The path away from the Scarlet Devil Mansion was quiet, the oppressive weight of the recent minutes hanging between Reimu and Marisa as they walked side by side. Marisa kept glancing at her friend, noticing the uncharacteristic slump in her shoulders, the slight tremor in her hands that Reimu tried to hide by crossing her arms.
"You alright, Reimu?" Marisa asked, her voice was soft.
Reimu flinched, straightening up as if caught. "I'm fine," she said, too quickly. She let out a frustrated sigh. "It's just... him. He's giving us false hope, and I hate it. Why can't he just commit? Why can't he just stay until this... this apocalypse is over?"
Marisa lost her bravado, her usual grin nowhere to be found. "Yeah," she agreed. She paused. "We're so screwed. That's why I was pushing so hard to get some knowledge out of him. That Framework Rune is our key if he leaves... It's not your fault you dragged me away, but... I have to learn it. I can't just watch my friends get taken away again. Not without a fight."
Reimu went quiet, her steps slowing as the truth of Marisa's words settled in. She had been so focused on the immediate crisis and her own frustration that she hadn't seen Marisa's actions as the desperate contingency plan.
Marisa, now a few steps ahead, glanced back, a flicker of her old energy returning. "But hey, we still have two days. We'll let the SDM crew have their shot at him. If their fancy politics fail, we can go back with a different approach. Maybe we can at least implant a plea that actually sticks."
A small, weary smile touched Reimu's lips. "Yeah," she said, catching up. "I like that idea."
They arrived at the main gate to find a familiar scene of minor chaos. Aya Shameimaru was pleading with the red-haired gate guard.
"I promise I won't wander again! I just wandered once, that was only once! I just need one more tiny, little scoop!" Aya begged.
The red-haired gate guard shook her head, her arms crossed firmly. "Orders are orders. You were given an exception and to follow rules, Tengu Reporter, and you did not follow them."
Marisa grinned. "Yo, Meiling. Still at it, huh?"
Meiling looked over her shoulder, a tired but friendly expression on her face. "Yeah. Been dealing with this one for hours. She's persistent, I'll give her that."
"Lady Hakurei! Miss Kirisame! Perfect timing!" Aya zipped over to them, a blur of black and white. "As official arbiters of this incident, you understand the public's right to know! If you vouch for me again, I'm sure the Chief Maid would make another exception! I'll be on my best behavior this time! You have my word as a journalist!"
Meiling stepped slightly in front of Aya, blocking her path. "Ladies," her voice was respectful but firm. "Lady Sakuya was very clear. No unauthorized personnel. Given the... sensitive guest... I cannot allow her inside, even with your word."
Reimu and Marisa shared a long look. A mischievous, calculating glint sparked in Marisa's eye. Reimu gave a nearly imperceptible nod, then grabbed Aya by the arm and pulled her aside, out of Meiling's immediate earshot.
"You want a scoop?" Reimu's voice was low and intense. "Forget getting inside. We'll give you the full story. The attack, the rescue, everything. But you print it exactly our way. No embellishing, no twisting. You use the words we give you. If we see one word out of place, I'll use your newspaper to paper-mâché my next donation box. Understood? This isn't just news. It's a message. For him."
Aya's eyes widened, the promise of the exclusive of a lifetime warring with the gravity of Reimu's tone. She nodded frantically. "Yes! Absolutely! You have my utmost word as a Tengu reporter! Just tell me!"
They leaned in, Marisa and Reimu began to speak in hushed tones, laying out the entire harrowing tale. But they carefully reframed it, crafting a narrative of a desperate, heroic rescue;
"Our abilities, the very foundations of Gensokyo's order, were rendered useless."
"The Chief Maid, Sakuya Izayoi, threw herself into the path of certain death to protect the Hakurei Maiden."
"The outsider, Nowa Beckitzer, intervened at the last possible second, overcoming a foe that defied our reality to bring the Hakurei Maiden to safety."
Aya scribbled furiously.
"Lastly, this one too." Reimu paused, ensuring she had Aya's full attention.
"'His reasons are his own. But a protector doesn't need a reason to protect. They just do. That's the only truth that matters here'."
Aya finished scribbling, looking down at her notepad as if it were solid gold. "I see, I see! It all makes sense now!" she exclaimed, her voice a mix of awe and excitement. She shot into the air. "Thank you, Reimu, Marisa! I will print them, then distribute it exactly as you said! you have my word as promised!" And in a flutter of wings, she was gone, racing back to her printing press.
Meiling, who was leaning in their conversation and had her ear big as hand, receded. She listened to the final part of their conversation, smiled softly, a look of deep respect on her face. "I see," she said, her voice warm. "So that's why Lady Sakuya was so insistent. He literally saved her life, as well as yours, Lady Reimu."
Reimu glanced back to meet Meiling's gaze. "Yeah," she said simply, then turned to look ahead at the path home. "But we're going now. I need to rest. This day has been a total mess."
Meiling nodded. "Sure. Take care now."
Reimu walked ahead as Marisa waved goodbye. "We'll be back tomorrow!" Marisa yelled. Meiling waved back.
Marisa now looked at Reimu. "Well, gotta deposit the rune roomba at my house. Let's meet up at the SDM tomorrow to see their progress." Marisa flew into the air on her broom. "Take care now, Ze, alright?"
"Yeah. You too," Reimu replied. She watched Marisa become a speck in the distance, and her hand clenched the fabric of her dress so tightly her knuckles turned white before she forced herself to let go. A tired, shuddering sigh escaped her. She then flew. Towards her shrine.
After a while, she landed in the familiar courtyard.
She checked the storage hut, finding the supplies they had made Aya deliver earlier, along with the sack of potatoes she had bought initially for Nowa. The sight of it was a painful reminder of a simpler, failed plan. She slid the door closed and entered the main shrine, the silence feeling heavier than ever. As she closed the door behind her, she leaned back against it, her strength finally giving out. She slid down to sit on the floor, a visible tremor running through her.
"...Why am I afraid..? I hate this... I am the Hakurei Maiden, I shouldn't be like this..." she muttered into the empty room, her voice cracking. "I should be the one protecting this place, not him. I could've beaten them... but they knew my tricks. They countered everything..."
It was a painful reminder of what happened earlier at the Misty Lake, the trauma of her getting beaten badly and nearly sexually assaulted by many nightmarish beings while she lay helpless.
The roomba, having finished cleaning her room, went towards her. Bumping to her side. She glanced at it, remembering it was Nowa's. Then she took it. She hugged it with her knees to her chest, making herself small. A single, hot tear traced a path down her cheek.
"Don't leave... Nowa..."
Meanwhile, at her house in the Forest of Magic, Marisa closed her door. The cheerful mask she wore for Reimu fell away. She clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms, and gritted her teeth against a wave of furious, helpless emotion.
'One day,' she vowed silently. 'One day, I'll pay those bastards back with interest. He might be a stubborn old crate, but he's our stubborn old crate now. I won't let this happen again. If the SDM crew failed. I will find a way to make him stay.'
She took out the rune roomba that protected her from the initial kick and caressed her hand onto it softly, cutting through her anger. "Firstly, how does this work? Aren't these supposed to work as a cleaner? How does this cleaning rune disk, protected me?" she muttered onto it. Then she looked in the direction of the distant Scarlet Devil Mansion, a desperate hope.
"Please. Do something, Sakuya."
In the boundary that watched over all of Gensokyo... Ran Yakumo pulled herself back through a rift, a bundle of paper tags still rustling in her hands. She had been weaving them into the fabric of Gensokyo itself, placing each one with precision.
"Lady Yukari." She placed the tag into its designated rift. "Are you certain about leaving Reimu in such distress?"
Yukari did not turn from the viewing portal, where the image of Reimu clutching the roomba still lingered. "...Yes."
A pause. The fan in Yukari's hand moved in a slow rhythm.
"With the feelings she's developing toward him, that desperate hope she's carrying, she will reach for him. Perhaps even cling to him when the deadline draws to its close. Only then will Nowa be forced to choose. To stay, or to prove what he already believes about himself. That he is negligent. That he does not care."
Ran faced her mistress fully now, her nine tails stilled. "But our Gensokyo... if he learns what we are, he will—"
"He will learn what we are," Yukari finished. "And the nature of this place will drive him to abandon it. He is a protector, after all. It is his deepest wound and I believe, in his oldest vow. So I am nudging everything aside. Every hint, every glimpse of what lurks beneath our sanctuary. At least for the span of the deadline. That way, we secure his commitment before he understands the full truth."
Her fan snapped shut.
"Remilia's domain will be difficult to manage. The vampire's nature is not so easily hidden. But I trust Sakuya understands the stakes. She has seen the battle. She has heard Reimu's report. She knows what rests on this."
Ran was quiet for a long moment. When she spoke, her voice was soft. "You are betting again, Lady Yukari."
Lastly, in the grand, spotless halls of the Scarlet Devil Mansion, Nowa dressed in borrowed clothes, followed Sakuya. He glanced around, noting the absolute cleanliness and the clusters of fairy maids who whispered behind their hands as he passed.
'Do they understand what they are signing up for? This place isn't suitable for this kind of man...' She briefly, quietly glanced at Nowa behind her. 'I should've read more books about this situation... Still, securing his commitment still is the plan. But... Why me...'
"Beckitzer," Sakuya began without looking back. "Since you were permitted to stay by Lady Remilia herself. While you are here, there are house rules you must follow."
"I don't plan on getting myself in trouble," Nowa replied. "But sure."
Sakuya continued, reciting from a long-memorized scroll. "One: Lady Remilia's requests, however informal, are to be treated with the utmost priority. A refusal is not an option you possess.
"Two: You will address Lady Remilia and Lady Flandre with their proper titles. Myself and Lady Patchouli may be addressed as you see fit, though courtesy is expected.
"Three: You will not, under any circumstances, attempt to provide blood to either of them. This is for your safety as much as it is a household regulation.
"Four: You may access the library, provided you are accompanied by Lady Patchouli or have her explicit, written permission. Do not touch the books without gloves, do not reshelve anything, and do not attempt to 'improve' any runes you might see. She will know.
"Five: The kitchens are my domain. You are welcome to simple refreshments, but do not interfere with meal preparations.
"Six: You will make every effort to contain the... 'side effects' of your abilities. Reality-altering events within the mansion will be considered a breach of hospitality.
"Seven: The fairy maids are simple-minded but essential. Do not harass, experiment on, or disassemble them.
"Eight: All visitors must be announced to and vetted by me before they are granted entry.
"Nine: Between midnight and 4 a.m., it is advisable to remain in your quarters unless summoned."
She arrived at a heavy, ornate door and paused, finally glancing over her shoulder, her eyes holding his for a fraction of a second longer than necessary.
"Ten: The basement and its clock tower are strictly off-limits. This is not a request." Her voice was like ice. "The consequences for trespassing there are absolute. Do I make myself clear?"
Nowa shrugged. "Yeah, sure." He didn't move to enter the room.
"But first, a rule of my own. I won't call them 'Lady.' Remilia, Flandre, Sakuya, Patchouli. Their names are enough. It is the highest form of respect I offer, to call someone by their name. The nicknames,"
While his thoughts were, 'No way in hell I am calling that brat a "lady", plus only a sane person calls anyone "lady" or whatnot. I am not one of them. My history says otherwise.'
"those are just for casual things as well as for easier names to remember." He added with a dry smirk. Things got interesting as the queen of this manor was eavesdropping. A soft, amused laugh would echo from a nearby shadowed corridor.