Chapter 42. An Old Acquaintance?
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Kurai Tsuki's eyes were filled with sorrow. After two seconds, she turned her head to look at the protagonist, Moriyama Taira.
"You're here? Sorry, I didn't even notice."
Through the conversation, it became clear that the Yuuki Rei who was accompanying Asakura Haruka was not the real Rei, but merely a shikigami that Haruka had summoned, made to look like her.
Because Asakura Haruka's Onmyoji skills were now so advanced, the shikigami Rei not only looked identical but also possessed her own consciousness. Yet, in the end, she was still not the person Haruka truly wished to see.
All she could offer was a pale and illusory kind of comfort.
Reaching this point in the game, Hirose Furukawa couldn't help but feel a wave of melancholy.
He thought Asakura Haruka was both pitiful and detestable.
Pitiful, because the pillar in his heart and his most beloved Rei was already gone, and all he could do now was simulate her presence through a shikigami.
Detestable, because he ignored those around him, leaving Kurai Tsuki steeped in sadness as well.
Damn it!
Rei was important, yes—but Tsuki needs you too, Asakura Haruka!
...
Kurai Tsuki led Moriyama Taira to a secluded place and began helping him train.
Overall, judging from the tone and subtext of the dialogue, Moriyama Taira was quite mediocre in terms of talent, and among Asakura Haruka's many disciples, he was considered the lowest-ranked.
In other words, life hadn't gone smoothly for him.
After returning to his residence—
Moriyama Taira inevitably fell into self-doubt. He genuinely lacked the talent to become an Onmyoji. He had originally believed that with enough hard work, he would eventually catch up.
But after today's sparring session with his fellow disciples, he realized he was still far behind.
Just then, a voice rang out from outside the house: "Do you want to change your fate? I have a way to make you stronger."
"Who's there?" Moriyama asked warily.
He stepped outside and saw a paper crane flying through the air.
He followed the paper crane down the mountain, where in the distance, a beautiful figure appeared.
Dressed in black traditional robes, with long black hair and a graceful figure, she looked like she had stepped right out of a painting.
Her name was [Takiyo], and she claimed to be an Onmyoji as well.
However, her methods were different from Asakura Haruka's, though she could still help Moriyama Taira improve his strength.
"Why are you helping me?" Moriyama asked—the same question that echoed in Hirose Furukawa's heart.
This Takiyo was certainly beautiful, but no matter how you looked at her, she gave off an eerie and unsettling vibe.
"It's just a transaction. In one month, I need you to help me with something," Takiyo said.
...
The method Takiyo offered resembled the demon-subjugation system from the first game, but it wasn't limited to demons—humans could be targeted too.
It definitely looked like some form of dark magic. Yet, at this point, Hirose Furukawa suddenly felt an inexplicable excitement.
To help the protagonist grasp the essence, Takiyo captured a cat demon for him to practice with.
...
A month later, Moriyama Taira showed up as promised.
Takiyo led him to an underground cave and told him: "There's a sword stuck in the ground down there. All you have to do is pull it out."
At this point, Hirose Furukawa felt filled with doubt and an ominous sense of foreboding.
This installment of Onmyoji continued the overall style of the previous games, but it was now laden with mysteries that left players confused and intrigued.
For example, who is Takiyo really? Is she truly just a regular Onmyoji? From what we've seen so far, that doesn't seem to be the case.
And why must the protagonist be the one to pull the sword? Why can't she do it herself?
Could it be that the protagonist possesses some special trait?
How should one put it—
The recipe is the same, but it feels like the chef has changed.
And yet, this heavy sense of suspense, this intangible yet strangely stirring feeling, made Furukawa want to keep playing even more.
Furukawa's feeling was spot on—because the person who wrote the script was Urobuchi Gen. This guy, though known for his fondness for tragic twists, is especially skilled at crafting suspense.
This was most vividly demonstrated in Puella Magi Madoka Magica.
As the character descended the steps, naturally, there were a number of battles along the way. Eventually, upon reaching the bottom of the cave, Hirose Furukawa discovered that it was actually an abandoned shrine.
In the distance stood a heavy vermillion-red gate, and in the center of the altar before it, a rusted iron sword was embedded in the ground.
This must be the sword Takiyo had mentioned.
So, Furukawa controlled Moriyama Taira to walk over and pressed the A button to interact.
The protagonist pulled the sword out.
…
A surge of magical energy burst forth.
In the accompanying cutscene, a torrent of blood-red mist swirled out from the empty hole where the sword had been, sweeping into the air like a violent storm.
Then that mass of chaos took on human form.
"I... am finally free!"
Seeing this scene on his TV screen, Hirose Furukawa was utterly stunned.
It wasn't because of anything else—
This woman, completely unclothed and wrapped in a frenzy of crimson magical energy, was none other than Yuuki Rei, the heroine from the first game.
What the hell was going on?
Furukawa's throat went dry.
His scalp tingled.
Just then, a girl appeared behind Moriyama Taira.
She had a pretty ponytail, wore a red-and-white shrine maiden outfit, and held a staff in her hand.
She somewhat resembled Yuuki Rei, though her art style was fresher and cuter.
"Idiot! Do you even know what you just did?!" the girl scolded.
…
In the dialogue box, the girl's name was revealed as [Asakura Reimu].
Hirose Furukawa was shaken to his core.
Wasn't she the daughter of Asakura Haruka and Yuuki Rei?
What?!
This little girl… is already that grown up?!
The BGM suddenly intensified, and the tension became palpable.
Furukawa quickly came to understand the truth—
Although the person before them had Yuuki Rei's body, she was no longer Rei.
Rei had already died. The entity now occupying her body was the terrifying, nearly world-ending monster: Yamata no Orochi.
Rei had sealed Yamata no Orochi using her own body and the Totsuka Sword. But now that Moriyama Taira had pulled the sword out, the seal could no longer hold.
Yamata no Orochi had been reborn using Rei's body and returned to the world.
That's why Asakura Haruka had built the shrine in this place, just to protect the seal.
But now—
Everything had changed.
"There's no other way. We have to seal her again!" Asakura Reimu said. "Using the Totsuka Sword!"
And this brings us back to the scene from the beginning.
Asakura Reimu chanted an incantation, and the Totsuka Sword began to glow.
Then, the sword transformed—into a girl with heterochromatic eyes.