were used to the message at this point, Maribel gasped in surprise, causing Shibusawa and Renko to turn towards her.
"You alright, Maribel?" Shibusawa asked.
Maribel shook off her surprise and turned towards Shibusawa. "I'm fine, Mister Shibusawa. I just remembered something, that's all."
"If that is all, then once you two take your seats, class may officially begin."
Maribel nodded in response while Renko took a glance at Maribel before taking their seats, with Maribel taking the desk in front of Madotsuki and Renko taking the seat in front of Urotsuki. As Maribel and Renko took their seats, Madotsuki and Urotsuki looked at each other and nodded at each other, wordlessly deciding to break the news to Maribel at a later time.
During lunch break, as students began to eat their lunch, Madotsuki and Urotsuki looked at each other once more. Urotsuki raised her eyebrows, wordlessly asking if this was the time to break the news to Maribel. Madotsuki took a while to come up with a response, but before she could, she was interrupted by Maribel.
"Excuse me, you two?" Maribel asked, causing Madotsuki and Urotsuki to turn to Maribel. "I never managed to catch both of your names. Mind introducing yourselves?"
Madotsuki and Urotsuki glanced at each other before Madotsuki gestured that Urotsuki should go first. Urotsuki rolled her eyes in response, but despite her protests, she turned to Maribel. "Name's Urotsuki," Urotsuki said. "Nice to meet ya."
"Madotsuki," Madotsuki simply said.
"You likely have our names already, but my name's Maribel Hearn," Maribel said before gesturing towards Renko, "and my friend to my right is Usami Renko."
"Nice to meet you," Renko greeted.
Maribel gestured to Madotsuki, Renko, and Urotsuki to come closer, to which they did, and began to ask a question. "So about that message about us being dreamers… you know what that's about?"
Renko looked at Maribel in response to her question, wondering what that was but she decided to see how Maribel, Madotsuki, and Urotsuki would carry this conversation, so she stayed silent for now.
"Oh, that's simple, really," Urotsuki responded to Maribel. "It's exactly as it says. Mado and I are Dreamers, the same as you."
"Dreamers, huh?" Maribel rhetorically asked. "So you can explore these strange and lucid dreams as I can?"
"Yup, that's the gist of it."
"Do you know why we can immediately recognize that we're dreamers, Urotsuki?"
"No clue," Urotsuki responded as she shrugged. "Not that I really care. Did help with making Madotsuki here as a friend, though, and I wouldn't have it any other way."
"Really now, is that true?" Maribel asked as she turned to Madotsuki.
"It is," Madotsuki said as she nodded. "Wouldn't put it as strongly worded as Urotsuki did, but it did help in making us become friends."
"So, Maribel," Urotsuki said. "You able to manifest your Effects in the real world?"
"Huh?"/"What?" Maribel and Renko responded in confusion.
"Effects?" Urotsuki asked. "You know, the items you get on your journeys through your dreams that change your appearance and sometimes can do some extra things?"
"You can manifest them in the real world?" Renko asked, finally deciding to chime in.
"Wait, you can't, Renko?" Madotsuki asked Renko.
"I'm not a Dreamer," Renko asked, "I just know that Maribel has these special dreams that she keeps on talking about."
Madotsuki and Urotsuki turned to Maribel, unsure of what to say exactly.
Maribel, unnerved by the attention she got, asked a question. "Uh… did I do something wrong?"
"Not exactly…." Madotsuki responded.
"We just didn't expect you to share your dreams with a non-Dreamer, that's all," Urotsuki added. "After all, who'd believe that you constantly have hyper-lucid dreams that you can visit as easily as breathing?"
"If it can be proven, then anyone can believe that you can," Renko responded. "Though I do understand where you come from, it does sound pretty outlandish."
"Renko's younger sister also knows that I'm a dreamer," said Maribel.
""HUH!?"" Urotsuki and Renko loudly exclaimed in surprise as they stood up from their seats.
The class had gotten silent and looked at the commotion Urotsuki and Renko caused, causing them to sit down in embarrassment.
"Your sister also knows that Maribel's a dreamer?" Madotsuki asked more quietly.
"Yes, she does!" Renko hissed before turning to Maribel. "Don't bring Sumireko into this!"
"Why not?" Maribel asked.
"Because she'll definitely let it go to her head knowing that there are special people out there!"
"Your sister blabs about this to everyone, Renko?" Urotsuki asked.
Maribel and Renko froze as their trains of thought were stopped by Urotsuki's question. "Uh, kinda?" Renko added. "If it helps, anyone that isn't us just believes that she's a chuunibyou. Hell, up until you two came into our lives, I myself was pretty skeptical about Maribel's type of dreams."
"You didn't believe that Maribel's dreams didn't exist?" Urotsuki asked.
"No, I said 'type of dreams'," Renko said. "While I didn't doubt that she dreamt, I just didn't believe both the consistency and the hyper-lucidity of her dreams, that's all."
"When you put it like that, it does sound unbelievable," Madotsuki chimed in.
"Getting back to Urotsuki's question of manifesting Effects in the real world," Maribel said, "No, I haven't even thought of that. Are you even sure it's possible?"
"Yep," Urotsuki answered. "Of course, can't show them as proof, as they aren't exactly easy to hide, much less explain to non-Dreamers." Urotsuki then had a lightbulb pop up above her head as she had a sudden idea. "Hey, Madotsuki."
"Hm?" Madotsuki asked.
"Show your Knife-"
"No," Madotsuki instantly replied.
"But why, Madotsuki?"
"I don't want to get in trouble. Just because it's the easiest Effect to hide does not mean that I'm willing to risk wielding it in school of all places."
"Oh, right, haven't thought of that."
"But it is possible to manifest Effects in the real world, correct?" Maribel asked.
"Yep," Urotsuki replied, "Though if you do plan to use them, I'd recommend that you use the ones that are easier to explain away. After all, you wouldn't want to explain why you suddenly gained parts of an animal or suddenly have a motorbike despite you not actually owning one, now would ya?"
The school bell rang, signaling that the lunch break was over.
"Ah crap, I didn't get to finish my lunch!" Urotsuki said before wolfing down her lunch. Madotsuki chuckled at Urotsuki's expense as she also began to quickly finish her lunch at a slower and more refined pace.
Maribel and Renko, having finished their lunch before they decided to discuss the message Maribel got, simply cleaned up after themselves and put away their bentos. After Madotsuki and Urotsuki finished their lunch and quickly cleaned up after themselves, Maribel turned to the two dreamers and cleared her throat, getting their attention.
"Would you like to join the Secret Sealing Club?" Maribel asked the two dreamers as Renko looked at Maribel in surprise. "We could discuss this after school."
Urotsuki was quick to answer. "Sure, why not? Less likely for someone to overhear our conversations."
"I agree," Madotsuki simply added.
"So, Renko?" Maribel said as she turned to Renko. "Do you accept them into our fold?"
"Huh?" Renko asked before she shook herself out of surprise. "Uh, yeah, sure, they can come along."
"And with that," Maribel said as she turned to Madotsuki and Urotsuki, "welcome to the Secret Sealing Club."
After school is over, students usually attend extra-curricular activities in Japan. In one classroom, a certain meeting in a secret sealing club is taking place, with Madotsuki, Maribel, Renko, and Urotsuki sitting around a table, with the addition of a conspicuously empty seat.
"I didn't think of it until now, but wow, despite just transferring here, you already managed to create a new club?" Urotsuki exclaimed before she whistled, impressed. "Damn, that's pretty impressive."
"It was mostly due to Sumireko's insistence that we managed to have our club created on our first day here," Maribel said, downplaying her part.
"Of course, Maribel and I did all of the paperwork while Sumireko went off to who knows where," Renko complained. "Speaking of which, why the hell is Sumireko taking so long to get here?"
"Now now," Maribel replied, "She could just be getting lost in the school's hallways."
Just as Maribel finished her sentence, the door loudly slid open, revealing a girl with shoulder-length brown hair with pigtails wearing red-framed glasses and a black cape with a red interior that's adorned with pinkish-white runes. "Ha hah! A hero is never late or early, for they always arrive just in time!" The girl said as she posed with dramatic flair.
"You're late, Sumireko," Renko sternly said, causing Sumireko to freeze and drop her act.
"Did you get lost?" Maribel asked Sumireko in a softer tone compared to Renko's.
"Huh?" Sumireko exclaimed with surprise. "O-oh, uh… uh, yeah, I did get lost, heh heh!" Sumireko said as she nervously scratched the back of her head.
While Renko didn't believe her sister's obvious lie, she didn't want to push her over something so minor. "Whatever, so long as you're here, we can finally begin our meeting."
"So that's your sis, huh?" Urotsuki commented as Sumireko took her seat. "She sure does have the flair for the dramatic."
Sumireko froze as she registered Urotsuki's voice. "Hey, I thought you two said that you wouldn't invite anyone else into this club!" Sumireko said to Maribel and Renko.
"Sorry Sumireko, but the school required that clubs should have a minimum of 4 people or they get dropped," Maribel said. "Plus, they do have special dreams just like I do."
Any dislike Sumireko had towards the two dreamers were instantly dropped upon hearing Maribel's words as she sat down as quickly as she could. "Really, really? You two have special dreams, too?" Sumireko asked as she suddenly got back up and leaned closer towards Madotsuki and Urotsuki.
Surprised by Sumireko's sudden enthusiasm, the two dreamers leaned back a bit to get some space. "Uh, yeah. We're Dreamers just like Maribel," Urotsuki answered.
Sumireko frowned as she sat down with some of her enthusiasm deflated. "That's a boring and ordinary name. I prefer the term 'Dream Weaver', as that's what I call Maribel's ability."
"Too bad, Sumireko, 'Dreamer' is what Mado and I are sticking with," Urotsuki responded.
"Sumireko, I think you should allow the newcomers to introduce themselves before we get any further," Maribel said before turning to the two dreamers. "If you would?"
Madotsuki nodded. "My name's Madotsuki. Nice to meet you."
"And mine's Urotsuki. Nice to meetcha."
"My name's Usami Sumireko, high school student extraordinaire!" Sumireko said as she got up from her seat and posed dramatically. "Nice to meet you two powerful people!"
"Told you she'd get this to her head," Renko said.
Sumireko ignored her sister's jab as she sat down. "So what's today's meeting about?"
Maribel cleared her throat before beginning to speak. "Today's meeting is about me, Madotsuki, and Urotsuki sharing what we know about our dreams, though since it seems that you two seem to know more about our dreams than I do, would you like to share first?"
"Sure, I'm willing to go first," Urotsuki answered. "You fine with it, Mado?"
Madotsuki simply nodded in response.
"Then that settles it. First off, I'll start with the easiest to show." Urotsuki then got up from her seat and began to equip her Wolf Effect, causing Maribel and the two Usami sisters to exclaim in surprise and amazement. "I might've mentioned this before during class with Renko and Maribel, but as far as I'm aware, all of us Dreamers have something that I call Effects, and we collect them in our dreams. Not only that, but we can equip them both in our dreams and in the real world, though it does take some practice to bring them in the real world." Urotsuki then changed Effects and equipped the Gakuran Effect.
"Oh, wow!" Sumireko exclaimed with amazement. "Can you show your Effects, Madotsuki?"
Flinching in surprise from suddenly being put in the spotlight, Madotsuki wordlessly complied and equipped her Cat Effect.
"Aw, you look so cute!" Sumireko gushed, causing Madotsuki to blush in embarrassment.
"Alright, calm down, sis," Renko said. "I think Madotsuki had enough attention for today."
"Aw, but I wanted to see more from her," said Sumireko as she turned to her sister.
"If Madotsuki wants to show off her effects, she can do it at her own volition," Maribel added.
Madotsuki took a sigh of relief as she unequipped her Cat Effect.
"Okay, Maribel, but that means that you have to show off yours!" Said Sumireko.
"Eh?" Maribel exclaimed in surprise. "But I've never done it before, and Urotsuki did say that it takes practice to manifest effects in the real world."
"But you did once share that you collected some, didn't you?" Sumireko asked.
"Well yeah, but…"
"Come on, Maribel, if Urotsuki and Madotsuki decided to share their Effects, then it's only fair that you do so, as well."
"A-alright, if you say so," Maribel said before she closed her eyes and held out her hand. One second later, an obsidian knife with a bone-white handle and guard appeared in Maribel's hands.
"Damn, that was fast for your first time," Urotsuki said.
"Really, that was fast?" Renko asked as Maribel unequipped her Obsidian Knife Effect.
"Yup," Urotsuki replied. "Took me a while to effortlessly equip Effects out in the real world. Oh, that reminds me," Urotsuki said as she sat down and unequipped her Gakuran Effect. "While you can theoretically equip any effect, and even combine them, I'd recommend that you restrict your use of effects to the more normal-looking effects out in the real world. Said this before during lunch, but you wouldn't want to explain how you suddenly changed appearance so easily, now would ya?"
"Oh, so just like how I mostly use my powers for parlor tricks and sleight of hand, you Dream Weavers mostly use your more mundane Effects, as well?" Sumireko asked.
"Yeah, just like that, and I prefer the term Dream-" Urotsuki said before interrupting herself upon realizing what Sumireko said. "Say what now?"
"You have powers, as well?" Madotsuki asked, equally surprised.
Sumireko chuckled to herself with pride. "Yup, my sister and I have special powers, as well."
Urotsuki has gotten bug-eyed from her surprise and turned towards Renko. "You too?"
"It's not as impressive as the rest of yours," Renko answered, realizing that her powers are beginning to seem inadequate in comparison.
"Come on, Renko, don't be like that!" Sumireko responded.
"So what exactly are your powers?" Madotsuki asked.
"I'm a psychic, and my sister can tell time and location by looking at the stars and moon," Sumireko answered as she gestured to herself and her sister.
"Like I said, my power's not that impressive compared to you all," said Renko.
"Come on, Renko, that's rad," said Urotsuki. "Wish I could tell time and not get lost just by looking at the stars."
"That's not all," Maribel chimed in. "While it is true that she can tell her time and location by looking up at the night sky, her ability also works when looking at pictures of the night sky, and she can even tell what time and location the pictures took place. One time, she saw a picture of a night sky in the middle of nowhere and correctly guessed that the picture was taken in the American Grand Canyon, though she did have to convert the time to Japanese Standard Time."
"See, Renko?" Sumireko said. "Just because your powers aren't obvious doesn't mean that they're not cool."
"It's just as your sister says," Maribel chimed in. "You shouldn't sell yourself short just because your abilities aren't flashy."
"You really mean that, Maribel?" Renko asked as she turned to Maribel.
"I do, Renko," Maribel answered.
"Th-thanks," Renko simply said as she began to smile.
Upon seeing Maribel and Renko's interaction, Sumireko began to smile a smug smile as she chuckled to herself.
"What's so funny, Sumireko?" Renko asked her sister.
"Oh, nothing," Sumireko answered, still wearing a smug smile on her face. "I just thought of something funny, that's all."
"It better not be what I'm thinking it is," Renko said in an annoyed tone.
"Maybe it is, maybe it isn't," Sumireko said before chuckling to herself once again.
"I hate you," Renko said in an exasperated tone.
"Love ya too, sis."
"So what else do you know about Dreamers Urotsuki?" Maribel asked as she turned towards Urotsuki, changing the subject.
"Well, as I've said before," Urotsuki responded, "us Dreamers can enter each other's dreams, though what I didn't mention is that you can only enter someone else's dreams with their permission."
"I tried to get Maribel to invite me to her dreams a few times, but it never worked," Renko added in response.
"Really now?" Urotsuki rhetorically asked. "Guess it only works on Dreamers."
"Ah, that sucks!" Sumireko exclaimed. "I want to see all of your dreams!"
"And with that, that's all that I know about us Dreamers," said Urotsuki. "Did I miss anything, Madotsuki?"
"You didn't," Madotsuki answered.
"In that case," Urotsuki said as she began to face Maribel, "what do you know of your dreams, Maribel?"
"Asides from what Renko said about non-Dreamers not being able to enter my dreams, not much else, Urotsuki," Maribel answered.
"Guess that's it for sharing info, then," said Urotsuki. "What should we do now?"
"We could try out if non-Dreamers can enter a Dreamer's dreams," Madotsuki suggested.
Everyone looked at Madotsuki as if she grew another head.
"I thought we already established that it can't be possible," said Renko.
"You think we need more Dreamers to pull in non-Dreamers to their dreams?" Sumireko asked.
"Maybe," Madotsuki asked. "It's worth a shot, at least."
"I still don't think it'll work," Renko said skeptically.
"If it doesn't work, then the worst we've done is waste a few minutes of our time," Urotsuki said. "Though that does bring the question as to which one of us dreamers will be the one to host their dreams."
"I'll volunteer to be a host," Maribel said before turning to Renko. "You did once say that you wanted to see my dreams, so I think that this is the perfect opportunity for you to see them."
"You'd really do that?" Renko asked.
Maribel nodded. "Consider it as a gift to our long time friendship."
"Thanks, Maribel."
"Hey, what about me, Maribel?" Sumireko asked. "Don't leave me out!"
Maribel giggled. "Don't worry, this is my friendship gift to you, as well."
"You three are awfully confident on something that may not be possible," Urotsuki commented.
"Don't ruin the moment, Urotsuki," Renko chided.
"Alright, I won't," Urotsuki said as she raised both of her hands up in surrender.
"So, Madotsuki, how should we proceed with this test?" Maribel asked.
"Hmm, let me think for a moment," Madotsuki said as she took a thinking pose. A few moments later, Madotsuki turned to Maribel. "I think I have a solution. Everyone, hold the hands of the person next to you." Everyone did as Madotsuki told. "Now close your eyes, everyone."
A few seconds went by before Madotsuki began to speak once more. "Has everyone closed their eyes yet?" Madotsuki was met with a chorus of affirmations. "Good. Maribel, when I say 'go', try to sleep and enter your dreams, and everyone else, just try to asleep."
"Wait, why should we fall asleep now?" Renko asked. "And why does Maribel specifically need to dream?"
"I can answer that," Urotsuki replied. "Whenever Madotsuki and our other Dreamers go on a tour to our dream worlds, all we have to do is just be close by and try to sleep while the person hosting the tour has to specifically try to dream. Perhaps Madotsuki is trying to improve the chances of non-dreamers being pulled in by having all of us be in close contact. Before you ask, as far as I'm aware, us dreamers can fall asleep very easily if we want to."
"Man, I wish I could fall asleep easily," said Sumireko.
"It would be awfully convenient to do so," Renko added.
"Is everyone really?" Madotsuki asked, and she got a chorus of affirmations in response. "Now go!"
Maribel began to try to dream while everyone else began trying to sleep. At first, nothing immediately happened, but a few seconds later, everyone felt the pull of sleep tugging at them, and soon, the Secret Sealing club fell asleep.
Last edited:
Gold adorned man
Getting sticky.
- Joined
- Jul 24, 2022
- Messages
- 50
- Likes received
- 325
Seems promising. Its too early to tell if the story will prosper and funktion or not.
I have high hopes since this is a touhou story and I am still on the hype from r/place.
I have high hopes since this is a touhou story and I am still on the hype from r/place.
BBDaM Chapter Two
Yirash
Sword-Stealing Nemesis
- Joined
- Sep 11, 2022
- Messages
- 11
- Likes received
- 10
Opening AN: Edited and extended Chapter 1 due to reasons listed in that chapter. For anyone who has read this fic before, I recommend that you read past the 1st chapter's original ending where Madotsuki suggests trying to get non-Dreamers into a Dreamer's dreams, as the beginning of this chapter won't make sense otherwise.
When the Sealing Club members woke up from their unconsciousness, the first thing they saw was that they were on an apartment balcony with a night sky hanging above them. The apartment building and balcony are light gray, with the balcony railings being red, and single steel gray HVAC units are located to the left and right of the sliding balcony door. On the left corner of the balcony furthest from the apartment was an outdoor drying rack, and on the right corner was a potted plant of some kind.
"Ohmygodohmygodonymgod, we're actually in Maribel's dreams!" Sumireko exclaimed excitedly. "This is so cool!"
"Hey, Maribel, isn't this place your family's apartment?" Renko asked as she and everyone else but Maribel looked around.
"It is," Maribel answered, "I always wake up here when I dream."
"That's because when us Dreamers dream, you always 'wake up' in a dream version of your bedroom," explained Urotsuki.
"Hey, Maribel, look!" Sumireko said as she looked at Maribel's clothing. "You're not wearing the school's uniform!"
"Madotsuki and Urotsuki are also not wearing their school uniform," Renko commented.
Sure enough, instead of the school uniform the three Dreamers are currently wearing in the real world, they wore her usual casual clothing, with Maribel wearing a purple dress, a white mob cap, a red ribbon on the white collar of her dress, and black shoes that had a red ribbon, Madotsuki wearing a pink, long-sleeved shirt with a red-bordered 3x2 checker pattern, a purple skirt, and red shoes, and Urotsuki wearing a purple plaid shirt with solid-colored sleeves, a light blue skirt, black stockings, and brown shoes.
"I'm not sure why this happens," Maribel said. "Seeing as how you two are still in your school uniform," said Maribel as she pointed at the Usami sisters, "I can only assume that only Dreamers have their clothes changed when they dream."
"Aw, man, that's not fair!" Sumireko exclaimed. "I don't want to be stuck with the school uniform!"
"Unfortunately, Sumireko, we aren't dreamers," Renko responded, "so I can only assume that we're stuck with whatever clothes we're currently wearing in the waking world when we enter their dreams."
"Hey, Maribel," Urotsuki asked, "since this is your dream world, wanna give us a tour?"
"I'd like to, but I don't really know where to take you all," answered Maribel.
"Don't worry, I'm fine with meandering around your Dream Worlds," Urotsuki replied. "I also didn't know where to take others to when taking others on a tour, so I just had everyone that joined follow me while I meandered around my Dream Worlds."
"I'd recommend that everyone should stay within eyesight, however," Madotsuki added. "Some worlds are easy to get lost in, and while I can only assume that non-Dreamers can also wake up from these dreams, I'd rather not find out what might happen if we get separated."
"Hear that, Sumireko?" Said Renko. "I'm as excited as you are to explore Maribel's dream worlds, but I'd rather not have you get lost."
"Yeah, yeah, I hear ya," Sumireko replied.
"Oh, and another thing," Madotsuki said. "Some Dream Worlds are… sensitive to the Dreamer, so if Maribel tells you to not enter a connection that leads to said sensitive world, you listen to her."
"Understood," Said Renko. "I wouldn't want someone to pry into my secret thoughts, anyways."
"I got it," Sumireko chimed in.
"Hey, Maribel, you have any Chasers in your dreams?" Urotsuki asked. "Monsters that chase you and teleport you to a closed-off area?"
"Monsters?" Renko repeated with apprehension.
"Yeah, I do," Maribel said. "They look like people in medieval European clothing, except that they look more like walking shadows than actual people."
"Yeah, I'd keep an eye out for them," Urotsuki said. "While Chasers can be pretty dumb, as they generally follow the straightest path to you at all costs, even if it means they'll just keep on running into an unclimbable fence instead of going around through a gate, they can still catch you off-guard, especially the faster ones. While I'm pretty sure that non-Dreamers such as Renko and Sumireko can escape from the areas chasers teleport you into similarly to Dreamers just by waking up, I'd recommend that you'd not get caught in the first place."
"With those ground rules out of the way," Madotsuki said, "anyone have any questions?"
"No."/"Nope."/"None here," Renko, Sumireko, and Maribel answered respectively.
"In that case, lead the way, Maribel," Madotsuki said.
"If you don't have a particular destination in mind, I don't think everyone here minds if we just meander around," Urotsuki added. "I'm pretty sure that this is a new experience for Sumireko and Renko, so the novelty itself would be enough to make this dream tour enjoyable."
"Urotsuki's right, this is too cool to pass up on!" Sumireko said with excitement as Renko simply nodded in agreement.
Maribel took a deep breath to calm herself down, nervous at being put in the spotlight. Eventually, she took the first steps forward on leaving the balcony, and the rest of the Sealing club members followed suit.
The Sealing Club members soon entered Maribel's dream room proper. Maribel's dream room is small, but not cramped, and has a wooden floor and lavender-colored walls, as well as a few pastel-colored floor pillows scattered about and a simple, light purple-colored rug placed in the middle of the room. Facing inwards from the balcony entrance, a bed with a lavender-colored blanket and pillow is tucked in the far left corner. To the left of the bed is a table with dark-wooden legs and a light brown surface, with a light yellow desk lamp on it. To the left of the desk is a wooden cabinet filled with various books, and on the right wall was the room's door, which is simply wooden in color and material. To the right of the balcony door is a black CRT TV.
"Your dream room looks a bit different from your actual bedroom," Renko remarked.
"Yeah, where's your game console?" Sumireko asked.
"Yeah, the dream room's a bit different," Maribel answered. "I don't know why, it just is."
"Are your dream rooms slightly different from your actual bedrooms, as well, Urotsuki and Madotsuki?" Renko asked.
"Yes."/"Yep," Madotsuki and Urotsuki answered, respectively.
"Before you ask, Mado and I also have no clue as to why our dream rooms are different from our bedrooms," Urotsuki added.
"Can we go now?" Sumireko asked, a bit bored. "Renko and I already know what Maribel's bedroom looks like, even if it's slightly different here."
"Sumireko!" Renko said in a scolding tone.
"Sure, just follow me," Maribel said as she went to go to the dream room's door.
When Maribel reached the door, she opened it, revealing an open room with an intricate pattern covering the floor. In addition, there were seven human-sized objects arranged in a circle. Starting clockwise while facing from the entrance, the seven human-sized objects were a tree, a rainbow-patterned door, a red and upright closed book, a white-colored kanji for the word "dream", a Japanese sliding door, a white, lit candle, and a portrait with no picture in it.
"So this is the Nexus room you were talking about," Renko said as she and the rest of the Sealing Club members entered The Nexus and looked around.
"It looks somewhat small for an open-looking room," Sumireko commented.
"The Nexus of dreamers tend to be somewhat small," Urotsuki informed, "though some, like mine, are looping."
"Looping?" Renko asked. "What do you mean by that?"
"Enter one end of my Nexus, and you end up on the other side," Urotsuki answered.
"Wow, that must feel strange to experience," Sumireko commented.
"You get used to it after a while," Madotsuki chimed in.
After a moment of silence, Maribel began to speak up. "I think I have some idea on where to take you all, so follow me," Maribel said as she approached the human-sized tree. Shortly after she touched the tree, she instantly disappeared without a trace.
"Whoa!" Sumireko exclaimed. "Did ya see that? Maribel just disappeared!"
"She probably got teleported somewhere," Renko deduced.
"That would be correct," Madotsuki said, confirming Renko's guess.
"Come on, let's not keep Maribel waiting any longer!" Urotsuki said as she approached the tree and touched it, disappearing afterward.
The remaining three members of the Sealing Club members walked up to the tree and touched it, eventually disappearing and leaving Maribel's Nexus room behind.
When Madotsuki and the Usami sisters caught up with Urotsuki and Maribel, the first thing they saw was that they were in a clearing in a forest covered in a hazy mist that was dotted with plants and mushrooms of various types and sizes and set during dusk, with a few pathways branching off from their current location.
"This place looks rather creepy," Renko commented.
"Despite how the Misty Forest looks, it's quite safe," Maribel said. "There aren't any chasers here, so we can just move at our leisure."
Renko turned around to take in the sights before noticing that Sumireko was walking towards a cluster of brown and waist-high mushrooms. "Sumireko, where are you going?" Renko asked. "We need to stick together so that we don't get lost."
"Come on, I'm only gonna look at these mushrooms!" Sumireko answered as she pointed at the cluster of mushrooms she was heading towards. "Just look at the size of them! They're certainly not any ordinary mushrooms, that's for sure."
When Sumireko finally reached the mushrooms she was heading towards, she crouched down and looked at them. "Hey, Maribel, are these safe to touch?" Sumireko said as she turned to face Maribel.
"Hm?" Maribel replied. "Oh yeah, the various plants and mushrooms you see here are safe to interact with, as the worst you might get is a sneeze from breathing in a mushroom's spores they sometimes release when interacted with."
With Maribel's information in Renko's mind, Renko went over to Sumireko to examine the mushrooms.
"Hey, Maribel, does the Misty Forest lead to anywhere?" Urotsuki asked as she looked around, content to just simply take in the sights.
"Yes, it does, with one place I intend to take you all to is the Bamboo Forest Manor," Maribel answered. "Once Renko and Sumireko had their fill of this world, I'll take you all there."
Meanwhile, at the mushroom cluster the Usami sisters were at, the two sisters were examining the mushroom cluster.
"They look somewhat like large Shiitake mushrooms with white spots on their top," Renko commented. "Were this not a product of Maribel's dreams, I'd wonder how a Shiitake would be able to grow to this size."
Shortly after Renko made her observation, Sumireko decided to poke one of the mushrooms, causing it to briefly glow a light, fluorescent yellow and emit a chime sound similar to a wind chime.
"Whoa!"/"What the?" The Usami sisters exclaimed as they moved back, surprised at the sound.
Sumireko poked the mushroom once more, causing it to glow and make a chime once again. "Sounds beautiful," Sumireko commented before she poked a different mushroom in the cluster, causing that mushroom to briefly glow and make a slightly lower-pitched chime.
"I wonder how a mushroom can glow and emit a chime when touched," Renko said out loud.
"Come on, Renko," Sumireko responded. "This is a dream, not everything has to make perfect sense. Plus, while I am a bit curious as to how these mushrooms work, Maribel has promised us to show off her Dream Worlds, and I wouldn't want to keep her waiting." Sumireko then turned and noticed that Maribel and the two dreamers were heading their way, so she waved at them.
"You two having fun so far?" Maribel asked.
"Of course I am!" Answered Sumireko as she got up. "Who wouldn't be having fun if they were able to explore someone else's dreams?"
"I am, yeah," Renko replied more succinctly as she also got up and dusted herself.
"There's more to this world than these plants and mushrooms, so why don't I show you around?" Maribel asked.
"If there's more to show, then what are we waiting for? Let's go!" Sumireko responded as she regrouped with Maribel and the two dreamers, with Renko wordlessly following along.
After a few minutes of walking, the Sealing Club members came across a purple food-dispensing vending machine that had a trash can and a bench next to it.
"Ooh, a vending machine!" Sumireko said as she ran up to it and reached into her pockets to obtain some money. However, when Sumireko took a closer look at the vending machine, she realized that while the drinks and snacks were made apparent, the vending machine itself had no obvious labels and only one button.
As the rest of the Sealing Club members caught up with Sumireko, Sumireko turned towards the group in confusion. "How does this thing work, Maribel?"
"Oh, you just insert a coin into the machine," Maribel answered, "and after you do so, you press the button, which will then dispense a random food or drink for you to consume." Maribel then had a downcast look on her face. "I don't have any money on me, however."
"What do you mean, Maribel?" Renko asked. "Don't you have some money from the real world that you can use?"
"These vending machines only accept Dream Money," Madotsuki informed, "and since they are usually only randomly obtained from killing Projections, it would take a lot of bloodshed to obtain what only really amounts to pocket change."
"Projections?" Sumireko asked.
"They are creatures of all shapes and sizes that are kinda like NPCs in a video game," Madotsuki answered. "While they can be interacted with for the most part, don't expect them to be able to carry out a conversation."
"As for Maribel's money problems," Urotsuki said, "let me handle it." Urotsuki reached into her pockets and pulled out five silver-colored coins. "While I could just pay for all of you, I think it would be better if you all were to experience it yourself," Urotsuki said as she handed out one coin to each member of the Sealing Club members and kept one for herself.
"Are you sure you want to pay for us, Urotsuki?" Maribel asked as she and everyone else accepted Urotsuki's coins. "You don't have to if you don't want to."
"Yeah, I'm sure," Urotsuki answered. "After all, us bonding over this tour is more important than the dream money I'm handing out to you."
Maribel and the Usami sisters examined the coins Urotsuki gave them. On one side, there was the number one hundred in Hindu-Arabic numeral notation at the top, followed by the kanji for "dream" at the bottom. On the other side of the coin was a chibi version of Urotsuki's head in pixel art form.
"For a dream currency that holds no real value in the real world, these coins sure are intricately designed," Renko commented.
"From what I know, all dream coins start off very basic, with only the face value on both sides," Urotsuki informed. "Mine were initially similarly bland, and the first design I made was only a thought experiment. It wasn't until the next time I wanted to buy a snack at a vending machine that I noticed that the coin had changed to accommodate my design. The current design you see is the second design, and I don't plan to change it anytime soon."
"That sounds so cool," Sumireko said with amazement. "Are your coins similarly detailed, Maribel?"
"No, not really," Maribel answered. "I didn't even know it was possible, and even then, I see no real need to add my personal touch to them." Maribel then turned to Urotsuki. "Now that I think about it, Urotsuki, are you sure that your dream money works here?"
"Yep, the dream currency of all Dreamers can be used in someone else's dreams," Urotsuki answered. "It's just that as far as I'm aware, I'm the richest Dreamer around when it comes to Dream Money."
"Wait, Madotsuki said that you need to kill Projections to gain Dream Money," said Renko. "How much money do you have, and how many Projections did you kill?"
"I have about 120,000 Dream Money in my pockets," Urotsuki answered, "and before you ask, no, I didn't kill millions of Projections to gain that much money. There's one Projection in my dreams that has a higher chance than normal to drop 5,000 Dream Money, and there's also the piggy bank in my dream room that I break that gives me a relatively small amount of money every time I dream. Not only that, but there were a few nooks and crannies I found that had varying amounts of money just lying around, and there's even one Dream World where I can gamble for money. As for how many Projections I killed for money, I lost count, mostly because it's been so long since I haven't killed any Projection that wasn't the one worth 5,000 Dream Money."
"So just how do you kill these Projections?"
"With my Chainsaw Effect," Urotsuki answered. "Before you ask, no, killing projections isn't like killing an actual person, as they only spray out a single burst of blood before their dead body disappears, and despite appearances, all of that blood doesn't stain for long, as it seems that the dream eventually 'forgets' that it exists, just like how your normal dreams can sometimes 'forget' details after a certain period of time."
"I think we're getting a bit off topic here," Sumireko asked. "This was supposed to be a tour of Maribel's Dream Worlds, not a class of Dream Economics."
"Whoops, sorry about that," Urotsuki said. "I just got carried away with my explanations, that's all."
"Have you ever thought of becoming a teacher or a university professor?" Maribel asked. "You seem like you like to teach others on topics you're knowledgeable about."
"I have thought of it once or twice before," Urotsuki responded. "But I think that's enough talking, let's buy some snacks from this vending machine!"
Urotsuki walked up to the purple vending machine, inserted her coin into it, and pressed the "order" button. A moment later, a soda pop can was dispensed from the vending machine.
"Ah, soda," Urotsuki said to herself as she grabbed the soda can. "Can't beat the classics." Urotsuki then walked away from the vending machine and opened the soda can before drinking it.
"I'd like to go next!" Sumireko said as she ran to the vending machine and began to pay for it and order from it. Shortly afterward, Sumireko got a plate of caramel pudding and even a disposable spoon to go along with it.
"Oh, so you got some flan?" Urotsuki said. "How interesting."
"Why is it interesting?" Sumireko asked. "And this snack is called a 'flan'?"
"It's mostly because from what I know, most dreamers rarely have more than one type of snack or drink from a vending machine, much less two." Urotsuki briefly paused to finish the last of her soda before throwing the soda can away in the nearby trash bin. "I could be wrong on that front and the Dreamers I know might just be outliers in terms of their limited snack choices. Who knows? As for your snack, it is actually known under a few other names, 'caramel pudding' and 'caramel custard' being one of the few."
As Sumireko and Urotsuki had their brief discussion, Maribel was the next person to buy a random snack from the vending machine, which dispensed a cup of warm coffee. As she moved away from the vending machine to allow the next person to buy from it, she took a sip from her cup of coffee.
Renko was up next, and what she got from the vending machine was a cup of oolong tea. "So what did you get, Maribel?" Renko asked as she walked towards Maribel.
"I got a cup of coffee," Maribel replied before taking another sip. "What did you get?"
"Oolong tea for me," Renko replied. "Funny how you got my preferred caffeinated drink while you got mine, don't ya think?"
Maribel giggled in response. "It is."
Madotsuki was the last to buy from the vending machine, and what she got was a bottle of milk.
"So what did you get, Madotsuki?" Urotsuki asked as Madotsuki began to open and drink from her milk bottle. "I got some soda and Sumireko got flan."
"Hey, I wanted to reveal what I got!" Sumireko complained.
"Milk," Madotsuki simply replied before taking another drink of milk.
Overhearing Madotsuki and Urotsuki's conversation, Maribel turned to the two and decided to jump in. "I had coffee, while Renko had oolong tea," Maribel answered before she and Renko finished the last of their drinks and threw their cups away.
Urotsuki chuckled at Madotsuki's terse response as well as her realization that Sumireko was the only one who didn't get a drink. "Seems like Sumireko was the only one to not get a drink, huh?"
"Seems like it," Madotsuki answered before finishing the last of her milk and throwing the milk bottle away.
"Hey, Urotsuki, can you please lend me another coin?" Sumireko asked. "I want to buy another snack from the vending machine."
"Unless everyone wants another, no," Urotsuki replied. "So does anyone else here want another go at the vending machine? I, for one, don't."
"One snack is good enough for me," Maribel answered.
"Same here," Renko said in agreement.
"Nope," Madotsuki replied.
"Guess you're outnumbered, Sumireko," Urotsuki said as she turned to face Sumireko. "No more snacks for ya."
"Damn it," Sumireko said with a hint of disappointment. "Oh well. Guess there's always a next time."
"Now that everyone has had their snack, is everyone ready to resume the tour?" Maribel asked.
"Ready when you all are," Urotsuki answered.
"Yep," Sumireko replied.
"Yes, I am," Renko responded.
"Yes," Madotsuki answered.
"In that case, follow me," Maribel said as she began to walk as everyone else began to follow her.
Some time went by, and eventually, the Sealing Club members came across the shore of a river, along with a single-seat row boat docked at a simple dock.
"Ok, this might be a problem," Maribel said as she saw the dock. "There's only one boat here, and it's single-seated."
"Don't worry about it, Maribel," said Urotsuki. "Dream Worlds tend to accommodate for more than one person should there be anyone tagging along with the Dreamer hosting a tour," Urotsuki informed. "Should one of us get on the rowing boat and row some distance away, another one will immediately appear. We'll definitely have to go one at a time, however."
"I presume that we're gonna cross this river, Maribel?" Renko asked.
"Yes, indeed, so get on a boat, everyone," Maribel said as she made her way to one of the boats.
"This river sure looks rather wide for a river," Sumireko asked as she and everyone else followed Maribel. "You sure it's a river, much less one we can cross?"
"I assure you that this is an actual river that we can cross, Sumireko," Maribel replied as she pushed a rowing boat into the river before hopping in."I wouldn't have taken you through this path if it was anything else but crossable."
Once the Sealing Club members got their rowing boats into the river and hopped in them, they began to row across the river and towards their destination. After a few minutes of rowing, the mist that surrounded the forest and river began to thin out enough for the Sealing Club members to see the reflection of the forest and more of the dawn sky in the river.
"I wish I could take a picture of this," said Urotsuki as she and everyone else soaked in the scenery. "The reflections of the forest and stars look beautiful."
Shortly afterward, a fish jumped out of the water from a distance, causing everyone to look at the source of the sound.
"Sometimes, a fish will jump out of the water from a distance every now and then," Maribel explained. "Even more rarely, a mermaid might appear, so keep an eye out for some sight-seeing."
After a few more minutes of rowing, Madotsuki saw a mermaid with a blue tail and dark-colored clothing jump out of the river, though the mermaid's distance and the dark coloring of the mermaid's clothing blended in with the background of the twilight sky made it difficult to identify specifics beyond the clothing possibly being a dark shade of either blue or green. "It's the mermaid, look!" She said as she pointed at the mermaid.
Everyone turned to look at the mermaid, who went for a second and last jump. With the already picturesque scenery, the mermaid had only added to the beauty to the scene, causing everyone to gasp in awe.
"You were right, Urotsuki," Renko said. "This is beautiful to look at."
The Sealing Club members eventually fell into silence as nothing more needed to be said.
After a while, the riverbank and forest where the Sealing Club members came from began to disappear from view and the already thin morning mist began to disappear as the riverbank on the opposite side of the river, as well as a bamboo forest, began to be visible as the sun began to rise.
"We are nearing our next destination, which is the Bamboo Forest," Maribel said. "The dock is up ahead, so I assume that we should be fine on getting there, right, Urotsuki?"
"That would be correct, Maribel," Urotsuki said. "Just like how getting on a boat and rowing away will eventually spawn another boat, getting out of one will eventually despawn the boat right up until the last person gets out of their boat."
Eventually, the Sealing Club members made it to the dock, and everyone soon left their rowboats.
"In the Bamboo Forest, there's a Japanese mansion, as well as a house and a stairway that extends to the sky and leads to a shrine, and that shrine leads to the Japanese Village," Maribel informed as she led the Sealing Club members into the Bamboo Forest. "We won't be visiting the mansion and shrine however, as the place I want to take you has a shortcut through the house."
After a while of walking through the bamboo forest, Sumireko began to have a bored expression on her face. "This bamboo forest is kinda boring in comparison to the misty forest earlier," Sumireko commented as she looked around.
"Don't say that Sumireko, that's rude!" Renko said in a scolding tone.
"It's fine, Renko," said Maribel. "While I do admit that the Bamboo Forest itself isn't much to look at, especially since I got lost in it the first few times I traveled here, the 3 locations it does have does make up for the forest's relative blandness."
The Sealing Club members eventually returned to traveling in silence for a few more minutes until Renko had a sudden question pop up in her head. "Say, Maribel?"
"Hm?" Said Maribel.
"Does time flow faster here compared to the real world like a normal dream?" Renko asked.
"Yes, it does, though I have no clue how fast it flows," Maribel answered. "I've done a few tests and only discovered that how much time has passed in the real world when dreaming fluctuates between each dream session."
"What about you two, Madotsuki and urotsuki?" Renko asked the two dreamers. "Do you know?"
"Nope, haven't really bothered to test that idea out," Urotsuki replied.
"I also have no clue," Madotsuki responded.
"Sorry we weren't able to answer your question, Renko," said Maribel.
"No worries Maribel, it was just a curiosity that popped up in my head, that's all," replied Renko.
The Sealing Club members once more eventually resumed traveling in the Bamboo Forest, and after a few minutes of walking, Maribel and the others began to see an outline of a house.
"Is that a house I see?" Sumireko asked.
"Your eyes aren't fooling you Sumireko, that is indeed a house," Maribel asked. "Not only that, but that house is where we are going to."
As the Sealing Club members got closer to the house, they were able to make out more details of it. It was a tan-colored, single-floor house with dark blue roof tiles, a porch, and a dark brown front door. Eventually, the Sealing Club members stopped walking as they reached the house's porch and were right outside of the front door.
As Maribel opened the front door, The Usami sisters had a look of surprise on their faces.
"H-hey Maribel, aren't you supposed to knock?" Sumireko asked.
"You don't have to knock on the doors to let yourself in, or even need to, as any door that's unlocked in my dreams, and presumably in Madotsuki's and Urotsuki's dreams, as well, means that you can enter it as you please," Maribel answered as she entered the house.
Madotsuki and Urotsuki wordlessly followed Maribel, and after the two usami sisters briefly looked at each other, they also decided to enter the house, with Sumireko being the first of the two to go first.
(Begin: Yume 2kki OST: Bridged Swamp Islands/Fairy Forest(Apple House))
Eventually, all of the Sealing Club members entered the house, revealing the interior to be rather rustic and having one large room that contains a kitchen, a dining area, and a living area. In the living area itself was a fireplace with an active fire in it, as well as an empty cauldron and a metal bucket of water next to it. Some distance away from the fireplace was a couch with a wooden frame and dark blue cushions, and sitting on the couch was a brown-haired woman reading a book, though she briefly stopped to wordlessly greet the Sealing Club by waving at them before resuming to read, and wearing stereotypical witch clothes, pointy hat included. Leaning on one side of the couch was a broom, presumably belonging to the witch.
"Oh hi, miss!" Sumireko greeted the witch with excitement. "Say, are you an actual witch, by any chance?" Sumireko asked the witch, ignoring Renko.
"She is indeed a witch, though I don't exactly have a name for her," Maribel answered. "The Witch sometimes does a different thing every now and then whenever I dream, and right now, she's just reading a book."
"Hey, let the girl talk for herself," Sumireko said to Maribel.
"None of the characters in my dreams can talk, so trying to will only be met in silence," Maribel said.
"Hey, Madotsuki and Urotsuki, is what Maribel saying true?" Sumireko asked the two dreamers.
"What Maribel said is correct, Sumireko," answered Madotsuki.
"As far as we know, none of a Dreamer's Projections can talk," Urotsuki added.
"If that's the case, then it must seem lonely to be here," said Sumireko.
The Usami Sisters and the two dreamers then heard a sizzling sound and turned to the source, revealing that Maribel had put out the fire in the fireplace.
"Why did you put the fire?" Sumireko asked.
"Shortcut's through here," Maribel answered. "We'll have to crawl through it, however, so follow me." Maribel then suddenly transformed and became shorter, equipping her Child Effect. Asides from Maribel's height difference and a more child-like face and body, Maribel's appearance and clothing haven't changed. Maribel then began to crouch down and crawl in the tunnel that the fire in the fireplace obscured.
"Wait, Maribel!" Renko said, stopping Maribel in her tracks. "Sumireko and I don't exactly have effects, let alone any that can change our size."
"Oh, right, I forgot," said Maribel as she crawled out of the fireplace tunnel, her voice sounding more like a child's due to her Child Effect. "This is the first time that I haven't traveled these dreams alone, so you'll have to forgive me."
"Don't worry, Maribel, I forgive you, especially given how you currently look," Sumireko said before going in to playfully pinch at child Maribel's cheek.
"Cut it out, Sumireko!" Renko said in a scolding tone as she slapped Sumireko's hand away from Maribel.
"Come on, even you admit that Maribel looks cute, don't ya?" Sumireko asked.
"Well, yeah, but that's not the point!" Renko answered.
"Hey, Renko, Sumireko?" Maribel said, interrupting the Usami sisters' argument. "Can one of you try to see if one of you can fit in this tunnel?"
"Not it!" Sumireko immediately replied.
"I was planning to go first, anyways," Renko said as she went into a prone position and examined the fireplace tunnel. "Looks big enough for me to fit," Renko said to herself before beginning to crawl into the tunnel. After a few moments, Renko finally managed to fully crawl into the tunnel. "It's somewhat tight, but I can manage to crawl into it," Renko said before crawling out. Eventually, Renko got out of the tunnel, got up, and dusted herself off. "I assume that the tunnel won't change how small it is, right?"
"Your assumption is indeed correct," Maribel said as she nodded. The tunnel's rather uniform, so you shouldn't have to worry."
"Alright, guess I have to go now," Sumireko said as she also began to test the tunnel. After fully crawling in, Sumireko crawled out of the tunnel and dusted herself off. "Seems like I can also fit through it."
"You have any Effects that can shrink yourselves down, Madotsuki and Urotsuki?" Maribel asked the two Dreamers.
"I have two, actually," Maribel said as she equipped her Child Effect before switching to her Fairy Effect.
"I have one, as well," Madotsuki said before equipping her Midget Effect, which despite its name, the Effect shrinks her down to the height where her knees would be.
"Then I guess that settles it," Maribel said. "Without further ado, let's go," said Maribel as she went first and began to crawl into the tunnel, followed by Madotsuki, Urotsuki, Renko, and Sumireko.
Eventually, the Sealing Club managed to get to the other side of the tunnel and got out of it. As they dusted themselves off, and in the case of the three dreamers, unequipped their Effects, they found themselves in an empty and somewhat dark Medieval European-style house, with the only source of light being the sunlight streaming through the windows.
"It's awfully quiet here," Renko commented. "A bit too quiet, if you ask me."
"There's a reason for that, with that reason being very apparent once we get outside," Maribel said with a hint of apprehension as she began to walk to the front door of the house.
"I don't like the sound of that," Sumireko commented as she and the rest of the Sealing Club followed Maribel.
Once the Sealing Club exited the house, they were greeted with the sight of a crowd huddling around a pyre, and on that pyre was a human body being burned at the stake.
Opening AN: I hope you like the BGM I added.
When the Sealing Club members woke up from their unconsciousness, the first thing they saw was that they were on an apartment balcony with a night sky hanging above them. The apartment building and balcony are light gray, with the balcony railings being red, and single steel gray HVAC units are located to the left and right of the sliding balcony door. On the left corner of the balcony furthest from the apartment was an outdoor drying rack, and on the right corner was a potted plant of some kind.
"Ohmygodohmygodonymgod, we're actually in Maribel's dreams!" Sumireko exclaimed excitedly. "This is so cool!"
"Hey, Maribel, isn't this place your family's apartment?" Renko asked as she and everyone else but Maribel looked around.
"It is," Maribel answered, "I always wake up here when I dream."
"That's because when us Dreamers dream, you always 'wake up' in a dream version of your bedroom," explained Urotsuki.
"Hey, Maribel, look!" Sumireko said as she looked at Maribel's clothing. "You're not wearing the school's uniform!"
"Madotsuki and Urotsuki are also not wearing their school uniform," Renko commented.
Sure enough, instead of the school uniform the three Dreamers are currently wearing in the real world, they wore her usual casual clothing, with Maribel wearing a purple dress, a white mob cap, a red ribbon on the white collar of her dress, and black shoes that had a red ribbon, Madotsuki wearing a pink, long-sleeved shirt with a red-bordered 3x2 checker pattern, a purple skirt, and red shoes, and Urotsuki wearing a purple plaid shirt with solid-colored sleeves, a light blue skirt, black stockings, and brown shoes.
"I'm not sure why this happens," Maribel said. "Seeing as how you two are still in your school uniform," said Maribel as she pointed at the Usami sisters, "I can only assume that only Dreamers have their clothes changed when they dream."
"Aw, man, that's not fair!" Sumireko exclaimed. "I don't want to be stuck with the school uniform!"
"Unfortunately, Sumireko, we aren't dreamers," Renko responded, "so I can only assume that we're stuck with whatever clothes we're currently wearing in the waking world when we enter their dreams."
"Hey, Maribel," Urotsuki asked, "since this is your dream world, wanna give us a tour?"
"I'd like to, but I don't really know where to take you all," answered Maribel.
"Don't worry, I'm fine with meandering around your Dream Worlds," Urotsuki replied. "I also didn't know where to take others to when taking others on a tour, so I just had everyone that joined follow me while I meandered around my Dream Worlds."
"I'd recommend that everyone should stay within eyesight, however," Madotsuki added. "Some worlds are easy to get lost in, and while I can only assume that non-Dreamers can also wake up from these dreams, I'd rather not find out what might happen if we get separated."
"Hear that, Sumireko?" Said Renko. "I'm as excited as you are to explore Maribel's dream worlds, but I'd rather not have you get lost."
"Yeah, yeah, I hear ya," Sumireko replied.
"Oh, and another thing," Madotsuki said. "Some Dream Worlds are… sensitive to the Dreamer, so if Maribel tells you to not enter a connection that leads to said sensitive world, you listen to her."
"Understood," Said Renko. "I wouldn't want someone to pry into my secret thoughts, anyways."
"I got it," Sumireko chimed in.
"Hey, Maribel, you have any Chasers in your dreams?" Urotsuki asked. "Monsters that chase you and teleport you to a closed-off area?"
"Monsters?" Renko repeated with apprehension.
"Yeah, I do," Maribel said. "They look like people in medieval European clothing, except that they look more like walking shadows than actual people."
"Yeah, I'd keep an eye out for them," Urotsuki said. "While Chasers can be pretty dumb, as they generally follow the straightest path to you at all costs, even if it means they'll just keep on running into an unclimbable fence instead of going around through a gate, they can still catch you off-guard, especially the faster ones. While I'm pretty sure that non-Dreamers such as Renko and Sumireko can escape from the areas chasers teleport you into similarly to Dreamers just by waking up, I'd recommend that you'd not get caught in the first place."
"With those ground rules out of the way," Madotsuki said, "anyone have any questions?"
"No."/"Nope."/"None here," Renko, Sumireko, and Maribel answered respectively.
"In that case, lead the way, Maribel," Madotsuki said.
"If you don't have a particular destination in mind, I don't think everyone here minds if we just meander around," Urotsuki added. "I'm pretty sure that this is a new experience for Sumireko and Renko, so the novelty itself would be enough to make this dream tour enjoyable."
"Urotsuki's right, this is too cool to pass up on!" Sumireko said with excitement as Renko simply nodded in agreement.
Maribel took a deep breath to calm herself down, nervous at being put in the spotlight. Eventually, she took the first steps forward on leaving the balcony, and the rest of the Sealing club members followed suit.
The Sealing Club members soon entered Maribel's dream room proper. Maribel's dream room is small, but not cramped, and has a wooden floor and lavender-colored walls, as well as a few pastel-colored floor pillows scattered about and a simple, light purple-colored rug placed in the middle of the room. Facing inwards from the balcony entrance, a bed with a lavender-colored blanket and pillow is tucked in the far left corner. To the left of the bed is a table with dark-wooden legs and a light brown surface, with a light yellow desk lamp on it. To the left of the desk is a wooden cabinet filled with various books, and on the right wall was the room's door, which is simply wooden in color and material. To the right of the balcony door is a black CRT TV.
"Your dream room looks a bit different from your actual bedroom," Renko remarked.
"Yeah, where's your game console?" Sumireko asked.
"Yeah, the dream room's a bit different," Maribel answered. "I don't know why, it just is."
"Are your dream rooms slightly different from your actual bedrooms, as well, Urotsuki and Madotsuki?" Renko asked.
"Yes."/"Yep," Madotsuki and Urotsuki answered, respectively.
"Before you ask, Mado and I also have no clue as to why our dream rooms are different from our bedrooms," Urotsuki added.
"Can we go now?" Sumireko asked, a bit bored. "Renko and I already know what Maribel's bedroom looks like, even if it's slightly different here."
"Sumireko!" Renko said in a scolding tone.
"Sure, just follow me," Maribel said as she went to go to the dream room's door.
When Maribel reached the door, she opened it, revealing an open room with an intricate pattern covering the floor. In addition, there were seven human-sized objects arranged in a circle. Starting clockwise while facing from the entrance, the seven human-sized objects were a tree, a rainbow-patterned door, a red and upright closed book, a white-colored kanji for the word "dream", a Japanese sliding door, a white, lit candle, and a portrait with no picture in it.
"So this is the Nexus room you were talking about," Renko said as she and the rest of the Sealing Club members entered The Nexus and looked around.
"It looks somewhat small for an open-looking room," Sumireko commented.
"The Nexus of dreamers tend to be somewhat small," Urotsuki informed, "though some, like mine, are looping."
"Looping?" Renko asked. "What do you mean by that?"
"Enter one end of my Nexus, and you end up on the other side," Urotsuki answered.
"Wow, that must feel strange to experience," Sumireko commented.
"You get used to it after a while," Madotsuki chimed in.
After a moment of silence, Maribel began to speak up. "I think I have some idea on where to take you all, so follow me," Maribel said as she approached the human-sized tree. Shortly after she touched the tree, she instantly disappeared without a trace.
"Whoa!" Sumireko exclaimed. "Did ya see that? Maribel just disappeared!"
"She probably got teleported somewhere," Renko deduced.
"That would be correct," Madotsuki said, confirming Renko's guess.
"Come on, let's not keep Maribel waiting any longer!" Urotsuki said as she approached the tree and touched it, disappearing afterward.
The remaining three members of the Sealing Club members walked up to the tree and touched it, eventually disappearing and leaving Maribel's Nexus room behind.
(Begin: Yume 2kki OST: Forest Pier)
When Madotsuki and the Usami sisters caught up with Urotsuki and Maribel, the first thing they saw was that they were in a clearing in a forest covered in a hazy mist that was dotted with plants and mushrooms of various types and sizes and set during dusk, with a few pathways branching off from their current location.
"This place looks rather creepy," Renko commented.
"Despite how the Misty Forest looks, it's quite safe," Maribel said. "There aren't any chasers here, so we can just move at our leisure."
Renko turned around to take in the sights before noticing that Sumireko was walking towards a cluster of brown and waist-high mushrooms. "Sumireko, where are you going?" Renko asked. "We need to stick together so that we don't get lost."
"Come on, I'm only gonna look at these mushrooms!" Sumireko answered as she pointed at the cluster of mushrooms she was heading towards. "Just look at the size of them! They're certainly not any ordinary mushrooms, that's for sure."
When Sumireko finally reached the mushrooms she was heading towards, she crouched down and looked at them. "Hey, Maribel, are these safe to touch?" Sumireko said as she turned to face Maribel.
"Hm?" Maribel replied. "Oh yeah, the various plants and mushrooms you see here are safe to interact with, as the worst you might get is a sneeze from breathing in a mushroom's spores they sometimes release when interacted with."
With Maribel's information in Renko's mind, Renko went over to Sumireko to examine the mushrooms.
"Hey, Maribel, does the Misty Forest lead to anywhere?" Urotsuki asked as she looked around, content to just simply take in the sights.
"Yes, it does, with one place I intend to take you all to is the Bamboo Forest Manor," Maribel answered. "Once Renko and Sumireko had their fill of this world, I'll take you all there."
Meanwhile, at the mushroom cluster the Usami sisters were at, the two sisters were examining the mushroom cluster.
"They look somewhat like large Shiitake mushrooms with white spots on their top," Renko commented. "Were this not a product of Maribel's dreams, I'd wonder how a Shiitake would be able to grow to this size."
Shortly after Renko made her observation, Sumireko decided to poke one of the mushrooms, causing it to briefly glow a light, fluorescent yellow and emit a chime sound similar to a wind chime.
"Whoa!"/"What the?" The Usami sisters exclaimed as they moved back, surprised at the sound.
Sumireko poked the mushroom once more, causing it to glow and make a chime once again. "Sounds beautiful," Sumireko commented before she poked a different mushroom in the cluster, causing that mushroom to briefly glow and make a slightly lower-pitched chime.
"I wonder how a mushroom can glow and emit a chime when touched," Renko said out loud.
"Come on, Renko," Sumireko responded. "This is a dream, not everything has to make perfect sense. Plus, while I am a bit curious as to how these mushrooms work, Maribel has promised us to show off her Dream Worlds, and I wouldn't want to keep her waiting." Sumireko then turned and noticed that Maribel and the two dreamers were heading their way, so she waved at them.
"You two having fun so far?" Maribel asked.
"Of course I am!" Answered Sumireko as she got up. "Who wouldn't be having fun if they were able to explore someone else's dreams?"
"I am, yeah," Renko replied more succinctly as she also got up and dusted herself.
"There's more to this world than these plants and mushrooms, so why don't I show you around?" Maribel asked.
"If there's more to show, then what are we waiting for? Let's go!" Sumireko responded as she regrouped with Maribel and the two dreamers, with Renko wordlessly following along.
After a few minutes of walking, the Sealing Club members came across a purple food-dispensing vending machine that had a trash can and a bench next to it.
"Ooh, a vending machine!" Sumireko said as she ran up to it and reached into her pockets to obtain some money. However, when Sumireko took a closer look at the vending machine, she realized that while the drinks and snacks were made apparent, the vending machine itself had no obvious labels and only one button.
As the rest of the Sealing Club members caught up with Sumireko, Sumireko turned towards the group in confusion. "How does this thing work, Maribel?"
"Oh, you just insert a coin into the machine," Maribel answered, "and after you do so, you press the button, which will then dispense a random food or drink for you to consume." Maribel then had a downcast look on her face. "I don't have any money on me, however."
"What do you mean, Maribel?" Renko asked. "Don't you have some money from the real world that you can use?"
"These vending machines only accept Dream Money," Madotsuki informed, "and since they are usually only randomly obtained from killing Projections, it would take a lot of bloodshed to obtain what only really amounts to pocket change."
"Projections?" Sumireko asked.
"They are creatures of all shapes and sizes that are kinda like NPCs in a video game," Madotsuki answered. "While they can be interacted with for the most part, don't expect them to be able to carry out a conversation."
"As for Maribel's money problems," Urotsuki said, "let me handle it." Urotsuki reached into her pockets and pulled out five silver-colored coins. "While I could just pay for all of you, I think it would be better if you all were to experience it yourself," Urotsuki said as she handed out one coin to each member of the Sealing Club members and kept one for herself.
"Are you sure you want to pay for us, Urotsuki?" Maribel asked as she and everyone else accepted Urotsuki's coins. "You don't have to if you don't want to."
"Yeah, I'm sure," Urotsuki answered. "After all, us bonding over this tour is more important than the dream money I'm handing out to you."
Maribel and the Usami sisters examined the coins Urotsuki gave them. On one side, there was the number one hundred in Hindu-Arabic numeral notation at the top, followed by the kanji for "dream" at the bottom. On the other side of the coin was a chibi version of Urotsuki's head in pixel art form.
"For a dream currency that holds no real value in the real world, these coins sure are intricately designed," Renko commented.
"From what I know, all dream coins start off very basic, with only the face value on both sides," Urotsuki informed. "Mine were initially similarly bland, and the first design I made was only a thought experiment. It wasn't until the next time I wanted to buy a snack at a vending machine that I noticed that the coin had changed to accommodate my design. The current design you see is the second design, and I don't plan to change it anytime soon."
"That sounds so cool," Sumireko said with amazement. "Are your coins similarly detailed, Maribel?"
"No, not really," Maribel answered. "I didn't even know it was possible, and even then, I see no real need to add my personal touch to them." Maribel then turned to Urotsuki. "Now that I think about it, Urotsuki, are you sure that your dream money works here?"
"Yep, the dream currency of all Dreamers can be used in someone else's dreams," Urotsuki answered. "It's just that as far as I'm aware, I'm the richest Dreamer around when it comes to Dream Money."
"Wait, Madotsuki said that you need to kill Projections to gain Dream Money," said Renko. "How much money do you have, and how many Projections did you kill?"
"I have about 120,000 Dream Money in my pockets," Urotsuki answered, "and before you ask, no, I didn't kill millions of Projections to gain that much money. There's one Projection in my dreams that has a higher chance than normal to drop 5,000 Dream Money, and there's also the piggy bank in my dream room that I break that gives me a relatively small amount of money every time I dream. Not only that, but there were a few nooks and crannies I found that had varying amounts of money just lying around, and there's even one Dream World where I can gamble for money. As for how many Projections I killed for money, I lost count, mostly because it's been so long since I haven't killed any Projection that wasn't the one worth 5,000 Dream Money."
"So just how do you kill these Projections?"
"With my Chainsaw Effect," Urotsuki answered. "Before you ask, no, killing projections isn't like killing an actual person, as they only spray out a single burst of blood before their dead body disappears, and despite appearances, all of that blood doesn't stain for long, as it seems that the dream eventually 'forgets' that it exists, just like how your normal dreams can sometimes 'forget' details after a certain period of time."
"I think we're getting a bit off topic here," Sumireko asked. "This was supposed to be a tour of Maribel's Dream Worlds, not a class of Dream Economics."
"Whoops, sorry about that," Urotsuki said. "I just got carried away with my explanations, that's all."
"Have you ever thought of becoming a teacher or a university professor?" Maribel asked. "You seem like you like to teach others on topics you're knowledgeable about."
"I have thought of it once or twice before," Urotsuki responded. "But I think that's enough talking, let's buy some snacks from this vending machine!"
Urotsuki walked up to the purple vending machine, inserted her coin into it, and pressed the "order" button. A moment later, a soda pop can was dispensed from the vending machine.
"Ah, soda," Urotsuki said to herself as she grabbed the soda can. "Can't beat the classics." Urotsuki then walked away from the vending machine and opened the soda can before drinking it.
"I'd like to go next!" Sumireko said as she ran to the vending machine and began to pay for it and order from it. Shortly afterward, Sumireko got a plate of caramel pudding and even a disposable spoon to go along with it.
"Oh, so you got some flan?" Urotsuki said. "How interesting."
"Why is it interesting?" Sumireko asked. "And this snack is called a 'flan'?"
"It's mostly because from what I know, most dreamers rarely have more than one type of snack or drink from a vending machine, much less two." Urotsuki briefly paused to finish the last of her soda before throwing the soda can away in the nearby trash bin. "I could be wrong on that front and the Dreamers I know might just be outliers in terms of their limited snack choices. Who knows? As for your snack, it is actually known under a few other names, 'caramel pudding' and 'caramel custard' being one of the few."
As Sumireko and Urotsuki had their brief discussion, Maribel was the next person to buy a random snack from the vending machine, which dispensed a cup of warm coffee. As she moved away from the vending machine to allow the next person to buy from it, she took a sip from her cup of coffee.
Renko was up next, and what she got from the vending machine was a cup of oolong tea. "So what did you get, Maribel?" Renko asked as she walked towards Maribel.
"I got a cup of coffee," Maribel replied before taking another sip. "What did you get?"
"Oolong tea for me," Renko replied. "Funny how you got my preferred caffeinated drink while you got mine, don't ya think?"
Maribel giggled in response. "It is."
Madotsuki was the last to buy from the vending machine, and what she got was a bottle of milk.
"So what did you get, Madotsuki?" Urotsuki asked as Madotsuki began to open and drink from her milk bottle. "I got some soda and Sumireko got flan."
"Hey, I wanted to reveal what I got!" Sumireko complained.
"Milk," Madotsuki simply replied before taking another drink of milk.
Overhearing Madotsuki and Urotsuki's conversation, Maribel turned to the two and decided to jump in. "I had coffee, while Renko had oolong tea," Maribel answered before she and Renko finished the last of their drinks and threw their cups away.
Urotsuki chuckled at Madotsuki's terse response as well as her realization that Sumireko was the only one who didn't get a drink. "Seems like Sumireko was the only one to not get a drink, huh?"
"Seems like it," Madotsuki answered before finishing the last of her milk and throwing the milk bottle away.
"Hey, Urotsuki, can you please lend me another coin?" Sumireko asked. "I want to buy another snack from the vending machine."
"Unless everyone wants another, no," Urotsuki replied. "So does anyone else here want another go at the vending machine? I, for one, don't."
"One snack is good enough for me," Maribel answered.
"Same here," Renko said in agreement.
"Nope," Madotsuki replied.
"Guess you're outnumbered, Sumireko," Urotsuki said as she turned to face Sumireko. "No more snacks for ya."
"Damn it," Sumireko said with a hint of disappointment. "Oh well. Guess there's always a next time."
"Now that everyone has had their snack, is everyone ready to resume the tour?" Maribel asked.
"Ready when you all are," Urotsuki answered.
"Yep," Sumireko replied.
"Yes, I am," Renko responded.
"Yes," Madotsuki answered.
"In that case, follow me," Maribel said as she began to walk as everyone else began to follow her.
Some time went by, and eventually, the Sealing Club members came across the shore of a river, along with a single-seat row boat docked at a simple dock.
"Ok, this might be a problem," Maribel said as she saw the dock. "There's only one boat here, and it's single-seated."
"Don't worry about it, Maribel," said Urotsuki. "Dream Worlds tend to accommodate for more than one person should there be anyone tagging along with the Dreamer hosting a tour," Urotsuki informed. "Should one of us get on the rowing boat and row some distance away, another one will immediately appear. We'll definitely have to go one at a time, however."
"I presume that we're gonna cross this river, Maribel?" Renko asked.
"Yes, indeed, so get on a boat, everyone," Maribel said as she made her way to one of the boats.
"This river sure looks rather wide for a river," Sumireko asked as she and everyone else followed Maribel. "You sure it's a river, much less one we can cross?"
"I assure you that this is an actual river that we can cross, Sumireko," Maribel replied as she pushed a rowing boat into the river before hopping in."I wouldn't have taken you through this path if it was anything else but crossable."
Once the Sealing Club members got their rowing boats into the river and hopped in them, they began to row across the river and towards their destination. After a few minutes of rowing, the mist that surrounded the forest and river began to thin out enough for the Sealing Club members to see the reflection of the forest and more of the dawn sky in the river.
(End: Yume 2kki OST: Forest Pier)
(Begin: Yume 2kki OST: Midnight Lake)
(Begin: Yume 2kki OST: Midnight Lake)
"I wish I could take a picture of this," said Urotsuki as she and everyone else soaked in the scenery. "The reflections of the forest and stars look beautiful."
Shortly afterward, a fish jumped out of the water from a distance, causing everyone to look at the source of the sound.
"Sometimes, a fish will jump out of the water from a distance every now and then," Maribel explained. "Even more rarely, a mermaid might appear, so keep an eye out for some sight-seeing."
After a few more minutes of rowing, Madotsuki saw a mermaid with a blue tail and dark-colored clothing jump out of the river, though the mermaid's distance and the dark coloring of the mermaid's clothing blended in with the background of the twilight sky made it difficult to identify specifics beyond the clothing possibly being a dark shade of either blue or green. "It's the mermaid, look!" She said as she pointed at the mermaid.
Everyone turned to look at the mermaid, who went for a second and last jump. With the already picturesque scenery, the mermaid had only added to the beauty to the scene, causing everyone to gasp in awe.
"You were right, Urotsuki," Renko said. "This is beautiful to look at."
The Sealing Club members eventually fell into silence as nothing more needed to be said.
(End: Yume 2kki OST: Midnight Lake)
After a while, the riverbank and forest where the Sealing Club members came from began to disappear from view and the already thin morning mist began to disappear as the riverbank on the opposite side of the river, as well as a bamboo forest, began to be visible as the sun began to rise.
(Begin: Yume 2kki OST: Gakuran)
"We are nearing our next destination, which is the Bamboo Forest," Maribel said. "The dock is up ahead, so I assume that we should be fine on getting there, right, Urotsuki?"
"That would be correct, Maribel," Urotsuki said. "Just like how getting on a boat and rowing away will eventually spawn another boat, getting out of one will eventually despawn the boat right up until the last person gets out of their boat."
Eventually, the Sealing Club members made it to the dock, and everyone soon left their rowboats.
"In the Bamboo Forest, there's a Japanese mansion, as well as a house and a stairway that extends to the sky and leads to a shrine, and that shrine leads to the Japanese Village," Maribel informed as she led the Sealing Club members into the Bamboo Forest. "We won't be visiting the mansion and shrine however, as the place I want to take you has a shortcut through the house."
After a while of walking through the bamboo forest, Sumireko began to have a bored expression on her face. "This bamboo forest is kinda boring in comparison to the misty forest earlier," Sumireko commented as she looked around.
"Don't say that Sumireko, that's rude!" Renko said in a scolding tone.
"It's fine, Renko," said Maribel. "While I do admit that the Bamboo Forest itself isn't much to look at, especially since I got lost in it the first few times I traveled here, the 3 locations it does have does make up for the forest's relative blandness."
The Sealing Club members eventually returned to traveling in silence for a few more minutes until Renko had a sudden question pop up in her head. "Say, Maribel?"
"Hm?" Said Maribel.
"Does time flow faster here compared to the real world like a normal dream?" Renko asked.
"Yes, it does, though I have no clue how fast it flows," Maribel answered. "I've done a few tests and only discovered that how much time has passed in the real world when dreaming fluctuates between each dream session."
"What about you two, Madotsuki and urotsuki?" Renko asked the two dreamers. "Do you know?"
"Nope, haven't really bothered to test that idea out," Urotsuki replied.
"I also have no clue," Madotsuki responded.
"Sorry we weren't able to answer your question, Renko," said Maribel.
"No worries Maribel, it was just a curiosity that popped up in my head, that's all," replied Renko.
The Sealing Club members once more eventually resumed traveling in the Bamboo Forest, and after a few minutes of walking, Maribel and the others began to see an outline of a house.
"Is that a house I see?" Sumireko asked.
"Your eyes aren't fooling you Sumireko, that is indeed a house," Maribel asked. "Not only that, but that house is where we are going to."
As the Sealing Club members got closer to the house, they were able to make out more details of it. It was a tan-colored, single-floor house with dark blue roof tiles, a porch, and a dark brown front door. Eventually, the Sealing Club members stopped walking as they reached the house's porch and were right outside of the front door.
As Maribel opened the front door, The Usami sisters had a look of surprise on their faces.
"H-hey Maribel, aren't you supposed to knock?" Sumireko asked.
"You don't have to knock on the doors to let yourself in, or even need to, as any door that's unlocked in my dreams, and presumably in Madotsuki's and Urotsuki's dreams, as well, means that you can enter it as you please," Maribel answered as she entered the house.
Madotsuki and Urotsuki wordlessly followed Maribel, and after the two usami sisters briefly looked at each other, they also decided to enter the house, with Sumireko being the first of the two to go first.
(End: Yume 2kki OST: Gakuran)
(Begin: Yume 2kki OST: Bridged Swamp Islands/Fairy Forest(Apple House))
Eventually, all of the Sealing Club members entered the house, revealing the interior to be rather rustic and having one large room that contains a kitchen, a dining area, and a living area. In the living area itself was a fireplace with an active fire in it, as well as an empty cauldron and a metal bucket of water next to it. Some distance away from the fireplace was a couch with a wooden frame and dark blue cushions, and sitting on the couch was a brown-haired woman reading a book, though she briefly stopped to wordlessly greet the Sealing Club by waving at them before resuming to read, and wearing stereotypical witch clothes, pointy hat included. Leaning on one side of the couch was a broom, presumably belonging to the witch.
"Oh hi, miss!" Sumireko greeted the witch with excitement. "Say, are you an actual witch, by any chance?" Sumireko asked the witch, ignoring Renko.
"She is indeed a witch, though I don't exactly have a name for her," Maribel answered. "The Witch sometimes does a different thing every now and then whenever I dream, and right now, she's just reading a book."
"Hey, let the girl talk for herself," Sumireko said to Maribel.
"None of the characters in my dreams can talk, so trying to will only be met in silence," Maribel said.
"Hey, Madotsuki and Urotsuki, is what Maribel saying true?" Sumireko asked the two dreamers.
"What Maribel said is correct, Sumireko," answered Madotsuki.
"As far as we know, none of a Dreamer's Projections can talk," Urotsuki added.
"If that's the case, then it must seem lonely to be here," said Sumireko.
The Usami Sisters and the two dreamers then heard a sizzling sound and turned to the source, revealing that Maribel had put out the fire in the fireplace.
"Why did you put the fire?" Sumireko asked.
"Shortcut's through here," Maribel answered. "We'll have to crawl through it, however, so follow me." Maribel then suddenly transformed and became shorter, equipping her Child Effect. Asides from Maribel's height difference and a more child-like face and body, Maribel's appearance and clothing haven't changed. Maribel then began to crouch down and crawl in the tunnel that the fire in the fireplace obscured.
"Wait, Maribel!" Renko said, stopping Maribel in her tracks. "Sumireko and I don't exactly have effects, let alone any that can change our size."
"Oh, right, I forgot," said Maribel as she crawled out of the fireplace tunnel, her voice sounding more like a child's due to her Child Effect. "This is the first time that I haven't traveled these dreams alone, so you'll have to forgive me."
"Don't worry, Maribel, I forgive you, especially given how you currently look," Sumireko said before going in to playfully pinch at child Maribel's cheek.
"Cut it out, Sumireko!" Renko said in a scolding tone as she slapped Sumireko's hand away from Maribel.
"Come on, even you admit that Maribel looks cute, don't ya?" Sumireko asked.
"Well, yeah, but that's not the point!" Renko answered.
"Hey, Renko, Sumireko?" Maribel said, interrupting the Usami sisters' argument. "Can one of you try to see if one of you can fit in this tunnel?"
"Not it!" Sumireko immediately replied.
"I was planning to go first, anyways," Renko said as she went into a prone position and examined the fireplace tunnel. "Looks big enough for me to fit," Renko said to herself before beginning to crawl into the tunnel. After a few moments, Renko finally managed to fully crawl into the tunnel. "It's somewhat tight, but I can manage to crawl into it," Renko said before crawling out. Eventually, Renko got out of the tunnel, got up, and dusted herself off. "I assume that the tunnel won't change how small it is, right?"
"Your assumption is indeed correct," Maribel said as she nodded. The tunnel's rather uniform, so you shouldn't have to worry."
"Alright, guess I have to go now," Sumireko said as she also began to test the tunnel. After fully crawling in, Sumireko crawled out of the tunnel and dusted herself off. "Seems like I can also fit through it."
"You have any Effects that can shrink yourselves down, Madotsuki and Urotsuki?" Maribel asked the two Dreamers.
"I have two, actually," Maribel said as she equipped her Child Effect before switching to her Fairy Effect.
"I have one, as well," Madotsuki said before equipping her Midget Effect, which despite its name, the Effect shrinks her down to the height where her knees would be.
"Then I guess that settles it," Maribel said. "Without further ado, let's go," said Maribel as she went first and began to crawl into the tunnel, followed by Madotsuki, Urotsuki, Renko, and Sumireko.
(End: Yume 2kki OST: Bridged Swamp Islands/Fairy Forest(Apple House))
Eventually, the Sealing Club managed to get to the other side of the tunnel and got out of it. As they dusted themselves off, and in the case of the three dreamers, unequipped their Effects, they found themselves in an empty and somewhat dark Medieval European-style house, with the only source of light being the sunlight streaming through the windows.
"It's awfully quiet here," Renko commented. "A bit too quiet, if you ask me."
"There's a reason for that, with that reason being very apparent once we get outside," Maribel said with a hint of apprehension as she began to walk to the front door of the house.
"I don't like the sound of that," Sumireko commented as she and the rest of the Sealing Club followed Maribel.
Once the Sealing Club exited the house, they were greeted with the sight of a crowd huddling around a pyre, and on that pyre was a human body being burned at the stake.
Opening AN: I hope you like the BGM I added.
Last edited:
BBDaM Chapter Three
Yirash
Sword-Stealing Nemesis
- Joined
- Sep 11, 2022
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- 10
(Yuque OST: Ashes)
The Usami sisters had a look of shock on their faces when they realized that they were looking at a person being burned at the stake in broad daylight. While Madotsuki and Urotsuki had become somewhat numb to sights such as this, as they had seen similarly horrific things before, both in dreams, as well as the real world once, they were still surprised at just how realistically grisly the scene was, with the one saving grace being that the person being burned seemed to already be dead.
"Well, that's a pleasant sight," Urotsuki sarcastically commented.
"I thought this was supposed to be a fun tour, Maribel," Sumireko said as she collected her nerves.
"Unfortunately, this dream world is the only way that gets us to the dream world I want to visit," Maribel replied.
"Hey, Maribel?" Asked Renko.
"Yes, Renko?" Maribel replied.
"You said that your chasers looked like medieval European people, correct?" Renko asked. "These people in this crowd sure do fit the bill."
"Yes, the people you see are a crowd of chasers. They are currently not in their chasing phase, and I recommend that you leave them alone. Asides from harming them, in this world, trying to put out the pyre will also trigger the chasers here."
Maribel then began to walk towards the direction of her destination by following a pathway, and the rest of the Sealing club soon followed. As the Sealing Club walked around the crowd of passive chasers, they, except Maribel, looked at the burning stake with morbid fascination. Eventually, the Sealing Club made it out of the village's square, putting the burning pyre out of sight.
(End: Yuque OST: Ashes)
After a while, the Sealing Club members made it to the outskirts of the village, revealing that the pathway they took led to a forest. As the Sealing Club made it to the outskirts, Maribel stopped to turn towards the rest of the Sealing Club members, who also stopped.
"I'm sorry if the burning at the stake soured your view on this tour, everyone," Maribel said as she bowed, "I'll make sure to plan out my tours better if we decide to have them again."
"While it was an unpleasant sight, to say the least, Madotsuki and I have seen similarly horrific things on our journeys through our own dreams," said Urotsuki. "Considering that this is your first time taking anyone on a tour through your dreams, it would be understandable that you would make a few mistakes here and there, so I forgive you."
"I also accept your apology," Madotsuki added.
The Usami sisters didn't immediately respond, but eventually, Renko was the first of the two sisters to reply to Maribel's apology. "I agree with Urotsuki, as if I was in your shoes, I would've also made a few mistakes while taking others on a tour. This is a novel experience, after all, so I forgive you."
Sumireko nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I also forgive you. Just make sure you don't take us through similarly nightmarish worlds next time if we ain't up for them."
Maribel smiled at the rest of the Sealing club members' responses as she stopped bowing. "Thank you all for accepting my apology. I'll make sure that the next tour will be better planned out next time. Until then, is anyone still willing to continue this tour?"
"Yes, I do," Madotsuki answered.
"Yep," Sumireko responded.
"I'm up for continuing this tour," Urotsuki replied.
"I'd also like to continue the tour," Renko said in response.
Upon hearing everyone's responses, Maribel turned back around to lead the Sealing Club members. "If that's the case, then without further ado, let's go," Maribel said before beginning to walk in the forest, with the rest of the group following along.
While the mood of the Sealing Club members back up compared to before, especially with how scenic the forest looked under the noon sky, their mood was tempered by the memory of the burning at the stake, and as a result, had mostly walked in silence. Eventually, they saw a clearing some distance away. As the group got closer, they began to see a brick wall with a steel-colored gate in it, with a pathway going through said gate. Beyond the walls and gate was a mansion that was mostly made of brick, with the mansion having a black rooftop and two tower-like protrusions on either side of it.
"This is our destination," Maribel said. "The Flower Manor."
(Begin: Yuque OST: Monochrome Mansion)
The Sealing Club members eventually reached the gates. Maribel touched the gates, causing them to slowly open inwards on their own, revealing that along both sides of the pathway were flower fields containing flowers of various kinds.
As the Sealing Club members entered the Flower Manor, they, except for Maribel, looked around in awe of the manor's beauty.
"Wow, this mansion is so beautiful!" Sumireko exclaimed. "And the flower fields, just look at how pretty they are!"
Urotsuki whistled in appreciation. "Wish I could live here."
Maribel smiled at the compliments, though her smile also held a hint of sadness to them. "Thank you," Maribel simply said as she bowed.
Renko chuckled at Maribel's actions. "Didn't know that you were quite the distinguished lady, Maribel-sama," Renko jokingly said as she bowed playfully.
Maribel had a brief look of confusion upon realizing that she didn't know exactly why she bowed when she did, but she brushed it off just as quickly as it came. "Come, and let me show you the inside of this mansion." Said Maribel. "After all, if you liked the outside, just wait until you see the interior." Maribel then took the first steps towards the Flower Manor, with the rest of the Sealing Club members following suit.
Eventually, the Sealing Club members, led by Maribel, reached the front doors of the Flower Manor. Maribel opened the doors, revealing the spacious and beautifully decorated entrance hall. The walls and ceiling of the hall, and by extension, the mansion itself, were white with gray decorations, while the floor was made of dark gray wood tiles. The entrance hall also had a stairway up ahead that led to the second floor, as well as two doorways, one on each side of the room. As the Sealing Club members entered the mansion, they, with the exception of Maribel, made exclamations of awe and wonder as they looked around to admire the foyer.
Urotsuki let out an amused huff. "Damn, the mansion sure looks beautiful despite it being monochromatic."
"Despite how big the mansion looks, it doesn't actually have that many rooms to explore," Maribel said as she gestured at the mansion. "Despite that, however, I'll give a brief tour of the mansion. Once that mini-tour is over, you're free to go where you please, with one notable exception."
"Where is that area, and why can't we go there?" Sumireko asked.
"The room's located on the second floor," Maribel replied. "I'll show you the exact room once we get up there, and the reason why you can't go in that room… Well, let's just say that it's a private matter and I don't want you to see it."
"So this restricted area is something sensitive to you?" Renko asked.
Maribel simply nodded in response. "With that out of the way, any questions?" Maribel asked, to which the rest of the Sealing Club members responded with a chorus of denial. "If that's the case, then let me show you around."
Despite the Usami sister's outward feelings of awe at the beauty of the mansion interior as the Sealing Club members trailed behind Maribel, the sight of the burning at the stake was seared into their memory and made them on edge. While the Usami sisters recognized that the burning was likely not as grisly as an actual burning, it was close enough to the real thing, so the sisters decided to deal with it in their own way. While Renko decided to simply bear with the memory for now, Sumireko wanted to soak in the sights of the mansion as much as she could in an attempt to bury the memory, even if that meant getting scolded by Renko for straying from the group before Maribel finished her tour.
Currently, the Sealing Club members was in a large room that contained a black piano in one corner of the room and numerous chairs along the walls. The room also had a large window that gave a view of a field of flowers, a fireplace on one side of the wall, and various paintings on the walls.
"Don't wander around, Sumireko," Renko said as Sumireko began to drift away from the rest of the Sealing Club members. "At least wait until Maribel gives an ok for us to freely explore."
"Come in, Renko, I'm not gonna go too far away," said Sumireko. "Besides, I don't exactly know where the off-limits room is on the second floor, so I won't even touch it until we actually get there."
"Let her be, Renko," Maribel said as she turned towards the Usami sisters upon realizing what the commotion was about. "If she wants to do her own thing while knowing her limits, then I trust her to follow through."
Renko mentally debated with herself and eventually came to a conclusion with a sigh. "Fine, I guess you can go, Sumireko," said Renko. "Just don't go too far, ya hear?"
"Yeah, I hear ya, I hear ya," Sumireko said as she began to leave the group and explore on her own.
After Sumireko left the group, Maribel resumed guiding the rest of the Sealing Club members through the manor.
"Hey, Maribel, do the paintings in this room hold any meaning to you, by any chance?" Madotsuki asked as she and Urotsuki looked at a group of paintings.
"No, not really," Maribel answered. "In fact, the only painting in this entire mansion is the one in the restricted bedroom."
"I see," Madotsuki simply said.
"Now that we've seen this room, let's head over to the next and last room on this floor," said Maribel as she led the group out of the current room they were in.
After passing through the foyer once again, the group entered what could only be described as a library, as there were many bookshelves within the room, as well as a table and a few chairs surrounding the table. As the group entered the library, they stumbled upon Sumireko, who was reading a book with a confused look on her face. Sumireko looked up from her book as she heard footsteps and saw the rest of the Sealing Club members.
"Oh, hey, didn't expect all of you to get here so fast," said Sumireko.
"Maribel did say that there weren't that many rooms in the manor, so it would've been inevitable for us to see each other again," Urotsuki said.
"Oh right, I forgot about that," Sumireko said as she chuckled.
Renko had also forgotten about the manor only having a few rooms, but she made no mention of it.
"Hey, Maribel, since you're the Dreamer of these worlds, you know how to read books?" Sumireko asked as she pointed at the book she was holding.
"No, unfortunately," Maribel answered. "They are gibberish to me, so I can only assume that it would also be gibberish to you."
"Yeah, you're right," Sumireko replied. "The language here doesn't look like anything I know, but that could just be the work of dream logic making up a gibberish language."
"Now that we're all here, let's go upstairs, as this is the only other room on this floor," Maribel said as she began to leave the library.
"Wow, you really weren't kidding when you said that this mansion didn't have that many rooms," Sumireko said as she and the rest of the Sealing Club members followed Maribel.
(End: Yuque OST: Monochrome Mansion)
After leaving the library, the Sealing Club members returned to the entrance hall and walked up the stairs, revealing that the second floor was just a hallway that had three doors, one on each side and one at the very end of the hallway.
"And here's the hallway that leads to the second-floor bedrooms," Maribel said as she gestured at the hallway.
"Hey, Maribel?" Sumireko asked.
"Yes, Sumireko?" Replied Maribel.
"Can I go ahead for a bit?" Sumireko asked. "There isn't much else for you to show besides these bedrooms."
"You may, just-" Maribel answered, but she stopped herself when she saw that Sumireko immediately left the group to wander off on her own.
"Sumireko!" Renko said in a scolding tone. "At least listen to what Maribel has to say before you go!"
"It's fine, Renko," Maribel said as she sighed. "I'll just quickly shout to her on where she shouldn't go, since the restricted room is up ahead."
However, before Maribel could inform Sumireko where the private room was, Maribel suddenly had a look of horror on her face as she noticed that Sumireko was heading right towards the restricted bedroom, which was the second door down on the right of the hallway. "Sumireko, wait!" Maribel yelled, but it was already too late, as Sumireko had entered the restricted bedroom.
Renko clicked her tongue in frustration. "Sumireko!" Renko yelled in frustration as she ran ahead to get Sumireko.
"No, no, no, no, they shouldn't go there!" Maribel said, her voice full of panic as she ran after the two Usami sisters.
Realizing that things could get really ugly for Maribel, Madotsuki and Urotsuki briefly looked at each other with worry on their faces before nodding and wordlessly agreeing to get Sumireko out of the restricted room and began to run after Maribel.
By the time Renko had reached the restricted bedroom's entrance, she saw that Sumireko had already touched the human-sized purple Chinese Bellflower that decorated the room, which soon caused Sumireko to be teleported.
While Renko briefly noted that the flower was the only splash of color in the mansion, she had a far more pressing matter to think about. "SUMIREKO!!" Renko yelled in anger as her sister's impulsiveness tested her patience to its limits and entered the bedroom, eventually reaching the large Chinese Bellflower.
Maribel soon entered the restricted bedroom and saw Renko touch the Bellflower. "RENKO, WAIT!!" Maribel shouted at Renko as she reached out to Renko, but just as Renko turned to Maribel, she suddenly disappeared, having been teleported to wherever the Bellflower took her.
Upon seeing Renko get teleported to the restricted area, Maribel froze in a catatonic state. As the realization that the two Usami sisters had already entered the one area they were not supposed to be in, she began to move forward once more as she let out a roar of frustration and sorrow with tears beginning to form. Maribel soon reached the Chinese Bellflower and touched it, causing her to be teleported to the restricted area.
Madotsuki and Urotsuki reached the restricted bedroom just as Maribel touched the large Chinese Bellflower, and upon seeing that the room was empty after Maribel got teleported, they realized that it was already too late. Not wanting to add more fuel to the fire, as well as wanting to respect Maribel's privacy, the two remaining members of the Secret Sealing Club members decided to stay behind and wait out any consequences that might happen.
The first thing that Sumireko saw was that she was standing in a vast field of various flowers at noon, extending as far as the eye could see with the flowers swaying along with the wind.
"This area is beautiful, so why did-" Sumireko was about to say when she stopped as she noticed a woman standing some distance away with her back turned towards Sumireko.
A blonde, long-haired woman who was wearing a purple dress and white mob cap with a red ribbon tied on top, and was holding a pink parasol that shielded the Purple-Dressed Woman from the sunlight.
"SUMIREKO!!" Sumireko heard a voice say with anger. As she turned to see the source of the voice, it was none other than Renko, who had a furious look on her face. "JUST WHY DID YOU HAVE TO RUN OFF LIKE THAT?!!"
"Why? WHY!?" Sumireko said, her anger rising. "Because I just wanted to have fun on this tour, that's all!"
"By ignoring Urotsuki and Madotsuki's advice, as well as Maribel's wishes on where not to go!?"
"How was I supposed to know-?!"
"You would have known, if you had STAYED, and LISTENED, to Maribel, BACK, at the HALLWAY!!"
"Renko! Sumireko!" The two sisters turned to who was addressing them, revealing that it was none other than Maribel, who had tears in her eyes and turned into a child.
"Maribel?" Said Renko, not knowing just what happened to Maribel.
"What happened to you?" Sumireko asked.
"Why did you two-" Maribel said when she gasped and stopped herself upon noticing the Purple-Dressed Woman.
The two Usami sisters slowly followed Maribel's gaze as she took a tentative step towards the Purple-Dressed Woman and a feeling of longing began to fill her.
Maribel slowly began to take a few more steps, eventually picking up speed until she was sprinting, but despite Maribel's speed, the distance between her and the Purple-Dressed Woman seemed as if it didn't decrease at all.
The Purple-Dressed Woman took notice of Maribel's running, so she began to turn to face Maribel, but before the Purple-Dressed Woman's face could be revealed, Maribel felt reality pulling at her, and she, along with the rest of the Sealing Club members, were forcibly woken up.
When the Secret Sealing Club members came to, they found themselves back in the real world and in the classroom they were in for their meeting. Madotsuki, Renko, Sumireko, and Urotsuki immediately began to look at Maribel with various emotions as they noticed that she held both of her hands at her mouth and was struggling to hold in both her tears and her emotions, with Madotsuki, Renko, and Urotsuki looking on with ever-growing worry, and Sumireko with horror and guilt on her face as she realized what she had done.
Eventually, Maribel's emotions were too much for her to hold in, and she began to sob loudly as an overwhelming flow of sorrow and longing began to pour out of her. Renko immediately moved in to hug Maribel and did her best to comfort Maribel as everyone else was paralyzed with uncertainty on what to do.
Last edited:
BBDaM Chapter Four
Yirash
Sword-Stealing Nemesis
- Joined
- Sep 11, 2022
- Messages
- 11
- Likes received
- 10
Opening AN: Kept you waiting, huh? Sorry it took so long to write this chapter, and also sorry for forgetting about this story here.
Edit 1: Notable edits include important character portraits. Still figuring out how to make the fallout of maribel seeing the Purple Dress Lady flow properly, as I now have the free time to focus on that.
Eventually, Maribel stopped crying and calmed down. As soon as Sumireko had the chance, she got up from her seat and immediately began to bow. "I'm so sorry, Maribel! I didn't know that entering that room would make you feel this way!"
"Sumireko," Renko said in a stoic tone that betrayed the fury she held in. "This wouldn't have happened if you had simply followed directions."
"I a-accept your apo-apology," Maribel said between her sniffles and hiccups.
"But, Merry, she-" Renko was about to say when she was interrupted by Maribel.
"Renko, pl-please, accept Sumi-umireko's apology. I d-don't want to see y-you two fight."
Renko simply stammered, conflicted on how to respond. Eventually, she sighed and turned towards her sister. "I forgive you, but only if you promise not to overstep your boundaries and follow the guidelines, especially on the off-chance we explore Mary's dreams again."
"I will, I promise!" Sumireko said, still bowing.
Renko took another sigh before turning towards Madotsuki and Urotsuki. "I'm sorry you had to see this, you two, especially since this is your first meeting here in the Secret Sealing Club."
The two dreamers, who had simply and awkwardly listened in to the conversation between Maribel and the Usami sisters up to this point, turned towards Renko, with Urotsuki being the first to respond.
"Huh? Oh, uh, it's fine, Renko," Urotsuki said as she nervously rubbed the back of her neck. "Madotsuki and I sometimes experienced moments like these when we encountered each other and our other Dreamer friends."
"I concur," Madotsuki added as she nodded, her otherwise stoic expression having a hint of awkwardness. "Sometimes, intentionally or not, bad memories and/or triggers are brought up when hanging out with each other, and we help each other in dealing with them as best as we can, especially if the person brings up the bad memories or triggers to confront them."
"Still, that doesn't change the fact that your first meeting here hasn't exactly gotten off on the right foot, and for that, I apologize," Renko said as she began to bow.
"As I've said before, it's fine, Renko, really," said Urotsuki.
"I accept your apology," Madotsuki added in response.
Renko stopped bowing and took a sigh of frustration. "We're ending this club meeting early, as I feel that continuing will just leave a worse taste in our mouths than it already has. Madotsuki and Urotsuki, you two can go home if you want."
"You sure?" Urotsuki asked.
Yeah I'm sure," Renko answered. "The rest of us can clean up from here."
"Alright, if you say so," said Urotsuki. "If you don't mind me asking, assuming that there'll be a next meeting, when will it occur?"
Renko shrugged in response. "I don't know. Generally, Sumireko is the one who decides when we have our meetings, and up to this point, the Club was more of a formalized meeting between us three more than anything else."
Sumireko, who had been silent up to this point, had decided to speak up. "If it's okay with Maribel, we could have our next meeting be tomorrow." Sumireko said as she turned to Maribel, silently asking for her approval.
"I think that's fine," Maribel said as she nodded in response.
"Are you sure about that, Maribel?" Urotsuki asked, to which Maribel nodded in response once more. Urotsuki then looked towards Madotsuki for her response, silently asking if she had anything to add, to which Madotsuki shook her head in denial. "If that's the case, Madotsuki, then I guess we're done here," Urotsuki said as she got up and grabbed he things. "You coming with?"
"Yeah," Madotsuki responded as she also got up and grabbed her things. "I wouldn't want to impose on Maribel and the sisters, especially since this incident is between them." The two Dreamers soon left the room, leaving behind Maribel and the Usami sisters as the remaining members of the Sealing Club.
Madotsuki and Urotsuki had walked together in silence after leaving school, the incident over at the club still fresh in their minds. Eventually, they reached a point during their walk back home where they would go their separate ways, and as they had reached the point, Urotsuki had stopped walking.
"Well, I guess I'll see ya tomorrow, then," said Urotsuki.
"Yeah, see ya tomorrow," Madotsuki said.
Just as the two Dreamers were about to go their separate ways, they noticed a woman come around the block some distance ahead of them.
"Is that-- That's Yomika," Madotsuki said as she recognized the now-named Yomika.
"Hey, Yomika, over here!" Urotsuki as she waved at the now-named Yomika.
Yomika looked up and at the direction of Urotsuki's voice, and as soon as she recognized her, speed-walked her way to Madotsuki and Urotsuki, eventually catching up to the two Dreamers and revealing that Yomika had shoulder-length dark purple-blue hair covering half of their face and dark blue eyes. In addition, she wore a brown skirt and a green shirt with dark green sleeves and a dark green zigzag pattern going down the middle of the shirt.
"Any news from Chie and Sabitsuki?" Madotsuki asked Yomika as soon as Yomika got within speaking distance.
Yomika nodded in response before she began to speak. "Chie is getting along better with her adopted parents. Progress is slow, but it's a start. As for Sabitsuki, she says that her mother have been making progress on creating the cure to her world's pandemic that's based on her antibodies."
"Nice to hear that Chie's doing just fine, and I hope that Sabitsuki's world recovers from their apocalypse," Urotsuki said.
"Gods bless her world a speedy recovery," Yomika said in a solemn tone. "And what about you two? Is there anything you girls would like to share?"
"Yeah," Madotsuki answered. "We made some new friends with a Dreamer and her friends at school. The Dreamer's name is Maribel Hearn, and her friends are Sumireko and Renko Usami, with Renko being the older sister."
"Oh, so you made friends with a Dreamer?" Yomika asked. "Do tell."
Madotsuki and Urotsuki nervously looked at each other, wondering who should be the one to spill the beans.
Yomika studied the looks on Madotsuki and Urotsuki's faces. "Judging by the looks you two are giving each other, I presume that something bad happened?"
"Yes, unfortunately," Madotsuki responded.
"While things started off well, it went down horribly at the end," Urotsuki added.
"Is that so?" Yomika rhetorically asked. "Mind explaining?"
After a moment of silence, Madotsuki took a deep breath and began to speak. "So it all started when we got two new transfer students for our homeroom…."
After Madotsuki had finished recalling what had happened over at the Sealing Club meeting, Yomika closed her eyes as she silently formulated a response. After a moment of silence, she opened her eyes as she began to finally respond. "I see, so that's what happened. While I personally disapprove of you two not staying behind to help smooth things over, I also don't exactly blame you two for deciding to leave if Renko said that they could handle it on their own. From the sounds of things, Renko and Maribel seem awfully close, close enough for Maribel to reveal her Dreamer status to a non-Dreamer."
"Is that a bad thing, Yomika?" Urotsuki asked.
"Not exactly," Yomika said as she shook her head. "While I had advised you two on keeping your Dreamer status a secret, at the end of the day, it is up to you on if you decide to reveal it and how you should do it, and from what Madotsuki said, it seems that Maribel had only revealed her Dreamer status to Renko and Sumireko." Yomika then turned to Madotsuki. "Is that correct?"
"Yes, indeed," Madotsuki answered.
"I see," said Yomika. "If it is possible, I would like to drop in on the next meeting of the Sealing Club."
"I'll ask for the other's permission, but assuming that they'll accept, just how will you get in?" Urotsuki asked. "While I don't doubt that your Mask Effect will make you invisible to non-Dreamers, I doubt that doors suddenly being opened by seemingly no one will make things subtle, and I also doubt that you won't be spotted by Maribel."
"I am not going to loiter around your school for the entire school day, if that was what you two were wondering," Yomika answered. "After the school day is over, I'll be hanging out at the entrance to our world at the hyper Nexus, and once the Usami sisters and Maribel approve of my visit, one of you will go visit the Hyper Nexus and inform me of their approval. While I won't wake up at your location, it doesn't matter, as I can just teleport to it."
"You sure you just want to casually reveal your teleportation to the Sealing Club, Yomika?" Madotsuki asked, her and Urotsuki already being aware of them.
"As Maribel had already shared of her Dreamer status to the Usami sisters, I might as well not hide them, as well as my status of being both a Guardian and a Dreamer," Yomika answered.
"But what if they don't approve of your visit?" Urotsuki asked.
Yomika shrugged. "If they don't approve, then they don't approve," Yomika said in a rare case of her using more casual language than usual. "So, do you two agree with the idea?"
"Alright, I guess I'll go with it," Urotsuki replied. "Worst thing that'll happen is that either Madotsuki or I will just waste a few moments traveling to and from the Hyper Nexus."
Madotsuki nodded in response. "I don't see anything wrong with it."
"Then this matter is settled," said Yomika. "I will be seeing you two and the rest of the Secret Sealing Club tomorrow."
"Bye, Yomika," Madotsuki said.
"See ya," said Urotsuki.
Yomika nodded at the two before going her own way. As for the other two Dreamers, since they had already said their goodbyes before Yomika's sudden appearance, they simply looked at each other and nodded before going their separate ways.
On the next day after school, the members of the Secret Sealing Club began to trickle in awkward silence as Maribel's breakdown yesterday was still fresh in the mind of the members. Eventually, they all took their seats around the table in the classroom, still in awkward silence.
"So… does anyone want to do anything today?" Sumireko eventually asked, breaking the awkward silence with the bluntness of a sledgehammer.
As silence filled the room once more, Madotsuki and Urotsuki shared a glance with each other, which Maribel and the Usami sisters took notice of. After a while, Urotsuki nodded, wordlessly telling Madotsuki that she'll be the one to break the news. "There is something I'd like to bring up," Urotsuki said.
The Usami sisters and Maribel looked at each other for a moment before nodding at each other. "So what do you have to say?" Maribel asked as the three turned to face Urotsuki.
"So remember how I mentioned how Madotsuki and I also have a small group of Dreamer friends of our own?" Urotsuki asked.
"No, actually," Sumireko answered.
"I don't think you did," Renko replied.
"And if you did, then perhaps we've simply forgotten about it," Maribel added.
"Really now?" Urotsuki asked to herself. "Did I mention that, Madotsuki?" Urotsuki asked as she turned to Madotsuki.
"I don't think so," Madotsuki answered.
"If that's the case, then I guess I really didn't mention it," Urotsuki said as she turned back towards the group. "Well, regardless if I did or not, Madotsuki and I do have a small group of Dreamer friends. After Madotsuki and I left, we encountered one of them as we walked home, and after sharing you guys with them, they said that they'd like to drop by if that's fine with you."
Maribel and the Usami sisters had looks of confusion on their faces, with Renko being the first to respond. "Uh, sure, they can drop by if they can, but from the sounds of things, they don't exactly come to this school, so how just how will they just get here?"
"Will they sneak in here like a ninja?" Sumireko asked as she got up and made sneaking motions as Renko rolled her eyes at Sumireko's antics. "Or will they use their ultimate teleportation powers to break in this school?"
"The latter, actually, and they plan to teleport here as soon as they get word of your approval," Madotsuki answered.
"Wait, really?" Sumireko asked with genuine interest as she sat down as Renko and Maribel looked also on with interest.
"You're joking, right, Madotsuki?" Renko asked.
"I wish Mado was joking, but as crazy as it sounds, she's not," Urotsuki answered for Madotsuki.
The Usami sisters and Maribel stared at the faces of Madotsuki and Urotsuki, looking for any signs of deception. After a short while, they didn't find any on Madotsuki and Urotsuki's serious faces, which caused Renko to sigh in disbelief.
"Renko!" Maribel said in a chiding tone, who had been pretty quiet up to this point.
"Hey, come on how, don't give us that, Renko," said Urotsuki.
"I apologize," Renko said. "It just sounds a bit absurd, that's all."
"No more absurd than Sumireko having psychic powers and us and Maribel having strange dream powers?" Madotsuki asked.
"Well, when you put it like that, not really," Renko answered.
"Assuming that we accept of your friend coming here, just how will you inform of them?" Maribel asked. "From the sounds of things, this friend of yours sounds like they'll pop in here right at this moment."
Urotsuki huffed with confidence upon hearing Maribel's concern. "The answer's quite simple. Once you three approve, I'll sleep and travel to the Hyper Nexus. There, I'll tell this friend of your approval, and once I wake up back here, they'll lock on to my location and teleport here."
"The Hyper Nexus?" Maribel asked. "What's that?"
"As much as I'd like to answer that, I think we're getting a bit off-track," Urotsuki said. "So about our Dreamer friend, do you three accept their visit?"
"Of course I do, I would be an idiot to pass up the sight of casual teleportation!" Sumireko immediately responded.
"I would also like to see this friend of yours, especially if they can get here as quickly as you say," Maribel answered.
Renko took a moment to reply, causing everyone else to look and wait for her response, and eventually, she made her decision. "I guess I'm fine with it."
"If that's the case, then wait a moment or two, I'll get this friend of ours," Urotsuki said as she began to rest herself on the table and close her eyes, preparing herself for travel to the Hyper Nexus.
"Wait, you're gonna actually get them now?" Renko asked.
"Yeah, I am," answered Urotsuki, briefly opening her eyes to look at Maribel as she spoke before closing them back. Eventually, Urotsuki fell asleep, and as she had done so, the rest of the Club silently waited in anticipation.
When Urotsuki came to, She found herself in a vast and infinite room that seemed to have no walls or ceiling and had various human-sized objects that were neatly arranged in a grid, each of them being an entrance to another world. As Urotsuki looked around what was essentially the Hyper Nexus, she soon found the friend she was talking about to the rest of the club, that friend being Yomika, who noticed Urotsuki's arrival.
"Yo, Yomika!" Urotsuki said as she waved at her. "The Usami sisters and Maribel said that they're cool with your visit!"
"Is that so?" Yomika rhetorically asked. "No use in waiting any longer. I will be there shortly, just give me a moment or two to teleport to your location."
"Take all the time you need," Urotsuki said before she pinched her cheek and woke herself up.
The Sealing Club members saw Urotsuki rouse from her quick dream.
"So is Yomika coming?" Madotsuki asked.
"Yup, just give her a moment to lock on to our location and she'll be here any minute now."
Not long after Urotsuki spoke, a small and black vortex suddenly appeared between Madotsuki and Urotsuki, and just as quickly as it appeared, Yomika had also appeared, with Maribel and the Usami sisters learning very quickly that the vortex originated from left eye, which glowed an unnatural icy blue as the vortex had shrank back to nothingness before Yomika's eye faded away to a dark blue.
"Greetings to you three," Yomika said to Maribel and the Usami sisters as she took a small bow and they looked on in surprise. "My name is Yomika. It is a pleasure to meet you."
"That was fast," Madotsuki commented, which Urotsuki responded with a snort of amusement.
"A good thing, should you be in danger," Yomika said in response.
"How kind of you to care for us that much," Urotsuki quipped.
"Whoa, so you can teleport, Yomika?" Sumireko excitedly asked, interrupting the three Dreamer's conversation. "How does it work?"
Yomika looked at Sumireko, wondering if she should actually tell her. While she did receive word from Madotsuki and Urotsuki that Maribel confided her Dreamer status to the Usami sisters, Yomika herself was still unsure if she trusted Sumireko. In the end, Yomika's internal debate had only lasted for a brief moment before she ultimately decided to share her information.
"I don't know everything about how my teleportation works, but to keep it short and concise, how my teleportation works is that I have a vague feeling of where Madotsuki and Urotsuki are, though outside of actually teleporting to them, it never gets more specific than their general direction and an imprecise feeling of distance. For privacy's sake, however, I weaken that feeling even further so that it only tells me that they are in this world, and only lift that restriction when I intend to teleport to them."
"She rarely ever teleports to us, however, and perfers to either simply visit our homes through normal ways, or meet up with us at the Hyper Nexus," Urotsuki added.
"That reminds me, Urotsuki," said Renko as she turned to face Urotsuki. "You never did explain what the Hyper Nexus was when I first asked."
"Ah, right, apologies for that," Urotsuki said. "To put it simply, the Hyper Nexus is a higher dimension that contains gateways to real worlds that has at least one Dreamer, ours included."
"Wait just a minute, are you telling me that there's a gateway to many worlds, and that not only is the Multiverse Theory is real, but that both you and Urotsuki have casually traveled to other worlds?" Renko asked again.
"We've only traveled to one other world so far, but yeah, basically," Urotsuki responded.
"That's so cool!" Sumireko exclaimed. "So what did the other world look like?"
Madotsuki and Urotsuki flinched in response to Sumireko's question, which the rest of the Sealing Club members took notice of.
"Umm… about that…" Madotsuki said hesitantly. "It's not doing too well at the moment."
"Things hadn't been too well over there for the past few years," Urotsuki added.
"I'm sorry to hear that," Maribel said solemnly. "I hope that world gets better soon."
Urotsuki chuckled at Maribel's words. "If it's of any consolation, our Dreamer friend over there has nerves of fucking steel for weathering the storm over there."
"Oh, you have a Dreamer friend over there?" Maribel asked. "What's their name, if you don't mind me asking?"
"Glad you asked," Urotsuki said as she grinned. "Her name's Sabitsuki."
"Sabitsuki looks rough on the outside, but she's actually a nice girl," Madotsuki added.
"Can you tell us more about Sabitsuki?" Sumireko asked.
Yomika, who had been content to let Madotsuki and Urotsuki do the talking up to this point, decided to speak up. "No," she immediately and bluntly answered.
"Why not?" Sumireko asked again.
"I can answer that, Yomika," Madotsuki said. "We promised Sabitsuki that we wouldn't tell anything about her other than her name and the general state of her home."
"I'm assuming that you three also can't tell us why?" Renko asked.
"That would be correct," Madotsuki answered.
"Pretty much, yeah," Urotsuki responded.
"Indeed," Yomika replied.
"Aw man, I was hoping to get to know them somehow," Sumireko said.
"We can't exactly just get up and meet up with Sabitsuki, Renko." Renko said in response. "While I can assume that it's possible for Merry to enter the Hyper Nexus, the same can't be said for us."
"Well yeah, that's why I want to know her through Madotsuki and Urotsuki."
"Actually…" Maribel said, interrupting the Usami sisters's conversation. "...I think you two can enter the Hyper Nexus."
"Wait, really? How?" Sumireko said with excitement.
"What do you mean, Merry?" Renko asked.
"Well, if you two were able to enter my dreams, then it can be safe to assume that you two can also enter the Hyper Nexus the same way," Maribel explained.
"Alright everyone, listen up!" Sumireko said excitedly as she slammed her hands on the table, getting everyone's attention. "Today, the Secret Sealing Club will attempt to enter the Hyper Nexus!" Sumireko then paused briefly for dramatic effect. "Or die trying."
Maribel covered her mouth with her hand as she chuckled at Sumireko's chunni behavior while Renko sighed as she rolled her eyes.
"Say, Renko, is Sumireko always this dramatic?" Asked Yomika.
"Yes, unfortunately, and 'dramatic' is one way to put it," Renko answered.
"Hmm, I see," Yomika replied.
"So, Yomika, you cool with bringing Renko and Sumireko along to the Hyper Nexus?" Urotsuki asked.
"If Maribel trusts Renko and Sumireko, then I see no problem bringing them along," Yomika answered as she nodded before turning towards Maribel. "However, I do wonder just how you plan to bring the Usami sisters along, Maribel."
"The idea's quite simple," Maribel replied. "Just as how we all held hands to enter my dreams…" Maribel briefly paused as the Purple-Dressed Woman incident inadvertently popped up in her head, which Renko took notice of. "...We close our eyes and hold hands while all of us Dreamers try to take us to the Hyper Nexus. Does everyone agree with it?"
"Hell yeah, I do!" Sumireko said with her signature excitement.
"Sounds like a plan to me," Urotsuki answered.
"It's worth a shot," Renko responded.
"I can go with that," Madotsuki replied.
"That sounds agreeable, Maribel," Yomika said as she nodded.
"Now that everyone's on board, does anyone have any questions?"
"I do, actually," Renko answered before turning to Urotsuki, Madotsuki, and Yomika. "How exactly did you three discover the Hyper Nexus?"
"No clue," Urotsuki answered with a shrug. "About a month ago, we were about to take a tour through my dreams, and next thing we knew, we somehow ended up in the Hyper Nexus."
"What about you two, Yomika and Madotsuki?" Renko asked again. "Do you know?"
"Unfortunately, I do not, Renko," Yomika answered.
"I'm just as lost as they are," Madotsuki replied. "sorry about that."
"No worries, Madotsuki," Renko responded. "It was just a curiosity, of mine, that's all." Renko then turned to Maribel. "That was the only question I had, Merry."
"Anyone else have any questions?" Maribel asked.
"None here," Yomika answered.
"I don't," Urotsuki replied.
Madotsuki simply shook her head in response.
"Nope, now let's go!" Sumireko said with a hint of impatience.
Maribel chuckled at Sumireko's eagerness. "If that's the case, then let's begin. First, I want everyone to hold hands." Once everyone had done so, Maribel resumed speaking. "Next, I want everyone to close their eyes while us Dreamers think of sending us all the Hyper Nexus."
"Are you sure this will work, Maribel?" Yomika said as she and everyone else closed their eyes.
"Madotsuki had also proposed that we do this when we entered my dreams, so why not try it now now?"
"Understandable." Yomika and the rest of the dreamers then began to think of heading to the Hyper Nexus. After a few seconds of waiting, everyone felt something pull at them, but instead of the pull being sleep, it was the pull of teleportation, causing the members of the Sealing Club members and Yomika to disappear.
When the Sealing Club members and Yomika reappeared, the first thing they saw was the Hyper Nexus and its various entrances to real worlds.
"So this is the Hyper Nexus," Maribel said as she, Sumireko, and Maribel looked around to examine it.
"This is a pretty big place," Renko commented.
"Big? I bet that this place is as large as the universe! Entrances as far as the eye can see!" Sumireko said.
"Don't go running into them now, Sumi," Renko reminded.
"I know, I know," Sumireko responded. "These do lead to actual real worlds, and I'm not stupid enough to get lost in one." Sumireko then turned towards Madotsuki, Urotsuki, and Yomika. "Now that I think of it, it does bring up a question. Just how do we get back to our world? Considering that these are real worlds, I doubt that we can just simply try to wake up."
"That is actually a good question, Sumireko," said Yomika. "Normally, Madotsuki, Urotsuki, and I either use our Effects that bring us back to our Nexus to return here or we just return to the location of the entrance in the other world and think of either the Hyper Nexus or our home before entering. I can only hope that the latter is also true for both you and Renko."
"As good an answer as any, I suppose," Renko said in a slightly disappointed tone.
"Come on, don't be such a downer, Renko!" Sumireko responded. "We're here now, so nothin' ventured, nothin' gained!" Renko then turned towards the Dreamers. "Where to?"
"I donno," Urotsuki answered as she shrugged. "We're kinda spoiled for choice here with the sheer amount of entrances there are."
"How about the Torii gate over there?" Madotsuki answered, pointing towards a bright red Torii gate that was much smaller than usual, with the Torii gate being just large enough that a single human could walk right through it.
"Ah, an eye for the traditional, I see," Urotsuki quipped. "Why not? It's not like there are an infinite of other entrances we can't try."
"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go!" Sumireko said as she skipped over to the Torii gate, with everyone else shortly following her.
Once the group got to the Torii gate, they all wordlessly got into a single file line, with Sumireko at the front, followed by Maribel, Renko, Urotsuki, Madotsuki, and Yomika.
"Nice to see that everyone was nice enough to get in line," Urotsuki commented in amusement, which caused the Sealing Club members, minus Sumireko, to chuckle in response.
Sumireko took a deep breath. "Here goes nothing," she said before walking through the Torii gate, disappearing as she did so, with everyone else following shortly afterward.
After the Sealing Club members and Yomika entered the Torii gate, they found themselves on the grounds of a relatively small Japanese Shinto shrine. While everyone looked around with wonder and curiosity, Sumireko looked around with surprise, as while she hadn't exactly been to this shrine before, this world had an aura that felt exactly like the one she visited in her dreams while spreading the Occult Balls all over it.
"I like this place," said Urotsuki. "It's beautiful in its quaintness and simplicity."
"I can only hope that we're not trespassing around here," Maribel said with worry.
"Well, if you're worried about that, the sooner we leave, the better the chances we won't get caught," Urotsuki as she began to walk towards the pathway leading towards the shrine and steps.
"Wait a minute, all of you," Yomika said, stopping everyone from walking as she looked around with her eyes narrowed.
"What is it, Yomika?" Madotsuki asked as she and everyone else turned towards her.
"Don't you all feel something strange about this world?" Yomika asked everyone, causing Sumireko to flinch in shock.
"Uh, n-n-no, I don't feel anything off about this world," Sumireko said nervously.
"You okay, Sumi?" Renko asked her sister, putting her hand on one of Sumireko's shoulder.
"Huh?" Sumireko said in response. "Oh, oh yeah, I'm fine, heh heh! Nothin' to worry about!" Sumireko said as she scratched the back of her head.
"She's probably just nervous about traveling to another world, Renko," Maribel said. "After all, you only really hear of it in isekai stories."
"Well, if that's the case, then you have nothing to worry about, Sumi," said Renko. "If worse comes to worst, Yomika can probably teleport us back to the Hyper Nexus, right?"
Yomika simply nodded in response without looking at Renko, as most of her attention was on focusing on this odd feeling she's getting.
"Now that you mention it, Yomika…" Madotsuki said, pausing in the middle of sentence to double check her senses. "...Yeah, something is a bit off with this world, though I can't exactly explain it."
Upon hearing Madotsuki's words, both Maribel and Urotsuki tried to sense anything that might feel off or weird.
After a few seconds of silence, Maribel wss the first to speak up. "I'm sensing something odd, as well, though like Madotsuki, I also can't explain it."
"Ditto here," Urotsuki added.
"I don't sense anything at all, though considering all of your responses, I can only presume that only Dreamers can sense what you're sensing," said Renko.
"If that's the case, then I will explain this odd feeling," Yomika said. "While this world does feel like a real world, at the same time, it feels like a Dream World, and that has interesting implications."
Closing AN: Initially, I planned to have the Sealing Club members deal with the fallout of Maribel and the Usami sisters meeting the purple-dressed lady, but after two months of writer's block, procrastination, and inexperience on writing how characters deal with emotional triggers, I cut my losses short and decided to just skip ahead a bit. I'll definitely come back to this and expand on it once I feel that I'm confident enough writing it, but for now, we'll just have to settle with a truncated version. As for the title and chapter name changes, my ambitions for this fic eventually made me realize that I should change them, as I plan the story to continue far beyond this current arc.
Edit 1: Notable edits include important character portraits. Still figuring out how to make the fallout of maribel seeing the Purple Dress Lady flow properly, as I now have the free time to focus on that.
Eventually, Maribel stopped crying and calmed down. As soon as Sumireko had the chance, she got up from her seat and immediately began to bow. "I'm so sorry, Maribel! I didn't know that entering that room would make you feel this way!"
"Sumireko," Renko said in a stoic tone that betrayed the fury she held in. "This wouldn't have happened if you had simply followed directions."
"I a-accept your apo-apology," Maribel said between her sniffles and hiccups.
"But, Merry, she-" Renko was about to say when she was interrupted by Maribel.
"Renko, pl-please, accept Sumi-umireko's apology. I d-don't want to see y-you two fight."
Renko simply stammered, conflicted on how to respond. Eventually, she sighed and turned towards her sister. "I forgive you, but only if you promise not to overstep your boundaries and follow the guidelines, especially on the off-chance we explore Mary's dreams again."
"I will, I promise!" Sumireko said, still bowing.
Renko took another sigh before turning towards Madotsuki and Urotsuki. "I'm sorry you had to see this, you two, especially since this is your first meeting here in the Secret Sealing Club."
The two dreamers, who had simply and awkwardly listened in to the conversation between Maribel and the Usami sisters up to this point, turned towards Renko, with Urotsuki being the first to respond.
"Huh? Oh, uh, it's fine, Renko," Urotsuki said as she nervously rubbed the back of her neck. "Madotsuki and I sometimes experienced moments like these when we encountered each other and our other Dreamer friends."
"I concur," Madotsuki added as she nodded, her otherwise stoic expression having a hint of awkwardness. "Sometimes, intentionally or not, bad memories and/or triggers are brought up when hanging out with each other, and we help each other in dealing with them as best as we can, especially if the person brings up the bad memories or triggers to confront them."
"Still, that doesn't change the fact that your first meeting here hasn't exactly gotten off on the right foot, and for that, I apologize," Renko said as she began to bow.
"As I've said before, it's fine, Renko, really," said Urotsuki.
"I accept your apology," Madotsuki added in response.
Renko stopped bowing and took a sigh of frustration. "We're ending this club meeting early, as I feel that continuing will just leave a worse taste in our mouths than it already has. Madotsuki and Urotsuki, you two can go home if you want."
"You sure?" Urotsuki asked.
Yeah I'm sure," Renko answered. "The rest of us can clean up from here."
"Alright, if you say so," said Urotsuki. "If you don't mind me asking, assuming that there'll be a next meeting, when will it occur?"
Renko shrugged in response. "I don't know. Generally, Sumireko is the one who decides when we have our meetings, and up to this point, the Club was more of a formalized meeting between us three more than anything else."
Sumireko, who had been silent up to this point, had decided to speak up. "If it's okay with Maribel, we could have our next meeting be tomorrow." Sumireko said as she turned to Maribel, silently asking for her approval.
"I think that's fine," Maribel said as she nodded in response.
"Are you sure about that, Maribel?" Urotsuki asked, to which Maribel nodded in response once more. Urotsuki then looked towards Madotsuki for her response, silently asking if she had anything to add, to which Madotsuki shook her head in denial. "If that's the case, Madotsuki, then I guess we're done here," Urotsuki said as she got up and grabbed he things. "You coming with?"
"Yeah," Madotsuki responded as she also got up and grabbed her things. "I wouldn't want to impose on Maribel and the sisters, especially since this incident is between them." The two Dreamers soon left the room, leaving behind Maribel and the Usami sisters as the remaining members of the Sealing Club.
Madotsuki and Urotsuki had walked together in silence after leaving school, the incident over at the club still fresh in their minds. Eventually, they reached a point during their walk back home where they would go their separate ways, and as they had reached the point, Urotsuki had stopped walking.
"Well, I guess I'll see ya tomorrow, then," said Urotsuki.
"Yeah, see ya tomorrow," Madotsuki said.
Just as the two Dreamers were about to go their separate ways, they noticed a woman come around the block some distance ahead of them.
"Is that-- That's Yomika," Madotsuki said as she recognized the now-named Yomika.
"Hey, Yomika, over here!" Urotsuki as she waved at the now-named Yomika.
Yomika looked up and at the direction of Urotsuki's voice, and as soon as she recognized her, speed-walked her way to Madotsuki and Urotsuki, eventually catching up to the two Dreamers and revealing that Yomika had shoulder-length dark purple-blue hair covering half of their face and dark blue eyes. In addition, she wore a brown skirt and a green shirt with dark green sleeves and a dark green zigzag pattern going down the middle of the shirt.
"Any news from Chie and Sabitsuki?" Madotsuki asked Yomika as soon as Yomika got within speaking distance.
Yomika nodded in response before she began to speak. "Chie is getting along better with her adopted parents. Progress is slow, but it's a start. As for Sabitsuki, she says that her mother have been making progress on creating the cure to her world's pandemic that's based on her antibodies."
"Nice to hear that Chie's doing just fine, and I hope that Sabitsuki's world recovers from their apocalypse," Urotsuki said.
"Gods bless her world a speedy recovery," Yomika said in a solemn tone. "And what about you two? Is there anything you girls would like to share?"
"Yeah," Madotsuki answered. "We made some new friends with a Dreamer and her friends at school. The Dreamer's name is Maribel Hearn, and her friends are Sumireko and Renko Usami, with Renko being the older sister."
"Oh, so you made friends with a Dreamer?" Yomika asked. "Do tell."
Madotsuki and Urotsuki nervously looked at each other, wondering who should be the one to spill the beans.
Yomika studied the looks on Madotsuki and Urotsuki's faces. "Judging by the looks you two are giving each other, I presume that something bad happened?"
"Yes, unfortunately," Madotsuki responded.
"While things started off well, it went down horribly at the end," Urotsuki added.
"Is that so?" Yomika rhetorically asked. "Mind explaining?"
After a moment of silence, Madotsuki took a deep breath and began to speak. "So it all started when we got two new transfer students for our homeroom…."
After Madotsuki had finished recalling what had happened over at the Sealing Club meeting, Yomika closed her eyes as she silently formulated a response. After a moment of silence, she opened her eyes as she began to finally respond. "I see, so that's what happened. While I personally disapprove of you two not staying behind to help smooth things over, I also don't exactly blame you two for deciding to leave if Renko said that they could handle it on their own. From the sounds of things, Renko and Maribel seem awfully close, close enough for Maribel to reveal her Dreamer status to a non-Dreamer."
"Is that a bad thing, Yomika?" Urotsuki asked.
"Not exactly," Yomika said as she shook her head. "While I had advised you two on keeping your Dreamer status a secret, at the end of the day, it is up to you on if you decide to reveal it and how you should do it, and from what Madotsuki said, it seems that Maribel had only revealed her Dreamer status to Renko and Sumireko." Yomika then turned to Madotsuki. "Is that correct?"
"Yes, indeed," Madotsuki answered.
"I see," said Yomika. "If it is possible, I would like to drop in on the next meeting of the Sealing Club."
"I'll ask for the other's permission, but assuming that they'll accept, just how will you get in?" Urotsuki asked. "While I don't doubt that your Mask Effect will make you invisible to non-Dreamers, I doubt that doors suddenly being opened by seemingly no one will make things subtle, and I also doubt that you won't be spotted by Maribel."
"I am not going to loiter around your school for the entire school day, if that was what you two were wondering," Yomika answered. "After the school day is over, I'll be hanging out at the entrance to our world at the hyper Nexus, and once the Usami sisters and Maribel approve of my visit, one of you will go visit the Hyper Nexus and inform me of their approval. While I won't wake up at your location, it doesn't matter, as I can just teleport to it."
"You sure you just want to casually reveal your teleportation to the Sealing Club, Yomika?" Madotsuki asked, her and Urotsuki already being aware of them.
"As Maribel had already shared of her Dreamer status to the Usami sisters, I might as well not hide them, as well as my status of being both a Guardian and a Dreamer," Yomika answered.
"But what if they don't approve of your visit?" Urotsuki asked.
Yomika shrugged. "If they don't approve, then they don't approve," Yomika said in a rare case of her using more casual language than usual. "So, do you two agree with the idea?"
"Alright, I guess I'll go with it," Urotsuki replied. "Worst thing that'll happen is that either Madotsuki or I will just waste a few moments traveling to and from the Hyper Nexus."
Madotsuki nodded in response. "I don't see anything wrong with it."
"Then this matter is settled," said Yomika. "I will be seeing you two and the rest of the Secret Sealing Club tomorrow."
"Bye, Yomika," Madotsuki said.
"See ya," said Urotsuki.
Yomika nodded at the two before going her own way. As for the other two Dreamers, since they had already said their goodbyes before Yomika's sudden appearance, they simply looked at each other and nodded before going their separate ways.
On the next day after school, the members of the Secret Sealing Club began to trickle in awkward silence as Maribel's breakdown yesterday was still fresh in the mind of the members. Eventually, they all took their seats around the table in the classroom, still in awkward silence.
"So… does anyone want to do anything today?" Sumireko eventually asked, breaking the awkward silence with the bluntness of a sledgehammer.
As silence filled the room once more, Madotsuki and Urotsuki shared a glance with each other, which Maribel and the Usami sisters took notice of. After a while, Urotsuki nodded, wordlessly telling Madotsuki that she'll be the one to break the news. "There is something I'd like to bring up," Urotsuki said.
The Usami sisters and Maribel looked at each other for a moment before nodding at each other. "So what do you have to say?" Maribel asked as the three turned to face Urotsuki.
"So remember how I mentioned how Madotsuki and I also have a small group of Dreamer friends of our own?" Urotsuki asked.
"No, actually," Sumireko answered.
"I don't think you did," Renko replied.
"And if you did, then perhaps we've simply forgotten about it," Maribel added.
"Really now?" Urotsuki asked to herself. "Did I mention that, Madotsuki?" Urotsuki asked as she turned to Madotsuki.
"I don't think so," Madotsuki answered.
"If that's the case, then I guess I really didn't mention it," Urotsuki said as she turned back towards the group. "Well, regardless if I did or not, Madotsuki and I do have a small group of Dreamer friends. After Madotsuki and I left, we encountered one of them as we walked home, and after sharing you guys with them, they said that they'd like to drop by if that's fine with you."
Maribel and the Usami sisters had looks of confusion on their faces, with Renko being the first to respond. "Uh, sure, they can drop by if they can, but from the sounds of things, they don't exactly come to this school, so how just how will they just get here?"
"Will they sneak in here like a ninja?" Sumireko asked as she got up and made sneaking motions as Renko rolled her eyes at Sumireko's antics. "Or will they use their ultimate teleportation powers to break in this school?"
"The latter, actually, and they plan to teleport here as soon as they get word of your approval," Madotsuki answered.
"Wait, really?" Sumireko asked with genuine interest as she sat down as Renko and Maribel looked also on with interest.
"You're joking, right, Madotsuki?" Renko asked.
"I wish Mado was joking, but as crazy as it sounds, she's not," Urotsuki answered for Madotsuki.
The Usami sisters and Maribel stared at the faces of Madotsuki and Urotsuki, looking for any signs of deception. After a short while, they didn't find any on Madotsuki and Urotsuki's serious faces, which caused Renko to sigh in disbelief.
"Renko!" Maribel said in a chiding tone, who had been pretty quiet up to this point.
"Hey, come on how, don't give us that, Renko," said Urotsuki.
"I apologize," Renko said. "It just sounds a bit absurd, that's all."
"No more absurd than Sumireko having psychic powers and us and Maribel having strange dream powers?" Madotsuki asked.
"Well, when you put it like that, not really," Renko answered.
"Assuming that we accept of your friend coming here, just how will you inform of them?" Maribel asked. "From the sounds of things, this friend of yours sounds like they'll pop in here right at this moment."
Urotsuki huffed with confidence upon hearing Maribel's concern. "The answer's quite simple. Once you three approve, I'll sleep and travel to the Hyper Nexus. There, I'll tell this friend of your approval, and once I wake up back here, they'll lock on to my location and teleport here."
"The Hyper Nexus?" Maribel asked. "What's that?"
"As much as I'd like to answer that, I think we're getting a bit off-track," Urotsuki said. "So about our Dreamer friend, do you three accept their visit?"
"Of course I do, I would be an idiot to pass up the sight of casual teleportation!" Sumireko immediately responded.
"I would also like to see this friend of yours, especially if they can get here as quickly as you say," Maribel answered.
Renko took a moment to reply, causing everyone else to look and wait for her response, and eventually, she made her decision. "I guess I'm fine with it."
"If that's the case, then wait a moment or two, I'll get this friend of ours," Urotsuki said as she began to rest herself on the table and close her eyes, preparing herself for travel to the Hyper Nexus.
"Wait, you're gonna actually get them now?" Renko asked.
"Yeah, I am," answered Urotsuki, briefly opening her eyes to look at Maribel as she spoke before closing them back. Eventually, Urotsuki fell asleep, and as she had done so, the rest of the Club silently waited in anticipation.
When Urotsuki came to, She found herself in a vast and infinite room that seemed to have no walls or ceiling and had various human-sized objects that were neatly arranged in a grid, each of them being an entrance to another world. As Urotsuki looked around what was essentially the Hyper Nexus, she soon found the friend she was talking about to the rest of the club, that friend being Yomika, who noticed Urotsuki's arrival.
"Yo, Yomika!" Urotsuki said as she waved at her. "The Usami sisters and Maribel said that they're cool with your visit!"
"Is that so?" Yomika rhetorically asked. "No use in waiting any longer. I will be there shortly, just give me a moment or two to teleport to your location."
"Take all the time you need," Urotsuki said before she pinched her cheek and woke herself up.
The Sealing Club members saw Urotsuki rouse from her quick dream.
"So is Yomika coming?" Madotsuki asked.
"Yup, just give her a moment to lock on to our location and she'll be here any minute now."
Not long after Urotsuki spoke, a small and black vortex suddenly appeared between Madotsuki and Urotsuki, and just as quickly as it appeared, Yomika had also appeared, with Maribel and the Usami sisters learning very quickly that the vortex originated from left eye, which glowed an unnatural icy blue as the vortex had shrank back to nothingness before Yomika's eye faded away to a dark blue.
"Greetings to you three," Yomika said to Maribel and the Usami sisters as she took a small bow and they looked on in surprise. "My name is Yomika. It is a pleasure to meet you."
"That was fast," Madotsuki commented, which Urotsuki responded with a snort of amusement.
"A good thing, should you be in danger," Yomika said in response.
"How kind of you to care for us that much," Urotsuki quipped.
"Whoa, so you can teleport, Yomika?" Sumireko excitedly asked, interrupting the three Dreamer's conversation. "How does it work?"
Yomika looked at Sumireko, wondering if she should actually tell her. While she did receive word from Madotsuki and Urotsuki that Maribel confided her Dreamer status to the Usami sisters, Yomika herself was still unsure if she trusted Sumireko. In the end, Yomika's internal debate had only lasted for a brief moment before she ultimately decided to share her information.
"I don't know everything about how my teleportation works, but to keep it short and concise, how my teleportation works is that I have a vague feeling of where Madotsuki and Urotsuki are, though outside of actually teleporting to them, it never gets more specific than their general direction and an imprecise feeling of distance. For privacy's sake, however, I weaken that feeling even further so that it only tells me that they are in this world, and only lift that restriction when I intend to teleport to them."
"She rarely ever teleports to us, however, and perfers to either simply visit our homes through normal ways, or meet up with us at the Hyper Nexus," Urotsuki added.
"That reminds me, Urotsuki," said Renko as she turned to face Urotsuki. "You never did explain what the Hyper Nexus was when I first asked."
"Ah, right, apologies for that," Urotsuki said. "To put it simply, the Hyper Nexus is a higher dimension that contains gateways to real worlds that has at least one Dreamer, ours included."
"Wait just a minute, are you telling me that there's a gateway to many worlds, and that not only is the Multiverse Theory is real, but that both you and Urotsuki have casually traveled to other worlds?" Renko asked again.
"We've only traveled to one other world so far, but yeah, basically," Urotsuki responded.
"That's so cool!" Sumireko exclaimed. "So what did the other world look like?"
Madotsuki and Urotsuki flinched in response to Sumireko's question, which the rest of the Sealing Club members took notice of.
"Umm… about that…" Madotsuki said hesitantly. "It's not doing too well at the moment."
"Things hadn't been too well over there for the past few years," Urotsuki added.
"I'm sorry to hear that," Maribel said solemnly. "I hope that world gets better soon."
Urotsuki chuckled at Maribel's words. "If it's of any consolation, our Dreamer friend over there has nerves of fucking steel for weathering the storm over there."
"Oh, you have a Dreamer friend over there?" Maribel asked. "What's their name, if you don't mind me asking?"
"Glad you asked," Urotsuki said as she grinned. "Her name's Sabitsuki."
"Sabitsuki looks rough on the outside, but she's actually a nice girl," Madotsuki added.
"Can you tell us more about Sabitsuki?" Sumireko asked.
Yomika, who had been content to let Madotsuki and Urotsuki do the talking up to this point, decided to speak up. "No," she immediately and bluntly answered.
"Why not?" Sumireko asked again.
"I can answer that, Yomika," Madotsuki said. "We promised Sabitsuki that we wouldn't tell anything about her other than her name and the general state of her home."
"I'm assuming that you three also can't tell us why?" Renko asked.
"That would be correct," Madotsuki answered.
"Pretty much, yeah," Urotsuki responded.
"Indeed," Yomika replied.
"Aw man, I was hoping to get to know them somehow," Sumireko said.
"We can't exactly just get up and meet up with Sabitsuki, Renko." Renko said in response. "While I can assume that it's possible for Merry to enter the Hyper Nexus, the same can't be said for us."
"Well yeah, that's why I want to know her through Madotsuki and Urotsuki."
"Actually…" Maribel said, interrupting the Usami sisters's conversation. "...I think you two can enter the Hyper Nexus."
"Wait, really? How?" Sumireko said with excitement.
"What do you mean, Merry?" Renko asked.
"Well, if you two were able to enter my dreams, then it can be safe to assume that you two can also enter the Hyper Nexus the same way," Maribel explained.
"Alright everyone, listen up!" Sumireko said excitedly as she slammed her hands on the table, getting everyone's attention. "Today, the Secret Sealing Club will attempt to enter the Hyper Nexus!" Sumireko then paused briefly for dramatic effect. "Or die trying."
Maribel covered her mouth with her hand as she chuckled at Sumireko's chunni behavior while Renko sighed as she rolled her eyes.
"Say, Renko, is Sumireko always this dramatic?" Asked Yomika.
"Yes, unfortunately, and 'dramatic' is one way to put it," Renko answered.
"Hmm, I see," Yomika replied.
"So, Yomika, you cool with bringing Renko and Sumireko along to the Hyper Nexus?" Urotsuki asked.
"If Maribel trusts Renko and Sumireko, then I see no problem bringing them along," Yomika answered as she nodded before turning towards Maribel. "However, I do wonder just how you plan to bring the Usami sisters along, Maribel."
"The idea's quite simple," Maribel replied. "Just as how we all held hands to enter my dreams…" Maribel briefly paused as the Purple-Dressed Woman incident inadvertently popped up in her head, which Renko took notice of. "...We close our eyes and hold hands while all of us Dreamers try to take us to the Hyper Nexus. Does everyone agree with it?"
"Hell yeah, I do!" Sumireko said with her signature excitement.
"Sounds like a plan to me," Urotsuki answered.
"It's worth a shot," Renko responded.
"I can go with that," Madotsuki replied.
"That sounds agreeable, Maribel," Yomika said as she nodded.
"Now that everyone's on board, does anyone have any questions?"
"I do, actually," Renko answered before turning to Urotsuki, Madotsuki, and Yomika. "How exactly did you three discover the Hyper Nexus?"
"No clue," Urotsuki answered with a shrug. "About a month ago, we were about to take a tour through my dreams, and next thing we knew, we somehow ended up in the Hyper Nexus."
"What about you two, Yomika and Madotsuki?" Renko asked again. "Do you know?"
"Unfortunately, I do not, Renko," Yomika answered.
"I'm just as lost as they are," Madotsuki replied. "sorry about that."
"No worries, Madotsuki," Renko responded. "It was just a curiosity, of mine, that's all." Renko then turned to Maribel. "That was the only question I had, Merry."
"Anyone else have any questions?" Maribel asked.
"None here," Yomika answered.
"I don't," Urotsuki replied.
Madotsuki simply shook her head in response.
"Nope, now let's go!" Sumireko said with a hint of impatience.
Maribel chuckled at Sumireko's eagerness. "If that's the case, then let's begin. First, I want everyone to hold hands." Once everyone had done so, Maribel resumed speaking. "Next, I want everyone to close their eyes while us Dreamers think of sending us all the Hyper Nexus."
"Are you sure this will work, Maribel?" Yomika said as she and everyone else closed their eyes.
"Madotsuki had also proposed that we do this when we entered my dreams, so why not try it now now?"
"Understandable." Yomika and the rest of the dreamers then began to think of heading to the Hyper Nexus. After a few seconds of waiting, everyone felt something pull at them, but instead of the pull being sleep, it was the pull of teleportation, causing the members of the Sealing Club members and Yomika to disappear.
When the Sealing Club members and Yomika reappeared, the first thing they saw was the Hyper Nexus and its various entrances to real worlds.
"So this is the Hyper Nexus," Maribel said as she, Sumireko, and Maribel looked around to examine it.
"This is a pretty big place," Renko commented.
"Big? I bet that this place is as large as the universe! Entrances as far as the eye can see!" Sumireko said.
"Don't go running into them now, Sumi," Renko reminded.
"I know, I know," Sumireko responded. "These do lead to actual real worlds, and I'm not stupid enough to get lost in one." Sumireko then turned towards Madotsuki, Urotsuki, and Yomika. "Now that I think of it, it does bring up a question. Just how do we get back to our world? Considering that these are real worlds, I doubt that we can just simply try to wake up."
"That is actually a good question, Sumireko," said Yomika. "Normally, Madotsuki, Urotsuki, and I either use our Effects that bring us back to our Nexus to return here or we just return to the location of the entrance in the other world and think of either the Hyper Nexus or our home before entering. I can only hope that the latter is also true for both you and Renko."
"As good an answer as any, I suppose," Renko said in a slightly disappointed tone.
"Come on, don't be such a downer, Renko!" Sumireko responded. "We're here now, so nothin' ventured, nothin' gained!" Renko then turned towards the Dreamers. "Where to?"
"I donno," Urotsuki answered as she shrugged. "We're kinda spoiled for choice here with the sheer amount of entrances there are."
"How about the Torii gate over there?" Madotsuki answered, pointing towards a bright red Torii gate that was much smaller than usual, with the Torii gate being just large enough that a single human could walk right through it.
"Ah, an eye for the traditional, I see," Urotsuki quipped. "Why not? It's not like there are an infinite of other entrances we can't try."
"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go!" Sumireko said as she skipped over to the Torii gate, with everyone else shortly following her.
Once the group got to the Torii gate, they all wordlessly got into a single file line, with Sumireko at the front, followed by Maribel, Renko, Urotsuki, Madotsuki, and Yomika.
"Nice to see that everyone was nice enough to get in line," Urotsuki commented in amusement, which caused the Sealing Club members, minus Sumireko, to chuckle in response.
Sumireko took a deep breath. "Here goes nothing," she said before walking through the Torii gate, disappearing as she did so, with everyone else following shortly afterward.
After the Sealing Club members and Yomika entered the Torii gate, they found themselves on the grounds of a relatively small Japanese Shinto shrine. While everyone looked around with wonder and curiosity, Sumireko looked around with surprise, as while she hadn't exactly been to this shrine before, this world had an aura that felt exactly like the one she visited in her dreams while spreading the Occult Balls all over it.
"I like this place," said Urotsuki. "It's beautiful in its quaintness and simplicity."
"I can only hope that we're not trespassing around here," Maribel said with worry.
"Well, if you're worried about that, the sooner we leave, the better the chances we won't get caught," Urotsuki as she began to walk towards the pathway leading towards the shrine and steps.
"Wait a minute, all of you," Yomika said, stopping everyone from walking as she looked around with her eyes narrowed.
"What is it, Yomika?" Madotsuki asked as she and everyone else turned towards her.
"Don't you all feel something strange about this world?" Yomika asked everyone, causing Sumireko to flinch in shock.
"Uh, n-n-no, I don't feel anything off about this world," Sumireko said nervously.
"You okay, Sumi?" Renko asked her sister, putting her hand on one of Sumireko's shoulder.
"Huh?" Sumireko said in response. "Oh, oh yeah, I'm fine, heh heh! Nothin' to worry about!" Sumireko said as she scratched the back of her head.
"She's probably just nervous about traveling to another world, Renko," Maribel said. "After all, you only really hear of it in isekai stories."
"Well, if that's the case, then you have nothing to worry about, Sumi," said Renko. "If worse comes to worst, Yomika can probably teleport us back to the Hyper Nexus, right?"
Yomika simply nodded in response without looking at Renko, as most of her attention was on focusing on this odd feeling she's getting.
"Now that you mention it, Yomika…" Madotsuki said, pausing in the middle of sentence to double check her senses. "...Yeah, something is a bit off with this world, though I can't exactly explain it."
Upon hearing Madotsuki's words, both Maribel and Urotsuki tried to sense anything that might feel off or weird.
After a few seconds of silence, Maribel wss the first to speak up. "I'm sensing something odd, as well, though like Madotsuki, I also can't explain it."
"Ditto here," Urotsuki added.
"I don't sense anything at all, though considering all of your responses, I can only presume that only Dreamers can sense what you're sensing," said Renko.
"If that's the case, then I will explain this odd feeling," Yomika said. "While this world does feel like a real world, at the same time, it feels like a Dream World, and that has interesting implications."
Closing AN: Initially, I planned to have the Sealing Club members deal with the fallout of Maribel and the Usami sisters meeting the purple-dressed lady, but after two months of writer's block, procrastination, and inexperience on writing how characters deal with emotional triggers, I cut my losses short and decided to just skip ahead a bit. I'll definitely come back to this and expand on it once I feel that I'm confident enough writing it, but for now, we'll just have to settle with a truncated version. As for the title and chapter name changes, my ambitions for this fic eventually made me realize that I should change them, as I plan the story to continue far beyond this current arc.
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BBDaM Chapter Five
Yirash
Sword-Stealing Nemesis
- Joined
- Sep 11, 2022
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In Gensokyo, one of its most important locations, if not the most important, is the Hakurei Shrine, for it is the center of the Hakurei Barrier, one of two barriers that form and protect Gensokyo, as well as seal it away from the outside world. However, just because the important location is a shrine doesn't mean that it gets that many visitors, or more accurately, visitors that are human. While the Hakurei Shrine being placed on a tall hill is certainly inconvenient, the real reason why humans rarely visit the Hakurei Shrine is that yokai more often than not treat the shrine like an inn, and while the Spell Card System makes sure that conflict between humans and yokai are relatively bloodless, most of the humans in the Human Village aren't skilled in magic, much less combat magic, so they more often than not stay away from the Hakurei Shrine than test their luck against yokai who may or may not decide to follow Spell Card rules.
Speaking of the Hakurei shrine, the name of its current shrine maiden is Hakurei Reimu. She wore a stylised red Miko outfit and a large red bow on top of her head, and she is holding a purification rod in her right hand.
As to what exactly is Reimu doing right now, she is currently spending her evening lying down on the floor and daydreaming as she looks at the ceiling with a somewhat downcast look on her face, as this was one of the few days that yokai not named Yukari or Ran decided to not bother her, which she would've taken full advantage of if she had any real hobbies or motivation to perform the duties of a shrine maiden beyond the bare minimum. Alas, she had neither, so she just spent most of her non-eating hours Dreaming, as she was a Dreamer herself. As to why Reimu is currently not Dreaming, however, it is because she is currently waiting for two people to arrive, and those two people were rather important to her.
Eventually, one of those two people important to Reimu arrived while riding a flying broom, that person being Marisa Kirisame, who wore a black and white dress with what looked like four yellow buttons on her chest, a large witch's hat, and an apron. In addition, she had blond hair and yellow eyes. Lastly, Marisa is also a Dreamer.
"Yo, Reimu, I'm here, da-ze!" Marisa said as she hopped off her broom and entered the shrine without any regard to manners.
"Hi, Marisa," Reimu said with no emotion in her voice and not moving from her spot at all.
"Come on, Reimu, can't you greet your best friend with a bit more emotion?"
Reimu sighed as she sat up. "Hello, Marisa," Reimu said with a bit of forced enthusiasm, though her downcast look was still apparent.
Marisa noticed the downcast look on Reimu's face, so she dropped her act, walked up to Reimu, and sat to the left of her. "You alright?" Marisa said in a softer tone.
Reimu took a moment to consider her answer. "As alright as I can be."
So she's feeling more down than usual, but not enough for her to break into tears at any moment, Marisa thought. "Wanna watch the setting sun together?"
"Sure, why not?" Reimu said before she and Marisa got up and walked to the front of the shrine before sitting back down.
Shortly after the two sat down, Marisa put her right arm around Reimu's shoulder. "While I may not always be here, my shoulder will always be available for you to lean on while I am."
Reimu's response was to do exactly that, which caused Marisa to chuckle as the two began to watch the sun set.
A few minutes went by before the other person important to Reimu finally appeared by walking up the long stairs that lead to the Hakurei Shrine, with that person being a woman named Meira. Meira wore a red and white Hakama and her long, purple hair was tied in a ponytail. In addition, she had a sheathed katana on her left side and was currently also wearing a traditional wooden backpack chest.
"Oi, Meira, took ya long enough, da-ze!" Marisa said as she took on her signature rough accent anf she and Reimu broke away from each other.
"Unlike a certain witch, I prefer to take a relaxing walk, thank you very much," Meira quipped as she walked towards Marisa and Reimu. "Maybe if you decided to take a walk every now and then, you'd be healthier and not be so short."
"Hah? Almost sounds like ya tryin' to start somethin'," Marisa said in an accusatory tone as she got up.
Meira smirked in response. "And if I am?"
"I'll gladly take ya lanky ass on, da-ze, Spell Card rules or not!"
"Kotohime didn't come with you, Meira?" Reimu asked, interrupting Marisa and Meira's banter.
"Unfortunately, she didn't want to, though I don't exactly blame her," Meira said as she entered the shrine, her tone instantly switching to a more kind one.
"Aw man, was hoping to have her over," Marisa said in a slightly disappointed tone.
"So what's for dinner?" Reimu asked.
"We're having ramen tonight," Meira said as she began to take off her backpack chest.
"Don't 'cha get tired of bringin' food here twice everyday, Meira?" Marisa asked.
"What can I say? Old habits die hard," Meira answered as she shrugged. "After all, as Reimu's godmother and honorary aunt, the least I can do is provide for her if barely anyone donates to her. Now then, let's get cooking."
Before the three were even able to prepare their dinner, however, a crow flew into the shrine and began cawing. <"Intruders! Intruders!">
"What's wrong, Ichigo?" Meira asked as she reached out her right arm so that the now-named Ichigo could land on it, with Marisa and Reimu turning to focus on Ichigo.
<"Intruders! Five humans and one yokai! Arrived via teleportation! Some distance behind shrine!"> Ichigo crowed as she landed on Meira's outreached arm.
"Intruders? Sudden teleportation?" Meira said with a hint of worry. "This better not be the start of an incident."
"Oi, that's Reimu's line you're stealin', da-ze!" Marisa said. "And besides, don't worry, old lady, Reimu and I will handle it for ya, ze," Marisa then said as she winked at Meira.
"Old lady?" Meira said in a tone that was both amused and annoyed as she lowered her right arm, causing Ichigo to briefly fly up and land on her right shoulder. "I might be retired from Incident solving, but that doesn't mean that I turn a blind eye from trouble brewing in front of me, and I'm certainly not old enough for my hair to gray out."
"Can we go check out the intruders now?" Reimu said with a hint of annoyance, interrupting Marisa and Meira's banter. "I wanna get this over with and eat dinner as soon as possible."
""Sorry about that./Sorry, da-ze,"" Meira and Marisa said at the same time, respectively, before they glanced at each other for doing so. With Marisa's and Meira's banter out of the way, the three began walking towards the source of the crow's concern, with Reimu taking the lead, followed by Marisa and Meira. As for Ichigo themselves, they flew away as the three Gensokyo residents began to leave, having learned long ago not to get caught in the crossfire should things go bad.
It didn't take long for Reimu to arrive at the location, and as she did so, she overheard what seemed to be part of a conversation.
"...While this world does feel like a real world, at the same time, it feels like a Dream World, and that has interesting implications," said Yomika.
Just as Yomika said her words, the Sealing Club members and Yomika heard the shuffling of footsteps, so they turned to the source of the sound. There, they spotted Reimu, and when she and the other four Dreamers locked eyes with each other, they all had a look of surprise on their faces as they all suddenly received a message.
"Yo, Reimu, what stopped you in your tracks, da-ze?" Said Marisa. "I hope it's a troublemaker we can beat--" as Marisa came around the shrine, she saw the Sealing Club members and Yomika, and when Marisa locked eyes with one of the Dreamers, she dropped her broom and stopped herself in surprise as she also received a message that she found fellow Dreamers.
A moment of silence lingered over as the Dreamers looked at each other in surprise. As for the Usami sisters, they looked on the scene with confusion on their faces, though Renko soon recognized that Maribel had also reacted similarly when they first met Madotsuki and Urotsuki as well as Yomika.
"Reimu? Marisa? Is everything alright?" Meira asked as she came around the corner, though her question would soon be answered by the sight of Marisa, Reimu, the Secret Sealing Club members, and Yomika. As Meira's eyes wandered to the Sealing Club members and Yomika, she took note of the group's clothing, as well as their surprised looks and lack of hostility. Meira soon sensed their general lack of magic, barring Maribel, Sumireko, and Yomika, and in addition, she sensed that Yomika felt different and definitely non-Human compared to the rest of the group. Perhaps this was the yokai Ichigo mentioned. Regardless, with this information in mind, she guessed that the group in front if her were outsiders. "Outsiders, huh? Now that's something you don't see everyday," Meira said as she caught up with Marisa and Reimu. "Mind telling us your names?"
Madotsuki, Urotsuki, and Yomika were the first to recover from their surprise, and Urotsuki was the first to introduce herself. "Oh, name's Urotsuki."
"My name's Madotsuki," Madotsuki said.
"Yomika," Yomika simply replied.
"My name is Maribel Hearn. It's a pleasure to meet you," she said as she bowed, which caused Meira to raise an eyebrow at Maribel's formal introduction.
"Name's Usami Renko, nice to meet you."
Sumireko took a dramatic pose as she began her introduction. "My name is Usami Sumireko, high school student extraordinaire and leader of the Secret Sealing Club!" Sumireko then struck another dramatic pose.
"Self-proclaimed leader," Renko corrected as she ignored Sumirenko's exclamation at having the rug pulled under her. "Speaking of which, with the exception of Yomika, all of us are high schoolers, though Sumireko is a lower grade than us."
"'High schoolers'?" Marisa asked in a curious tone as she picked up her broom. "I know what a school is, but what exactly does 'high school' mean, da-ze?"
"As much as I'd also like to know, I think it's best if us three introduce ourselves before continuing our conversation in the shrine," Meira said before the Sealing Club members and/or Yomika could answer. "Wouldn't want to just stand around all day, now would we?" When everyone else said they agreed in some form, Meira spoke once more. "With that plan in mind, allow me to introduce myself. Name's Meira, Chief Guard and Yokai Hunter of the Human Village."
While the Sealing Club members had questioning looks upon hearing of yokai and the specific term of "human village", they held their tongue for now. As for Yomika, she bristled in response to Meira being a Yokai Hunter, which Meira took notice of, but didn't comment on.
Reimu was the next to introduce herself as she bowed. "Hakurei Reimu, Shrine Maiden of the Hakurei Shrine."
Marisa grinned as she took a pose. "Kirisame Marisa, ordinary human Magician extraordinaire and second best Incident solver, at your service, da-ze!"
Sumireko gasped in excitement and surprise. "Magician?! Do you mean one who casts magic and not one uses parlor tricks and sleight-of-hand?"
"Hell yeah, I do, though I also know some parlor tricks myself, da-ze," said Marisa. "Though like Meira said, let's take this inside, don' wanna have ta' stand outside all day."
"Ah, that's so cool!" Sumireko gushed as she and the rest of the group began to walk towards and inside Reimu's shrine. "Can you show us your magic?"
Reimu pointedly looked at Marisa, which the latter noticed. "Mou, Reimu, I ain't gonna destroy the shrine!"
"You said that last time you wanted to show off the new magic spell you learned, only to do the opposite," Reimu said with a hint of annoyance.
As Marisa and Reimu began to banter with each other, Sumireko was a bit disappointed that Marisa hadn't already shown her magic yet. However, it was rectified by her intuition/maybe-a-psychic-empath-power telling her that the tone of Marisa and Reimu's argument were similar to a married couple's, just like how Maribel and her sister acted sometimes, causing Sumireko to chuckle in amusement when she made the comparison.
"Ah, come on, Reimu, it wasn't that bad!" Said Marisa "Sure, I didn't expect it to be so big, but I did stop it before any major damage could happen, da-ze!" Marisa then put her arm around Reimu and pulled her in, causing the latter to yelp in surprise. "Besides, if it really did destroy your shrine, then that just gives me the excuse to invite ya to stay over, now, eh?"
"I refuse to live in the trash heap you call a home," Reimu said as she looked away from Marisa.
Marisa mock-gasped as she backed off and let go of Reimu. "You wound me with your hurtful words," she teased. "You better say sorry, da-ze!"
Before Reimu could respond to Marisa, Meira spoke up, interrupting Marisa's and Reimu's banter. "We're here, let's head inside." The group then headed inside of the Hakurei Shrine and eventually sat down.
"So, Marisa, about the magic you were about to show us…." Sumireko said.
"Ah, right, I almost forgot!" Marisa said before she pointed her index finger up and conjured a small flame at its tip. "I'd like to show ya something much cooler, but Reimu's here, so yeah."
"Can you two also use magic, Meira and Reimu?" Urotsuki asked.
"Yes, we can, though I'd rather show it right now," Meira answered as Reimu simply nodded in response.
"Hey, Meira," Renko said, catching Meira's attention. "Earlier, you said that you were the Chief Guard of the Human Village, as well as a Yokai Hunter. What does that entail, exactly?"
Meira raised an eyebrow at Renko's words. "Ain't gonna ask if yokai are real?"
"Considering how we got here, I'm inclined to believe they are, especially if you yourself implicitly confirmed it with your job as a Yokai Hunter."
Meira chuckled in response. "Makes sense. As a Chief Guard, I'm head of the guards that protect the Human Village from yokai that decide to show their fangs, as well as police work. As for being a Yokai Hunter, well, it's kind of the same thing, minus the police work in exchange for allowing me to head outside the Village should I need to."
"I see. That answers my question well enough," Renko said as she nodded.
"How did all of you get here?" Reimu suddenly asked with a serious look on her face, causing the Sealing Club members to flinch in surprise while Yomika looked at Meira, the latter quickly taking notice of Yomika's gaze as the both of them took on an unnaturally neutral face that hid their tension.
"Uuh…" Renko nervously said before looking at Yomika. Upon noticing Yomika's faintly tense gaze, she followed Yomika's eyesight and saw Meira, who not only was similarly tense, but Renko also saw Meira slightly inch her left hand towards her katana, causing Renko's nervousness to quickly turn into fear.
Marisa, noticing the tense situation, decided to step in and try to defuse the situation. "Um, you don't have to tell us if you want to!" Everyone looked at Marisa in response, who flinched at the attention. "Uh… is there a reason why you can't exactly tell us? Da-ze?"
The Sealing Club members looked at Yomika for answers, which didn't go unnoticed by everyone else. Yomika, for her part, closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Marisa, Reimu. You do know of our… status, correct? The status you learned when you saw us for the first time?"
"Yeah, we do, but why do you ask?" Marisa asked.
"Does Meira know of your status?" Yomika said, answering with a question.
"She does," Reimu answered for Marisa, causing Yomika to look at Reimu for clarification. "Meira is my godmother, and both I and Marisa trusted her enough to confide of our dreams." Reimu then looked at the other Dreamers, those being Maribel, Madotsuki, and Urotsuki, before she continued. "Truthfully, the reason why I asked how you all arrived in here is because it is my duty as the Hakurei Shrine Maiden. Asides from the typical shrine maiden duties, it is also my duty to protect the balance of Gensokyo, which is the name this land that you all have found yourself in. Depending on how you arrived here, your mere arrival could be enough to destabilize the status quo and cause an Incident."
Maribel nervously swallowed the accumulated spit in her mouth. "W-we didn't arrive here to cause any trouble, if-if that's what you're wondering."
"Ye-yeah, Maribel's right!" Sumireko chimed in. "We just wanted to explore this world, that's all!"
Meira sighed. "Gensokyo isn't exactly a tourist destination, you know. It's a safe haven for all things mystical, where belief in myths and legends still stand strong even as faith from the Outside World weakens ever so slightly."
"Speaking of which, that brings me back my question," said Reimu. "How did you all get here?"
The Secret Sealing Club members all looked at each other before looking at Yomika. Yomika took notice of their looks and began to speak on their behalf. "Truthfully? We got here through a higher dimension we call the Hyper Nexus. We do no't know much about it ourselves other than that it allows us to travel to other worlds."
"And how does one access this Hyper Nexus, da-ze?" Marisa asked.
"We still have no definite answer, as Madotsuki, Urotsuki, and I stumbled upon it one day while trying to share our Dreams," Yomika answered. "Ever since we first came across it, however, all we had to do to get to the Hyper INexus is to simply think of going there as we begin to Dream. As for how non-Dreamers such as the Usami sisters came along, they were in close contact with us when we all decided to go there."
"Yo Reimu, is Yukari and the other Great Sages aware of this, da-ze?" Marisa asked.
Reimu nodded in response. "Yukari confided to me that they are aware that in addition to Dreamers like us, those with abilities relating to dreams that doesn't relate to our Dreams and those sufficiently powerful enough could enter the Hyper Nexus without issue, and have been monitoring it ever since Gensokyo's inception. From what Yukari has told me, practically no one had used the Hyper Nexus to enter Gensokyo, and decided to enter here through other means."
"No one outside of these folks, that is," Meira said as she tilted her head towards Yomika and the Sealing Club members. "With that in mind, I can only presume that the Hyper Nexus is incredibly obscure, and I don't want to consider the implications as to why that is."
Marisa exclaimed in frustration. "All of this serious talk of multidimensional traveling and its implications is making my head spin, da-ze. Can we talk 'bout somethin' else?" When everyone else had agreed, Marisa took a sigh of relief. "I'm glad that we're on the same page, let's move on."
"So, any questions not relating to the Hyper Nexus?" Meira asked as she turned to the Sealing Club members and Yomika.
"I have a question," Madotsuki said. "Should we worry about yokai?"
"That depends, who here can cast magic, da-ze?" Marisa answered with a question of her own.
"I can cast magic," Yomika responded while Sumireko raised her hand, causing Madotsuki and Urotsuki to look at Yomika in surprise.
""You can?"" Madotsuki and Urotsuki asked Yomika at the same time.
Yomika had an uncertain look on her face. "I think I can. Asides from the odd and brief feeling of displacement I get whenever I teleport, there is also a feeling that something has been drained from me. It is small, but definitely something I can notice."
"Now that you mention it…" Marisa said with curiosity as she silently casted a detection spell to sense any magic within Yomika, and a few moments later, Marisa had sensed something interesting within both Yomika and Maribel. Oh, how interesting, Marisa thought to herself. Not only does Yomika have magic, but I also sense that she's a yokai. Either her friends already know or she's keeping it a secret. If she hasn't told them yet, then I won't, as well. As for Maribel, she also has magic. It's faint, but it's there. Marisa narrowed her eyes as she focused on Maribel. Her magic also feels familiar for some reason. Eh, the familiarity's probably just a false positive with how raw and unused it feels. "Yeah, no question about it, you definitely have magic, Yomika. I also sense magic in Maribel, as well, da-ze."
"Huh? Me?" Maribel said in surprise. "But I don't have magic."
"My detection spells say otherwise, though with what you just said, seems like you didn't even know you had magic until now," said Marisa. "With how faint your magic feels, I don't exactly blame ya for not even noticing it, especially with you being from the Outside World and all."
The group then heard someone knock on the shrine's entrance, with the entrance knocker soon announcing themselves. "Good evening, Reimu. It is I, Ran."
"Come in, Ran," Reimu said as she briefly turned to the shrine entrance to project her voice towards Ran better.
Eventually, Ran came into view of the group after entering the shrine.
Ran bowed as she began to introduce herself for the benefit of the Sealing Club members and Yomika. "Good evening, everyone. I am Yakumo Ran. It is a pleasure to meet you." As Ran introduced herself, the Sealing Club members gawked at Ran's formal bearing and her nine tails.
"So fluffy…." Sumireko said her thoughts out loud as if she was in a daze, causing everyone except Ran to glance at her for the odd outburst.
"So, Ran, what brings ya 'round here, da-ze?" Marisa asked, bringing the Sealing Club members back into reality.
"My visit here is on Yukari-sama's orders, and she wanted me to check up on these outsiders." Ran answered as she examined the Sealing Club members and Yomika.
"What are you checking them out for?" Meira asked, the conversation about the Hyper Nexus being brought back in her mind.
"The reason for my visit is between Yukari and I," Ran responded. As Ran looked over Yomika and the Sealing Club members, she saw Maribel. Ran's scrutinizing gaze began to linger on Maribel, the latter quickly taking notice of it.
"Uh… hello there, Ran," Maribel nervously said as she took a small bow, "N-name's Maribel Hearn."
Ran's response was to continue staring at Maribel Hearn, as she was lost in thought. A few moments later, Ran shook herself out of her gaze and bowed at Maribel. "Apologies for my rudeness, Maribel. I did not mean to stare at you for so long, as I was simply lost in my thoughts."
"Ah, no worries, Ran!" Maribel said in a reassuring manner as she waved her hands. "You probably mistook me for someone else, that's all!"
I truly wish that was the case, Maribel-sama, Ran thought before turning to Reimu. "I will be taking my leave now, Reimu." Ran then turned towards the rest of the group and bowed for the final time. "Good night, all of you." Ran then turned towards the outsiders. "If we do meet again, hopefully, it is under better circumstances."
"You're leaving already?" Marisa asked, bewildered at Ran's brief visit as everyone began to focus on Ran.
"I did say that I was ordered to check up on these outsiders, Marisa," Ran replied as she turned around to leave. "With my task complete, I shall now leave." Ran then left the shrine with haste, not even letting anyone say their goodbyes. Once Ran was out of sight, the group refocused on themselves as they processed Ran's short visit.
"If Ran's visit is about us being outsiders, then I swear that we'll do out best to not cause trouble," Maribel said with a hint of worry.
Reimu sighed. "Depending on what actions Yukari might take, your presence alone might be trouble. I can only hope that isn't the case and Yukari is just being cautious."
"Going back to our conversation, where were we?" Marisa rhetorically asked.
"We were talking about Maribel's faint magic," Meira answered.
"That was rhetorical question, Meira, but whatever," Marisa said before turning to Maribel. "So, Maribel, wanna see if you can unlock your magical potential?"
"I'm not too particularly interested in learning magic," Maribel said. "School's already busy as it is."
"Ah, come on, Merry, if I can teach myself how to use my psychic and magic powers, despite school, then you can, as well! Besides, it's not everyday you get to learn magic!"
"The sole reason why you learned your magic and psychic powers is because you're obsessed with them," Renko said.
"Pot calling kettle black," Sumireko responded. "Besides, you wouldn't be in this club if you didn't have an interest in them, as well."
"My interest in them is more due to my interest in Merry's dreams, as well as the occult in general," said Renko.
"Hoh?" Sumireko exclaimed teasingly. "A specific interest in Maribel's dreams, you say? How interesting," Sumireko said nothing else, as she let the implications speak for themselves. Renko's eyebrow twitched in frustration as Maribel blushed at what Sumireko was implying.
Seeing that Sumireko's antics are getting to Renko's nerves, Meira decided to the topic back on track. "Getting back on topic, if only Sumireko is able to use the magic she has, then all of you will definitely need to learn how it if you wish to visit Gensokyo beyond the Hakurei Shrine."
Reimu nodded at Meira's information. "You'll need magic to protect yourselves from yokai, or at least buy you time to head towards safety, Spell Card rules or no."
"Spell card rules?" Madotsuki asked.
"The Spell Card System is a combat system where yokai and humans alike can settle disputes and co-exist without needless bloodshed," Reimu answered.
"And if yokai refuse to use the Spell Card System?" Madotsuki asked.
"That's where my job as a Yokai Hunter comes in," Meira said as she gestured towards herself. "Should any yokai cause trouble to the Village residents that doesn't fall under Spell Card rules, we go out and convince them to do otherwise."
"So what does Reimu and Marisa do?" Urotsuki asked.
"Oh, us?" Marisa replied. "We solve Incidents, that's what we do! And before you ask, we're kinda like Yokai Hunters, 'cept that Incidents tend to have far-reachin' consequences if not dealt with, da-ze. As of now, no Incident has ever ended with blood being spilled since the Spell Card system was first put in place, so if ya ask me, I think the Spell Card system is working as intended."
"If you don't mind me asking, how did Incidents end before Spell Card Rules, if they're as far-reaching as you say?" Madotsuki asked
Reimu and Marisa looked Meira, as only the latter had any real experience of pre-Spell Card combat. "That depends," Meira answered. "Usually, no blood was spilled, though there were some that were caused by stubborn people that needed a bit more 'convincing', if you will."
As Meira summarized how pre-Spell Card Incidents ended, Sumireko took out her smartphone to see what time it was and soon had a shock on her face. "Oh, crap, it's 4:47!" The rest of the Sealing Club members had looks of shock and surprise upon hearing Sumireko's words.
"It's that late already? Damn, we gotta go," Urotsuki said as she and the rest of the Sealing Club members got up from their sitting positions.
"Wait, why are y'all leavin'?" Marisa asked, confused at the sudden turn of events.
"Afterschool activities not related to sports have to close up shop at 5:00 PM," Madotsuki answered. "Plus, we gotta go home at some point."
"But what about this meeting, da-ze?" Marisa asked again as she and the other two residents of Gensokyo got up from their sitting positions. "And why are you going home?"
"Just like how you three have a life here, these five have a life back home," Yomika answered.
"We'll just catch up next time we come here, promise!" Maribel added.
"Wait a minute, just how do we get home?" Renko asked.
"Maribel, do you have any effects that teleport you to your Nexus while Dreaming?" Yomika asked as she turned towards Maribel.
"Yeah, why?" Maribel asked.
"Equip it," Yomika answered. "If how we got here is of any indication, non-Dreamers need physical contact as well as us Dreamers wanting to bring them along to do anything related to our Dreams and the Hyper Nexus. In addition, Effects that teleport you to your Nexus can do the same for the Hyper Nexus while in real worlds not your own."
Shortly after Yomika said her explanation, a flash of light appeared from Maribel, and in her left hand was a light pink parasol. "This Parasol Effect teleports me to my Dream World Nexus."
"Whoa!" Marisa exclaimed as Reimu and Meira looked on with surprise. "How d'ya do that, da-ze?"
"I just thought of equiping it just like how I equip my Effects in my Dreams," Maribel said.
"We're all ready now," Madotsuki said, getting Maribel's attention. Madotsuki and Urotsuki's effects were rather eye-catching, as Madotsuki was equipping an Effect that replaced her head with a large hand that had an eye in the palm, while Urotsuki's effect replaced her head with a dark purple and spherical cartoon bomb that had an eye pattern on it. Yomika's Effect, on the other hand, was almost completely unnoticeable, as the only real change to her appearance was that the hair bang that covered the left side of her face was gone.
Yomika looked at Madotsuki, Maribel, and Urotsuki before she nodded to herself. "I believe it is time for us to leave." Yomika then turned towards Marisa, Meira, and Reimu and bowed at them. "Thanks for your hospitality and information. It is unfortunate that we must leave, but hopefully, our next meeting will be soon."
"No worries, Yomika!" Marisa said. "It was nice to meet fellow Dreamers!"
After the Sealing Club members said their goodbyes, they and Yomika began to huddle up in a circle and held hands. "You all know what to do?" Yomika asked, to which everybody nodded before closing their eyes. Soon, a faint sound of burning rope came from Urotsuki's Eye Bomb Effect as the bomb's string burned away while Madotsuki's Eye Palm Effect closed itself and Yomika opened her left eye, revealing that the iris was glowing sky blue, with Marisa, Meira, and Reimu noticing that a hint of magic was also being used from Yomika. Shortly afterward, a flash of light came from all of the outsiders and they all disappeared, having been teleported to the Hyper Nexus.
"Huh, so that's how they get home," said Meira.
"If they can use their Effects in the real world da-ze, I wonder if we can do so, as well, Reimu!" Marisa said.
"Maybe later, I just want to get to our dinner as soon as possible."
As soon as Reimu mentioned dinner, the three Gensokyo residents heard Ichigo's cawing as they flew into the shrine. "[Dinner! Dinner!]"
Meira chuckled to herself as she approached her backpack chest. "While the ramen noodles aren't fit for a crow, Ichigo, we can certainly give you some of the meat as a reward for you alerting us of Yomika's group." When Meira got to her backpack chest, she picked it up and headed over to Reimu's kitchen. "Now then, let's get cooking, shall we?"
Shortly after Yomika and the Sealing Club members teleported to the Hyper Nexus, Maribel asked a question. "So how are Sumi and Renko gonna get back home?"
"I can answer that," Madotsuki answered. "When we first got here, we immediately noticed that despite how far we traveled in the Hyper Nexus, we always know where the entrance to our home world is. It also helps that we can just use our Effects that teleport us to the our Dream World Nexus to teleport to our home world's entrance, if needed."
Urotsuki chuckled at Madotsuki's long-winded answer. "Man, we gotta come up with a name for Effects that send us back to our Nexus worlds."
"I just realized this, but you don't have a shorthand name for those kind of Effects?" Renko asked.
Urotsuki shrugged in response. "Kinda never needed to name them 'till now, as Madotsuki, Yomika, and I never really needed to talk about them beyond showing them for the first time, and we all know exactly what they do. Considering we're strapped for time, however, that'll be put on the back burner for now."
"Found our way back home!" Maribel said as she pointed at a Japanese classroom sliding door; as she had been looking for their world's entrance while Madotsuki, Urotsuki, and Renko had their discussion.
"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go!" Sumireko said as she ran towards the entrance, who was then followed by the rest of the group as they entered one by one.
When the group came to, they found themselves back in the same classroom they were in for today's meeting.
"Today's meeting was rather productive and interesting, if I say so myself," said Maribel. "Any ideas on our next meeting?"
"Sleepover!" Sumireko immediately answered. "There's no school tomorrow, so I wanna see the Dream Worlds of one of you Dreamers!" Plus, I can bail out of the Dream World exploration with an excuse and have some time to put some more Occult Balls around Gensokyo, Sumireko thought.
"I'd like to see Gensokyo once more, though I'm also fine with Sumi's suggestion," Renko said.
Sumireko flinched in response, though no one but Yomika noticed as the flinch was minute and brief, though even if Yomika wanted to comment on it, she didn't, as Sumireko answered shortly afterward. "Uh, but why?"
Renko raised an eyebrow at her sister's odd and out-of-character answer as she looked at Sumireko. "Normally, you'd kill to see a different world. Everything alright, Sumi?"
Sumireko took a moment to figure an answer, as she couldn't just tell Renko and the others that she had Occult Balls to spread all over Gensokyo. "Y-yeah, everything's fine! Just nervous going back there, that's all!"
"Sumireko's nervousness is not unwarranted," Yomika jumped in. "Meira, Marisa, and Reimu did say that there were actual yokai in Gensokyo. Considering that some yokai are said to have pretty esoteric abilities, much less them being a potential threat to you, I'd think twice on going there."
"You're a yokai yourself, right? I think you'd do just fine protecting us," Urotsuki said, causing the Usami sisters and Maribel to switch their bug-eyed looks at Urotsuki and Yomika.
"YOU'RE A YOKAI?!" Sumireko loudly exclaimed, interrupting whatever Yomika was about to say.
"I am," Yomika said as she gave Urotsuki a slightly frustrated look, which Urotsuki returned with a guilty look. "I was bound to tell you all eventually, just not now, especially since it's almost time for you all to close up shop."
"Getting back on topic, does anyone else have any suggestions for our next meeting?" Maribel asked.
"Not really, I'm cool with either Gensokyo or a Dream World tour," Urotsuki said.
"Are you sure about Gensokyo, Urotsuki?" Yomika asked.
"If Mado and I managed to get through Sabi's world just fine, then I can say that we can manage in Gensokyo," Urotsuki answered. "We just gotta be more careful, that's all."
"I agree," Madotsuki added as she nodded. "While I am nervous about Gensokyo, it's not that different from going camping and being worried about getting lost."
Yomika sighed in response. "You two are fools."
"Hey, if being fools got us to help Sabi's world, I'd say it's worth it," Urotsuki replied.
"If that is the case, then very well," Yomika said before turning towards Maribel. "I will be coming along for either Gensokyo or a Dream tour, as well."
"Those aren't very committal answers," Renko commented.
Urotsuki shrugged. "Eh, you three are the bosses of this club, Madotsuki and I are newcomers and Yomika's just tagging along with us."
"Plus, us three can do either or on our own time, should we decide to do so," Madotsuki added.
"Makes sense," Renko said before turning towards Maribel. "So what do you wanna do, Merry?"
Maribel took a thinking pose as she thought on her answer. "I think I'd like to go to Gensokyo," she eventually answered.
"If that's the case, then I'm changing my vote to Gensokyo," said Renko.
"No fair, you always wanna do stuff with Merry whenever you get the chance!" Sumireko complained.
"Sumi…" Maribel said in a pleading voice. "Please?"
Sumireko held up for a while, but eventually relented as she sighed. "Fine, but you owe me a Dream World visit." Guess I'll have to find some free time for the Occult Ball business some other time.
"So, is everyone fine with meeting up tomorrow and heading over to Gensokyo once again?" Maribel asked everyone, with everyone answering in affirmative answers.
"Quick question, though," Urotsuki said. "I think it would be best if we had a sleepover. Wouldn't want to worry our parents on our sudden disappearance should they need to call us, and the eight hours of sleep normal people need would not only give us more than enough time, but also hide our travels as simple sleeping. With that in mind, who wants to host a sleepover?"
"Urotsuki and I can't host the sleepover, unfortunately," Madotsuki answered. "Our apartments can handle one other person coming over for a sleepover, but four more are out of the question."
"You have a home, Yomika?" Renko asked.
"Never needed one," Yomika. "As a yokai, and one that doesn't need to eat or sleep, at that, I spent most of my life either wandering around most of the world, barring the Americas, or within my Dream Worlds, and only recently, have I been chained by Madotsuki's and Urotsuki's friendship."
Sumireko gasped in excitement. "You've travelled the world before? That's so cool? What did you see?"
Yomika frowned at Sumireko's question. "Let's just say that I sometimes saw the worst of what humanity has to offer."
Sumireko realized what Yomika meant and had an apologetic look on her face. "Oh. Sorry for asking, Yomika."
"No need to apologize, Sumireko," Yomika replied. "I just prefer not to talk about my travels much, as it was during the lowest point of my life." Sumireko only felt even worse after hearing Yomika's words, but didn't say anything else.
"Getting back on track, I guess the sleepover falls on either myself or Sumireko and Renko," Maribel said as she gestured to herself and the Usami sisters. "Our houses are big enough to host all of us."
"I'll talk to mom and dad to see if they're cool with a sleepover tomorrow night," said Renko.
"Hey, Renko, you sure your parents will be cool with a sleepover after transferring here so soon?" Urotsuki asked.
"I'm inclined to believe so, yeah," Renko answered. "They liked that Sumi and I had already made steps to make friends with you all, so I doubt that they wouldn't want to see your faces."
"Guess that settles it, then," Urotsuki said.
"Indeed," Maribel added. "Now that our plans for tomorrow are set, any last questions before we all head home?" When everyone else in the group replied that they didn't in some form, Maribel nodded to herself before speaking once more. "If that's the case, then today's meeting is adjourned. Club dismissed."
With Maribel's words said, the Sealing Club members and Yomika cleaned up the classroom they were in before the students packed up their stuff and headed home, with Yomika traveling with Madotsuki and Urotsuki with her Mask Effect making Yomika be invisible to non-Dreamers while the Usami sisters and Maribel went home together.
Ran eventually returned to the Yakumo Residence and entered her home. The Yakumo Residence, while largely Japanese in design, had some European influences in it, one example being that while the house's entrance was rather spacious and had a Japanese sliding door, as well as a Japanese sliding door separating the living room from the kitchen and dining room, the hallway containing three bedrooms, a study room, and a bathroom had hinged European-styled doors that led up to said rooms.
As Ran made her way into the house, she came across Yukari, who was wearing a pale pink dress with a purple tabard and a pale pink mob cap that had a red ribbon tied into a bow on it. Yukari was currently sitting on the floor with her back turned towards Ran, as Yukari was writing traditional Japanese calligraphy to pass time.
Ran stopped when she encountered Yukari and bowed as she began to greet her. "I have arrived, Yukari-sama."
"Good, good," Yukari said off-handedly as she continued her calligraphy. "Any news on the… Outsiders?"
Ran took a moment to respond, as she was nervous and unsure on how Yukari would react. "It is as you feared. Maribel-sama is indeed among the group of Outsiders."
Yukari stopped her calligraphy upon hearing Ran's words. "I see," she tersely said in a flat tone. Yukari then placed her brush down on the calligraphy board. "Leave me alone for the time being, Ran. I wish to be alone with my thoughts."
"As you wish, Yukari-sama," Ran said as she bowed once more before leaving the living room and closing the door behind her, all while Yukari was beginning to stew in her thoughts.
Speaking of the Hakurei shrine, the name of its current shrine maiden is Hakurei Reimu. She wore a stylised red Miko outfit and a large red bow on top of her head, and she is holding a purification rod in her right hand.
Artist:ZUN (official art)
As to what exactly is Reimu doing right now, she is currently spending her evening lying down on the floor and daydreaming as she looks at the ceiling with a somewhat downcast look on her face, as this was one of the few days that yokai not named Yukari or Ran decided to not bother her, which she would've taken full advantage of if she had any real hobbies or motivation to perform the duties of a shrine maiden beyond the bare minimum. Alas, she had neither, so she just spent most of her non-eating hours Dreaming, as she was a Dreamer herself. As to why Reimu is currently not Dreaming, however, it is because she is currently waiting for two people to arrive, and those two people were rather important to her.
Eventually, one of those two people important to Reimu arrived while riding a flying broom, that person being Marisa Kirisame, who wore a black and white dress with what looked like four yellow buttons on her chest, a large witch's hat, and an apron. In addition, she had blond hair and yellow eyes. Lastly, Marisa is also a Dreamer.
Artist: Harukara Moe (official art)
"Yo, Reimu, I'm here, da-ze!" Marisa said as she hopped off her broom and entered the shrine without any regard to manners.
"Hi, Marisa," Reimu said with no emotion in her voice and not moving from her spot at all.
"Come on, Reimu, can't you greet your best friend with a bit more emotion?"
Reimu sighed as she sat up. "Hello, Marisa," Reimu said with a bit of forced enthusiasm, though her downcast look was still apparent.
Marisa noticed the downcast look on Reimu's face, so she dropped her act, walked up to Reimu, and sat to the left of her. "You alright?" Marisa said in a softer tone.
Reimu took a moment to consider her answer. "As alright as I can be."
So she's feeling more down than usual, but not enough for her to break into tears at any moment, Marisa thought. "Wanna watch the setting sun together?"
"Sure, why not?" Reimu said before she and Marisa got up and walked to the front of the shrine before sitting back down.
Shortly after the two sat down, Marisa put her right arm around Reimu's shoulder. "While I may not always be here, my shoulder will always be available for you to lean on while I am."
Reimu's response was to do exactly that, which caused Marisa to chuckle as the two began to watch the sun set.
A few minutes went by before the other person important to Reimu finally appeared by walking up the long stairs that lead to the Hakurei Shrine, with that person being a woman named Meira. Meira wore a red and white Hakama and her long, purple hair was tied in a ponytail. In addition, she had a sheathed katana on her left side and was currently also wearing a traditional wooden backpack chest.
Artist:Kaede (mmkeyy)
"Oi, Meira, took ya long enough, da-ze!" Marisa said as she took on her signature rough accent anf she and Reimu broke away from each other.
"Unlike a certain witch, I prefer to take a relaxing walk, thank you very much," Meira quipped as she walked towards Marisa and Reimu. "Maybe if you decided to take a walk every now and then, you'd be healthier and not be so short."
"Hah? Almost sounds like ya tryin' to start somethin'," Marisa said in an accusatory tone as she got up.
Meira smirked in response. "And if I am?"
"I'll gladly take ya lanky ass on, da-ze, Spell Card rules or not!"
"Kotohime didn't come with you, Meira?" Reimu asked, interrupting Marisa and Meira's banter.
"Unfortunately, she didn't want to, though I don't exactly blame her," Meira said as she entered the shrine, her tone instantly switching to a more kind one.
"Aw man, was hoping to have her over," Marisa said in a slightly disappointed tone.
"So what's for dinner?" Reimu asked.
"We're having ramen tonight," Meira said as she began to take off her backpack chest.
"Don't 'cha get tired of bringin' food here twice everyday, Meira?" Marisa asked.
"What can I say? Old habits die hard," Meira answered as she shrugged. "After all, as Reimu's godmother and honorary aunt, the least I can do is provide for her if barely anyone donates to her. Now then, let's get cooking."
Before the three were even able to prepare their dinner, however, a crow flew into the shrine and began cawing. <"Intruders! Intruders!">
"What's wrong, Ichigo?" Meira asked as she reached out her right arm so that the now-named Ichigo could land on it, with Marisa and Reimu turning to focus on Ichigo.
<"Intruders! Five humans and one yokai! Arrived via teleportation! Some distance behind shrine!"> Ichigo crowed as she landed on Meira's outreached arm.
"Intruders? Sudden teleportation?" Meira said with a hint of worry. "This better not be the start of an incident."
"Oi, that's Reimu's line you're stealin', da-ze!" Marisa said. "And besides, don't worry, old lady, Reimu and I will handle it for ya, ze," Marisa then said as she winked at Meira.
"Old lady?" Meira said in a tone that was both amused and annoyed as she lowered her right arm, causing Ichigo to briefly fly up and land on her right shoulder. "I might be retired from Incident solving, but that doesn't mean that I turn a blind eye from trouble brewing in front of me, and I'm certainly not old enough for my hair to gray out."
"Can we go check out the intruders now?" Reimu said with a hint of annoyance, interrupting Marisa and Meira's banter. "I wanna get this over with and eat dinner as soon as possible."
""Sorry about that./Sorry, da-ze,"" Meira and Marisa said at the same time, respectively, before they glanced at each other for doing so. With Marisa's and Meira's banter out of the way, the three began walking towards the source of the crow's concern, with Reimu taking the lead, followed by Marisa and Meira. As for Ichigo themselves, they flew away as the three Gensokyo residents began to leave, having learned long ago not to get caught in the crossfire should things go bad.
It didn't take long for Reimu to arrive at the location, and as she did so, she overheard what seemed to be part of a conversation.
"...While this world does feel like a real world, at the same time, it feels like a Dream World, and that has interesting implications," said Yomika.
Just as Yomika said her words, the Sealing Club members and Yomika heard the shuffling of footsteps, so they turned to the source of the sound. There, they spotted Reimu, and when she and the other four Dreamers locked eyes with each other, they all had a look of surprise on their faces as they all suddenly received a message.
A fellow Dreamer.
"Yo, Reimu, what stopped you in your tracks, da-ze?" Said Marisa. "I hope it's a troublemaker we can beat--" as Marisa came around the shrine, she saw the Sealing Club members and Yomika, and when Marisa locked eyes with one of the Dreamers, she dropped her broom and stopped herself in surprise as she also received a message that she found fellow Dreamers.
A moment of silence lingered over as the Dreamers looked at each other in surprise. As for the Usami sisters, they looked on the scene with confusion on their faces, though Renko soon recognized that Maribel had also reacted similarly when they first met Madotsuki and Urotsuki as well as Yomika.
"Reimu? Marisa? Is everything alright?" Meira asked as she came around the corner, though her question would soon be answered by the sight of Marisa, Reimu, the Secret Sealing Club members, and Yomika. As Meira's eyes wandered to the Sealing Club members and Yomika, she took note of the group's clothing, as well as their surprised looks and lack of hostility. Meira soon sensed their general lack of magic, barring Maribel, Sumireko, and Yomika, and in addition, she sensed that Yomika felt different and definitely non-Human compared to the rest of the group. Perhaps this was the yokai Ichigo mentioned. Regardless, with this information in mind, she guessed that the group in front if her were outsiders. "Outsiders, huh? Now that's something you don't see everyday," Meira said as she caught up with Marisa and Reimu. "Mind telling us your names?"
Madotsuki, Urotsuki, and Yomika were the first to recover from their surprise, and Urotsuki was the first to introduce herself. "Oh, name's Urotsuki."
"My name's Madotsuki," Madotsuki said.
"Yomika," Yomika simply replied.
"My name is Maribel Hearn. It's a pleasure to meet you," she said as she bowed, which caused Meira to raise an eyebrow at Maribel's formal introduction.
"Name's Usami Renko, nice to meet you."
Sumireko took a dramatic pose as she began her introduction. "My name is Usami Sumireko, high school student extraordinaire and leader of the Secret Sealing Club!" Sumireko then struck another dramatic pose.
"Self-proclaimed leader," Renko corrected as she ignored Sumirenko's exclamation at having the rug pulled under her. "Speaking of which, with the exception of Yomika, all of us are high schoolers, though Sumireko is a lower grade than us."
"'High schoolers'?" Marisa asked in a curious tone as she picked up her broom. "I know what a school is, but what exactly does 'high school' mean, da-ze?"
"As much as I'd also like to know, I think it's best if us three introduce ourselves before continuing our conversation in the shrine," Meira said before the Sealing Club members and/or Yomika could answer. "Wouldn't want to just stand around all day, now would we?" When everyone else said they agreed in some form, Meira spoke once more. "With that plan in mind, allow me to introduce myself. Name's Meira, Chief Guard and Yokai Hunter of the Human Village."
While the Sealing Club members had questioning looks upon hearing of yokai and the specific term of "human village", they held their tongue for now. As for Yomika, she bristled in response to Meira being a Yokai Hunter, which Meira took notice of, but didn't comment on.
Reimu was the next to introduce herself as she bowed. "Hakurei Reimu, Shrine Maiden of the Hakurei Shrine."
Marisa grinned as she took a pose. "Kirisame Marisa, ordinary human Magician extraordinaire and second best Incident solver, at your service, da-ze!"
Sumireko gasped in excitement and surprise. "Magician?! Do you mean one who casts magic and not one uses parlor tricks and sleight-of-hand?"
"Hell yeah, I do, though I also know some parlor tricks myself, da-ze," said Marisa. "Though like Meira said, let's take this inside, don' wanna have ta' stand outside all day."
"Ah, that's so cool!" Sumireko gushed as she and the rest of the group began to walk towards and inside Reimu's shrine. "Can you show us your magic?"
Reimu pointedly looked at Marisa, which the latter noticed. "Mou, Reimu, I ain't gonna destroy the shrine!"
"You said that last time you wanted to show off the new magic spell you learned, only to do the opposite," Reimu said with a hint of annoyance.
As Marisa and Reimu began to banter with each other, Sumireko was a bit disappointed that Marisa hadn't already shown her magic yet. However, it was rectified by her intuition/maybe-a-psychic-empath-power telling her that the tone of Marisa and Reimu's argument were similar to a married couple's, just like how Maribel and her sister acted sometimes, causing Sumireko to chuckle in amusement when she made the comparison.
"Ah, come on, Reimu, it wasn't that bad!" Said Marisa "Sure, I didn't expect it to be so big, but I did stop it before any major damage could happen, da-ze!" Marisa then put her arm around Reimu and pulled her in, causing the latter to yelp in surprise. "Besides, if it really did destroy your shrine, then that just gives me the excuse to invite ya to stay over, now, eh?"
"I refuse to live in the trash heap you call a home," Reimu said as she looked away from Marisa.
Marisa mock-gasped as she backed off and let go of Reimu. "You wound me with your hurtful words," she teased. "You better say sorry, da-ze!"
Before Reimu could respond to Marisa, Meira spoke up, interrupting Marisa's and Reimu's banter. "We're here, let's head inside." The group then headed inside of the Hakurei Shrine and eventually sat down.
"So, Marisa, about the magic you were about to show us…." Sumireko said.
"Ah, right, I almost forgot!" Marisa said before she pointed her index finger up and conjured a small flame at its tip. "I'd like to show ya something much cooler, but Reimu's here, so yeah."
"Can you two also use magic, Meira and Reimu?" Urotsuki asked.
"Yes, we can, though I'd rather show it right now," Meira answered as Reimu simply nodded in response.
"Hey, Meira," Renko said, catching Meira's attention. "Earlier, you said that you were the Chief Guard of the Human Village, as well as a Yokai Hunter. What does that entail, exactly?"
Meira raised an eyebrow at Renko's words. "Ain't gonna ask if yokai are real?"
"Considering how we got here, I'm inclined to believe they are, especially if you yourself implicitly confirmed it with your job as a Yokai Hunter."
Meira chuckled in response. "Makes sense. As a Chief Guard, I'm head of the guards that protect the Human Village from yokai that decide to show their fangs, as well as police work. As for being a Yokai Hunter, well, it's kind of the same thing, minus the police work in exchange for allowing me to head outside the Village should I need to."
"I see. That answers my question well enough," Renko said as she nodded.
"How did all of you get here?" Reimu suddenly asked with a serious look on her face, causing the Sealing Club members to flinch in surprise while Yomika looked at Meira, the latter quickly taking notice of Yomika's gaze as the both of them took on an unnaturally neutral face that hid their tension.
"Uuh…" Renko nervously said before looking at Yomika. Upon noticing Yomika's faintly tense gaze, she followed Yomika's eyesight and saw Meira, who not only was similarly tense, but Renko also saw Meira slightly inch her left hand towards her katana, causing Renko's nervousness to quickly turn into fear.
Marisa, noticing the tense situation, decided to step in and try to defuse the situation. "Um, you don't have to tell us if you want to!" Everyone looked at Marisa in response, who flinched at the attention. "Uh… is there a reason why you can't exactly tell us? Da-ze?"
The Sealing Club members looked at Yomika for answers, which didn't go unnoticed by everyone else. Yomika, for her part, closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Marisa, Reimu. You do know of our… status, correct? The status you learned when you saw us for the first time?"
"Yeah, we do, but why do you ask?" Marisa asked.
"Does Meira know of your status?" Yomika said, answering with a question.
"She does," Reimu answered for Marisa, causing Yomika to look at Reimu for clarification. "Meira is my godmother, and both I and Marisa trusted her enough to confide of our dreams." Reimu then looked at the other Dreamers, those being Maribel, Madotsuki, and Urotsuki, before she continued. "Truthfully, the reason why I asked how you all arrived in here is because it is my duty as the Hakurei Shrine Maiden. Asides from the typical shrine maiden duties, it is also my duty to protect the balance of Gensokyo, which is the name this land that you all have found yourself in. Depending on how you arrived here, your mere arrival could be enough to destabilize the status quo and cause an Incident."
Maribel nervously swallowed the accumulated spit in her mouth. "W-we didn't arrive here to cause any trouble, if-if that's what you're wondering."
"Ye-yeah, Maribel's right!" Sumireko chimed in. "We just wanted to explore this world, that's all!"
Meira sighed. "Gensokyo isn't exactly a tourist destination, you know. It's a safe haven for all things mystical, where belief in myths and legends still stand strong even as faith from the Outside World weakens ever so slightly."
"Speaking of which, that brings me back my question," said Reimu. "How did you all get here?"
The Secret Sealing Club members all looked at each other before looking at Yomika. Yomika took notice of their looks and began to speak on their behalf. "Truthfully? We got here through a higher dimension we call the Hyper Nexus. We do no't know much about it ourselves other than that it allows us to travel to other worlds."
"And how does one access this Hyper Nexus, da-ze?" Marisa asked.
"We still have no definite answer, as Madotsuki, Urotsuki, and I stumbled upon it one day while trying to share our Dreams," Yomika answered. "Ever since we first came across it, however, all we had to do to get to the Hyper INexus is to simply think of going there as we begin to Dream. As for how non-Dreamers such as the Usami sisters came along, they were in close contact with us when we all decided to go there."
"Yo Reimu, is Yukari and the other Great Sages aware of this, da-ze?" Marisa asked.
Reimu nodded in response. "Yukari confided to me that they are aware that in addition to Dreamers like us, those with abilities relating to dreams that doesn't relate to our Dreams and those sufficiently powerful enough could enter the Hyper Nexus without issue, and have been monitoring it ever since Gensokyo's inception. From what Yukari has told me, practically no one had used the Hyper Nexus to enter Gensokyo, and decided to enter here through other means."
"No one outside of these folks, that is," Meira said as she tilted her head towards Yomika and the Sealing Club members. "With that in mind, I can only presume that the Hyper Nexus is incredibly obscure, and I don't want to consider the implications as to why that is."
Marisa exclaimed in frustration. "All of this serious talk of multidimensional traveling and its implications is making my head spin, da-ze. Can we talk 'bout somethin' else?" When everyone else had agreed, Marisa took a sigh of relief. "I'm glad that we're on the same page, let's move on."
"So, any questions not relating to the Hyper Nexus?" Meira asked as she turned to the Sealing Club members and Yomika.
"I have a question," Madotsuki said. "Should we worry about yokai?"
"That depends, who here can cast magic, da-ze?" Marisa answered with a question of her own.
"I can cast magic," Yomika responded while Sumireko raised her hand, causing Madotsuki and Urotsuki to look at Yomika in surprise.
""You can?"" Madotsuki and Urotsuki asked Yomika at the same time.
Yomika had an uncertain look on her face. "I think I can. Asides from the odd and brief feeling of displacement I get whenever I teleport, there is also a feeling that something has been drained from me. It is small, but definitely something I can notice."
"Now that you mention it…" Marisa said with curiosity as she silently casted a detection spell to sense any magic within Yomika, and a few moments later, Marisa had sensed something interesting within both Yomika and Maribel. Oh, how interesting, Marisa thought to herself. Not only does Yomika have magic, but I also sense that she's a yokai. Either her friends already know or she's keeping it a secret. If she hasn't told them yet, then I won't, as well. As for Maribel, she also has magic. It's faint, but it's there. Marisa narrowed her eyes as she focused on Maribel. Her magic also feels familiar for some reason. Eh, the familiarity's probably just a false positive with how raw and unused it feels. "Yeah, no question about it, you definitely have magic, Yomika. I also sense magic in Maribel, as well, da-ze."
"Huh? Me?" Maribel said in surprise. "But I don't have magic."
"My detection spells say otherwise, though with what you just said, seems like you didn't even know you had magic until now," said Marisa. "With how faint your magic feels, I don't exactly blame ya for not even noticing it, especially with you being from the Outside World and all."
The group then heard someone knock on the shrine's entrance, with the entrance knocker soon announcing themselves. "Good evening, Reimu. It is I, Ran."
"Come in, Ran," Reimu said as she briefly turned to the shrine entrance to project her voice towards Ran better.
Eventually, Ran came into view of the group after entering the shrine.
Artist: ZUN (official art)
Ran bowed as she began to introduce herself for the benefit of the Sealing Club members and Yomika. "Good evening, everyone. I am Yakumo Ran. It is a pleasure to meet you." As Ran introduced herself, the Sealing Club members gawked at Ran's formal bearing and her nine tails.
"So fluffy…." Sumireko said her thoughts out loud as if she was in a daze, causing everyone except Ran to glance at her for the odd outburst.
"So, Ran, what brings ya 'round here, da-ze?" Marisa asked, bringing the Sealing Club members back into reality.
"My visit here is on Yukari-sama's orders, and she wanted me to check up on these outsiders." Ran answered as she examined the Sealing Club members and Yomika.
"What are you checking them out for?" Meira asked, the conversation about the Hyper Nexus being brought back in her mind.
"The reason for my visit is between Yukari and I," Ran responded. As Ran looked over Yomika and the Sealing Club members, she saw Maribel. Ran's scrutinizing gaze began to linger on Maribel, the latter quickly taking notice of it.
"Uh… hello there, Ran," Maribel nervously said as she took a small bow, "N-name's Maribel Hearn."
Ran's response was to continue staring at Maribel Hearn, as she was lost in thought. A few moments later, Ran shook herself out of her gaze and bowed at Maribel. "Apologies for my rudeness, Maribel. I did not mean to stare at you for so long, as I was simply lost in my thoughts."
"Ah, no worries, Ran!" Maribel said in a reassuring manner as she waved her hands. "You probably mistook me for someone else, that's all!"
I truly wish that was the case, Maribel-sama, Ran thought before turning to Reimu. "I will be taking my leave now, Reimu." Ran then turned towards the rest of the group and bowed for the final time. "Good night, all of you." Ran then turned towards the outsiders. "If we do meet again, hopefully, it is under better circumstances."
"You're leaving already?" Marisa asked, bewildered at Ran's brief visit as everyone began to focus on Ran.
"I did say that I was ordered to check up on these outsiders, Marisa," Ran replied as she turned around to leave. "With my task complete, I shall now leave." Ran then left the shrine with haste, not even letting anyone say their goodbyes. Once Ran was out of sight, the group refocused on themselves as they processed Ran's short visit.
"If Ran's visit is about us being outsiders, then I swear that we'll do out best to not cause trouble," Maribel said with a hint of worry.
Reimu sighed. "Depending on what actions Yukari might take, your presence alone might be trouble. I can only hope that isn't the case and Yukari is just being cautious."
"Going back to our conversation, where were we?" Marisa rhetorically asked.
"We were talking about Maribel's faint magic," Meira answered.
"That was rhetorical question, Meira, but whatever," Marisa said before turning to Maribel. "So, Maribel, wanna see if you can unlock your magical potential?"
"I'm not too particularly interested in learning magic," Maribel said. "School's already busy as it is."
"Ah, come on, Merry, if I can teach myself how to use my psychic and magic powers, despite school, then you can, as well! Besides, it's not everyday you get to learn magic!"
"The sole reason why you learned your magic and psychic powers is because you're obsessed with them," Renko said.
"Pot calling kettle black," Sumireko responded. "Besides, you wouldn't be in this club if you didn't have an interest in them, as well."
"My interest in them is more due to my interest in Merry's dreams, as well as the occult in general," said Renko.
"Hoh?" Sumireko exclaimed teasingly. "A specific interest in Maribel's dreams, you say? How interesting," Sumireko said nothing else, as she let the implications speak for themselves. Renko's eyebrow twitched in frustration as Maribel blushed at what Sumireko was implying.
Seeing that Sumireko's antics are getting to Renko's nerves, Meira decided to the topic back on track. "Getting back on topic, if only Sumireko is able to use the magic she has, then all of you will definitely need to learn how it if you wish to visit Gensokyo beyond the Hakurei Shrine."
Reimu nodded at Meira's information. "You'll need magic to protect yourselves from yokai, or at least buy you time to head towards safety, Spell Card rules or no."
"Spell card rules?" Madotsuki asked.
"The Spell Card System is a combat system where yokai and humans alike can settle disputes and co-exist without needless bloodshed," Reimu answered.
"And if yokai refuse to use the Spell Card System?" Madotsuki asked.
"That's where my job as a Yokai Hunter comes in," Meira said as she gestured towards herself. "Should any yokai cause trouble to the Village residents that doesn't fall under Spell Card rules, we go out and convince them to do otherwise."
"So what does Reimu and Marisa do?" Urotsuki asked.
"Oh, us?" Marisa replied. "We solve Incidents, that's what we do! And before you ask, we're kinda like Yokai Hunters, 'cept that Incidents tend to have far-reachin' consequences if not dealt with, da-ze. As of now, no Incident has ever ended with blood being spilled since the Spell Card system was first put in place, so if ya ask me, I think the Spell Card system is working as intended."
"If you don't mind me asking, how did Incidents end before Spell Card Rules, if they're as far-reaching as you say?" Madotsuki asked
Reimu and Marisa looked Meira, as only the latter had any real experience of pre-Spell Card combat. "That depends," Meira answered. "Usually, no blood was spilled, though there were some that were caused by stubborn people that needed a bit more 'convincing', if you will."
As Meira summarized how pre-Spell Card Incidents ended, Sumireko took out her smartphone to see what time it was and soon had a shock on her face. "Oh, crap, it's 4:47!" The rest of the Sealing Club members had looks of shock and surprise upon hearing Sumireko's words.
"It's that late already? Damn, we gotta go," Urotsuki said as she and the rest of the Sealing Club members got up from their sitting positions.
"Wait, why are y'all leavin'?" Marisa asked, confused at the sudden turn of events.
"Afterschool activities not related to sports have to close up shop at 5:00 PM," Madotsuki answered. "Plus, we gotta go home at some point."
"But what about this meeting, da-ze?" Marisa asked again as she and the other two residents of Gensokyo got up from their sitting positions. "And why are you going home?"
"Just like how you three have a life here, these five have a life back home," Yomika answered.
"We'll just catch up next time we come here, promise!" Maribel added.
"Wait a minute, just how do we get home?" Renko asked.
"Maribel, do you have any effects that teleport you to your Nexus while Dreaming?" Yomika asked as she turned towards Maribel.
"Yeah, why?" Maribel asked.
"Equip it," Yomika answered. "If how we got here is of any indication, non-Dreamers need physical contact as well as us Dreamers wanting to bring them along to do anything related to our Dreams and the Hyper Nexus. In addition, Effects that teleport you to your Nexus can do the same for the Hyper Nexus while in real worlds not your own."
Shortly after Yomika said her explanation, a flash of light appeared from Maribel, and in her left hand was a light pink parasol. "This Parasol Effect teleports me to my Dream World Nexus."
"Whoa!" Marisa exclaimed as Reimu and Meira looked on with surprise. "How d'ya do that, da-ze?"
"I just thought of equiping it just like how I equip my Effects in my Dreams," Maribel said.
"We're all ready now," Madotsuki said, getting Maribel's attention. Madotsuki and Urotsuki's effects were rather eye-catching, as Madotsuki was equipping an Effect that replaced her head with a large hand that had an eye in the palm, while Urotsuki's effect replaced her head with a dark purple and spherical cartoon bomb that had an eye pattern on it. Yomika's Effect, on the other hand, was almost completely unnoticeable, as the only real change to her appearance was that the hair bang that covered the left side of her face was gone.
Yomika looked at Madotsuki, Maribel, and Urotsuki before she nodded to herself. "I believe it is time for us to leave." Yomika then turned towards Marisa, Meira, and Reimu and bowed at them. "Thanks for your hospitality and information. It is unfortunate that we must leave, but hopefully, our next meeting will be soon."
"No worries, Yomika!" Marisa said. "It was nice to meet fellow Dreamers!"
After the Sealing Club members said their goodbyes, they and Yomika began to huddle up in a circle and held hands. "You all know what to do?" Yomika asked, to which everybody nodded before closing their eyes. Soon, a faint sound of burning rope came from Urotsuki's Eye Bomb Effect as the bomb's string burned away while Madotsuki's Eye Palm Effect closed itself and Yomika opened her left eye, revealing that the iris was glowing sky blue, with Marisa, Meira, and Reimu noticing that a hint of magic was also being used from Yomika. Shortly afterward, a flash of light came from all of the outsiders and they all disappeared, having been teleported to the Hyper Nexus.
"Huh, so that's how they get home," said Meira.
"If they can use their Effects in the real world da-ze, I wonder if we can do so, as well, Reimu!" Marisa said.
"Maybe later, I just want to get to our dinner as soon as possible."
As soon as Reimu mentioned dinner, the three Gensokyo residents heard Ichigo's cawing as they flew into the shrine. "[Dinner! Dinner!]"
Meira chuckled to herself as she approached her backpack chest. "While the ramen noodles aren't fit for a crow, Ichigo, we can certainly give you some of the meat as a reward for you alerting us of Yomika's group." When Meira got to her backpack chest, she picked it up and headed over to Reimu's kitchen. "Now then, let's get cooking, shall we?"
Shortly after Yomika and the Sealing Club members teleported to the Hyper Nexus, Maribel asked a question. "So how are Sumi and Renko gonna get back home?"
"I can answer that," Madotsuki answered. "When we first got here, we immediately noticed that despite how far we traveled in the Hyper Nexus, we always know where the entrance to our home world is. It also helps that we can just use our Effects that teleport us to the our Dream World Nexus to teleport to our home world's entrance, if needed."
Urotsuki chuckled at Madotsuki's long-winded answer. "Man, we gotta come up with a name for Effects that send us back to our Nexus worlds."
"I just realized this, but you don't have a shorthand name for those kind of Effects?" Renko asked.
Urotsuki shrugged in response. "Kinda never needed to name them 'till now, as Madotsuki, Yomika, and I never really needed to talk about them beyond showing them for the first time, and we all know exactly what they do. Considering we're strapped for time, however, that'll be put on the back burner for now."
"Found our way back home!" Maribel said as she pointed at a Japanese classroom sliding door; as she had been looking for their world's entrance while Madotsuki, Urotsuki, and Renko had their discussion.
"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go!" Sumireko said as she ran towards the entrance, who was then followed by the rest of the group as they entered one by one.
When the group came to, they found themselves back in the same classroom they were in for today's meeting.
"Today's meeting was rather productive and interesting, if I say so myself," said Maribel. "Any ideas on our next meeting?"
"Sleepover!" Sumireko immediately answered. "There's no school tomorrow, so I wanna see the Dream Worlds of one of you Dreamers!" Plus, I can bail out of the Dream World exploration with an excuse and have some time to put some more Occult Balls around Gensokyo, Sumireko thought.
"I'd like to see Gensokyo once more, though I'm also fine with Sumi's suggestion," Renko said.
Sumireko flinched in response, though no one but Yomika noticed as the flinch was minute and brief, though even if Yomika wanted to comment on it, she didn't, as Sumireko answered shortly afterward. "Uh, but why?"
Renko raised an eyebrow at her sister's odd and out-of-character answer as she looked at Sumireko. "Normally, you'd kill to see a different world. Everything alright, Sumi?"
Sumireko took a moment to figure an answer, as she couldn't just tell Renko and the others that she had Occult Balls to spread all over Gensokyo. "Y-yeah, everything's fine! Just nervous going back there, that's all!"
"Sumireko's nervousness is not unwarranted," Yomika jumped in. "Meira, Marisa, and Reimu did say that there were actual yokai in Gensokyo. Considering that some yokai are said to have pretty esoteric abilities, much less them being a potential threat to you, I'd think twice on going there."
"You're a yokai yourself, right? I think you'd do just fine protecting us," Urotsuki said, causing the Usami sisters and Maribel to switch their bug-eyed looks at Urotsuki and Yomika.
"YOU'RE A YOKAI?!" Sumireko loudly exclaimed, interrupting whatever Yomika was about to say.
"I am," Yomika said as she gave Urotsuki a slightly frustrated look, which Urotsuki returned with a guilty look. "I was bound to tell you all eventually, just not now, especially since it's almost time for you all to close up shop."
"Getting back on topic, does anyone else have any suggestions for our next meeting?" Maribel asked.
"Not really, I'm cool with either Gensokyo or a Dream World tour," Urotsuki said.
"Are you sure about Gensokyo, Urotsuki?" Yomika asked.
"If Mado and I managed to get through Sabi's world just fine, then I can say that we can manage in Gensokyo," Urotsuki answered. "We just gotta be more careful, that's all."
"I agree," Madotsuki added as she nodded. "While I am nervous about Gensokyo, it's not that different from going camping and being worried about getting lost."
Yomika sighed in response. "You two are fools."
"Hey, if being fools got us to help Sabi's world, I'd say it's worth it," Urotsuki replied.
"If that is the case, then very well," Yomika said before turning towards Maribel. "I will be coming along for either Gensokyo or a Dream tour, as well."
"Those aren't very committal answers," Renko commented.
Urotsuki shrugged. "Eh, you three are the bosses of this club, Madotsuki and I are newcomers and Yomika's just tagging along with us."
"Plus, us three can do either or on our own time, should we decide to do so," Madotsuki added.
"Makes sense," Renko said before turning towards Maribel. "So what do you wanna do, Merry?"
Maribel took a thinking pose as she thought on her answer. "I think I'd like to go to Gensokyo," she eventually answered.
"If that's the case, then I'm changing my vote to Gensokyo," said Renko.
"No fair, you always wanna do stuff with Merry whenever you get the chance!" Sumireko complained.
"Sumi…" Maribel said in a pleading voice. "Please?"
Sumireko held up for a while, but eventually relented as she sighed. "Fine, but you owe me a Dream World visit." Guess I'll have to find some free time for the Occult Ball business some other time.
"So, is everyone fine with meeting up tomorrow and heading over to Gensokyo once again?" Maribel asked everyone, with everyone answering in affirmative answers.
"Quick question, though," Urotsuki said. "I think it would be best if we had a sleepover. Wouldn't want to worry our parents on our sudden disappearance should they need to call us, and the eight hours of sleep normal people need would not only give us more than enough time, but also hide our travels as simple sleeping. With that in mind, who wants to host a sleepover?"
"Urotsuki and I can't host the sleepover, unfortunately," Madotsuki answered. "Our apartments can handle one other person coming over for a sleepover, but four more are out of the question."
"You have a home, Yomika?" Renko asked.
"Never needed one," Yomika. "As a yokai, and one that doesn't need to eat or sleep, at that, I spent most of my life either wandering around most of the world, barring the Americas, or within my Dream Worlds, and only recently, have I been chained by Madotsuki's and Urotsuki's friendship."
Sumireko gasped in excitement. "You've travelled the world before? That's so cool? What did you see?"
Yomika frowned at Sumireko's question. "Let's just say that I sometimes saw the worst of what humanity has to offer."
Sumireko realized what Yomika meant and had an apologetic look on her face. "Oh. Sorry for asking, Yomika."
"No need to apologize, Sumireko," Yomika replied. "I just prefer not to talk about my travels much, as it was during the lowest point of my life." Sumireko only felt even worse after hearing Yomika's words, but didn't say anything else.
"Getting back on track, I guess the sleepover falls on either myself or Sumireko and Renko," Maribel said as she gestured to herself and the Usami sisters. "Our houses are big enough to host all of us."
"I'll talk to mom and dad to see if they're cool with a sleepover tomorrow night," said Renko.
"Hey, Renko, you sure your parents will be cool with a sleepover after transferring here so soon?" Urotsuki asked.
"I'm inclined to believe so, yeah," Renko answered. "They liked that Sumi and I had already made steps to make friends with you all, so I doubt that they wouldn't want to see your faces."
"Guess that settles it, then," Urotsuki said.
"Indeed," Maribel added. "Now that our plans for tomorrow are set, any last questions before we all head home?" When everyone else in the group replied that they didn't in some form, Maribel nodded to herself before speaking once more. "If that's the case, then today's meeting is adjourned. Club dismissed."
With Maribel's words said, the Sealing Club members and Yomika cleaned up the classroom they were in before the students packed up their stuff and headed home, with Yomika traveling with Madotsuki and Urotsuki with her Mask Effect making Yomika be invisible to non-Dreamers while the Usami sisters and Maribel went home together.
Ran eventually returned to the Yakumo Residence and entered her home. The Yakumo Residence, while largely Japanese in design, had some European influences in it, one example being that while the house's entrance was rather spacious and had a Japanese sliding door, as well as a Japanese sliding door separating the living room from the kitchen and dining room, the hallway containing three bedrooms, a study room, and a bathroom had hinged European-styled doors that led up to said rooms.
As Ran made her way into the house, she came across Yukari, who was wearing a pale pink dress with a purple tabard and a pale pink mob cap that had a red ribbon tied into a bow on it. Yukari was currently sitting on the floor with her back turned towards Ran, as Yukari was writing traditional Japanese calligraphy to pass time.
Artist: Harukara Moe (official art)
Ran stopped when she encountered Yukari and bowed as she began to greet her. "I have arrived, Yukari-sama."
"Good, good," Yukari said off-handedly as she continued her calligraphy. "Any news on the… Outsiders?"
Ran took a moment to respond, as she was nervous and unsure on how Yukari would react. "It is as you feared. Maribel-sama is indeed among the group of Outsiders."
Yukari stopped her calligraphy upon hearing Ran's words. "I see," she tersely said in a flat tone. Yukari then placed her brush down on the calligraphy board. "Leave me alone for the time being, Ran. I wish to be alone with my thoughts."
"As you wish, Yukari-sama," Ran said as she bowed once more before leaving the living room and closing the door behind her, all while Yukari was beginning to stew in her thoughts.
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BBDaM: Chapter Six
Yirash
Sword-Stealing Nemesis
- Joined
- Sep 11, 2022
- Messages
- 11
- Likes received
- 10
Opening AN: Took me long enough to post this chapter. As for the fic itself, changed the layout yet again, as my ambitions for this fic lay far beyond Touhou and into other IPs. Not gonna spoil them on what they are, obviously.
Edit 1: Notable edits include shortening the gang's game discussion, the retcon of kotohime being a Dreamer, and a portrait of Sabitsuki, Rust, and Kotohime.
Many hours had passed since the Sealing Club members and Yomika had visited Gensokyo, and with the current time in Gensokyo being close to midnight, the cover of night allows one to be sneaky should they choose to be, with one particular person named Sumireko taking full advantage of it, as she is currently spreading Occult Balls wherever she can around Gensokyo. What's helping Sumireko get away with this sneaky business is that her current form allows her to blend in with the night even to those with night vision. As to how Sumireko is able to get to Gensokyo without the Hyper Nexus, she has a special power she kept secret from everyone that allows her to travel to Gensokyo as a pseudo-shadow while dreaming.
Kinda strange how I ended up in the Hakurei Shrine when I came to, Sumireko thought as she placed an Occult Ball on the forest floor. Considering that she's an Incident Solver of some sort, I need to be more careful on who I encounter before anything could happen, even with my shadow form making me practically invisible among the shadows of the night. Sumireko then began to fly up and out of the forest she was in to place another Occult Ball elsewhere. The lady who asked Sumireko to spread the Occult Balls around Gensokyo and sometimes supplies her with extra Occult Balls said that Sumireko was free to place them wherever she pleases, which Sumireko had no issue with, as it allowed her to explore Gensokyo to her heart's content within her time limit.
Sumireko eventually arrived at a bamboo forest of some kind. Oh right, I forgot that this damned bamboo forest was here, Sumireko thought to herself. Never liked this place, as it is easy to get lost in and there are areas of bamboo that are so dense that you can't even see past the first few rows of bamboo you see. Despite Sumireko's dislike of the bamboo forest, she decided to enter it, as she visited the bamboo forest once before, but flew out of it in frustration without even placing an occult ball, as she wasn't able to retrace her steps. The only saving grace about this accursed bamboo forest are the cute, sleeping bunnies I saw every now and then.
This time, Sumireko decided to let the bamboo forest make her lose her tracks, as she wasn't here to sightsee, but was figuring out where to place an occult ball. I don't think I'll come back to this forest after placing an Occult Ball here. If I can get lost here with a get-out-of-jail-free card that is flying, I can only imagine how lost one can get without being able to fly.
Eventually, Sumireko decided to place an Occult Ball in a random place on the bamboo forest floor. A shame I didn't encounter any sleeping bunnies to watch, but oh well. I don't wanna come here ever again, and one Occult Ball in this forest is good enough. Maybe someone could even use the power in the Occult Ball to get out of this place should they lack the ability to fly. Sumireko then flew up and out of the bamboo forest to repeat this process throughout Gensokyo, stopping only when she ran out of Occult Balls for the night.
Eventually, enough time had passed in the Outside World for it to be around 10:30 AM, and with the current day being a Saturday, no school meant that kids and teenagers of all ages often had more leisure time to enjoy themselves. As for the Usami household, which currently included Sumireko, Renko, and their mother, with the mother having brown hair and eyes, as well as wearing a white long-sleeved shirt, jeans, and black-framed glasses, they were passing time playing Wii Sports together in the living room. More specifically, the three Usami women were playing bowling, with the current turn belonging to Sumireko.
Sumireko finished lining up her shot and began to perform the motions of bowling with her Wii remote, causing her Mii to mimic Sumireko's motions and release the bowling ball. The bowling ball rolled down the bowling alley, and eventually, the bowling ball crashed into the bowling pins, causing all of them to go down at once in a strike, causing Sumireko to celebrate in excitement for her strike as she moved to sit down. As the game replayed Sumireko's strike, the in-game announcer began to speak. "Nice throw!" The screen then displayed the words of "Strike".
"You have to be cheating, Sumi, there's no way you can get four strikes in a row," Renko said in a competitive tone as she got up to play.
Sumireko smirked cockily in response. "Or maybe I'm just that good. Besides, you got a turkey yourself, so you have no right to complain."
"Now, now, settle down, you two," Sumireko and Renko's mother said in an amused yet placating tone as she adjusted her glasses. "While I like to see your competitive spirits up, I don't want to see this devolve into an actual argument, so let's just enjoy the game, shall we?"
"Okay, mom,"/"Yes, mom," Sumireko and Renko said in unison, respectively.
As Renko was lining up her shot, the three current residents of the Usami household heard the doorbell from the front gate ring.
"Oh, that must be Maribel and the others!" Sumireko said as she paused the game. "'Bout time they got here!"
"I'll get it," the matriarch of the Usami household said as she got up from the sofa and walked up to the front door.
Renko and Sumireko's mother eventually exited the house, and as she did so, she saw Maribel and two other teenage girls over the high fence and gate. As the matriarch of the Usami household approached the group of Dreamers, not that she knew of that specific detail, she overheard a snippet of their conversation. "They live in a place like this? Compared to our apartments, it's one fine house to live in, that's for sure," the foreign-looking teenager with a purple-plaid shirt and light lavender skirt said.
"Yeah, their dad works at a--" Maribel was about to say when she suddenly spotted Sumireko and Renko's mother in the corner of her vision and turned to see her. "Good morning, miss Tsubaki," Maribel said as she took a small bow, causing Madotsuki and Urotsuki to look at the Usami household matriarch.
"Good morning, Maribel," Sumireko and Renko's mother, now named Tsubaki, said as she responded in kind before she took a look at Madotsuki and Sabitsuki. "So these are the new friends Sumi and Renko were talking about?"
"They are, indeed," Maribel answered before turning towards Madotsuki and Urotsuki. "Would you two like to introduce yourselves?"
"Sure," Urotsuki said as she turned to face Tsubaki and Madotsuki nodded. "Name's Urotsuki, nice ta' meetcha."
"And I'm Madotsuki," Madotsuki said as she did a small bow.
"Nice to meet you two, as well, Urotsuki and Madotsuki," Tsubaki said as she adjusted her glasses. "I'm glad to see my two girls and Merry make new friends so soon, so come on in," Tsubaki said as she opened the front gate and gestured to Maribel, Madotsuki, and Urotsuki to come in, to which the three wordlessly followed.
"'Merry,' eh? Sounds like you knew Maribel for quite some time, miss Tsubaki." Urotsuki said as Tsubaki led the three Dreamers to her house.
"You'd be correct, as my two girls and Maribel go way back." Tsubaki answered. "They've known each other since kindergarten, so you can say that Merry and her parents are like family to us at this point."
Tsubaki then opened the front door of her house and entered it, who was then followed by the three Dreamers.
"Wii Sports, eh?" Urotsuki commented as she saw the game the Usami sisters and mother were playing. "Can't go wrong with that."
"Yeah, Renko, mom, and I were in the middle of playing it to pass the time while you three got here," Sumireko responded. "Wanna watch us play?"
"Yeah, I'll watch," Urotsuki answered as she took a seat on a nearby couch.
"I'll watch, as well," Madotsuki said as she also sat down on the couch Urotsuki was sitting on.
"Me too," Maribel said as she did the same.
"Alright then, without further ado," Sumireko said as she spun dramatically to face the tv screen, "let the games begin! Or resume, in this case." Sumireko unpaused the game as she and Tsubaki sat down while Renko began to line up her bowling shot.
Eventually, the Usami sisters and mother had finished the bowling game and the scores came in. Sumireko, despite having four strikes in a row, only landed second place, while Renko was only barely higher than Sumireko in first, and Tsubaki was in third.
"Now that was a good game," Renko said with a hint of pride.
"I'll beat ya next time, that's for sure!" Sumireko exclaimed in response. "Good game, though."
Tsubaki chuckled at her daughters' interaction. "That was fun."
"Now that the game's over, anyone wanna do anything for the sleepover?" Renko asked everyone as she turned towards the group.
"As much as I'd like to join your sleepover, I'm a bit too old for that, I'm afraid," Tsubaki answered in a teasing manner.
"Mom!" Renko exclaimed exasperatedly and a hint of embarrassment.
Tsubaki chuckled at Renko's response. "I'm only teasing you, dearie. In all seriousness, though, I'll be getting ready for work, so make sure no one gets too rowdy while I and your dad are gone, you hear?"
"You got it, mom," Renko replied.
"Good," the Usami household matriarch said as she nodded in approval before she left to get ready in the bedroom she and her husband share.
Once Tsubaki entered the master bedroom, Urotsuki decided to ask Renko a question. "So Renko, what does your mom do, if ya don't mind me asking?"
"She works part-time as a convenience store cashier," Renko answered. "It definitely ain't much compared to my dad's breadwinning job in finances, but the extra income doesn't hurt."
"So what's your parent's jobs, Uro?" Sumireko asked.
Despite Sumireko only having known the two dreamers for three days at this point, today included, Urotsuki didn't mind the shortened name as she felt she had quickly made a strong bond with the Usami sisters and Maribel. "Dad's in the US army that's stationed near here, and mom's an elementary teacher."
"Wow, your dad's in the army? That's pretty cool," said Sumireko. What about you, Mado?"
"Dad's a construction worker, while mom's a cashier at Mcdonald's," Madotsuki answered.
"What about your parents, Maribel?" Urotsuki asked.
"My father works as an engineer while my mother works as secretary for a paper company, though both of them had a love for music, and mother always wanted to be a musician," Madotsuki said. "More specifically, father was a pianist back during high school and college while mother was a violinist during her middle and high school years, and it was their love of music that got them together."
"Aw, that's so sweet!" Urotsuki said. "Sucks that your mom didn't land her dream job, but does she make music during their free time, at least?"
"Yeah, they both do, especially with Vocaloid and UTAU," Maribel answered. "They aren't the famous Vocaloid and UTAU producers you hear often in those circles, but they find it fun and fulfilling."
That's pretty cool," Urotsuki said. "So, any of you three got any games? I, for one, have a famicom in my room, while an Xbox and Xbox 360 reside in the living room. Now before you all say anything, yeah, I know just how god awful the Xbox does here, especially compared to how it does in America, but my dad and his military friends are hardcore Xbox fans and often party up online for matches whenever they can, so it would be a sin for them to not be able to play games with each other."
"So have you played some of your dad's games?" Sumireko asked.
"I have," Urotsuki answered before she chuckled. "In fact, I sometimes even join in on his matches with his army friends. While they can be pretty foul-mouthed to the point of every other word being a curse word and argue a lot, it's still banter at the end of the day."
Renko had a look of interest on her face. "So do you join in those arguments?"
Urotsuki laughed. "Wouldn't dream of it, as my mom would be very angry at dad for allowing me to participate in those shouting contests, as she has already reluctantly agreed to me playing split-screen with my dad when they are on. Enough about me, however. What about the rest of you? What systems do ya'll got?"
"Well, you've seen our Wii," said Renko. "We actually have a lot of systems. Aside from the Wii, we got a couple of Game Boy Colors, two DS Lites, one for each of us, and a PS2 and PS3."
"Man, now you two certainly got a diverse library from having all of those systems," Madotsuki complemented before turning to Maribel. "What about you, Maribel? What game systems do you have?"
"My family's loyalty is exclusively towards Nintendo, so we got all of the consoles from the Famicom to the Wii, Gameboys and DS included," Maribel answered.
"Sheesh, now that's a lot of consoles to manage," Urotsuki commented. "I'm not too sure if I should envy you for the sheer number of consoles you own or pity you for having to keep track of 'em all."
Maribel chuckled. "You can do both, Urotsuki.
"Since everyone gave their answers, seems like I'm the last one left," said Madotsuki. "My family only really has the Famicom and the Wii, with the Famicom in my room and the Wii in the living room."
Shortly after Madotsuki gave out her answer to Urotsuki's question on their games, Tsubaki exited the master bedroom with a purse in her hand and headed towards the front door, as she got ready for her job. "Sumi, Renko, I'll be leaving now! Can one of you lock the door when I leave?"
"I got it, mom!" Sumireko answered as she got up and headed over to the front door.
"Thanks, Sumi," the Usami household matriarch said as she opened the front door. "All of you should stay safe while I'm gone, you hear?"
After the Sealing Club members answered affirmatively, Tsubaki turned to look at Madotsuki and Urotsuki. "As much as I'd like to get to know you two better right now, work waits for no one, but I'm glad you two quickly became friends with my daughters and Maribel after they transferred to your school."
"'S'all cool, miss Tsubaki," Urotsuki replied with a smile. "I'm glad I made friends with them, as well."
"Same here, miss Tsubaki," Madotsuki said as she nodded in agreement.
"Glad to hear that, you two," Tsubaki said as she also nodded in agreement. "Goodbye, all of you!" She said as she turned around.
The Secret Sealing Club members all said their goodbyes at Tsubaki, and after the members did so, Tsubaki closed the front door, which was Sumireko's cue to lock it. Once Sumireko did so, she returned to the rest of the group and sat down.
"While this talk of video games is interesting, I'm also wondering about the reason for our sleepover, that being our second Gensokyo visit," Sumireko said as soon as she sat down. "I'm assuming we get there the same way as last time?"
"You'd be correct, Sumireko," Madotsuki answered. "All of us will sleep while having contact in some way while us three Dreamers will think of heading on over to the Hyper Nexus."
"Wait, now that you brought it up, Sumi, I just realized something," Renko said as she turned towards Madotsuki and Urotsuki. "When we visited Maribel's dreams, we all went to sleep, but when we went to and left from Gensokyo, we didn't even bother with sleeping. You two know what's up with that?"
"I can answer that, Renko," Urotsuki replied. "There are two ways to enter our dreams and the Hyper Nexus. One is to simply sleep and the other is to teleport there with our Nexus Effect, which normally teleports us to our own nexus in our Dreams, and both require us to think about where we're going."
"Makes sense, though now I have another question," said Renko. "Will this affect Sumireko's sleep as well as my own?"
Urotsuki shrugged. "To be honest, I have no idea. Us Dreamers never really needed sleep to live ever since we got our dreams, so it never really came across our minds. All I can say is that I can only hope that both your and your sister's sleep isn't ruined by this."
"Considering that we're intending to sleep to get to the Hyper Nexus, I'm leaning more towards you two not losing any sleep than the other," Madotsuki added.
"I hope so, I'd rather not have to wake up with my brain fried from a lack of sleep," Renko said.
"So, anyone else got any questions?" Urotsuki asked.
"Is Yomika coming along with us?" Maribel asked.
"She is," Urotsuki answered. "She'll likely be waiting for us at the Hyper Nexus by the time we get there."
"What about your other Dreamer friend, Sabitsuki?" Sumireko asked. "Is she coming along?"
Urotsuki and Madotsuki glanced at each other before they answered at the same time. "No."/"She's not."
"Any idea why she can't come?" Sumireko asked again.
Sumireko's question caused Madotsuki and Urotsuki to flinch. After a short while, Urotsuki decided to answer Sumireko's question with a half-truth. "Sabi ain't coming right now because she's in a hospital and they still need to check up on her." As Urotsuki gave her answer, Madotsuki glanced at Urotsuki with an unreadable expression on her face.
"Oh, dear, I hope Sabitsuki is alright," Maribel said.
"I hope so, too," Urotsuki said a bit too quickly for it to be a natural response.
While Renko and Sumireko took note of Urotsuki's quick reply, they didn't push on it as they were already informed of Sabitsuki's reluctance to have others share info on her from Madotsuki, Urotsuki, and Yomika, so the two Usami sisters didn't push for answers.
"Any more questions about our eventual Gensokyo journey?" Urotsuki asked. When everyone else replied in the negative, Urotsuki began to speak. "If that's the case, then that leaves only one thing. Anyone know what to do to pass the time until nightfall comes?"
"Normally, Merry, Sumi, and I play games on the Wii, but given that there's five of us and consoles can only fit four players at most, one of us will have to be left out," said Renko.
"Yeah, let's not do that," Sumireko said. "I want all of us to have fun while hanging out."
"We could go to an arcade," Madotsuki suggested. "While we won't all be able to play games together, the experience is good enough for all of us to enjoy."
"Yeah, that could work, so I second Mado's arcade offer," Urotsuki said.
"I'm fine with that, though I also want to do some bowling or pocket circuit as well," Renko said.
"You guys go to a pocket circuit?" Urotsuki asked with surprise.
"Not as much as we used to as kids, but it's still pretty fun," Renko answered.
"In that case, I might be willing to try it out," Urotsuki said. "You think you up to try out some pocket circuit, as well?"
"I'm not particularly interested in joining the pocket circuit, but I'm willing to go if all of you are," Madotsuki answered.
"Alright, so we got an arcade, bowling, and pocket circuit as possible options," Sumireko said before turning to Maribel. "What about you, Merry? Got any places we could go?"
Maribel had a thoughtful look on her face as she began to think of an answer. Eventually, she came up with two answers and began to speak. "While a library might be a good place to relax after having some fun, I've also been wondering if we could all go on a Dream Tour."
Everyone barring Maribel exclaimed with surprise in response as they looked at Maribel in bewilderment.
"Not mine of course," Maribel said as she remembered the Purple-Dressed Woman incident two days ago. "I was wondering if we could go see Urotuski's or Madotsuki's Dream Worlds."
"We could do that, though I'd have to know just what time does Renko and Sumireko's parents come home before we do that," Urotsuki said.
"Mom comes home at 6 PM, while dad comes home at 7, and that's at their earliest for today," Renko replied. "Also, our bedroom's big enough for all of us, and we even also have enough spare futons."
"That's about six hours at minimum," Sumireko said. "If we have enough time to take a Dream Tour, I'm taking back my arcade vote and voting for that, instead!" Sumireko said excitedly.
"So eager to see our Dream Worlds that you've already voted for it before voting could even begin, eh?" Urotsuki rhetorically said. "Six hours is more than enough for a Dream Tour, let alone the rest of our options, so I suppose we can add that and the library to the menu."
"Anyone else got any offers?" Madotsuki asked. When no one replied in the affirmative, Madotsuki nodded to herself. "Then let's take a vote on what to do to pass the time before we head off to Gensokyo."
"I already voted for the Dream Tour, so no need to ask for my vote," Sumireko reminded.
"After getting a taste of Maribel's Dream Worlds, I've been wondering what both of your Dream Worlds look like, so I'm voting for that," Renko said.
"If a Dream Tour doesn't take place, then I'm fine with going to an arcade," Maribel said, implying that she also has a vote for a Dream Tour.
"Three votes for a Dream Tour and one for an arcade, eh? How interesting," Urotsuki commented. "I'm fine with either, though in case of a tie, I'm leaning more towards a Dream Tour, so put my tie breaking vote on that."
"I'm also fine with either, though I'm actually leaning more towards going to an arcade," Madotsuki said.
"Looks like time for a tie breaking vote," Urotsuki said. "Mine is on the Dream Tour, while Madotsuki's sounds like it's on an arcade." Urotsuki briefly turned her head to Madotsuki, the latter nodding to confirm Urotsuki's words. Once Urotsuki got her confirmation, she turned to face the Usami sisters and Maribel. "So what are your tie breaking votes?"
"Dream Tour," Renko tersely answered.
"Same here," Sumireko responded similarly.
"I also vote for a Dream Tour," Maribel said.
"Looks like a Dream Tour won out, so there's only one thing left to do," Renko said. "Should we go see Urotsuki's Dreams or Madotsuki's?"
"I'm suggesting Madotsuki's Worlds, as I've already hosted enough tours before you three came along and I want some variety," Urotsuki said.
"I'm fine with that, so put my vote in for that," Madotsuki said in agreement.
"While I can't exactly say for Sumi and Merry, I'm fine with either of you, though if you two suggest Madotsuki be the host for today, then I'm voting for Madotsuki, as well," Renko said.
"I'm also fine with either of your Dreams, so if Madotsuki is willing to host, then my vote's also on her," said Sumireko.
"Seems like the vote is unanimous, as I'm also fine with seeing either of your Dreams," Maribel said as she turned towards Madotsuki.
"In that case, I want everyone to hold each other's hand," Madotsuki said as she held her hands out to Urotsuki and Renko, them being the closest people to her. Once everyone had done as Madotsuki asked, Madotsuki closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Soon, the Sealing Club members felt the pull of teleportation, and they all disappeared from the Usami household's living room.
While the Sealing Club members had a Dream Tour in Madotsuki's Dream Worlds, Yomika was in the Hyper Nexus, as she was looking for a certain heavily rusted door. Eventually, Yomika had found what she had been looking for and approached the rusted door, opening and entering it.
When Yomika's vision returned and she exited from the rusted door, she found herself in an alleyway in the middle of a cloudy day. As Yomika walked down the alleyway, she walked past a few dumpsters that had clouds of flies and reeked of rot, as they had not been cleaned out in years.
Eventually, Yomika exited the alleyway, and she was greeted with the sight of a ruined Japanese city. Abandoned and scavenged vehicles in various states of disrepair littered the streets while every now and then, light trash such as plastic bags and sheets of paper were being dragged along by the wind. In addition, she saw a person or two shambling around without a thought some distance away, though Yomika knew that they were not people, but actual zombies, as this world had suffered a zombie apocalypse for a handful of years at this point. Yomika took in the sights of a ruined city for only a brief moment before equipping her Tengu Effect and began to fly to her destination.
Eventually, Yomika was greeted with the sight of a certain white, discolored, and drab apartment building that has seen better days, with that building being her destination. With Yomika's destination in sight, she flew down to a balcony that led to an apartment unit, and as the sliding glass door was covered up by a curtain, Yomika began to knock a certain pattern, with that pattern being two long knocks, followed up by three short knocks, followed up by three long knocks.
After a few seconds of waiting, Yomika heard the shuffling of footsteps getting closer to the sliding door. "Who is it?" A female voice tentatively said.
"It is I, Yomika," Yomika introduced herself in a contrastingly calm tone. "No one else is with me, Sabitsuki. As for why I am here, I have a suggestion that I want to make, as well as to update you on Madotsuki and Urotsuki's state of affairs. May I come in?"
Yomika was answered by the curtain covering the sliding glass door being opened, revealing an albino girl with a slim build, a tough look on her face, and who appeared to be somewhere between their late teens and early adulthood, though instead of having the pink or pale blue-gray irises that are omnipresent among albinos, her irises were blood red, and she wore a gray shirt and a white skirt. As to what the albino was currently doing, she was holding and aiming a gray pistol with her right arm at the source of Yomika's voice, though the albino lowered her arm and her gun disappeared in a faint flash of light when she saw Yomika.
"You scared me, Yomika," the albino girl said in a relieved tone as she slid open the sliding door and relaxed her tough look.
"Apologies for scaring you, Sabitsuki," Yomika said as she did a small bow. "While what I wish to discuss with you is not exactly urgent, I did not want to walk up numerous flights of stairs to get to you."
The now named Sabitsuki snorted in amusement. "Come in, lazy bones," she said as she moved aside. Yomika wordlessly complied and entered Sabitsuki's room before closing the sliding door and the curtain behind her as Sabitsuki went over to go sit on her bed.
"So what did ya wanna talk about?" Sabitsuki asked as Yomika unequipped her Tengu effect and also sat down on Sabitsuki's bed.
"Madotsuki, Urotsuki, and I decided to enter another world, and I was wondering if not only you would be interested, but also if your mother would grant you permission to leave and join us," Yomika answered.
Sabitsuki gave Yomika's suggestion some thought. While Sabitsuki's answer was already certain, she did not know how her mother would respond. "I'd gladly come along, though I'd have to ask if mom would allow me to go, and while I doubt I'll be able to leave immediately, given that she's working on the cure for this damned zombie apocalypse, I'll let you and the others know when I'll be cleared to leave."
"That is all I ask of you," Yomika said as she did a small bow of appreciation.
Sabitsuki hummed noncommittally in response. "On a different note, how are the others?"
"Madotsuki and Urotsuki made friends with a Dreamer named Maribel Hearn and her two friends."
"Oh? What are Maribel and her friends like?"
"We have only known them for two days as of now, but they all seem to be pleasant folk, especially Maribel, as she seems to be the kindest of the three. As for Maribel's two friends, they are sisters of different ages, with the older sister being Usami Renko and the younger sister being Usami Sumireko. Renko is the hardest to pin down, but from what I have seen, she seems to be the serious and inquisitive type, as she asked the most questions about our Dream powers."
"Wait, Renko and Sumireko knows about Dreamers such as us?" Sabitsuki asked.
Yomika nodded in response. "She does, and both she and Sumireko learned of it through Maribel."
"I know you said that revealing us being Dreamers is our decision to make, but are Renko and Sumireko trustworthy?"
"Renko and Sumireko are indeed trustworthy, as while they didn't specify when Maribel revealed her Dream powers, they seem to have known it long enough that it is normal to bring it up with each other."
"Hm, fair enough."
"Getting back on track, Sumireko's personality is the easiest to figure out, as she is a rather energetic girl, and from what Madotsuki and Urotsuki have told me, Sumireko is also a chuunibyou."
"So to summarize, Maribel's the nice girl, Renko is the serious girl, and Sumireko is the energetic girl?"
"A succinct and correct summary, Sabitsuki."
"If mom does give me permission to travel with you all, then I'd like to meet the three girls."
"They would also like to meet you, especially since they already know a little bit about you and they all expressed at least some desire to put a face to your name." Yomika saw Sabitsuki begin to speak, but she signaled Sabitsuki to stop, which Sabitsuki reluctantly complied. "And no, they do not know of either the disease that ravages this world nor of said disease being within you, only that you have endured a disaster of some kind."
Sabitsuki snorted. "Ain't that an understatement," she said ruefully before deciding to change topics. "So about Madotsuki, Urotsuki, and you traveling to a new world, did Maribel join them, as well?"
"Yes, she did, as well as Renko and Sumireko," Yomika said as she nodded.
"Say what now?" Sabitsuki said with confusion. "How did the two sisters come along?"
"To make a long story short, they all figured out that contact of any kind is enough to bring non-Dreamers into our Dream Worlds, so on the next day after the initial test, we decided if non-Dreamers could also come along with us while we travel to the Hyper Nexus. Our test was successful, and we even met up and introduced ourselves to two Dreamers in a world called Gensokyo."
"Man, if you all are already getting into new worlds so soon after meeting me, I can't wait to come join you all. So, Yomika, what's Gensokyo like?"
"We have only been there once, and our visit was somewhat short and uneventful outside of our meeting with the two Dreamers we encountered, but I'll tell you what we've learned."
After Yomika shared what she knew of Gensokyo, Sabitsuki began to speak. "So to summarize, Gensokyo is a magical world that's parallel to your own world, it's possibly both a Dream World and a real world, and was created as a safe haven for yokai due to humans slowly no longer believing in myths and fairy tales, right?"
"That would be correct," Yomika nodded.
"So do you know how a world can both be real and a Dream World, Yomika?" Sabitsuki asked.
"To be perfectly honest, I have no idea. I can only presume that someone has decided to project one of their Dream Worlds into reality, and that implies that a Dreamer would have near-god-like abilities, among other implications."
"Considering that yokai apparently exist in your world, that could possibly be quite true, though until you know for sure, thinking about it won't likely come up with anything useful." Sabitsuki's face then lit up in realization. "Oh, that reminds me, how is Chie doing so far?"
"Chie has been doing better since she was adopted, and she has been slowly getting along with her adoptive parents," Yomika answered.
"A shame that I won't be able to see her until I have permission to leave, though I understand why you, Madotsuki, and Urotsuki hadn't brought her along with you here."
"Indeed," Yomika said as she nodded in agreement. "It was one thing that Urotsuki, and, to a lesser extent, Madotsuki, kept on urging me to continue traveling to this world, but it is a different story to even think about bringing a child here. At the very least, I'm glad the two share our stance on bringing Chie here."
Sabitsuki hummed noncommittally as she nodded in response before the conversation lulled to a stop. When both Dreamers realized that the previous conversation was over, Yomika decided to speak up. "Has anything changed since my last visit, Sabitsuki?"
Sabitsuki shook her head in denial. "No, nothing much has changed since mom decided to work on the cure to the Rust Virus within me."
"Speaking of the disease, if your mother develops a cure for it, will you accept it?"
Sabitsuki paused as she began to think of an answer. After a while, she eventually came to a conclusion. "To be perfectly honest, I still don't have an answer to that question. On one hand, not only has the Rusting disease plunged the world into an apocalyptic pandemic, but it also took away my friends and turned me into a carrier." Sabitsuki paused and took a deep breath to recollect herself as bad memories briefly began to resurface. "On the other hand, the virus has become a part of me, for better or worse, both in terms of it integrating with my biology and it leaving a heavy impact on my life. Since it has somehow gained a semblance of sentience, it has become… agreeable on deciding to not infect others, and I don't want it to turn hostile if I do accept the cure."
Yomika nodded to show she had listened and understood Sabitsuki. "I can understand your uncertainty, as I would also be unsure on what to do if I were in your place. All I can say is that whatever your answer will be, I, Madotsuki, and Urotsuki will stand by it."
Even if it means I fully turn into a zombie and attack you all? Sabitsuki immediately wanted to say, but she clamped down on that thought, as it would only make things worse. "Thanks, Yomika, I appreciate it," Sabitsuki said with a hollow smile.
Yomika picked up that Sabitsuki wanted to say something else, but decided to not mention it, so instead, she simply nodded in response, bringing the conversation to a close.
A brief pause had ensued, and eventually, Sabitsuki felt comfortable speaking again. "You have anything else to talk about?"
"No, outside of our sudden conversation about the cure to the Rust Virus, my visit here was mainly to keep you up to date on my own world and to ask you if you wanted to travel to the Hyper Nexus. While I can decide to stay for longer, Madotsuki, Urotsuki, Maribel, Renko, and Sumireko have decided to travel to Gensokyo once again, and since Gensokyo is relatively more dangerous than even your world due to yokai, I worry that they may end up in danger."
Sabitsuki snorted. "Quite the worry wart, aren't ya?" Sabitsuki asked with a hint of humor.
Yomika nodded in response. "That, I do not deny."
"Given what little you remember of your past, I don't blame you for being so. On a lighter note, you also gonna ask my mom about this?"
Yomika nodded in response. "Indeed, I do plan to ask your mother for permission to travel with us after I wrap things up with you." Yomika then had a thoughtful look on her face as an idea suddenly came to her. "Actually, now that I think of it, with the visits to Maribel's Dream Worlds and Gensokyo proving that non-Dreamers can come along with us and your mother being in the loop of both us being Dreamers as well as my otherworldly status, I'm wondering if she would like to come along."
Sabitsuki snorted in amusement. "You'll have to ask her for that, though I'm guessing that mom will be more inclined to not accept your offer than otherwise, at least for now. She's working on the cure, after all."
"Well, it would not hurt me to ask, so I might as well," said Yomika. "So to sum it up, you wish to come along with us someday should your mother agree to it, correct?"
"Yeah," Sabitsuki answered as she nodded. "While this place is home, I'd want to see places that are much less dreary and depressing than here."
"That is an understandable reason," Yomika said before getting up. "Well, if you do not have any further questions about what we brought up, I will head over to see your mother and put my words into action."
"Guess I'll see ya later, Yomika," Sabitsuki said as she waved.
"Farewell, Sabitsuki," Yomika said as she turned to leave, though Yomika only took a single step before she realized she forgot to ask Sabitsuki a question and turned back to face her. "Before I go, Sabitsuki, do you know the current whereabouts of your mother?"
Sabitsuki shook her head in response. "I don't right now, sorry about that."
"Don't worry about it," Yomika said in a rare case of her using contractions in her speech, "I'll just head on over to places she frequently visits," she continued before exiting Sabitsuki's room and closing the door behind her.
Once the door was closed, Sabitsuki flopped down on her bed and began to stare at the ceiling. Just before Sabitsuki could begin on what she could do once she is allowed to travel outside of her own world, Sabitsuki felt a familiar presence began to make itself known in her mind. "Thinking on what you want to do once you leave this place, eh?" the presence said in a mocking tone. "How optimistic of you."
Sabitsuki narrowed her eyes upon hearing the mocking tone in the being's voice. "Shut up, Rust, I don't want to talk to you."
The presence, now known as Rust, began to manifest their physical form within Sabitsuki's mindscape. Rust's appearance was nearly identical to Sabitsuki, with two differing details being the two blood-colored horns jutting out of Rust's forehead and the razor-sharp teeth that show whenever Rust decides to bear her teeth when smiling. "How rude of you to shut me down just as I decided to show up," Rust said in a faux-hurt tone. "I was only teasing you, ya know."
Sabitsuki mentally frowned at Rust in response, but decided not to say anything and ignored Rust as she resumed her thoughts on what she'd like to do in the world her otherworldly friends lived in.
Sabitsuki, and by extension, her mother, Madotsuki, Urotsuki, and Yomika, all of them being aware of Rust in some way, never really trusted Rust, and for good reason, as Rust originated from the Rust Virus within Sabitsuki gaining sentience, and no one, not even Rust herself, knew why. While Rust was convinced(read: being beaten into a bloody pulp) to curtail her more malevolent ways twice, Rust's origin as a bioweapon meant that Rust had a natural inclination to be unpleasant at best. Rust, for her part, kept her word, and when Sabitsuki's mother performed tests on Madotsuki, Urotsuki, and Yomika to see if they had caught the Rust Virus, they were all surprised upon finding out that the three otherworldly Dreamers were completely clean despite having minimal protection.
While Rust wanted to continue teasing Sabitsuki, she was content with the light jab she gave Sabitsuki and took Sabitsuki's silence in stride as she faded away and retreated to deeper parts of Sabitsuki's mindscape.
With the sun currently rising from the horizon in Gensokyo and having nothing else better to do until Meira comes by with their breakfast, Reimu was sweeping away dirt and stray leaves on the pathway to the Hakurei Shrine. While monotonous, sweeping was also relaxing in a way, especially with the calls of crows adding some variety to the sounds of the surrounding nature.
By the time Reimu was halfway between the shrine and the stairway leading up to the shrine grounds, she heard two crows fly towards her, with one of them being Ichigo. <"Intruders! Intruders!"> One of the crows cawed.
<"Idiot, they aren't intruders, they are the six visitors I told you about!"> Ichigo cawed, correcting the other crow.
Reimu stopped sweeping as the crows landed on her shoulders. "So they arrived once again, huh? We didn't exactly bar them from entering again so long as they don't cause an Incident, so don't think too much on it, you two."
Reimu turned to face the shrine, expecting the Sealing Club members to appear in her vision, and she was proven right as she overheard part of their conversation.
"It was night back home, so why is it morning here?" Renko asked.
"I donno," Urotsuki answered. "While the time can vary when we visit Sabi's world, it never deviated to this extent."
Sumireko chuckled. "Sounds like a mystery worth investigating for the Secret Sealing Club!"
Yomika was the first to notice Reimu. "Good morning, Reimu," she said as she bowed, causing the others to look in the direction Yomika was looking.
"Good morning to you all," Reimu said as she bowed.
"Mornin', Reimu!" Sumireko cheerfully said. "Wassup with the crows hanging on you? They aren't exactly birds associated with shrine maidens."
"Oh, these two?" Reimu said as she indicated towards one of the crows with her free hand. "They hang out a lot over here often and serve as a warning system for intruders, among other things."
"That's pretty cool, how'd ya tame them?" Sumireko asked again.
Reimu flinched at Sumireko's question. "My mom did," she answered robotically and tersely.
"You mom tamed them? How'd she do it?"
Madotsuki and Urotsuki, being experienced on personally sensitive topics being brought up, with Urotsuki also feeling a hint of sorrow from Reimu for reasons unknown to the former, glanced at each other. Urotsuki soon nodded to Madotsuki to indicate that she'll be the one to defuse the situation. "Let's talk about something else other than how Reimu's mom befriended crows, shall we?" Urotsuki said, attempting to change the topic with the bluntness of a sledgehammer.
"But why, Urotsuki?" Sumireko asked. "We were just getting to the good parts!"
Before Urotsuki could respond, Reimu decided to answer. "I don't want to talk about it any further," Reimu suddenly said with finality.
"O-oh," Sumireko said, her cheerful mood deflating. "Sorry for bringing up your mom."
"It's fine, Sumireko, you didn't know," said Reimu before taking a deep breath. "On a different topic, what brings you all here again?"
"To put it simply, we just wanted to take in the sights of Gensokyo and wondered if someone could guide us," Maribel answered.
"In other words, we're tourists," Madotsuki dryly said with a hint of self-derision and humor, causing Urotsuki to snort-laugh in response.
"So you all came here to sight-see, hm?" Reimu rhetorically asked. "I suppose I can't stop you all from doing what you all want, but if you wish to continue this, then I highly suggest you all learn magic so that you can defend yourselves from yokai, or at least buy time for your escape."
"Can't you teach us magic, Reimu?" Renko asked.
"I can," Reimu answered, "but to be quite frank, I don't consider myself to be a good teacher, so I can only really teach you the basics at best. After I teach you all the basics, I can refer you all to Meira for further training."
"So what's this I hear about you referring me to teach these people?" Meira interjected, causing the others to turn towards the steps, where Meira and a smiling young woman with red hair tied in a ponytail and a luxurious-looking purple kimono that was embroidered with various flowery patterns walked up the steps that led to the Hakurei Shrine.
"Good Morning, Meira and Kotohime," Reimu said.
"Good morning, Reimu and everyone else!~♡" Kotohime returned in a cheery tone as she looked at the group, though when she locked eyes with Yomika, she froze in surprise as she received what seemed like a telepathic message.
"Mornin', Reimu," Meira said as she nodded towards Reimu before looking at the Sealing Club members and Yomika, unaware of Kotohime's pause that the latter shook herself out of upon hearing Meira's greeting. "Mornin' to the rest of ya, as well." When the Sealing club members and Yomika returned Meira's greeting, Meira asked a question. "So what brings you six over to Gensokyo once again?"
"To answer your question, Meira, these six wanted to take a sight-see around Gensokyo and were wondering if anyone was free to guide them," she said as she gestured to the Sealing Club members and Yomika.
Meira turned to face the Sealing Club members and Yomika. "Ya'll really up to this?"
"Yep, we all are, even if Yomika here is a tag-along more than anything else," Urotsuki answered as she gestured towards Yomika.
"If that's the case, I suppose I can't exactly stop you, especially since you guys seem to just be able to get to Gensokyo through your own means," Meira said.
Just then, a third crow flew by and landed on one of Meira's shoulders. "<Marisa's here, Marisa's here!>"
"Ah, Marisa's here!~♡" Kotohime said as she looked up to the sky to spot Marisa. Everyone else mimicked Kotohime's action, and sure enough, they all saw Marisa flying towards their location on her broom.
"Look, Marisa's flying!" Maribel exclaimed with awe.
"So how common is flying around here?" Renko asked.
"Flying is generally one of the first few spells any aspiring magic user in Gensokyo learns, despite its relative complexity compared to the basics," Meira answered.
"So why is flight learned so early on?" Urotsuki asked.
"The main reason is that flight, for all of the initial difficulties of learning it, makes traveling long distances very convenient," Meira answered.
Shortly after Meira gave her answer, Marisa flew down to the ground and landed. "Yo da-ze, Reimu! I got somethin' cool 'ta show ya!" she said as she hopped off her broom and held it upright in her right hand.
"Can it wait until breakfast?" Reimu asked. "I'm hungry."
"And that's exactly why I wanna show you it right now!" Marisa answered. "Better to have a danmaku battle on an empty stomach than to vomit your recent meal in the middle of it, right, da-ze?"
"Don't worry Reimu, I'll take on Marisa's danmaku challenge in your stead," said Meira.
"I was hoping to show this off to Reimu, but oh well," Marisa said, and before Meira could give out a retort, Marisa pulled out a glassy-looking magenta orb from under her hat. "Behold, and look at this mysterious and occult-ish power!"
While everyone had varying degrees of curious looks on their faces when Marisa revealed the magenta orb, Sumireko, on the other hand, had a shocked look on her face. Shit, I'm gonna be in so much trouble.
Edit 1: Notable edits include shortening the gang's game discussion, the retcon of kotohime being a Dreamer, and a portrait of Sabitsuki, Rust, and Kotohime.
Boundary Between Dream and Memory
Chapter Six: Flowering Household and Second Visit
Chapter Six: Flowering Household and Second Visit
Many hours had passed since the Sealing Club members and Yomika had visited Gensokyo, and with the current time in Gensokyo being close to midnight, the cover of night allows one to be sneaky should they choose to be, with one particular person named Sumireko taking full advantage of it, as she is currently spreading Occult Balls wherever she can around Gensokyo. What's helping Sumireko get away with this sneaky business is that her current form allows her to blend in with the night even to those with night vision. As to how Sumireko is able to get to Gensokyo without the Hyper Nexus, she has a special power she kept secret from everyone that allows her to travel to Gensokyo as a pseudo-shadow while dreaming.
Kinda strange how I ended up in the Hakurei Shrine when I came to, Sumireko thought as she placed an Occult Ball on the forest floor. Considering that she's an Incident Solver of some sort, I need to be more careful on who I encounter before anything could happen, even with my shadow form making me practically invisible among the shadows of the night. Sumireko then began to fly up and out of the forest she was in to place another Occult Ball elsewhere. The lady who asked Sumireko to spread the Occult Balls around Gensokyo and sometimes supplies her with extra Occult Balls said that Sumireko was free to place them wherever she pleases, which Sumireko had no issue with, as it allowed her to explore Gensokyo to her heart's content within her time limit.
Sumireko eventually arrived at a bamboo forest of some kind. Oh right, I forgot that this damned bamboo forest was here, Sumireko thought to herself. Never liked this place, as it is easy to get lost in and there are areas of bamboo that are so dense that you can't even see past the first few rows of bamboo you see. Despite Sumireko's dislike of the bamboo forest, she decided to enter it, as she visited the bamboo forest once before, but flew out of it in frustration without even placing an occult ball, as she wasn't able to retrace her steps. The only saving grace about this accursed bamboo forest are the cute, sleeping bunnies I saw every now and then.
This time, Sumireko decided to let the bamboo forest make her lose her tracks, as she wasn't here to sightsee, but was figuring out where to place an occult ball. I don't think I'll come back to this forest after placing an Occult Ball here. If I can get lost here with a get-out-of-jail-free card that is flying, I can only imagine how lost one can get without being able to fly.
Eventually, Sumireko decided to place an Occult Ball in a random place on the bamboo forest floor. A shame I didn't encounter any sleeping bunnies to watch, but oh well. I don't wanna come here ever again, and one Occult Ball in this forest is good enough. Maybe someone could even use the power in the Occult Ball to get out of this place should they lack the ability to fly. Sumireko then flew up and out of the bamboo forest to repeat this process throughout Gensokyo, stopping only when she ran out of Occult Balls for the night.
Eventually, enough time had passed in the Outside World for it to be around 10:30 AM, and with the current day being a Saturday, no school meant that kids and teenagers of all ages often had more leisure time to enjoy themselves. As for the Usami household, which currently included Sumireko, Renko, and their mother, with the mother having brown hair and eyes, as well as wearing a white long-sleeved shirt, jeans, and black-framed glasses, they were passing time playing Wii Sports together in the living room. More specifically, the three Usami women were playing bowling, with the current turn belonging to Sumireko.
Sumireko finished lining up her shot and began to perform the motions of bowling with her Wii remote, causing her Mii to mimic Sumireko's motions and release the bowling ball. The bowling ball rolled down the bowling alley, and eventually, the bowling ball crashed into the bowling pins, causing all of them to go down at once in a strike, causing Sumireko to celebrate in excitement for her strike as she moved to sit down. As the game replayed Sumireko's strike, the in-game announcer began to speak. "Nice throw!" The screen then displayed the words of "Strike".
"You have to be cheating, Sumi, there's no way you can get four strikes in a row," Renko said in a competitive tone as she got up to play.
Sumireko smirked cockily in response. "Or maybe I'm just that good. Besides, you got a turkey yourself, so you have no right to complain."
"Now, now, settle down, you two," Sumireko and Renko's mother said in an amused yet placating tone as she adjusted her glasses. "While I like to see your competitive spirits up, I don't want to see this devolve into an actual argument, so let's just enjoy the game, shall we?"
"Okay, mom,"/"Yes, mom," Sumireko and Renko said in unison, respectively.
As Renko was lining up her shot, the three current residents of the Usami household heard the doorbell from the front gate ring.
"Oh, that must be Maribel and the others!" Sumireko said as she paused the game. "'Bout time they got here!"
"I'll get it," the matriarch of the Usami household said as she got up from the sofa and walked up to the front door.
Renko and Sumireko's mother eventually exited the house, and as she did so, she saw Maribel and two other teenage girls over the high fence and gate. As the matriarch of the Usami household approached the group of Dreamers, not that she knew of that specific detail, she overheard a snippet of their conversation. "They live in a place like this? Compared to our apartments, it's one fine house to live in, that's for sure," the foreign-looking teenager with a purple-plaid shirt and light lavender skirt said.
"Yeah, their dad works at a--" Maribel was about to say when she suddenly spotted Sumireko and Renko's mother in the corner of her vision and turned to see her. "Good morning, miss Tsubaki," Maribel said as she took a small bow, causing Madotsuki and Urotsuki to look at the Usami household matriarch.
"Good morning, Maribel," Sumireko and Renko's mother, now named Tsubaki, said as she responded in kind before she took a look at Madotsuki and Sabitsuki. "So these are the new friends Sumi and Renko were talking about?"
"They are, indeed," Maribel answered before turning towards Madotsuki and Urotsuki. "Would you two like to introduce yourselves?"
"Sure," Urotsuki said as she turned to face Tsubaki and Madotsuki nodded. "Name's Urotsuki, nice ta' meetcha."
"And I'm Madotsuki," Madotsuki said as she did a small bow.
"Nice to meet you two, as well, Urotsuki and Madotsuki," Tsubaki said as she adjusted her glasses. "I'm glad to see my two girls and Merry make new friends so soon, so come on in," Tsubaki said as she opened the front gate and gestured to Maribel, Madotsuki, and Urotsuki to come in, to which the three wordlessly followed.
"'Merry,' eh? Sounds like you knew Maribel for quite some time, miss Tsubaki." Urotsuki said as Tsubaki led the three Dreamers to her house.
"You'd be correct, as my two girls and Maribel go way back." Tsubaki answered. "They've known each other since kindergarten, so you can say that Merry and her parents are like family to us at this point."
Tsubaki then opened the front door of her house and entered it, who was then followed by the three Dreamers.
"Wii Sports, eh?" Urotsuki commented as she saw the game the Usami sisters and mother were playing. "Can't go wrong with that."
"Yeah, Renko, mom, and I were in the middle of playing it to pass the time while you three got here," Sumireko responded. "Wanna watch us play?"
"Yeah, I'll watch," Urotsuki answered as she took a seat on a nearby couch.
"I'll watch, as well," Madotsuki said as she also sat down on the couch Urotsuki was sitting on.
"Me too," Maribel said as she did the same.
"Alright then, without further ado," Sumireko said as she spun dramatically to face the tv screen, "let the games begin! Or resume, in this case." Sumireko unpaused the game as she and Tsubaki sat down while Renko began to line up her bowling shot.
Eventually, the Usami sisters and mother had finished the bowling game and the scores came in. Sumireko, despite having four strikes in a row, only landed second place, while Renko was only barely higher than Sumireko in first, and Tsubaki was in third.
"Now that was a good game," Renko said with a hint of pride.
"I'll beat ya next time, that's for sure!" Sumireko exclaimed in response. "Good game, though."
Tsubaki chuckled at her daughters' interaction. "That was fun."
"Now that the game's over, anyone wanna do anything for the sleepover?" Renko asked everyone as she turned towards the group.
"As much as I'd like to join your sleepover, I'm a bit too old for that, I'm afraid," Tsubaki answered in a teasing manner.
"Mom!" Renko exclaimed exasperatedly and a hint of embarrassment.
Tsubaki chuckled at Renko's response. "I'm only teasing you, dearie. In all seriousness, though, I'll be getting ready for work, so make sure no one gets too rowdy while I and your dad are gone, you hear?"
"You got it, mom," Renko replied.
"Good," the Usami household matriarch said as she nodded in approval before she left to get ready in the bedroom she and her husband share.
Once Tsubaki entered the master bedroom, Urotsuki decided to ask Renko a question. "So Renko, what does your mom do, if ya don't mind me asking?"
"She works part-time as a convenience store cashier," Renko answered. "It definitely ain't much compared to my dad's breadwinning job in finances, but the extra income doesn't hurt."
"So what's your parent's jobs, Uro?" Sumireko asked.
Despite Sumireko only having known the two dreamers for three days at this point, today included, Urotsuki didn't mind the shortened name as she felt she had quickly made a strong bond with the Usami sisters and Maribel. "Dad's in the US army that's stationed near here, and mom's an elementary teacher."
"Wow, your dad's in the army? That's pretty cool," said Sumireko. What about you, Mado?"
"Dad's a construction worker, while mom's a cashier at Mcdonald's," Madotsuki answered.
"What about your parents, Maribel?" Urotsuki asked.
"My father works as an engineer while my mother works as secretary for a paper company, though both of them had a love for music, and mother always wanted to be a musician," Madotsuki said. "More specifically, father was a pianist back during high school and college while mother was a violinist during her middle and high school years, and it was their love of music that got them together."
"Aw, that's so sweet!" Urotsuki said. "Sucks that your mom didn't land her dream job, but does she make music during their free time, at least?"
"Yeah, they both do, especially with Vocaloid and UTAU," Maribel answered. "They aren't the famous Vocaloid and UTAU producers you hear often in those circles, but they find it fun and fulfilling."
That's pretty cool," Urotsuki said. "So, any of you three got any games? I, for one, have a famicom in my room, while an Xbox and Xbox 360 reside in the living room. Now before you all say anything, yeah, I know just how god awful the Xbox does here, especially compared to how it does in America, but my dad and his military friends are hardcore Xbox fans and often party up online for matches whenever they can, so it would be a sin for them to not be able to play games with each other."
"So have you played some of your dad's games?" Sumireko asked.
"I have," Urotsuki answered before she chuckled. "In fact, I sometimes even join in on his matches with his army friends. While they can be pretty foul-mouthed to the point of every other word being a curse word and argue a lot, it's still banter at the end of the day."
Renko had a look of interest on her face. "So do you join in those arguments?"
Urotsuki laughed. "Wouldn't dream of it, as my mom would be very angry at dad for allowing me to participate in those shouting contests, as she has already reluctantly agreed to me playing split-screen with my dad when they are on. Enough about me, however. What about the rest of you? What systems do ya'll got?"
"Well, you've seen our Wii," said Renko. "We actually have a lot of systems. Aside from the Wii, we got a couple of Game Boy Colors, two DS Lites, one for each of us, and a PS2 and PS3."
"Man, now you two certainly got a diverse library from having all of those systems," Madotsuki complemented before turning to Maribel. "What about you, Maribel? What game systems do you have?"
"My family's loyalty is exclusively towards Nintendo, so we got all of the consoles from the Famicom to the Wii, Gameboys and DS included," Maribel answered.
"Sheesh, now that's a lot of consoles to manage," Urotsuki commented. "I'm not too sure if I should envy you for the sheer number of consoles you own or pity you for having to keep track of 'em all."
Maribel chuckled. "You can do both, Urotsuki.
"Since everyone gave their answers, seems like I'm the last one left," said Madotsuki. "My family only really has the Famicom and the Wii, with the Famicom in my room and the Wii in the living room."
Shortly after Madotsuki gave out her answer to Urotsuki's question on their games, Tsubaki exited the master bedroom with a purse in her hand and headed towards the front door, as she got ready for her job. "Sumi, Renko, I'll be leaving now! Can one of you lock the door when I leave?"
"I got it, mom!" Sumireko answered as she got up and headed over to the front door.
"Thanks, Sumi," the Usami household matriarch said as she opened the front door. "All of you should stay safe while I'm gone, you hear?"
After the Sealing Club members answered affirmatively, Tsubaki turned to look at Madotsuki and Urotsuki. "As much as I'd like to get to know you two better right now, work waits for no one, but I'm glad you two quickly became friends with my daughters and Maribel after they transferred to your school."
"'S'all cool, miss Tsubaki," Urotsuki replied with a smile. "I'm glad I made friends with them, as well."
"Same here, miss Tsubaki," Madotsuki said as she nodded in agreement.
"Glad to hear that, you two," Tsubaki said as she also nodded in agreement. "Goodbye, all of you!" She said as she turned around.
The Secret Sealing Club members all said their goodbyes at Tsubaki, and after the members did so, Tsubaki closed the front door, which was Sumireko's cue to lock it. Once Sumireko did so, she returned to the rest of the group and sat down.
"While this talk of video games is interesting, I'm also wondering about the reason for our sleepover, that being our second Gensokyo visit," Sumireko said as soon as she sat down. "I'm assuming we get there the same way as last time?"
"You'd be correct, Sumireko," Madotsuki answered. "All of us will sleep while having contact in some way while us three Dreamers will think of heading on over to the Hyper Nexus."
"Wait, now that you brought it up, Sumi, I just realized something," Renko said as she turned towards Madotsuki and Urotsuki. "When we visited Maribel's dreams, we all went to sleep, but when we went to and left from Gensokyo, we didn't even bother with sleeping. You two know what's up with that?"
"I can answer that, Renko," Urotsuki replied. "There are two ways to enter our dreams and the Hyper Nexus. One is to simply sleep and the other is to teleport there with our Nexus Effect, which normally teleports us to our own nexus in our Dreams, and both require us to think about where we're going."
"Makes sense, though now I have another question," said Renko. "Will this affect Sumireko's sleep as well as my own?"
Urotsuki shrugged. "To be honest, I have no idea. Us Dreamers never really needed sleep to live ever since we got our dreams, so it never really came across our minds. All I can say is that I can only hope that both your and your sister's sleep isn't ruined by this."
"Considering that we're intending to sleep to get to the Hyper Nexus, I'm leaning more towards you two not losing any sleep than the other," Madotsuki added.
"I hope so, I'd rather not have to wake up with my brain fried from a lack of sleep," Renko said.
"So, anyone else got any questions?" Urotsuki asked.
"Is Yomika coming along with us?" Maribel asked.
"She is," Urotsuki answered. "She'll likely be waiting for us at the Hyper Nexus by the time we get there."
"What about your other Dreamer friend, Sabitsuki?" Sumireko asked. "Is she coming along?"
Urotsuki and Madotsuki glanced at each other before they answered at the same time. "No."/"She's not."
"Any idea why she can't come?" Sumireko asked again.
Sumireko's question caused Madotsuki and Urotsuki to flinch. After a short while, Urotsuki decided to answer Sumireko's question with a half-truth. "Sabi ain't coming right now because she's in a hospital and they still need to check up on her." As Urotsuki gave her answer, Madotsuki glanced at Urotsuki with an unreadable expression on her face.
"Oh, dear, I hope Sabitsuki is alright," Maribel said.
"I hope so, too," Urotsuki said a bit too quickly for it to be a natural response.
While Renko and Sumireko took note of Urotsuki's quick reply, they didn't push on it as they were already informed of Sabitsuki's reluctance to have others share info on her from Madotsuki, Urotsuki, and Yomika, so the two Usami sisters didn't push for answers.
"Any more questions about our eventual Gensokyo journey?" Urotsuki asked. When everyone else replied in the negative, Urotsuki began to speak. "If that's the case, then that leaves only one thing. Anyone know what to do to pass the time until nightfall comes?"
"Normally, Merry, Sumi, and I play games on the Wii, but given that there's five of us and consoles can only fit four players at most, one of us will have to be left out," said Renko.
"Yeah, let's not do that," Sumireko said. "I want all of us to have fun while hanging out."
"We could go to an arcade," Madotsuki suggested. "While we won't all be able to play games together, the experience is good enough for all of us to enjoy."
"Yeah, that could work, so I second Mado's arcade offer," Urotsuki said.
"I'm fine with that, though I also want to do some bowling or pocket circuit as well," Renko said.
"You guys go to a pocket circuit?" Urotsuki asked with surprise.
"Not as much as we used to as kids, but it's still pretty fun," Renko answered.
"In that case, I might be willing to try it out," Urotsuki said. "You think you up to try out some pocket circuit, as well?"
"I'm not particularly interested in joining the pocket circuit, but I'm willing to go if all of you are," Madotsuki answered.
"Alright, so we got an arcade, bowling, and pocket circuit as possible options," Sumireko said before turning to Maribel. "What about you, Merry? Got any places we could go?"
Maribel had a thoughtful look on her face as she began to think of an answer. Eventually, she came up with two answers and began to speak. "While a library might be a good place to relax after having some fun, I've also been wondering if we could all go on a Dream Tour."
Everyone barring Maribel exclaimed with surprise in response as they looked at Maribel in bewilderment.
"Not mine of course," Maribel said as she remembered the Purple-Dressed Woman incident two days ago. "I was wondering if we could go see Urotuski's or Madotsuki's Dream Worlds."
"We could do that, though I'd have to know just what time does Renko and Sumireko's parents come home before we do that," Urotsuki said.
"Mom comes home at 6 PM, while dad comes home at 7, and that's at their earliest for today," Renko replied. "Also, our bedroom's big enough for all of us, and we even also have enough spare futons."
"That's about six hours at minimum," Sumireko said. "If we have enough time to take a Dream Tour, I'm taking back my arcade vote and voting for that, instead!" Sumireko said excitedly.
"So eager to see our Dream Worlds that you've already voted for it before voting could even begin, eh?" Urotsuki rhetorically said. "Six hours is more than enough for a Dream Tour, let alone the rest of our options, so I suppose we can add that and the library to the menu."
"Anyone else got any offers?" Madotsuki asked. When no one replied in the affirmative, Madotsuki nodded to herself. "Then let's take a vote on what to do to pass the time before we head off to Gensokyo."
"I already voted for the Dream Tour, so no need to ask for my vote," Sumireko reminded.
"After getting a taste of Maribel's Dream Worlds, I've been wondering what both of your Dream Worlds look like, so I'm voting for that," Renko said.
"If a Dream Tour doesn't take place, then I'm fine with going to an arcade," Maribel said, implying that she also has a vote for a Dream Tour.
"Three votes for a Dream Tour and one for an arcade, eh? How interesting," Urotsuki commented. "I'm fine with either, though in case of a tie, I'm leaning more towards a Dream Tour, so put my tie breaking vote on that."
"I'm also fine with either, though I'm actually leaning more towards going to an arcade," Madotsuki said.
"Looks like time for a tie breaking vote," Urotsuki said. "Mine is on the Dream Tour, while Madotsuki's sounds like it's on an arcade." Urotsuki briefly turned her head to Madotsuki, the latter nodding to confirm Urotsuki's words. Once Urotsuki got her confirmation, she turned to face the Usami sisters and Maribel. "So what are your tie breaking votes?"
"Dream Tour," Renko tersely answered.
"Same here," Sumireko responded similarly.
"I also vote for a Dream Tour," Maribel said.
"Looks like a Dream Tour won out, so there's only one thing left to do," Renko said. "Should we go see Urotsuki's Dreams or Madotsuki's?"
"I'm suggesting Madotsuki's Worlds, as I've already hosted enough tours before you three came along and I want some variety," Urotsuki said.
"I'm fine with that, so put my vote in for that," Madotsuki said in agreement.
"While I can't exactly say for Sumi and Merry, I'm fine with either of you, though if you two suggest Madotsuki be the host for today, then I'm voting for Madotsuki, as well," Renko said.
"I'm also fine with either of your Dreams, so if Madotsuki is willing to host, then my vote's also on her," said Sumireko.
"Seems like the vote is unanimous, as I'm also fine with seeing either of your Dreams," Maribel said as she turned towards Madotsuki.
"In that case, I want everyone to hold each other's hand," Madotsuki said as she held her hands out to Urotsuki and Renko, them being the closest people to her. Once everyone had done as Madotsuki asked, Madotsuki closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Soon, the Sealing Club members felt the pull of teleportation, and they all disappeared from the Usami household's living room.
While the Sealing Club members had a Dream Tour in Madotsuki's Dream Worlds, Yomika was in the Hyper Nexus, as she was looking for a certain heavily rusted door. Eventually, Yomika had found what she had been looking for and approached the rusted door, opening and entering it.
When Yomika's vision returned and she exited from the rusted door, she found herself in an alleyway in the middle of a cloudy day. As Yomika walked down the alleyway, she walked past a few dumpsters that had clouds of flies and reeked of rot, as they had not been cleaned out in years.
Eventually, Yomika exited the alleyway, and she was greeted with the sight of a ruined Japanese city. Abandoned and scavenged vehicles in various states of disrepair littered the streets while every now and then, light trash such as plastic bags and sheets of paper were being dragged along by the wind. In addition, she saw a person or two shambling around without a thought some distance away, though Yomika knew that they were not people, but actual zombies, as this world had suffered a zombie apocalypse for a handful of years at this point. Yomika took in the sights of a ruined city for only a brief moment before equipping her Tengu Effect and began to fly to her destination.
Eventually, Yomika was greeted with the sight of a certain white, discolored, and drab apartment building that has seen better days, with that building being her destination. With Yomika's destination in sight, she flew down to a balcony that led to an apartment unit, and as the sliding glass door was covered up by a curtain, Yomika began to knock a certain pattern, with that pattern being two long knocks, followed up by three short knocks, followed up by three long knocks.
After a few seconds of waiting, Yomika heard the shuffling of footsteps getting closer to the sliding door. "Who is it?" A female voice tentatively said.
"It is I, Yomika," Yomika introduced herself in a contrastingly calm tone. "No one else is with me, Sabitsuki. As for why I am here, I have a suggestion that I want to make, as well as to update you on Madotsuki and Urotsuki's state of affairs. May I come in?"
Yomika was answered by the curtain covering the sliding glass door being opened, revealing an albino girl with a slim build, a tough look on her face, and who appeared to be somewhere between their late teens and early adulthood, though instead of having the pink or pale blue-gray irises that are omnipresent among albinos, her irises were blood red, and she wore a gray shirt and a white skirt. As to what the albino was currently doing, she was holding and aiming a gray pistol with her right arm at the source of Yomika's voice, though the albino lowered her arm and her gun disappeared in a faint flash of light when she saw Yomika.
Artist: lol (dev of .flow)
"You scared me, Yomika," the albino girl said in a relieved tone as she slid open the sliding door and relaxed her tough look.
"Apologies for scaring you, Sabitsuki," Yomika said as she did a small bow. "While what I wish to discuss with you is not exactly urgent, I did not want to walk up numerous flights of stairs to get to you."
The now named Sabitsuki snorted in amusement. "Come in, lazy bones," she said as she moved aside. Yomika wordlessly complied and entered Sabitsuki's room before closing the sliding door and the curtain behind her as Sabitsuki went over to go sit on her bed.
"So what did ya wanna talk about?" Sabitsuki asked as Yomika unequipped her Tengu effect and also sat down on Sabitsuki's bed.
"Madotsuki, Urotsuki, and I decided to enter another world, and I was wondering if not only you would be interested, but also if your mother would grant you permission to leave and join us," Yomika answered.
Sabitsuki gave Yomika's suggestion some thought. While Sabitsuki's answer was already certain, she did not know how her mother would respond. "I'd gladly come along, though I'd have to ask if mom would allow me to go, and while I doubt I'll be able to leave immediately, given that she's working on the cure for this damned zombie apocalypse, I'll let you and the others know when I'll be cleared to leave."
"That is all I ask of you," Yomika said as she did a small bow of appreciation.
Sabitsuki hummed noncommittally in response. "On a different note, how are the others?"
"Madotsuki and Urotsuki made friends with a Dreamer named Maribel Hearn and her two friends."
"Oh? What are Maribel and her friends like?"
"We have only known them for two days as of now, but they all seem to be pleasant folk, especially Maribel, as she seems to be the kindest of the three. As for Maribel's two friends, they are sisters of different ages, with the older sister being Usami Renko and the younger sister being Usami Sumireko. Renko is the hardest to pin down, but from what I have seen, she seems to be the serious and inquisitive type, as she asked the most questions about our Dream powers."
"Wait, Renko and Sumireko knows about Dreamers such as us?" Sabitsuki asked.
Yomika nodded in response. "She does, and both she and Sumireko learned of it through Maribel."
"I know you said that revealing us being Dreamers is our decision to make, but are Renko and Sumireko trustworthy?"
"Renko and Sumireko are indeed trustworthy, as while they didn't specify when Maribel revealed her Dream powers, they seem to have known it long enough that it is normal to bring it up with each other."
"Hm, fair enough."
"Getting back on track, Sumireko's personality is the easiest to figure out, as she is a rather energetic girl, and from what Madotsuki and Urotsuki have told me, Sumireko is also a chuunibyou."
"So to summarize, Maribel's the nice girl, Renko is the serious girl, and Sumireko is the energetic girl?"
"A succinct and correct summary, Sabitsuki."
"If mom does give me permission to travel with you all, then I'd like to meet the three girls."
"They would also like to meet you, especially since they already know a little bit about you and they all expressed at least some desire to put a face to your name." Yomika saw Sabitsuki begin to speak, but she signaled Sabitsuki to stop, which Sabitsuki reluctantly complied. "And no, they do not know of either the disease that ravages this world nor of said disease being within you, only that you have endured a disaster of some kind."
Sabitsuki snorted. "Ain't that an understatement," she said ruefully before deciding to change topics. "So about Madotsuki, Urotsuki, and you traveling to a new world, did Maribel join them, as well?"
"Yes, she did, as well as Renko and Sumireko," Yomika said as she nodded.
"Say what now?" Sabitsuki said with confusion. "How did the two sisters come along?"
"To make a long story short, they all figured out that contact of any kind is enough to bring non-Dreamers into our Dream Worlds, so on the next day after the initial test, we decided if non-Dreamers could also come along with us while we travel to the Hyper Nexus. Our test was successful, and we even met up and introduced ourselves to two Dreamers in a world called Gensokyo."
"Man, if you all are already getting into new worlds so soon after meeting me, I can't wait to come join you all. So, Yomika, what's Gensokyo like?"
"We have only been there once, and our visit was somewhat short and uneventful outside of our meeting with the two Dreamers we encountered, but I'll tell you what we've learned."
After Yomika shared what she knew of Gensokyo, Sabitsuki began to speak. "So to summarize, Gensokyo is a magical world that's parallel to your own world, it's possibly both a Dream World and a real world, and was created as a safe haven for yokai due to humans slowly no longer believing in myths and fairy tales, right?"
"That would be correct," Yomika nodded.
"So do you know how a world can both be real and a Dream World, Yomika?" Sabitsuki asked.
"To be perfectly honest, I have no idea. I can only presume that someone has decided to project one of their Dream Worlds into reality, and that implies that a Dreamer would have near-god-like abilities, among other implications."
"Considering that yokai apparently exist in your world, that could possibly be quite true, though until you know for sure, thinking about it won't likely come up with anything useful." Sabitsuki's face then lit up in realization. "Oh, that reminds me, how is Chie doing so far?"
"Chie has been doing better since she was adopted, and she has been slowly getting along with her adoptive parents," Yomika answered.
"A shame that I won't be able to see her until I have permission to leave, though I understand why you, Madotsuki, and Urotsuki hadn't brought her along with you here."
"Indeed," Yomika said as she nodded in agreement. "It was one thing that Urotsuki, and, to a lesser extent, Madotsuki, kept on urging me to continue traveling to this world, but it is a different story to even think about bringing a child here. At the very least, I'm glad the two share our stance on bringing Chie here."
Sabitsuki hummed noncommittally as she nodded in response before the conversation lulled to a stop. When both Dreamers realized that the previous conversation was over, Yomika decided to speak up. "Has anything changed since my last visit, Sabitsuki?"
Sabitsuki shook her head in denial. "No, nothing much has changed since mom decided to work on the cure to the Rust Virus within me."
"Speaking of the disease, if your mother develops a cure for it, will you accept it?"
Sabitsuki paused as she began to think of an answer. After a while, she eventually came to a conclusion. "To be perfectly honest, I still don't have an answer to that question. On one hand, not only has the Rusting disease plunged the world into an apocalyptic pandemic, but it also took away my friends and turned me into a carrier." Sabitsuki paused and took a deep breath to recollect herself as bad memories briefly began to resurface. "On the other hand, the virus has become a part of me, for better or worse, both in terms of it integrating with my biology and it leaving a heavy impact on my life. Since it has somehow gained a semblance of sentience, it has become… agreeable on deciding to not infect others, and I don't want it to turn hostile if I do accept the cure."
Yomika nodded to show she had listened and understood Sabitsuki. "I can understand your uncertainty, as I would also be unsure on what to do if I were in your place. All I can say is that whatever your answer will be, I, Madotsuki, and Urotsuki will stand by it."
Even if it means I fully turn into a zombie and attack you all? Sabitsuki immediately wanted to say, but she clamped down on that thought, as it would only make things worse. "Thanks, Yomika, I appreciate it," Sabitsuki said with a hollow smile.
Yomika picked up that Sabitsuki wanted to say something else, but decided to not mention it, so instead, she simply nodded in response, bringing the conversation to a close.
A brief pause had ensued, and eventually, Sabitsuki felt comfortable speaking again. "You have anything else to talk about?"
"No, outside of our sudden conversation about the cure to the Rust Virus, my visit here was mainly to keep you up to date on my own world and to ask you if you wanted to travel to the Hyper Nexus. While I can decide to stay for longer, Madotsuki, Urotsuki, Maribel, Renko, and Sumireko have decided to travel to Gensokyo once again, and since Gensokyo is relatively more dangerous than even your world due to yokai, I worry that they may end up in danger."
Sabitsuki snorted. "Quite the worry wart, aren't ya?" Sabitsuki asked with a hint of humor.
Yomika nodded in response. "That, I do not deny."
"Given what little you remember of your past, I don't blame you for being so. On a lighter note, you also gonna ask my mom about this?"
Yomika nodded in response. "Indeed, I do plan to ask your mother for permission to travel with us after I wrap things up with you." Yomika then had a thoughtful look on her face as an idea suddenly came to her. "Actually, now that I think of it, with the visits to Maribel's Dream Worlds and Gensokyo proving that non-Dreamers can come along with us and your mother being in the loop of both us being Dreamers as well as my otherworldly status, I'm wondering if she would like to come along."
Sabitsuki snorted in amusement. "You'll have to ask her for that, though I'm guessing that mom will be more inclined to not accept your offer than otherwise, at least for now. She's working on the cure, after all."
"Well, it would not hurt me to ask, so I might as well," said Yomika. "So to sum it up, you wish to come along with us someday should your mother agree to it, correct?"
"Yeah," Sabitsuki answered as she nodded. "While this place is home, I'd want to see places that are much less dreary and depressing than here."
"That is an understandable reason," Yomika said before getting up. "Well, if you do not have any further questions about what we brought up, I will head over to see your mother and put my words into action."
"Guess I'll see ya later, Yomika," Sabitsuki said as she waved.
"Farewell, Sabitsuki," Yomika said as she turned to leave, though Yomika only took a single step before she realized she forgot to ask Sabitsuki a question and turned back to face her. "Before I go, Sabitsuki, do you know the current whereabouts of your mother?"
Sabitsuki shook her head in response. "I don't right now, sorry about that."
"Don't worry about it," Yomika said in a rare case of her using contractions in her speech, "I'll just head on over to places she frequently visits," she continued before exiting Sabitsuki's room and closing the door behind her.
Once the door was closed, Sabitsuki flopped down on her bed and began to stare at the ceiling. Just before Sabitsuki could begin on what she could do once she is allowed to travel outside of her own world, Sabitsuki felt a familiar presence began to make itself known in her mind. "Thinking on what you want to do once you leave this place, eh?" the presence said in a mocking tone. "How optimistic of you."
Sabitsuki narrowed her eyes upon hearing the mocking tone in the being's voice. "Shut up, Rust, I don't want to talk to you."
The presence, now known as Rust, began to manifest their physical form within Sabitsuki's mindscape. Rust's appearance was nearly identical to Sabitsuki, with two differing details being the two blood-colored horns jutting out of Rust's forehead and the razor-sharp teeth that show whenever Rust decides to bear her teeth when smiling. "How rude of you to shut me down just as I decided to show up," Rust said in a faux-hurt tone. "I was only teasing you, ya know."
Sabitsuki mentally frowned at Rust in response, but decided not to say anything and ignored Rust as she resumed her thoughts on what she'd like to do in the world her otherworldly friends lived in.
Sabitsuki, and by extension, her mother, Madotsuki, Urotsuki, and Yomika, all of them being aware of Rust in some way, never really trusted Rust, and for good reason, as Rust originated from the Rust Virus within Sabitsuki gaining sentience, and no one, not even Rust herself, knew why. While Rust was convinced(read: being beaten into a bloody pulp) to curtail her more malevolent ways twice, Rust's origin as a bioweapon meant that Rust had a natural inclination to be unpleasant at best. Rust, for her part, kept her word, and when Sabitsuki's mother performed tests on Madotsuki, Urotsuki, and Yomika to see if they had caught the Rust Virus, they were all surprised upon finding out that the three otherworldly Dreamers were completely clean despite having minimal protection.
While Rust wanted to continue teasing Sabitsuki, she was content with the light jab she gave Sabitsuki and took Sabitsuki's silence in stride as she faded away and retreated to deeper parts of Sabitsuki's mindscape.
With the sun currently rising from the horizon in Gensokyo and having nothing else better to do until Meira comes by with their breakfast, Reimu was sweeping away dirt and stray leaves on the pathway to the Hakurei Shrine. While monotonous, sweeping was also relaxing in a way, especially with the calls of crows adding some variety to the sounds of the surrounding nature.
By the time Reimu was halfway between the shrine and the stairway leading up to the shrine grounds, she heard two crows fly towards her, with one of them being Ichigo. <"Intruders! Intruders!"> One of the crows cawed.
<"Idiot, they aren't intruders, they are the six visitors I told you about!"> Ichigo cawed, correcting the other crow.
Reimu stopped sweeping as the crows landed on her shoulders. "So they arrived once again, huh? We didn't exactly bar them from entering again so long as they don't cause an Incident, so don't think too much on it, you two."
Reimu turned to face the shrine, expecting the Sealing Club members to appear in her vision, and she was proven right as she overheard part of their conversation.
"It was night back home, so why is it morning here?" Renko asked.
"I donno," Urotsuki answered. "While the time can vary when we visit Sabi's world, it never deviated to this extent."
Sumireko chuckled. "Sounds like a mystery worth investigating for the Secret Sealing Club!"
Yomika was the first to notice Reimu. "Good morning, Reimu," she said as she bowed, causing the others to look in the direction Yomika was looking.
"Good morning to you all," Reimu said as she bowed.
"Mornin', Reimu!" Sumireko cheerfully said. "Wassup with the crows hanging on you? They aren't exactly birds associated with shrine maidens."
"Oh, these two?" Reimu said as she indicated towards one of the crows with her free hand. "They hang out a lot over here often and serve as a warning system for intruders, among other things."
"That's pretty cool, how'd ya tame them?" Sumireko asked again.
Reimu flinched at Sumireko's question. "My mom did," she answered robotically and tersely.
"You mom tamed them? How'd she do it?"
Madotsuki and Urotsuki, being experienced on personally sensitive topics being brought up, with Urotsuki also feeling a hint of sorrow from Reimu for reasons unknown to the former, glanced at each other. Urotsuki soon nodded to Madotsuki to indicate that she'll be the one to defuse the situation. "Let's talk about something else other than how Reimu's mom befriended crows, shall we?" Urotsuki said, attempting to change the topic with the bluntness of a sledgehammer.
"But why, Urotsuki?" Sumireko asked. "We were just getting to the good parts!"
Before Urotsuki could respond, Reimu decided to answer. "I don't want to talk about it any further," Reimu suddenly said with finality.
"O-oh," Sumireko said, her cheerful mood deflating. "Sorry for bringing up your mom."
"It's fine, Sumireko, you didn't know," said Reimu before taking a deep breath. "On a different topic, what brings you all here again?"
"To put it simply, we just wanted to take in the sights of Gensokyo and wondered if someone could guide us," Maribel answered.
"In other words, we're tourists," Madotsuki dryly said with a hint of self-derision and humor, causing Urotsuki to snort-laugh in response.
"So you all came here to sight-see, hm?" Reimu rhetorically asked. "I suppose I can't stop you all from doing what you all want, but if you wish to continue this, then I highly suggest you all learn magic so that you can defend yourselves from yokai, or at least buy time for your escape."
"Can't you teach us magic, Reimu?" Renko asked.
"I can," Reimu answered, "but to be quite frank, I don't consider myself to be a good teacher, so I can only really teach you the basics at best. After I teach you all the basics, I can refer you all to Meira for further training."
"So what's this I hear about you referring me to teach these people?" Meira interjected, causing the others to turn towards the steps, where Meira and a smiling young woman with red hair tied in a ponytail and a luxurious-looking purple kimono that was embroidered with various flowery patterns walked up the steps that led to the Hakurei Shrine.
Artist: Dairi
"Good Morning, Meira and Kotohime," Reimu said.
"Good morning, Reimu and everyone else!~♡" Kotohime returned in a cheery tone as she looked at the group, though when she locked eyes with Yomika, she froze in surprise as she received what seemed like a telepathic message.
A fellow Dreamer.
"Mornin', Reimu," Meira said as she nodded towards Reimu before looking at the Sealing Club members and Yomika, unaware of Kotohime's pause that the latter shook herself out of upon hearing Meira's greeting. "Mornin' to the rest of ya, as well." When the Sealing club members and Yomika returned Meira's greeting, Meira asked a question. "So what brings you six over to Gensokyo once again?"
"To answer your question, Meira, these six wanted to take a sight-see around Gensokyo and were wondering if anyone was free to guide them," she said as she gestured to the Sealing Club members and Yomika.
Meira turned to face the Sealing Club members and Yomika. "Ya'll really up to this?"
"Yep, we all are, even if Yomika here is a tag-along more than anything else," Urotsuki answered as she gestured towards Yomika.
"If that's the case, I suppose I can't exactly stop you, especially since you guys seem to just be able to get to Gensokyo through your own means," Meira said.
Just then, a third crow flew by and landed on one of Meira's shoulders. "<Marisa's here, Marisa's here!>"
"Ah, Marisa's here!~♡" Kotohime said as she looked up to the sky to spot Marisa. Everyone else mimicked Kotohime's action, and sure enough, they all saw Marisa flying towards their location on her broom.
"Look, Marisa's flying!" Maribel exclaimed with awe.
"So how common is flying around here?" Renko asked.
"Flying is generally one of the first few spells any aspiring magic user in Gensokyo learns, despite its relative complexity compared to the basics," Meira answered.
"So why is flight learned so early on?" Urotsuki asked.
"The main reason is that flight, for all of the initial difficulties of learning it, makes traveling long distances very convenient," Meira answered.
Shortly after Meira gave her answer, Marisa flew down to the ground and landed. "Yo da-ze, Reimu! I got somethin' cool 'ta show ya!" she said as she hopped off her broom and held it upright in her right hand.
"Can it wait until breakfast?" Reimu asked. "I'm hungry."
"And that's exactly why I wanna show you it right now!" Marisa answered. "Better to have a danmaku battle on an empty stomach than to vomit your recent meal in the middle of it, right, da-ze?"
"Don't worry Reimu, I'll take on Marisa's danmaku challenge in your stead," said Meira.
"I was hoping to show this off to Reimu, but oh well," Marisa said, and before Meira could give out a retort, Marisa pulled out a glassy-looking magenta orb from under her hat. "Behold, and look at this mysterious and occult-ish power!"
While everyone had varying degrees of curious looks on their faces when Marisa revealed the magenta orb, Sumireko, on the other hand, had a shocked look on her face. Shit, I'm gonna be in so much trouble.
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BBDaM Chapter Seven
Yirash
Sword-Stealing Nemesis
- Joined
- Sep 11, 2022
- Messages
- 11
- Likes received
- 10
Opening AN: I'm gonna revise up my previous chapters, add a retcon in chapter six, and add portraits of important characters after this chapter is published, though the only two added details that are relevant(including the retcon) are that Meira is one of the taller 2hu characters in my fic and that Kotohime is a Dreamer much like Madotsuki, Urotsuki, Sabitsuki, Yomika, and Maribel. To give a sense on how tall Meira is, Rinnosuke and Yuugi are one of the few 2hus than her. There is another 2hu that's taller than her, but merely mentioning their name is a massive spoiler, so I ain't gonna reveal them lol.
As for Kotohime being a Dreamer, after discussing it with a friend that I share details with, we agreed that this retcon would be more interesting for Kotohime, not to mention that I think it would make her at least a bit more relevant in the story. Plus, I honestly didn't have any details cooked up for Kotohime asides from a single bullet point of her backstory, but revealing it now would be a spoiler. Without further ado, let's begin.
Shit, I'm gonna be in so much trouble, Sumireko thought as she and everyone looked at the magenta orb Marisa pulled out from under her hat.
"What is that thing?" Renko asked.
"No clue, da~ze," Marisa answered as she shrugged. "What I do know is that it can give you a cool power that can supplement your danmaku!"
"Ah, so that's why you wanted a danmaku battle!" Kotohime said in realization. "So what is this new power you got?~♡"
"Hah, as if I'd tell y'all!" Marisa answered. "That would only give y'all an advantage over me, da~ze!"
Meira snorted. "If you ain't gonna share what's the new power you got, then I might as well beat it out of ya with this danmaku battle you seem so eager to start."
"Oh, it's on, lanky-ass!" said Marisa.
As Marisa and Meira began to banter, Urotsuki felt a feeling that told her someone was caught red-handed. She looked around and quickly spotted Sumireko, who was the source of the feeling. "Hey, Sumireko, you alright?" Urotsuki asked, causing the rest of the Sealing Club members and Yomika to look at Sumireko.
Sumireko flinched, acting exactly like she was caught red-handed. "Y-yeah, nothing to worry about, Uro!," she answered placatingly.
"Did you forget something, Sumireko?" Madotsuki asked.
"It's nothing important, Mado, really!" Sumireko answered once again.
The rest of the Sealing Club members and Yomika didn't look too convinced, but they had all decided to drop the matter and returned their gaze towards Marisa and Meira.
Sumireko took a sigh of relief when the rest of the Sealing Club members and Yomika looked elsewhere. Whew, that was close, she thought to herself.
"Ooh, I'll be the referee!~♡" Kotohime said in-between Marisa and Meira's banter.
"Fine by me," Meira said as she handed over her backpack chest to Kotohime, who retrieved and wore it.
"I'd prefer if Reimu was the ref, but whatever, that's also fine," Marisa said while shrugging.
"You always want Reimu to do things with ya," Meira teased as she unsheathed her katana. "There something between you two?"
Marisa stammered for a few seconds before she recomposed herself, flustered by Meira's teasing comment. "Shut it, you!"
While Meira and Marisa continued their banter, the Sealing Club members and Yomika were surprised when Meira had unsheathed her katana.
"Uh, Reimu? Are you sure this is safe?" Maribel asked.
"It is," Reimu answered. "Meira's katana is only made of wood, and her blade's also blunt. Marisa theoretically might get some bruises at worst, but even then, Meira's skillful enough to turn even her most powerful swings into light taps, and that's before you factor in her ability."
"Ooh, an ability?" Sumireko asked with curiosity. "What ability does Meira have?"
"Meira's ability is to push and pull things," Reimu answered.
"That doesn't sound too powerful," Sumireko commented.
Reimu huffed in amusement. "While it is true that Meira's ability doesn't sound powerful at all, believe me when I say that she's among the strongest in Gensokyo."
"Okay, everyone!" Kotohime shouted, getting everyone's attention. "Ready to start this danmaku duel?~♡"
"I was born ready, da~ze!" Marisa said with excitement.
"Born ready? The previous me before my soul reincarnated was ready," Meira bantered.
Marisa rolled her eyes in response, but made no further comment.
"Alright, then, time to set the ground rules!~♡" Kotohime said. "Don't use attacks with lethal intent, don't cast spell cards that your opponent can't dodge, Spell Cards can only last for a minute at most, and unless the decision is unanimous, don't Awaken your ability!"
"Hey, I wanna use my Awakened ability!" Marisa said.
"I refuse," Meira responded. "We got some spectators here that are mostly magicless, and I'd rather be safe than sorry."
Marisa pouted. "You're no fun, da~ze," she grumbled not-so-quietly.
"Oh? Not confident that you aren't able to defeat me without your ability being Awakened?" Meira taunted.
"Oh yeah?" Marisa answered, rising to the taunt. "I'll show ya lanky-ass not to underestimate me, Kirisame Marisa, the Ordinary Human Magician, even without my Awakened ability, da~ze!"
Meira grinned excitedly in response as her battlelust began to show. "Now that's more like it, Kirisame Marisa! I, Meira, the Bladed Buddhist of Force, shall be your opponent!"
"In that case, both participants are not allowed to use their Awakened Abilities!" Kotohime declared. "Without further ado, on my mark…" Kotohime said as she slowly raised her right hand and Meira readied herself, her stance prepping her to dash towards Marisa. "...Get set…" Marisa hopped on her broom and began to hover in place, ready to fly at a moment's notice. "...Let the battle begin!~♡" Kotohime then swung her arm downwards, signifying the beginning of the duel.
Marisa was the first to make a move, as she immediately flew away from Meira to gain distance and height and began to fire danmaku at Meira, to which meira's responded by flying and closing in on Marisa, dodging all of Marisa's danmaku and receiving grazing hits at worst. Despite Marisa's incredible speed, Meira was faster, especially since Meira used her ability to pull herself towards Marisa, increasing Meira's speed even further.
Marisa, having long known of Meira's speed advantage over her, had anticipated this, and with her also knowing of Meira's preference in close quarters combat, Marisa waited for just the right moment to dodge. When Meira began to prepare herself to swing her katana, Marisa knew that the time to dodge was now or never, so she suddenly did an aerial backflip over Meira as the latter swung her katana horizontally, causing Meira to miss.
The two duelists quickly reoriented themselves to face each other and simultaneously fired danmaku at each other all while dodging their opponent's danmaku, with Marisa's danmaku being star-shaped and Meira's danmaku being crescent-shaped.
While the aerial duel raged on, the Sealing Club members looked on with varying degrees of awe and wonder.
"Wow, so this is what a magic battle actually looks like!" Maribel exclaimed.
"It's certainly a pretty sight," Madotsuki commented.
"What you're seeing here is the Spell Card System in work," Reimu informed the Sealing Club members and Yomika, causing the group to look at her. "The Spell Card System allows even the weakest to get their word across not through pure might, but through showmanship and beauty."
Going back to the two duelists, Marisa and Meira continued to fire danmaku at each other while dodging their opponent's danmaku. Eventually, Meira's grin widened slightly as she pulled out a Spell Card from her right sleeve. Time to kick things up a notch, Meira thought.
Marisa, seeing that Meira was preparing a Spell Card, heightened her alertness as she prepared herself for whatever Spell Card Meira was about to cast.
Meira sheathed her sword, bit the tip of her right thumb, causing it to bleed, and smeared her blood on the Spell Card. Meira then pulled out her sword and threw the Spell Card towards the sky, which burned up shortly afterward.
"Raifu: Rai Ten Retsuzanari!" [Thunder Sign: Thunderous Heaven-splitting Slash(雷符「雷天裂斬り」)]
Meira coated her katana in a shroud of lightning with her left hand and then began to fly around Marisa in a square at high speeds, creating lines made of lightning with her katana that turned into lightning bolts that fired perpendicularly, with Meira also throwing in ordinary danmaku between the lightning bolts to corral Marisa into the lightning bolts. Marisa managed to dodge and graze most of Meira's danmaku, with only a few of them hitting her directly. Eventually, she managed to survive Meira's Spell Card for one minute, and Meira called off her Spell Card, the two duelists stopping their danmaku barrage.
"So you managed to survive my Thunderous Heaven-splitting Slashes for a full minute," Meira said in a mildly impressed tone, playing up the role of an arrogant fighter. "I suppose that is worth some acknowledgement."
Marisa grinned in response as she decided to play along. "How 'bout I show ya what I can do, da~ze? It's only fair, after all."
"Hmph, I doubt you'll land a scratch on me, but go ahead," Meira answered in a haughty tone.
"I'll make ya eat your words, lanky-ass da~ze!" Marisa said as she pulled out a Spell Card.
"Kougeki: Shoot the moon!" [Light Blast: Shoot the Moon(光撃「シュート・ザ・ムーン」)]
Balls of light suddenly appeared from behind Marisa and began to fire lasers straight ahead, all while Marisa began to fire star-shaped danmaku both in a spiraling formation and a wide five-pronged formation.
Meira resumed firing her danmaku at Marisa, forcing her opponent to resume dodging them, and dodged all of Marisa's danmaku while keeping distance from the laser beams, using her ability to pull herself away from marisa's danmaku in tandem with her natural agility. Eventually, a minute had passed without Meira getting hit even once, and Marisa dispelled her Spell Card.
"Hmph, was that all?" Meira asked in an arrogant tone. "Surely, you could do better than that."
Marisa grinned, deciding not to take the bait. "I suppose I could, da~ze, but then again, I did say I wanted to show off the new power I got, didn't I? It wouldn't be right to reveal it right off the bat, ya know."
Meira smirked in response. "I'll admit that you're right that it can be foolish to show one's hand early." Meira then dropped her smirk. "However, sometimes it is prudent to deliver a crushing defeat to your opponent as soon as possible, and I will show why right this instant!"
Meira sheathed her katana, pulled out a Spell Card from under her left sleeve, bit the tip of her left thumb to make it bleed, and smeared the blood on the Spell Card. Meira then threw the Spell Card upwards and slapped her hands together.
"Tenfu: Sūsenju Kannon!" [Heaven Sign: Several Thousand-armed Kannon(天符「数千手観音」)]
Meira unleashed a burst of holy energy from herself, creating golden particles of magic all around her. The golden particles then coalesced into a form of a large holographic and thousand-armed Buddha statue behind Meira.
"You should feel honored that you face my ultimate Spell Card," Meira boasted. "This is as powerful as I can get without breaking the Spell Card rules, let alone unleashing my Heavenly God Incarnation."
As soon as Meira finished boasting, the Buddha statue clenched its torso-sized fists and extended its arms to deliver multiple punches to Marisa, all while Meira fired lasers in Marisa's general direction. Marisa began to dodge the chest-sized fists coming from the holographic Buddha statue while staying clear from Meira's lasers and returning fire at Meira, forcing Meira to constantly evade Marisa's danmaku and move away from Marisa's line of fire.
While Marisa initially did well on dodging the barrage of Meira's Spell Card and landed some danmaku hits on Meira, the hits on Meira weren't enough to defeat her, and eventually, Marisa took a hit from one of the fist-shaped danmaku.
A flash and a high-pitched sound rang out from Marisa as she briefly plummeted down and Meira dispelled her Spell Card. Marisa quickly flipped herself back up and flew back to be level with Meira, looking none worse for wear. "Wow, those fists hurt, da~ze," Marisa said as she shook off the pain and dusted herself. "I guess that's a loss for me."
Meira humphed in response. "I would be disappointed if you had immediately lost against Thousand-Armed Kannon."
Marisa grinned. "Oh, I'll wipe that stupid grin off your face, da~ze!" Marisa then pulled out the magenta orb she had under her hat and crushed it with her hand, causing it to turn into a dissipating mist.
"Suteki! Kawaya no Hanako-san!" [Lovely! Miss Hanako of the toilet!(ステキ！厠の花子さん！)]
All of the sudden, the world around Meira and Marisa turned black and rows of public restroom toilet stalls appeared from behind Marisa. One of the stalls' doors soon opened and sickly green hands began to fly towards Meira, who immediately began to dodge them, but she was soon caught by the hands and thrown into the opened stall, which Marisa then slammed the stall door shut.
Soon, the world around Marisa returned to normal, revealing that Meira was plummeting to the ground, though Meira soon shook herself out of her daze and flipped herself back up.
"Uh… Marisa wins this round!" Kotohime said with uncertainty. "...I think."
"Yup, Marisa did," Meira said as she dusted herself and flew down to land. "So that was what you wanted to show off."
Marisa grinned as she also landed herself. "You'd be correct, da~ze! With that, I'm certain that I've won this duel!"
Meira snorted as she grabbed her backpack chest she gave to Kotohime earlier and put it back on. "You sure? I'm pretty certain that I've won this duel."
"I don't mean to interject here, but I think Meira's right," said Urotsuki. "While the two did get K.O.'d by their big spells at the end, Marisa did get hit by Meira's first spell a few times, while Meira seemed to not get hit at all with Marisa's first spell."
"Yeah, I also saw Meira not get hit by your first big spell," Madotsuki said, with the other Sealing Club members agreeing.
"Unfortunately, Marisa, they're right," Kotohime said. "Meira is the winner of this duel."
"Well, there's always a next time," Marisa said. "Now, how about that breakfast, Meira? I'm starvin', da~ze."
"Right, I forgot we kinda interrupted your breakfast," Urotsuki said.
"Sorry about that," Madotsuki chimed in.
"Nah, it's cool, da~ze," said Marisa. "I also interrupted our breakfast with my duel."
"If I'd brought more food, I'd offer an invitation to you folks to join our breakfast," Meira said.
"That's fine, Meira, we just so happened to arrive at an inopportune time, that's all," Renko replied.
"In addition, we already had dinner, but the offer is appreciated," Maribel added.
"Dinner?" Kotohime asked with a confused look. "But it's morning here."
"I'll answer that," Reimu said. "While I don't know much about the outside world, what I do know is that time between Gensokyo and the Outside World rarely synchronizes, with it synchronizing only once in a blue moon."
"Reimu's right, da~ze, though only the Great Sages know of the specifics behind it," Marisa added.
"'Great Sages'?" Renko asked. "I remember you mentioning them in passing once, so who are they?"
"I'll answer that, as well as any other questions you Outside World folks have," Meira said as she took off her backpack chest and turned to Kotohime, Marisa, and Reimu. "You three mind prepping breakfast while I answer their questions?"
"Sure, 'bout time we got to eat," Reimu answered as she went to grab Meira's backpack chest.
"Will do, Meira!~♡" Kotohime cheerfully replied.
"I don't mind, da~ze," Marisa responded. "Speaking of breakfast, what are we havin', Meira?"
"Rice porridge, both pickled and steamed veggies, onigiri, natto, and omelets," Meira answered.
"Aw yeah, now that's a nice meal, da~ze!" Marisa said with excitement. "These foods won't cook themselves, so let's go!"
"Right with ya!~♡" Kotohime said as she, Marisa, and Reimu went to the Hakurei Shrine to prepare their breakfast.
As Marisa, Reimu, and Kotohime walked towards the Hakurei Shrine, Reimu turned towards Marisa and asked her a question. "So you had an orb, as well, Marisa?"
"Huh? What's that mean, da~ze?" Marisa asked in confusion.
Reimu decided to answer Marisa's question by pulling out a green orb from her pocket, which was similar in size and appearance to Marisa's orb.
"Wow, now that's interesting," Kotohime commented.
"Wha- where'dya get that, da~ze?!" Marisa asked in surprise.
"I came across it on the ground while taking a leisurely walk one day," Reimu answered.
"Aw man, now I really regret not having a duel with you," Marisa said before she pouted and slouched in an exaggerated and melancholic manner, which Kotohime chuckled at.
"I'm not in a danmaku mood right now, sorry about that," Reimu apologized as she pocketed her orb.
Marisa straightened her pose and pointed at Reimu. "Just know that you owe me a Spell Card duel for this, da~ze!"
Were it anyone else, Reimu would've outright denied the supposed debt, but as Marisa was her closest friend, Reimu accepted the debt thrusted upon her. "I'll keep that in mind," Reimu said as she smiled. "For now, however, let's make our breakfast, shall we?"
"You got it, boss!" Marisa answered as Kotohime nodded in agreement.
Meanwhile, back with the Sealing Club members, Yomika, and Meira, Meira turned towards the Sealing Club members and Yomika and bowed at them as she began to apologize. "Sorry 'bout that interruption."
"It's alright, It'd be rude of us to hold up your breakfast any longer than we already had," Urotsuki said, with the rest of the Sealing Club members and Yomika nodding in agreement.
"In that case, let's get to answering some questions, shall we?" Meira rhetorically asked.
"To answer the question on who the Great Sages are, they are a group of very powerful magicians who created Gensokyo, with Yakumo Yukari being the most well known," Meira answered. "Despite this, not only are they fairly hands-off in Gensokyo's affairs, they also hold little formal authority over Gensokyo, if any at all, and outside of Yukari, they tend to keep to themselves."
"Ran mentioned Yukari once or twice when she came by to check up on us yesterday, so who is Yukari?" Madotsuki asked.
Yesterday? Meira thought. They came here a few days- Oh right, time difference. "From what I know, Yukari is one of the more recent additions to the Great Sages, relatively speaking. With most of them preferring their privacy, Yukari is practically the face of the Great Sages.
"So what exactly does Yukari do as the face of the Great Sages?" Renko asked.
"She tends to send out Ran on at least a weekly basis to keep up with affairs and share whatever she deems important to the rest of them," Meira asked. "That's not to say that the other Great Sages don't have their way of keeping up, of course. Outside of that, however, I have no clue."
"You know any more of these Great Sages?" Sumireko asked. "They sound pretty powerful if they created Gensokyo."
"I'm only aware of three other Great Sages, though the only one I'm willing to name is Shingyoku," Meira answered. "As for why I won't name the other two, one won't be named for personal reasons she has that I respect, and the other… she's amoral at best, and with you all being a curious group of Outsiders, I'd rather not speak of the devil and have its shadow appear over you all."
"Oh, that makes sense, especially for the last one," Sumireko said a bit nervously.
"This will likely be a sensitive question for me to ask, but if you do not mind me asking, who is Reikou?" Yomika asked.
Meira snorted. "I suppose that question was coming up sooner or later. Under any other circumstances, I'd refuse to answer for Reimu's sake, but given how important the Hakureis are to Gensokyo, someone would eventually spill the beans on her. Even then, I'll only share what most people know.
To answer your question, Reikou was Reimu's mother, as well as the previous Hakurei Shrine maiden of Gensokyo. One day, while Reikou was out solving an Incident, she fought off against the one who caused the Incident and was hit with a killing blow."
Meira then darkly chuckled. "However, even while dying, Reikou, that tough woman, along with Reimu as eventual reinforcements, managed to solve the Incident before she passed away. Unfortunately for Reimu, she was merely a Hakurei Shrine Maiden-in-training, and a kid, to boot, but with her mother taking her last breath in her arms, Reimu was all but forced to take on the mantle of being the Shrine Maiden of Gensokyo."
"Oh, so that's why Reimu didn't like it when we brought her up," Sumireko said.
"Yeah, it brings up a myriad of memories for Reimu," Meira added.
"On a lighter topic, what does a Hakurei Shrine Maiden do?" Urotsuki asked.
"Their job is very important," Meira answered. "The Hakurei Shrine Maiden brings balance to Gensokyo, not just between humans and yokai, but to Gensokyo as a whole. They are not merely the Yin to the Yang, they are the Yin-Yang. To put it another way, they are the peacekeepers and protectors of Gensokyo itself."
"Man, if being a Hakurei Shrine Maiden is that important, I can only imagine how much pressure Reimu must feel to live up to her job," Sumireko said.
You have no idea, Meira thought to herself. Hell, most of that pressure comes from herself, with Reimu trying to live up to her mother's legacy and strength.
"Besides Reimu and Reikou, do you know any other Hakurei Shrine Maidens?" Madotsuki asked.
"There's a few that I know, though one that immediately comes to mind is Hakurei Kazuko," Meira answered. "She's not exactly one of the Hakurei Shrine Maidens of Gensokyo, but she's an important figure in the Hakurei's history, especially since her participation in the Anti-Four Oni War had a profound effect not just in history, but to the Hakurei themselves."
"Anti-Four Oni War?" Renko asked. "Neither in history, nor in mythology, have I ever heard of it before, so how does such an important event seemingly get swept under the rug?"
Meira snorted. "That's what I asked when I first heard of it. To keep a long story short, during the mid-Heian Period, there were four oni who grew to prominence and had the ambition to take over the entirety of Japan. When the Oni's ambitions became known to the Imperial Court, they launched an expedition against the Oni. Unfortunately for the Imperial Court, said expedition dragged on, as little progress was made, and eventually, it escalated to an all-out war, even if the court never formally acknowledged it as such. Eventually, the war came to an end with Minamoto no Raikou and Kazuko defeating Shuten-Doji."
"Wait a minute, you mean to tell me that not only was Raikou slaying Shuten-Doji was actually related to a war, but that a Hakurei was also involved in it?" Renko asked in shock. "Why was this seemingly swept under the rug?"
Meira chuckled in response. "Good question. Considering that the Imperial Court never formally acknowledged that they were at war, I can only guess that they never wanted to admit that a group of 'bumpkin' oni and their minions were able to be a legitimate threat to their authority.
As to why Kazuko was specifically erased from history, not even the Hakureis and Shingyoku know, as Kazuko seemed to have kept the specifics to her grave. Given that she never wanted to mention Raikou after the war, I can only presume they had a falling out of some kind."
"Considering how important the war was, I highly doubt that the Imperial Court would erase almost everything about it," said Renko.
Meira shrugged. "That's just one theory. Another is that the records as well as Kazuko herself were simply lost to time, though I'm leaning more towards historical revision, at least when it comes to Kazuko."
Meira then suddenly looked towards the sky, as she sensed that someone was flying towards the Hakurei Shrine. "Oh, Suika's here."
The Sealing Club members and Yomika turned to the general direction where Meira was looking, and sure enough, they saw a short, long-haired girl who had two straight horns decorated with ribbons and a tattered light pink blouse, a long purple and white skirt, and four chain accessories, one on her right wrist that has a red tetrahedron attached to its end, one on her left wrist that has a yellow sphere at its end, one that tied the end of her hair into a tip and had a blue sphere attached to it, and one on her belt that had a purple drinking gourd decorated with tailsmans attached to it.
"IINCOOOMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING!!" Suika screamed with a half-drunken slur to her speech, causing everyone to get out of her way. Suika soon landed on the ground hard enough to kick up dirt and create a small but noticeable crater. "Alllright, Meira-*hic*-what's for breakfast?" Suika then began to take a drink from her drinking gourd.
"Nothing," Meira answered.
Suika did a spit-take upon hearing Meira's answer. Though Suika unintentionally spat her alcohol in Meira's direction, Meira acted quickly.
Tenfu: Banchou Tensei. [Heaven Sign: Heavenly Push of All Creation(天符「 万象天符」)
Meira suddenly conjured what seemed to be a forcefield of some kind with her left hand, stopping the spat of alcohol in its tracks before casually flinging and pushing it away from everyone.
"Wha'dya mean there's nuffin' fa me?" Suika asked in surprise and exaggerated despair.
"I mean exactly what I said, Suika," Meira answered, lying as easily as she breathed. "No breakfast, no nothin'. Even if we did make breakfast, there certainly wouldn't be enough for you."
"Wha-? Surely, you have at least sumthin' for my-*hic*-my hangover."
Meira raised an eyebrow. "Your treatment for hangovers is just more alcohol, and you of all people should know that I don't have any on me. In addition, alcohol will only make your hangover worse."
"Heey, if it wo-*hic*-works fa me, then it works, right? Besides, ya Buddhists wouldn't know fun if it was shoved up ya ass."
Meira and Suika's banter was then suddenly interrupted by Kotohime shouting. "Meira, breakfast's ready!~♡"
"Be there in a minute!" Meira shouted back.
Suika suddenly got a devious grin on her face and immediately flew towards the Hakurei Shrine, intending to mooch off of the breakfast Kotohime, Marisa, and Reimu made.
"Oh no, you don't!" Meira said as she extended her left arm towards Suika.
Tenfu: Shinra Ten'in! [Heaven Sign: Heavenly Pull of an Almighty God(天符「神羅天引」)]
Suika suddenly froze in place before she was quickly pulled towards Meira, the latter then grabbing the former by the back of her blouse collar.
Suika began to comically flail around and scream as she fruitlessly tried to break free from Meira's clutches. "Damn it, let me go, lanky-ass, I just wanna bite!"
"And risk you eating us out of house and home, Suika? I don't think so," Meira answered with an amused smirk. "Also, watch your profanity."
Seeing the antics between Meira and Suika caused the Sealing Club members and Yomika to chuckle in amusement.
"Well, I suppose I shouldn't have Kotohime wait any longer." Meira then looked at the Sealing Club members and Yomika. "Would all of you like to come into the Hakurei Shrine with me? I know it's a bit awkward to have breakfast in front of guests, especially if they ain't eating with us, but it ain't safe for Outsiders in Gensokyo without a guide, and I doubt Suika would be up to watch over you."
"Wha-? I can babysit just fine, ya know!" Suika indignantly said. "And can't I at least have a bite?"
Meira raised an eyebrow at Suika's response as the former looked at the latter. "No." Meira then turned to the Sealing Club members and Yomika. "So, how 'bout it? You gonna come with me?"
"Sure, not like we know the rest of Gensokyo beyond this shrine, anyways," Urotsuki answered, with the other Sealing Club members and Yomika replying in a similar manner.
"Alright, then follow me," Meira said as she turned, but then she stopped and turned back towards Suika. "While I don't have any alcohol for your hangover, Suika, at the very least, you could ask Reimu for some."
"I suppose I'll do that," Suika grumbled.
"Now that that's dealt with, let's head inside," Meira said as she went towards the Hakurei Shrine, with the Sealing Club members, Yomika, and Suika following her.
Once the group was inside, they were greeted with the quaint, if slightly messy interior of the Hakurei Shrine. The group then made their way towards the Japanese dining table, where they sat on any floor pillows that were available.
"Oi, Reimu, you got any alcohol for my hangover?" Suika asked.
"No," Reimu immediately and tersely answered as she, Kotohime, and Marisa set their breakfast on the dining table and sat down.
"Ah, come on, ya gotta have at least somethin' fa ma hangover!" Suika exclaimed.
"This likely ain't much, but are you fine with some tea?~♡" Kotohime asked Suika.
"Fine, I'll take some tea," Suika grumbled.
"Oh, that reminds me," Meira said as she turned to the Sealing Club members and Yomika. "While we can't offer you our breakfast, would the rest of you like some tea?"
"Yes, I would," Yomika answered, with the Sealing Club also accepting the offer.
"I'll pour some cups of tea for the rest of you while I'm at it~♡," Kotohime said while she poured tea for Suika.
Once Kotohime poured cups for Suika, the Sealing Club members, and Yomika, both she and Meira passed on the tea to them, which the Sealing Club members and Yomika gave their thanks.
When that was over, Kotohime, Marisa, meira, and Reimu grabbed their eating utensils and put their hands together. """"Itadakimasu!"""" the four said in unison before digging in.
"Sooo…" Urotsuki said, pausing to figure out what to say. "...I heard Meira mention this 'Heavenly God Incarnation' once during the duel. 'wassup with that being banned in Spell Card Duels?"
"Oh, that?" Marisa said as she picked up a piece of an omelet with her chopsticks and ate it before speaking with her mouth full. "I thunk Meiruh can answer dat da best, ba-se."
"Manners, Marisa," Reimu chided as she picked up a steamed pea pod with her chopsticks.
Marisa swallowed her food before she began to apologize. "Sorry, Reimu."
"Yeah, I can answer that," Meira said, getting everyone back on track. "In its default form, Heavenly God Incarnation(Tenjin Keshin[天神化身]) is a shroud of dense and hardened magic covering the caster as a form of armor, though one can manifest it to be tall enough to dwarf trees. As the name implies, it takes the form of a god, or in a Buddhist's case such as myself, it takes the form of a Buddha. More specifically, it manifests as a god or Buddha you worship."
Sumireko whistled. "That sounds pretty cool." Sumireko then looked around for the tea kettle, grabbed it, and poured herself some more tea. "So how does one get Heavenly God Incarnation?"
"For one, you gotta be pretty devoted to your god or Buddha, and even then, you can't just simply 'learn' it," Meira answered. "In the case of a god, they are the ones who decide if you are worthy of having it, whereas for Buddhists, not only do you have to reach a certain level of enlightenment, it also more often than not just comes to you, though having a clear mind while meditating does help a bit."
"So in short, you have to be particularly religious and either have the favor of your god or reach a certain level of enlightenment, right?" Maribel asked.
"Yup, that's the gist of it," Meira answered.
"Since Reimu is a miko, and the Hakurei Shrine Maiden, to boot, does that mean that she has Heavenly God Incarnation?" Urotsuki asked.
A brief but uncomfortable silence emanated from Marisa, Meira, and Reimu as they briefly stopped eating and pondered how to answer the question.
"I don't," Reimu tersely answered, not wanting to answer any more than that before she and the others resumed eating. The Sealing Club members, for their part, caught on to Reimu's unwillingness to elaborate.
"Sooo…" Sumireko said, deciding to change the topic. "...Meira, what were those two spells you used earlier on Suika? The forcefield and the one where you pulled her in, I mean."
"Ah, those two spells?" Meira said before she slapped Suika's hand away from the omelets without even looking. "They were Heavenly Pull of an Almighty God and Heavenly Push of All Creation, and are collectively known as the 'Shinra Banchou' spells."
Unbeknownst to Meira, Kotohime took pity on Suika and used her chopsticks to hand over a piece of an omelet to Suika, who gleefully accepted Kotohime's pity gift and swallowed the omelet piece whole.
"Now those names sound rather impressive," Urotsuki said. "So how does one obtain the Shinra Banchou spells?"
"Ooh, I can answer that, da~ze!" Marisa interjected. "There are three main ways to get the Shinra Banchou spells. One: You master at least five different magical elements. Two: You have divine blood within you. Three: A god decides to bless you with them, or in a Buddhist's case, they gotta reach a certain level of enlightenment. In short, the third way of obtainin' the Shinra Banshou spells is to be particularly religious, da~ze."
"As their names suggest, the Shinra Banshou spells can pull things toward or push them away from the caster," Meira added. "The only real limitation to the power of the spells is how much magic you can output, meaning that if you're particularly powerful enough, you can either flatten an entire mountain or rip apart said mountain by pulling parts of it towards you. You can even pull someone from thousands of Ri away, provided you know their general location."
"<Christ>, now that's powerful," Urotsuki commented, with her specifically sprinkling in the English word "Christ" in her otherwise Japanese speech.
"Indeed, and because of that, the Shinra Banchou spells are also banned in normal Spell Card rules," Meira explained. "So, any other questions?"
"No, not really," Madotsuki answered, with the other Sealing Club members and Yomika having similar replies.
"In that case, unless anyone else wishes to start a new conversation, I suppose we'll enjoy our breakfast and tea in silence," Meira said before she chuckled and resumed digging in.
Eventually, Marisa, Reimu, Meira, and kotohime finished their breakfast while the Sealing Club members, Yomika, and Suika finished their tea, and with the assistance of the Sealing Club members and Yomika, the four Gensokyo residents not named Suika put their dishes away, with Reimu and Marisa relegating themselves to dish duty.
"Well, since you're all here and intend to stay, I might be able to take you all on a tour to the Human Village," Meira said as she stretched her arms and back.
"I can agree to that," Yomika said, with the Sealing Club members having similar answers.
"In that case, we'll be going right about now," Meira said as she put on her backpack chest. "Let's go home, Kotohime."
"Got it, Meira!~♡" Kotohime cheerfully said before turning towards Marisa and Reimu and bowing at them. "See ya later, you two!~♡"
"See ya, da~ze!"/"Bye, Kotohime," Marisa and Reimu said, respectively.
Once everyone had exchanged their goodbyes, the Sealing Club members, Yomika, Kotohime, and Meira left the Hakurei Shrine and walked towards the Human Village, and in that timeframe, Marisa and Reimu had finished washing the dishes.
"Well, it was nice having breakfast, da~ze, so I'll be off now, Reimu," Marisa said as she began to leave the Hakurei Shrine, with Reimu seeing her out and Suika following her.
"Bye, Marisa," Reimu replied as she walked Marisa out.
"Byeee, Murisah!" Suika said with a drunken slur.
Marisa chuckled. "See ya, Suika." Marisa then hopped on her broom and took to the sky, flying off to who knows where.
Suika turned to face Reimu. "I thunk I'll go as well," Suika said. "See ya!" Suika then jumped up into the sky and flew away without even letting Reimu say her goodbyes.
Bye, I guess, Reimu thought before shaking her head. Oh well. I suppose I should get to my duties as a miko now. Reimu then turned around and headed into the Hakurei Shrine, ready to do her morning miko duties.
However, just as she faced the shrine, she saw a woman standing at the shrine's entrance with an interested look on her face, with the woman having red, waist-length hair, red eyes, and two bifurcated horns, and wore a blue cloak over a white blouse, a red dress that had a sun and lightning bolt pattern on it, and a red bow over the cloak.
"Sh-Shingyoku-sama," Reimu said with surprise as she reflexively bowed towards the now-named Shingyoku.
Shingyoku hummed to herself. "So those were the Outsiders the crows were talking about. How interesting." It looks like Maribel intends to continue visiting Gensokyo if her second visit is of any consideration, Shingyoku thought. In addition, the one named "Yomika" seems to be holding quite some power within her, albeit one that is unrealized.
Reimu raised her head, confusion present on her face. "'Interesting'? 'Interesting' how, if I may ask?"
Shingyoku gave a knowing smirk to Reimu. "If you still have any concerns about the Outsiders, Reimu, you need not worry about them too much anymore," Shingyoku cryptically answered. "At most, they are of marginal concern, and even then, only one is capable of causing an Incident should her buttons be pushed. Other than that, the Outsiders are quite benign."
"If you don't mind me asking, Shingyoku-sama, just who is the one capable of causing an Incident?" Reimu asked.
"That, I will not tell you," Shingyoku answered before dropping her smirk. "After all, if you were murdered, Marisa would very likely start an Incident, intentionally or not."
Reimu froze upon hearing Shingyoku's answer as her mood suddenly dropped.
"Whether that one Outsider realizes it or not," Shingyoku continued, "her bonds with the other Outsiders are much like Marisa's bond with you."
"How could you tell?" Reimu asked in a frigid tone.
"I observed the Outsiders' two visits here, and the one Outsider's body language has always been the most cautious and protective out of all of them, even if she doesn't show it. Truth be told, during their first visit, even I was ready to intervene when you asked them how they got here, as the one Outsider was more than willing to lay down her life it meant protecting those close to her."
Reimu took a deep breath to calm herself. "I see."
Shingyoku, knowing that she pressed one of Reimu's buttons, walked up to Reimu and hugged her. "I'm sorry for making that comparison using Marisa. I didn't mean to hurt you with it."
"...It's fine," Reimu said after a tense and awkward pause.
"Is there any way I can make it up to you?"
Reimu gave Shingyoku's question some thought, and eventually, she gave an answer. "Can you make me some ice cream?"
Shingyoku stopped hugging Reimu and gave the latter a soft smile. "You just had breakfast." Shingyoku then turned around to leave. "Despite that, however, I will go ahead and make some for you." Shingyoku then went her way to enter the Hakurei Shrine.
Reimu clenched her fists as her thoughts returned to the comparison. Marisa wouldn't start an Incident over me, she thought as she made her way into the shrine. She wouldn't.
CLOSING AN: As you can probably tell, there's some influences of Naruto in this fic. A bit strange, innit? Also, Shingyoku makes a surprise visit to the Hakurei Shrine. Just what is she doing there, I wonder?
Those familiar with ULiL(Urban Legend in Limbo for the uninitiated) will no doubt notice that details corresponding to ULiL here and the actual first half of the ULiL prologue are quite different. Instead of Reimu vs. Marisa for the first duel, it's Marisa vs. Meira. In addition, I decided to give Occult Balls differing colors mainly to give them some distinction.
As for Kotohime being a Dreamer, after discussing it with a friend that I share details with, we agreed that this retcon would be more interesting for Kotohime, not to mention that I think it would make her at least a bit more relevant in the story. Plus, I honestly didn't have any details cooked up for Kotohime asides from a single bullet point of her backstory, but revealing it now would be a spoiler. Without further ado, let's begin.
Boundary Between Dream and Memory
Chapter Seven: Duel and Yin-Yang Orb
Chapter Seven: Duel and Yin-Yang Orb
Shit, I'm gonna be in so much trouble, Sumireko thought as she and everyone looked at the magenta orb Marisa pulled out from under her hat.
"What is that thing?" Renko asked.
"No clue, da~ze," Marisa answered as she shrugged. "What I do know is that it can give you a cool power that can supplement your danmaku!"
"Ah, so that's why you wanted a danmaku battle!" Kotohime said in realization. "So what is this new power you got?~♡"
"Hah, as if I'd tell y'all!" Marisa answered. "That would only give y'all an advantage over me, da~ze!"
Meira snorted. "If you ain't gonna share what's the new power you got, then I might as well beat it out of ya with this danmaku battle you seem so eager to start."
"Oh, it's on, lanky-ass!" said Marisa.
As Marisa and Meira began to banter, Urotsuki felt a feeling that told her someone was caught red-handed. She looked around and quickly spotted Sumireko, who was the source of the feeling. "Hey, Sumireko, you alright?" Urotsuki asked, causing the rest of the Sealing Club members and Yomika to look at Sumireko.
Sumireko flinched, acting exactly like she was caught red-handed. "Y-yeah, nothing to worry about, Uro!," she answered placatingly.
"Did you forget something, Sumireko?" Madotsuki asked.
"It's nothing important, Mado, really!" Sumireko answered once again.
The rest of the Sealing Club members and Yomika didn't look too convinced, but they had all decided to drop the matter and returned their gaze towards Marisa and Meira.
Sumireko took a sigh of relief when the rest of the Sealing Club members and Yomika looked elsewhere. Whew, that was close, she thought to herself.
"Ooh, I'll be the referee!~♡" Kotohime said in-between Marisa and Meira's banter.
"Fine by me," Meira said as she handed over her backpack chest to Kotohime, who retrieved and wore it.
"I'd prefer if Reimu was the ref, but whatever, that's also fine," Marisa said while shrugging.
"You always want Reimu to do things with ya," Meira teased as she unsheathed her katana. "There something between you two?"
Marisa stammered for a few seconds before she recomposed herself, flustered by Meira's teasing comment. "Shut it, you!"
While Meira and Marisa continued their banter, the Sealing Club members and Yomika were surprised when Meira had unsheathed her katana.
"Uh, Reimu? Are you sure this is safe?" Maribel asked.
"It is," Reimu answered. "Meira's katana is only made of wood, and her blade's also blunt. Marisa theoretically might get some bruises at worst, but even then, Meira's skillful enough to turn even her most powerful swings into light taps, and that's before you factor in her ability."
"Ooh, an ability?" Sumireko asked with curiosity. "What ability does Meira have?"
"Meira's ability is to push and pull things," Reimu answered.
"That doesn't sound too powerful," Sumireko commented.
Reimu huffed in amusement. "While it is true that Meira's ability doesn't sound powerful at all, believe me when I say that she's among the strongest in Gensokyo."
"Okay, everyone!" Kotohime shouted, getting everyone's attention. "Ready to start this danmaku duel?~♡"
"I was born ready, da~ze!" Marisa said with excitement.
"Born ready? The previous me before my soul reincarnated was ready," Meira bantered.
Marisa rolled her eyes in response, but made no further comment.
"Alright, then, time to set the ground rules!~♡" Kotohime said. "Don't use attacks with lethal intent, don't cast spell cards that your opponent can't dodge, Spell Cards can only last for a minute at most, and unless the decision is unanimous, don't Awaken your ability!"
"Hey, I wanna use my Awakened ability!" Marisa said.
"I refuse," Meira responded. "We got some spectators here that are mostly magicless, and I'd rather be safe than sorry."
Marisa pouted. "You're no fun, da~ze," she grumbled not-so-quietly.
"Oh? Not confident that you aren't able to defeat me without your ability being Awakened?" Meira taunted.
"Oh yeah?" Marisa answered, rising to the taunt. "I'll show ya lanky-ass not to underestimate me, Kirisame Marisa, the Ordinary Human Magician, even without my Awakened ability, da~ze!"
Meira grinned excitedly in response as her battlelust began to show. "Now that's more like it, Kirisame Marisa! I, Meira, the Bladed Buddhist of Force, shall be your opponent!"
"In that case, both participants are not allowed to use their Awakened Abilities!" Kotohime declared. "Without further ado, on my mark…" Kotohime said as she slowly raised her right hand and Meira readied herself, her stance prepping her to dash towards Marisa. "...Get set…" Marisa hopped on her broom and began to hover in place, ready to fly at a moment's notice. "...Let the battle begin!~♡" Kotohime then swung her arm downwards, signifying the beginning of the duel.
(Begin Touhou OST: Power of Darkness)
MEIRA
Bladed Buddhist of Force
X
KIRISAME MARISA
Ordinary Human Magician
Bladed Buddhist of Force
X
KIRISAME MARISA
Ordinary Human Magician
Marisa was the first to make a move, as she immediately flew away from Meira to gain distance and height and began to fire danmaku at Meira, to which meira's responded by flying and closing in on Marisa, dodging all of Marisa's danmaku and receiving grazing hits at worst. Despite Marisa's incredible speed, Meira was faster, especially since Meira used her ability to pull herself towards Marisa, increasing Meira's speed even further.
Marisa, having long known of Meira's speed advantage over her, had anticipated this, and with her also knowing of Meira's preference in close quarters combat, Marisa waited for just the right moment to dodge. When Meira began to prepare herself to swing her katana, Marisa knew that the time to dodge was now or never, so she suddenly did an aerial backflip over Meira as the latter swung her katana horizontally, causing Meira to miss.
The two duelists quickly reoriented themselves to face each other and simultaneously fired danmaku at each other all while dodging their opponent's danmaku, with Marisa's danmaku being star-shaped and Meira's danmaku being crescent-shaped.
While the aerial duel raged on, the Sealing Club members looked on with varying degrees of awe and wonder.
"Wow, so this is what a magic battle actually looks like!" Maribel exclaimed.
"It's certainly a pretty sight," Madotsuki commented.
"What you're seeing here is the Spell Card System in work," Reimu informed the Sealing Club members and Yomika, causing the group to look at her. "The Spell Card System allows even the weakest to get their word across not through pure might, but through showmanship and beauty."
Going back to the two duelists, Marisa and Meira continued to fire danmaku at each other while dodging their opponent's danmaku. Eventually, Meira's grin widened slightly as she pulled out a Spell Card from her right sleeve. Time to kick things up a notch, Meira thought.
Marisa, seeing that Meira was preparing a Spell Card, heightened her alertness as she prepared herself for whatever Spell Card Meira was about to cast.
Meira sheathed her sword, bit the tip of her right thumb, causing it to bleed, and smeared her blood on the Spell Card. Meira then pulled out her sword and threw the Spell Card towards the sky, which burned up shortly afterward.
"Raifu: Rai Ten Retsuzanari!" [Thunder Sign: Thunderous Heaven-splitting Slash(雷符「雷天裂斬り」)]
Meira coated her katana in a shroud of lightning with her left hand and then began to fly around Marisa in a square at high speeds, creating lines made of lightning with her katana that turned into lightning bolts that fired perpendicularly, with Meira also throwing in ordinary danmaku between the lightning bolts to corral Marisa into the lightning bolts. Marisa managed to dodge and graze most of Meira's danmaku, with only a few of them hitting her directly. Eventually, she managed to survive Meira's Spell Card for one minute, and Meira called off her Spell Card, the two duelists stopping their danmaku barrage.
"So you managed to survive my Thunderous Heaven-splitting Slashes for a full minute," Meira said in a mildly impressed tone, playing up the role of an arrogant fighter. "I suppose that is worth some acknowledgement."
Marisa grinned in response as she decided to play along. "How 'bout I show ya what I can do, da~ze? It's only fair, after all."
"Hmph, I doubt you'll land a scratch on me, but go ahead," Meira answered in a haughty tone.
"I'll make ya eat your words, lanky-ass da~ze!" Marisa said as she pulled out a Spell Card.
"Kougeki: Shoot the moon!" [Light Blast: Shoot the Moon(光撃「シュート・ザ・ムーン」)]
Balls of light suddenly appeared from behind Marisa and began to fire lasers straight ahead, all while Marisa began to fire star-shaped danmaku both in a spiraling formation and a wide five-pronged formation.
Meira resumed firing her danmaku at Marisa, forcing her opponent to resume dodging them, and dodged all of Marisa's danmaku while keeping distance from the laser beams, using her ability to pull herself away from marisa's danmaku in tandem with her natural agility. Eventually, a minute had passed without Meira getting hit even once, and Marisa dispelled her Spell Card.
(End: Touhou OST: Power of Darkness)
"Hmph, was that all?" Meira asked in an arrogant tone. "Surely, you could do better than that."
Marisa grinned, deciding not to take the bait. "I suppose I could, da~ze, but then again, I did say I wanted to show off the new power I got, didn't I? It wouldn't be right to reveal it right off the bat, ya know."
(Begin: Naruto Shippuden OST: Blind Animal)
Meira smirked in response. "I'll admit that you're right that it can be foolish to show one's hand early." Meira then dropped her smirk. "However, sometimes it is prudent to deliver a crushing defeat to your opponent as soon as possible, and I will show why right this instant!"
Meira sheathed her katana, pulled out a Spell Card from under her left sleeve, bit the tip of her left thumb to make it bleed, and smeared the blood on the Spell Card. Meira then threw the Spell Card upwards and slapped her hands together.
"Tenfu: Sūsenju Kannon!" [Heaven Sign: Several Thousand-armed Kannon(天符「数千手観音」)]
Meira unleashed a burst of holy energy from herself, creating golden particles of magic all around her. The golden particles then coalesced into a form of a large holographic and thousand-armed Buddha statue behind Meira.
"You should feel honored that you face my ultimate Spell Card," Meira boasted. "This is as powerful as I can get without breaking the Spell Card rules, let alone unleashing my Heavenly God Incarnation."
As soon as Meira finished boasting, the Buddha statue clenched its torso-sized fists and extended its arms to deliver multiple punches to Marisa, all while Meira fired lasers in Marisa's general direction. Marisa began to dodge the chest-sized fists coming from the holographic Buddha statue while staying clear from Meira's lasers and returning fire at Meira, forcing Meira to constantly evade Marisa's danmaku and move away from Marisa's line of fire.
While Marisa initially did well on dodging the barrage of Meira's Spell Card and landed some danmaku hits on Meira, the hits on Meira weren't enough to defeat her, and eventually, Marisa took a hit from one of the fist-shaped danmaku.
~PICHUUN!!~
A flash and a high-pitched sound rang out from Marisa as she briefly plummeted down and Meira dispelled her Spell Card. Marisa quickly flipped herself back up and flew back to be level with Meira, looking none worse for wear. "Wow, those fists hurt, da~ze," Marisa said as she shook off the pain and dusted herself. "I guess that's a loss for me."
Meira humphed in response. "I would be disappointed if you had immediately lost against Thousand-Armed Kannon."
Marisa grinned. "Oh, I'll wipe that stupid grin off your face, da~ze!" Marisa then pulled out the magenta orb she had under her hat and crushed it with her hand, causing it to turn into a dissipating mist.
"Suteki! Kawaya no Hanako-san!" [Lovely! Miss Hanako of the toilet!(ステキ！厠の花子さん！)]
All of the sudden, the world around Meira and Marisa turned black and rows of public restroom toilet stalls appeared from behind Marisa. One of the stalls' doors soon opened and sickly green hands began to fly towards Meira, who immediately began to dodge them, but she was soon caught by the hands and thrown into the opened stall, which Marisa then slammed the stall door shut.
(End: Naruto Shippuden OST: Blind Animal)
Soon, the world around Marisa returned to normal, revealing that Meira was plummeting to the ground, though Meira soon shook herself out of her daze and flipped herself back up.
"Uh… Marisa wins this round!" Kotohime said with uncertainty. "...I think."
"Yup, Marisa did," Meira said as she dusted herself and flew down to land. "So that was what you wanted to show off."
Marisa grinned as she also landed herself. "You'd be correct, da~ze! With that, I'm certain that I've won this duel!"
Meira snorted as she grabbed her backpack chest she gave to Kotohime earlier and put it back on. "You sure? I'm pretty certain that I've won this duel."
"I don't mean to interject here, but I think Meira's right," said Urotsuki. "While the two did get K.O.'d by their big spells at the end, Marisa did get hit by Meira's first spell a few times, while Meira seemed to not get hit at all with Marisa's first spell."
"Yeah, I also saw Meira not get hit by your first big spell," Madotsuki said, with the other Sealing Club members agreeing.
"Unfortunately, Marisa, they're right," Kotohime said. "Meira is the winner of this duel."
"Well, there's always a next time," Marisa said. "Now, how about that breakfast, Meira? I'm starvin', da~ze."
"Right, I forgot we kinda interrupted your breakfast," Urotsuki said.
"Sorry about that," Madotsuki chimed in.
"Nah, it's cool, da~ze," said Marisa. "I also interrupted our breakfast with my duel."
"If I'd brought more food, I'd offer an invitation to you folks to join our breakfast," Meira said.
"That's fine, Meira, we just so happened to arrive at an inopportune time, that's all," Renko replied.
"In addition, we already had dinner, but the offer is appreciated," Maribel added.
"Dinner?" Kotohime asked with a confused look. "But it's morning here."
"I'll answer that," Reimu said. "While I don't know much about the outside world, what I do know is that time between Gensokyo and the Outside World rarely synchronizes, with it synchronizing only once in a blue moon."
"Reimu's right, da~ze, though only the Great Sages know of the specifics behind it," Marisa added.
"'Great Sages'?" Renko asked. "I remember you mentioning them in passing once, so who are they?"
"I'll answer that, as well as any other questions you Outside World folks have," Meira said as she took off her backpack chest and turned to Kotohime, Marisa, and Reimu. "You three mind prepping breakfast while I answer their questions?"
"Sure, 'bout time we got to eat," Reimu answered as she went to grab Meira's backpack chest.
"Will do, Meira!~♡" Kotohime cheerfully replied.
"I don't mind, da~ze," Marisa responded. "Speaking of breakfast, what are we havin', Meira?"
"Rice porridge, both pickled and steamed veggies, onigiri, natto, and omelets," Meira answered.
"Aw yeah, now that's a nice meal, da~ze!" Marisa said with excitement. "These foods won't cook themselves, so let's go!"
"Right with ya!~♡" Kotohime said as she, Marisa, and Reimu went to the Hakurei Shrine to prepare their breakfast.
As Marisa, Reimu, and Kotohime walked towards the Hakurei Shrine, Reimu turned towards Marisa and asked her a question. "So you had an orb, as well, Marisa?"
"Huh? What's that mean, da~ze?" Marisa asked in confusion.
Reimu decided to answer Marisa's question by pulling out a green orb from her pocket, which was similar in size and appearance to Marisa's orb.
"Wow, now that's interesting," Kotohime commented.
"Wha- where'dya get that, da~ze?!" Marisa asked in surprise.
"I came across it on the ground while taking a leisurely walk one day," Reimu answered.
"Aw man, now I really regret not having a duel with you," Marisa said before she pouted and slouched in an exaggerated and melancholic manner, which Kotohime chuckled at.
"I'm not in a danmaku mood right now, sorry about that," Reimu apologized as she pocketed her orb.
Marisa straightened her pose and pointed at Reimu. "Just know that you owe me a Spell Card duel for this, da~ze!"
Were it anyone else, Reimu would've outright denied the supposed debt, but as Marisa was her closest friend, Reimu accepted the debt thrusted upon her. "I'll keep that in mind," Reimu said as she smiled. "For now, however, let's make our breakfast, shall we?"
"You got it, boss!" Marisa answered as Kotohime nodded in agreement.
Meanwhile, back with the Sealing Club members, Yomika, and Meira, Meira turned towards the Sealing Club members and Yomika and bowed at them as she began to apologize. "Sorry 'bout that interruption."
"It's alright, It'd be rude of us to hold up your breakfast any longer than we already had," Urotsuki said, with the rest of the Sealing Club members and Yomika nodding in agreement.
"In that case, let's get to answering some questions, shall we?" Meira rhetorically asked.
(Begin: Naruto OST: The God Awakened)
"To answer the question on who the Great Sages are, they are a group of very powerful magicians who created Gensokyo, with Yakumo Yukari being the most well known," Meira answered. "Despite this, not only are they fairly hands-off in Gensokyo's affairs, they also hold little formal authority over Gensokyo, if any at all, and outside of Yukari, they tend to keep to themselves."
"Ran mentioned Yukari once or twice when she came by to check up on us yesterday, so who is Yukari?" Madotsuki asked.
Yesterday? Meira thought. They came here a few days- Oh right, time difference. "From what I know, Yukari is one of the more recent additions to the Great Sages, relatively speaking. With most of them preferring their privacy, Yukari is practically the face of the Great Sages.
"So what exactly does Yukari do as the face of the Great Sages?" Renko asked.
"She tends to send out Ran on at least a weekly basis to keep up with affairs and share whatever she deems important to the rest of them," Meira asked. "That's not to say that the other Great Sages don't have their way of keeping up, of course. Outside of that, however, I have no clue."
"You know any more of these Great Sages?" Sumireko asked. "They sound pretty powerful if they created Gensokyo."
"I'm only aware of three other Great Sages, though the only one I'm willing to name is Shingyoku," Meira answered. "As for why I won't name the other two, one won't be named for personal reasons she has that I respect, and the other… she's amoral at best, and with you all being a curious group of Outsiders, I'd rather not speak of the devil and have its shadow appear over you all."
"Oh, that makes sense, especially for the last one," Sumireko said a bit nervously.
"This will likely be a sensitive question for me to ask, but if you do not mind me asking, who is Reikou?" Yomika asked.
Meira snorted. "I suppose that question was coming up sooner or later. Under any other circumstances, I'd refuse to answer for Reimu's sake, but given how important the Hakureis are to Gensokyo, someone would eventually spill the beans on her. Even then, I'll only share what most people know.
To answer your question, Reikou was Reimu's mother, as well as the previous Hakurei Shrine maiden of Gensokyo. One day, while Reikou was out solving an Incident, she fought off against the one who caused the Incident and was hit with a killing blow."
Meira then darkly chuckled. "However, even while dying, Reikou, that tough woman, along with Reimu as eventual reinforcements, managed to solve the Incident before she passed away. Unfortunately for Reimu, she was merely a Hakurei Shrine Maiden-in-training, and a kid, to boot, but with her mother taking her last breath in her arms, Reimu was all but forced to take on the mantle of being the Shrine Maiden of Gensokyo."
"Oh, so that's why Reimu didn't like it when we brought her up," Sumireko said.
"Yeah, it brings up a myriad of memories for Reimu," Meira added.
"On a lighter topic, what does a Hakurei Shrine Maiden do?" Urotsuki asked.
"Their job is very important," Meira answered. "The Hakurei Shrine Maiden brings balance to Gensokyo, not just between humans and yokai, but to Gensokyo as a whole. They are not merely the Yin to the Yang, they are the Yin-Yang. To put it another way, they are the peacekeepers and protectors of Gensokyo itself."
"Man, if being a Hakurei Shrine Maiden is that important, I can only imagine how much pressure Reimu must feel to live up to her job," Sumireko said.
You have no idea, Meira thought to herself. Hell, most of that pressure comes from herself, with Reimu trying to live up to her mother's legacy and strength.
"Besides Reimu and Reikou, do you know any other Hakurei Shrine Maidens?" Madotsuki asked.
"There's a few that I know, though one that immediately comes to mind is Hakurei Kazuko," Meira answered. "She's not exactly one of the Hakurei Shrine Maidens of Gensokyo, but she's an important figure in the Hakurei's history, especially since her participation in the Anti-Four Oni War had a profound effect not just in history, but to the Hakurei themselves."
"Anti-Four Oni War?" Renko asked. "Neither in history, nor in mythology, have I ever heard of it before, so how does such an important event seemingly get swept under the rug?"
Meira snorted. "That's what I asked when I first heard of it. To keep a long story short, during the mid-Heian Period, there were four oni who grew to prominence and had the ambition to take over the entirety of Japan. When the Oni's ambitions became known to the Imperial Court, they launched an expedition against the Oni. Unfortunately for the Imperial Court, said expedition dragged on, as little progress was made, and eventually, it escalated to an all-out war, even if the court never formally acknowledged it as such. Eventually, the war came to an end with Minamoto no Raikou and Kazuko defeating Shuten-Doji."
"Wait a minute, you mean to tell me that not only was Raikou slaying Shuten-Doji was actually related to a war, but that a Hakurei was also involved in it?" Renko asked in shock. "Why was this seemingly swept under the rug?"
Meira chuckled in response. "Good question. Considering that the Imperial Court never formally acknowledged that they were at war, I can only guess that they never wanted to admit that a group of 'bumpkin' oni and their minions were able to be a legitimate threat to their authority.
As to why Kazuko was specifically erased from history, not even the Hakureis and Shingyoku know, as Kazuko seemed to have kept the specifics to her grave. Given that she never wanted to mention Raikou after the war, I can only presume they had a falling out of some kind."
"Considering how important the war was, I highly doubt that the Imperial Court would erase almost everything about it," said Renko.
Meira shrugged. "That's just one theory. Another is that the records as well as Kazuko herself were simply lost to time, though I'm leaning more towards historical revision, at least when it comes to Kazuko."
(End: Naruto OST: The God Awakened)
Meira then suddenly looked towards the sky, as she sensed that someone was flying towards the Hakurei Shrine. "Oh, Suika's here."
The Sealing Club members and Yomika turned to the general direction where Meira was looking, and sure enough, they saw a short, long-haired girl who had two straight horns decorated with ribbons and a tattered light pink blouse, a long purple and white skirt, and four chain accessories, one on her right wrist that has a red tetrahedron attached to its end, one on her left wrist that has a yellow sphere at its end, one that tied the end of her hair into a tip and had a blue sphere attached to it, and one on her belt that had a purple drinking gourd decorated with tailsmans attached to it.
Artist: Azuma Aya (Official art)
"IINCOOOMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING!!" Suika screamed with a half-drunken slur to her speech, causing everyone to get out of her way. Suika soon landed on the ground hard enough to kick up dirt and create a small but noticeable crater. "Alllright, Meira-*hic*-what's for breakfast?" Suika then began to take a drink from her drinking gourd.
"Nothing," Meira answered.
Suika did a spit-take upon hearing Meira's answer. Though Suika unintentionally spat her alcohol in Meira's direction, Meira acted quickly.
Tenfu: Banchou Tensei. [Heaven Sign: Heavenly Push of All Creation(天符「 万象天符」)
Meira suddenly conjured what seemed to be a forcefield of some kind with her left hand, stopping the spat of alcohol in its tracks before casually flinging and pushing it away from everyone.
"Wha'dya mean there's nuffin' fa me?" Suika asked in surprise and exaggerated despair.
"I mean exactly what I said, Suika," Meira answered, lying as easily as she breathed. "No breakfast, no nothin'. Even if we did make breakfast, there certainly wouldn't be enough for you."
"Wha-? Surely, you have at least sumthin' for my-*hic*-my hangover."
Meira raised an eyebrow. "Your treatment for hangovers is just more alcohol, and you of all people should know that I don't have any on me. In addition, alcohol will only make your hangover worse."
"Heey, if it wo-*hic*-works fa me, then it works, right? Besides, ya Buddhists wouldn't know fun if it was shoved up ya ass."
Meira and Suika's banter was then suddenly interrupted by Kotohime shouting. "Meira, breakfast's ready!~♡"
"Be there in a minute!" Meira shouted back.
Suika suddenly got a devious grin on her face and immediately flew towards the Hakurei Shrine, intending to mooch off of the breakfast Kotohime, Marisa, and Reimu made.
"Oh no, you don't!" Meira said as she extended her left arm towards Suika.
Tenfu: Shinra Ten'in! [Heaven Sign: Heavenly Pull of an Almighty God(天符「神羅天引」)]
Suika suddenly froze in place before she was quickly pulled towards Meira, the latter then grabbing the former by the back of her blouse collar.
Suika began to comically flail around and scream as she fruitlessly tried to break free from Meira's clutches. "Damn it, let me go, lanky-ass, I just wanna bite!"
"And risk you eating us out of house and home, Suika? I don't think so," Meira answered with an amused smirk. "Also, watch your profanity."
Seeing the antics between Meira and Suika caused the Sealing Club members and Yomika to chuckle in amusement.
"Well, I suppose I shouldn't have Kotohime wait any longer." Meira then looked at the Sealing Club members and Yomika. "Would all of you like to come into the Hakurei Shrine with me? I know it's a bit awkward to have breakfast in front of guests, especially if they ain't eating with us, but it ain't safe for Outsiders in Gensokyo without a guide, and I doubt Suika would be up to watch over you."
"Wha-? I can babysit just fine, ya know!" Suika indignantly said. "And can't I at least have a bite?"
Meira raised an eyebrow at Suika's response as the former looked at the latter. "No." Meira then turned to the Sealing Club members and Yomika. "So, how 'bout it? You gonna come with me?"
"Sure, not like we know the rest of Gensokyo beyond this shrine, anyways," Urotsuki answered, with the other Sealing Club members and Yomika replying in a similar manner.
"Alright, then follow me," Meira said as she turned, but then she stopped and turned back towards Suika. "While I don't have any alcohol for your hangover, Suika, at the very least, you could ask Reimu for some."
"I suppose I'll do that," Suika grumbled.
"Now that that's dealt with, let's head inside," Meira said as she went towards the Hakurei Shrine, with the Sealing Club members, Yomika, and Suika following her.
Once the group was inside, they were greeted with the quaint, if slightly messy interior of the Hakurei Shrine. The group then made their way towards the Japanese dining table, where they sat on any floor pillows that were available.
"Oi, Reimu, you got any alcohol for my hangover?" Suika asked.
"No," Reimu immediately and tersely answered as she, Kotohime, and Marisa set their breakfast on the dining table and sat down.
"Ah, come on, ya gotta have at least somethin' fa ma hangover!" Suika exclaimed.
"This likely ain't much, but are you fine with some tea?~♡" Kotohime asked Suika.
"Fine, I'll take some tea," Suika grumbled.
"Oh, that reminds me," Meira said as she turned to the Sealing Club members and Yomika. "While we can't offer you our breakfast, would the rest of you like some tea?"
"Yes, I would," Yomika answered, with the Sealing Club also accepting the offer.
"I'll pour some cups of tea for the rest of you while I'm at it~♡," Kotohime said while she poured tea for Suika.
Once Kotohime poured cups for Suika, the Sealing Club members, and Yomika, both she and Meira passed on the tea to them, which the Sealing Club members and Yomika gave their thanks.
When that was over, Kotohime, Marisa, meira, and Reimu grabbed their eating utensils and put their hands together. """"Itadakimasu!"""" the four said in unison before digging in.
"Sooo…" Urotsuki said, pausing to figure out what to say. "...I heard Meira mention this 'Heavenly God Incarnation' once during the duel. 'wassup with that being banned in Spell Card Duels?"
"Oh, that?" Marisa said as she picked up a piece of an omelet with her chopsticks and ate it before speaking with her mouth full. "I thunk Meiruh can answer dat da best, ba-se."
"Manners, Marisa," Reimu chided as she picked up a steamed pea pod with her chopsticks.
Marisa swallowed her food before she began to apologize. "Sorry, Reimu."
"Yeah, I can answer that," Meira said, getting everyone back on track. "In its default form, Heavenly God Incarnation(Tenjin Keshin[天神化身]) is a shroud of dense and hardened magic covering the caster as a form of armor, though one can manifest it to be tall enough to dwarf trees. As the name implies, it takes the form of a god, or in a Buddhist's case such as myself, it takes the form of a Buddha. More specifically, it manifests as a god or Buddha you worship."
Sumireko whistled. "That sounds pretty cool." Sumireko then looked around for the tea kettle, grabbed it, and poured herself some more tea. "So how does one get Heavenly God Incarnation?"
"For one, you gotta be pretty devoted to your god or Buddha, and even then, you can't just simply 'learn' it," Meira answered. "In the case of a god, they are the ones who decide if you are worthy of having it, whereas for Buddhists, not only do you have to reach a certain level of enlightenment, it also more often than not just comes to you, though having a clear mind while meditating does help a bit."
"So in short, you have to be particularly religious and either have the favor of your god or reach a certain level of enlightenment, right?" Maribel asked.
"Yup, that's the gist of it," Meira answered.
"Since Reimu is a miko, and the Hakurei Shrine Maiden, to boot, does that mean that she has Heavenly God Incarnation?" Urotsuki asked.
A brief but uncomfortable silence emanated from Marisa, Meira, and Reimu as they briefly stopped eating and pondered how to answer the question.
"I don't," Reimu tersely answered, not wanting to answer any more than that before she and the others resumed eating. The Sealing Club members, for their part, caught on to Reimu's unwillingness to elaborate.
"Sooo…" Sumireko said, deciding to change the topic. "...Meira, what were those two spells you used earlier on Suika? The forcefield and the one where you pulled her in, I mean."
"Ah, those two spells?" Meira said before she slapped Suika's hand away from the omelets without even looking. "They were Heavenly Pull of an Almighty God and Heavenly Push of All Creation, and are collectively known as the 'Shinra Banchou' spells."
Unbeknownst to Meira, Kotohime took pity on Suika and used her chopsticks to hand over a piece of an omelet to Suika, who gleefully accepted Kotohime's pity gift and swallowed the omelet piece whole.
"Now those names sound rather impressive," Urotsuki said. "So how does one obtain the Shinra Banchou spells?"
"Ooh, I can answer that, da~ze!" Marisa interjected. "There are three main ways to get the Shinra Banchou spells. One: You master at least five different magical elements. Two: You have divine blood within you. Three: A god decides to bless you with them, or in a Buddhist's case, they gotta reach a certain level of enlightenment. In short, the third way of obtainin' the Shinra Banshou spells is to be particularly religious, da~ze."
"As their names suggest, the Shinra Banshou spells can pull things toward or push them away from the caster," Meira added. "The only real limitation to the power of the spells is how much magic you can output, meaning that if you're particularly powerful enough, you can either flatten an entire mountain or rip apart said mountain by pulling parts of it towards you. You can even pull someone from thousands of Ri away, provided you know their general location."
"<Christ>, now that's powerful," Urotsuki commented, with her specifically sprinkling in the English word "Christ" in her otherwise Japanese speech.
"Indeed, and because of that, the Shinra Banchou spells are also banned in normal Spell Card rules," Meira explained. "So, any other questions?"
"No, not really," Madotsuki answered, with the other Sealing Club members and Yomika having similar replies.
"In that case, unless anyone else wishes to start a new conversation, I suppose we'll enjoy our breakfast and tea in silence," Meira said before she chuckled and resumed digging in.
Eventually, Marisa, Reimu, Meira, and kotohime finished their breakfast while the Sealing Club members, Yomika, and Suika finished their tea, and with the assistance of the Sealing Club members and Yomika, the four Gensokyo residents not named Suika put their dishes away, with Reimu and Marisa relegating themselves to dish duty.
"Well, since you're all here and intend to stay, I might be able to take you all on a tour to the Human Village," Meira said as she stretched her arms and back.
"I can agree to that," Yomika said, with the Sealing Club members having similar answers.
"In that case, we'll be going right about now," Meira said as she put on her backpack chest. "Let's go home, Kotohime."
"Got it, Meira!~♡" Kotohime cheerfully said before turning towards Marisa and Reimu and bowing at them. "See ya later, you two!~♡"
"See ya, da~ze!"/"Bye, Kotohime," Marisa and Reimu said, respectively.
Once everyone had exchanged their goodbyes, the Sealing Club members, Yomika, Kotohime, and Meira left the Hakurei Shrine and walked towards the Human Village, and in that timeframe, Marisa and Reimu had finished washing the dishes.
"Well, it was nice having breakfast, da~ze, so I'll be off now, Reimu," Marisa said as she began to leave the Hakurei Shrine, with Reimu seeing her out and Suika following her.
"Bye, Marisa," Reimu replied as she walked Marisa out.
"Byeee, Murisah!" Suika said with a drunken slur.
Marisa chuckled. "See ya, Suika." Marisa then hopped on her broom and took to the sky, flying off to who knows where.
Suika turned to face Reimu. "I thunk I'll go as well," Suika said. "See ya!" Suika then jumped up into the sky and flew away without even letting Reimu say her goodbyes.
Bye, I guess, Reimu thought before shaking her head. Oh well. I suppose I should get to my duties as a miko now. Reimu then turned around and headed into the Hakurei Shrine, ready to do her morning miko duties.
However, just as she faced the shrine, she saw a woman standing at the shrine's entrance with an interested look on her face, with the woman having red, waist-length hair, red eyes, and two bifurcated horns, and wore a blue cloak over a white blouse, a red dress that had a sun and lightning bolt pattern on it, and a red bow over the cloak.
Artist: Aya Rin Snow
"Sh-Shingyoku-sama," Reimu said with surprise as she reflexively bowed towards the now-named Shingyoku.
(Begin: Naruto Shippuden OST: Senya)
Shingyoku hummed to herself. "So those were the Outsiders the crows were talking about. How interesting." It looks like Maribel intends to continue visiting Gensokyo if her second visit is of any consideration, Shingyoku thought. In addition, the one named "Yomika" seems to be holding quite some power within her, albeit one that is unrealized.
Reimu raised her head, confusion present on her face. "'Interesting'? 'Interesting' how, if I may ask?"
Shingyoku gave a knowing smirk to Reimu. "If you still have any concerns about the Outsiders, Reimu, you need not worry about them too much anymore," Shingyoku cryptically answered. "At most, they are of marginal concern, and even then, only one is capable of causing an Incident should her buttons be pushed. Other than that, the Outsiders are quite benign."
"If you don't mind me asking, Shingyoku-sama, just who is the one capable of causing an Incident?" Reimu asked.
"That, I will not tell you," Shingyoku answered before dropping her smirk. "After all, if you were murdered, Marisa would very likely start an Incident, intentionally or not."
Reimu froze upon hearing Shingyoku's answer as her mood suddenly dropped.
"Whether that one Outsider realizes it or not," Shingyoku continued, "her bonds with the other Outsiders are much like Marisa's bond with you."
"How could you tell?" Reimu asked in a frigid tone.
"I observed the Outsiders' two visits here, and the one Outsider's body language has always been the most cautious and protective out of all of them, even if she doesn't show it. Truth be told, during their first visit, even I was ready to intervene when you asked them how they got here, as the one Outsider was more than willing to lay down her life it meant protecting those close to her."
Reimu took a deep breath to calm herself. "I see."
Shingyoku, knowing that she pressed one of Reimu's buttons, walked up to Reimu and hugged her. "I'm sorry for making that comparison using Marisa. I didn't mean to hurt you with it."
"...It's fine," Reimu said after a tense and awkward pause.
"Is there any way I can make it up to you?"
Reimu gave Shingyoku's question some thought, and eventually, she gave an answer. "Can you make me some ice cream?"
Shingyoku stopped hugging Reimu and gave the latter a soft smile. "You just had breakfast." Shingyoku then turned around to leave. "Despite that, however, I will go ahead and make some for you." Shingyoku then went her way to enter the Hakurei Shrine.
Reimu clenched her fists as her thoughts returned to the comparison. Marisa wouldn't start an Incident over me, she thought as she made her way into the shrine. She wouldn't.
(End: Naruto Shippuden OST: Senya)
CLOSING AN: As you can probably tell, there's some influences of Naruto in this fic. A bit strange, innit? Also, Shingyoku makes a surprise visit to the Hakurei Shrine. Just what is she doing there, I wonder?
Those familiar with ULiL(Urban Legend in Limbo for the uninitiated) will no doubt notice that details corresponding to ULiL here and the actual first half of the ULiL prologue are quite different. Instead of Reimu vs. Marisa for the first duel, it's Marisa vs. Meira. In addition, I decided to give Occult Balls differing colors mainly to give them some distinction.
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