Kurai Tsuki's eyes were filled with sorrow. After a two-second pause, she turned to look at the protagonist, Moriyama Hei.
"You're here? I'm sorry, I didn't even notice."
Through their conversation, they learned that the Yuuki Rei who had been accompanying Asakura Haruka was not the real Yuuki Rei, but merely a Shikigami that he had summoned, transformed into Ling's appearance.
Because Asakura Haruka's Onmyōjutsu had become exceptionally advanced, this Shikigami Ling, while possessing the same appearance and even her own consciousness, was ultimately not the person Asakura Haruka longed to see.
All she offered was a hollow, bittersweet comfort.
As Koze Furukawa played through this scene, his heart grew heavy with sadness.
He felt that Asakura Haruka was both pitiable and detestable.
Pitiable because the pillar of his heart, the Ling he loved most, was gone, and he could only simulate her through a Shikigami.
Detestable because Asakura Haruka had neglected the people around him, leaving Kurai Tsuki filled with sorrow.
Damn it!
Ling may be important, but Tsuki needs you too, Asakura Haruka!
Kurai Tsuki led Moriyama Hei to a secluded spot and began training him.
From their conversation, it was clear that Moriyama Hei was exceptionally ordinary, even among Asakura Haruka's many disciples, where he ranked at the very bottom.
His life had been anything but smooth.
Returning to his residence, Moriyama Hei was inevitably consumed by self-doubt. He lacked the natural talent of an Onmyōji and had once believed that sheer effort would eventually allow him to catch up.
But today's sparring match with his fellow disciples had revealed just how far he still had to go.
Just then, a voice called out from outside:
"Do you wish to change your fate? I can make you stronger."
"Who's there?" Moriyama Hei asked warily.
He stepped outside and saw a paper crane hovering in the air.
Following the crane down the mountain, he spotted a graceful figure in the distance.
Clad in a black, ancient robe, with long dark hair and a slender figure, she looked as if she had stepped straight out of a painting.
Her name was Takiya, and she claimed to be an Onmyōji as well.
Though her techniques differed from Asakura Haruka's, they could still enhance Moriyama Hei's power.
"Why are you helping me?" Moriyama Hei asked, voicing the question that Koze Furukawa would have asked.
Takiya was beautiful, but there was something unsettling about her.
"It's merely a transaction," she replied. "In one month, I need you to do something for me."
Takiya's method resembled the demon-subduing techniques from the first game, but it wasn't limited to demonic creatures—humans could be subdued as well.
It looked like some kind of dark art, yet Koze Furukawa suddenly felt a strange sense of excitement as he played through this part.
To let the protagonist experience the core of this technique, Takiya captured a cat demon for him to practice on.
A month later, Moriyama Hei arrived as promised.
Takiya led him to an underground cave and told him, "Down there, there's a sword stuck in the ground. Just pull it out."
As he reached this point, Koze Furukawa was filled with confusion and an ominous premonition.
While this installment of Onmyōji largely maintained its predecessor's style, it introduced many new mysteries that left him perplexed.
For example, who was Takiya? Was she truly just an ordinary Onmyōji? From what he'd seen so far, it didn't seem like that was the case.
And why was she having the protagonist pull out the sword? Couldn't she do it herself?
Did this mean the protagonist possessed something special?
How to put it?
The cooking was still the same, but it felt like the chef had changed.
Yet this heavy sense of mystery, this elusive yet inexplicably captivating feeling, drove Koze to keep playing.
Furukawa's intuition was correct. The scriptwriter was Urobuchi Gen, a man who, despite his fondness for "cutting the audience with a knife," excelled at crafting suspense.
This was particularly evident in Puella Magi Madoka Magica.
As they descended the stairs, there were, of course, many monster encounters along the way. Finally, at the bottom of the cave, Koze Furukawa discovered it was an abandoned altar.
In the distance stood a massive, vermilion gate. On the altar at its center, a rusted iron sword was embedded.
This must be the sword Takiya had mentioned.
Koze Furukawa controlled Moriyama Hei to walk over and pressed the A button to interact.
The male protagonist pulled out the sword.
A surge of demonic power erupted.
The image showed a chaotic, blood-red mass of blood flying from the void where the sword had been, swirling into the air like a tempest.
Then, the mass transformed into a humanoid shape.
"I... I'm finally free!"
Koze Furukawa's face twisted in disbelief as he stared at the television screen.
Not because of anything else—
The woman in the picture, completely naked and enveloped in a chaotic, blood-red demonic aura, was none other than Yuuki Rei, the heroine of the first generation!
What's going on?
Koze Furukawa felt his throat go dry.
His scalp tingled.
Just then, a girl appeared behind Moriyama Hei.
She had a neat ponytail, wore a red and white miko outfit, and held a staff in her hand.
She bore some resemblance to Yuuki Rei, but her art style was fresher and cuter.
"Idiot! Do you know what you've done?!" the girl scolded.
The girl's name in the dialogue box was [ Asakura Reimu ].
Koze Furukawa's body trembled violently.
Isn't this the daughter of Asakura Haruka and Ling?
Nani?!
Has this little girl grown up so much?!
The background music suddenly intensified, and a palpable tension filled the air.
Koze Furukawa quickly understood the truth—
Though the woman before him occupied Yuuki Rei's body, she was no longer Yuuki Rei.
Yuuki Rei was dead. Now, within this vessel, lurked the terrifying Yamata no Orochi, the great demon that had nearly destroyed the world.
Ling had used her own body and the Totsuka-no-Tsurugi to seal the Yamata no Orochi. But now, Moriyama Hei had drawn the sword, shattering the seal.
The Yamata no Orochi had taken advantage of Yuuki Rei's body to reincarnate and return to the world.
That was why Asakura Haruka had built the shrine in this place—to guard the seal.
But now—
Everything had changed.
"There's no choice," Asakura Reimu said. "We have to seal her back! Using the Totsuka-no-Tsurugi!"
This was the scene that mirrored the beginning.
Asakura Reimu chanted the incantation, and the Totsuka-no-Tsurugi began to glow.
Then, the sword transformed into a girl with heterochromatic eyes.
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